Chapter 1

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Five hundred years ago.

A single man saved the world from being consumed by evil forces.

The hero, Olean, was hailed as the strongest.

No enemy could stand against his overwhelming power.

Everyone thanked and revered the hero Olean.

However, people did not know that each time Olean used his power to save the world, his body was being eroded by darkness.

Olean, who continued to fight for the people, was eventually consumed by bottomless darkness, both in body and mind, transforming into a pitiful sight.

The end of Olean, who had become a monstrous being, is not recorded in any document—.

◇◇◇

"Useless as this waste of food!"

Spitting out saliva, my stepfather punched me.

In his eyes, there was anger, disappointment, and fifteen years' worth of resentment for my ingratitude.

I knew the reason.

At the age of fifteen, I had to undergo the [Blessing Appraisal Ceremony].

At that ceremony, I, Dio Bryce, was declared a 'useless one without a blessing.'

A blessing is a special ability given by the gods at birth, and the type of blessing determines the magic one can use.

Everyone in this world has magical power, but without an awakened blessing, one cannot use magic.

"Though I had heard that a blessing-less incompetent occasionally appears, this is no joke!!"

It seemed that one punch was not enough, as my stepfather lifted his short legs and kicked me multiple times.

Such violence was a daily occurrence, so I curled up as usual to protect my internal organs.

My short-tempered stepfather would resort to violence at the slightest provocation.

Since I was found abandoned in front of a poorhouse as a baby and taken in by this stepfather, I could not defy him.

The mortality rate in the poorhouse, where malnutrition and unsanitary conditions prevailed, was extremely high.

Compared to the future of certain death if I were sent back there, being beaten for no reason was still better.

My stepfather, knowing I could not resist, had continued to inflict violence on me, but fortunately, I was strong against pain.

Moreover, I had a thick nerve that allowed me to let harsh words pass through my mind without affecting me.

"Our Bryce family has produced excellent sages for generations...! I had hoped that my younger brother would be different since my eldest son was not up to the mark...!!"

Next to my stepfather, my eldest brother, Adam, shrugged.

Adam had already surpassed the age of eighteen, which is considered adulthood. However, he was not allowed to inherit the family name because his given blessing, [Weak Fire Mage], was mediocre.

My stepfather had thought that if my blessing was more valuable than Adam's, he would let me inherit the family.

"Dio, you have deeply disappointed me. I will not allow a blessing-less incompetent to bear the name of Bryce! From today, you are expelled from our family! Pack your things and leave immediately!"

In this Kingdom of Abel, the actions of those under eighteen are heavily restricted.

One needs a guardian's permission to find a job or stay at an inn.

The difficulties a fifteen-year-old would face in trying to survive on their own are unimaginable.

Moreover, I had never heard of a job that would hire a blessing-less incompetent.

I knew Adam wanted to inherit the family, and I had no intention of taking the family name from my legitimate eldest brother.

However, if I were expelled, I would undoubtedly end up wandering the streets and dying.

"Please wait, stepfather. Can you at least help me find a foster family or a place as a disciple?"

"At this point, you still rely on your parents...! You are shameless! Why should I care about your future? You should be grateful for the upbringing you received. Get lost, you failure!"

My stepfather spat on the ground in disgust.

From his attitude, it was clear that he would not listen to me.

"...I understand. Thank you for everything, stepfather."

I bowed my head and said this.

My stepfather did not even glance at me again.

◇◇◇

Sighing, I packed my belongings in my room.

Being expelled from the house was a problem, but the fact that I had no blessing was even more crushing.

Without a blessing, I could not become an adventurer.

Obtaining a qualification by using the ability granted by a blessing and passing the exam is the first condition to become an adventurer.

"If I can't become an adventurer, I won't be able to get a license to be a beastmaster either..."

Since I was a child, after being rescued by a rare-looking werewolf in the forest, I became a passionate fan of beasts and dreamed of working with them.

I did not spare any effort to become a beastmaster.

I trained my body and crammed my head with knowledge.

The fact that I had to give up on that dream because I had no blessing was painful.

"Kuun..."

Looking up at the bookshelf filled with books I had collected with all my might, my dog Lucy nudged my leg with her nose.

"...! Lucy!! What a good girl...! You're encouraging me, aren't you!?"

