Hex watched Riolu with a smile, as he prepared to face his biggest fear yet. "Go on then, I'm going to cheer for you," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Riolu swallowed hard, his heart racing with anxiety. "What must I do if she's ugly?" he asked Hex nervously.
Hex shrugged nonchalantly. "Distract her, then run to me," he said with a mischievous grin.
Riolu nodded, feeling a sudden burst of courage. "Pray for me then," he said, before setting off to find the woman he had been tasked with approaching.
He walked around for what seemed like hours, asking anyone and everyone about the woman he was supposed to meet. Finally, he stumbled upon her at a bustling marketplace, her eyes gleaming like jewels in the sunlight.
He looked at her, stunned. She was beautiful - so beautiful, in fact, that Riolu couldn't believe his eyes. Other orcs might have found her ugly, but to him, she was a vision of loveliness.
Summoning all his courage, Riolu approached her. "Hi there, pretty girl," he said with a smile. "How are you?"
She looked at him with pity in her eyes, taking in his dirty, torn clothes. "Here are some spare coins," she said kindly, handing him three copper coins. "You can go and buy some bread."
Riolu shook his head. "No, it's not like that," he said quickly. "I think you're really cute, and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk, maybe a date?"
She raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. "How much did my father pay you?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Riolu was taken aback. "What? No, it's not like that," he protested.
"You don't need to keep the act up," she said with a sigh. "At least change your clothes before you try to approach me."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Riolu feeling embarrassed and frustrated.
As he was about to leave, a big orc approached her, harassing her and calling her ugly. Riolu's blood boiled with rage, and he yelled at the orc, "HEY YOU BIG PIG, WHY DON'T YOU PICK SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE?"
The orc turned his attention to Riolu, charging at him and punching him in the face. Riolu spat up blood, but managed to get up, ready to fight back.
Just as the two were about to clash, Hex appeared out of nowhere, stopping their fists mid-punch. "Stop it, kids," he said with a grin. "People are watching."
The orc challenged Riolu to a tournament to determine the strongest young orc warriors, and Riolu accepted without hesitation.
After the fight, Riolu collapsed to the ground, badly injured. Karin, the woman he had approached earlier, and her family took him in, nursing him back to health.
When he finally woke up, he found himself surrounded by Karin and her family, as well as Hex. "Where am I?" he asked groggily.
"Heaven," Hex replied with a chuckle.
Riolu's eyes widened in shock. "What? I'm dead? But I'm still a virgin!" he exclaimed.
Hex shook his head, grinning. "Who says virgins can't die?" he said with a wink.
Karin laughed, and Riolu blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Please, just stop," he muttered.
Hex leaned back against the wall, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, jokes aside, how can you win against him?" he asked, looking at his friends Karin and Riolu. "One punch from him and you collapsed."
Karin nodded in agreement. "Run," she said firmly. "I'm glad that you're trying to protect me, but you can't beat him."
Hex furrowed his brow. "Who is he, anyway?" he asked. "I think he's not just some nobody."
Karin's father, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke up. "He's the second son of the city guard captain, my boss's son," he said. "He's quite powerful."
"How about his strength and his Magic?" Hex pressed.
Karin Father, spoke up. "I heard that he has the strength of a high-tier E-rank Adventurer," he said. "He doesn't have any trace of magic, but he was born with very thick skin, much thicker than ordinary orc skin."
Hex sighed. "Well, he beats you in every aspect," he said. "Let's go, pack your things."
But Riolu shook his head, a determined look on his face. "No, I'm not leaving," he said. "I hate him not just because he badmouths Karin, but because he bullies someone as much as he can."
Karin rolled her eyes. "I know you're stupid, but don't just throw your future away," she said. "He will most likely cripple you so you can't walk anymore."
Riolu hesitated, but Hex spoke up again. "Don't worry," he said. "I already promised you something good, right? I guarantee if you can learn the first step of the Starfire Ultimate Formation, you can beat him."
Riolu's eyes widened. "Really? What is it?" he asked eagerly.
"It's a technique I learned long ago on my journey," Hex explained. "It has five steps. The first step is called 'enchantment.' It will enchant your body, making it become stronger."
Riolu nodded, his excitement growing. "But what's that E-rank thing?" he asked.
Hex smiled patiently. "It's like a power level created by the adventurer guild," he said. "It ranges from F-rank all the way to S-rank, with some special cases where someone can become a legendary SS-rank hero if approved by the guild. Each class is divided into low, intermediate, and highly ranked."
Riolu looked thoughtful. "Then what phase am I at right now?" he asked.
"Around highly ranked F-rank," Hex replied. "It's already surprising that someone without proper training can achieve that."
Riolu's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Does that mean I'm a genius?" he asked.
Hex chuckled. "No, you achieved it because of your luck and your intense training," he said. "I haven't seen someone go beyond that without proper training."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Riolu exclaimed. "Let's get started!"
Hex grinned. "Can we borrow your backyard?" he asked Karin Father.
"Of course," Karin Father said, gesturing toward the door. "Feel free to use it."