Prologue [1]
My most earnest greetings, my name is Earnest Gibbs. The day today was March 21st, and I was set to go to college like normal.
I was a graduating student with an astounding 4.0 GPA and good enough ACT score that I was accepted by one of the most prestigious schools in the United States. I had close friends, but outside of those friends, I was a near stranger to everyone else or a teacher's pet for my fellow classmates. My life was going great, even if I didn't have a girlfriend, and I was set to conquer the world when I finished school.
However, today just happened to have something obscure happen.
Imagine my surprise when the ground around my feet illuminated a blinding light and then as my entire world spun dangerously. The sickness soon passed, but I now found myself standing in an unfamiliar place. Staring up, my eyes were immediately captured upon the ornate chandelier that twinkled from the ambient light that came from the crystal rose window that lay at the head of the room. The walls were a bright color of gold with an intricate design of white that made it look like vines were climbing the walls.
As I continue to gape at my surroundings, I freeze in place when I hear a loud cough. Slowly turning my head towards the sound, I find that it comes from a throne which sits atop a rug of red on an elevated platform. In the throne chair, there sits a wizened old man whose hands and face were littered with liver spots. Raising his bony arm to me, the man speaks.
"I welcome you oh dear hero."
Upon hearing him, I immediately tilt my head in confusion, wondering what he meant by such.
"I have summoned thee from another world so that you can help us." The old man begins. "Our lands are littered with demonic beasts… who tear and consume my ever so precious people. We've tried to fight back against them, but alas… it was all for naught. Which is why I called out to another world. You can help solve our problem as you don't follow our world laws."
"World laws?"
"Ah… seems I've caught your interest." Cracking a stomach-turning smile, the old man explains. "All beings of a planet must follow world laws which bind and suppress them from reaching strengths beyond the normal. Some are born with leeway… but compared to an outsider, they cannot compare. You… are a vessel of another world, so you can bypass the finite limits set by our world to fight against the demons which have much more power than us. Please… help us o' grand hero, you are the only hope left of our people."
"But what merit is there to helping you?" Even if what I'd ask was rude, I needed to know.
Holding three malnourished fingers up, he states, "One, you cannot leave this world until the Demon King is dead. Two, you will achieve riches beyond anything you can imagine and all of it will go back with you to your world. And… three, you'll become a national hero who can ask for anything, from woman to entire cities."
Running my fingers along my forehead, I lament the fact that I cannot return home.
"Alright, then what if I choose not to do anything? And what is preventing me from going home?"
Giving a small blood-curdling laugh, he elucidates. "It's quite simple really, if you choose to stay silent in our dismay, the world shall force you into combat. Alongside such, the world is what prevents you from going home. Now that I've summoned an outsider, the world has no option but to accept and has… given you the title of hero. The world expects you to be a hero, so if you choose to flow off path, the world will do anything in its power to bring you back, even if it means killing you."
"So, let me get this straight." I begin. "I am to help the people of this world against my will to fight against demons all just to save this world and then head back to my own. And I can't head back to my own until the world determines a hero is no longer needed."
Nodding his head slowly, the man agrees.
"I apologize, I really do." The old man insincerely states. "But we are in a great time of need. So, please, I ask you again, help us o' great hero."
"I don't really have any other option do I."
Upon hearing those words, the old man slowly claps his hands twice and an onslaught of wind pushes against my face, pushing me backwards and blinding me for a few moments. Upon being able to open my eyes again, I stare in surprise at a densely muscled old man with robes made of silk and fur and a gold lined staff in his hands.
"Since thee have accepted my request o' grand hero, as the King of this land, I shall provide thee with any and all resources you ask for and any resources I feel are necessary for you ever so perilous journey."
Planting his staff into the ground, a shockwave expands outwards, and a flurry of doors open, revealing a multitude of maids and butlers who rush in, carrying anything and everything, from weapons to toiletries. However, my eyes are captured by something else.
Standing next to the King, there stood a girl with long, luxurious locks of golden hair and watery blue eyes. Her face had barely an ounce of makeup on it, which let her beauty shine through. He clothes easily matched her hair color and can easily be identified as overly expensive as gold lined the dress. Alongside her pure skinned neck, there lay a wonderous necklace with a blue stone that lay just above her bosom, perfectly supporting her appearance. Finding myself completely lost in her appearance, I was only brought back to reality by the King speaking again.
"As you can see, we are prepared to support you o' dear hero. And as I see you've already noticed, the one standing next to me, my ever so precious granddaughter, shall be your guide while you travel across our world to fell those demonic beasts. I wish for you to start your journey quickly as the demons are quickly picking up in strength and as little as ten years of time, they will reach a strength that even you, an otherworld hero, will be unable to beat."
