"What is this," said Liam in his mind. He felt strange...
No...
He feels...new. A feeling that he is not familiar with for a long, long time ever since birth. He can't help, but stir in his sleep and heard someone mumbling in his ears. That's when he felt something new as well. His arms felt...different. He stirred again and felt his back was new.
The first thing he thought of was the afterlife after getting smacked down by a spell called Unholy Smite, cast by the demon magician.
He probably thought that's what happen when he first reach for the light and saw his body engulfed by light.
Slowly, but surely, he opened his eyes and blinked several times to regain his vision. Instead of seeing a peaceful paradise in which everyone predicted what the afterlife looks like, he saw a very detailed ceiling.
Liam blinked several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming until Aniya's face popped into his view. At the same time, Liam screamed like a girl and jumped off the bed when he sensed her movement. Aniya widened her eyes after Liam tried to defend himself with his hand, causing him to blow air right up against her face with his hands.
Liam grunted as soon as he hits the ground. He slowly planted both of his hands on the ground to help himself up until he quickly turned and try to cover himself with his arms, only to find the wind blowing against the curtains.
Did he ever have such high reflexes in his life or what? He was scared and confused about the current situation. Not only does he has high reflexes, but his other senses are also weird. He can hear stuff from outside of the building and smell a whole lot of stuff that a normal human can't smell.
"Liam?" Liam flinched at the sound of his childhood friend's voice. His mind was running all over the place, thinking that he was just crazy after getting slammed in the head from the spell.
Why is he so sensitive to every movement Aniya makes?
"H-How did you guys find me? How long was I've been out for?"
"You were out for one day. What do you mean? You were out on the battlefield-" Aniya stopped her tracks and realized why he didn't remember. "Did you notice any difference when you woke up?"
"I can hear stuff through the walls and smell a lot of different things. I reacted faster than usual, which is...strange."
"Do you remember anything before you went unconscious?"
"I remember touching the light and saw...my body getting swallowed...by the light." Liam started to remember what happened to him as his eyes enlarged. It was not the light he touched. He touched the Core. A holy object that holds the power of a Champion.
"So, you're telling me that I have become a Champion, right?"
"Well, there's no way better to explain considering you experienced inhuman senses and from what I saw."
"Indeed," said a voice from the door, catching both of their attentions.
"Your highness." Aniya and Liam bowed their heads down as the king's bodyguards enter the room. The king of the Navalon Kingdom has brown long hair with blue eyes and a bright smile plastered on his face as he walked into the room.
"Please raise your head." Liam and Aniya obey his command while the king widened his beam when he looked at Liam.
"I'm surprised to hear that one of my people in the Navalon Kingdom has become a Champion. May I ask what's your name, please?"
"Liam Castor, your majesty."
"Liam Castor...I cannot thank you enough to save my kingdom. Is there anything you would like to have? I can get anything for you as you wish."
"No, thank you, your majesty. I'm just glad that I stopped the destruction of my hometown from the demons."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes sir." The king smiled when he heard Liam's words. That is something a true knight will say to him. Not only that, he doesn't want anything from the king, which is unusual for most people, if not, almost everyone possibly around the world.
"Well then, since you are awake. Let me inform you what I am here for. Liam, you're about to get recruited by a group of knights from the Valerie Kingdom. I received a message that they are going to arrive today in mid-afternoon."
"Wait, what?" Valerie Kingdom is considered the most important kingdom out of all of them in the world because it is where one of the gods sacrifice itself to the mortals, and it is repeatedly stated that it will be last one to be left if all the kingdoms are whipped out.
It's also a place where some of the champions resides to protect the resources, such as the holy minerals that came from the God's carcasses.
"I'm getting recruited from the Valerie Kingdom?" Liam was happy that he was getting recruited by one of the most important places, but there is one problem. If he's getting recruited, then that means he's going to be away from his home kingdom where he was sworn to defend.
Whenever there is a new born Champion, they are required to train where there are other champions settled in. The new Champion needs to adapt their body and their senses along with their powers they were given and training they received to become a warrior.
Liam looked around the room before looking back at the king.
"Is there another way where I can be trained here?"
"Unfortunately, there's no other way for you to be trained here without multiple champions with different ways of training. Although they can come here as much as they want, they were ordered to stay back and protect the resources we use to destroy the demons. So, your only best choice is to go along with it."
Liam pouted to know that he can't stay here without getting experience and training from other champions. Hell, he might be ordered to stay over there and protect the resources.
"However, Champions can also be sent out and protect other kingdoms from the demons or hunt them down. So, your chances are high that you could be sent here and protect your home town. If possible, I can try my best to convince the king from the Valerie Kingdom to assigned you to stay here."
Liam smiled widely to know that there's a chance where he can protect his home and his people. He hope the king of the Valerie Kingdom would let him to be the protector of the Navalon Kingdom. He better trained and get experiences as fast as possible because he did not want to waste time. Who knows when will the demons attack again.