Cherreads

Chapter 1 - Renounced Hero

Tyberius never held a favorable opinion of her to begin with.

What rational being, divine or otherwise, would cast someone into an unfamiliar world, čcompletely unprepared and with no guiding instructions, not even a hint of direction? It wasn't just irresponsible. It was downright cruel.

"You! You are not worthy to serve as my chosen hero. Begone with you!" she had proclaimed with an air of finality, as if those words alone explained anything.

Moments later, Tyberius had awakened alone, surrounded by towering trees that reached endlessly toward the sky. The air was damp, the scent of moss and distant water clinging to everything. He stood amidst a forest that looked nothing like anything found on Earth. He had no supplies, no map, and certainly no idea how to return home.

He had once lived a simple life. On Earth, Tyberius was a young adult in his early twenties, a man of habits and quiet routines. His days were predictable: wake up, wash up, head to the local convenience store where he manned the register and stocked the aisles, then clock out and return home to rest. It was a quiet loop, monotonous to some, but to him, it held a certain peace.

Critics might have labeled his life as uninspired or downright boring, but in his view, it was manageable, even pleasant. There were no enemies, no life-or-death situations. Just enough income to get by, a roof overhead, and time to unwind. Stability wasn't exciting but it was safe.

All of that changed the morning a Goddess dragged him into her realm.

"Welcome he—! Wait… What are you?!" Her voice had cracked with dismay the moment she set eyes or rather set her senses on him.

Apparently, the divine being who called herself Lyssera had summoned Tyberius to serve as her hero, only to recoil at the very aura he emitted. Her words, not his.

To be clear, she wasn't talking about his physical form. Tyberius was proud of his appearance. He had naturally dark blue hair, often mistaken for a dyed shade, and a well-defined chin that lent him a certain sharpness. On a self-assessment scale from one to ten, he would've confidently awarded himself a solid eight… maybe a humble seven on bad days.

So no, it wasn't his looks that disappointed her.

"The issue," Lyssera had said, nose slightly wrinkled, "is your aura. You lack any essence of a hero. No courage, no elegance, no commanding presence. You look like someone who'd be tricked into trading his undergarments for candy."

Insulting didn't even begin to describe it.

Tyberius had quietly concluded, in that moment, that the Goddess severely lacked proper etiquette and a sense of decorum. He might've even offered to teach her a lesson in courtesy, if she had deserved the effort.

"So… what happens to me now?" he'd asked, cautiously.

"I can't decide that yet. First, I must evaluate your ability trait. Only then will I determine your fate."

It was a bizarre exchange. According to Lyssera, certain individuals summoned from other worlds possessed innate gifts "traits," she called them, that might override shortcomings in other areas. She hinted that if he were fortunate enough to possess something extraordinary, perhaps she'd reconsider her decision to discard him.

When she assessed his trait, her reaction was far from hopeful.

"Out of Body Experience? What kind of useless, illogical nonsense is that?"

The disappointment in her tone could've curdled milk. Her exasperation practically echoed in the divine hall they stood in. Clearly, things had not gone the way she expected.

And then came the final blow.

"You're still here? Begone!"

In the blink of an eye, Tyberius had been ejected from her presence and cast into the vast wilderness of another world. Now, surrounded by unfamiliar terrain, he could only presume this new realm was hers, not his.

Geography had never been his strong suit, but this place clearly wasn't Earth.

He took a few shaky steps through the dense underbrush, trying to find some sense of direction or safety, when a deep, guttural sound stopped him cold.

"Grrrowl…"

His head snapped up. Maybe he was imagining things. Paranoia?

"Grrrowl!"

Nope. Definitely not his imagination this time. That snarl was real and getting closer.

Before he could react further, five hulking beasts emerged from the shadows between trees. Their steps were deliberate, their stares piercing. Massive canines, though calling them "wolves" felt inadequate. These creatures stood at least a head taller than any Earth-born predator. Their bodies carried the bulk of two full-grown lions, and instead of regular fangs, their mouths were lined with horn-like teeth, sharp and curved like the tusks of a rhinoceros.

Despite their monstrous appearance, there was an uncanny resemblance to wolves. Their posture and formation screamed "pack." Yet their size, their twisted features, this wasn't nature. It was something evolved for war.

Or perhaps something divine.

Tyberius stood frozen. The absurdity of the situation hit him in waves. Strange world? Check. Disappointed deity? Check. Surrounded by mutated death-hounds? Absolutely check.

For a fleeting second, his mind tried to joke: Maybe these animals were just getting too adventurous with their breeding choices.

'Focus,' Ty! he screamed inwardly. 'This was no time for sarcasm.'

His thoughts raced. Didn't Lyssera mention something about a skill? What was it again?... Out of Body Experience?

"Uh…"

Without warning, his consciousness ripped away from his physical form.

There was no pain. Only a sudden lightness, a strange detachment. He floated in the air, invisible, weightless like a drifting wisp.

[Notice! Due to ownership of Unique Skill: Out Of Body Experience, Intrinsic Skill: Astral Projection has been acquired.]

He blinked, figuratively speaking. 'Did I just… gain a skill?'

Now suspended above the forest floor in his astral form, Tyberius watched as the monstrous canines slowly crept toward his now limp, defenseless body. The sight was both terrifying and surreal.

He didn't know what was more unbelievable, the fact that he'd obtained a skill out of nowhere, or that he was seconds away from being mauled by prehistoric wolf-dogs.

One thing, however, was painfully obvious.

"…This sucks."

______

Current Status:

Name: Tyberius

Class: Renounced Hero

Unique Skill: Out Of Body Experience 

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