People poured toward us like water. Not attacking, not panicking, just… swarming. Faces. Voices. Hands pointing. Kids climbing crates to see.
“The Hero!”
“He’s back!”
“He brought them back!”
My horse hated the noise. I hated the noise. My brain loved the noise because it meant I was not dead in a ditch.
Roth rode like a battering ram, making a path without raising his voice. Lyra rode with her chin up like she dared anyone to comment. Mina held the little girl against her chest like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
I kept my eyes forward and tried not to look guilty for being alive.
Then my Hero Plate warmed on my forearm and lit up.
A faint blue glow, a crisp set of numbers.
People saw it.
Their reaction hit like a spell.
“He’s level six!”
“Already?”
“Is that even possible?”
My face went hot.
Lyra leaned closer and whispered, “Congratulations. You are now officially a public spectacle.”
“Can I be a private spectacle,” I whispered back.
“No.”
A kid ran alongside my horse, staring up at the plate like it was the sun.
“Mister Hero,” he shouted, “did you kill a hundred goblins!”
“Not a hundred,” I said, because my brain insisted on accuracy in the weirdest moments. “More like… a stressful amount.”
The kid cheered anyway like I had confirmed I was a legend.
The blue window chimed.
[REPUTATION]
Asteria Citizens: +15
Title Progress: “Beloved Hero” +3%
Oh no.
This was going to get worse.
We reached the castle gates and finally the crowd thinned, pushed back by guards who looked relieved to be doing something simple like “hold line” instead of “fight demons.”
Healers rushed out the moment they saw the survivors.
A woman in a white apron grabbed Roth’s arm. “Captain! Are there more?”
Roth pointed east. “Hamlet is clear. Tower is clear. Survivors are here.”
The healers moved fast, practiced. They lifted the wounded adults onto stretchers. Mina helped carry, murmuring calm words. The little girl clung to her until the last second, then allowed herself to be passed to a soft voiced nurse like she was letting go of a cliff.
Mina watched her go, jaw tight.
Lyra exhaled through her nose. “We did it.”
Roth glanced at me. “Not finished. Proof. Report. Reward.”
Reward.
My brain perked up like a dog hearing the treat bag.
We marched through the castle halls, boots echoing, and I tried not to stare at the tapestries with Elyria’s symbol stitched in gold thread.
I also tried not to think about the scratched out line from the menu.
I failed a little.
We reached the meeting room from yesterday. Maps on the table. Candles burning. Princess Selene standing straight like she had welded herself upright.
She looked relieved for exactly one heartbeat when she saw us.
Then she became a ruler again.
“Captain Roth,” she said. “Report.”
Roth stepped forward and dropped a bundle onto the table.
Goblin ears, tied with string.
A broken helmet.
A dented strip of breastplate.
The hobgoblin’s spiked club head, cut off like proof of a storm.
Selene’s face tightened. She did not flinch. She did not look away.
Lyra slapped the Iron Keyring down last, metal clinking.
“Cages,” Lyra said, blunt. “They had cages.”
Selene’s fingers curled on the table edge.
Mina stepped in, voice controlled. “Five survivors recovered. Others were taken or killed. The hamlet is damaged but salvageable.”
Selene inhaled, slow, and looked at me.
“Kenta,” she said, softer, “you were injured.”
I realized there was dried blood on my sleeve.
“Minor,” I lied.
Lyra snorted. “He got smacked by a club and bounced like a dropped fruit.”
Roth said, “He did not die. That is acceptable.”
Selene’s mouth twitched like she wanted to smile and refused to allow herself.
She turned to Roth. “Goblins wearing our uniforms.”
“Yes,” Roth said. “They are striking caravans. They are learning routes. This was not random.”
Selene stared at the map, then pointed at the hamlet area.
“I will send engineers and guards to Brookbend,” she said. “And an escort for the next caravans. Immediately.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“And I will speak with the Church.”
The way she said it was calm. The way her eyes looked was not calm.
A side door opened quietly.
A priest entered.
High priest, judging by the gold trim and the confidence.
