"I'm sorry, what?" Alex was filled with incredulity. Just because something labeled him as such, that didn't actually make him a hero, he hadn't even done anything worthy of being called such a title.
He mentally sighed and resigned himself to simply accept that people would see him as a hero, even if he hadn't given anything more than his name to them.
More and more people continued to gather around the trio of Xavier, Charles and Alex, all while the old man continued to shout about Alex being the hero who would save them all. All Alex could do was sigh, saving a whole realm? No pressure.
Eventually Charles calmed himself down and realized that he had unintentionally brought forth a small crowd. "Ahem, forgive me."
His elegant tone took the place of his once ecstatic voice, "Alexander Khelton, you were sent by the gods of our realm to save us from damnation. Please, you must help us. It is your destiny." Alex didn't know anything about destiny, but he was fairly certain that this was the exact thing Fate had tried to save him from. Why the sudden switch up?
Without even saying anything, the blue screen that represented the system appeared with the quest screen in view. His old quest of entering the game had been completed, but in its place was a new one.
[Quests]
[Active Quests, 0, An active quest will disappear once they have been completed. They have no extra steps.]
[Dynamic Quests, 1, A dynamic quest is a quest chain that will evolve as you complete the previous task. Be warned that if you do not complete all tasks in a quest, it will not evolve to the next one in the chain.]
[Hero of Vorcast 1/5: You have been recognized as a Hero of the Forces of Light by a noble lord, Charles Lefay, and he has asked you for your aid. The realm of Vorcast is in great danger of becoming conquered by Jaskiar's evil forces. Form a party of adventurers and begin your hunt for the Sword of Archons.]
[Notice, you have received a legendary dynamic quest. Completing this quest, and its subsequent ones will reward you tremendously. Failure will result in the loss of Vorcast, as well as a diminished reputation as a Hero.]
[DING!]
[Realm-wide announcement! A Hero has arrived to aid the forces of Light in the battle for Vorcast, teleporters to the capital city of Fareon have opened up. Any warriors who aid the Hero in their journey will be rewarded.]
All across the realm, various players who were exploring and fighting stopped in their tasks. The bright midday sky had mysteriously darkened, and a massive screen filled their vision with the announcement of Alex's arrival.
Ever since the game's launch, players had been trying to gain access to the capital city, but the teleporters had been locked. Travel by foot had been impossible due to one simple reason, Fareon was a floating city.
Long ago, powerful mages had inscribed magical runes at various focal points around the city, and it rose up from the ground to join the clouds. Ever since then, it became a bastion of Light, and the true capital of the realm. Due to this, and the fact that nobody had flying mounts yet, the major hub for the Light faction hadn't been accessible.
[Realm-wide announcement! The hero's presence has unlocked the potential of the realm and all it contains. The Rank and Tier system has been unlocked. Every skill, spell, treasure, scroll, and piece of equipment will now fall under these two categories, even mounts are included.]
[Ranks determine how powerful an item will be overall. They range from the F-rank all the way to SSS+ rank.]
[Tiers determine how powerful an item is inside of its given rank. Tiers range from the Iron tier all the way up to the Cosmic tier.]
Whereas before, items had more or less all been of the same quality, they were now differentiated by the Ranks and Tiers. Most players found themselves carrying F-rank Iron tier gear, but there were a few players who had bronze tier gear pieces because they had been grinding non-stop since the game was released.
The jump in power from iron to bronze was impressive. Bronze tier gear could make tough enemies much more trivial, or even save a player from getting killed in a couple of hits. Such an announcement swept through the realm like a wildfire, and merchants everywhere started paying exorbitant prices for anyone willing to sell them the higher tiered gear.
The very first players finally teleported to Fareon, and they found themselves standing inside a massive gilded cathedral dedicated to the goddess Vienna. A gothic-style domed ceiling rose above the players, where a stained-glass depiction of the goddess herself greeted them.
She was smiling down at them with open arms, her pale white hair flowing behind her; it truly left no question as to whether she was a divine being, anyone who saw the depiction was awestruck.
As they arrived, the players were greeted by various attendants and priests of the temple. A building on this scale had yet to be seen by many of the players, especially those who only cared about throwing themselves into the front lines of the war.
Many were amazed by the attention to detail and the intricate design of the building. Every single player arriving received a notification the second they materialized in the temple, [Join the Hero's party to be part of a legendary quest to save the realm. Be warned, only five others may join the Hero.]
Said hero was completely unaware that a manhunt was about to begin for him, but he was glad to know that the city would eventually feel more alive as more and more people arrived.
The Rank and Tier systems were also surprising changes. Most games he played did have their share of trash weapons, as well as legendary gear, but every single item having a specific power ranking seemed mind boggling.
He didn't even have any gear yet, but his mind wandered to thoughts of just how powerful the highest ranked pieces of equipment would be.
