Awakening Of The Forgotten World

Dain stood in the village square, his hand resting on Silverlight's hilt as he surveyed the group before him.

Around twenty villagers had gathered—young men, seasoned farmers, and even a few of the older hunters. They weren't soldiers. Most had never even held a weapon before the hobgoblin attack.

And now, they were expected to fight for their home.

Dain exhaled slowly.

This was his new reality.

Not just fighting to survive—but teaching others how to do the same.

A system notification appeared.

[Quest Progress: The First Protector - 5%]

• Objective: Train the villagers into a functioning militia.

Dain tightened his grip on Silverlight.

This wouldn't be easy.

But he wouldn't fail.

Edric stood beside Dain, his arms crossed as he observed the crowd. The former mercenary had agreed to help oversee the training, but he had made one thing clear—this was Dain's responsibility.

Dain stepped forward, raising his voice.

"We survived the hobgoblins," he said. "But that was only the beginning. If dungeons are returning, then more monsters will follow."

A murmur rippled through the group. Some looked determined. Others looked uncertain.

Dain continued.

"If we don't prepare now, then next time, there won't be a village left to protect."

Silence.

Then, one of the villagers—a broad-shouldered man named Rowan—stepped forward.

"I want to fight," he said. "I won't let what happened before happen again."

A few others nodded in agreement.

Dain met their gazes.

"Then let's begin."

The first part of training was simple—teaching them how to hold their weapons.

• The farmers carried pitchforks, woodcutting axes, and hammers.

• The hunters carried bows, though only a few had proper arrows.

• The village had barely any real swords—just old, rusted blades from past generations.

Dain moved through the group, correcting stances, adjusting grips, showing them how to swing without wasting movement.

At first, it was frustrating.

Most of them fumbled their strikes, their swings too slow, too weak, too clumsy.

But Dain knew one truth about combat.

It wasn't about talent.

It was about persistence.

So he kept pushing them.

And slowly, they began to improve.

After an hour of basic drills, Edric stepped forward.

"Enough standing around," the warrior grunted. "Let's see if you can actually fight."

Dain nodded. "We'll do paired sparring. No real weapons—wooden practice swords only."

The villagers exchanged uncertain glances.

Some looked eager. Others looked nervous.

Dain knew that hesitation would get them killed in a real fight.

So he picked the first opponent himself.

"Rowan," he called. "Step forward."

The broad-shouldered farmer straightened. "Against who?"

Dain drew a wooden training sword and pointed it at him.

"Me."

A few villagers whispered among themselves.

Rowan hesitated. "You want me to fight you?"

Dain nodded. "Come at me like I'm the enemy."

Rowan gripped his training sword tightly, then lunged.

It was a simple attack, a clumsy overhead strike.

Dain sidestepped effortlessly. His own sword lashed out, tapping Rowan's ribs before the man even had a chance to react.

Rowan stumbled, caught off guard.

Dain stepped back. "Again."

Rowan gritted his teeth and charged again—this time with more control.

Dain deflected the strike, then countered with a quick thrust.

The wooden blade tapped Rowan's shoulder.

The farmer let out a frustrated breath.

"I can't even touch you."

Dain shook his head. "That's because you're swinging without thinking. You need to anticipate, not just react."

Rowan exhaled, nodding slowly.

Dain stepped back. "Next."

One by one, the villagers took turns sparring.

And one by one, they improved.

They weren't warriors yet.

But they were getting there.

After several hours, Dain finally called a break. The villagers collapsed onto the grass, panting and wiping sweat from their brows.

A system notification appeared.

[Quest Progress: The First Protector - 15%]

• Militia Training Initiated.

Dain's lips curled slightly.

They were on the right path.

But they still had a long way to go.

As the militia rested, Edric approached Dain, his expression unreadable.

"You're doing well," he admitted. "They're learning faster than I expected."

Dain nodded, but he could tell Edric had something else to say.

"What is it?" Dain asked.

Edric's eyes darkened.

"You saw it too, didn't you?" he said. "The way the village looked at you when you came back?"

Dain frowned. "What do you mean?"

Edric crossed his arms. "They don't see you as just another villager anymore. They see you as something else."

Dain was silent.

Because he had noticed it.

The whispers. The cautious stares.

He had gone into the Western Ruins alone.

He had fought monsters no one else could fight.

And now, he was training their protectors.

He was becoming something more.

Something separate from them.

"They respect you," Edric continued. "But respect and fear? They're not far apart."

Dain exhaled slowly.

The world was changing.

And he was changing with it.

But in doing so, he was leaving behind the life he once had.

And he didn't know if there was any way back.

As the sun began to set, Dain stood before the villagers once more.

"You did well today," he said. "But this is only the beginning."

He gestured toward the training grounds.

"Every day, we train. Every day, we get stronger."

He lifted Silverlight, its silver glow catching the last rays of sunlight.

"We don't know what's coming," he continued. "But when it arrives, we'll be ready."

A few of the villagers nodded, determination in their eyes.

A new system notification appeared.

[Quest Progress: The First Protector - 25%]

• The militia has begun training in earnest.

Dain exhaled.

This was only the first step.

But for the first time, he wasn't just fighting alone.

He was leading.

And no matter what came next—

He wouldn't let them fall.