Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 61

“I can’t believe you’ve done this,” Nolan said, grabbing the back of his head.

I blinked a few times. “Uh, what did I do wrong?”

He stared at the raked field— clean of ash and burnt crops. I hadn’t taken any shortcuts like using magic to clear it, hoping that I would be awarded a Class. Of course, the System didn’t offer me anything, which was about what I expected at this point. But I had thought that Nolan would at least be glad to see his farm restored to a pristine condition.

As it turned out, I made a very big mistake.

“Amelia…” he sighed as he rubbed his temples. “Ash is very rich in nutrients. It’s good for the soil— it works like a fertilizer. A very effective fertilizer. You didn’t need to clean the ash from the soil because it would have helped new crops grow…”

“Oh.” I tilted my head back. I looked back towards the tilled field, before pursing my lips. “Well, fuck.”

—--

Nolan wasn’t upset about it. He said that his [Druid] friend was coming to Wolfwater in a week anyways, so it didn’t make too much of a difference whether the field was fertilized by the smoldering ash. I wasn’t worried either. At worst, I felt slightly bad. But we had enough food in the grain reserve to last us for a while. There really wasn’t much for me to dwell on.

Still, I sat at the front porch of the farm, sighing as I stared up at the clouds above. There were still hints of the battle and destruction from the attack of the Miststorm Riders in the blue sky— gray trails of ash that hovered up there, tinting the world so that everything was slightly duller. The atmosphere was dour, everyone was busy, I was bored with nothing to do, and cloud-gazing could only be entertaining for so long.

But worst of all, I still didn’t have a Class.

Despite everything I had done over and around Nolan’s farm, I wasn’t awarded the [Farmer] Class. At this point, I was resigned to the fact that the System probably hated me. Or maybe it just really desperately wanted a [Hero]... even though there was already a [Hero King] around.

Something was clearly wrong, but I didn’t know what. Grat-ra’zun, Nolan, and practically everyone I have ever spoken to never ever heard of such a problem before. The System was biased against me for some reason.

One possibility I could think of was the fact that Grat-ra’zun was right. I could have been Void-touched, which meant that the System could no longer grant me its powers. But that didn’t make sense, because then I wouldn’t even get the option to become a [Hero].

Another possibility was that I didn’t actually think of myself as a farmer. Sure, I spent a lot of time farming and quite enjoyed the laidback manual labor. However, in my mind, I was still a hero, which resulted in only that single Class option.

And yet, I didn’t think that was the case either.

I heard a soft set of footsteps drawing closer to me, and I lowered my head. I looked down at the dirt road as a small figure approached. A chicken stood before me, tilting her head as she clucked.

“Hello Bucky,” I said, nodding at the chicken. “So you survived.”

She didn’t respond, because chickens couldn’t speak. I reached into my side pocket, producing a handful of seeds, before sprinkling them at Bucky’s feet. She clucked and quickly began pecking the ground. I patted her lightly, smiling.

“You’re pretty high-leveled, aren’t you? Do you have a Class as well?” I asked.

Obviously, the chicken didn’t answer. From what I read up on at the Adventurer’s Guild, monsters didn’t have Classes, but they still could level up and grow stronger, eventually evolving to a stronger monster. I assumed the same could be said for animals until a few weeks ago, when Nolan told me that animals had Classes. Meaning, even a chicken could get a Class, while I could not.

“What kind of a Class do you have, anyways?” It wasn’t an actual question. I was just wondering aloud as I scratched Bucky’s neck, and she clucked at me.

I leant forward, closing my eyes as I sighed. Bucky tilted her head, and I murmured to myself.

“The Voidgod is still alive.”

It was a simple statement. A fact. There was no emotion attached to what I said— my voice didn’t inflect, nor did it lower. My eyes cracked open as I continued.

“I… expected as much.”

Bucky didn’t understand what I was saying in the slightest. She was a chicken, and as far as I knew, chickens couldn’t speak. I looked down, holding her chicken gaze as words echoed in my head. A susurration that came only from memory. The whispers of millions of haunting voices that filled my head.

“The Voidgod lives. And so shall it reign forevermore. It cannot die, nor can it be killed. For it is God. Fal-Deus the true God of Vacuos. Its powers displaced, exiled by an alien race, it lurks beneath the world, waiting to take back its throne one day.”

Bucky clucked. I drew my hand back from her head, before standing back up. I swept my gaze over the farm and stepped forward. I brought my hand up to the sky, then balled it into a fist.

“Accept its power and save the world…” I said as I shook my head. “Because apparently I’m the only one who can be a hero.”

I glanced back down at Bucky. The chicken stared at me curiously— no, she stared at the bag at my side curiously. I sprinkled another handful of seeds for her, which she greedily ate up.

