As the day began, the sun peeked through the trees, its golden light warming the dew-covered grass of Foxy village. Birds chirped as the usual buzz of life in the morning returned. However, sensing that something was different, I focused my attention inward. It was subtle, but some tension was present in the air. It was the type that made the wind careful.
At the training grounds, Aura found himself once again facing the two ogres he had defeated the day before.
They weren't scowling now, nor puffing out their chests. Instead, they were kneeling. Heads bowed, arms resting on their legs.
"I… what are you doing?" Aura asked, baffled.
One of them looked up. "We lost to you in fair battle. That means you're our boss now."
Aura blinked. "Boss?"
"In our culture, if an ogre is beaten by someone of equal or lower level, we become their subordinates. It's a matter of pride."
Aura took a step back. "But I don't need subordinates…"
The ogres remained unmoved. "Still, we will follow you. It's not about what you want—it's about what is."
Before the awkward silence could stretch any further, their homeroom teacher, Gorrak, walked over, arms crossed. The orc-wolflin's broad shadow cast over the trio.
"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice a mix of gravel and authority.
"They're trying to follow me," Aura mumbled.
Gorrak sighed. "Ogre pride. Can't say I'm surprised. You two—get up. Save the loyalty talk for later. We've got training to do."
The ogres obeyed instantly, moving to stand beside the others.
"You too, Aura. You're not special enough to skip laps."
The boy nodded quickly, falling into step with the rest of the class.
They started running. Ten full laps under the watchful gaze of Gorrak. The training ground was wide, and after just a few laps, many of the students were gasping for air.
Aura ran with light steps, not fast, not slow, just steady. He didn't enjoy running, but something about pushing his body made him feel alive. After the laps came sparring—one-on-one mock fights. Aura was paired with one of the ogres again, though this time the big guy barely tried to hit him. Instead, he seemed more focused on defending and taking instructions.
Still, it was training. And Aura gave it his all.
Back at the village, things were far from calm.
Lily sat near the entrance of the elder hall, pacing back and forth. Her nerves were worn thin, and it showed. Then a scout came running through the gate, his clothes torn, one arm bleeding.
"Lily!" he called out, stumbling toward her.
"What happened?" she rushed to him, grabbing his shoulders.
"It's… it's the goblins," he said between gasps. "We went to explain the delay… but they captured two of us. Killed them in front of me."
Lily froze, her hands tightening. "And you escaped?"
"They let me go. Told me to return with a message."
"What message?"
"They're declaring war. In five days, they'll come for the village."
Lily didn't say anything for a long moment. Her fingers trembled, but her eyes were steady. She turned, calling out, "Summon the elders. And the Queen."
By midday, a war council had gathered. Elders sat in a circle, their faces grave. Queen Elowen stood at the head, her presence commanding, even in silence.
Lily took a deep breath and spoke. "We have to do something. The goblins are coming. Two of ours are dead. We must reach out to the Royal Academy."
"No," the Queen said firmly. "The Academy doesn't get involved in village battles. They have business ties with goblins and foxes alike. If they took sides, it would disrupt everything."
"Even if it means we're slaughtered?" Lily asked, frustration in her voice.
"They won't help," the Queen repeated. "We're on our own. Prepare the defenses. Train the young. Rally the warriors."
The meeting continued as strategies were discussed. Fortify the gates. Prepare the scouts. Alert allied villages.
War was no longer a possibility. It was a certainty.
Meanwhile, Aura had no idea what was going on back home. He was still at school, finishing his afternoon training. After an hour of drills, his body was sore, his clothes stuck to him from sweat. But something unusual happened just as he finished sparring.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[System Update]
Attack: +1
HP: +3
Defense: +1
Mana: +3
Aura's eyes widened. "Training gave me a stat boost?"
[Yes,] the system replied. [You're special. Unlike others, your body adapts faster through consistent effort.]
Aura tilted his head. "So every day I train, my stats increase?"
[Not exactly. Stats will now increase every two days. After that, the next upgrade will happen after four days, then six, eight… The gap will widen.]
Aura thought for a moment. "But it has to be at least two hours a day, right?"
[Correct,] the system confirmed. [Anything less won't count.]
He nodded slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That means I have a way to grow stronger. Even if it's slow, I'll take it."
By the time Aura returned to the village, the sun had already begun to dip. As he walked through the streets, he noticed something different. Guards were everywhere, weapons ready. Conversations were whispered. Faces looked tense.
Something had happened.
When he reached home, Kael stood outside the house, giving instructions to a group of armored foxes.
"Aura!" Kael said, forcing a smile when he saw him. He walked over quickly, picking him up. "Let's get inside."
Aura frowned. "What's going on?"
Kael didn't answer until they were inside. Lily was already waiting. Her face said it all.
Kael set Aura down and looked him in the eyes. "There's something we need to tell you."
Aura's chest tightened. "What is it?"
Lily knelt in front of him, her voice calm but heavy. "The goblins are coming. They've declared war. We have five days to prepare."
Aura didn't speak. He simply stared, trying to make sense of the words.
"Why?" he asked finally.
"Because we stood up to them," Kael said. "Because we tried to protect what was ours."
Aura looked down. He was still just a child—but in that moment, he felt something stir deep inside him. A spark.
"I want to help," he said quietly.
Lily smiled gently, though her eyes shimmered with worry. "One day you will, little one. But for now, just stay safe."
Aura nodded. But inside, he made a quiet promise.
He would train harder. Get stronger. And when the time came—he would protect them all.