Hunting?

The plot of Hero Chronicle is that Araleon is an amnesiac reincarnation. Or better put, cyclic rebirth. In the lore his face and features change sometimes every fifty years when the Calamities are about to come back.

Araleon, my favourite character. The same soul but cleansed of all past memories. 

As a player of the game, you're just playing through one of his cycles. You clear "scenarios " playing through all "what-ifs" of the cycle. 

It's a fun and adventurous game.

"Please, eat more hero." The prince urged me. Compared to my usual diet, this course was a bit lacking. My mouth, I guess is a bit too used to spices.

It's been a day since my summoning. I've just been shown around the castle. How I wish I could've told them there was no need.

I nodded. The prince was genuinely a kind man. Well, on the outside. In truth he was actually planning something much more sinister for his half brother. 

I shook my head a little at the thought.

'Great.' I already have a world to save, Prince Cisum only made my job harder in some specific scenarios, hopefully it wouldn't be this one.

"Talking of scenarios." I muttered. I wondered what scenario this was. It was far too general and usual I couldn't narrow down what scenario this was, it was too early. 

"Thank you, Cisum. I bowed and left the table." Due to my status as the hand picked hero chosen by goddess Vielia, I was to refer to everyone using actual names.

Which actually made my life easier. 
As I moved through the corridors. I recalled everything I needed to prepare for the Calamities.

The Calamities.

I sighed, The Calamities. A three stage event of demonic and corruptive disasters. 

The developers of Hero Chronicle really had a knack for making the game difficult. That said, I don't have a lot of time, I'd better start getting stronger. 

I smirked. "A hundred scenarios cleared. Haha. I know every backdoor, every hidden dungeon. This....will be a piece of cake, hopefully. "
...
..
.
"Uh, Hero... I mean, Araleon. Are you sure about this? We could have started with some basic training!" shouted Knight Commander Olriad.

He panted behind me.

I was just ahead.

I'd woken up early with Olriad and a few other knights for some monster hunting.
I wanted to get a feel for what a real sword felt like.

Unfortunately for me, I'd overlooked something.

The most infuriating, and perhaps most genius, piece of worldbuilding in Hero Chronicle.

Monsters naturally didn't attack the Hero.

The developers had cleverly explained it as the blessing of Goddess Vielia.

As the chosen one, monsters instinctively recognized me as something they shouldn't harm.

It was smart, honestly.

And, in a strange way, logical.

Unfortunately, that logic had made my morning miserable.

I'd spent the better part of it trying to fight and kill monsters that wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.

I'd chased them.

Cornered them.

Even destroyed their habitats.

They still ran.

At one point, I'd practically begged a group of goblins to attack me.
They'd scattered.

With my head hanging low, I finally turned around and started following Olriad and the knights back toward the castle.

So much for getting some combat experience.

Then...

"ROOOAARR!"
We stopped.

Olriad immediately reached for his sword.

I turned around.

At the edge of the forest stood a lone figure.

A goblin.

But not an ordinary one.

Its skin was dark and mottled, veins of corruption pulsing beneath its flesh. Its body was scarred, its eyes wild, and in its hands was a crude, bloodstained axe.

An old Corrupt Goblin Chief.

My lips curled into a small smile.

At the same time, my hands trembled.
I knew this creature.

In Hero Chronicle, goblins lived in packs.

But there was an unusual rule.

When a Goblin Chief was defeated by a younger challenger, the chief was exiled from the pack.

Most eventually died alone.

Some became corrupted.

And every once in a while...
One survived.

I slowly drew my sword. "This is my chance."

Olriad looked at me. "Araleon?"

"Do not intervene."

I stepped forward.

Yes.

Monsters of all kinds wouldn't attack the Hero.

Unless...

They were corrupted.

The goblin chief roared again.

Its eyes locked onto mine.
For the first time since I'd arrived in Chronix, a monster actually wanted to kill me.

My grip tightened around the sword.

Finally.

I lunged.

The goblin roared and charged.

I tightened my grip around the sword.

Here we go.

Its axe came down.

I stepped to the side.

The blade crashed into the earth where I'd been standing, scattering dirt and stones.

I swung.

The goblin twisted its body, barely avoiding the strike.

I followed with another.

