Darkness.
It was the first thing Emil felt.
Not the familiar darkness that had accompanied him since birth, but a deep, dreamless void where even his thoughts seemed distant.
His body felt impossibly heavy.
Every breath sent waves of pain through his chest, and his muscles burned as if they had been torn apart and stitched together again.
Somewhere nearby, voices echoed.
"...still unconscious?"
"The physician said his internal injuries are severe."
"I've never seen anyone survive wounds like these."
"Quiet. He needs his rest."
Emil tried to move, but even lifting a finger was beyond him. His consciousness drifted back into darkness.
---
Three days later...
Warm sunlight touched his face.
The scent of fresh herbs and medicine filled the room.
Emil slowly opened his eyes.
Although he still could not see with normal vision, his awakened senses painted a clear image of his surroundings.
He lay on a wooden bed inside a modest village house.
Bandages covered most of his body.
Several ribs were still cracked, his left arm had been splinted, and countless cuts covered his skin.
His First Awakening had saved his life...
But it had also pushed his body far beyond its limits.
A familiar voice broke the silence.
"So, the stubborn brat finally woke up."
Emil smiled weakly.
"Master Kael..."
Kael Draven sat beside the bed with folded arms. Although he sounded calm, Emil could sense the relief in the veteran's breathing.
"You've been asleep for three days."
"I thought I was dead."
Kael chuckled.
"I considered burying you."
Emil laughed softly before immediately regretting it as pain shot through his chest.
"Don't make me laugh..."
"You brought that on yourself."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Kael spoke again.
"You fought well."
Those three words carried more weight than any long speech.
Emil simply nodded.
---
The village physician entered moments later.
She examined his wounds before letting out a long sigh.
"I've treated hunters for over twenty years."
"I've never seen someone recover this quickly."
She looked directly at Emil.
"Your body should have collapsed completely."
"It nearly did," Emil replied.
The physician smiled.
"Whatever protected you... thank it."
After applying fresh medicine, she left.
---
Emil slowly sat up.
Outside, he could hear laughter.
Children.
Workers rebuilding homes.
Axes chopping wood.
Hammers striking nails.
Life had returned to Blackwood Village.
He quietly asked,
"How many?"
Kael understood immediately.
"Six villagers were injured."
"No one died."
Emil lowered his head.
A burden he hadn't realized he was carrying finally lifted from his shoulders.
"Good..."
Kael smiled.
"You saved every one of them."
---
A knock came at the door.
Before Kael could answer, it opened.
An elderly couple stepped inside.
Behind them came a young mother holding a little girl.
Then another family.
Then another.
Within minutes, the small room was full.
Emil looked confused.
"What's happening?"
The elderly man walked forward first.
He bowed deeply.
"Sir Emil... thank you."
"You saved my grandchildren."
The young mother followed.
"My husband would have died if the monsters reached our house."
The little girl shyly stepped forward.
She held a flower woven into a simple bracelet.
"I made this..."
"...for the hero."
Emil froze.
Hero.
No one had ever called him that before.
Slowly, he accepted the bracelet.
"Thank you."
The little girl smiled brightly.
One by one, the villagers stepped forward.
Some brought homemade bread.
Others offered dried meat, fresh fruit, handmade clothes, blankets, or simple wooden carvings.
None of the gifts were expensive.
But every one of them carried genuine gratitude.
An old woman wiped tears from her eyes.
"I thought we'd all die."
"You gave us another tomorrow."
Emil remained silent.
Memories of his own village resurfaced.
The people who had feared him.
The people who had abandoned him.
Now...
These strangers welcomed him as one of their own.
For the first time in years...
He felt what it meant to belong.
---
Late that evening, after the villagers had left, Emil stepped outside.
The setting sun bathed Blackwood Village in warm golden light.
Many houses were damaged.
Sections of the wooden walls had collapsed.
Yet laughter echoed through the streets.
People were alive.
Children played together despite the destruction.
The village had survived.
Emil looked toward the horizon.
"I only did what anyone should have done."
Kael stood beside him.
"No."
"You did what very few people would have done."
The old hunter placed a firm hand on Emil's shoulder.
"Never underestimate the value of choosing to stand when everyone else would run."
Before Emil could respond, a powerful aura approached from the village entrance.
Several horses stopped outside the gates.
Dozens of elite hunters wearing silver cloaks dismounted in perfect formation.
At their center stood an elderly man bearing the crest of the Hunter Association.
Every villager instinctively stepped aside.
The Guild Master's gaze swept across the ruined battlefield before settling on Emil.
"So..."
"So you're the young hunter who defeated the Triple Head Ogre King."
The old man's eyes narrowed.
"We have much to discuss."
Far away, beyond Blackwood Village, news of the impossible victory had already begun spreading across the Kingdom of Galant.
Before long...
Every hunter in the kingdom would know the name Emil Myers.