The God-Tier Commoner

The Hero That Runs

He couldn't stop swinging it. The sword was a dream in his hands. It wasn't just light; it felt like it wanted to move, like it was helping him. It was perfectly balanced, and the grip was as comfortable as holding a favorite pen.

But a cool-looking sword wasn't enough. He needed to know if it actually worked. Was it sharp, or was it just a fancy glow-stick?

Lex walked over to a young, sturdy tree at the edge of the ravine. He took a deep breath, raised the gleaming sword high, and swung it diagonally across the trunk with all his might.

There was no resistance. No thunk of metal hitting wood. The blade simply passed through the tree as if it were cutting air.

Lex lowered the sword, his heart sinking. He felt nothing. He saw no cut, no mark on the bark. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. "Is it just a light illusion? A hologram?"

Disappointed, he turned away with a sigh, ready to blame the System for another useless gag gift.

THUD.

The sound was heavy and final. Lex spun around.

The upper half of the tree was sliding. It slid smoothly, perfectly, along a razor-straight diagonal line, and crashed to the forest floor. The cut surface on the stump was mirror-smooth, like polished glass. The sword had been so sharp, so fast, that it had sliced through the wood before the tree even realized it was cut.

"Whoa," Lex breathed, his eyes wide. A huge grin spread across his face. "This item is fire!"

He spent the next few minutes like a kid with a new toy. He sliced branches, carved a rock, and practiced his swings. The sword moved with him, an extension of his own will. During a flourish, his thumb brushed against a tiny, almost invisible button nestled at the very bottom of the sword's handle, near the pommel.

Curious, he pressed it.

There was a soft whirr. The magnificent blade dissolved in a stream of white light, flowing backward, shrinking, and reshaping. In less than a second, the weight was gone from his hand. He was left holding the simple, blue plastic ballpoint pen.

"Cool," Lex said, his voice full of awe. He clicked the pen, turning the tip out, then clicked it back. "It's portable. Thanks, System. Seriously."

Feeling better than he had since arriving in this world, he started the walk back to town. The System never healed his fatigue, but the pure joy of a functional, incredible weapon made him forget his earlier scratches. He was actually whistling.

He was nearing the main road when he heard shouting from a denser part of the forest to his left. He paused, peering through the trees.

Two huge men were stumbling out of the woods. They were massive, each a full head taller than Borin and built like barrels. They were drenched in sweat, their faces red with exhaustion and fear. They kept glancing over their shoulders as they ran.

Then Lex saw it. One of the men had a large, rough burlap sack slung over his shoulder. And the sack was moving. It squirmed and wriggled. A moment later, a corner of the sack flopped open, and a head of hair spilled out. It was a woman, her mouth gagged with a rope, her eyes wide with terror, locking directly onto Lex’s for a split second before the man yanked the sack closed again.

Kidnappers.

A blue panel flashed urgently in his vision.

EMERGENCY QUEST: Save the Bullied!

Objective: Rescue the captive.

Time Limit: 30 minutes.

Failure Penalty: Automatically pull out two of your own front teeth.

Quest Gift: Full Heal & Stamina Refresh (Applied Now).

Lex’s jaw dropped. "What the—? Pull my own teeth? And only thirty minutes? 'Save the Bullied'? Who, her?" He pointed a furious finger at the retreating sack. "That's not 'bullied,' that's kidnapped! Can't you get your terms right?!"

29:59... 29:58...

The timer started. At the same moment, a wave of cool, clean energy washed through Lex. Every ache from the hyena fight vanished. His muscles felt fresh, his mind sharp. He was at 100%.

"No time to argue," he grumbled. He shoved the pen into his pocket and took off at a sprint. The two huge men were fast for their size, but they were exhausted. Lex, freshly healed and fueled by panic (losing his teeth was a uniquely horrifying idea), cut through the trees and emerged onto the path right in front of them.

"Stop!" he yelled, planting his feet.

The two men skidded to a halt, surprise on their brutish faces. Up close, they were even bigger. Their arms were thick as tree limbs. One held a giant wooden club studded with rusty iron spikes.

The man with the club sneered. "Who are you, little man?"

"Little?" Lex shot back, offended. He was used to being the tall, imposing one.

The other man, the one holding the squirming sack, eyed Lex’s simple tunic and pants. "Are you one of the King's guards? A scout?"

"What? No!" Lex said, confused by the question.

