The sun rose lazily over Bran Village, birds chirping, villagers going about their quiet, slow lives… and Empoy wishing it would all stay quiet forever.
Of course, it didn't.
The Monster Appears
At mid-morning, a commotion erupted near the forest edge.
"HELP! MONSTERS! SOMEONE SAVE US!" a villager screamed.
Empoy groaned. "Already? Didn't we just deal with… rats and goblins?"
He peeked through the trees. A hulking creature stood there: a wolf-like monster twice the size of a horse, with glowing red eyes and fangs that looked big enough to bite a cart in half.
Villagers scattered in panic.
The Adventurer Guild receptionist appeared, panting. "Lowest rank! Go! NOW!"
Empoy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine… fine. Five silver coins, right?"
She glared. "Think of it as… experience."
Empoy muttered: "This is why I hate experience points."
The "Accidental Hero" Moment
Empoy reached into his bag—not for a sword, not for magic, but for a small gadget he had been tinkering with: a mana-thread trap and a self-charging blade.
He didn't plan to use it. He just… fumbled with it.
One wire touched the ground. One spark jumped. A faint hum ran through the device.
The wolf monster stopped, its glowing eyes flickering.
Empoy shrieked: "Wait, wait! Don't—oh no!"
He tripped over a root. The device fell. Sparks flew everywhere, hitting some carefully placed traps he had rigged earlier "just in case."
The monster yelped, jumped, and literally ran headfirst into a magically reinforced tree Empoy had secretly strengthened the night before. It bounced back like a rubber ball, dazed.
The villagers peeked from behind crates. Their eyes widened.
The monster tried to charge again… and immediately triggered another small trap: electricity coursing through the ground, leaving it twitching, confused, and eventually fleeing in terror.
Empoy stood there, covered in dirt, leaves, and a few sparks.
Perfectly… accidental… heroic…
Villagers Start Respecting Him
The villagers approached cautiously.
"Did… did you just…?" one asked.
Empoy shrugged. "I may have… tripped?"
"Tripped and destroyed a giant monster?"
Empoy blinked. "I… guess so?"
Murmurs spread through the village: "Empoy… he's quietly amazing…"
Officially, they would never say it. Villagers have pride. But behind closed doors, his reputation as "the quietly unstoppable guy" was growing.
Guild Comedy: Misunderstanding All Around
Back at the guild, the receptionist was pacing. "Lowest rank adventurer… just killed the monster that everyone else failed against. How?"
Empoy shrugged. "I didn't even try…"
"Not even TRY?!" the receptionist yelled. "Do you even know what you have?!"
Empoy blinked. "I… honestly don't. I just fumble around with wires."
Meanwhile, another guild member arrived, panting. "You… you saved the bridge, cleared the rats, and… and the northern monster? Are you some kind of hero?"
Empoy sighed. "I told you—background character. Extra. Lowest rank. Nobody."
The guild staff looked at each other. "Uh… official records say 'lowest rank extra'…"
Empoy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Exactly. Stop asking."
Evening Reflection
Back at his shack, Empoy cleaned his devices and smiled faintly.
Quiet life… slowly gaining a reputation anyway.Accidental heroics… somehow working.Villagers… impressed, but thankfully they're not asking questions.
He leaned back, looking at the stars.
Maybe… this quiet life isn't so quiet after all.
Lightning flickered faintly across his fingertips as he touched a freshly repaired mana-thread circuit.
But at least no one officially knows… yet.