The Hero’s Ascension

Refusing the Call

“You’re joking right? How can I be a hero…”

The idea of me being a hero was insane. I wasn’t anybody special, hell less than special if you asked anybody.

“No way…”

“It’s true Clint, the Kingdom of Nexis, the heart of this continent. They are responsible for bringing you here…”

A shadow moved behind the king, morphing into a woman who resembled an Assassin from an RPG video game.

Settling slowly next to the king, she looked at me from head to toe.

“This is Valyria, an assassin from the kingdom. She’s been following you for the past few days.”

“What?” I looked at the woman again, I hadn’t seen her once or even remotely noticed.

“She is very good at her job,” King Jordan said with a relaxed smile. He waved a hand to dismiss my panic. “don’t worry. Valyria was not there to hurt you. She was there to figure out how a kid from Earth ended up in my city instead of the Nexis capital.”

“Nexis?” I echoed. My brain struggled to catch up. “You said they brought me here?”

“Nexis is a powerful kingdom to the east,” Valyria spoke. Her voice was smooth but sharp. “They perform a summoning ritual every few generations. They pull souls from other realms, people with high potential, and force them to serve as weapons.”

My stomach dropped. “Weapons? Like slaves?”

“More or less,” King Jordan said. His relaxed look faded just enough to show a serious ruler underneath. “They strip your freedom and point you at their enemies. But the ritual is volatile. Something changed. A magical current shifted, and you dropped into the forest just outside Grand City instead.”

“Wait. Stop.” I held up my hands and rubbed my temples. “This is crazy. I’m not a weapon. Did you see me against those boars? I almost cooked myself! And that appraisal mirror broke because I’m broken. It said everything was unknown!”

“It said unknown because you don’t fit the system standard limits,” the King replied. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Garth’s Identify spell failed because your mana capacity is massive. The spell simply could not read the data. You are a true Outworlder. An anomaly.”

“He is not wrong, dude,” a familiar voice echoed in my head. System-kun’s floating emoji face blinked into my mind. “Your core is basically a magical reactor. I have just been holding it back so you don’t blow your own arms off.”

I ignored the voice and stared at the King. “So what now? Are you going to lock me up? Turn me over to them?”

King Jordan let out a loud, genuine laugh. He leaned back in his large chair and shook his head.

“Clint, I’m the King of Grand City. My people live in peace because we value freedom. Nexis won’t touch you here. I brought you here to tell you the truth, and to let you know you are safe.”

He paused, letting the silence fill the massive room.

“You have a choice to make, Clint. You have immense power. You could stay here in the castle. I can have my guards teach you how to control your magic. You could live a life of luxury and status.”

I stood there. Back on Earth, I did not have choices. I woke up, got beat up for my lunch money, and went to sleep wishing I would disappear. I was always forced to take whatever life threw at me.

But here? A king was handing me the reins.

I thought about the floating castle and the elite guards. It sounded like a dream. But then I thought about the smell of Celia’s cooking. I thought about Thomas joking around in the kitchen. I thought about Liza, her bright blue lightning, her terrible jokes, and the way my chest tightened at the thought of leaving her behind.

“I don’t want to be a weapon,” I said. My voice shook at first, but it steadied quickly. “And I don’t want to live in a castle. I just want to go home.”

King Jordan tilted his head. His eyes studied me carefully. “Home is a tricky word for a summoned Outworlder. Do you mean your old world? Earth? Because if that is your choice, my mages can begin researching a way to send you back.”

The question caught me off guard. Earth. I pictured the gray skies, the lonely walks from school, and the bullies waiting around the corner. Then I pictured the wooden table at Liza's house, the warm stew, and the laughter.

“No,” I said firmly. “Not Earth. I mean the Residential District. With Liza and her family.”

King Jordan’s face softened into a warm smile. “I thought you might say that. It is a good choice.” He gestured to the assassin standing in his shadow. “Valyria, have an escort take our guest back home.”

“Thank you,” I breathed out. The heavy knot in my stomach completely dissolved. “Thank you, your Majesty.”

“Take care of yourself, Clint. And if you ever want to learn how to use that fire without burning down a farm, my doors are open.”

The carriage ride back down to the city felt completely different. I was not sick to my stomach anymore. As the winged beasts flew down toward the lower districts, the cool evening air hit my face. It carried the familiar smells of roasted meat and fresh bread from the Shopping District below.

By the time the wheels hit the stone streets of the Residential District, the sun was going down. The sky turned bright purple and orange.

The carriage stopped at the end of the block. I thanked the royal guard, hopped out, and walked down the street.

My heart beat fast, but not from fear. I was excited.

As I rounded the corner, I saw it. The modest house with warm light shining from the windows. Liza was pacing back and forth on the wooden porch.

She stopped the second she saw me. Her eyes went wide. Before I could even wave, she sprinted down the steps.

“Clint!”

She closed the distance in a second and slammed into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight hug.

“Whoa, hey!” I laughed and stumbled back a step. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back.

“You idiot,” she mumbled into my shoulder. “I thought they were going to lock you in a dungeon. Or execute you for breaking the guild mirror! What did the King want? Are you okay?”

She pulled back and gripped my shoulders. She looked me over for injuries like King Jordan himself had beaten me up.

“I’m fine, Liza. Really,” I smiled. I looked down at her worried brown eyes. “He just wanted to clear up a misunderstanding. And he wanted to make sure I was okay.”

The front door creaked open. Thomas stepped out onto the porch, wiping his hands on a towel. Celia appeared right behind him. A look of total relief washed over her face when she saw me standing in the street.

“Well?” Thomas called out. A big grin broke across his face. “Are you just going to stand out there all night, or are you coming in? The food is getting cold, and the women have me outnumbered again!”

A loud laugh bubbled up from my chest. The weight of Earth, the fear of Nexis, and the stress of the day just faded away.

[ Quest Update: Find a Place in the World. Complete! ]

[ Reward: A place to call home. ]

System-kun’s glowing text faded from my vision. For once, I did not have a single snarky comment to throw back at him.

“Come on,” Liza said. Her goofy grin returned as she grabbed my hand. She tugged me toward the house. “Mom made the good stew tonight.”

I let her pull me toward the porch. The warmth of the lamplight washed over us.

“I’m coming,” I said, stepping through the front door. “I’m home.”