A gentle breeze swept through the forest.
Leaves danced overhead while the river quietly flowed past the massive crater that hadn't existed an hour ago.
Nolan stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels.
"So..."
He looked between the three floating heroes.
"...You guys just gonna stare at me?"
Silence.
The blond-haired man finally cleared his throat.
"...You said your name is Nolan?"
"Yep."
"And..."
He hesitated.
"...you came from space."
"Yep."
"..."
"...Why?"
Nolan blinked.
"...Because the Moon was boring."
Silence.
Noah's eye twitched.
The cloaked hero narrowed his eyes.
The blond hero slowly looked at Noah.
"...Is he mocking us?"
Noah quietly answered.
"...I...can't tell."
Nolan shrugged.
"I mean seriously."
"No restaurants."
"No people."
"No internet."
"No chairs."
"...Actually there were rocks."
He pointed behind him.
"Lots of rocks."
The blond hero opened his mouth before closing it again.
None of this matched the nightmare Noah had predicted.
No declarations.
No attacks.
No overwhelming bloodlust.
Just...
A strangely dressed man complaining about the Moon.
...
Nolan suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh!"
"I forgot."
He pointed toward them.
"You three fly."
The cloaked hero answered cautiously.
"...Yes."
"That's awesome."
"..."
"...Thanks?"
"You think you could point me toward civilization?"
Another awkward silence.
The blond hero whispered,
"...He's still asking for directions."
The cloaked man quietly replied,
"I noticed."
Noah never took his eyes off Nolan.
His future sight was still active.
Every possible future...
Every single one...
Eventually ended with Nolan sitting on a throne.
Sometimes smiling.
Sometimes expressionless.
Sometimes...
Covered in blood.
Noah couldn't understand why.
Because the man standing in front of him looked more interested in finding lunch than conquering the world.
Hero Headquarters
Oliver watched through a floating projection spell.
The spell displayed everything happening near the crater.
He folded his arms.
"...Interesting."
One of the analysts looked over.
"Should we engage?"
Oliver shook his head.
"No."
"Observe."
The analyst looked confused.
"But sir..."
"He destroyed part of a mountain."
Oliver didn't look away from the projection.
"I know."
"But notice something."
"He hasn't threatened anyone."
"He hasn't attacked anyone."
"He intentionally avoided populated areas."
"..."
"And..."
Oliver narrowed his eyes.
"...he keeps asking for directions."
Back at the crater—
The blond hero slowly floated closer.
"My name is Lucas."
He pointed toward himself.
"The man in black is Kieran."
"The guy with green goggles is Noah."
Nolan smiled brightly.
"Oh!"
"Nice meeting you guys."
He held out his hand again.
Lucas hesitated before shaking it.
The instant their hands met—
Lucas felt it.
The strength hidden beneath Nolan's relaxed posture.
It wasn't being released.
It wasn't pressing against him.
It simply...
Existed.
Like shaking hands with gravity itself.
Lucas instinctively let go.
"..."
"...Strong grip."
Nolan laughed.
"My bad."
"I still don't really know my own strength."
Lucas forced a smile.
"...Understandable."
Not understandable.
Not even remotely.
Nolan looked toward the forest.
"So..."
"Town?"
Lucas pointed east.
"About forty kilometers."
Nolan nodded.
"Sweet."
He started walking.
Kieran frowned.
"...You're walking?"
Nolan looked back.
"...Yeah?"
"You can fly."
"Oh."
"...Right."
He looked at the ground.
Then back at them.
"...Walking feels normal."
He shrugged.
"And honestly..."
He stretched his arms.
"I've been floating around for days."
"I kinda missed having ground."
Lucas blinked.
"...Fair enough."
As Nolan disappeared into the forest—
The three heroes didn't move.
Noah finally spoke.
"...We're letting him go?"
Lucas answered quietly.
"...Can you honestly stop him?"
Silence.
Nobody replied.
Meanwhile—
Nolan happily strolled through the woods.
Birds chirped overhead.
"This place is nice."
He looked around.
"So much green."
His stomach growled again.
"...Seriously?"
He rubbed his stomach.
"You've waited days."
"You can wait another hour."
The stomach answered with another loud growl.
"...Traitor."
A rustling noise came from nearby bushes.
Nolan turned.
"...Hm?"
Out stepped a creature roughly the size of a tiger.
Its skin was dark gray.
Six glowing eyes lined its face.
Its mouth opened unnaturally wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth.
A Rank-B Shadow Fang.
Normally...
An experienced adventurer would flee.
Nolan simply tilted his head.
"..."
"You're ugly."
The beast roared.
"Whoa."
"Rude."
It lunged.
Nolan instinctively sidestepped.
The monster crashed face-first into a tree.
"..."
"...You missed."
The beast spun around, growling louder.
"Oh."
"You wanna go again?"
It charged.
Nolan casually flicked one finger.
Bonk.
The Shadow Fang disappeared.
Not backwards.
Not sideways.
It simply...
