Reincarnation of the magicless Pinoy!
From zero to hero " No Magic?,No Problem!"
Encounter 12: Hunter Solomon!
"A lie told with a tear can silence even the sharpest truth."
The bells of the Magesterium chimed softly in the distance, echoing through the now half-empty dormitory halls. Summer break had officially started, and most students had already rushed home—carriages lined the gates, families reunited, and for once, the academy stood quiet.
Inside his dorm, Rolien was methodically packing the last of his things. His bed was already stripped clean. A few loose scrolls, enchanted flasks, and folded garments hovered mid-air before neatly slipping into his dimensional storage—now upgraded to Level 4. His hands moved with purpose, but his mind was already elsewhere... on fire trails and forgotten ruins, on stories whispered about a being called the Mother of All Flames.
As he sealed the storage with a flick of his hand, the door creaked open.
"Rolien," a voice called out gently.
Sophia stood there, her usual elegance tempered by something softer—hope. She wore a pale blue dress, simple by her standards, but it framed her figure with a quiet charm. Her sapphire eyes darted to the now-bare room.
"You're really heading out, aren't you?"
He nodded, slinging the strap of his gear over one shoulder. "Yeah. Just a short journey. You know, a little flame-hunting and monster-slaying here and there."
She stepped closer. "I was going to invite you to come with me… to the palace. To formally announce our engagement."
Rolien's brows rose. "Oh."
She waited. He didn't respond right away.
"Well?" she asked.
He scratched the back of his head. "It's not that I'm against that, Sophie. I'm really not. But… I've got things to do. So can that wait?"
Her pout came in fast. "And what, may I ask, is more important than... me?"
Rolien paused, looking her straight in the eyes. "Sigh… Look, there's something out there that needs to be dealt with. I need to get stronger—not for ego, not for glory—but because if I don't, no one else will. You saw what happened. Groteus, that freak god-wannabe—whatever she even called herself. And now this new Demon Lord rising in the shadows? I can't just sit here doing nothing."
Sophia crossed her arms. "Then why did you decline Father's offer? Why'd you refuse the book?"
"I didn't refuse it," he said plainly. "I said I wasn't ready. My body's not ready yet."
He opened his hand and clenched it into a tight fist.
"That book holds too much power. If I force it before I'm strong enough to contain it, it could destroy me—or worse, take control. So I need to get stronger. Fast."
Sophia looked down, biting her lip. Then, almost in a whisper: "But I don't need protection. I just want… you."
The room fell into silence for a beat.
Rolien looked at her, then smiled softly. "And I'll come back. That's a promise. But right now, I'm not just your fiancé. I'm someone with a job to do."
He reached out and gently tapped her forehead with his finger.
"You'll still be here when I return, right?"
Leto chuckled, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Man, please read the room. We're right here. Get a room or something."
Mira crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "And besides, Roah—yeah, we know you've been chosen or whatever, the big-deal hero stuff. But can you not keep sprinting like we're about to die tomorrow? We're only sixteen. We don't have to rush to save the world just yet."
Rolien let out a long, tired sigh, dragging a glove over his left hand as he glanced back at them. His voice came low, sharp—too serious for a normal goodbye. "Guys… those motherfuckers won't wait for us to get strong."
He clipped the last of his gear into the dimensional storage, the glimmer of its fourth-level seal glowing faintly. Then he stood straight, looking at both of them.
"They're moving. Faster than we expected. Groteus, that fake goddess-whatever-she-calls-herself, and now the new demon lord popping out of nowhere?" He pointed toward the sky. "We don't have time."
He looked at Mira. "You're strong, Mira. But not strong enough. And Leto—don't grin, you're reckless as hell. One wrong move, and you're toast."
Mira's smirk faded. Leto's grin wavered.
Rolien shoved his hands into his coat pockets and started walking past them, his tone quieter now.
"I suggest you train while I'm away. Because I got a really bad feeling. Like the calm before the storm. From here on out... things will go south, fast. I can't afford to babysit when the next monster shows up."
He turned his head slightly, not enough to show his face, but just enough for them to hear the steel in his voice.
"I can't have you guys running around and crying for me to save you."
Then he stopped at his tracks and brings out three thick books and handed it to them.
Mira blinked at the thick notebooks in Rolien's hands, her brow raising slightly as she accepted hers. "Wait… you wrote all of these? For us?"
Rolien gave a small, tired grin. "Yap. Took me a few weeks while I was stuck in bed. Figured if I'm gonna dive into hell, I might as well make sure you guys aren't just dead weight when shit hits the fan."
Leto flipped through the pages of his book—his eyes lighting up at the drawings of striking stances and footwork patterns. "This… this is Kapu-whatever and Arnisyou teaching me,right? You seriously broke it down for me?"
"Yeah. You're a punchy type who can use close-range magic, and if you actually trained your body to keep up with your spells, you'd be twice as deadly."
"Damn, I feel kinda touched," Leto muttered, grinning. "This is the first time someone made me homework that I actually wanna do."
Mira was already halfway through the intro section of hers, reading about airflow redirection and thermal ignition control. "This is… this is legit. You even included combustion ratios, rotational air techniques... how the hell do you even know all this?"
Rolien shrugged, a little awkward. "I read. A lot. And I had nothing better to do in the infirmary."
Sophia quietly took hers last. Her book was heavier than the rest, filled with alchemical combinations and diagrams showing mana flow. She looked at him, almost soft. "You remembered what I was working on."
"I always listen, Sophia. You're just bad at noticing."
