"Even the mightiest hero falls, but it's what they do afterward that defines them."
My master used to say that a lot.
Back then, I never really understood what she meant.
How could I? I was merely a seventeen-year-old who believed he had all the time in the world.
But now... everything has changed.
Because of him.
***
Current Location: Flora Island
"If it's you, Sir Hope, this mission won't even take half a day."
A sigh escaped me as the voice crackled through my earpiece.
'When will they learn?'
What am I, their god?
Everywhere I go, people worship me, praise me, and look at me like I'm some kind of god. "The strongest hero known to mankind!" "The savior of humanity!" "No one is stronger than you!"
What bullshit.
They don't know the blood, sweat, and tears I've endured to reach this point.
The Rank 1 Hero?
It's a title that didn't come easily, and trust me, it won't be claimed by anyone else for a long, long time.
What about the Rank-2 Hero?
'Heh.'
Not. Even. Close.
But enough about that. Let's get back to the mission.
As always, the Hero Association handed me another one of their so-called "impossible" tasks—standard procedure for Rank 1.
I tapped my wristband, and a holographic screen flickered above it, displaying my mission.
— — — — — — — — — —
Mission Details:
Mission Rank: SS+
Task: Reclamation of [Flora Island]
Assigned Hero Name: Hope
Hero Rank: 01
— — — — — — — — — —
"I'm in position, confirming target location." I tapped on my earpiece and reported in.
An emotionless voice responded.
[Captain Mary reporting. Location confirmed. Sir Hope, you are cleared to proceed.]
"Oh, it's Mary. Been a while, how have you been?" I asked.
[Position confirmed. The current location is verified. Sir Hope, please proceed with your mission.]
I smirked.
"Still all business, huh? That's why you're still single."
Mary responded immediately.
[Sir Hope, the president is monitoring this mission.]
My smile faded.
'Fuck! Just my rotten luck.'
What was he doing monitoring this mission?
It's just a simple reclamation task.
"Sigh...."
"I'm proceeding with the mission."
The atmosphere in Flora Island was different.
The wind across the island carried a mournful tone that echoed through the dense forest.
The towering cliffs loomed over the raging ocean, where all the waves slammed against the rocks.
It was 7 p.m., but the sky was so dark that it felt like it was midnight.
Thunder rolled into the distant sky, and rain fell relentlessly, making a hammering sound on the ground.
The chill was so piercing that it could freeze even an undead to its death.
Something was not right.
'The Essence is too dense, here.'
"This is the right place, yeah?" I asked.
[Affirmative,] Mary replied.
I stood at the edge of a cliff as I scanned the island before me.
The mission seemed very simple: 'Reclaim the island from enemy forces.'
But the density of Essence this land was emitting bothered me.
"Heh, I guess this might be my last mission," I said jokingly.
[Did you say something, sir?]
"…No. Anyway, what am I fighting here? Hounds? Fallen? Or maybe a Dragonite?"
[It's Wrath, sir.]
I frowned.
"Wrath?"
That didn't make sense.
Monsters in this world came in all shapes and ranks, each with unique abilities. Wrath was middle-tier, not weak, but nothing a triple-digit-ranked hero couldn't handle.
"You're kidding, right? Then why is this mission ranked SS+? Wait… don't tell me it's an army of Wrath?"
[This mission was directly assigned to you by the president himself.]
That was not a good sign.
An army of Wrath shouldn't warrant an SS+ classification. Something wasn't adding up.
'Was this a trap?'
Did that old man finally start to plot against me?
A cold chill ran down my spine.
'No time to think. I'll deal with him later.'
I won't take any risk in this mission. So, I will give it my all.
"Permission to use [Doombringer]," I ordered.
As these words left my mouth, a heavy weight settled on my chest.
I deduced, this wasn't just any regular mission.
Something is off, something far bigger than I had ever anticipated.
And for the very first time in years, I wasn't sure of myself, that I was ready.