NARRATOR
The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of the forest surrounding Althoria village, casting long, somber shadows across the clearing. Hiro stood alone, his small frame trembling under the weight of grief. Before him, two makeshift graves were all that remained of the people who had given him everything—his parents, Arin and Lilia Arctbender. The earth beneath the graves was still fresh, a stark reminder of the violence that had torn his world apart.
The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but to Hiro, it carried the bitter tang of blood and ash. His tears fell freely, mingling with the soil as he knelt by their graves, placing the final stone atop the markers. The stones were uneven and crude, but they were the best he could manage in his state.
"I'm so sorry…" Hiro whispered, his voice cracking like the fragile calm he struggled to maintain. "I couldn't protect you. I wasn't strong enough."
The memories of that night clawed at his mind—the masked men, the glint of steel, the screams that still echoed in his ears. He could still see the horror in his mother's eyes, the resolute determination in his father's last stand. But now, there was only silence. A deafening, hollow silence that weighed heavily on his chest.
For what felt like an eternity, Hiro wept. He wept for the life stolen from him, for the love he would never feel again, and for the future that seemed so uncertain. The forest around him remained eerily quiet, as if nature itself mourned with him.
Finally, when his tears had dried and only the aching void in his heart remained, Hiro stood. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his gaze hardening with a resolve he had never known before. His parents had sacrificed everything for him, and he would not let their deaths be in vain. They had believed in him, and he would honor their memory by becoming strong—strong enough to protect himself and those he cared about.
With newfound determination, Hiro turned away from the graves and made his way back to the ruins of their home. The once warm and inviting cottage now stood as a hollow shell, its walls blackened by fire, its roof caved in. The scent of smoke and blood lingered in the air, a haunting reminder of the brutality that had unfolded there.
Hiro stepped over the threshold, his heart heavy as he surveyed the destruction. The hearth where his mother had cooked countless meals was now a pile of charred stone. The table where they had shared stories and laughter was reduced to splinters. Every corner of the house held memories, but now those memories were tainted with loss.
As he sifted through the wreckage, his fingers brushed against something buried beneath the debris. Pulling it free, he found a crumpled piece of parchment, singed at the edges but still legible. It was the academy admission letter—his father's last gift to him, a final hope when all seemed lost.
The parchment was creased and stained, but the words were clear:
*"Dear Hiro Arctbender, you have been accepted into the Luminaris Academy of the Arcane. Your talents and potential have been recognized, and we are pleased to offer you a place among the brightest minds of the kingdom…"*
Hiro's heart pounded in his chest as he clutched the letter tightly. His father had believed in him, had wanted him to have a future beyond the walls of their small village. And now, with everything taken from him, this letter was all he had left. He would go to the academy, just as his father had wished. He would become strong—strong enough to ensure that no one else would suffer the way his family had.
As he stood in the ruins of his past, a soft glow caught his eye. The system window, familiar and yet still strange, flickered to life before him:
*System: New Quest Available*
*Objective: Hunt Lord Cedric Vellore.*
A portrait of a man appeared on the screen—sharp features, cold eyes, and a smirk that reeked of arrogance and power. Lord Cedric Vellore, a name synonymous with corruption and greed throughout the Cyrandel Dominion. He was the man responsible for the tragedy that had befallen Hiro's family, the one who had funded the mercenaries who destroyed his home.
The system offered him a chance at revenge—a chance to strike back at those who had taken everything from him. But it wasn't just about revenge. Hiro needed to become stronger, and the system seemed to be the key. The quest came with a reward: 5,000 Reputation and 1 Credit.
Hiro's heart hardened as he accepted the quest, his grief fueling his resolve. He would not rest until Lord Cedric Vellore paid for his crimes.
The system window flickered again, this time revealing a list of skills available for purchase:
*Skills Available:*
- *Flicker:* Allows short-distance teleportation. Cost: 1,000 Reputation. Cooldown: 2 seconds.
- *Parkour:* Enhances agility, allowing for quick, fluid movement across any terrain. Cost: 1,000 Reputation. Cooldown: 2 seconds.
- *Sharp Eyes:* Increases visual acuity, enabling the user to see up to 500 meters with precision. Cost: 1,000 Reputation. Cooldown: 2 seconds.
Hiro considered his options carefully. Each skill could be invaluable, but he needed to choose wisely. He thought back to his past life as Yuta—a sniper who had relied on agility, precision, and quick thinking to survive.
"Flicker could get me out of tight situations," Hiro mused aloud, his voice echoing in the empty room. "Sharp Eyes would give me the vision I need to assess threats from a distance… But Parkour, that would let me navigate any terrain quickly and unpredictably."
The memories of his past life guided him, the instincts honed through countless battles whispering in his mind. He needed mobility and vision—two things that had kept him alive before, and that would serve him well in this new world.
"I'll need more reputation… more credits to unlock these," Hiro concluded, "but with the system's help, I'll get there."
As he weighed his options, another notification appeared:
System: Talent Activation—Mana Forge.
*Description:* Allows you to forge any weapon according to your concise imagination using a small amount of mana. The weapon will only forge if you properly imagine it with detailed precision.
Hiro's eyes widened as he read the description. A weapon… made of mana? His past life as a soldier surged back—he could almost feel the cold metal of a rifle in his hands, the precision required to assemble it, the power it held.
Closing his eyes, Hiro focused his thoughts, picturing the weapon he needed. He imagined a sleek, deadly firearm, its form etched into his memory from years of experience. Every detail came to him with crystal clarity—the weight of it, the way the grip felt in his hands, the smooth action of the trigger. He let his mana flow through him, shaping it with his mind.
A faint blue glow enveloped his hands, growing brighter as the mana coalesced. When he opened his eyes, a gun materialized before him, concise and glowing with a faint blue light, made entirely of mana. It was perfect, every detail just as he had imagined.
Hiro gripped the weapon tightly, feeling a strange sense of comfort in its familiar form. He was no longer the helpless child who had watched his parents die. He was a fighter—a survivor. And now, he had the means to strike back.
With a final glance at the ruins of his home, Hiro turned his back on the past. The hunt for Lord Cedric Vellore had begun, and he would not stop until justice was served.
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