“How did you escape your previous owner, anyways?” I asked, watching Bucky as she happily munched on her lunch. She didn’t answer, but I still smiled. “Well, at least you’re free now to live life as you wish. I’d like that very much…”

And yet, even though I was still trapped, I was… kind of happy? At least, compared to when I was in Windrip, I felt fulfilled here. I had people I cared about, and I had something to do. I didn’t have to fight to survive, nor did I have to worry about much beyond what was going on around me. Even if the System refused to give me the [Farmer] Class, I could still be a farmer anyways.

I wasn’t going to be beholden to the Voidgod, and I didn’t have to live enslaved by the System either. I could do whatever I wanted. So that was exactly what I was going to do.

Noele’s family had been kind to me so far. And Garron was pretty nice too— he stuck up for me even when I was a complete stranger who first showed up at the Adventurer’s Guild with no Class. I could cook them some food from Earth for lunch to pay them back.

“Maybe… fried chicken?” I tapped a finger on my chin.

Bucky clucked, looking up at me as I chuckled.

“Not you, of course.” I patted her on the head again. “But probably someone else’s chicken, which probably doesn’t make it that much better.”

It was a good thing she didn’t understand me. In any case, I didn’t need the [Chef] Class to cook, nor did I need the [Farmer] Class to help out around the farm. After all, I didn’t even need the [Hero] Class to save lives…

I strode back into the house, fully-resolved as Bucky just looked on.

And she clucked.

—--

Noele stared at the blue screen hovering before her gaze. She read the words again and again. It didn’t change. It had been days at this point, but the words of the World System remained the same. She pursed her lips.

And Garron’s voice brought her out of her stupor. “You alright, Noele?”

Blinking, the Noble Spellsword glanced up. The Steel Tank stood before her, peering at her with a worried look. The two stood in the middle of the road, leading to the outskirts of Wolfwater back to her papa’s farm. She had somehow slowed to a halt while walking alongside Garron without even realizing it.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said quickly as she hefted up her sack. Both she and Garron were helping her mama bring the leftover grain they hadn’t been able to hand out back to the house for storage. “I just got distracted. That’s all.”

Noele shook her head, but the burly man frowned.

“You’ve been acting quite distant for the past few days. Are you sure that something isn’t bothering you?” he asked.

She just smiled and waved a hand off. “I’m… fine!” Her eyes darted to the side— to the blue tint of the screen.

Only she could see this message. It came from the World System, delivered to no one else but her. But a single bead of sweat trickled down Noele’s neck as she feared that Garron could somehow see it.

Of course, he could not.

“If it’s about the Miststorm Riders—” Garron started.

“It’s nothing,” the blonde girl said, cutting him off. “I really am fine, Garron. Thank you for worrying about me. I was just daydreaming, that’s all.”

He paused, furrowing his brows. “I… see.”

Evidently, he didn’t believe her. And she knew that. So Noele took in a deep breath and elbowed him with a grin.

“If you really want to help, I’ve got a few new Skills I’ve been wanting to test out,” she said as he blinked. “We can spar when we get back.”

Garron narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, seeing the way her demeanor suddenly shifted. Finally, he just smirked and nodded at her.

“I’ve been training too. I’m excited to show off a few things I learned, myself.”

They both laughed and chatted as they made their way back to the farm. But even as Noele smiled, she couldn’t help but look to the side. The ever-pervading blue screen refused to vanish. She didn’t let it. With a single thought, she could make it appear, and she could make it disappear.

But she stared at it, refusing to let it vanish. And that was because of what it said.

[Class advancement available! Please choose on of the following Class advancements:

[Champion Spellsword] - A [Champion Spellsword] is a protector of justice— savior of the weak, and the light in the darkness. With blades or magic, they will defend those who cannot fend for themselves, and they will rise to any danger that threatens the weak. It is the first step down the path of heroism, and that is why a [Champion] is a precursor to something greater… something more…

Do you accept this Class?

There are no other Classes advancements available for you.]

Noele saw it. It had shown itself to her after she had defeated the Miststorm Riders— no, that wasn’t right. The Noble Spellsword had only seen it long after Odell the Monster of the Mist had perished. It was odd. It didn’t make sense.

The World System only ever gave rewards as soon as a feat had been accomplished. And that meant she wasn’t offered this Class advancement for defeating the Miststorm Riders. It wasn’t even given to her for helping kill Odell.

It was what came after that. When she spoke to Amelia— when she offered to help Amelia against whatever threat the blonde girl didn’t understand. And it was at that moment, she met a criteria she didn’t even know existed. That was why she was given that Class advancement.

So Noele had been given the chance to be a [Champion]. It was a Class that was often said to precede a [Hero]. It should have excited her— anyone would be eager to accept a Class advancement, especially if it meant becoming a [Champion].

But Noele didn’t accept it just yet.

Because she knew that it must have related to Amelia somehow. And until the blonde girl figured out what it was, she wasn’t going to become a [Champion]. Because it just wouldn’t feel right.

MelasD

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