The club-wielder’s fear turned into aggression. "Then get lost, runt." He heaved the spiked club off his shoulder. The second man carefully set the wriggling sack down on the ground, freeing his hands for a fight.

It was two against one. But Lex felt a strange, fierce grin spread across his face. "Perfect," he said. "Time to test my new weapon."

He reached into his pocket. The two brutes tensed, expecting a dagger or a hidden blade.

Lex pulled out the blue ballpoint pen.

For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then both men burst into roaring, belly-deep laughter. "A poking stick?" the club-wielder howled, tears in his eyes. "He's going to poke us in our eyes!"

Lex didn't laugh. He simply clicked the button on top.

The transformation was instant and majestic. Light erupted from the pen, flowing and solidifying into the shimmering, silvery longsword. It gleamed in the dappled forest light, a weapon of impossible beauty.

All laughter died. The color drained from the two men's faces. The club-wielder took a shaky step back. "Sorcery!" he gasped.

Lex raised the sword, feeling its perfect balance. But before he could attack, a new, smaller notification appeared in the corner of his vision.

Combat Mode: Select Outcome.

- Kill

- Injure & Subdue

"What?" Lex mumbled. The System was giving him moral choices now? He didn't want to be a murderer. "Injure," he thought quickly. "Definitely injure."

The club-wielder, braver or stupider than his friend, let out a roar and charged, swinging the massive spiked club in a deadly arc aimed at Lex's head.

Lex instinctively brought his sword up to parry. He expected a bone-jarring impact.

There was none.

His sword passed through the thick wood and iron spikes of the club as if they were smoke. The top half of the club spun through the air and landed with a thud in the dirt. The man was left holding a jagged, shortened stick.

Lex stared, mesmerized. "What the—" The sharpness was unreal.

The man, now off-balance and weaponless, stared at the remains of his club in shock. Lex didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and swung the flat of his blade hard against the man's ribs.

There was a solid thwack, but no cut, no blood. The man’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes, unconscious.

The second man, seeing his partner taken down by a magical sword that cut through iron, didn't need a second invitation. He turned and fled back into the deep forest at a speed that belied his size, abandoning both his friend and the sack.

Lex didn't chase him. The quest was to save the captive. He ran to the burlap sack, his heart pounding. He used the tip of his sword and carefull slit the rough fabric open.

Inside was a young woman. She had delicate features and, most strikingly, hair and skin the color of a summer sky—a pale, unusual blue. Her wrists and ankles were bound with rough rope, and a gag was stuffed in her mouth. Her wide, violet eyes stared up at him, filled with fear and confusion.

Lex quickly cut her bonds and gently removed the gag. "Hey, hello! You're okay now," he said, giving her his best 'heroic savior' smile, the one that used to work on socialites.

He helped her sit up. She rubbed her wrists, staring at him, then at the unconscious giant, then back at his sword.

"Who... who are you?" she asked, her voice soft and melodic.

Lex puffed out his chest, the arrogance of his old life surging back. He pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm your savi—"

THWIP!

An arrow embedded itself in a tree trunk inches from his head, its feathers vibrating.

Lex flinched hard. THWIP! THWIP! THWIP! A volley of arrows peppered the ground around them.

"Protect the Lady!"

"Kill the brigand!"

"Save her!"

Shouting voices echoed through the trees. Lex looked up to see a squad of five warriors in polished leather and chainmail charging out of the woods. They had swords drawn and bows aimed. They weren't looking at the unconscious kidnapper. All their fury was directed straight at him.

"Her?" Lex looked at the blue girl, then at the heavily armed men sprinting toward him. The girl looked from Lex to the warriors, her expression unreadable.

Lex’s heroic speech died in his throat. His brain, which excelled at risk assessment for things like stock portfolios and jealous boyfriends, delivered a clear verdict: Run.

"Sorry, gotta go!" he yelped. He gave the blue girl an apologetic shrug, turned on his heel, and sprinted into the forest in the opposite direction, leaving the confused scene behind him.

As he ran, a cheerful ding sounded in his mind.

Emergency Quest: Save the Bullied – COMPLETE!

+20 Experience!

+15 Mana!

Lex didn't stop running. He just shook his head as he ducked under branches. He had saved the girl, gotten the experience, and kept his teeth. But once again, he looked less like a hero and more like a man fleeing the scene of a very strange crime.