King Oberon's request for introductions hung heavy in the air. The silence was broken only by nervous coughs and shuffles. Finally, Sarah stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly.
"I-I'm Sarah," she stammered, "and I'm, uh, good at art."
The king nodded curtly, his gaze moving on. Jessica, ever the fashionista, practically sashayed forward with a forced smile. "Jessica, at your service, Your Majesty," she chirped, "and I can totally rock a lehenga in under five minutes, flat."
King Oberon gave her a blank stare. "A… lehenga?"
Jessica blushed crimson, realizing her fashion expertise might not be crucial in this situation. With a nervous cough, she mumbled, "It's, uh, a type of dress."
Next came Mark, who shrugged and mumbled, "Mark. I, uh, can quote Star Wars movies word-for-word."
King Oberon continued his gaze across the room, his expression unreadable. Finally, it landed on Yuri, who puffed out his chest and smirked. "Yuri," he announced with a cocky grin, "and let's just say your average schoolyard bully ain't got nothin' on me."
A flicker of something unidentifiable crossed King Oberon's face. Then, he turned towards Ryan, who was dreading his turn.
"And you, young man?" the king inquired.
Ryan swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. "Ryan. I… I play a lot of video games?"
He braced himself for laughter, but none came. Instead, a ripple of snickers ran through his classmates.
"Video games?" Dennis sneered. "That's your superpower?"
Just as Ryan wanted to melt into the floor, King Oberon cleared his throat, silencing the room. "Interesting," he said, his gaze fixed on Ryan.
A giant of a man in gleaming armor stepped forward and bowed to the king. "Your Majesty," he boomed, "I believe I am to blame for this… unexpected selection. In my haste, I may have activated the Hero's Horn incorrectly."
This was news to Ryan. "Hero's Horn?" he echoed, voicing the question everyone was probably thinking.
Sir Gareth, as it turned out, was the one who had whisked them away from their classrooms. "Indeed," he explained. "The Hero's Horn is an artifact of immense power, capable of summoning legendary heroes from across the planes.Unfortunately, the summoning process is quite complex, and a slight miscalculation can…"
He trailed off, his gaze lingering on Ryan and his classmates.
King Oberon sighed, a deep rumble that seemed to shake the very walls of the hall. "Regardless," he said finally, "they are here now. And perhaps fate has a different plan than we anticipated."
Then, he surprised them all with a new instruction. "Close your eyes," he commanded.
Confused but curious, they obeyed. As they shut their eyes, a soft, blue light flickered into existence before them,hovering at the edge of their vision. It was like an interface straight out of a video game – numbers, bars, and strange symbols floating in the air.
A collective gasp escaped their lips. This was way cooler than anything they'd experienced so far. Maybe being heroes wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Behold," King Oberon's voice boomed, "your hero's stats."
Excited murmurs filled the room. Everyone, even the usually skeptical Jessica, seemed impressed. They were finally getting superpowers, video game style!
But then, King Oberon's voice cut through the excitement. "And who among you is the Phoenix Hero?"
A nervous silence descended. Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his spot, not daring to raise his hand.
The king's voice grew impatient. "The prophecy clearly states five heroes will arrive. The Tiger Hero, the Dragon Hero,the Serpent Hero, the Eagle Hero, and the most powerful of them all, the Phoenix Hero!"
Still, no one stepped forward. This whole hero business sounded great in theory, but who actually wanted to be the strongest? What if it meant facing the biggest danger?
Finally, Ryan swallowed his fear and raised a hand hesitantly. A wave of disbelief and jealousy washed over his classmates.
"You?" Dennis scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The Phoenix Hero? Blox, the school punching bag?"
Ryan ignored him, his gaze fixed on the king. "Y-yes, Your Majesty," he stammered. "It's… it"...it's me," he finished, his voice barely above a whisper.
A stunned silence greeted his confession. Jessica's jaw dropped, Mark's eyes widened comically, and even Yuri seemed momentarily speechless. The prophecy's strongest hero – the one destined to save Aethel – was none other than Ryan Blox, the video game-loving underdog.
King Oberon, however, didn't share their surprise. He simply gestured towards the blue hologram floating before Ryan. "Very well," he said, his voice low. "Let me see your stats."
Ryan hesitantly reached out a hand towards the hologram, his fingers brushing against the cool, blue light. A wave of information flooded his mind - a series of numbers and bars representing his strength, agility, magic, and other attributes. He skimmed them quickly, a frown creasing his forehead.
"Uh, Your Majesty," he stammered, "this can't be right."
"What is it?" King Oberon inquired, his gaze sharp.
Ryan took a deep breath. "My overall stat… it's only ten."
A collective snort of laughter erupted from his classmates. Even the weakest among them, Sarah, had a score hovering around twenty. Ryan, the supposed strongest hero, was a mere shadow compared to the rest.
The king's expression darkened. "Ten?" he boomed, a dangerous edge creeping into his voice. "The prophecy clearly stated the Phoenix Hero would possess phenomenal power!"
Ryan shrank under the king's gaze, a cold dread settling in his stomach. He glanced at Sir Gareth, who looked equally bewildered. "Maybe the Hero's Horn malfunctioned?" Mark offered tentatively, but the king ignored him.
King Oberon paced the throne room, frustration radiating from him. "This is…unforeseen," he muttered, stroking his beard. "We have trained for generations for this moment, and now…"
He paused, his gaze once again falling on Ryan. Despite his low stats, there was an unnerving calmness in the king's eyes now, a glint of something unreadable.
"Perhaps," King Oberon finally spoke, his voice calmer now, "the prophecy is not as literal as we believed it to be. Strength comes in many forms, not just raw power."
He turned to address the entire group. "You, the chosen ones," he boomed, "each possesses a unique skillset. The Tiger Hero," he pointed to a burly kid with a Mohawk, "your strength will be our shield. The Dragon Hero," his gaze landed on a girl with fiery red hair, "your fire will be our blade. The Serpent Hero," he nodded towards a tall, lean figure, "your cunning will be our strategy."
He walked towards Sarah, the quiet art student. "And you, the Eagle Hero," he said gently, "your vision will be our guide."
Finally, he stopped in front of Ryan, the underwhelming Phoenix Hero. "And you," he pronounced, his voice low and full of meaning, "you will be our spark."
Ryan blinked, unsure what to make of the king's cryptic words. Spark? What did that even mean?
"Now," King Oberon continued, his voice regaining its authoritative tone, "let us waste no more time. Gareth, take the heroes to the Armory and outfit them with their weapons. The Tiger Hero will wield a mighty mace, the Dragon Hero a blazing spear, the Serpent Hero a versatile halberd, and the Eagle Hero a keen bow and arrows."
He paused dramatically, his gaze lingering on Ryan. "And the Phoenix Hero," he announced, his voice resonating in the vast hall, "will wield a sword"