Looking at the various items that lay around me, I saw a few that would be of use to me, but there was a large problem that needed addressed.
"And you don't need to be concerned o' hero, I have prepared for you a trainer so that you know how to properly cull those demons. If you wish, you can train with him right now before making the important decision on which items to bring with you on your awe-inspiring journey to kill the Demon King."
Astonished that the King was able to read my surface level thoughts, I nod my head and a butler instantly appears next to me.
"He shall guide you to our trainer." The King mentioned the butler with his hand. "Yet, before you leave me, I shall give you both my grace and a bit of advice."
His next words were uninteresting and his advice unhelpful, so I soon left his presence and followed the butler. Yet I had a faint suspicion that someone was following us, so I turned my head and my eyes instantly caught with watery blue ones.
Knowing she had been caught, the princess quit her stalking and quickly caught up to the butler and me. Walking alongside me, neither of us made a single bit of noise and with the sounds of our shoes clicking against the floor, the silence became unbearably awkward, and I hadn't a clue how to start a conversation.
Unfortunately for me, this type of silence continued until we had made it to the training field. Immediately, I release a sigh of relief, which catches the attention of the princess and butler, making my face burn. Coughing, I cast my gaze onto the training court which was heavily worn by hundreds of soldiers training themselves across it. In some places, it could be seen where the training dummies were set up, in others, you could see the signs of a great fight that had occurred. However, the thing that stood out the most on the training ground was instead a human being.
This human stood a hulking 243.84cm (8') tall, with muscles that burst out, recognizing their own strength. His body was heavily tanned from having stood in the sun too long and his hair matched the color of the ground that he stood on. His eyes were a clear amber but was offset by the mangled scar that ran from his widow's peak down to his left shoulder.
"So, this is what I have to work with." The hulking man huffed in a deep voice, clearly disappointed while looking me up and down. "It's not much."
"I think he has a chance."
Hearing the princess' voice for the very first time, it sounded like a beautiful harmony was created as her words were expressed.
"Well, if you say so princess." Cracking his neck, the hulking man moves his body towards me.
Almost instinctually, I take a step backwards, not wanting this man to invade my personal space.
"There's no need to be scared of me son."
Looking at the smile that was plastered on his face, his hand then outstretches and was placed on my shoulder.
"I'll turn you from this." Motioning to my body, the man continues. "To something worthy of being the hero for our o so bountiful land... My name is Guff, the one who's going to be training you to fight against those little buggers."
Putting his own hand in my mine, Guff then walks away towards the weapon rack where a variety of weapons were shown. He would pick one up, then look back at me, then throw he weapon carelessly away from himself. This process continued for the next ten weapons before he finally came jogging back, weapon stationed on his shoulder. Presenting it to me, I found myself looking at short sword. Looking back at Guff, her motioned with his smile for me to take it. Upset that this was the weapon that Guff thought would best fit me, I grab it from him.
"Now that you have a weapon, we can begin."
Startled, I ask, "Right now?"
"Yup." Guff's smile them changed from encouraging to sadistic.
The next few hours after that were absolute hell, especially for someone who didn't really participate all that often in sports. After Guff's tormenting was over, I was sprawled across the training ground, breathing laboriously as Guff loomed over me. I then see Guff turn his gaze to the side.
"I think you are right princess; he might have a chance."
Stupefied, I look at the princess who was calmly sitting on one of the benches, one hand supporting her smiling face that was looking at me. Retracting my gaze, my cheeks burned like the surface of the sun.
"Well, my jobs done for today. Make sure to return here by dawn son, less you want your training to become even worse."
Nodding quickly, Guff jogs away, leaving me along with the princess.
"Why'd you stay here for so long and watch someone as pathetic as me?" I ask aloud.
"The job gifted by my grandfather was the watch and care of the hero who would save our land from destruction, so I was doing exactly that."
Ah, of course it was just because she was required to do so.
"But I don't think you were pathetic at all." The princess continues. "You tried your hardest and managed to earn the recognition of Guff the Giant, that's not something easy to do, so I commend you o' dear hero."
"Earnest Gibbs." I interrupt.
"Excuse me?"
"My name… it's Earnest Gibbs."
"Well, it's an absolute pleasure Earnest Gibbs. I am the princess of this kingdom, Caitlin Lamore."
Blinded by her smile, I thought to myself, 'Mabey this won't be so bad after all.'