Back to the Present
In the Kingdom of Sigma, time flowed on relentlessly, marked by the unyielding discipline imposed within the castle. The heroes' days were filled with training, drills, and intensive study: four months had passed since their arrival, and not a single moment of respite had been granted.
Between theoretical lessons, learning the world's history, and long hours of physical and martial training, each had been forced to push their limits. They had been taught to master their professions, refine their skills, control their elemental affinities, all while advancing through the essential stages of leveling up.
The kingdom even went so far as to capture monsters, allowing the heroes to face real opponents to kill, to learn, and, above all, to grow stronger.
The handling of weapons had become second nature: sword, axe, bow, spear each student honed their style according to their talents and preferences.
On the training field, Shawn stepped forward, determination etched across his face.
"Holy Sword!" he shouted.
A blinding light erupted suddenly, swirling around his hand until it took the shape of a majestic blade. As the radiance faded, all could see a golden and white sword, wreathed in a supernatural glow. With a precise motion, he raised the Holy Sword Almace, releasing several waves of light that cleaved through four level-25 orcs in a single stroke.
Holy Sword: You can materialize the Holy Sword Almace.
The Holy Sword Almace, one of the sacred blades created and blessed by the goddess herself, possesses several abilities:
Ability 1: I Am Not Defeated — When struck by a mortal blow, you heal instantly. (3 uses per day)Ability 2: All of your stats increase by 15%. Gain the stat Holy Energy upon first summoning.Ability 3: Sword mastery increased by 50%, strike power increased by 50%.
"Excellent work, Shawn," praised Peney, impressed to see him defeat the orcs with such ease.
At the far end of the training ground, it was now Emma's turn to demonstrate her abilities under the watchful eye of Father Jean.
"Your turn, Holy Priestess," Jean said, stepping aside to give Emma the space, the group's eyes fixed on her.
Emma closed her eyes, clasped her hands in a short prayer, then raised her arm to the sky.
"O lightning of the goddess, strike down my enemies!" she cried clearly.
At once, a gigantic beam of light, streaked with golden bolts, tore through the sky and crashed down in a thunderous roar upon the designated zone. Two orcs, caught by surprise at the sheer power of the attack, were struck dead on the spot, their silhouettes vanishing in a cloud of steam and holy light.
Holy Lightning: A bolt infused with divine power strikes your enemies, burning everything in its path.
Jean nodded, visibly impressed.
"Well done, Holy Priestess, you are progressing at a remarkable pace."
Emma blushed slightly, lowering her head with modesty.
"Thank you, it's thanks to your teachings, Father Jean."
Farther across the field, Méverick faced a much tougher opponent: a level 30 Garonne bear, massive and scarred. The beast's growls rivaled the cheers of the other students.
Suddenly, Méverick let out a feral roar:
"Berserk!"
His muscles swelled, his eyes burned with a savage light, and he launched himself forward, unleashing a storm of savage blows. The bear, initially on the defensive, eventually crumbled beneath Méverick's unleashed might, collapsing after several minutes of a one-sided, brutal fight.
Berserk: All stats are doubled for five minutes, and power increases over time as long as the state persists.
Panting, fists still clenched, Méverick turned toward the instructors, adrenaline pulsing through his veins.
"Hey! Send me another bear!" he shouted, a feral grin splitting his face.
"Unfortunately, that was the last one," Maximus announced, checking the list of creatures.
"They've vanished for a while now, and the adventurers sent to capture more were found dead."
"Damn… They were great to fight, those beasts!" Méverick growled, his hands still bloodied, his smile bitter.
While Méverick grumbled, a low rumble shook the far end of the field, followed by a burst of flames. All eyes turned at once toward the impact zone: a female figure emerged from the blaze, sword and shield in hand, her clothes marked with soot.
It was Maïli, focused on her opponent: an Infernol, a level 45 firebird, hovered above the ground, its wings crackling with sparks. With a steady motion, she dropped her shield to the ground with a heavy thud. She then drew a second sword, a new power gleaming in her eyes.
"Let's see what my new skill can do," she murmured to herself.
She crossed both blades, channeling the energy of the wind into the metal. Suddenly, she unleashed two dazzling green slashes, cutting through the air at incredible speed. The Infernol had no time to dodge its body was cleaved cleanly in two places, the bird crashing heavily to the ground, slain in an instant.
Wind Slash: Launches two cutting attacks of wind element.
"Well done, Maïli!" shouted Zem from a few meters away, dodging an incoming blade that whistled past his ear.
"You find time to talk while you're fighting us, Zem?" Karine shot back, breathless but smiling defiantly.
"She's right, focus, you oaf!" Éléonore added, releasing a flurry of wind gusts that forced Zem to step back.
The two young women had been fighting together against Zem for several minutes. But despite their coordination, Zem remained unfazed, parrying their attacks with unsettling ease, a smile still on his lips.
The atmosphere on the field was electric; competition pushed everyone to their limits, spurred on by shouts of encouragement and challenges tossed back and forth.
