At the top of the hill, Gale put his hands on his hips. He cast his gaze across the farm as the wind caught his hair, stirring it around his face. The oversized jacket streamed from his shoulders, almost a cloak. “Where to start?”

Kino stared around, on-edge. “What if that human comes back?”

“He’s not going to hurt us. Besides, we’re helping him. What’s he going to do, chase us off for doing good work?” Gale slung his jacket over the railing and rolled up his sleeves, strutting off into the fields. I’ll start with weeding. Every farm needs some weeding.

When that Legendary Hero sees that even a couple of scrawny monster kids can do farmwork, surely he’ll have no option but to admit he can do better for this world than mere farming!

Walking toward the field, Gale paused. A greenhouse protruded from the rear of the house. Bushy, leafy plants pressed up against the windows, where they could be seen. The house blocked the greenhouse from sight of the road. Cut wood had been stacked high along the side, obscuring the greenhouse’s walls. If not for the sunlight glinting off its glass roof, he might have missed it entirely. Gale took a deep sniff, then raised his eyebrows. Interesting.

But not now. Not yet. Gale tore his eyes away from the greenhouse. He knelt in the field, peering around at the plants. He nodded to himself, then started to scratch at the earth around the roots of a thorny, gnarled weed. Kino crouched beside him, peering at the crops.

“Weeds look like this,” Gale explained, showing Kino the plant. “But you can’t just pluck it out. You have to dig up the roots. Ideally we’d have some herbicide, but… it isn’t modern times. We’ll have to weed by hand.”

Kino nodded. He leaned forward and scratched at the dirt with his hands like a dog, digging furiously around the plant.

“Hey, hey, careful. Don’t dig up too much dirt. The real crops need it, too,” Gale cautioned.

“Oh,” Kino said. He slowed his digging and moved more carefully. He frowned, then furrowed his brows. His hands turned into ermine paws. Instantly, his digging speed increased. He dug around the root and carefully pulled at the weed, extracting it from the earth.

Gale pulled at his weed, but the roots still descended deeper into the earth. He pressed his lips together, annoyed, and dug deeper, chasing after the taproot. I won’t be beaten by Kino!

Again, he pulled. The root jiggled, then popped free. He yanked the entire weed and tossed it aside, then wiped his forehead, satisfied. “See? Like that…”

Kino looked back at him from the far end of the line. A few dozen weeds laid in a pile. Fresh piles of dirt, kicked back into the holes he’d dug, stood beside the plants. He sat up and wiped his paws, blinking at Gale. “Huh?”

Gale gaped. After a second, he forcibly shut his jaw and pouted. I shouldn’t have competed in weeding against a creature that digs rats out of their burrows for fun!

A shadow fell over him. Kino paled and hunkered down, hiding below the line of crops. Heavy pressure fell over Gale, and he swallowed.

“What are you boys doing?” a deep voice growled.

Slowly, Gale looked up.

Arthur glowered down at him, arms crossed, his face dark. The sun glittered behind him, casting him into an ominous shadow.

Gale forced a smile. “Hello, sir. We came here to help you out! See, you can go adventuring and leave your farm to handy folk like us. Even us kids can handle a farm!”

“I told you to leave,” Arthur grumbled.

Gale swallowed. He glanced up at Arthur, then figured he might as well go for broke. “Why not try out adventuring? You might like it!”

Arthur scowled. He took a step forward, looming over Gale. “What does a wet-behind-the-ears brat like you know about adventuring?”

Gale frowned back. He threw his hand out. “You’re a Legendary Hero. You were summoned to this world for a reason. You heard the people’s prayers. Why aren’t you doing anything about them?”

“None of your business,” Arthur snapped. A vein throbbed on his forehead.

“Why won’t you be a hero? The people are praying for heroes! They’re desperate. They’re searching for the Legendary Heroes, begging for them! I’m just a lowly level one, but surely you can do something to end their fears!” Gale replied. He glared back up at Arthur, refusing to be intimidated.

Arthur’s face grew darker. He reached over his shoulder. His hand grasped air, and he paused.

