Zero to Hero: A High Fantasy Harem Romance LitRPG

"Ugh..." It felt like someone had driven an ice pick into my eye. My head was killing me.

For a few minutes, I just sat there and breathed, focusing my entire being on ignoring the splitting in my skull. When the pain started to subside, I opened my eyes and found the blue sky overhead.

That was good.

I blinked a few times, then took the world in.

Was I in a field?

All around me, long, thin grass was swaying in the warm eastern breeze. In the distance, to the north, based on the direction of the Great Tower, there was a thick clump of trees.

Doing my best to wipe the stars from my eyes, I sat up and shook my head, but that didn't do much besides make my head spin violently. Closing my eyes again, I did my best to ground myself.

"That sucked." The second the words left my lips, a wave of nausea hit me. Another second later, the meager contents of my stomach were painted across the grass in front of me.

"Mmm..." Someone's voice murmured beside me.

Turning, I saw that Tristan was face down in the grass a few paces away.

"Tris?"

"Goddess..." Her eyes opened, she rolled over, and grabbed her forehead. After a few moments, she sat up and rubbed her temples. "You're not good at that."

I snorted. "Not even a little." Another wave of nausea washed over me. I did my best to push it down. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Aside from her face being a little pale, she seemed okay. "Have you been up long?"

"A couple of minutes."

"How are Vral and Farvad?"

Shit.

Wobbling to my feet, I spun in a circle and looked high and low for them, but they were nowhere in sight. "Why the hell didn't they come with us?"

Tristan tried to stand, but before she could make it to her feet, she wobbled and fell to a knee.

Holding my hand out for her, I said, "Here. I've got you."

"Thank you, love." She took my hand and allowed me to guide her up. When she was standing, she steadied herself for a moment before letting go. "I can't imagine they're far from here."

After looking around again, I wasn't so sure. "Vral!" My voice echoed through the field.

Nothing.

"Vral!"

No response.

"Damn it!" I stomped the ground, causing my headache to come back with a vengeance. That just pissed me off even more. "I shouldn't have used [Recall]! I just knew something like this was going to happen!" And now they were lost who knew where, and we had no way of finding them!

Tristan stepped toward me and placed a hand on my chest. "Alex, calm down. It's going to be okay. They can't be too far away, and you're new to that skill. Just like your inventory, it's going to take time and practice before you master using it."

"Yeah..." My jaw clenched so hard my teeth squeaked. "You're right." My blood boiled.

Her sapphire eyes searched mine. "What is that?"

"What is what?"

"That feeling you're feeling."

Stupid roots. "I'm just frustrated, is all."

"Frustrated? About what?"

There was no use in hiding it. I took a breath and spoke. "Being chosen comes with a lot of pressure. I think it's getting to me."

Her eyes softened. "Who's pressuring you?"

"Me. And Faye. But mostly me." The fire inside of me died a little.

"Well, there's a simple solution for that, now isn't there?"

"Yeah..." I lightly kicked a stick. "I just don't always feel like I'm cut out for all of this, you know?"

She smiled a soft, loving smile and stepped into me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she pulled me so that our bodies were connected and whispered, "No one, not Faye, not me, not Vral or Na-Ya or Ro-Saleh, not even the Goddess herself, expects you to be more than you are. You're enough. Chosen or not, you don't have to be anything but you. Plus, anything you still need to learn, you'll learn by doing." With her index finger, she booped my nose. "Just give it time, you silly man. You don't have to rush things."

First Vral, and now Tristan. Why did they have to be so loving? Let me wallow in my self-pity and imposter syndrome, damn it!

"Yeah, I know. I guess I'm just worried about the quest coming up and taking it out on myself. I don't feel like we're ready."

"We will be. And if there's something we're missing, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, and we'll persevere like we always do."

She was right. "When did you get so wise?"

"Oh, you know. I've watched an incredibly handsome man overcome every challenge that's been thrown at him these past three years. It's given me perspective and a whole lot of confidence."

I exhaled. The fire in my heart went out. "I guess I need to stop doubting myself, huh?"

She stood up on her toes and kissed me. "You're allowed to have doubts. They're important. But don't stop believing in yourself, or us."

Between Vral's support and Tristan's confidence, I knew I'd gotten what I needed for the next step of our journey. "I'll do my best."

"I know you will." She kissed me again. "But, as a little suggestion, magic feeds on your thoughts. Those include your doubts. Next time, try and clear your head before using [Recall], alright?"