It blocked.

Steel struck against iron with a deafening clang.

I stepped back.

The goblin did the same.

We stared at each other.

"Huh..."

It was fast.

Much faster than I remembered.

The goblin snarled and charged again.

This time, I met it head-on.

Our weapons collided.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

I parried the axe and swung toward its shoulder.

It ducked.

I stepped forward and thrust.

It twisted.

The blade grazed its side.

Black blood spilled onto the grass.

The goblin didn't even flinch.

"You're good."

I couldn't help but smile.

The goblin swung again.

I ducked beneath the axe.

Its weapon passed over my head.

I immediately countered.
The goblin blocked with the shaft of its axe.

The impact forced it backward.

I pressed forward.

One strike.

Two.

Three.

The goblin stumbled.

I saw an opening.

There.

I swung for its neck.

The goblin suddenly shifted its footing.

My sword missed.

Its axe came around.

I barely managed to raise my sword.

CLANG!

The impact rattled my entire body.

I staggered.

The goblin attacked again.

I blocked.

Again.
And again.

"How are you reading my attacks?"

I jumped backward as the axe tore through the space where my chest had been.

For a moment, something inside me clicked.

A feeling.

A warning before the attack even came.

My body moved before I consciously decided to move.

I ducked.

The axe passed over my head.

I stared at the goblin.

"That..."

I smiled.

"That's the intuition stat."

I almost laughed.

I hadn't expected it to feel like this.

In the game, Intuition was just a number. A screen.

A percentage.

A passive ability that increased reaction speed and helped detect incoming attacks.

Here...

It felt like instinct.

Like my body knew something before my mind did.

"That's amazing."

The goblin roared.

"Right."

I raised my sword.

"Let's keep going."

It charged.

I charged too.
Our weapons collided again.
The fight continued.

Neither of us could gain the upper hand.

I was faster.

It was stronger.

I was more precise.

It had experience.

Every time I thought I'd figured it out, it adapted.

Every time it thought it had cornered me, I slipped away.

I could feel my breathing becoming heavier.

My arms were beginning to ache.

This wasn't a game.

There was no stamina bar.
No health bar.

No convenient prompt telling me when to dodge.

Just pain.

Just exhaustion.

And one very angry goblin.

The goblin raised its axe.

I recognized the movement.

I stepped forward, preparing to counter.

Then it changed its attack.

"What?"

The axe came from the side.

I barely raised my sword in time.

CLANG!
The impact was enormous.

My feet left the ground.

"ARGH!"

I was thrown backward.

My body slammed into a tree.

CRACK!

I froze.

For half a second, I thought I'd heard a branch break.

Then pain exploded through my side.
That wasn't a branch.

That was me!

"Araleon!"

I slid down the tree.

My sword nearly slipped from my hand.

The goblin roared and charged.

I forced myself to stand.

My legs shook.

"Come on..."

I raised my sword.

"Get up."

The goblin was already upon me.

I braced myself.

Then—

SHING!

A flash of steel passed between us.

The goblin stopped.

Olriad stood behind it.

His sword was already lowered. In fact, he was already putting it in the sheath. 
For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the goblin split cleanly in two.

Its body fell to either side.
I stared.

One swing.

Just one.
Olriad immediately sheathed his sword 

and rushed toward me.

"Araleon!"

He grabbed my shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

I winced.

"I've been better."

"Can you stand?"

I pushed myself away from the tree and struggled upright.

My legs trembled beneath me.

But I managed to stand.
I nodded.

"I'm fine."

Olriad frowned.
"Fine?"

He looked me over. "You were thrown into a tree."

"I noticed."

"Your side could be injured."

I glanced toward the corpse.

"And you stole my kill."

Olriad blinked.

Then laughed.

"You were about to become the kill."
He sure is funnier in person. 

I couldn't argue with that.

He looked back toward the castle.

"Let's head back."

I nodded.
"Yeah."

We started walking.

But I couldn't stop myself from glancing back.

The old goblin lay motionless in the grass.

My grip tightened around my sword.
'Damn.'

I looked away.

'I can't even win against one old, exiled goblin?'

I exhaled slowly.

'I have a long way to go.'

A small smile returned to my face.

'Naturally.'

After all...

I'd only just started.