I’m not getting through to him. I need another tactic. Gale stood on his tiptoes, peering at the greenhouse. “What are you hiding away back there, anyways? Something you don’t want anyone to know about? Are you so busy protecting… whatever’s in there that you can’t be a hero?”

Arthur chuckled darkly. “That has nothing to do with you or anyone. It’s nothing but an old vice.”

Gale’s eyes narrowed. “Your ‘old vice’ is worth more than this world?”

“What do you know, brat? Have you seen this world? Do you know the first thing about it?” Arthur lifted his hand and pointed at Gale, lifting his finger to Gale’s eyes. “Walk through town with those red eyes of yours. See how they like the sight of your ‘edgy’ class. See how they feel about your ‘cool vibes.’ You don’t know the first thing about this world.”

“You think I chose this because it was cool?” Gale bit.

“Why else?” Arthur sighed.

“An old man who spends all his time tending his garden and playing with ‘old vices’ doesn’t have the right to lecture me. I’m actually doing my job, listening to the people’s prayers, unlike someone,” Gale replied.

“Yeah. See where that gets you,” Arthur said. He turned away.

Gale grabbed his arm. “Hey! Don’t walk away from me.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. Vicious light glittered in their depths. Gale stepped back, releasing his arm on instinct. His body went numb, mind empty except for a glimmer of fear.

“Excuse us for bothering you, sir! It was all his idea! Haha!” Kino bounded over to Gale and stuffed the elf under his arm. Without transforming, he raced off down the hill, Gale dangling from one arm.

Arthur watched them go. Slowly, he folded his arms.

Jolted back to reality, Gale wriggled in Kino’s arm. “Hey! Don’t let him intimidate you! We have to let him know that might doesn’t make right!”

“Shut up! He’ll kill us, for real! I sensed actual killing intent, actual bloodlust! Gale, we can’t mess with him! We should just leave him alone!” Kino argued.

“The people need the heroes!” I need the heroes! My body!

“Do you even know why they need the heroes?” Kino asked, exasperated.

Gale opened his mouth, then shut it. I’ve seen the town, but it’s not as if I’ve seen the whole world. Is it all like this, or…

“There’s the Demon King, sure, and the fortresses, and the march of demons across the continent, but, but… those have been problems for years! It’s not like one hero will solve the problem forever,” Kino replied.

“That’s exactly what they need the heroes for!” Gale said, struggling again.

“Shut up! You didn’t know that until just now!”

“Prove it! Prove I didn’t know!”

Atop the hill, Arthur watched the boys run away. Still scowling, he turned to his line of crops. He glanced at the pile of weeds and sighed, then gathered them into his arms and carried them over to a wheelbarrow. Arthur stomped down the dirt in the shallow holes, evening them over. Slowly, his brows unfurled. He sighed and wandered back to his porch, watching the boys retreat down the hill. He shook his head. “That kid’s heart is in the right place, but he needs to learn the ways of this world.”

--

Kino didn’t stop running until he reached the edge of the village. There, he set Gale down at last. Stepping back, he panted, trying to catch his breath. He shook his head and wiped his brow, then yanked his cap back down. Giving Gale his best glare, he shook his head sternly. “Alright. We’re far enough away now. Don’t go running back!”

Gale crossed his arms. “I’m not giving up.”

Kino sighed. “Gale, I know you have your holy duties from the Goddess, but Arthur is…”

Gale shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. “That doesn’t matter anymore. Holy duties, ptui. That stuck-up old fart, looking down on me like that, thinking he can get away with intimidating me! You know what I hate the most in the world?”

Kino shook his head.

“Assholes that hang around the level one starter village at level 99 with maxed out armor and gear, lording it over the noobs and killing as they please, acting like bigshots just because they’ve spent too many hours in the damn game!” Gale clenched his fist, furious.

“Uh… Gale?” Kino asked, confused.

“There’s a special place in the darkest part of my heart for those losers. They’ll charge out of nowhere and kill a hardworking college student’s beloved level one rogue for shits and giggles!” He shook his head. “I can’t forgive people like that!”

“Arthur isn’t killing anyone. He’s just farming peacefully,” Kino pointed out.

“Farming! Farming, and stealing my precious level one resources!” Gale bemoaned.