"Alexander? Oh dear Goddess, I think he might be having a stroke." Charles' rich voice brought Alex back to reality, and he realized he had just been standing there with a stupid look on his face.
He recalled the words the old man had spoken, and though he hadn't given an answer, the system gave him the quest anyways. Well. When life gives you lemons.
"Of course I will help. I will help all of you, and I will vanquish our foe from this realm!" His words were spoken with a boldness that took even Alex by surprise. He had never been one for heroic words or actions, but having such a responsibility thrust upon him seemed to awaken something inside of him. These people didn't know him, and yet they trusted him to save them all. He refused to let them down.
[DING]
[Affection levels unlocked: Affection influences others perception of you, and affects how they might treat you. A higher affection level means they are more likely to trust you, or even become an ally. A negative affection level means they are more likely to distrust you, or even become your enemy. Be warned, your word is your bond. Going back on your word or failing to follow through on what you say could have unintended consequences.]
[Citizens of Fareon Affection: +100, Admiration]
[Charles Lefay Affection: +500, Trusting]
[Xavier Stoneblood Affection: +50, Tolerates you]
Alex wasn't surprised to see this, most games had some sort of affection or rapport system that could be used to gauge how NPCs thought of you. But these weren't NPCs, these were actual people… It only reinforced the thought that this could easily be mistaken for an actual game.
The actual surprise came in the last few words of just what affection was and how it worked. Much like life, his actions and words would have consequences. He didn't really have much say in the matter of aiding the people of this realm, but he realized he would have to be much more careful with what he said and how he said it in the future.
He also wondered how intricate this affection thing really was. If he got someone's affection up to a stupidly high number did that mean they would follow his every command? Would they blindly listen to him and hang on his every word?
The thought almost scared him, and he hoped that others wouldn't abuse the system. In the end though, he had no control over what other players did. He was just one person after all.
After hearing his words the assembled crowd started to cheer and chant his name, which drew even more people over. Eventually, the small storefront they were standing outside of was completely crowded, and plenty of people came up to Alex and thanked him.
Not used to being thanked by anyone, Alex just shook their hands and smiled at them. After some time the excitement of Alex's arrival died down and the crowd dispersed, leaving Charles, Xavier and the Hero alone.
"We must not waste any time," Charles spoke with fervor, "Xavier go and grab the amulet. I will take Alexander and call the nobles to a meeting. We have much to discuss." The heavyset dwarf nodded his head with a grunt and started running off towards his workshop.
"The finest adventurers and warriors of Light will be gathered, and you can choose any of them to accompany you on your quest. But first, I'll need to introduce you to the Cabal. They run the city and oversee everything."
From the way Charles spoke, it sounded like this Cabal was gonna be a headache, but Alex understood. He wasn't just some random nobody, he was a Hero, and protocols had to be followed.
He just nodded his head and off they went, leaving a dumbfounded shop owner named Minerva behind.
Hours later, Alex realized why Charles had sounded the way he had when he mentioned the Cabal. They weren't just a headache, they were a migraine. A very powerful and very argumentative migraine.
Four people sat around a plain looking table with a map of Fareon and some of the surrounding territories on top of it. Each of them were powerful in their own right, but together they formed the powerhouse of the Light faction.
The members of the Cabal were just as argumentative as they were powerful, and Alex rubbed his temples as he stood there.
Three hours. That was how long ago he and Charles had arrived at the city hall to announce his existence to the city leaders. And for three mind-numbingly long hours each member had argued back and forth about how best to use their newly acquired weapon, as if he wasn't standing in the room with them.
"We should send him to West-Haven. Captain Fen and his forces are barely holding the line, even with the influx of adventurers." At the farthest left seat, Leon pointed to a territory on the west side of the map.
His pointed ears were red from hours of back and forth arguing, and he didn't hold back from baring his teeth at the other members. Razor sharp pointed teeth greeted the Cabal, but they didn't pay any mind to Leon's antics. Mostly because of his size.
Alex wasn't sure what to expect of the Cabal members, but seeing a Faerie was the furthest from his expectations. He didn't even know what races made up the Light faction, but it made sense that Faeries would be one of them.
The diminutive man could fit in the palm of Alex's hand, but he would never say such a thing aloud. Leon had glowing white wings that carried his small body around, and his features resembled that of an Elf. He would've been somewhat cute if it wasn't for the teeth, which Alex was sure could easily tear through flesh.
The most surprising member to Alex was the person sitting next to Leon. Durthang the Treant swatted Leon aside with a gnarled wooden hand and pointed to a marker in the South.
"No. My kin in the Forest of Angthar need assistance. The Oakfather tells me that they won't last more than a week without aid. Those cursed daemons are taking advantage of our weakened state." His voice was deep and ancient, causing a light trembling to run through Alex.
Once more it made sense that a race of tree-folk would be on the side of Light, but it was a race Alex had never seen before.