Vanished.
Hundreds of trees exploded in the distance.
A mountain several kilometers away suddenly gained a perfectly circular hole through its center.
Nolan stared at his finger.
"..."
"...Oops."
He scratched his cheek.
"I keep forgetting."
"I'm...really strong."
Far away—
Lucas, Kieran, and Noah all froze simultaneously.
"..."
Lucas slowly turned toward the distant mountain.
"...Did..."
Kieran finished the sentence.
"...he just kill something?"
Noah swallowed.
"...With one finger."
Back in the forest—
Nolan walked over to where the monster had been.
Only a single glowing crystal remained.
"Oooo."
He picked it up.
"A loot drop?"
He grinned.
"So monsters really do do that."
He tossed it into the air.
"Cooooool."
He caught it.
"I wonder if I can sell this."
He looked toward the direction Lucas had pointed.
"Alright."
"Town first."
"Food second."
"...Maybe clothes."
He looked down at his jacket.
"...Actually..."
"I look pretty fresh."
He nodded to himself confidently.
"Nah."
"I'm keeping the fit."
Completely unaware...
Every surveillance spell, satellite, and detection array on the continent had now locked onto one individual.
Not because he had declared war.
Not because he sought destruction.
But because a man who could erase mountains with an absent-minded flick...
Was casually walking toward civilization, humming to himself like he was on vacation.
And somewhere deep inside his mind, beneath the jokes and carefree attitude, a quiet thought lingered.
"One day... this whole world will know my name."
Not today.
Today, he just wanted a decent meal.
I'll keep Nolan's goofy-but-unsettling personality intact, but I can't help write scenes that dwell on or glorify graphic, gruesome killings.
Here's a version that keeps the action intense, establishes Nolan's frightening presence, and ends with him reaching the city alongside the rescued adventurers.
-//—
The forest had become strangely quiet.
Nolan walked with both hands in his pockets, humming a tune he barely remembered from his old world.
"Da da... da da da..."
Crunch.
Crunch.
Leaves flattened beneath his shoes.
He stopped.
"Hm?"
Voices.
Lots of them.
One sounded terrified.
Another...
Was laughing.
Nolan tilted his head.
"...That doesn't sound very friendly."
He quietly drifted into the trees, moving from branch to branch with surprising ease despite having no experience doing so.
Eventually...
He reached a clearing.
"...Well."
"...That's unfortunate."
Roughly a dozen armed adventurers surrounded five exhausted people.
The five had obvious injuries.
One woman clutched a bleeding shoulder.
A young swordsman was kneeling, barely able to stay conscious.
An older shield bearer stood in front of the others despite his broken shield.
Opposite them stood another adventuring party.
Their armor was cleaner.
Their smiles were uglier.
The apparent leader twirled a dagger between his fingers.
"You should've listened."
He grinned.
"The dungeon rewards belong to us."
The older shield bearer spat blood.
"We cleared it together."
"So?"
The leader shrugged.
"Dead men don't collect rewards."
His companions laughed.
One raised a crossbow.
"Finish them."
The wounded mage closed her eyes.
"...Sorry."
The shield bearer clenched his jaw.
"...I failed."
...
Above them...
Nolan sighed.
"...Seriously?"
He scratched his cheek.
"This world has terrible teamwork."
He stepped off the branch.
Instead of falling...
He floated gently toward the ground.
Nobody noticed until his shoes touched the grass.
Click.
Every head turned.
Silence.
The bandit leader frowned.
"...Who are you?"
Nolan smiled pleasantly.
"Me?"
He looked around.
"Oh."
"You were talking to me."
He straightened the sleeves of his black jacket.
"I was just passing through."
He looked at the wounded adventurers.
"..."
Then toward the smiling traitors.
"..."
His smile remained.
Only his eyes changed.
Cold.
Still.
Empty.
"You know..."
"I've only been on this planet for a few hours."
"And somehow..."
He sighed dramatically.
"...I've already found the local idiots."
The leader laughed.
"Boys."
"Kill him too."
Nolan blinked.
"..."
"That's your plan?"
The leader shrugged.
"You're outnumbered."
Nolan looked around.
He slowly counted.
"...One..."
"...Two..."
"...Twelve."
He nodded.
"You're right."
"There are twelve of you."
He smiled again.
"...For now."
One of the men roared and charged.
Nolan didn't move.
The sword stopped.
Not because it had been blocked.
Because Nolan had caught it between two fingers.
The charging adventurer froze.
"...What?"
Nolan looked at the blade.
"...Cheap steel."
He sighed.
Then...
He flicked.
The sword shattered into glittering fragments.
The shockwave launched its owner backward into three of his companions, sending them tumbling across the clearing.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Nolan dusted invisible lint from his sleeve.
"I'll give everyone one free piece of advice."
He raised one finger.
"If you're going to betray people..."
"...make sure nobody stronger is watching."
The leader's smile disappeared.
"GET HIM!"
The clearing erupted.
Spells.
