"Haah..h!" A person shouted as he swung his sword with all his might.
It had been a day since the hero summoning, and I still couldn't believe I was in another world. So many things were different here.
First, there was the concept of 'status'—a system that assigned numerical values to a person's attributes. Then, there was the single religion devoted to the Goddess of Light, known as Goddess Rin. And thirdly, there were the 'skills' that distinguished the heroes from one another, each one unique and powerful.
There were four others summoned alongside me.
"Don't just swing your sword the same way every time. Mix it up—try horizontal and vertical slashes," advised the person beside me.
Renji Nakamura.
He was a classmate from my old world. It seems the hero summoning ritual tends to draw in people who know each other, like friends or acquaintances.
In the Kingdom of Elysium, all the summoned heroes, including us, were swordsmen. It seemed remarkably unbalanced.
Renji was also a swordsman, but what set him apart were his skills. Unlike me, he seemed to have a knack that I couldn't quite figure out yet. No one had yet revealed their unique abilities—the kingdom leaves that choice to each hero, respecting our privacy and strategy.
"Instead of just swinging it, channel some sword aura into your blade," one person suggested. He held his sword close to his face and closed his eyes. Seconds later, the blade began to emit a soft glow, tinged with red.
[ Sword Aura ]
His movements mirrored ours—a horizontal slash followed by a vertical one. Yet, the outcomes were starkly different. With a single, seamless stroke, he cleaved the training dummy in half.
Ryota Suzuki
I had the opportunity to choose the [ Sword Aura ] skill, but I declined. It turns out that the decision was wise. I learned that [ Sword Aura ] can be acquired through sufficient experience and the right allocation of stat points.
As Ryota demonstrated his sword skills, I couldn't help but reflect on his past behavior. Despite his bullying tendencies at school, he never targeted me directly, likely seeing me as neither a threat nor an easy target. His decision to showcase his abilities here, however, seemed reckless. In a place where information could be as valuable as strength, openly displaying one's skills without knowing the full context of our mission or enemies seemed unwise.
The Royal Castle's balcony loomed above the private training grounds where we practiced. From there, figures dressed in the ornate attire of the kingdom observed us, their expressions unreadable. The arrangement of the dummies and our rigorous exercises were all under the scrutiny of Captain Rey of the Royal Knights. His role was not only to oversee our training but to formulate a schedule that would harness our abilities most effectively.
The kingdom had summoned us but remained tight-lipped about whom we had to face. This secrecy could mean that the threats we were to face were formidable or politically sensitive.
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As three members of the Royal Knights, including myself, observed the heroes, conversation turned to Ryota.
"That Ryota kid seems impressive, Captain!" Liam exclaimed, clearly impressed by Ryota's display.
"He may have [Sword Aura], but it's a gift, not earned skill. His swordsmanship lacks finesse," I remarked, my tone critical. Truth be told, none of their fighting skills had left a lasting impression on me.
"Captain, give them some credit. They've only been here a day. If one of them can use [Sword Aura], it's still progress," Ethan reasoned, advocating for the newcomers.
"Perhaps we should prioritize physical strength and swordsmanship training," he suggested, offering a pragmatic approach.
"Pff... Look at that person!"
Meanwhile, Marcus couldn't contain his amusement, bursting into laughter and pointing in a direction. Despite his efforts to stifle his mirth, he continued to laugh heartily, unable to hold back his amusement.
We turned to see what had caught Marcus's attention.
There, a hero struggled to perform a push-up, his arms trembling under the strain. His slender hands gripped the ground tightly as beads of sweat rolled down his face. With eyes squeezed shut in concentration, it was evident he was pushing himself to the limit.
"You shouldn't laugh at someone's efforts," Ethan chided Marcus, his irritation palpable. It was clear he empathized with the hero's struggle, recognizing the dedication it took to push through such difficulty.
"I agree," Liam concurred, nodding in agreement with Ethan.
"It's okay," Marcus apologized, looking sheepish as he rubbed his head, realizing his mistake.
"I wonder why he's struggling so much? Summoned heroes are supposed to possess greater physical strength than the average person, even if they've only been here a day," I mused, genuine concern coloring my tone. With our nation teetering on the brink of war, it was imperative that our heroes be strong and resilient. Time was short, but the road ahead was long, and we couldn't afford to lose any potential allies to weakness or inexperience.
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Author's Note:-
- The next two chapter will be on the training of our five heroes. Let's cheer for them!