Everyone hates me in this new world and they will pay for it

Arthur stared at Kaien with disdain. Obviously, the boy wanted to jump at his throat, but seeing his situation, the disadvantage was clear.

"'Closed'? What about the people who died?" Arthur asked, rage burning in his voice.

Kaien, for his part, dusted off his clothes with indifference. "Merely necessary sacrifices, I would say. Besides, in the end, we've already resolved everything."

Arthur couldn't believe it. There was a twisted logic in Kaien's thinking, but how could he feel no remorse for his actions? Not even pity? 'When did heroes become so heartless?'

Alden watched Arthur with an ironic smile on his face. Suddenly, he seemed to notice something. He approached the boy and grabbed his wrist tightly. "Level 1… still?" Alden asked, his voice loud and full of mockery for everyone to hear.

Everyone present—Shapira, Zamir, Torvin, and even Solara—watched the scene with a mixture of pity and concern.

Arthur quickly pulled his arm back, freeing himself from Alden's grip. "What's it to you?" he asked, irritated, but maintaining a firm posture.

Alden just smiled. "It's proof that you're pathetic, Arthur," he exclaimed, not hiding his satisfaction. "We are all at level 22."

Arthur looked on in disbelief. The feeling of being left behind now haunted him, and his fear grew even more. 'Damn it... I'll never be able to stand up to them if I have to.'

"See?" Alden said with a bored sigh. "A dead weight. Don't make us waste any more time. We have a world to actually save."

The words "dead weight" were the last straw. The rage, humiliation, and fury that Arthur had been suppressing exploded. Forgetting the level difference, forgetting logic, he screamed and charged—not at Kaien, but directly at Alden, the owner of the mocking smile.

"Arthur, no!" Shapira shouted, moving to stop him.

But it was too late. Arthur brought his uchigatana down in a descending slash, putting all his weight and anger into the attack.

To Alden, it was like seeing everything in slow motion.

He didn't even draw his bow. With a fluid movement, he dodged to the side, causing Arthur's blade to cut through the air. At the same time, Alden's foot shot out and tripped Arthur's supporting leg. He lost his balance and fell to his knees.

"Is that all the great hero can do?" Alden mocked.

Blinded by fury, Arthur tried to get up and attack again, but Alden was faster. A powerful kick hit Arthur's stomach, stealing all his air and throwing him onto his back. The uchigatana flew from his hand, skidding across the stones.

Arthur coughed, trying to breathe, but before he could move, Alden's boot pressed down on his chest, pinning him to the ground. He looked up and saw the tip of a sacred arrow inches from his face, held firmly in Alden's bow.

"Pathetic," Alden spat. "You're nothing but a worm. This is your place, Arthur. On the ground, under the feet of those who are truly strong."

The humiliation was worse than the physical pain. Arthur stared into Alden's eyes, and for the first time, he didn't feel rage, but a calculating coldness. A deep, icy hatred.

"That's enough, Alden. The lesson has been taught," Kaien said, uninterested.

Alden smiled, satisfied. He removed his foot from Arthur's chest and put away his arrow. "Next time, think twice before you bark at your superiors, 'Mistake'."

Mirella stared at the scene, her expression full of pity. She truly hadn't wanted things to come to this.

With that, the heroes and Solara turned and disappeared in a transparent circle, leaving behind a silent, fallen Arthur.

Shapira ran to Arthur, kneeling beside him. "Arthur! Are you okay?"

He didn't answer. He just kept staring at the spot where they had vanished. With an effort, he sat up, lost in his thoughts.

Torvin and Zamir approached. The silence was painful and, at the same time, awkward. Shapira watched from a distance, giving the boy his space.

"So… you're the fourth hero," Torvin said at last, breaking the silence, stopping next to Arthur, who was sitting on a stone.

"I didn't know either, but now there's no doubt left," Zamir added, with the stoic tone of someone who has seen too much.

Arthur said nothing. His thoughts were focused on only one thing.

'How am I going to level up? I need to get stronger. I need to defeat this Demon King quickly and go home.'

Frustration consumed him. He was a hero who couldn't evolve. A soldier with no means to strengthen himself for the war he was forced to fight.

Arthur finally stood up and said:

"Let's go back," he said, his voice low and without hope.

Everyone nodded and began their walk back. The mood was horrible, almost one of defeat. Even though they no longer needed to enter that catacomb, nothing there was pleasant.

Upon arriving back at the fields near the town, the Reapers seemed to have vanished. Apparently, everything was resolved, but none of it was to their credit. In the central square, Torvin and Zamir said their goodbyes, each going off to take care of their own things and their own losses. Shapira and Arthur went to the cart station, waiting in silence for the next transport back to the slums.

Shapira seemed worried about Arthur. He was hopeless, sad, and dejected. Even if she tried, she couldn't cheer him up. The two returned home, passing through the narrow alleys and arriving at Shapira's small dwelling. It was already very late at night. Arthur retreated to his room, thinking about what to do.

The boy couldn't come to a conclusion on how to move forward. He visibly had no ambition left; his hopes had been shattered. All he could think about was waiting for the three heroes to solve everything.

Months Later

And so the boy's life continued. He went to the fields every day to hunt low-level monsters to sell for a few coins. It was enough to pay his rent and his food. But as the months passed, Arthur began to get truly depressed. He barely spoke, barely expressed any reactions. He just followed the same path, day after day, in a cycle of monotony and apathy.

Shapira couldn't believe what she was seeing. Arthur wasn't the same boy from before; he was an empty shell, a memory of what he once was. She tried to help him for a long time, but after getting no response, she eventually left him alone in his melancholy.

On an afternoon like any other, Arthur was returning from his hunt. He walked slowly, dirty with earth and slime goo, with his cheap uchigatana on his back and a vacant stare. He no longer cared about his level or the other heroes. There was only the next day, and the next…

As he was passing through a busier area of the slums' market, he heard a commotion. Some local thugs were surrounding someone, probably for a robbery. Normally, Arthur would have walked right past, without a care. It wasn't his problem.

But then, he heard a female voice, firm, but with a trace of fear.

"Leave me alone! I don't have anything of value!"