In a vast valley filled with lush trees, a handsome boy faced off alone against a towering four-meter-tall troll.
The boy was tall and striking, with golden hair that shimmered in the light. Clutching a sword in his hand, he looked dazzling and confident.
"Die!" he shouted, leaping high and swinging his sword toward the troll's right neck.
Slash!
The monster's head was instantly severed, dark green blood gushing from the wound. The gruesome sight would have terrified anyone.
But the boy showed no disgust or fear—instead, he grinned with pure joy at his victory.
"Hahaha!" he laughed triumphantly. "I've defeated that monster!"
If Shin had been here, he would have been shocked—this boy was Axel, known as the prince.
When Quinella transported them all, Axel found himself in this valley, unsure of what to do next.
Fortunately, Sylvia—the administrator—appeared and gave him instructions. His current side mission was to kill two troll monsters not far from where he stood.
"The 'Hero' skill is truly terrifying!" he muttered, clenching his left fist. "I feel dozens of times stronger than before, and my movements are so swift, it's like I'm one with the air."
The Hero Skill was the ability he had just awakened. True to its name, it granted him the strength of a hero.
It boosted his reflexes, strength, and vision. On top of that, it allowed him to wield various types of weapons!
So whether it was a sword, spear, or bow, he could use them all with ease.
"Status panel," he whispered.
[Status]
Name: Axel Tharvis
Age: 15 years old
Race: Human
Status: Alive
Level: 1 (10/100)
Class: -
Talents: STR (A), INT (D), VIT (B), AGI (B), LCK (A)
Skills: Hero (S)
[Description]: A boy born with a golden spoon in his mouth. His destiny is great, and his presence will bring major changes to the world of Solira.
Watching the panel update, Axel nodded with satisfaction.
"My level points increased by twenty just from killing one troll. That's incredible. Just one more troll to go, and this side mission will be complete," he murmured with a faint smile.
[Main Mission]: 23:15 (Countdown)
[Side Mission:] Kill two trolls in the surrounding area. (1/2)
Reward: 30 Level Points
Penalty for Failure: None
Wasting no time, he lifted his head and charged toward the location of the remaining troll.
...
"Damn! Why are these goblins so scary?" Daniel exclaimed in horror, gripping his spear tightly with both hands.
Before him stood four green goblins with terrifying appearances. Although less than a meter tall, their presence was enough to frighten Daniel.
Their bald heads revealed sharp fangs jutting from between their lips.
They wore nothing but brown loincloths covering their most vulnerable areas.
In their right hands, each held a different weapon—swords, spears, shields, and more.
"Don't be fooled by their size," Johan warned coldly, raising his sword in his right hand. "If we let our guard down, we'll end up dead."
"Okay!" Daniel and Kael nodded together.
"Daniel, use your skills to distract them. Kael and I will attack, then you finish them off and complete your side mission," Johan ordered.
"I got it!" Daniel nodded firmly, taking a stance with both hands poised at his sides.
Johan and Kael quickly moved away.
"Arggh!"
Suddenly, a deafening roar burst from Daniel's mouth. The powerful sound wave shocked the goblins—they staggered back, clutching their ears.
Seizing the opportunity, Johan and Kael charged forward, slashing at the goblins' legs.
"Urgh!"
The goblins groaned in pain, collapsing and writhing on the ground.
Johan called out loudly, "Daniel, hurry!"
Daniel ended his skill, swiftly raised his spear, and launched an attack on the four goblins.
"Die! Die! Die!"
He drove the spear's tip into each goblin's heart, sending green blood spraying in every direction.
The terrifying sight made Johan and Kael gulp. For some reason, Daniel himself now looked frightening.
After five minutes, Daniel stopped moving and exhaled deeply.
To be certain, he pierced each fallen goblin's neck with the tip of his spear, then turned to Johan and Kael, flashing a wide smile.
"Hahaha! I did it! All thanks to you guys—thank you!" He laughed excitedly.
"Ha... ha... ha..." Kael chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "Good to see you happy, man."
Daniel was about to ask why Kael acted so strangely, but Johan cut in first.
"So, did you get the reward from your side mission?"
Daniel quickly opened his system panel.
[Status]
Name: Daniel Isvar
Age: 16 years old
Race: Human
Status: Alive
Level: 1 (15/100)
Class: -
Talents: STR (C), INT (F), VIT (D), AGI (E), LCK (D)
Skills: Lion's Roar (F)
[Description:] Born into an ordinary family, he dreamed of becoming one of the ten chosen to enter the world of Solira after transmigrating to the Hall of Glory.
"My reward has been added to my status panel, and I got extra points for killing those goblins!" Daniel clenched his left fist in excitement.
"Good!" Johan smiled with satisfaction. "Is there a new side mission?"
Daniel opened his mission panel and shook his head.
"No, but there's a three-hour countdown. It looks like it will update automatically afterward," he explained.
"Then help Kael and me finish our side mission afterward," he said, stretching his stiff body.
Their plan was to complete his and Kael's mission before assisting Daniel.
However, after an hour of searching, they hadn't found the dragon scale fruits and had accidentally encountered the goblins instead.
Inevitably, they needed to assist Daniel first in order to wrap things up quickly.
Daniel nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry, I'll help you guys."
Kael and Johan nodded in agreement. Without wasting time, they set out to find the dragon scale fruits.