He bowed to Selene, then turned to me and smiled like his face had been trained to do it.
“Hero,” he said warmly. “Asteria rejoices.”
My stomach did a small flip. Not fear. Just… pressure. Like someone had stepped into the room and the air decided to behave.
Selene’s voice remained polite. “High Priest Caldor.”
Caldor clasped his hands. “The goddess has surely guided your blade.”
I nodded because nodding was safer than talking.
Roth’s posture became slightly more rigid. Mina’s eyes lowered. Lyra’s expression went flat.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Caldor stepped closer to me, holding a small vial of pale gold liquid.
“A minor blessing,” he said. “For your protection. For your continued success.”
My brain screamed, free buff, take it.
My instincts whispered, do not drink random glowing liquids offered by smiling priests.
I compromised.
“What does it do?” I asked.
Caldor’s smile widened, pleased at my “piety.”
“It strengthens your spirit against fear and doubt,” he said. “A hero must not waver.”
Fear and doubt. That sounded like a good deal.
Mina watched my face, subtle and careful, like she was measuring my reaction.
I took the vial.
The moment my fingers touched it, the system chimed.
[ITEM ACQUIRED]
Minor Blessing Tonic (Church Issue)
Effect: Fear Resistance (Minor) for 24 hours
Note: “May cause vivid dreams”
Rarity: Uncommon
Vivid dreams.
Great.
I forced a smile. “Thank you.”
Caldor leaned closer, voice lowered like he was sharing a secret.
“The Demon King will not survive this era,” he said. “The goddess has declared it.”
Selene’s gaze snapped to him.
Caldor straightened, still smiling, still perfect, then bowed again and glided out like a candle flame walking.
The room exhaled after he left.
Selene rubbed her temple once, fast, like she was not allowed to be tired.
Then she lifted her chin.
“Now,” she said, louder. “Reward.”
My brain lit up.
She opened a small chest on the table and slid it toward me.
Inside were coins. Real silver. Not copper.
Also a folded cloak, dark red with a gold clasp that carried the star circle symbol, but smaller, less church, more kingdom.
“This is not payment for lives,” Selene said, voice tight. “Nothing is. This is recognition and support.”
I lifted the coins and the cloak like they might evaporate.
The blue window chimed so hard it felt like a bell in my skull.
[QUEST TURN IN]
Road to Brookbend: Cleared
Survivors rescued: 5
Goblin nest eliminated: Yes
Proof delivered: Yes
Rewards:
EXP +800
Reputation (Asteria) +30
Silver +8
Item: Hero Cloak (Asteria Issue)
Then the dopamine hit came in a second wave.
[LEVEL UP]
Level 7
Stat Points +5
HP +20
MP +10
My breath caught.
Level seven.
In two days.
My brain tried to smile. My face tried to look respectful. My soul tried to keep up.
Selene looked at me like she could see the system glow in my eyes even though she could not see the windows.
“You did well,” she said. “This matters.”
Roth nodded once. Lyra shrugged like she was allergic to sincerity. Mina’s shoulders loosened by a fraction.
Selene’s voice turned practical.
“You need a place beyond the castle,” she said. “A structure. A chain of command. A way to act without waiting for royal approval every time a hamlet screams.”
She gestured toward Roth.
“You will register with the Adventurers Guild today. As a party. You will take missions that stabilize the realm while we prepare the frontier.”
Roth said, “Understood.”
Lyra said, “Finally. A quest board. Civilization.”
Mina nodded. “The guild will also help relocate the rescued families.”
Selene pushed the keyring back toward me.
“Keep what you took from the nest,” she said. “But report anything unusual.”
My fingers closed around the cold iron ring.
Something about it made the system itch in the back of my vision.
Nothing dramatic. Just a quiet “this matters” feeling.
I tucked it into my inventory.
Selene stood straighter, like she was trying to end the meeting before emotions got involved.
“Kenta,” she said. “Be careful.”
“I will,” I said.
I meant it.
We bowed and left.
