Marvin Smith always had a dream of being a hero
When he was but a little child, he always races to the village square whenever bards and storytellers come to visit their village. There, Marvin listened to the stories of adventure and heroism with a sparkle in his eyes.
Ragna the Giant Slayer, the North-man barbarian who, with his great axe ‘Giant’s Bane’, along with the stalwart barbarians of the north, defeated the snow giants who threatened to invade the Kingdom of Krishna.
Delith the Wave-Splitter, who, with a single spear in his hands slew a Kraken that was devastating the Sea of Tears in the East.
Gam the Beast Slayer, a red-eyed, ebony-skinned southerner who tore Beast-men raiders in two with his bare hands. Legends say that he defeated so many Beast-men that the sands have been permanently dyed red from the blood of his foes, creating the Red Dunes that act as the border between the Kingdom of Krishna and the Beast-men Kingdom-States from the south.
And the greatest of them all was the ‘Twenty’ who was led by the mighty Marius the ‘Lion Heart’. Together, the heroes that the ‘Trinity’ assembled had sacrificed their lives to push back the seemingly unstoppable demon horde and send the army of hell back to the abyss where they belong.
Hearing the stories about the people who overcame the odds to become heroes that are adored by all, Marvin dreams of becoming one of them.
But when he told his dream to his father, he just grunted like he always did, and continued to hammer away at the smithy. ‘Just are there are people who are born heroes, there are those who were born to serve.’ Without even looking at Marvin, his father continued. ‘The sooner you accept your lot in life, the sooner you will be able to cherish what is truly important.’
While Marvin doesn’t understand what his father was telling him at that time, he couldn’t accept him belittling his dream. Thus, Marvin planned to go out to the world to chase his dream. To take the first step of his adventure, all he needs is a chance.
Little did he know, he would have his chance sooner rather than later.
“Duck” Diether, a fellow adventurer and Marvin’s former squad mate during the Thirty Years War, yelled at him.
Instinctively reacting upon the warning, Marvin moved just in time as a spear pierced through the space where his head was a split second ago. Marvin was ashamed of his carelessness in letting a goblin sneak into his blind spot. Thankfully, he has someone to vent to as he cleaved the fucker’s head like a watermelon after which, he thanked his longtime friend.
“Thanks, Diether. You saved my ass.” He said as bashed another wolf with his shield and kicked another goblin in the gut with his steel boot, rupturing the monster’s innards.
“Well, if you just keep your head from wandering at times like these, you old bastard, then it would be less work for me watching over your wrinkly ass.” Diether grinned, which with his blood-splattered face, looks grim. The man then pierced through a dire wolf and its rider in a single stroke with his short spear. “You bumbling idiot is making us look bad in front of the newbie.”
“My bad! I will pull my weight from now on. Huryaaaah!” Marvin roared as he swung his long sword which cleaved through multiple monsters in a single stroke.
To be honest, Marvin never thought that they would be able to last this long while facing such a huge number of monsters.
And they shouldn’t have, if not for that man.
Marvin stole a glance at the man whose voice gave them the courage to face the impossible task of stalling the monster horde.
There he stood, a long sword in his left hand and a spear that he stripped away from the goblin that he just beheaded, his whole body drenched in blood.
But not his blood.
It was the blood of the monsters and beasts that he slew, sprawled before him.
A young man, who on any normal day you would mistake as an ordinary peasant with how unremarkable his appearance is, was fighting in the forefront of their formation. With every swing of his sword that is flowing like water, he was slicing through multiple monsters and beasts. Every thrust of his spear is like lightning, piercing everything in its path like it is made of wet paper, killing most in an instant and fatally wounding those who survived.
If that is all this newbie adventurer was capable of, then Marvin wouldn’t be this impressed, after all, Marvin and his brothers-in-arms are also capable of slaying a slew of weak monsters like goblins and dire wolves by themselves, but the way those monsters were systematically slaughtered is like a poetry in motion.
The way the man moves, not only using the weapons in his hand but also utilizing both his body and the bodies of his enemies as weapons, it was like the man was forged through the hellish fire of war throughout his life! And this comes from a veteran who has survived the entire Thirty-Years War!
To add more to the absurdity of the man before him, Marvin just realized that he have created barricades using the trees that he chopped earlier and the corpses of the monsters that he has been flinging about since the start of the battle!
Truly, Marvin is witnessing a legend in the making.
CHOP!
SLASH!
STAB!
BASH!
Marvin and the others continued to put up resistance against the horde of monsters, killing over a hundred monsters between the five of them. Which is an amazing feat, alas, slowly but surely, their strength is being chipped off with every swing they make.
After about 10 minutes of fighting, they are starting to feel exhaustion creeping in.
Damn, these old bones. Marvin cursed. His blood continues to scream as his will to fight burned bright, alas, Father Time is undefeated. When he was fighting in the war, he could fight for hours on end. It was brutal. Because of that, when he became an adventurer, But now, he is nearing his limits in just 10 minutes.
