I watched as the axe spun in slow motion, keeping my eyes open to inspect its trajectory... until it had landed.

I froze there with my eyes wide. The axe had landed on the wolf's skull, which was inches away from my own as I was choking it. I also felt the wolf go limp in my grasp. If that was aimed at me... what could I have done? Should I get a helmet next time? My experience bar had increased too.

I then glance as I hear footsteps crushing leaves from where the axe came from. A silhouette emerged, one that was tall, had antlers of a stag, and had a wide, furry frame. Did I just anger some protector of the forest? I quickly stood up to prepare for combat-

"Hey!", the silhouette greeted, before he dropped off the stag corpse he was carrying. It was a hunter we came with in our trip. He had a very wide neck and I shit you not, he was the size of a juggernaut. I'm talking about 9ft tall and built like a fuckin' brick house. He also had his ginger hair tied to the back in a man bun, a wide, clean-shaven jaw, and blue eyes in an expression akin to a gentle giant's. This guy must be a Nord, one of the playable races in the game. They are renowned hunters and their hometown are in cold, unforgiving mountains and tundras, similar to vikings.

I can see him approaching... how would I fight him? That neck's too thick for my rear naked choke... my grip will fail. Maybe a triangle choke with my legs instead? No, he will easily lift me up and slam me down. What about his joints? His arms and legs are so muscular, I don't think the force of both my legs and my body is enough to break them... maybe I should go for cumulative damage with calf and leg kicks-

"You did a good job holding that wolf. I've been tracking that elusive one for hours now. I didn't know humans can be so brave to wrestle with such a mighty beast.", he commented, distracting me from my combative thoughts.

"...Uh, thanks. But you almost hit me!"

"I would have, if I was not so skilled.", he says with a confident smirk. That throw was calculated. How terrifying to think that he could have killed me too. He then removes the axe from the wolf's head before flipping it and holding it by the blade, offering it to me.

"How about you keep it? For good luck.", the hunter said. I nod and held it. I faced to the side as I inspected it with my appraisal skill. It was a "Throwing Axe". I tried swinging it, but I felt that same force from the tutorial taking away the weapon from my hand, sending it flying and burying into a nearby tree in a sharp thud. A message then appeared.

"Brawler's Curse is active. Attempting to wield a weapon with intent to harm fills you with anxiety, giving you a slippery grip and forcing you to discard the weapon." So that explains why I can't hold swords... but I was able to hold the throwing axe for a bit. Maybe there's an exploit I can use with throwing weapons?

"You throw well. Are you a marksman?", the hunter asks before he walked to get the axe back.

"...No. I have a curse, and I can't seem to hold weapons very well."

"Ah. In my homeland, a curse is merely a blessing ignored. A human may wish for the strength of a tiger, but a tiger would wish for a human's intelligence. While you may not have the firmest grip, who's going to stop you from being an excellent marksman?", the hunter says in a comforting tone with his deep voice. That's... true. That's an optimistic way to look at it.

"Thank you. What's your name?", I asked.

"Brynjolf Einarson. What about yours, friend?", Brynjolf asked.

"Marcus."

"Just Marcus? Who is your father?"

Oh, forgot about that one. Nords usually have their father's name with "son" at the end for their last name. So he must be Einar's son...

"My father's name is Alexandre.", I replied.

"Very well. It is an honor to meet you, Marcus Alexandreson." , Brynjolf says, followed by slamming his big fist to his chest in a salute. I return the gesture.

"The sun is about to set and we must have these carcasses prepared as soon as possible. Will you help me with gutting these animals?", he asked to which I agreed. I mentioned that I had no experience whatsoever, but he laughs it off and says it will be fine.

Brynjolf then hands me his old skinning knife. A curved blade with a pretty wooden handle depicting a bear with its carvings. The Nords sure have good craftsmanship.

He gave me general pointers in skinning like not cutting too deep to preserve both the meat and pelt, taking out the organs (most importantly, the colon!) and genitalia, and how to salvage both bones, fangs, claws, and eyes of the beast as they have supposed alchemical properties. Maybe I'll get to investing in alchemy later down the road.

