Even the mightiest hero fall, but it's what they do afterward that defines them.
It's something my mentor always said.
Back then, I didn't really understand what she meant by it.
How could I?
I mean, come on—I was only 17.
But now...
Everything in my life changed.
After... I met him.
***
"If it's you, sir Hope, then this mission won't even take half a day." A voice came from my earpiece.
Haah..
'When will they learn.'
What am I, their god?
They expect too much from me.
Everywhere I go, people worship me like I'm their god.
"Oh! You're so powerful!" "No one is stronger than you!" "The savior of humanity!" "The strongest hero known to mankind!" "The Rank 1 Hero!"
'Utter Bullshit.'
They don't know the blood, sweat, and tears I've poured into this journey.
'The strongest human ever known to mankind' —that title didn't come easy. And trust me on this, no one in the next hundred years will come close to earning it.
What about the Rank - 2 Hero, you ask?
"Heh."
Not. Even. Close.
But enough about that. Let's get back to the mission.
As always, the Hero Association handed me one of their 'impossible' tasks. A standard protocol for the Rank -1 Hero.
Sigh
"Let's begin."
I tapped on my wristband, and a glowing holographic screen appeared in front of me, It resembled a blue transparent window:
Mission Details:
Mission Rank: SS+
Task:
Assigned Hero Name: [HOPE]
Hero Rank: 01
"I'm in position, confirming target location—over." I tapped on my earpiece and reported in.
A cold, emotionless voice responded, "Assistant Mary reporting. Location confirmed your coordinates are 0°24'34'' South, 78°35'40" East on [Flora Island]. Sir HOPE, you are cleared to proceed."
"Oh, it's Mary. Been a while, how have you been?" I asked.
"Position confirmed. Current location verified. Sir HOPE, please proceed with your mission."
I smirked. "Still all business, huh? That's why you're still single."
"Sir HOPE, the president is monitoring your move."
My smile faded.
'Fuck! Just my rotten luck.'
Sigh....
"I'm proceeding with the mission."
The atmosphere in [Flora Island] was different.
The wind across the island carried a mournful tone that echoed through the dense forest.
The towering cliffs loomed over the raging ocean, where all the waves slammed against the rocks, creating a thunderous cry.
The air around me felt heavy and cold, and the atmosphere was unusually silent.
It was 7 p.m., but the sky was so dark that it felt, like it was midnight.
Thunder rolled into the distant sky, and rain fell relentlessly, making a hammering sound on the ground.
The chill was so piercing that it could freeze even an undead to its death.
Something was not right.
'It's too... quiet
"This is the right place, yeah?" I asked.
"Affirmative," Mary replied.
I stood at the edge of a cliff as I scanned the Island before me.
The mission seemed very simple: 'Reclaim the island from enemy forces.'
But the silence was bothering me. It was just... too quiet, as if the island had been deserted for at least a decade.
"Heh, I guess, this might be my last mission," I said jokingly.
"Did you say something sir?"
"...No. Anyway, what am I fighting here? A [Ghoul]? A [Reaper]? Or maybe a [Fallen]?"
"It's [Wrath], sir."
My brow furrowed.
'Wrath?'
Monsters in this world came in all shapes and ranks, each with unique abilities. And [Wrath] was a middle-tier monster, a threat, sure, but nothing a triple-rank hero couldn't handle.
"You're kidding, right? Then why is this mission ranked SS+? Wait... don't tell me it's an army of [Wrath]?"
Even that didn't sit right.
A single Rank–10 Hero could take care of an army of [Wrath] easily. But sending me, the Rank–1 Hero, to handle this was overkill.
I felt like something was off.
Was it a trap? A test? Or maybe something far worse?
'No time to think.'
"Permission to use [Doombringer]," I ordered.
As these words left my mouth, a heavy weight settled on my chest.
I deduced, this wasn't just any regular mission.
Something is definitely off, something far bigger than I had ever anticipated.
And for the very first time in years, I wasn't sure of myself, that I was ready.
End of Chapter.
[A/N]: The first couple of Chapters may seem to have some purple prose and long paragraphs in some places. (As when I started writing, I didn't know the meaning of these.) Please bear with it for a bit, as of now I have started writing each paragraph shorter compared to before. I will keep editing the past Chapters when I get time.