"I can try that." I didn't really know how magic worked. I'd always just used the skills. I never realized they could be more complicated.

"Alex! Tris!" Vral's voice called from behind us.

Turning, I saw her and Farvad marching toward us. Vral seemed mostly fine, even if her hair was a mess, but Farvad looked absolutely shaken.

"You're a real chosen," The gnome muttered when they got close. "A real-life chosen!" Blowing past my personal bubble, he grabbed my wrist, pulled a magnifying glass out from who knows where, and began inspecting my palm. "Interesting... Interesting..." He scratched at his beard.

"What are you seeing, old man?" Vral came close and looked at my palm alongside the old alchemist."

"Absolutely nothing." He turned my hand over and inspected my knuckles. "He appears to be completely normal from the outside."

"Tch. Stupid gnome." Vral glared at Farvad before looking up at me. "What happened?"

"I need to practice." I placed my hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little scrambled. Oh, and you plopped me in a bush, you asshole!" She smacked my breastplate.

"Sorry about that."

She glared for a moment longer before her face split into a grin. Patting my thigh, she said, "That's okay. When I came to and pulled myself out of the bush, I found Farvad dangling from a tree branch. That made it all better."

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Farvad was poking at my elbow. "The view was quite pleasant. I'd like to go back, if you all don't mind."

"You're not a damn bird, gnome!"

"I could be one."

Vral's eyes nearly rolled out of her head.

Pulled away from the crazy old man, I asked, "Everyone ready for take two?"

"Yes," Tristan said, grabbing my hand. "You've got this."

"Damn right I do." I was starting to get my fire back.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Vral grabbed my hand next. "And make it flashy. I want everyone back at the temple to swoon over our incredible entrance."

"Done." I grinned at Vral. "Farvad?"

"Absolutely not." Farvad put his magnifying glass away. "One attempt was quite enough for me, thank you very much. I'll be walking from... wherever we are."

"Nah uh. You're not going anywhere." Vral grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "You're about to see the world's newest and greatest chosen perform a miracle. Show some damn respect."

"No!" The gnome tried to pull free, but Vral was far stronger than he was.

"Farvad, he'll get it this time. I promise." Tristan grabbed his other hand. "Plus, this time we'll be standing in a circle and holding hands. That's probably what messed with the skill the first time." I appreciated the little lie she offered to him. She was helping me save face and keeping him from crashing out at the same time.

"Yeah, it was your damn fault for not holding onto both of our hands." Vral tugged the gnome closer. "Get your act together, you scrub."

Farvad's eyes lowered. "Sorry, ladies."

I looked at the girls and felt a wave of emotion wash over me. My life was the best.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing down the last of my nausea, I imagined Light's Hope Temple again and activated the skill for the second time.

[Recall]

Lightning flashed overhead. The sky split, thunder boomed in my eyes, and an instant later, the world bent, and we were gone.

***

"Alex! Tristan! Vral!" Na-Ya was shouting up at us from the temple's courtyard. "How'd you all get up on the roof?"

"Alex was trying to make a big statement after finishing another quest!" Tristan called down to her cousin.

"Well, you certainly did that, brother." Ro-Saleh had a half-grin plastered on his face.

"You know me." Why couldn't we have landed in the courtyard?

"A quest?" Na-Ya looked confused. "Did you already go to Embermist, or did something else come up?"

"Something else. I'll explain it when we get down." But how exactly were we going to do that?

Farvad cackled beside me. "This is an even better view than the tree from before!" Looking at me with all of the crazy burning in his eyes, he shouted, "Is it time to take to the skies, my chosen friend?!"

"Uh, no." I shook my head, which brought back my headache. However, this trip was far less nauseating than the last one, and everyone arrived in the same spot without passing out, so that was something.

Ro asked, "Can you all get down?"

"Uh..." I looked around. I'd never been on the roof of the temple before. Someone needed to come up here and deal with all the mildew. "Is there a ladder anywhere?"

"Yeah. The rear of the temple has some bricks you can use to climb down. Meet me on the other side. I'll guide you all down." He waved and began walking to the north.

Wanting to gauge how everyone felt about Ro's plan, I looked at the girls, who were already walking toward the rear of the temple, then turned to Farvad, who'd started strutting around the roof with long, lunging steps and flapping his arms like they were wings.

This would be fun.

