The beauty of training is that training takes over automatically in a high-stakes situation.

  Zack Adder found himself deep in enemy territory, exposed somewhere he shouldn’t be, unarmed, without backup, and no extraction team waiting in the wings.

  Sadly, there was no time to construct a proper false identity.

  Zack froze, and then turned only his eyes to the helm-less knight yelling at him.

  Now wasn’t that nostalgic.

  “My name is Zack. Where am I?”

  Misdirection.

  Answer the question you would prefer they had asked instead.

  Ask your own questions.

  Appear non-threatening.

  De-escalate.

  Get more information.

  Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

  The OODA loop wasn’t Zack’s favorite decision-making paradigm, but in fast-paced high-stakes situations like this, it was good enough.

  “Silence!” the knight shouted, drawing his sword and bringing it to Zack’s throat.

  Oh.

  Drat.

  The man was irrational.

  That changed the calculus immensely.

  Zack narrowed his eyes.

  A minor warning and a threat.

  And yet, the knight merely held him at swordpoint.

  A stalemate, then.

  Dying twice in a day…

  It was almost enough to make a man question where he’d gone wrong in life.

  Zack shifted his gaze away from the hyperventilating knight, towards…

  The King.

  He had the look of someone who’d just woken up at a meeting because finally something interesting had been said.

  He was wearing plush robes, and a crown, and had a sharp, aquiline nose and strong jaw, but he didn’t have the attitude of someone in charge.

  Rather, it was…

  The woman next to him.

  A very young woman—a teen, perhaps—wearing immaculately clean white robes with blue trim, with pale blue eyes and light brown hair and her hands clasped tightly in front of her waist. She had the nonplussed look of a woman who’d been served a completely different dish than what she had ordered.

  Zack glared at her, and she flinched.

  Oh.

  He really was about to die then.

  In that moment of deciding to fight and flee, it was the young man next to Zack who broke the stalemate.

  “Hey, back off, man!”

  The sword was knocked aside, and Zack found his field of view blocked by the broad back of a man several years younger and several inches taller.

  The [Hero].

  ‘Northcourt’ was emblazoned across the shoulders, over the number 77.

  The sword knocked aside, the—

  He looked away from the threat back at Zack.

  Zack was stunned by the ineptitude, and his eyes widened.

  “Whoa! You’re the guy I tried to save back then! Did Goddess Arianna bring you over to fight the [Demon King], too?”

  A dozen simultaneous gasps filled the room.

  Zack’s eyes flicked around, rapidly observing.

  The helm-less knight sheathed his sword. His face was bright-red, but he was calming down. His bushy eyebrows and thick mustache were twitching as his jaw clenched and unclenched.

  The King was watching like a man engrossed in a television drama.

  The robed young woman seemed to have composed herself.

  “Ahem,” she cleared her throat, and every knight shifted subtly in their armor as they turned their attention to her. “These men are our guests, and our saviors. We must show them courtesy and respect. I will inform His Excellency that the [Hero]…” she trailed off, as though her prepared statement now no longer applied with more than one person summoned. “...that the [Hero] and his companion have been summoned successfully,” she finished, then without waiting for permission or even a response, she turned and exited through a large door behind the throne.

  The assembled knights raised their glaives.

  The man in the varsity jacket turned fully around and faced Zack directly.

  Golden-blonde hair.

  A regal, straight nose and full lips.

  A strong chin and jawline.

  A thick, powerful neck and strongly-defined collarbone.

  The rest of his build was concealed by the Jefferson High School varsity jacket, but a number of patches on the J indicated he started on multiple teams.

  And he smiled awkwardly.

  “Sorry about that, by the way… My name’s Bradley. You can call me Brad.”

  He stuck out his hand to shake.

  Zack took it.

  “I’m Zack. Sorry about what?”

  “Er…” Brad’s eyes wandered. “You know, not saving you, back then. I didn’t make it in time…”

  Zack’s eyes widened again.

  He brought his other hand up for a double-handed handshake, and clasped Brad’s hand in both of his.

  “No, I should be the one apologizing. And, thank you. Not just for back then, but for just now, too.”