While I was just halfway through cutting across the carcass, I glanced at him, and the guy was almost finished with the stag!

"Brynjolf, how did you end up here? I thought you Nords liked colder climates.", I ask as I continue skinning the wolf.

"We do prefer the mountains... but we had no choice. The Ice Witch's forces slowly closing in on our tribes. They... kill my brothers and sisters like wild game and turn them into mindless beasts encased in ice!", he said, with his tone progressively getting angrier. Just like the Lich, the Ice Witch is another threat in this world. Instead of commanding hordes of undead, she corrupts Nords by trapping them in cursed ice and turning them into monsters.

"We tried to fight back, but with each passing day, her minions increase while us die one by one. We lasted for months, and I have tried my hardest to convince my people that it was a fruitless endeavor to stay! Yet they still stubbornly remain. I..."

Brynjolf takes a short pause before speaking again.

"...I was the only survivor. My people died fighting to protect their home, yet I ran away like a coward. I tried to head to head to the Great Lodge of Geirmundholt to ask for help, but their hunters were stretched thin due to the constant attacks. I cannot blame them, so I left. I seek to redeem myself by helping wherever I could, and I have heard of the recent centaur attacks on Greywatch... now I am here."

Stolen novel; please report.

"That's..."

For once, I was at a loss for words. It must have been hard to try and save your people by retreating, and feeling like a coward for leaving despite the inevitable. All I could offer was a comforting pat on his shoulder. He gave a small smile, but I could tell he was still in pain.

I continued with gutting the wolf until I salvaged its fur, some of its teeth, claws, and fangs and harvested some meat and organs that Brynjolf said were useful before I proceeded with the cliff bat I killed earlier too, salvaging some of its teeth and fangs. I've noticed that I also get experience when skinning or harvesting animals.

We loaded up the nearby oxen mount's bags before we led it back to the outskirts of the forest where the foreman was there to tally up the resources. He bought off the wood and stone from my mount's bags for 20 silver coins while I got to keep the hunting loot for myself. All of us then descended the cliff and went back into Graywatch, celebrating for the night with drinks at the local inn. The foreman mentioned that with this much resources, we should be able to rebuild in a week after our raw materials have been processed.

"Hey, Brynjolf. For how much longer will you be staying here?", I asked as we ate chicken stew.

"I'm afraid I will be departing once the city is rebuilt. Why do you ask?"

"I was planning to leave too once the reparations are finished. Want to come with me?"

"We shall see.", Brynjolf answered. He didn't seem too willing, but he didn't look like he was against the idea either. Having him as a companion would make leveling so much easier. It's like getting carried by a high level player! ...Now that I think about it, have I even inspected his level?

I focused my sight on him as he ate before reading his name in my vision. "Brynjolf Einarsson... Level 20!?" What the fuck?

My jaw practically dropped after seeing that. Everyone else in this town was either level 0, 1 or 2 and this juggernaut came in out of nowhere and dunked on us all. Maybe... is he a player? Should I ask? Though I haven't seen anything "player-like" from him. I mean, I could die to reset this day and find out if he's still there... but nah, I ain't doing that.

"Is there a problem?", Brynjolf asks before I shook his head and steered the conversation into something else. We talked about food. He talked about precious memories of him eating "Roast Dolyak Meat", which was a furrier relative of our oxen. All I've had so far is basic ass chicken stew, so I was mad jealous when he described the taste.

After dinner and the drinks, I rented a room again and laid on the bed, staring on the ceiling. If he's leaving, then I have to take advantage of his time here. Maybe I'll get him to coach me on throwing weapons, yeah. I double checked my stats and levels. I went from level 0 to level 2 in one day. I think I could powerlevel up to 8 this week if I play my cards right. I mentally thought of a plan to proceed before I close my eyes and rest.