Kino tipped his head. “Gale, you aren’t making any sense. Are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

Gale leaned in, his face inches from Kino’s. “I’m the only one seeing clearly.”

Kino leaned away. Sweat dripped down his back that had nothing to do with his sprint from Arthur. He put his hands up and cast his eyes away. “Er, Gale… maybe we should… leave Arthur alone?”

“No! Never! I won’t be defeated this time!” Gale declared, clenching his fists. He leaped up onto a nearby low wall and crossed his arms, finally able to look down at Kino. “Can you really stand it? Watch a Legendary Hero squander his power in this tiny starter town, while the Demon King jaunts around the forest, slaying innocent boys?”

“You’re causing a scene,” Kino muttered, glancing around nervously.

Townsfolk stared at them. A few of the woman leaned toward one another, muttering. A little kid pointed, only for his mother to pull him away quickly. Scowling, a burly man narrowed his eyes at them and shifted, showing the sword at his hip.

Kino grabbed his hat lower and shifted, uncomfortable. He folded his lanky body in on himself, trying to hide.

Gale grabbed his arms and pulled him upright. “Don’t hunch over like that. It’s too obvious. Come on. We have nothing to hide.”

“We have a lot to hide! We’re…” Kino leaned in, glancing around. Continuing at a whisper, he said, “We’re monsters.”

“No one can tell. Have confidence, Kino. Confidence, and no one will suspect you,” Gale assured him.

Kino shook his head. He glanced around, but scowled and pressed on. “Anyways, what do you mean, the Demon King jaunts around the forest? He stays in his castle, mostly.”

Gale pointed at Kino. “How do you know that? Who’s making him stay there? Not the Legendary Heroes!”

Kino blinked. He furrowed his brows, thinking it over. “Er… that’s true.”

“Right, right. So here, listen. That man… I’ve grasped his weakness.” Gale smirked, pleased with himself.

“Oh?” Kino leaned closer, putting his hands on the top of the wall and half-pulling himself up.

Gale nodded. “Behind his farmhouse, hidden away out of sight of the road, there’s a greenhouse. Full of his ‘old vice,’ if you catch my drift.”

“I got it! He likes flowers!” Kino said. A second later, his brows furrowed. “Is… liking flowers a weakness?”

“No, no, no. That greenhouse is hidden from view from the road, strange, and he calls it his old vice… That can only mean one thing.”

“He likes… keeping secret flowers in his hidden garden?” Kino tried.

Gale paused. “You… you’re taking this in a totally different forbidden direction.”

“I am?”

Gale waved his hand. “I’m talking about illegal plants.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“He’s growing illegal plants!” Kino said, eyes wide. A second later, he frowned. “Eh? But why would he do that?”

Gale opened his mouth. He paused, then shook his head. How am I supposed to explain drugs to a kid who thinks books are a convenient format for toilet paper? “Trust me, Kino. This is his weakness."

“Is he… growing evil plants to put them in other people’s crops? Trying to grow devilish carnivorous plants?” Kino asked, still lost.

“No, no, no, forget it. Forget I said anything. Tonight, while he’s asleep, we’ll break in and steal his dr…illegal plants. Once we’ve got something to pressure him with, we can talk him into going adventuring!”

Kino furrowed his brows. “If you say so.”

Gale shrugged. “It’s not a guaranteed victory, but it’s a place to start. Better than where we are now, anyways.”

“Or we could leave him alone,” Kino said.

“And leave my body in the hands of the final boss for even longer while I slowly level up? No way!” Gale shook his head adamantly.

“Eh? Isn’t it… your holy duty?” Kino asked.

“Ah… right, right, holy duties,” Gale said, nodding.

A shadow loomed over the two of them. Gale and Kino looked up, Gale defiant, Kino cowering.

“What are you two boys up to?” the burly man from earlier asked. Not as large as Arthur, he came close nonetheless, with brutal, wide shoulders. Similarly, he lacked the defined muscles of Arthur, but his heavy body and thick limbs exuded power.

Gale hopped off the wall, lowering his head to hide his eyes below the brim of his hat. “Nothing. We’re passing through.”

The man scoffed. He twisted his lips. “A couple of homeless waifs like you better be on your way out.”

