Chapter 129: Gift (Tayber POV)

Last night, after we finished sparring and practicing our skills, we went to go drink some alcohol to ease the nerves that we still get. We might be the heroes of this kingdom, but we still get nervous at the thought of losing loved ones or potentially dying. 

We then decided to stay at Eloise and Finn's house since it was the closest. We soon realized we made a mistake since the sibling's dad opened the door, arms folded, and releasing a pressure similar to the king. 

Well, it wasn't close to the king, but we couldn't go against their dad… so we received 5 slaps on the back of the hand before going to sleep.

… 

"How are your parents, are they recovering or is there still no progress?" Finn asks me as we sit at the dining table for breakfast. 

"They're doing the same as always. The demon heart hasn't spread, nor has it gone away," 

Everybody has faces of sorrow as I finish my sentence. 

The reason I became the hero was so I could get full support from the kingdom. It's always been on my mind since the monster horde… my mom and 1/18 of the entire kingdom had been infected by a type of virus. 

It was a curse but it wasn't just any curse that a monster from this plane can use, no it was much more sinister. It was inhaled through the air and most people were resistant to it since it was very light in the beginning, but if you weren't immune in the slightest, it would travel through your entire body, concentrating on your heart. 

It places the victim in a type of coma. Their entire body is still functioning but not at the same time. First of all, their natural reflex is gone. If you tickle their feet or hands, their body won't jolt or move… it will stay still. 

Next, their brain is functioning so they're either dreaming or they are still awake. Nobody has woken up from it, so the theory hasn't been proven or disproven. 

Now the thing that separates it from a normal coma is the randomized consumption of the body. Since the curse takes place on the heart, it will of course affect the victim's blood causing the entire curse to flow through their body.

This is what doctors think is the reason why they can't move their bodies despite their brains working. Hence, this type of virus is a type of coma. 

The curse flows through their body and when it wants, it will eat a limb, organ, or just a vein if it is peckish. It has been proven that the virus inside has a will of its own and its intelligence is as much as a goblin. 

The healers of this kingdom have done their best to slow down the rate of consumption but what we need is somebody to awaken [Holy Magic]. Only then can we counter this deadly curse.

"I'm stuffed," Ted says, patting his bloated belly. 

"You know we're going to practice right after this. I hope you don't throw up all over the training grounds like last time," Fenn replies.

"I-I won't. I'm going to the bathroom real quick," Ted says getting out of his chair, face like a beet.

"Okay, I got a letter from the king today, so I guess I need to go back. He's giving me a gift for us to use during our travels," I say to the remaining group. 

"When is it then?" Eloise asks. 

I check the clock to my right and my eyes widen.

"Shit! It's in 10 minutes. I need to go right now!" I say, immediately thanking Eloise and Finn's parents for letting me stay at their place. 

… 

The massive wooden doors in front of me opened slowly. I was surprised to see the old hero part standing to the left and right of the king. The queen was also here today and she was as beautiful as ever… though she's a bit arrogant at times, unlike our humble king. 

I walk on the red carpet and kneel on one knee. The pressure that the king emitted yesterday was suffocating but with the previous heroes here, I feel like my skin is getting ripped off. 

There are 6 in the previous heroes' party. A swordsman, spearman, tank, priestess/healer, assassin, and archer. Embarrassingly enough, I have no clue what their names are since everybody in the kingdom just calls them heroes. Also, we tried to find an archer but in the end, nobody could match up to use… so we just decided to not have an archer. 

The previous Light Hero was a muscular but not over-the-top type of man. He had long blond hair as opposed to my wavy but short blond hair. His warm but piercing yellow eyes were staring right at me. He was about an even 6 foot, not much taller than me but his eyes show the large gap in experience.

His current gear was a half gold crown that was placed on the left side of his head. He is also wearing some leather armor mixed with chainmail. Even now, his obsidian sword is slung across the back of his waist. 

The previous Fire Hero was a slim and cocky guy about 6'2. But his skills allowed him to be cocky, a spearman ship that is close to dance. His long brown hair was tied into a ponytail where it flowed to his waist. Piercing and condescending eyes made my body shiver from fear. 

The final note about this guy is that he is Ted's older brother. At a young age, they were never close so even now Ted doesn't talk with him. 

Next, the previous Earth Hero was a short and stubby man but his muscles were massive. About 5'5 in height but that didn't stop him from being extremely powerful. His [Earth Magic] is unrivaled and paired with his Tank skills… he wasn't the ultimate shield. Perfect for the hero's party. 

He had short, ruffled, brown hair. Paired with his brown hair, he had green eyes that were filled with pride but didn't look down on anything. I heard he was the nicest of all the heroes, so having any type of relationship whether it is friends or family, you'll gain many of his benefits. 

Next, the current Priest or previous Healing Hero. She can be extremely nice or extremely strict depending on what you have done. She shows no mercy to traitors or criminals but if you ever get hurt and she sees you, she'll immediately help you out despite your status. 

She's about 5'7 in height with long flowing golden hair. It was practically sparkling, unlike the Light Heroes hair which was just a plain blond. She had pale, soft, white skin that looked like it could be cut by just a kitchen knife touching it. 

She had warm golden eyes that gave me the only sense of comfort within the room. She always had a smile on no matter the situation. If their party was in a dangerous situation and everybody was panicking, she was the one to help raise the morale of the party. 

Next, the previous Dark Hero. She is the assassin of the party and unlike my party's assassin, she uses skills related to shadows. Not many know what she looks like, but most people do know that she is silent all the time. 

Soft black hair that flowed to the end of her back. Her black pupils were like looking into the abyss. Even if she wasn't looking at you, it felt like she was staring back. Her tan skin allowed her to hide in shadows even better and some people even think she's an Amazonian.

Finally, the previous Wind Hero. She was also pretty conservative but if you came up to talk to her, she'll converse with you. The Dark Hero on the other hand would go out of her way to avoid talking to people. 

The wind hero had long green hair that flowed to her waist. Piercing and cold green eyes made me shiver in fear as well. She had white skin that was covered by various layers of clothes, so it was hard to find out her real identity. 

Now the queen… I could only call her curvaceous. She had the perfect hourglass figure and was about 5'8. Long purple hair that flowed to her waist and bright purple eyes that looked like stars. She had soft, pale white skin that any man would drool over… besides me since I already like someone, but still, I have to complement the king in courting such a beautiful woman. 

"I have called you here today to inform you about the new information we have received on the monster I have ordered you to hunt. Also, we are giving you a gift that should help you on your travels. BRING IN THE STONE!" The king shouts, his voice echoing through the room. 

The closed wooden doors had opened once again. A fully kitted guard came out with a pillow and a box sitting on top of it. He then hands it to me which I gratefully accept, awaiting the king's permission to open it. 

"You may open it now. This is my personal alchemist's greatest creation thus far," 

The pressure in the room seemed to lift from my shoulders once I opened the box in excitement. It was just a stone that you would've thought somebody picked off the side of the road. 

"You must be confused, please pick it up and crush it within your hand," The king says. 

I follow his orders and once I crush the stone in my hand, I receive a notification in front of me. 

[Gained the following skill]

[Inspect]