The next morning, I ate some chicken stew to receive food buffs before meeting with the other laborers. For the first few days, we were tasked with refining and processing these materials, and my days have fallen into a routine again. Just like in the game, there were stations for material refinement, like the lumbermill, tanner, and stonemason. I helped out in all three.

In the lumbermill, we set our collected logs down on a stand and manually cut them into planks with a long saw blade. In the stonemason's however, we had to manually cut the lumps of stones into proper blocks with hammers and chisels. Both of these were hard work, but they slowly raised my experience bar to level four with three days of refinement.

After we had our materials refined, it was another week of hard labor, the usual stuff. With Brynjolf's helping out with the reparations too however, the pace has been picking up. My routine has changed, however. During early mornings, I still jog, then I work from morning 'til noon helping rebuild the city, then after lunch I went on hunting trips with Brynjolf at the nearby forest, working on my throwing skill and gathering whatever materials I could, then still making some time to practice my martial arts by early evening on my makeshift punching bag. Sounds incredibly exhausting, and I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't powered by this world's chicken stew.

The experience from hunting animals with Brynjolf, skinning them, and refining the materials I've gathered easily boosted me to level 8 by the final day. That's... 72 more levels to go. It's overwhelming when I think about it... but I should take it day by day, yeah.

With a white bandana covering my head under the hot sun, I hammer the last two nails to rebuild a house.

"Hey boss! I'm done here! Anywhere else that needs help?", I shouted.

"That's all that needs rebuildin'. Good work.", the foreman said. As I descend the ladders, the foreman called all of us laborers over then rallied us to the city's center. I glanced around with the people standing by their rebuilt houses, some of them I can recognize from the invasion.

"Say somethin' nice, will you?", the foreman whispered before he cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention.

"Everyone! Once again, we have proven our tenacity—no invasion can truly break us!"

The foreman then paused, with his voice steady. "We lost many that day. But had the Knights of the Six not intervened, we would have lost far more." A moment of silence then followed, heavy with remembrance.

"However! That day, one brave soul stood among us. Not a knight, but with the heart of one. Someone reckless enough— no, dumb enough, to fight a centaur with his bare hands to save strangers. But most importantly, he stayed. When the battle was over, he didn’t leave us alone to pick up our mess. He fought for this city, and now, he’s been one of the driving forces behind its rebuilding."

The foreman then turned toward me. "Everyone, lend your ears to the Hero of Graywatch, Marcus!"

The crowd erupted, with whistles, cheers, thunderous applause. My fellow laborers clapped as they stepped aside, making way for me.

Damn it. What do I even say now?

"Uh. Listen. I'm really not a hero. I'm just a working man like you all...", I said, before glancing at the foreman who gave me the scariest glare I've received. Alright, alright, I guess I'll go with through with this motivational speech bullshit...

"But lately, I’ve been thinking... why was I given this title? What does it really mean to be a hero?", I said before giving a short pause.

"Some might say it’s about strength, like my friend Brynjolf here, who can lift an entire log with one hand. Others might say it’s about protection, like the Knights of the Six, who defend our people from centaurs. And sure, those are valid. But after working alongside these men and women, I’ve come to realize something else. Being a hero isn’t just about strength or combat—it’s about sacrifice. It’s about breaking your back, pushing through exhaustion, and giving everything you’ve got for the people you care about. These men, especially the foreman, are the real heroes of Graywatch here. I've seen it personally- they’ve poured their blood, sweat, and tears into rebuilding this city. So, no- I am no hero. But I’ve had the honor of working with them."

There was a moment of silence... then claps, and soon, a roaring applause. I turned around to see the foreman's reaction, which was just a quiet nod. My fellow laborers behind me had their fists raised, cheering their hearts out like the real heroes they were. Brynjolf, the gentle giant on the other hand, was driven to tears and quickly blocked his eyes with his muscular forearm so no one could see. I guess... the city is really rebuilt now. I've reached level 8 as well, so...

Stay strong, Miss Annie. I'll save your farm...

...and just you wait you fuckin' bandit, I'll repay my death a thousand times worse.