Kino nodded silently, stepping between Gale and the man.

“We don’t need any more vagrants. Especially not with them setting up the fortress so close. Goddess knows we’ve got our hands full with our own widows and orphans. Go on, keep moving. There’s nowhere to stop in this town.” The man shooed them on dismissively.

Gale snorted. He rolled his eyes turned to go, nodding at Kino. No need to waste our time on pointless fights.

Kino scowled at the man. He hesitated another few seconds, then followed Gale.

“Wait.”

“Go, wait, what do you want?” Gale snapped, whirling. He started to glare, then remembered himself at the last second and ducked his head, still hiding his eyes.

“You’re hiding something. Look me in the eye,” the man demanded.

Kino shot a nervous look at Gale. He tugged at his cap again.

I could run now. Or… “Kino, do you trust me?”

Kino’s eyes widened. He hesitated, then nodded.

“I have a plan. Are you ready?” Gale asked.

Kino nodded again. His eyes flicked at the man.

“Hey. Look at me. Now,” the man demanded, reaching for Gale’s hat.

Gale looked up, glaring directly into the man’s eyes.

The man’s mouth dropped. He staggered back, eyes wide. Pointing, he gaped, jaw working as he tried his hardest to speak.

“Yeah, yeah, go on,” Gale said.

“You! Your eyes. They’re red. Spy! A Blood Mage spy from the fortress!”

Gale touched his face and snorted. A ‘Dark’ class. -10 Favorability with humans. The system wasn't kidding about that, huh?

“He’s a Legendary Hero! He saved my life!” Kino snapped, whirling on the man.

As he spun, his cap began to fall. Kino caught it, but not before it revealed his two-tone hair and ermine ear. He pulled it back into place, gripping tight with both hands. Panicked eyes flickered toward the man.

“Kino!” Gale shouted, grabbing Kino and pulling him back.

“Beastfolk! Monsters, two monsters!” the man shouted. He drew his sword.

All around, townsfolk began to gather, peeking out from their shops, peering around corners.

“Dyer’s found some monsters!”

“Quick, where’s my sword?”

“Someone call the guard!”

Putting an arm out heroically to caution the crowd to stand back, the man pointed his sword at the boys. “Foul beasts! What did you come to this town for? An infiltration? Come to destroy us from the inside?”

Gale pointed his finger at Dyer, narrowing his eyes. “A swordsman. I could destroy you with the flick of a finger.” So saying, he snapped his finger.

Dyer flinched back, raising his sword to block.

“Go, go, go!” Gale grabbed ahold of Kino by the shoulders. Taking the hint, the beastfolk transformed and sped off out of town, bounding down the narrow road away from the townsfolk. Gale turned back and flipped off the townsfolk, rolling his eyes harder.

“Cowards!” Dyer shouted.

“I’ll stop them!” A bowstring twanged, and an arrow flew at them. There was no room to dodge in the narrow alley, nor any time to warn Kino. If Gale dodged, the arrow would strike the beastfolk.

Gale’s eyes turned serious. He reached over his shoulder and drew an arrow, slitting his palm. In the same motion, he threw his hand out. Blood Manipulation!

Blood blossomed from his palm, forming a net of blood. About as wide as his head, the net hung in the air. The arrow slammed into it and slowed, then broke through. Gale slapped his hand out. He missed the catch, but smacked it aside. The arrow fell to the ground.

Warning: using blood externally for Blood Manipulation will incur a cost beyond the 2 mana cost of maintaining the spell.

“Thanks, I had no idea,” Gale snarked at the system.

The townsfolk gasped. “A Blood Mage?”

“That kid is a Blood Mage!”

“Dyer was right. Spies!”

Stones rained after them, but Kino darted left and right, dodging. Gale hung on, barely managing to hold down his potion from earlier. In another few bounds, they burst out of the narrow alley. Kino sprinted down the open road, leaving the town and the townsfolk behind.

Dyer ran after them. He slashed at the air. “Sword Beam!”

A silver slash burst from the sword and chased after them, tearing a slash in the dirt road. Gale slapped Kino’s shoulder. “Dodge, dodge!”