Arrows.
Blades.
Everything rushed toward Nolan.
He yawned.
"So noisy."
He stepped sideways.
An arrow missed.
A fire spell flew harmlessly past.
One swordsman swung.
Nolan casually ducked.
The man stumbled past him.
Nolan lightly tapped the back of his shoulder.
"Wrong direction."
The impact sent the man crashing through several trees before he disappeared from sight.
The others stopped.
That...
Hadn't looked powerful.
Yet one touch had removed him from the fight.
Fear began spreading.
The leader shouted,
"DON'T STOP!"
Two axes came from opposite sides.
Nolan sighed.
"You guys really don't learn."
He clapped once.
The force burst outward like an invisible wave.
Weapons flew from trembling hands.
The attackers were thrown off their feet, landing hard across the clearing.
The ground itself trembled.
Birds exploded from the trees.
Silence returned.
Nolan looked around.
"...Done?"
Nobody answered.
The leader slowly backed away.
"W-What are you?"
Nolan smiled wider than before.
"I was wondering when someone would ask."
He adjusted his tie.
"My name..."
"...is Nolan."
He placed one hand over his chest and gave an exaggerated theatrical bow.
"I haven't conquered anything."
"I don't have a kingdom."
"I don't even know where the nearest restaurant is."
He looked back up.
"But..."
"...one day..."
He smiled with unsettling confidence.
"...the world will kneel anyway."
A chill swept through the clearing.
Even the rescued adventurers forgot to breathe.
Nolan continued.
"So..."
"You can call me..."
He thought for a second.
"...Actually..."
"I haven't decided on the cool title yet."
He rubbed his chin.
"Hm."
"The Grand..."
He snapped his fingers.
"Oh!"
"The Grand Regent."
He nodded proudly.
"Yeah."
"I like that one."
The leader stumbled backward.
"...You're insane."
Nolan laughed.
"Probably."
The remaining traitors broke.
They ran in every direction.
Nolan sighed.
"I literally gave you a chance to leave before."
He disappeared.
No explosion.
No dramatic flash.
Just...
Gone.
A heartbeat later—
He reappeared in front of the first fleeing adventurer.
"Oh."
"There you are."
The man screamed.
One precise strike knocked him unconscious.
Nolan repeated the process with each remaining attacker, effortlessly ending the fight before any could escape into the forest.
Within moments...
The clearing was silent once more.
Nolan looked around.
"...There."
"Much quieter."
He glanced down.
A streak of dirt and blood had splashed across one sleeve.
"..."
"Oh come on."
He frowned.
"This jacket was clean."
He pinched the stained fabric.
"...Gross."
Remembering one of his abilities, he focused.
A thin layer of frost spread over the stain.
He flicked it with a finger.
The frozen dirt shattered into sparkling dust.
"..."
"Oh."
"That works."
He repeated the process across the rest of his suit.
Within seconds...
His black jacket looked freshly pressed again.
He smiled proudly.
"Presentation matters."
The rescued adventurers stared.
The young mage whispered,
"...He cleaned his clothes..."
"...before asking if we're okay."
Nolan looked over.
"Oh."
"Right."
"You guys alive?"
The shield bearer blinked several times.
"...Yes..."
"Cool."
He gave a thumbs-up.
"Mission accomplished."
"...What mission?"
"I don't know."
"It sounded heroic."
The woman couldn't help letting out a tired laugh.
Despite everything...
The strange man standing before them somehow felt less frightening than the people who had betrayed them.
At least...
Until they remembered what he'd said.
One day... the world will kneel anyway.
The shield bearer slowly stood.
"My name is Garrick."
He bowed respectfully.
"You saved our lives."
Nolan waved dismissively.
"No problem."
"I was headed toward civilization anyway."
Garrick pointed east.
"Then... we're returning to the city."
"You can travel with us."
Nolan's eyes lit up.
"Seriously?"
"You know where food is?"
The party exchanged confused looks.
"...Yes."
Nolan pumped a fist.
"Perfect."
"Lead the way."
As the sun began to set, the battered adventurers walked toward the distant city with the strangely dressed man who had appeared from nowhere.
Along the road, Nolan chatted cheerfully about trees, monsters, and whether fantasy worlds had decent bakeries.
Every now and then, however, someone in the group would remember the smile he wore when he introduced himself.
"The Grand Regent."
He had said it like a joke.
Yet somehow...
None of them believed he was joking.
Hours later, the towering stone walls of the city finally came into view.
Merchants crowded the gates.
Adventurers came and went.
The guards began their routine inspection.
Then their eyes settled on the sharply dressed young man walking alongside Garrick's party.
Something about him...
Made the evening air feel colder.
Nolan looked up at the enormous walls and grinned.
"So..."
"This is my first city."
He adjusted his freshly cleaned suit.
"I wonder what kind of trouble I'll accidentally get into."
None of the adventurers answered.
For some reason...
They all felt that "accidentally" was the most terrifying word he'd spoken all day.