"W-Wait! Stop, Khaled, please! I'll pay whatever you want… just don't kill—"
Before he could finish his sentence, his head had already rolled to the ground.
The killer named Khaled calmly wiped his sword, then picked up the head, placed it inside a leather bag, and walked steadily toward his unknown destination.
Elsewhere, I was sitting inside a horse-drawn carriage, slouched on the wooden seat in exhaustion. In front of me sat Mary, holding a small book, while Noah took charge of the reins.
Suddenly, the road ahead was blocked. A group of bandits appeared from between the trees, brandishing their weapons.
I sighed in annoyance, then waved my hand, forming a swirling gust of violent wind that shattered their formation and flung them away like leaves.
They stared at us in shock and fear, then fled without even thinking of returning.
"I told you buying a carriage was a stupid idea…" I stretched a bit as I laid back, trying to get some rest.
Mary replied with light sarcasm, "But it's still better than walking for dozens of kilometers."
Noah laughed and added, "Stop whining. We won the vote."
I sighed and said, "Easy for you to say… I'm the only one here who can launch wide-range attacks. When bandits show up, who has to fight? Me, of course."
Suddenly, I spotted a city in the distance. "There it is. We've arrived."
As we entered the gates of the city known as the capital of Valdron, the ground beneath us was paved and hot.
The city was built with care—despite being in a desert kingdom, the temperature inside was noticeably cooler. It didn't feel much different from any other kingdom.
The scent of the markets filled the air.
I didn't care much about the kingdom. I drew the Hero's Sword and began to follow its guidance.
"You never use that sword unless you're tracking down the Chosen," said Noah, eyeing it curiously.
How do I explain to him that the sword is less like a weapon and more like a phone?
"…I can only use it on enemies stronger than me," I said, wiping my sweat.
"What?" Mary looked at me in confusion.
"I don't fully understand it either… but I know it can only be used once."
We stopped walking in front of a large crowd gathered around a wanted poster board outside a strange building that looked like a police station.
A man came out of the building with a bundle of money in his hand. Suddenly, the sword reacted to him—it had found the third Chosen.
I stepped toward him and greeted him, "Hello."
Noah and Mary followed closely behind, worry on their faces.
The atmosphere around us went still. Everyone stared in silent fear.
"What do you want?" he asked with an irritated tone.
I looked at Mary so she could explain.
"W-We're the Hero's team, and it seems you're the third Chosen," she said nervously, hiding behind me.
"Hero's team? Third Chosen? I don't care."
"Wait, but we need you to save the world," Mary said.
"Let the world burn. What does that have to do with me?" he said and tried to walk away.
I grabbed his shoulder and said, "Wait."
He drew his sword and tried to slash my arm, but I pulled back at the last second.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't touch me," he said and continued walking.
"Are you trying to start a fight?"
"You want to fight me? You can't even stand properly." He looked at me arrogantly and walked off.
Mary grabbed my shoulder and asked, "What did he mean by that?"
"…Remember my fight with Kyle?… At that time, when I used all my speed, I hurt my leg," I said, looking away.
"And you didn't tell us?" Anger appeared on Mary's face.
"You should've told us—we're your companions," said Noah, disappointed.
I felt a twinge of guilt. "…Sorry. I didn't want to worry you." I looked toward the third Chosen, who was about to disappear from sight, and continued, "We have to follow him."
Suddenly, Noah lifted me onto his broad back, and Mary said, "No, we need to get you medical attention first."
"We don't have time. We need to catch up with him!"
"You're more important than he is," Noah said, walking behind Mary.
"At least put me down. I can walk," I said, embarrassed.
"Stop complaining."
"…"
I stayed silent for a while, then whispered, "…Thanks."
"What did you say?" Noah asked.
I rested my head on his shoulder and said, "Nothing."
I looked at Mary, who was asking the locals about a good clinic.
"I think this one looks suitable," she said, pointing to a building ahead, colored in a blend of white and green, bearing the symbol of a snake.
We entered the clinic, finding it full of patients—men, women, children, and the elderly.
We waited—well, Noah and Mary stood while Noah still carried me.
After an hour, it was our turn. We entered the doctor's room. He was a man in his thirties with a light beard.
He welcomed us and asked Noah to lay me on the bed.
Noah did so, and the doctor approached me. He stared at my face for a moment, then asked, "Aren't you the Hero?"
"Y-Yes, that's me," I said with a light smile.
"I saw your fight during the ceremony. You were amazing."
"Ah… thanks."
"It's an honor to have you in my clinic. Can you tell me what the issue is?"
I explained, and he began examining my leg.
His eyes glowed green, and he could see through my skin and bones like X-rays.
After the examination, he looked at me and said, "There are some fractures and damage to the bones, but you're lucky—it's nothing serious. Just avoid putting too much pressure on it."
He went to his desk. "It will heal with time, so don't worry."
"Will he be able to walk normally?" Noah asked.
"Yes, there's no need to worry."
I got up from the bed and stood beside Noah and Mary.
"You can take painkillers if the pain gets too intense."
"No, it's fine. If I can't handle a little pain, how can I complete my mission?"
He leaned on his desk. "I respect that mindset," he said, then added, "You may leave now. Best of luck."
"What about the treatment cost?" Mary asked, pulling out the money pouch. The doctor stopped her.
"This one's on the house. It's the least I can do for our Hero."
"Thank you," I said as we walked out of the clinic, the setting sun painting the sky in shades of orange.
Now I must organize the information I obtained when I touched the shoulder of the third chosen one, named Khaled.
Suddenly, we heard an explosion in the distance. We ran quickly toward the source and were stunned by what we saw.
A large beast covered in fur, with sharp fangs protruding from its jaws and bloodthirsty red eyes.
