The boy stopped and took a deep breath. Suddenly, a strange vision returned to him. He hadn't participated in the battle—he had been like a shadow, merely observing from the sidelines. Somewhere in a void, a lone human was fighting. His body was enveloped in a golden aura, while his opponent was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, as if the night itself had come alive.
The human spoke.
—"Summon!"
At that moment, a sword appeared. It shone with a golden light, as if it contained the very power of life and death. The sword sliced through the air, leaving trails of light, and instantly teleported right next to its opponent. Every time it cut through the darkness, sparks of magical energy flew, dazzling like lightning across the night sky.
But then, the vision suddenly broke, and the boy gasped. His heart pounded violently, sending shivers across his body.
—"Wh… what was that…?" he breathed out, his heart trembling with a mixture of excitement and fear.
Driven by curiosity, the boy decided to try it himself. As if reenacting the ritual from his dream, he spoke aloud:
—"Summon!"
To his astonishment, a black-and-gold sword appeared before him. Its blade reflected both light and darkness, as if symbolizing the eternal struggle between good and evil. The boy grinned and grasped its hilt—but suddenly, the sword became incredibly heavy, twenty-five times its normal weight, and fell to the ground. The earth shook, the air split with a roar, and the clang of metal echoed throughout the forest.
—"Waaaah!" the boy shouted, clutching his toes tightly. He felt as if his breath had stopped.
Struggling to lift the sword, he sensed as if the strength of a thousand armies resided within it. The heat and weight seared through him; his muscles screamed in protest, yet at the same time, his heart trembled with the thrill of wielding such extraordinary power.
Eventually, the boy left the forest and made his way home. The path felt long, and the air was still heavy with the residual magic from his vision. When he opened the door, a man sat there in a chair, as if he had been waiting for centuries.
—"Do you wish for great deeds and adventures?" the man asked with a smile. His eyes shone with an otherworldly light.
—"Yes! Of course!" the boy clenched his fist, his heart racing. "I will surpass the first legendary king!"
—"Excellent," the man said. "Listen carefully. You must visit the five great masters and master all the artifacts."
—"Five masters?" the boy's eyes sparkled.
—"The first is a master swordsman, whose sword can crush a thousand armies in a single strike.
The second is a master archer, capable of firing a thousand magical arrows at once.
The third is a spear master, whose speed and precision surpass human reason.
The fourth is a mage, able to wipe out a swarm of wyverns with a single spell.
The fifth is the strongest physically, able to shatter mountains with a single punch."
The boy noticed the crown above the man's head and the emblem of the first king, and chills ran down his spine.
—"Could it really… be the first king?" the boy gasped.
—"That story is for later," the man replied, vanishing like mist.
The boy clenched his fist and whispered to himself:
—"If it's really the first king… I will surpass him. I won't let history repeat itself!"
At that moment, the sword responded to the boy's determination, shining brightly as sparks flew from its tip. The air trembled, magic swirled, and the true journey began