Julius hesitated before stepping further into the dimly lit tavern.
"What give it away?" He said, holding a hand behind his back for dramatic effect. Is she trying to flirt with me?
The silver-haired girl sat alone at a table near the corner, her sharp blue eyes practically glowing under the candlelight. She was lean, poised, and dangerous, her dark cloak draped over her shoulders. A single dagger rested on the wooden table beside a half-finished drink.
"You know what I mean." She tapped her fingers idly against the mug, watching him with an amused look.
Julius froze. His heart skipped a beat.
Does she know?
His mind raced. Did she somehow figure out he was from Earth? He forced himself to stay calm, schooling his expression into confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked, keeping his voice neutral.
Her smurk turned into a dissapointed frown. "Are you slow? I mean you look super weak."
Julius blinked. "Oh." Of course she didn't mean it romantically...
Not exactly a flattering remark, but at least she didn't mean that. Still, her presence unsettled him. There was something about her—an edge, a sharpness that made him feel like he was standing near a blade.
Then, her eyes glowed softly.
"Appraisal."
Julius felt it immediately, like a subtle ripple in the air around him. His stomach turned cold as he was blinded by the blue light.
Silence roamed the air.
"Pfft."
Was that... A laugh?
"Is something wrong?"
She was checking his level.
"I just didn't realize levels could go that low. It's as if you've been here for less than a week."
"Ouch."
His heart pounded in his chest. Am I blowing my chances? Do I need to convince her that levels are meaningless?
The girl's expression didn't change, but she studied him intently.
Julius gritted his teeth. "Two can play at that..."
"Appraisal"
[Nivia-Level 68]
His breath caught.
Julius forced himself not to react. If she was a Hero, then she was absurdly strong. And she was looking right at him. Still, she's weaker than most of the people I've appraised.
Nivia narrowed her eyes. "Why can you use that skill?"
Julius hesitated. If he answered wrong, she might kill him right here.
"I don't know," he said quickly. "Maybe because I'm destined to be a hero?"
Her fingers curled around the handle of her dagger.
"Liar."
A heavy silence filled the space between them. Julius tensed, his mind scrambling for a way out.
"Why does nobody ever believe me..."
Then—
A door creaked open behind them.
Both of them turned.
A sleepy-looking man in his nightclothes stumbled downstairs, yawning as he walked past them to grab a mug of water.
When Julius turned back—
Nivia was gone.
His eyes widened. Completely gone.
No sound. No trace. As if she had never been there at all.
Julius swallowed hard.
He had a very bad feeling about this.
"Surely this won't lead to anything bad... I have enough people hunting me."
Julius barely got any sleep.
Nivia's words haunted him. "Why can you use that skill?"
Did she suspect something? Would she come after him?
"I have enough people hunting me..." He sighed.
When morning arrived, he got up, dressed quickly, and made his way outside.
The streets of Linia were packed. A massive crowd had gathered in the city square. Excitement buzzed in the air, voices overlapping as people pushed toward the center of the commotion.
Julius tried to tiptoe over the crowd.
"What's going on?" He asked an elderly man.
"A new hero is being coronated." He replied.
"Heroes get coronated?"
"Sometimes, if they do great deeds at a young age they can be coronated early. In other occasions, if a hero becomes renowed they will natrually be known as a hero. I was close to the second option but unfortunately-."
The city square of Linia trembled with deafening cheers.
Julius found himself pushed along by the sheer force of the crowd. Every street and balcony overflowed with people, all gathered to witness a monumental event.
At the center of the grand stage stood a man of legend. Everyone chanted his name.
Elvisa.
The newly crowned Hero.
His long, snow-white hair flowed in the wind, his silver cloak billowing behind him. He wore ceremonial armor polished to perfection, his sharp golden eyes scanning the crowd before him.
Strapped to his waist was a short sword—seemingly unremarkable in design, yet carrying an overwhelming aura of power.
The people roared his name.
"ELVISA! ELVISA! ELVISA!"
The ground trembled from the sheer force of their admiration. Julius had never seen anything like it.
Elvisa stepped forward, raising a single hand. The crowd fell silent almost instantly.
With a calm, confident gaze, the Hero slowly drew his sword.
A chilling hum filled the air as the blade left its sheath.
Then—
He swung.
The motion was effortless. A simple horizontal slash through the air.
Nothing happened.
For a second, Julius thought maybe the whole thing was just for show.
Then—
The sky split.
A massive cloud above them was sliced clean in half.
Gasps rang out across the square. Thousands of heads tilted upward, eyes wide as they watched the two halves of the cloud slowly drift apart.
The people erupted.
"AMAZING!"
"HE CUT THE SKY ITSELF!"
"HERO ELVISA!"
So he basically just gave that cloud a haircut?
Julius' hands trembled as he instinctively activated [Appraisal].
