Chapter 1

In the forest where the breath of beasts can be heard,

"Fon! I'm going this way!"

"Alright! Leave it to me!"

The voices of the girl and the boy echo through the forest.

The boy is dressed in simple clothing and wields a one-handed sword that is easy to handle.

And before his gaze, a green goblin monster is raising a club with a hideous expression.

"Ughaaaaa!"

While hearing the war cry, the boy steps forward with a burst of energy, and the goblin swings its club down at him. But it misses.

In the next instant, the blade flashes with a swift strike. Blood spurts out, and the goblin retreats.

By then, a spear is already closing in from behind.

The blade pierces the goblin's neck, and the little demon falls lifelessly, its body soon vanishing.

All that remains is a small black lump—a magic stone.

Fon picks up the magic stone, cleans it, and tosses the part of the goblin that didn't disappear into a small bag.

"Good job, Fon! We've achieved our goal!"

"Yeah. I'm sure everyone will be able to sleep soundly at night from now on."

Feeritia, the girl with a spear, rejoices. Her beautiful golden hair, with fox ears poking out, and a large tail swaying from her waist, tremble.

She is a fox beastkin. Though classified as human, her appearance is not always well-received.

But this is a remote village far from the capital.

No one really cares about such things here.

Fon sheathes his sword and tells Feeritia,

"Let's go back. We have something to do today."

"Okay!"

After walking through the forest for a while, they see a small village. It's Konaria Village, where they were born and raised.

While passing by men working in the fields, they head to the village chief's house.

The old woman, the chief's wife, greets them. It seems the chief, who has a bad back, is resting.

"Welcome back, Fon. Feeritia."

"We're back. We successfully completed the goblin hunt."

Fon takes out a part of the goblin from the bag and shows it to her.

"I'm always in your debt... even though there's no reward for you..."

The old woman bows her head.

"Don't worry about it. I'll make sure to defeat all the troublesome monsters, not just goblins!"

Feeritia's determination makes the old woman smile and say, "I'm counting on you."

As they talk, a villager approaches.

"Fon, Feeritia. It's almost time to leave. Are you ready?"

"Oh no, I'll get ready right away!"

"Really... considering how important tomorrow is. But that's what I like about you two."

Under the watchful eye of the exasperated villager, they return to their respective homes, pick up their bags, and come back.

Since they are not wealthy villagers, those bags contain all their possessions.

As they board the carriage, the villagers see them off.

"Take care, and do well wherever you go!"

With those words, the carriage sets off.

Fon and Feeritia wave for a while but eventually settle in, just like the other young people inside.

Everyone here is turning 15 this year.

At this age, they participate in a ceremony held in the Kingdom of Zeil and throughout the continent.

The ceremony involves making a contract with the goddess to gain power.

In this continent, there are two major races: humans and monsters. Each race is believed to be given fighting power by their respective gods.

Since monsters can appear anywhere, even villagers need to fight, and most importantly, this ceremony is to discover individuals with exceptional talents.

In other words, they will be peers. It's beneficial to be friendly.

Fon decides to greet them lightly.

"Where are you from?"

"The next town. It's a village with nothing special."

"Sure, we all come from similar places!"

One of the boys jokes.

Indeed, that's the case, so there's nothing to be done about it.

But...

"From now on, I'll make a name for myself!"

"Yeah! I'll become an awesome soldier!"

They envision such futures.

Their dreams are not childish but realistic goals.

The reason is that once you make a contract with the goddess, anyone can be rewarded for their efforts.

If you defeat an opposing race, your contribution is recognized, and your level increases, granting various benefits. The more you work, the more results you see. Conversely, killing a member of your own race results in penalties.

This is invalid before the contract, so the goblins Fon defeated earlier were for the village's safety, and he didn't mind.

But what kind of talent will be given to him from now on?

He can't help but feel excited.

The carriage travels for a day, carrying the young people from nearby villages to a large nearby city.

They are immediately greeted by soldiers.

Since no one knows what talents they possess, everyone is treated with respect, as they all have infinite potential at this stage.

Then, they are led to a chapel to make a contract with the goddess.

The chapel is reserved for them today, with only a priest present.

The gathered boys follow the pre-arranged procedure and pray to the goddess Mariska.

No one speaks, as they silently offer their prayers.

Fon, like the others, wishes for superior abilities.

This moment will determine his fate. His heart beats loudly.

Soon, words appear in his mind.

First, each person receives a unique blessing from the goddess, known as a "unique skill."

Depending on this, the skills and professions they can obtain in the future are decided.

For example, to become a hero, the strongest profession, one needs about 1,000 skill points. Without a unique skill that grants "1,000 Skill Point Bonus" or more, it's impossible to become one.

Skill points can be gained by leveling up, but levels don't increase until a profession is determined, so this moment decides their future potential.

Fon, tense, focuses on the words.

(...What?)

He almost lets out a cry.

Because the words there are—

"Level Up 1/100"

A unique skill he has never heard of, and one that seems utterly useless.