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As if sensing their wavering strength, Artreus let out a thunderous roar sending the seemingly unstoppable wave of monsters back as they quake in fear.
“Do not falter! We can do this! Let’s buy the town 5 more minutes to set the defenses then we will retreat! Soldiers! Raise your weapons! For tonight, they will sing songs about what we have done today! TODAY, YOU ARE GOING TO BE LEGENDS!”
Marvin and the others roared to the top of their lungs.
A legend! To think that the dreams he had when he is but a little child would be achieved in his twilight years.
Looking at the eyes of his comrades, they are once more filled to the brim with fighting spirit. Their hands are trembling with excitement as they are raring to unleash havoc on the monsters arrayed before them.
Then suddenly, something flew into the air. It was so fast that Marvin and the others noticed it until Artreus deflected it with his shield. With a sickening squelch, they recognized what was the thing that flew at such a high speed.
It was a goblin.
Marvin and the others turned towards the tree line where the monster-turned projectile came from.
The distance was at least 25 meters. What kind of being can throw a being weighing close to 30 kilograms like a spear at that distance?
Then, the mystery was revealed as figures standing at almost 2.5 meters appeared from behind the trees. Red eyes that glow in the dark. Their large maw and protruding tusk could crush bone in a single bite. Their sickly green skin seems to like it was about to burst from the mountain of muscles beneath. The smell of blood and death from their very being.
There is no doubt. These are Orcs!
As if that was not enough, there are also red-skinned ones mixed among them. Only one monster comes to mind that fits the description. The stronger, more violent variant of Orcs that were made for battle.
Blood Orcs.
Damn, it! Just a minute ago, their spirits are sky-high at the prospect of becoming legends.
But now, it hit rock bottom.
For who in their right mind would want to face Orcs who can stand toe to toe with C-rank adventurers while outnumbered? And the orcs before them are not your normal, run-of-the-mill Orcs. Those are Blood Orcs who are made for battle and can only be handled by B-rank adventurers and above. Why are these monsters bred for battle here when they should only be found in the vicinity of the Red Dunes where the endless battle could mutate an Orc to a Blood Orc march towards a town thousand kilometers away from their home?
And how could there be so many of them here when there should only be a 1 in 10,000 odds that an orc could mutate into a Blood Orc?
Then, like they haven’t crushed their spirits enough, the ground started to shake as trees fell one by one. Then, as the final tree that obscure it fell, it revealed a more fearsome foe.
With a literal tree in its hand, it was standing 3 meters tall. Black fur covered its body as its hateful face turned towards them, the monster started to drool as if it is looking towards its next meal.
Mountain Trolls!
Even a single one of these would be a hard-fought battle for an A-rank! And there are 5 of them!
With the Guild Master who was a previous S-rank gone, the town would surely be crushed even if the Immovable join forces with the guards and adventurers to repel such an unstoppable force.
They are now in a hopeless situation.
Still…
He will run no longer!
He ran away from his family before. And what did it cost him? Only his whole family!
He lost his family in a bandit raid, days before he can come home after the war ended. His father died protecting the village so that his mother could escape. After that, his mother followed his father to the afterlife with a broken heart believing that all her loved ones have died. The only thing that was left was their family’s sword which was kept by a family that his father saved and a letter that her mother wrote with her last sliver of hope that her son may one day come home from war to read.
In that letter, her mother poured her heart out saying how both she and his father kept on praying for Marvin’s safety. Every day they were waiting for him to come home, alive so that they could praise the Gods for keeping him safe, or if in death so that they could mourn their beloved son. His father kept on to Smith weapons and armor to send to the army for Marvin so that they could protect him from harm. While Marvin never received any weapon or armor aside from the standard equipment the army supplies them, Marvin still felt touched by the sentiment, as if he could see his father knit his eyebrows and grimace as he hammer metal into shape.
From that point on, Marvin finally understood what his father was trying to tell him decades ago.
The most precious thing in the world was right before his eyes but he was too blind to see.
The most precious thing in the world…
Family.
Right now, Marvin’s heart aches… He wanted to see his wife, his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandkids one last time. To tell them he loves them. That they mean the world to him.
Gone was his hunger for grandeur. The only thing that he wants right now is to keep his family safe.
Even if it costs him his life.
With the determination to die for his family, Marvin gripped his father’s sword tight. He snarled at the monsters that threatens to harm his family.
Then, as if they are mocking him, the Blood Orcs scoffed and grinned. A Blood Orc, larger than the others then stepped forward and spoke in a guttural voice. "Humans, kill a lot of goblins. Humans, strong. Humans, good opponents for youngins. Humans, Sacrifice for youngins become strong! Make Green-skins become Red with human blood!" He thumped his chest and the other Orcs cheered. "FIGHT! KILL! SLAUGHTER THEM!"
“Even if I die here, I will not let you harm our family and our home as long as I draw breath!” Marvin roared to the heavens.