The moment the door closed behind us, Lyra exhaled like she had been holding her breath since the cathedral.
“That priest,” she muttered. “He talks like the war is a story and the ending is already written.”
Roth’s eyes stayed forward. “He believes.”
Mina’s voice was quiet. “Belief can be a weapon.”
I pulled the new cloak around my shoulders and fastened the clasp.
It felt heavier than cloth.
It felt like a label.
Hero.
I hated how much part of me liked it.
The blue window blinked again.
[ITEM EQUIPPED]
Hero Cloak (Asteria Issue)
Effect: Reputation Gain +5%
Effect: Cold Resistance (Minor)
Lyra eyed it. “Look at you. Official.”
“Please do not call me official,” I said.
She grinned. “Too late.”
The Adventurers Guild was loud in a different way than the street crowd.
This was not worship noise. This was working noise.
Tankards clinking. Dice rolling. People yelling over each other about routes and monsters and who owed who money. The air smelled like sweat, beer, wet leather, and confidence.
A huge wooden board covered one wall. Papers pinned everywhere. Wax seals. Red stamps. Numbers. Rewards.
Quest board.
My brain perked up so hard I felt it in my spine.
A receptionist sat behind a counter like she had seen ten thousand idiots walk in thinking they were the protagonist.
She looked up and froze when she saw my cloak and plate.
Then she recovered instantly, smile professional.
“Welcome to the Asteria Adventurers Guild,” she said. “How may we serve you?”
Lyra leaned on the counter. “We are registering a party. Also the boy is the Hero.”
The receptionist’s eyes flicked to my Hero Plate.
“Understood,” she said. “Hero verification, please.”
I held my arm out.
She tapped the crystal on the plate with a small metal wand.
It glowed brighter and projected my level in clean blue text above my arm.
Level 7.
People nearby saw it.
They stared.
I felt my face heat up again.
The receptionist did not stare. She just nodded like this was paperwork.
“Hero Sato Kenta,” she said. “Level seven. Class Hero confirmed.”
The system chimed.
[GUILD REGISTRATION]
Affiliation: Asteria Adventurers Guild
Access unlocked: Quest Board, Guild Services, Party System
Party system.
That sounded fun.
The receptionist looked at Roth next.
“Captain Roth, Royal Guard. Registered as escort class. Approved.”
Lyra.
“Mage Lyra. Fire specialization. Approved.”
Mina.
“Priestess Mina. Healer. Approved.”
Then she slid a parchment across the counter.
“Party name,” she said.
We all paused.
Lyra immediately smirked. “Hero Standard.”
Roth’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
Mina covered her mouth like she was trying not to laugh.
My brain flashed to that menu in the white place, the preset that had chosen for me.
Hero Standard.
It was stupid.
It was perfect.
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “Hero Standard is fine.”
Roth looked like he wanted to argue with reality itself, then sighed once.
“Accepted,” he said.
The receptionist wrote it down without blinking.
“The party Hero Standard is now registered,” she said.
The system chimed like it was proud.
[PARTY FORMED]
Party: Hero Standard
Members: Kenta, Roth, Lyra, Mina
Party Bonus: Coordination (Minor)
Dopamine.
I was going to drown in dopamine.
The receptionist slid four bronze tokens across the counter.
“Guild rank begins at Bronze,” she said. “Hero status does not change guild procedure. It changes how often people try to talk to you.”
Lyra snorted. “Honest.”
I picked up the token.
It was heavy. Real.
A new menu opened in my vision.
[GUILD MENU]
Rank: Bronze
Available Quests: 24
Emergency Quests: 1
Daily Bonus: Unclaimed
Daily bonus.
Of course there was a daily bonus.
I clicked it immediately.
[DAILY BONUS CLAIMED]
Minor Healing Draught x1
EXP +50
My brain lit up like a slot machine.
Lyra watched my face and laughed. “You are going to become unbearable.”
“I already am,” I said.
Then my status window popped up on its own like it was offended I had not addressed it yet.
[STATUS]
Level: 7
Stat Points Available: 25
I blinked.