  Brad blushed lightly. “Don’t worry about it. Still, not quite the reception I was expecting.”

  Zack let go of his hand, and they both looked around.

  The knights were still slightly on edge, but had moved back into their original formation.

  The helm-less knight had calmed down.

  The King had leaned back on his throne, appearing bored once again.

  The young woman’s voice rang out from behind the King.

  “All kneel for His Excellency, the Pope!”

  The knights all took a knee and bowed their heads.

  Even the King rose from this throne and took a knee, genuflecting.

  Brad and Zack shared a glance, shrugged, and genuflected as well.

  Bulky men in priest’s robes carried in a palanquin, the interior of which was obscured with semi-transparent, finely-embroidered cloth. All that could be seen was the hazy outline of someone within.

  The Pope.

  The priests moved with deliberate slowness to a position between the summoned Earthlings and the King, and Brad couldn’t contain himself.

  “So, did Goddess Arianna bring you here to be a [Hero], too?” he whispered loud enough that everyone in the room could hear.

  The Pope shifted slightly.

  Zack could tell everyone was eavesdropping on them, now.

  The priests carrying the palanquin slowed down even further.

  “Uh, no, I’m not here as a hero or anything…” Zack whispered back.

  Zack shivered involuntarily.

  He had the distinct impression thousands of eyes were watching him, from every possible angle.

  He found himself sweating nervously.

  *ding!* The skill [Conceal] has been acquired!

  As if he needed even more of a hint not to reveal what he’d seen of the Goddess…

  “It seems like I just got transferred over at the same time as you, so she had to send me here.”

  The divine gaze pressed down on him.

  “Oh, that’s too bad…” Bradley said, before perking up again. “Wait, did she give you any cheat skills as compensation, then?!” He wasn’t even whispering now.

  “Well, no, she was really adamant about not doing that.” Zack replied.

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  The Pope leaned back on his seat, and a clap resounded.

  The priests hurried to move him into position, and the robed woman from before hurried around into position just in front and to the side of the palanquin.

  “We will now begin the Appraisal Ceremony!” she announced.

  The knights stood, and a beat later so did Bradley and Zack.

  Now whispering again, Bradley said, “That’s too bad man, a cheat skill would have been so cool…”

  Zack merely shrugged.

  “Sir Rosimund, if you would,” the robed woman said, and the helm-less knight walked to the front and faced Bradley and Zack.

  “[Hero], please speak your name.”

  Bradley stepped forward. “Bradley Northcourt,” he said, chin held high.

  Zack was distracted by the sensation of the divine gaze fading, of thousands of eyeballs turning away and disappearing, and so he nearly missed it when the knight turned to him and asked, “...and you?”

  “Adder. Zack Adder.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Zack noticed a scribe taking notes on the ceremony.

  A feather quill and a scroll of parchment.

  How old school.

  “Sir Northcourt, and… Zack Adder, as the Goddess surely explained to you, we have summoned a [Hero] to aid us in our fight against the vile [Demon King], who is threatening our kingdom. We will now appraise you… both of you, so that we can know how best to incorporate you into our plans.”

  A tiny gap opened up in the cloth obscuring the Pope, and Zack felt like what could only be described as his soul being poked, prodded, rubbed, licked, and sniffed all over. The shock and disgust overwhelmed him for the slightest moment, and he twitched.

  Bradley reacted worse. He flinched, and groaned, and started shivering.

  Violation.

  Zack had thought SERE school was the worst it could get short of actual captivity and torture, but somehow, this was worse.

  Blessedly, it was over soon, and the gap in the cloth closed once more.

  The knight, Sir Rosimund, turned to the palanquin and listened as the Pope said something, quietly enough that Zack couldn’t hear.

  “Listen well, all ye present, that the [Skills] and [Potentials] of the [Hero] and the man known as ‘Zack Adder’ may be known and incorporated into our plans against the [Demon King]!”

  Zack narrowed his eyes, and looked around the room, memorizing as many faces as he could.

  The scribe, taking notes.

  The robed woman, and Sir Rosimund the knight.

  The Pope and the King.