Rolien looked at each of them, and despite the weight he carried, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You three are my first real friends here. I'm not about to lose any of you. So don't slack."
They each nodded—less like teens, and more like people stepping into something bigger than themselves.
This summer… wasn't going to be a vacation.
POV Shift – Crown Prince Keain
Prince Keain sat across from the visiting noble, his fingers steepled under his chin, the golden rays from the high windows casting sharp lines across the long table.
Vermont of Pendragon—tall, with a presence that demanded silence—sipped calmly from his tea. His cloak bore the crest of a wyvern split by a silver sword. A name like his carried weight. A dragon slayer of the enemy nation. One of the five pillars of the Empire of Velkaria.
"So the emperor still hasn't abdicated," Vermont muttered, eyes narrowing. "Keain, you must move. Fast. My country's patience grows thin. And I can't promise the safety of your people if war breaks out."
The air chilled.
"I understand," Keain said, jaw tightening.
Vermont stood slowly. "Good. I'll take my leave then... but before I go—there's one more thing."
He looked toward Luke, who had been leaning against the wall the whole time with his arms crossed and expression unreadable.
"I want you to contact the one they call the Black Wraith."
Luke's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"He saved me. And my son. That debt isn't light. I want to reward him. Invite him to Pendragon. I need to speak to him directly."
Luke scoffed, irritated. "Tch. I don't even know where the hell that jackass is now. I lost all contact with him and his party."
"You lost contact?" Keain repeated.
"Yeah. Ever since he left the capital, he's gone ghost. Even the Asher Hawks are off-grid."
Vermont sighed. "Still. Send out the word. If he shows up... tell him my doors are open."
Keain nodded silently, watching the man take his leave. The heavy doors shut behind Vermont with a final thud.
A long silence followed.
"…You know," Luke said suddenly, breaking the tension, "that Black Wraith guy? He's not someone to mess with."
"What do you mean?" Keain asked, narrowing his eyes.
"He's dangerous. Not just 'strong' dangerous. He knows things... things that aren't from this world."
Prince Keain narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say? Not from this world?"
Luke nodded without hesitation, arms crossed. "Yeah. That Black Wraith guy you're so interested in… he's a man from another world. Different from this one. Far more advanced than us."
Keain turned his whole body toward him, stunned. "How do you know that?"
"We fought," Luke said, tapping the side of his head. "Remember? Back at the school's underground arena?"
"Uh… yeah, yeah. So how can you be certain he's from another world?"
Luke slowly turned his head to face him, eyes sharp. "Because I am too."
Silence.
Keain didn't speak. He just stared. But Luke went on, calm but firm.
"I'm a reincarnator. Just like that bastard. Both of us came from the same world… same era. Earth."
Keain blinked. But what struck him more than the words was the way Luke said them. His voice had a hard edge—sharp, bitter. Like the memory of the Black Wraith clawed at something deep in him.
"You… knew him?" Keain asked carefully.
Luke sighed, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. "Yeah. We go way back. Mortal enemies. He was a slippery terrorist, a pain in the ass. The guy's the type who'd blow up a lab and vanish like smoke before we even show up."
Keain's jaw tightened slightly. Luke's tone wasn't just annoyed—it was personal. Heavy with something he hadn't said yet.
"And you?" Keain asked.
Luke looked him in the eye and smirked, though there was no humor in it. "Me? I was Black Ops. They called me a hero… for saving lives. For cleaning up his messes. I was famous for that, back home."
Keain still didn't say a word. He just stood there, listening. Letting Luke talk.
Then Luke frowned. "You're not surprised."
Keain tilted his head. "Why should I be?"
Luke scoffed. "No 'are you telling the truth?' No panic?"
Keain just shrugged. "It explains a lot. Why you were always… different. Smarter. Stronger. Even as a kid, you weren't like anyone else in this realm. I noticed."
Luke chuckled under his breath. "So I didn't have to convince you after all. That's a relief."
Keain leaned against the balcony railing, arms crossed.
"You really hate him, don't you?"
Luke's grin didn't reach his eyes.
"Hate?" He let out a hollow chuckle. "Back on Earth, we were enemies long before this world got involved."
Keain frowned. "Enemies? What do you mean?"
Luke turned, eyes flicking toward the dark horizon.
"They called me a hero where I came from. Government dog, maybe. I did what had to be done."
He glanced back at the prince. "And Rowan? They labeled him a terrorist. A killer with a cause. Said he was fighting for the people, but bodies still pile up the same."
Keain stiffened. "You think he's dangerous?"
Luke's tone turned colder.
"I know he is. He talks about protecting people, but every time he shows up, things burn. And somehow, he always walks away."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"I'm just saying, Your Highness… don't fall for that fake smile. I've seen what's behind it. He might've fooled this world into giving him the 'hero' title, but I won't let him do here what he did back home."
Keain's eyes narrowed. A seed of doubt planted.
Luke smiled. Not the warm kind. The calculating kind.
"This time, I'll make sure the real hero wins."
Keain stepped closer. "So… what now? What's your plan about him?"
Luke's expression darkened again. "I need to find him. And kill him. That's that."
"Easier said than done. Where do you even begin looking?"
Luke grinned as he gave Keain a wink. "Sit back, my friend. I have my ways."
Keain raised a brow. "You always do."
"Oh, and one more thing," Luke added, his voice lower now. "If we're doing this… I should probably tell you my real name."
Keain raised an eyebrow again.
Luke looked him dead in the eye.
"They used to call me… Hunter Solomon."
To be continued....