"My ability?" I asked, eyes wide.
"Yes," Bob said, nodding. "Ever since our fight with the Black Eagle bandits, I've had my suspicions."
I leaned in, heart racing. "So what is it? What's my ability?"
Finally! I can shed the "normal guy" label and start my journey as overpowered MC.
"You can lift heavy objects."
…
Silence.
I stared into his eyes, trying to find a hint of a joke. There was none.
"That's it?" I asked, my voice flat.
"Yup," he said, with all the confidence of someone unveiling a great secret.
I slumped back on the bench, deflated. "So… I'm a human forklift."
"Hey, why the long face? That's a great ability!" Bob said, waving his arms in excitement. "Imagine you dual-wielding two giant swords, just slaughtering your way through enemy ranks. That'd be epic!" He made exaggerated slashing motions with both hands, complete with sound effects.
I, unfortunately, was still thinking logically.
"Yeah, sure… it's great in battle," I muttered. "But off the battlefield? Total nightmare. How am I supposed to walk around town with two massive weapons on my back? I'd look like a walking armory."
Bob tilted his head. "Sounds cool to me."
"I can't even enter the inn normally unless I crouch like a goblin."
I sighed.
"But… looking on the bright side, at least I have an ability now," I said, trying to lift my own spirits.
"That's the spirit!" Bob lit up like a torch. "Now you can fight alongside me! Together, we'll defeat evil, inspire nations and have statues built in our honor in every city!"
He stared dramatically at the sky, eyes sparkling with delusions of grandeur.
"Nope," I replied flatly. "I'm still sticking to my pacifist path. I just said I'm grateful I can defend myself, not start a war."
"Boooo... boring!" Bob pouted, puffing out his cheeks and pushing his lips forward like a toddler denied candy.
"But the way you went at that Kiwi guy? You looked like a full-blown berserker," Bob said, smirking.
I frowned. "That was not berserker mode. I was just… caught up in the situation. Heat of the moment, you know?"
Bob raised an eyebrow.
"And besides," I added quickly, "that counts as self-defense. Totally justified."
"Sure, sure," Bob chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Next time just don't start yelling battle cries."
"I didn't yell a battle cry!"
"You kinda did."
I rolled my eyes.
A group of kids suddenly ran past us, laughing and chasing each other around the fountain. They looked so carefree, completely unaware of the chaos stirring outside the town walls. What kind of future waits for them? I wondered.
"Bob?"
"Hmm?"
"When you met the old man… did he say anything about this world or what we're supposed to do?"
He nodded. "Yeah. He said, 'Save the world from the coming darkness.' Real vague, very dramatic."
"...Did you ask him who the enemy is?"
"Nope."
"The name of this world?"
"Nope."
I slowly turned my head to stare at him, dumbfounded. "Then what did you talk about with the old man?"
Bob shrugged. "Hey, he offered me a list of skills with, like, a million options. You think I had time for lore class? Priorities, my friend!"
He grinned while trying to flick a piece of food from his teeth.
This guy is hopeless. I stared at him as he continued battling the piece of food stuck between his teeth.
I really need to think twice about depending on him to protect my life.
I leaned back on the bench and sighed.
Maybe I am the main character after all.
"Yoshh!" Bob suddenly stood up.
"I think it's almost time to gather. You go ahead, Alan. I've got something to take care of first," he said, already starting to jog off.
"Wait, where are you going?" I called out, but before I could finish the sentence, he had already disappeared around the corner like a man dodging responsibility.
What was that guy planning? He always did this back in our world too. Every time we went to the mall, he'd mysteriously vanish for a while, only to return later with bags full of waifu figurines. When I once asked why he didn't just let me tag along, he said, "That place isn't meant for innocent, pure souls like you."
Like he was smuggling forbidden items from some underground shop or something.
I then made my way toward the rendezvous point. Along the way, I passed through the fields and watched the farmers at work. Despite their simple lives, they looked genuinely happy, smiling, laughing, sharing small talk as they toiled under the sun. They worked hard just to make enough for the day, yet their joy seemed real.
I felt a bit ashamed of myself. Back in our world, I used to rant every month when my salary ran out too soon. I had more than these people, yet I always felt lacking. But here they were with less, but living with more contentment than I ever had.
"Alan!"
A voice called out to me.
From a distance, I spotted a group of three people. The woman with yellow hair and a green garb was enthusiastically waving, it Evelyn and her group.
"Hi," I greeted as I approached them.
William was crouched on the ground, busy rearranging items in his bag. Meanwhile, Maya sat under a tree with her eyes closed, looking like she was meditating.
"Where's Bob?" Evelyn asked, tilting her head and peering behind me like she expected him to hide behind me.
"He said he had something to do. He'll come soon," I replied, trying to sound confident even though I had no idea what kind of mischief he was up to this time.
For about 10 minutes, I had a light chat with Evelyn and William, mostly about the town and their party previous quests experience.
"Your friend's late. What a good first impression," Maya said as she approached, arms crossed and face scrunched like someone who just stepped on something foul. The air around her raised a few degrees.
"He'll come soon," I said, faking a calm look while subtly glancing at my wristwatch then wiping the sweat off my forehead.
Come on, Bob. Where are you? I don't want to be eaten alive by this lioness.
And then, right on cue, the man in question arrived.
"Heeyyy!" Bob's voice echoed from down the road as he sprinted toward us, arms flailing, legs wobbling like jelly. His belly jiggled so fiercely it looked like it had its own momentum, and I swear I can felt tremor.
"Sorry, guys," he wheezed, hunched over and clutching his knees. A large bag was strapped to his back, bulging suspiciously like it had been stuffed in a hurry.
Maya raised an eyebrow but said nothing, probably saving her verbal ammo for later. Evelyn smiled. William, ever composed, simply nodded.
After a few minutes and several lungfuls of air, Bob finally stood upright, his face still red.
"Now, let's go," William said, turning on his heel.
One by one, we followed him down the dirt path, leaving the safety of the town behind.
It wasn't anything official, no parade, no fanfare, not even a proper contract, but this was it.
Our first quest in this new world had begun.