“Well said, soldier.” The young Artreus spoke as he moved forward to face the Blood Orc leader. “Men! You have fought bravely! The odds are against us from the very beginning but yet, here we still stand! I am proud to have fought alongside such valiant men! You have the hearts of lions! Now, let us show these curs what it means to threaten the ones we love! Brave Lions! SHOW THEY YOUR FANGS AND CLAWS! WE WILL LET THEM SEE WHAT IT COST TO ENTER THE LIONS DEN! VICTORY OR DEATH!” He roared, and as Marvin and the others hear his voice, they could feel a warm feeling inside them, just like the feeling that they felt when the Golden Warrior faced the Elven Prince for the final battle of the Thirty Years War.
There is no doubt.
This young man is a hero.
Marvin and the others shouted in unison, their will rekindled as 5 regular orcs who are comparable to C-rank rushed towards them. Marvin and the others are only D-rank and are inferior to orcs when it comes to fighting ability, add to that the fact that he and his comrades are already exhausted from fighting the horde of goblins and Dire wolves earlier, and one would expect that with the exemption of the newcomer Artreus, logically the old veterans would be easily trampled afoot by the physically superior orcs.
But today, logic and reason were thrown out of the window, for men who are fighting to protect are something else.
Summoning strength that he never knew he had, Marvin launched an attack on his charging opponent. He lunged forward, surprising his opponent who expected that Marvin would cower before him and focus on defense. Taking advantage of this, Marvin swung down his short sword, pouring as much strength as he could for a single strike. True to their warlike nature, the orc quickly recovered from his surprise and raised his axe to block the incoming attack, but it was too late. Marvin’s sword cleaved both the shaft and the torso of the orc before him.
I won! Marvin cheered in his mind.
But the fatally wounded orc still clung to life and tried to grab Marvin with its gigantic hand. Knowing that he could be crushed if the monster was able to lay his hands on him, Marvin quickly punched the monster with the edge of his shield, then he pulled out his sword from the monster’s body and followed it up by slicing its neck.
Blood gushed out of the Orc's neck as it finally tumbled down.
Shocked that he was able to beat an opponent that should be far stronger than him, Marvin looked around and saw his comrades were able to win their fights too.
Could it be?
Could they have become stronger?
Marvin looked at his hands. These hands were calloused with decades of swinging his weapon, once for his country, then for a living, and now for survival. These hands are now overflowing with strength that he had never felt before. Not only that, his senses became sharper, and his feet quicker. There is no doubt. He has become stronger!
A lot stronger than when he was in his prime!
“No time to celebrate! Here they come again!” Artreus shouts. Seeing the dead orc on his feet, it seems that it died from a single attack on its heart.
Five other orcs charged toward them once more. This time, the orcs did not underestimate them. Marvin tried to launch a surprise attack once more but it was easily parried by his opponent who instantly counterattacked. Sensing the incoming danger, Marvin ducked as his opponent’s axe barely missed him by a hair. Judging by the wind pressure, it was impossible to block even a single attack.
But, if he can’t block, then he would just dodge!
As if the hands of time had turned back, Marvin could feel himself getting faster, more agile as he danced around his opponent, all the while he launched attacks of his own. His attacks were shallow, but it is having an effect as the number of wounds his opponent piles up, the more careless he gets. Finally, Marvin saw an opening and with a quick lunge, he separated the Orc's head from its body with a single swing of his sword.
As soon as his opponent died, another Orc took its place.
Marvin continued to fight and grow by the minute, killing one Orc after another with ease. The Orcs are physically blessed, but their fighting skills are lacking, with their attack pattern only comprised of vertical and horizontal slashes mixed with wild punches, kicks, and grabs, which, for the new and improved Marvin, is so easy to read like he is reading a book.
Aside from the first Orc which fell after a few seconds, his subsequent opponents were killed more quickly than the last with his last opponent dying in less than a minute.
Another orc came to fight but Marvin continued to dance around him as he bask in his newfound strength all the while trying to buy more time. That is until the Orc he’s been fighting become so frustrated that he missed another attack and was subsequently stabbed in the eye by Marvin. In frustration, the Orc swung his weapon too wide leaving his body exposed. Marvin didn’t miss this chance and quickly lunged at the orc’s exposed chest and stabbed it with all his might.
The orc wounded orc groaned but it didn’t go down without a fight. The orc flailed his arms around, hoping to drag Marvin down with him. Unable to pull his sword from his dying opponent’s chest, Marvin let his weapon go and dived back to avoid his opponent’s death struggle. The heaving orc let out a roar and charged Marvin once more.
It’s his final attack! If I dodge this, he should fall dead! Marvin thought, but as he was about to dodge, he tripped on a goblin corpse and fell! Damn, it! Marvin cursed.
But then, a spear pierce through the orc’s neck and it finally dropped dead.
“Dummy. That’s the last time I’ll save your ass.” A voice came from behind.
“Thank---” As Marvin turned towards Diether, he was stunned to see his friend kneeling on the ground as he clutch his missing left arm. “DIETHER!”