I hugged Lucy, whom I loved so much, without thinking.

"B, Baw!?"

"Ah, sorry. I got carried away with affection and hugged you too hard...!"

"B, bau..."

I loosened my grip but continued to hold Lucy, breathing in her scent.

"...Ah, I feel calm... All the bad things just fly away..."

I felt like a different person from the one who had been beaten by my stepfather with a dead look in his eyes.

Lucy, whom I had found in a garbage dump as a child, had always been by my side.

She felt more like family to me than my stepfather or stepbrother.

When I was expelled from the house, the first thing that came to mind was Lucy.

The elderly Lucy was hard of hearing and almost blind.

She was not in a condition to endure a long journey.

"Emma, the maid, will take care of her while I'm away. So there's no need to worry."

I really wanted to take Lucy with me.

But that would only cause her suffering.

"..."

I clenched my fist in frustration.

Emma was a very kind girl who had always taken care of Lucy.

So I could trust her with Lucy's care.

From now on, Lucy would live in the building where the servants lived, so there was no risk of her being seen and expelled by my father.

My father had never shown any interest in Lucy, and it was doubtful whether he even knew I had a dog.

I knelt down and looked Lucy in the eye.

Lucy gazed at me with innocent eyes, her mouth slightly open.

Even as an old dog, her endlessly bright personality had not changed.

"If I manage to find a job and can support you, I'll come to get you in a carriage as soon as possible. Then we'll live together forever."

The chances of a minor without a blessing finding a job were almost zero.

Even with good luck, I would probably just scrape by with day labor.

I was destined to starve to death.

I could not subject the old dog Lucy to the suffering of not having enough food.

After hugging Lucy tightly one last time, I stood up to cut off my attachment.

"Lucy, stay healthy and live a long life."

◇◇◇

Without a blessing, it would be difficult to find a job in the city. Perhaps I should aim for a self-sufficient life in the mountains where the beasts live?

No, some beasts are aggressive and dangerous.

Without a blessing, I would be killed instantly.

What should I do to not give up on living with beasts?

Without an answer, I finished packing my few belongings and left the mansion. At the entrance, my stepbrother Adam signaled to me from the carriage.

"There won't be any jobs in a small town with just a temple. If you ride the carriage for half a day, you'll reach the port city of Garrett. I'll take you there."

I was honestly surprised.

Adam had always been harsh towards me, so I did not understand why he was suddenly being kind.

The reason I became a beast enthusiast—being rescued by a beast after being abandoned in the forest—was because I had been betrayed by Adam and left in the forest. Such harassment was a daily occurrence.

I had been beaten by my stepfather many times after being framed by Adam.

Because my stepfather often said, "The family will probably be inherited by Dio," Adam had always found my existence detestable.

What kind of change had occurred in Adam's heart?

Perhaps he was relieved that he would inherit the family, or maybe he felt sympathy because this might be our last meeting.

"What are you doing, Dio? Get in the carriage."

Looking back now, I was too naive at that time.

People do not change easily.

When a person who has acted like a scoundrel suddenly smiles and approaches, there is always an ulterior motive.

I did not understand this.

Confused, I tried to climb into the driver's seat next to Adam, but he pointed to the passenger side.

"You ride in the back. Father might be watching from the window. If it's known that I sent you in the family carriage, it will be troublesome."

Indeed, that made sense.

"Understood. I'm sorry for the trouble, stepbrother."

"Don't worry. I've suffered under that father too. I understand your pain."

Adam patted my shoulder as if to encourage me.

His attitude was so different from before that I did not know how to react.

I thanked Adam and got into the carriage.

The carriage started moving briskly, carrying me, who was bewildered by Adam's sudden kindness.

◇◇◇

—About half a day later.

The carriage stopped suddenly, as if to take a break.

The road had been bad for a while, so we were probably in the middle of a forest.

Is it safe to stop and rest in a forest where beasts might appear?

I stepped out, puzzled.

The place where the carriage had stopped was right next to a cliff.

The valley was so deep that the bottom could not be seen.

I did not think it was necessary to go through such a dangerous place to reach the port city.

Moreover, there was no proper road when I looked back.

"Stepbrother, are you lost?"

