Chapter 3: Unveiling the Truth

  King Tomo’s expression was grave as he looked at me. “There is much to be done, Alex,” he said, his voice firm but kind.

  I nervously asked, “Where do we even get started?”

  King Tomo stroked his long beard thoughtfully. “First things first, we need to see what type of magic you have.”

  I accidentally yelled in excitement, startling everyone in the room. “Are you actually saying I get magic?”

  King Tomo nodded. “Yes,” he replied, eyeing me curiously. The look made me feel uneasy, but I remained silent until he finally spoke again. “Everyone who is summoned as a hero gets magic. The only thing is, I’m not sure if you’ll have any magic at all, or if you do, it’ll probably be very weak.”

  I frowned. “Why do you think my magic would be weak?”

  He sighed. “The fact that we were able to summon you with only ten mages was a miracle. Perhaps that’s why you fainted after the summoning.”

  King Tomo stood and motioned for me to follow him. We walked out of the large room into an even larger hallway. The hallway was beautiful, with huge pillars on both sides. On the left, large windows overlooked a courtyard, and on the right, various portraits hung on the walls—people I assumed were part of the royal family.

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  As we walked, soldiers, maids, and others whispered and stared at us. The king quickly put a stop to it. “Doesn’t anyone have work to do? Or is gossiping about the king and the hero your new duty?”

  Silence fell, and the onlookers scattered. We continued until we reached a room with a massive golden door adorned with royal blue accents. King Tomo twisted the knob, and with a loud click, pushed the door open to reveal a grand library. Like the rest of the castle, it had large pillars and numerous bookshelves. In the center of the room stood a crystal ball.

  “Come here,” King Tomo called me over, whistling. From behind a bookshelf emerged a beautiful girl with green eyes, brown hair, and fair skin.

  She introduced herself as Princess Komachi. I was so mesmerized by her beauty that I barely heard her words until she shouted, “Put your hand on the crystal!”

  Startled, I apologized and placed my hand on the crystal ball. A surge of energy coursed through me, from my fingertips to my toes and back to the crystal. The crystal lit up, displaying the number 10 surrounded by black smoke.

  King Tomo and Komachi exchanged surprised looks. “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  Komachi was the first to respond. “No,” she said, her tone uncertain. King Tomo echoed her sentiment.

  “Don’t keep me in suspense. What’s going on?” I demanded.

  Komachi frowned at my tone. “You’re being rude.”

  I shot back, “How am I being rude? Where I come from, it’s normal to talk like this.”

  Our argument escalated until King Tomo stepped between us. “Enough,” he commanded. “Both of you, sit.”

  We complied, and King Tomo asked Komachi to explain my test results.

  Komachi sighed. “In this world, everyone can possess and use magic. The level of magic you’re born with is usually the level you’re stuck at unless you have a true awakening.”

  I interrupted, “What are the different levels of magic? And what’s a true awakening?”

  She took a deep breath, clearly annoyed. “Magic levels range from Common, Uncommon, Expert, Advanced, and Divine. True awakenings are rare events that significantly increase one's magical abilities.”

  I thought to myself, this sounds like a video game. Something from an MMORPG.

  Komachi continued, “Heroes usually have a minimum of two Advanced skills and three Divine skills. The reason my father and I were surprised is that unlike past heroes, you don’t have any upper-level skills. You only have ten Common skills.”

  The room fell silent as I processed this information. Ten Common skills? Was I really as weak as she implied? I felt a mix of disappointment and determination. This was my new reality, and somehow, I had to find a way to make the most of it.