Empoy woke up to the sound of chickens arguing. Or maybe it was the wind. He didn't bother checking.
Today was going to be a quiet day. No dungeons, no monsters, no heroics. Just:
Fix broken lamps.
Patch the guild roof (again).
Tinker with scraps and leftover magical components.
Perfect.
Morning Tinkering
Empoy sat outside his shack, a small table covered in scraps, wires, and faintly glowing mana-thread.
He muttered to himself:
If I connect this coil to the mana-thread… hmm… maybe it'll store energy like a miniature battery…
He poked at a small device. Sparks flew harmlessly. A tiny light flickered. He nodded.
"Not bad," he said. "If I ever need a discreet zap to scare off a rat… or a goblin… I'm ready."
A villager passed by. "Morning, Empoy! Working on… uh… things?"
"Shh," Empoy whispered. "Top secret tinkering."
The villager nodded, suspicious but respectful. After all, Empoy always seemed to solve problems quietly, and the village had learned not to ask questions.
Guild Chaos (From Afar)
Meanwhile, the guild had assigned another adventurer party to the northern forest.
"Lowest rank extra isn't here today!" the receptionist exclaimed. "How can the village survive without him?!"
Empoy, inside his shack, muttered: "Survive? Don't worry… quietly, of course."
He peeked at his small mana-thread device. A faint smile crossed his face. If they needed him, he could "help" without making it obvious.
Village Mishaps
A group of children ran past, chasing a runaway chicken. One tripped and fell near Empoy's tinkering table.
"Careful!" Empoy said, but the child didn't notice.
He sighed, picking up a stray spark from his device. The small arc made the chicken jump straight into the coop.
The children stared. "Did you… just…?"
Empoy shrugged. "Quick reflexes. Totally normal."
The villagers watching from nearby whispered:
"He's quietly amazing…"
"Does he even try?"
"I think he's stronger than any official hero… quietly."
Empoy overheard faintly and muttered: "Exactly. Quiet. Keep it quiet."
Minor Monster Incident
Later, a tiny group of kobolds wandered into the outskirts of the village, likely hoping for an easy snack.
Empoy didn't move at first. He poked at a coil, adjusted a thread, and…
A faint electrical arc zapped along a hidden wire. The kobolds yelped, ran in circles, and tripped over each other before fleeing into the forest.
From a distance, the villagers cheered quietly. "Empoy… again…"
He didn't even look up. He was too busy assembling another device: a small lantern that could illuminate faint magic signatures without glowing too brightly.
Quiet life. Perfect.Accidental heroics? Optional.
Evening Reflection
As the sun set, Empoy sat cross-legged outside his shack, surrounded by scraps, coils, and faintly glowing threads.
Quiet life… peaceful village… tinkering…Perfect. Just the way I like it.
Lightning flickered across his fingertips as he tested a small device that could store a single burst of magical energy.
One day, I might have to use these… but not today. Today is quiet.
The villagers walked past, whispering:
"Empoy… the quiet one… strongest among us."
"He doesn't even want credit…"
"We should all just leave him alone. He's clearly busy."
Empoy smiled faintly, not even noticing the faint glow of awe in their eyes.
Quiet life. Just a little tinkering.That's all he wants.
And somewhere, in a faraway kingdom, the guild probably panicked again, wondering why the village was suddenly running smoothly… without anyone officially heroic there.