"Hey, Dio. Do you know? This place is called the [Abyss Valley]. Sometimes high-risk A-rank beasts appear from this valley, so the surrounding forest is designated as a no-entry zone. I wonder what's at the bottom of the cliff?"

Adam turned to me with a grin.

When he made that face, he looked just like my stepfather.

"This is the [Abyss Valley]..."

I knew about the [Abyss Valley] because I had studied to become a beastmaster.

As Adam said, it is a place that only qualified high-level adventurers dare to approach.

"...Why did you bring me here?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? To do this...!!"

Adam shouted and pushed me with all his might.

Of course, I was on guard.

But I never expected that someone I considered family would try to kill me.

That naivety became my downfall.

Losing my balance, I almost fell into the valley, but I managed to grab onto a crevice in the cliff.

"..."

Adam looked down at me, clinging to the cliff, with eyes as cold as when my stepfather declared my expulsion.

"To be honest, Dio, the appraisal result that said you were a 'blessing-less incompetent' was something I set up."

"...What?"

"I bribed the priest to say that no matter what the result, you had low ability and your blessing had not awakened. I couldn't let you take the position of successor."

"I never wanted the position of successor."

"Whether you wanted it or not, Father intended for you to take it! Besides, just looking at you makes me angry! No matter how much I hurt you, you remained calm and smug! You must have been laughing at me inside, right!"

While shouting accusations, Adam stepped on my fingers.

"Ku..."

"Hahaha! Does it hurt, Dio? But even if you try to hold on, it's meaningless. Your life ends here. So, be happy in the afterlife. See you!!"

Adam stomped on my fingertips with all his might.

"..."

It's no use.

I can't hold on.

Just before I fell, I saw Adam's distorted face laughing.

◇◇◇

I fell towards the bottom of the abyss at a tremendous speed.

My cheeks trembled.

I couldn't breathe properly.

The light from the ground grew distant.

Just as I braced for impact—

—Boyoyn.

"......Huh?"

I fell onto something soft and bouncy, and kept bouncing.

I don't know what it is, but I'm saved?

However, my relief was short-lived.

The soft ground suddenly began to shake.

"..."

This isn't ground.

It's a living thing.

I immediately jumped off the shaking ground.

"Guuooooo!"

I turned around at the sound of a growl.

Straining my eyes to see in the faint light from the ground, I saw the back of a huge beast covered in white fur.

I recognized this silhouette.

The beast manual I bought from an old bookshop.

The distinctive white-furred appearance was exactly like the one depicted in the illustrations.

This is... a high-risk A-rank beast, the Yeti.

"Unbelievable."

Those were the first words that came out of my mouth.

I lived in a safe area, so the beasts I usually encountered were mostly F-rank to D-rank.

This was the first time I had ever seen a high-risk A-rank beast.

"The impact is incomparable to what I saw in the manual...! Amazing... It's incredible...!"

Since I was a child, I rarely showed any emotion, and my stepfather often called me a creepy kid.

I was aware that my emotions were thin.

But when it came to beasts, I would forget myself and get excited.

Indeed, I was so excited that I had forgotten the situation I was in.

"Because it's a real Yeti... It's impossible not to be moved."

The higher the risk level, the greater the danger to the one who encounters it.

An A-rank beast is so dangerous that ordinary adventurers cannot stand against it.

Still, I was happy to have met one.

"By the way, I used your belly as a cushion. Sorry. Did you get hurt?"

The Yeti slowly turned around, making a creaking sound.

"......Eh?"

When I faced the Yeti, I was shocked to the core.

"...What's wrong with it?"

The Yeti's arms, belly, and face were covered with small, round holes, from which oozed a thick, pus-like substance.

Its rotten eyeballs hung down to its jaw, and in the empty sockets, something black wriggled.

It took a few seconds to realize that they were maggots.

"..."

I felt a chill run down my spine.

This Yeti's body was decaying and being devoured by maggots.

"Uguuuggaaa..."

The Yeti, emitting a voice mixed with anger and pain, stretched its hands towards me.

The liquid flowing from its melting skin hit the ground, releasing a foul smell and white smoke.

"Guooooooaaa!"

The Yeti roared and swung its fist.

I barely managed to dodge the attack, but the ground where it hit was gouged out.

"Yeti, I don't