  And all the other knights wearing helmets, faces obscured.

  A total of thirty-five witnesses, not counting himself and Bradley.

  “First, the [Hero]!”

  Name: Bradley Northcourt

  Age: 18

  Level: 1

  Titles: [Hero] [Otherworlder]

  Growth Rates:

  -Strength: S

  -Dexterity: S

  -Vitality: S

  -Speed: S

  -Intelligence: S

  -Willpower: S

  -Charisma: S

  -Luck: A

  Skills: [Swordsmanship Level 1] [Shield Wielding Level 1] [Archery Level 1] [Spearmanship Level 1] [Dual Wielding Level 1] [Mace Wielding Level 1] [Axe Wielding Level 1] [Pugilist Level 1] [Universal Affinity Level 1] [Cantrips Level 1] [Poison Resistance Level 1] [Magic Resistance Level 1] [Command Level 1] [Tactician Level 1] [Strategist Level 1] [Fleet Foot Level 1] [Divine Favor Level 1] [Magic Perception Level 1] [Magic Control Level 1] [Trap Detection Level 1] [Holy Strike Level 1]

  Zack committed everything he heard to memory.

  Still, that was quite a lot of skills, all at level one.

  Rather than numbers for his stats, they were looking at his growth rates, huh?

  “Bro… Almost all S! Sick!” Bradley whispered, trembling with excitement.

  “Is that good?” Zack whispered back.

  “Yeah, man! S is the best! Even better than A!”

  “And now…” Sir Rosimund continued.

  “Excuse me.”

  There was a gasp as Zack Adder stood and addressed the knight.

  All eyes were on him, but the weight of their gazes felt tepid after the direct scrutiny of a Goddess.

  “Is it really necessary to announce my information to all present?”

  Sir Rosimund narrowed his eyes.

  The robed woman frowned, and stepped forward.

  “You should be grateful, [Otherworlder]. To be appraised and know one’s [Skills] and [Potentials] is a great boon. And, yes, it is necessary. The [Demon King]’s forces grow stronger day by day, and we are here to aid the [Hero] in his training and development so that he can lead our forces to victory, and protect the faithful.”

  She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

  “Do you have something to hide? The Goddess did send you here, yes?”

  Zack met her gaze for a moment, and seeing her unwilling to budge, backed down.

  “Nevermind, then.”

  He took a step back to stand again next to Bradley, who side-eyed him.

  And so, Sir Rosimund announced Zack Adder’s personal information to a room full of strangers and a scribe taking notes.

  Galling, after all the effort he had just put in to erase his personnel records back on Earth.

  Name: Zack Adder

  Age: 22

  Level: 1

  Titles: [Otherworlder]

  Growth Rates:

  -Strength: B

  -Dexterity: B

  -Vitality: C

  -Speed: C

  -Intelligence: A

  -Willpower: A

  -Charisma: A

  -Luck: C

  Skills: [The Learn Level 1]

  …

  …

  Zack waited a moment to hear the rest of his skills, but that was it.

  A lifetime of experience on Earth, and only one skill, at only level one?

  That lazy Goddess…

  It was like she basically just pulled up his (faked) college transcript and called it a day.

  What was with that skill name, too?

  Shouldn’t it be something like [Learn] or [Learning] instead?

  Why the ‘The?’

  And, hang on…

  Sir Rosimund continued speaking.

  “[The Learn] is a previously unknown skill, so His Excellency appraised the skill as well to see if it is a special dispensation from the Goddess.”

  Bradley nudged Zack with his elbow.

  “Dude, you did get a cheat skill!”

  “No, I’m pretty sure it’s not…” Zack whispered back.

  [The Learn Level 1]: 100% increased skill experience gain up to level 1.

  Murmurs filled the room for a moment before Sir Rosimund clapped his hands, his metal gauntlets crashing together.

  “That is all.”

  “Hang on…” Bradley muttered as the rest of the murmurs died down.

  “What?” Zack asked.

  “You’re only twenty-two? I would have guessed like thirty. You’re younger than you look…”

  A vein bulged in Zack’s forehead.