"Appraisal."
[Elvisa Level 60]
—And immediately regretted it.
People around him suddenly went dead silent.
Then—they turned.
Hundreds of eyes locked onto him.
Julius felt his stomach drop.
Oh no.
Did they think he was another Hero?!
"Hey! You! Who are you?!" a man shouted. "Another hero?"
"You have Appraisal?!" another gasped.
A group of armored knights were already making their way toward him.
Julius took a step back.
Then another.
He pulled his hand to his head, as if he as taking a phone call.
"Huh, I need to go? Right now?"
And then—he ran.
"The last thing I want is more people knowing my level." He grumbled. "I would gladly admit to being a hero if I wasn't so obviously weak." Where are my cheats, whoever put me here?
Pushing through the confused crowd, he forced his way into a side alley, ducking behind a stack of crates.
He waited.
The shouting continued in the square, but no one followed.
Julius sighed in relief.
"Okay. Maybe I shouldn't use that in public. Atleast they probably all forgot about me now."
After escaping the attention of the crowd, Julius wandered the city for the rest of the day, eventually arriving at a weapon shop.
The owner, a burly dwarf with a thick gray beard, let him test out different weapons.
"Maybe I should practice with one, it might come in handy for the entrance exam.."
Julius swung a greatsword—too heavy. "There's no way this is efficient for combat."
Tried a spear—decent reach, but awkward. He didn't feel like he had the flexibility.
Tested dual daggers—felt cool, but not natural. He didn't have the concentration to be adept with both. A single dagger felt too weak.
He tried spinning them in his hands and accidently dropped them on the floor.
"Fine. Fine. I won't become an assassin. For now..." Surely my use of foreshadowing will signal the Gods to make something happen.
A bow? No. Too hard to draw. Let alone his horrific aim.
A normal sword?
Julius swung it a few times. Not bad. Balanced, versatile, and familiar. But that was to be expected, it as as generic as it got in terms of weapons.
He made a mental note of it before stepping aside to test something else.
He left to the magic shop next door.
Magic.
He had no idea what kind of spells he could use. He figured he'd start simple. He opened a manual on the shelves.
"[Light Wisp]."
A small golden orb of light flickered into existence above his palm.
Julius' eyes widened.
It worked?!
"I knew it, I knew I had some cheats. I knew there was a part of this world made for me. I went to a new world and became the greatest mage-."
Excited, he tried to make it brighter—only for the light to vanish immediately.
A deep fatigue hit him.
He stumbled, grabbing the counter for support.
"Agh-. I feel like I haven't eaten for days... My mind feels like 10 hours of revision..."
His mana was drained. His mind was gone.
It felt like his body was an empty bowl that had just been poured out.
The dwarf chuckled. "First time using magic, lad?"
Julius groaned. "Feels like I got beaten up by the spell. I barely did anything. Just a speck of light..."
"Magic ain't about just 'doing,'" the dwarf said. "Yer body needs to get used to it. And you need more mana. Right now, yeh got less than a kid's puddle of it if that light wasp was enough to take you out."
Julius sighed. "Figures. Guess I should've just started training 10 years beforehand!"
"Yup!"
Even his magic was weak.
But at least he knew now.
He picked up another book.
"Contrary to old beliefs, magic is not limited to those born with immense reserves of mana. Every living being possesses mana to some degree—though the amount varies. The true key to growth lies not in one's natural capacity, but in their ability to refine and expand it through rigorous training."
"Mana, much like a muscle, strengthens with repeated use. Just as a warrior hones his body, a mage must hone his mana. With each spell cast, the body's 'mana vessel' is exhausted and refilled, gradually increasing its total capacity. Not only that, but using mana more allows one to increase the efficiency of their spells."
"This is why even those with low mana can, with time and effort, rise to greatness."
"I'm ready to rise to greatness." Julius announced, to which the shopkeeper merely asked him if he was going to buy the book.
"Not today."
"Then get out the store."
Julius went back to the inn that day and rested.
Soon he would have to enter the academy.
And he was going to ensure he was ready for the day, the day that could change everything in this new world.
He stared at the night sky with a grimace.
"If I fail here, I suppose Vielli or that group is going to be the end of me. I'd better lock in..."
As soon as he left the store Julius felt a tap on his shoulder.
"My name is Lucius Elwater." He had long red hair that adorned his charming light-skinned face. He had a sword by his hip and a look of confusion masking his face.
Lucius continued "Hey, do you know where the adventuring school is?"
"Do I know anything... No, I don't. I'm not some tour guide." Julius replied, wondering why he was being asked these questions of all people. I've only been here for a few days.
Lucius sighed "Oh, sorry! We'll get going." He walked off with his suspiciously protagonist-looking group.
Julius watched them leave. That guy had serious main character energy…
Pause.
Julius shuddered "...Am I the background character in other people's stories?!"