[Welcome Participants: Nathaniel Lockwood! Subaru Tadaomi! Rory Cooper! Marvelous Winston! Anna Paula! To the tutorial field of Origin Expanse]
First came the world announcement broadcasting their names with resounding clarity. Then came the blinding light so intense they were forced to shut their eyes.
As the overwhelming brilliance subsided, their vision gradually returned, starting with Nathan, who had been standing at the forefront. One after another, the others blinked away the afterglow, only to find themselves in a wide, open space surrounded by people.
Men, women, and children of varying ages dressed in archaic garments, like something out of an olden era, surrounded them.
"The heck?! Where are we?" Rory exclaimed, voicing the question everyone held.
The crowd halted their activities and slowly began to gather around the five newcomers.
"Hgheg, iwghe mndh ksgjwo qiowp aftsiw," one of them said. His words were completely unintelligible to the group.
More villagers joined the gathering.
Hgheg, iwghe mndh ksgjwo qiowp aftsiw…"
A man stepped forward from the crowd and spoke, but the words were unintelligible, distorted and alien, an unfamiliar tongue that danced beyond their comprehension.
Nathan and the others exchanged glances, lost.
Another figure emerged from within the gathering. This one stood out not only due to his impressive stature but also because of his aura, an age-worn presence exuding quiet authority. His snowy beard brushed against his chest, and deep lines etched his face like the bark of an ancient tree. The crowd parted instinctively, clearing a path in reverence.
He spoke. "Hughu."
No comprehension.
Was this normal? None of the five remembered ever hearing of a language barrier issue when Awakeners first arrived in Origin Expanse. If such a thing existed, surely it would have been well-documented. Nathan may not know every detail, but someone among them would have.
[You have heard the language of the Origin Expanse...]
[You have learned the language of the Origin Expanse.]
Well, that explained it.
"Heroes," the elderly man finally said, this time in perfect clarity. "I, Tullus Potnovard, extend my greetings to you."
With those words, he bent deeply at the waist, head dipping nearly to his knees. The villagers followed suit, mirroring the gesture with utmost reverence.
Nathan and the others stood frozen, unsure how to respond.
...
They were led into what appeared to be the village chief's residence, accompanied by Tullus and his aide, a middle-aged average looking man with muscles.
"Please, come in. Sit, sit," Tullus welcomed, gesturing toward the woven mats on the floor. "I apologize for my inadequacies in offering mere floor space."
Nathan was sceptical. Should he be worried? A man he just met had not only called them heroes but was extending this much hospitality without knowing a single thing about them.
No. His suspicions were more than justified. You don't call strangers heroes without expecting something in return.
Whatever this was, it reeked of obligation.
"So, Sir Tullus," Subaru said, already seated comfortably.
"Please, hero. No need for honorifics. Simply Tullus will do."
Yeah, Nathan's alarm bells were screaming now.
"You called us heroes without even knowing us. Why?" Nathan asked bluntly.
"Hey, kid, read the room, would you?" Rory grumbled. He was clearly enjoying the royal treatment and didn't want Nathan to ruin it with suspicion.
"No, no," Tullus interjected, raising a hand. "The young hero is right to question."
He sighed and nodded slowly.
"For the past four years, our village has suffered greatly. One by one, our people have been taken."
"Taken by what?" Nathan asked immediately.
"That's just it," Tullus said gravely. "We don't know. No patterns, no motives. It strikes indiscriminately, day or night, young or old, men, women, even the newborn."
The others now leaned in their attention sharpening.
"And you haven't left because...?" Marvelous asked. From their point of view, the village seemed quite populous. Far too many to simply accept slow extinction.
With effort, Tullus stood, aided by his assistant. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a dark, spiral-shaped mark embedded into his skin.
"This is the mark of the omen. We call it the Whispering Wake. Every villager with this mark is bound, we cannot leave the village perimeter. Not by choice. It's as if the village itself traps us."
Nathan had already begun suspecting something like that. Why else would people stay in a place that killed them?
"We want to help. How?" he asked.
The situation still lacked clarity.
After all, they were currently no different from ordinary villagers. No powers. No advantages. What could they possibly do against a four-year mystery the locals hadn't been able to solve?
"We don't know," the aide finally said. A man in his late thirties, perhaps. "Two years ago, just as despair had taken root, a seer visited our village."
Nathan groaned inwardly. Seers. Of course.
"He saw our suffering and foretold a prophecy. He told us that two years from that day, five heroes would descend from another world. Travelers, he called them. They would be our salvation."
[Notice]
Just as he feared.
[You know the predicament of the people of Oakheart Village]
[You have met the requirements necessary]
[A quest has been generated]
Tutorial Quest:
Title: The Whispering Wake
Description: The people of Oakheart have suffered for years under the torment of the Whispering Wake, an unseen force that takes life without warning or mercy. Through anguish and sorrow, hope emerged in the form of prophecy: five heroes would arrive to save them.
Quest Initiator: Tullus Potnovard
Objective: Put an end to the Whispering Wake and survive the trials ahead.
Quest Rank: Calamity
Quest Rewards: Talent Awakening
Quest Failure:
i) Possible extinction of Oakheart Village
ii) Drastically reduced chances of survival
...
Yep. Nathan had every reason to be worried. This was shaping up to be one hell of a messed-up situation.