I drew my sword and said, "Mary, Noah, clear the area. I'll face the beast."
Noah stepped forward and said, "I'll help you!"
"No… You're still weak. Don't think you're strong just yet. You only mastered your ability a month ago, and you're still not ready."
I advanced and continued, "Watch and learn."
I cloaked myself in lightning and launched at the beast, aiming for its arm.
"Wait! Stop! He's not a monster!" someone shouted, distracting me.
The beast swiped at me with its claw, but I dodged and flew using the wind beneath my feet.
I looked down at the beast from above, then at the boy who distracted me. Was this one of Arcanthia's experiments?
"Speak quickly. What is this?" I asked the boy while hovering above the beast.
"He's my friend! We were playing, and when I saw a strange seed, I dared him to eat it. Then he transformed into this. Please don't kill him—help him!" A strange seed?
I looked at the beast again, this time with pity and realization. "I make no promises."
I canceled the wind power and dropped straight onto the beast's head. I sheathed my sword mid-fall and punched its head.
Its skin was tough, and my attack did little damage. I landed, dodging another claw strike.
I stood my ground, waiting. Suddenly, the one I was waiting for arrived with a powerful attack, like a falling star—it was Khaled.
"What are you waiting for? Why are you just standing there?" Khaled said as he stood in front of me after pushing the beast back.
"I'm thinking of a plan."
"I've got a plan. Kill it."
"Don't be stupid—it's a child."
"A child who became a monster."
"Listen, I've come up with a plan, and I need your help."
"Why should I listen to you?"
"Because it's the right thing to do, and better than killing a child."
Khaled frowned, looked at the beast, then said, "What's the plan?"
"You restrain its arm, and I'll handle the rest."
In a flash, Khaled leapt up using his power, tearing through the beast with every step until he reached its head.
The beast tried to stop him, but Khaled pierced its severed arm and held it still.
"Hurry up," he said, noticing that I had moved beneath the beast.
The beast raised its leg and slammed it down on me with full force, embedding it in the ground.
For a moment, silence. All eyes widened in shock… As the dust cleared, I appeared, holding the beast's leg up with one hand. I gathered all the water in the area and directed it at the beast's stomach.
The beast vomited, and a strange liquid covered the ground. Fur and flesh fell away, and a child fell out of the mess. I jumped forward, caught him in my arms, and gently laid him down.
I looked at Khaled and said, "See? We did it without any casualties."
Khaled's face was filled with shock—it was kind of funny, actually.
He quickly tried to regain his composure and began walking away.
Hours later, Khaled was alone outside the capital, trying to get some rest after the battle.
The three of us stood a few meters away, warming ourselves by the campfire.
Suddenly, a group of bandits appeared on the horizon. All of them were after Khaled's head. How did I know? Simple—I told them where he was through one of their men.
If I couldn't convince him to join us, I'd force him to accept our principles.
The bandits surrounded Khaled, who drew his sword despite his exhaustion and began to fight. The clash of steel and the torn bodies echoed around us. Khaled fought like a beast—the kind of beast we had to recruit at any cost.
I stepped forward, standing on one of the bandits' heads and crushing it into the ground with my foot, my hands behind my back.
"Need help?" I asked.
"No," Khaled replied, still tearing through enemies.
"You'll die at this rate."
"No, I won't."
"You can't keep going like this on your own. You need people to share the burden, people who will stand with you when you need them most."
Silence fell, and Khaled's eyes widened with a mix of pain and anger as he looked at me.
"The last person who said those words to me died long ago."
"But he wasn't wrong."
The enemies gathered around us in huge numbers.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I want you to be my companion."
"Companion? Don't be ridiculous."
"I'll save you from this. In exchange, join us."
"No!"
"You don't have a choice."
I used my earthquake ability and shattered the ground in a 50-meter radius. I looked at the bandits, Mary and Noah at my sides, and said, "Leave."
All the bandits fled in terror, leaving us alone with Khaled.
"Alright, let's rest today and continue traveling tomorrow," I said, looking at Khaled. "From now on, we're comrades."
"I never agreed to that. You just butt into my business." Suddenly, Mary and Noah grabbed him by the arms and dragged him toward our campfire.
"Stop whining already," they said.
From what I saw of Khaled's past, I understand why he doesn't want to make friends or form bonds.
*******
18 Years Ago
There was a caravan of six people, including a unique and ambitious boy named Khaled, sitting beside his father, Ibrahim, who was Khaled's role model. The group was like family to him.
They traveled from town to town like a wandering circus, until the fateful day came.
"Ow, my head…"
"Youssef, are you okay? What's happening to you?" Suddenly, Youssef was no longer Youssef.
A strange book appeared out of nowhere in front of who had been Youssef. He began speaking. "Not again, not again, not again," he muttered in a dark voice, then started clawing at his face like a madman.
He decapitated Remy before anyone could react. Young Khaled stared at the scene with innocent, cheerful eyes, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
The creature calmed its own shock by killing humans. Then it looked at us and said, "I'll just kill one more."
It chose the person standing to my father's right, and without hesitation or emotion, used him as a human shield, creating a gaping hole in his chest.
The friends and companions who once called themselves family betrayed one another and abandoned their responsibilities.
Present Day
"You guys have a horse carriage?" Khaled asked in surprise.
"Yes, we don't want to walk for kilometers," Mary said as she climbed in.
"You're all so random. You've got a lot of work ahead of you before becoming a real team."
"Khaled, forget them for now. I want to hear about you—your story," I said, patting him on the back. Sure, I already knew his past, but I wanted to hear it from him.
"Don't act like we're friends. I'm only here because I have to be."
"Haha, of course. Still, I want to hear your story."