Kino leaped to the side. The silver slash rushed inches past his shoulder and impacted the dirt, cutting a gash in the road. Kino glanced over his shoulder and sprinted for the woods, terrified.

“I’ll protect you. Focus on running,” Gale declared.

Kino nodded. Turning ahead, he pushed on ever faster.

A high-pitched keening sounded overhead. Gale glanced up. An ice crystal formed above him, hovering over his head. It chased after him, maintaining its place above him. It formed rapidly, growing from the size of a fist to the size of his head in a few seconds, then plunged toward him.

“Blood Manipulation!” Gale threw his hand upward. Blood splashed from his hand over the ice, shoving back against the ice crystal. The crystal slowed. A force pushed against his blood, fighting to shove the crystal down on him. Sweat rolled down Gale’s back. A cold sensation rolled in his stomach as his mana drained.

Attempt to take control of the spell? Y/N

“Yes!” Gale shouted.

[Prerequisites Achieved] [Skill Unlock!]

Blood Spell Takeover

Allows the user to manipulate or reverse a spell tainted by the user’s blood. Mana cost equal to one and a half times the mana required to cast the spell. The success of manipulation or reversal depends on the caster’s own skill.

Instantly, a vast quantity of blood left Gale. He paled, and the world wobbled. Gale almost fell off Kino’s back. He gripped the ermine’s fur and barely held himself upright.

“Gale?” Kino shouted.

“I’m fine. Keep running!”

He pressed his hand upward, concentrating. His hand shook, arm weak, but he felt the spell as if he’d cast it himself. The mana flow sparkled before his eyes, each flow a rush of glowing blue force. Four flows burst out, brighter and stronger than the others. The mana flow controlling the size of the ice crystal, the flow that kept it hovering atop him, the flow that kept it cold and the flow that pressed it down toward him. He furrowed his brows and focused on the flow that kept the crystal hovering over him. Gathering the full force of the mana he’d committed to the reversal, he threw it at that single mana stream.

The crystal wobbled, then flew off, back into the crowd of townsfolk. The crowd scattered. One of the townsfolk lifted her hand toward the crystal, sweat dripping down her forehead, plastering long bangs to her face. A blue glow surrounded her hand and pulsed with power. Even so, the crystal zoomed over her, then plunged. It smashed into her head. She wobbled, then collapsed to the ground.

“Gale!” Kino shouted, startled.

“I didn’t kill her! I don’t think,” Gale added under his breath. I didn’t mean to kill her, anyways. If she launched an attack that could kill herself at me, that’s her own fault!

Back in the crowd, the woman sat up and rubbed her head, dazed and bloody but not dead.

Gale let out a quiet breath. Good. I want to avoid killing where I can.

He clenched his fist, frowning back at the townsfolk. They cowered, afraid to leap out. Even Dyer hesitated, backing away. “Is this… why people fear Blood Mages?”

“There’s a lot of reasons,” Kino replied helpfully.

“Thanks, Kino,” Gale said sarcastically.

“You’re welcome!” Kino said.

Gale glared behind him, as if ready to attack. Internally, furrowed his brows thoughtfully. That prompt only appeared after I splashed blood on the crystal. It’s like when I absorbed the men’s blood, back in the forest. Can I learn spells by unlocking specific conditions? Do I have to be a certain level to unlock those spells? Or maybe… I can learn them whenever, but the spells will be weaker corresponding to the level when I learn them? Will I also learn spells by leveling up, or is this the way to learn spells in this system?

Gale’s eyes glittered with joy. For a second, he forgot to glare. I wonder what other secrets this system holds!

Kino darted into the forest, leaping over the undergrowth and crashing into the shadows. Dyer, the only one still chasing them, slowed to a halt, unwilling to chase them beyond the boundary. He glared after them and grumbled something under his breath, shaking his head.

“Yeah, yeah, come at me,” Gale muttered back. He stuck his tongue out at Dyer.

“They attacked us,” Kino said breathlessly.

Gale turned. He looked down at Kino, then gently patted his shoulder. “Yeah. Are you okay? Humans aren’t always that scary…”

“They attacked us. But we survived!” Kino declared triumphantly.

“Eh?” Gale said.

