DANMACHI: THE ECHO OF FALLEN HEROES

After almost escaping, some adventurers who were in the hot springs caught Leo and forced him to kneel in front of the other women who were in the bath when he was discovered.

Leo, unable to understand how they had caught him so easily, watched as the old man laughed and ran away, laughing loudly:

"Hahahaha, I know you'll get out of this, Leo. I trust you. I'll see you outside," said the god as Leo followed him before being caught.

With Leo kneeling in front of the ladies, he had no choice but to apologize for all the trouble he had caused.

"Hmm, it seems he's just a child," said one of the adventurers in front of him.

"How old are you, brat?" asked another of the women standing next to him.

Leo thought for a moment and, without realizing how quickly time had passed, in a few days Leo would turn 11. Long weeks had turned into months with the unknown god.

"11 years old," Leo clarified in a low voice.

"Aww, we should let him go, just look at him... Besides, that fucking old man was with him too, he probably tricked him and left him as a distraction to escape," said a beautiful and tender woman who, as she finished talking about the old man, her face changed from tender to one filled with rage and disgust towards the god.

"You're right, that old man always comes here, someday we'll catch him," said another of the women.

After a while, they all agreed that Leo was not the real culprit of such a perverted act, so they accepted his apology and let him go without further ado. However, they did not let him go without the beautiful woman first saying to him in a tender tone that ultimately felt like death itself whispering in his ear:

"If I see you with that perverted old man again, I will kill you both myself," she finished with a macabre smile.

Leo nodded fearfully and ran away. He had learned that there is nothing more frightening than an angry woman seeking revenge.

When he returned to the carriage, the god was waiting for him, sitting and drinking another mug of beer. Without hesitation, when he saw Leo, he approached him and, with a solemn gesture, placed a hand on his chest.

"Very well, Leo. It's time."

"Time for what?" Leo asked, somewhat intrigued and a little annoyed at having been abandoned by the fearsome women.

"Calm down, boy, just turn around and lift up your shirt," said the old man as he brought his hand closer to Leo.

A light emerged from his fingers, and when he touched Leo's chest, an ancient symbol burned into his back. The falna.

Leo screamed. Not in pain. In shock. In power.

He felt his soul scream.

"This is not a gift. It is a pact," said the god. "Your body will say who you are. But your soul... will decide what you become."

When Leo opened his eyes, he saw the table of his existence. His state was anomalous. Unbalanced. But powerful.

Leo was trembling. He didn't know if it was from the fever of energy that had just invaded his body, or from the emotional charge of what he had just experienced. He could still feel the mark of the falna burning softly on his back as if he had been bitten by destiny itself.

The god, with a more serious expression than ever, unfolded an old scroll on the wooden floor of the carriage and, using a little of his blood as living ink, placed it in front of Leo. There it was. The reflection of his being.

Important fact: Those with a falna gain superhuman physical abilities the moment they receive it and can collect excelia to increase their stats and become stronger. It consists of basic abilities, development abilities, magic, skills, and overall level. It manifests physically in a tattoo-like form as a mass of text with all its characteristics detailed, as well as the emblem of the corresponding Family.

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[ Leo's Status ]

Name: Leo

 Race: Human

 Level: 1

 Strength (STR): I 122

 Endurance (END): I 86

 Dexterity (DEX): H 198

 Agility (AGI): G 324

 Magic (MAG): I 17

  Special Ability:

Indomitable Will (唯一意志 / Will of the Defiant)

 "While the user is on the verge of death, all of their stats increase in proportion to their desire to survive. They can unconsciously withstand up to three times the damage before falling, and their fear is also reduced."

Development:

[✗] Hunting

[✓] Perseverance (anomalous: acquired prematurely)

[✗] Magic

[✗] Enchantment

[✗] Stealth

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Leo read silently. It was written in the language of the gods, but luckily Leo had learned this language thanks to the various books he had read and because the god helped him with any questions that arose while reading.

Leo took the scroll with the statistics table, the scroll trembling in his fingers.

"Is this... what I am?" he asked, as if the voice did not belong to him.

"This is what your soul cried out," replied the god solemnly. "Most obtain abilities through their talent, their lineage, or the gift of their god. But you... yours arose from something that should not be possible."

Leo looked at the table again. His agility was far above his other attributes. He was a shadow. A spark that lit up just before it went out. And that ability... Indomitable Will... was more of a warning than a gift. It was the mark of someone who only lives on the edge of the abyss.

"And what about 'Perseverance'?" he asked.

"A skill that veterans usually acquire. Those who survive for years. That you have it now... is impossible. Or it would be if you were 'normal.'"

Leo clenched his teeth.

"So... I'm not special because I'm strong? Just because I endure?"

"No." The god bowed his head. "Not because you endure. Because you don't give up. Because you survive when you have nothing, You are an accidental chosen one, Leo. Not because the gods looked upon you, but because you cried out to them from the darkness until one, just one, heard you."

Leo looked away. His throat closed up. He didn't cry, but he came close.

And then, several questions popped into his head, and he thought of them. Julian. Andrés. Angello.

Where would they be now? Would they still be training? Would they have been accepted into the most powerful Families?

He imagined their faces. Laughing. Running. Fighting... Would they remember him if they saw him again? What if they met in the dungeon... as enemies?

"They...?" Leo murmured. "My friends. If I become stronger... and I see them again... will I be able to face them?"

The god did not answer immediately.

"Don't train for revenge, Leo. Or for envy. Train so that when that day comes... You decide who you want to be." The god took a slow sip from his jug.

Leo nodded. Not entirely convinced. But understanding that that decision would come... sooner or later.