A chair scraped across the stone floor and the furthest right member stood up with a huff, "You are all idiots if that is where you think the Hero should be deployed. Obviously he must go Northwards to aid the city of Oros. A majority of our supplies and troops are embattled there, and freeing them up will be a major boon." Elyana of the High Elves finally put forth her argument for what to do.
She was a strikingly beautiful member of her race, even for an elf. Golden flecked blue eyes gazed over her fellow members, daring them to counter her idea. Dark raven hair was pinned up into a ponytail, and yet it was long enough to still flow down her back.
Each of her movements were full of grace and elegance, always filled with purpose. Her argument made the most sense to Alex, but he still didn't appreciate feeling like a chess piece to these people.
"Bahh, none of those are the right choice. He needs to strike at the heart of the enemy and take out their commanders. I say we send him to the frontlines." Of course the most straightforward and stubborn of the races assembled would suggest such a plan. Kron the dwarf struck an imposing figure, despite his age.
He was completely bald and his gray beard was nearly touching the floor, a sign of his age. Even so, his squat form was extremely muscular, and there was an eagerness in his amber colored eyes as he spoke of the frontlines. Alex felt confident that the dwarf could rip him in two if he wanted.
Before another round of arguments and heated conversation took place, Alex strode forward past the guards stationed in the room and walked right up to the table. He was sick of their arguing, and he was sick of feeling like a pawn.
He could live with being a puzzle piece for almighty gods, but he would not let a random assortment of people discuss his path for him.
He slammed his hands down on the table, causing the markers that represented armies, towns and cities to fall over. "Enough! I have had enough of your shit." Each member glared at Alex, wondering why such a weak human dared to speak to them in this way.
"I am the Hero. Not you. I will make my own plan and do what I feel is best to save this realm. And you are more than welcome to try and stop me, I've been dying to throat punch each of you."
That shut them up. They were the most powerful people in the city, and a mere human was speaking to them in this way, but still, they couldn't find the strength to talk back.
"No takers? Good. Then I'll tell you what I'm going to do out of respect that we're on the same side." Alex outlined his quest to gather a party and explained that he needed to find the Sword of Archons before doing anything else.
"I would appreciate your help, but I understand if you have other priorities. One person alone can't save this realm, and it'll take all of us working together to come out victorious."
Alex's words came from deep within him. He didn't owe these people his respect. He didn't owe them anything. But he did owe the people he promised, and he would be damned if he let the idiotic members of the Cabal get in his way.
[DING]
[The Cabal Affection: +10, You're not so bad]
[Leon Starspawn Affection: -50, Dislikes you]
[Durthang Affection: +15, You're not so bad]
[Elyana Viridus Affection: +50, Tolerates you]
[Kron Grayhammer Affection: +100, Admiration]
Nobody said a word aloud, but it was clear that at this moment Alex was in charge. They had all thought they could use a hero to consolidate their power, and aid the war effort at the same time.
What they didn't count on was the hero having a backbone. Each of them bowed their heads except for the faerie, he just glared at Alex.
Charles finally coughed to break the silence, "Well. I do believe that settles the matter then. Xavier is waiting for us with the Amulet of the Hero. Thank you for your time, your graces." He bowed at the waist, and then turned to walk out of the Cabal's chamber. Alex hurried out behind him, not saying another word for fear of actually getting attacked by Leon.
Outside the chamber they found Xavier waiting for them, half asleep on a bench. His snoring ceased when Charles tapped him on the shoulder, and the dwarf sat upright. "Took ye bastards long enough. Thought I was gunna turn to stone out here. Anyways, here's the amulet."
He reached down his shirt and pulled a silver chain necklace out. Attached to it was a silver medal with a strange symbol on it.
"This is the Amulet of the Hero. It will grant you a power befitting of your station, and ensure that no one questions your legitimacy as a hero. Take it, and use it well." Charles' voice was soft and reverent as he took the amulet from Xavier and passed it to Alex.
The silver felt warm in his hand, and the longer he held it, the hotter it got. It almost burned his hands before the pain set in, and he quickly shoved it into his pocket. The heat died down and Alex inwardly frowned. Both of the men before him had expected him to put it around his neck, but shrugged when Alex put it away. Who were they to judge how the hero wore the amulet?
[Warning! You are not yet ready. The amulet will remain unusable until you are. Attempting to use it is not recommended.]
As of late, the system had become more cryptic with its explanations, and left plenty of questions unanswered. There was nothing Alex could do though, he didn't control the system, he simply used it.
If he wasn't ready for a super powerful amulet, then he wasn't ready for it. Whatever that means.
Alex shrugged and dismissed it from his mind as best he could. Useful as the amulet could be, he didn't want to rely on powerful items.
He wanted to be strong on his own accord. He moved on from the amulet, there were more pressing things he had to take care of anyways.
"Alright Charles, let's form my party!"