Meanwhile, Marine and Beth were showing the results of their hard training. Their mastery of mana had improved tremendously, coordinating their attacks with newfound precision. Around them, some thirty Nora bird corpses littered the ground, cut down mercilessly like pigeons struck mid-flight. The two girls smiled in satisfaction, for just months ago, they never would have believed they could reach such a level.
Jay, focused, unleashed his skill Electric Link. An arc of energy shot from his fingers, trapping a high goblin in a cage of crackling lightning. The creature, paralyzed, could only gurgle in agony as the current surged through it relentlessly, freezing it in place.
Then, sparks danced around Jay, striking ground and air in blinding flashes. With a thunderous crack, Jay vanished, his body dematerializing into a burst of lightning. An instant later, he reappeared behind the goblin. The creature's body split slowly in two, blood pooling darkly at its feet.
A heavy silence fell over the training ground, broken only when Moïse's commanding voice rang out, shattering the tension:
"Gather!" he ordered, striding onto the field, instantly ending all duels and demonstrations of power.
The students quickly regrouped, aware that Moïse's announcement would be no trivial matter.
The nineteen students assembled without delay, forming a perfect line on the field. Silence grew little by little, each stealing glances at one another, wondering what would come next.
Moïse stepped forward, grave, holding a neatly folded paper in his hand.
"Well, it has now been four months since your arrival. As you know, we have observed you, tested you, pushed you to your limits. Soon it will be time to decide who among you will be officially recognized as heroes of the Kingdom of Sigma. This will happen during your ultimate and final test. Only six of you will be chosen for this title."
A ripple ran through the ranks, each student holding their breath as Moïse slowly unfolded the sheet and began to read out the ranking:
1 — Maïli / Paladin
2 — Karine / Magic Knight
3 — Shawn / Hero
4 — Emma / Holy Priestess
5 — Eva / Lancer
6 — Éléonore / Gray Mage
7 — Méverick / Great Warrior
8 — Jay / Magic Swordsman
9 — Maël / Mage
10 — Carl / Barbarian
11 — Marie / Witch
12 — Beth / Witch
13 — Manu / Tracker
14 — Nathalie / Blue Mage
15 — Marc / Soldier
16 — Béa / Archer
17 — Alex / Great Healer
18 — Dan / Master Blacksmith
19 — Max / Master Alchemist
Moïse let the silence linger, giving them time to absorb their place.
"Nothing is set in stone: this ranking can still change during the final test. You still have the chance to prove yourselves… or to lose your position. Until then, keep training relentlessly. Only at the end of that ultimate trial will the true heroes of Sigma be revealed."
The group stood motionless for a moment, torn between hope, pressure, and determination. Some exchanged confident looks, others forced smiles or anxious grimaces: each understood that the hour of truth was drawing near.
After this brief assembly, pressure eased somewhat in the castle except in one room, where several people gathered in a stifling atmosphere.
A sharp crack resounded: Maël, overwhelmed by frustration, violently smashed the mirror against the wall, shards of glass scattering across the room.
The others Shawn, Méverick, Jay, and Emma watched silently, each trapped in their own anger or resignation.
"Damn it, how can Éléonore be ahead of me? It drives me insane! She's just a pathetic gray mage, she only has the wind element, while I can wield three!" Maël fumed, her voice trembling with rage.
Emma tried a timid approach, arms folded across her chest, uneasy in the face of such fury.
"Try to calm down a little, Maël…"
But Maël spun on her, her eyes filled with hostility and envy.
"Calm down? Are you kidding me? Easy for you to say when you're ranked high! And you guys, why aren't you saying anything, huh?!"
Méverick exploded, his own frustration boiling over.
"Stop it you think we're happy seeing Maïli's whole group ahead of us? It's humiliating for us too, damn it!"
Jay, his face dark, nodded grimly.
"If this keeps up, only Shawn and Emma will be chosen and I won't stand for that. I refuse to be left behind."
The tension rose another notch. Maël clenched her fists, sparks of fire bursting from her hands.
"And what do you want us to do, Jay? You think we don't already know all that? Stop repeating yourself, it's useless!"
Jay shot to his feet, electricity crackling around him.
"Watch your mouth, Maël, or I'll make you swallow your words!"
Maël glared back, ready to fight, fire and lightning already clashing in the room. Emma, panicked, froze in place, unable to intervene. Méverick looked away, letting the tension mount, instead focusing on Shawn, who remained silent, strangely detached.
Suddenly, Shawn intervened, his deep voice cutting through the chaos. A halo of light and powerful flames burst around him, distorting the air, making his presence impossible to ignore.
"Stop!" he roared, his voice vibrating with cold determination. "Whether we like it or not, if we keep this up, we'll end up at the bottom or worse, cast out like worthless trash. And that, I will not tolerate."
The furniture began to burn, the heat and light forcing Jay and Maël to step back. Everyone fell silent, their eyes locked on Shawn, his radiating power imposing instant quiet.
"So now, the only thing to do is give everything we have to reach the top. No matter what it takes. Understood?!"
A heavy silence followed, then each of them nodded, their expressions hardened, resolved to do whatever it took to prevail. In their eyes, a new dark determination burned ready to commit anything in order to succeed.