Twenty five.
My stomach dropped.
I had been telling myself I had ten. Then I remembered levels. Then I remembered I had not spent anything since level two.
I whispered, “Oh no.”
Mina glanced at me. “What is it?”
“I have twenty five stat points,” I said.
Lyra whistled. “That is a lot of you becoming less squishy.”
Roth’s voice was simple. “Allocate them. Now. Before you forget and die.”
Fair point.
I focused.
[STAT ALLOCATION]
Stat Points: 25
Confirm distribution?
My brain went fast.
I wanted to stop bouncing off walls when something hit me.
I wanted to move faster than goblin claws.
I wanted my sword to actually matter.
I dumped points like I was shoveling coal into a furnace.
STR +8
AGI +10
VIT +7
Confirm.
The blue window chimed.
[CONFIRMED]
STR: 18
AGI: 22
VIT: 19
HP increased. Stamina increased.
New passive threshold reached: “Athletic Body (Minor)”
A second chime followed, brighter.
[SKILL ACQUIRED]
Parry (Lv. 1)
My arms tingled like they remembered the club impact and decided to finally learn from it.
Lyra leaned closer, eyes sharp. “What did you get?”
“Parry,” I said.
Roth nodded. “Good.”
Mina smiled softly. “You are growing quickly.”
The way she said quickly was not admiration.
It was concern.
I shoved that thought away because the quest board was right there and my brain was already scanning it like a starving man reading a menu.
Wanted: wolf pack.
Escort: caravan to Eastgate.
Clear: slime infestation.
Hunt: boar king.
Then the emergency quest glowed red.
EMERGENCY: Sewer Bloom in Lower Ward
Reward: High EXP, Silver, Reputation
Time: Immediate
A bell rang somewhere in the guild hall.
A side door burst open and a guard rushed in, sweaty and pale.
“Monsters in the lower ward,” he shouted. “Slimes. They are coming up through drains. People are getting burned. We need hands now!”
The entire hall shifted.
Some adventurers stood. Some pretended they did not hear. Some looked at my cloak and plate like they were waiting to see what the Hero would do.
Roth’s voice was calm. “We take it.”
Lyra grinned like she had been waiting for violence. “Finally.”
Mina’s expression hardened. “If people are being burned, we cannot wait.”
My quest window popped up without asking.
[EMERGENCY QUEST ACCEPTED]
Sewer Bloom
Objective: Contain outbreak
Objective: Eliminate source
Bonus: Rescue civilians (0/3)
Reward: EXP, Silver, Reputation
Failure: Civilian casualties escalate
I swallowed.
I looked at the red quest stamp.
I looked at my party.
Then I nodded.
“Okay,” I said.
My heart kicked into sprint mode.
We pushed out of the guild and into the streets at a run.
The capital felt different when you were not riding in with cheers.
Now there were screams.
Now there were guards dragging people away from alleys.
Now there was a wet, acidic smell in the air like something was dissolving the world.
We reached a stairwell hidden behind a bakery.
A guard pointed down, eyes wide. “They are coming from there!”
Lyra flexed her fingers. Fire flickered.
Roth drew his sword.
Mina’s symbol glowed.
I tightened my grip on my short sword and felt the new weight in my body. Stronger legs. Faster balance. More blood in my veins.
The Hero Plate warmed on my arm like it was excited.
The system chimed once, cheerful and awful.
[ENTERING DUNGEON-LIKE AREA]
Sewer Network: Lower Ward
Threat Level: Moderate
Recommended Level: 5+
Your Level: 7
Advantage: Yes
Dopamine hit.
Roth stepped into the dark first.
“Stay close,” he said.
We descended.
The stench hit like a wall.
Wet stone. Rot. Chemicals. Something sweet and wrong.
Then we heard it.
A wet slapping sound.
A bubbling gurgle.
And a soft sizzling like meat on a pan.
Lyra’s voice was a delighted whisper. “Slimes.”
My stomach tightened.
My brain lit up.
And we moved faster, because the quest clock was already ticking.