  But before he could retort, a high-pitched, old man’s voice cut through the room.

  “Priestess… an oracle… is needed…”

  Total silence fell instantly.

  The Pope had spoken.

  “At once, Your Excellency!” the robed woman responded.

  “We must know… the role of this second [Otherworlder]… in the Goddess’ plans…”

  “Yes!”

  She fell to a knee, clasped her hands, bowed her head, and began praying.

  And, only a few seconds later, she stood up again.

  Sir Rosimund gasped. “So fast?!”

  The Priestess nodded, a disturbed expression on her face. “Yes, I’m a little shocked as well…” She turned and looked up at the palanquin. “Your Excellency, the Goddess’ intent is clear: nothing.”

  The room was perfectly silent for a beat.

  “Nothing?” the Pope asked.

  “Yes, she has no intentions whatsoever towards this other man.”

  The Pope gestured, and the Priestess and Sir Rosimund both approached the palanquin.

  What the Pope told them was for their ears alone.

  Eventually, Sir Rosimund turned back towards the [Otherworlders].

  “Very well. The [Otherworlder] Zack Adder will join the [Hero’s Party] on a provisional basis. He should still be of some use even if he was not granted any useful skills.”

  “Oof, tough luck man. Guess it’s not a cheat skill after all.” Bradley clapped Zack on the shoulder, the two of them standing side by side. “I guess we’ll be working together. Let’s take down the [Demon King]!”

  Sir Rosimund continued. “So, the [Hero’s Party], for now, will include the [Hero] Sir Northcourt, Zack Adder the [Otherworlder], [Priestess] Maria, and myself, Knight Captain Rosimund in the role of the [Guide]. Other members will be selected at a later time.”

  After that, Zack and Bradley were shuffled off to another part of… whatever this building was. Down stone hallways lined with paintings and tapestries and through ornate doors until the two [Otherworlders] were separated, and Zack was taken to a much more spartan wing, with bare stone walls and simple steel-banded wood doors. Finally, he was given a room of his own. A narrow bed, an open and empty trunk, cramped desk and small chair, and a narrow slit of a window barely wide enough to get his hand through.

  It was dark outside.

  “Get some sleep,” one of the pair of knights said, “training will start first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Ah, boot camp.

  Hopefully with less mind-games, this time.

  “Wait!” Zack called as the knights started to turn.

  “What?” They turned around again.

  Zack placed a hand on his chest and smiled.

  “My name is Zack Adder,” he introduced himself. “Who might you two be? Will you be helping with the training?”

  The second of the knights pulled his helmet off, revealing a man in his twenties, with messy, sweaty short brown hair and green eyes and a broad smile.

  “I’m Barclay, Knight of the Realm! And, yes, I’m on the training team.”

  His partner smacked him on the shoulder.

  “Oh come off it, Johnathon. He just got summoned!”

  The other knight grumbled and pulled off his own helmet, revealing pitch-black hair and black eyes and a round face.

  “I’m Johnathon, Knight of the Realm. I’m on the guard team. We’re going to keep you safe from the [Demon King’s] agents during your training.”

  “Sir Barclay, Sir Johnathon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Zack smiled warmly.

  Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

  Step one: get to know the locals.

  Then, learn more about the summoning.

  As the knights walked away, it started to sink in.

  He was alone now, truly alone, without any backup, and he had no idea what was going on.

  Some kind of war with demons? A King and a Pope? Now he was left on his own in probably the third worst hotel room he’d ever stayed in.

  Zack Adder was deeply concerned and desperate to know more.

  He shut the door. No lock. Falling back on old habits, he searched the room.

  Though there wouldn’t be electronic listening devices here, would there be?

  As he searched, he bit back a hiss.

  He had found a gap in the molding between the wall and the ceiling above his bed. In one of several spots in the room that, given its shape, would funnel all sounds from his room to the next over.

  Quickly he walked to the door, pulled it open, turned, strode to the neighboring room, and slammed the door open. Also unlocked. And he caught a young woman, wearing maid’s clothing, climbing down from a stool near a hole in the wall shaped to amplify sounds from the other room.

  He stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind himself.