Kino’s eyes sparkled. He curled back on himself to look at Gale. “We survived, Gale, we survived! Humans don’t always win. Sometimes, the monsters can win, too!”

“Of course. Monsters win all the time,” Gale said, waving his hand.

Kino shook his head adamantly. “The village elders said monsters always lose.”

Gale snorted. “They probably said that so kids like you don’t run off and get yourself killed. Be cautious, but… at the end of the day, most humans think monsters are way scarier than humans.”

“Really?” Kino asked, looking at Gale with big, puppy-dog eyes.

“Really,” Gale replied, nodding.

“Wow,” Kino breathed. He shook himself and turned back to his human form. His broad shoulders became narrow and human, his back turned upright, and Gale dropped abruptly to the floor.

“Is it that surprising?” Gale asked, chuckling. He started to haul himself upright, but before he got halfway up, his vision wavered to black. He caught himself on a tree as his legs went weak.

Warning: Mana critical. Death in 0:10.

Gale wrinkled his nose. Must be an hour boundary coming up. Eight mana’s enough to kill me, huh? That spell takeover skill is no joke.

Is it a skill meant for a higher level? Or… the description did say it scales with the original spell’s mana. I must have used it against a high-level spell.

“Gale? Did the humans hurt you?” Kino asked, concerned.

“Only human who hurt me is myself,” Gale grunted. Still blind, he groped at the potion bandolier.

“Here.” Kino pressed a potion into his hand.

Gale popped the cork out of the flask and tipped it back. An unpleasant, coppery flavor swirled through his mouth for a moment before he swallowed. Burning slid down his throat and coiled in his stomach, dissolving into his body. His vision returned along with his strength. He pulled up his HP bar with a thought.

HP: 10/155

HP: 15/155

HP: 20/155

Gale gasped, shaking his head. “What was that?”

“A blood regen potion. Is it good? Did it work?” Kino asked, darting his head around Gale. He sniffed a few times. “You smell more like blood. That’s good, right?”

Pain bit into Gale’s stomach. His health dropped by eight, returned by three, then continued to grow by five every second. He nodded. “Yeah, that’s good. I like that. That’s a good potion.”

Kino smiled at him. His black-tipped tail wagged. “Good!”

Gale scruffed Kino’s hair, unable to resist the urge to tousle his ears. “Alright. We’ll hide out here until the night. Then… back to recruiting Arthur.”

Kino’s ears drooped. He shook his head. “Gale, you almost died, and that was to ordinary townsfolk. You can’t.”

Gale’s eyes glittered. “That’s where the plan comes in.”

“Plan? Oh… back in the village, you said you had a plan,” Kino said, nodding as he remembered.

“Right. Like this, we’ve taken the first step to lure Arthur away so we can find out what’s in his greenhouse. You heard them in town. Everyone looks up to the Legendary Heroes. They’ll definitely go to Arthur for help.”

“That… seems right,” Kino said hesitantly.

“When Arthur comes back to the town to face the monsters, we’ll sneak into his greenhouse,” Gale declared.

“But… didn’t he not want to be a hero? What if he stays on his farm? Ignores the villagers?” Kino pointed out.

Gale shrugged. “It’s a risk, but all plans come with risk. It’s better to try and fail than to not try at all.”

Kino frowned. “A risk? You almost died. You need to be more careful in the future.”

“Yeah. I will. I… didn’t know what that would do, but I had to try it.” Gale looked at the cut on his palm, then clenched his fist. I don’t regret it. I got a new skill and learned more about how the system works. All things I’ll need to understand if I want to survive in this world, especially if I want to face the Demon King and get my body back!

“And what if… what if you don’t convince him, after that?” Kino asked.

Gale sighed. He sat down and rubbed his forehead, tired. “I give up, I guess. I can’t force someone to risk their life if they don’t want to. It’ll be harder, take longer, but I’ll… do it all myself, if I have to.”

Kino shook his head adamantly. “You won’t! Not all the Legendary Heroes want to farm. There’s heroes, real heroes, at least… one or two of them! They’ll team up with you!”

Gale laughed. He patted Kino and shook his head. “That’s right. I’ll just have to find the true adventurers! But until then… I won’t give up yet, Arthur.”

“One more try,” Kino agreed, nodding.