Outside the goblin cave, Aaron gazed up at the vast blue sky, a quiet sigh of relief escaping him. The mission was done hard-fought and complete. With a calmer heart, he opened his stats, eager to see the results of his growth.
AARON ( LVL. 10) (1000/1000)
CHAKRA- 22,000/22,000
CHAKRA RECOVERY- 20 UNITS PER SEC
BLOODLINE- NONE
TAILED BEAST- ONE-TAILED
ELEMENT- EARTH, WIND, SAND
NINJUSTU- TRANSFORMATION, CLONING, SUBSTITUTE, DEMON WIND SHURIKEN, CHAKRA REFINING, SAND VEIL TECHNIQUE, EARTH SPIKE TECHNIQUE, GALE FANG CLEAVE, EARTH BURIAL
WEAPON- KUNAI*10
POINT - 8430
Aaron stared at his updated stats, eyes wide with astonishment.
"Level 10 already… that was fast," he muttered, barely believing it.
His gaze lingered on the points total 8,430. Just 1,600 more until the Uchiha bloodline was his.
The thought of acquiring the Uchiha bloodline stirred a quiet excitement in Aaron's chest. Those blood-red eyes the Sharingan had once been the unreachable dream of countless anime fans in his previous life. And now, that dream was nearly within his grasp.
He knew the bloodline's power ran deeper than its iconic appearance. Awakening the Sharingan would begin with a single Tomoe, instantly sharpening his perception to read and anticipate an opponent's moves with uncanny clarity. But that was only the beginning.
With it came access to Illusion Jutsu a devastating edge in one-on-one combat. Against brute-force fighters, it was the perfect counter. Unless an enemy possessed an unshakable will, the illusion would consume them before they could even strike.
.....
High atop the watchtower, Auriel and David sat in tense silence, the wind tugging at their cloaks. Faint furrows creased their brows two hours had passed since Aaron ventured out, and the forest edge still offered no sign of his return.
David shifted uneasily, voice brittle with worry.
"Miss... do you think something's happened to Aaron?"
Auriel's eyes remained fixed on the distant treeline. She exhaled slowly, her tone calm, but tight beneath the surface.
"I don't know stay hopeful."
David glanced down at his boots, then back at the path below.
"He was confident when he left… but that cave..."
He didn't finish the sentence.
Auriel finally turned to him, her voice soft but firm.
"Aaron's not reckless. He's stronger than he looks. Let's not bury him in doubt before he's even had a chance to prove himself."
Stillness settled over them again, heavy yet tempered by the thread of belief her words carried.
Tension hung over Smalllight Village like a storm cloud refusing to break. The echoes of the recent goblin raid still clung to the cracked shutters and blackened rooftops, reminders that peace was as fragile as the embers in their hearths. In the square, smoke drifted lazily from smoldering wreckage while soot-streaked children peeked from behind doorframes, their laughter silenced for now.
Mayor Rensel stood grim-faced beside the old stone fountain, its waters muddied with ash. The weight of the village pressed on his shoulders every fearful glance, every whispered prayer threaded through his thoughts like chains.
Around him, Smalllight had awakened to its own fear and its own resilience. Villagers who had never lifted more than a rake now gripped farming tools like weapons. A rusted short sword clung awkwardly to the belt of a baker. Near the eastern barricade, a group of low-tier adventurers mostly youths and retirees tightened straps on worn leather armor and passed around what few enchanted trinkets they had. Their faces were pale, but their eyes held purpose.
Rensel's voice broke the quiet, low and steady.
"If the goblins strike again before that boy returns, we hold the line."
The villagers exchanged solemn nods. No one mistook themselves for heroes. But in Aaron's absence, they would stand. Not because they believed they could win but because running wasn't an option anymore.
Aaron approached the gates of Smalllight Village, his pace calm and steady. He looked just as he had when he left dressed in his simple black shirt and pants. Only a few small cuts marked his skin, and streaks of dried green goblin blood clung to his arms and clothes.
From the watchtower, Auriel spotted him first.
"There," she said quickly, already turning.
David followed her gaze, eyes widening.
"He made it back!"
Both of them hurried down the wooden steps, joining the gathering crowd of villagers. Relief washed over their faces as they moved through the square, forming a welcome party at the gates.
No grand words were spoken. But in the quiet nods, the soft smiles, and the way people stood just a little taller Aaron could feel it. They were grateful. And more than that… they were proud.
As Aaron stepped through the village gates, the hush that had blanketed Smalllight began to unravel. Murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd.
"He made it back…"
"By the gods, he actually did it."
"Look at him barely scratched."
Tools meant for defense were slowly lowered. The low-ranked adventurers loosened their grips on worn hilts. Even the children peeked out from behind their mothers' cloaks, eyes wide with awe instead of fear.
Mayor Rensel stepped forward, his voice steady but laced with relief.
"Aaron… is it done? The goblins did you find their lair?"
Aaron gave a small nod, brushing goblin blood from his sleeve.
"It's done. The nest was deep, but they won't be coming back."
A beat of silence passed and then a rush of grateful voices:
"He did it!"
"We're safe thank the stars!"
"No more night raids!"
Rensel placed a hand on Aaron's shoulder, firm and respectful.
"You've done more than just fight, boy. You've given us our home back."
Aaron didn't respond right away. His gaze drifted over the villagers still standing, still wary, but no longer afraid.
"I only finished what you all started," he said. "Holding the line gave me time to end it."
The crowd quieted again not in fear this time, but in shared understanding. Relief hung in the air, but so did something deeper: resolve.
Auriel came forward and asked in cold tone,
"Aaron, did you clear the nest? Or are there any goblins left?"
Aaron paused, thoughtful.
"Everyone inside the cave is dead." He met David's gaze.
"The Goblin Shaman, Berserker, Elites, hunters nearly sixty in total. Only the ones out hunting might still be alive."