***

"You mean to say that the gnome is the same alchemist you two have been searching for all this time?" Mother Varga's aged face was perfectly serene as she spoke to us from across a large table in the scriptorium. Arden was sitting to her left, stroking his silver beard. Renard was on her right, his face as stoic as always.

"I believe so." I nodded. "And I'm pretty sure the Goddess verified it when she closed out our quest."

"That's as conclusive of evidence as any." Lady Varga nodded. "Excellent work, Alex."

Hell yeah.

"Where's he been hiding?" Renard's voice rumbled throughout the scriptorium.

"He's been in Fairbrook all this time." Thinking about how much time we wasted looking for him in Galden made me want to scream. Resisting the urge, I instead sighed and said, "I don't know why my [Pathfinder's Map] didn't show him out there. I've put those old letters of his on the map at least a dozen times since we got back here, but nothing ever showed up. I know there's a time limit, but damn. It sure would have made things easier knowing he wasn't in Galden anymore."

"I've been to Fairbrook a dozen times since we first learned about the Hands of the Fallen's activities in the region. It's frankly shocking to me that he so easily avoided my notice."

"My old friend, you know as well as I do that all things happen as they should." Lady Varga reached out and took Renard's hand. Squeezing it, she continued. "It wasn't your place to find him, so you didn't. Now that Alex and Tristan are ready, he has been found."

Renard nodded. "You're right, mother. Forgive me. Goddess be praised."

"There is nothing to forgive, my dear friend. I am simply reminding you of the truths we have both been forced to learn time and time again."

Renard inclined his head.

Arden leaned forward. "All that being said, he seems... a bit out of sorts. Is this something that can be fixed, or..." He left the other option unsaid.

Varga shook her head. "No, he is not broken. However, he is very sick." The high priestess' voice was heavy. "He would only have survived a few more months at most."

Arden looked at Lady Varga. "Sick? What kind of sickness confuses someone like that? It's as if his mind is shattered."

Almost imperceptibly, the high priestess's lips turned down. "He has contracted seven diseases, most of which I believe he contracted during his time living among rats of Fairbook. If we'd found him sooner, it would be easy enough to heal his ailments, but it's clear that he's been suffering from them for some time. I believe it will take significant efforts to heal his body. More still for his mind."

"I don't understand. There has to be more going on than diseases." Arden's voice was heavy.

Nodding, Varga said, "There is. He is suffering from the effects of at least three poisons that I don't recognize. I believe they are to blame for her fractured mind. In addition to those, I felt trauma lingering deep within his soul. However, I will not be able to address that until the other conditions are addressed."

As she was speaking, Tristan and Vral entered the scriptorium from the south and made their way to the table. Taking a spot on either side of me, they settled into their seats without saying anything.

"Is he resting?" Varga asked, looking at one, then the other.

"He is." Tristan shook her head. "After all the excitement of the day, he's very confused. So much so that he hardly remembers anything that happened."

"Yeah, and he bit me!" Vral crossed her arms and huffed. "So I bit him back."

I glared at her. "You didn't."

"Did I stutter?"

"He has like seven diseases."

"What?" Her face fell flat. Then, she gagged.

Lady Varga let go of Renard's hand and lifted her palm toward us. Chanting several words in the Goddess's tongue, three balls of light appeared on the tips of her fingers, detached, and floated through the air toward the three of us. When they reached us, they sank into our skin with a small burst of light and were gone.

I immediately felt more rejuvenated.

"What spell was that, mother?" Tristan's brows were knitted.

"[Cleanse]. After touching him as much as you have, the three of you may have contracted at least one of the diseases he's currently afflicted by. My spell will fix that."

"Fucking gross." Vral wiped her hands on her pants.

"You just bit him!" I glared at her again.

"I didn't know he was sick!"

Varga laughed softly. "The ones who need us the most often can harm their caregivers without intending to." Lady Varga's eyes settled on Tristan. "Before you leave on your next quest, I'd like you to learn the spell I just cast. I believe it will both help you on your journey and be of help in your efforts to assist the infirm."

"Yes, mother." Tristan bowed her head. "Of course."

Looking at me, Arden asked, "Do you have any idea what he could have been working with?"

"Yeah, I do. He mentioned something about Shadowroot and Dark Lord's Blood. Both of them are apparently rare and difficult to work with. He's convinced he's the only one who could have made anything out of them."

"Hmm." He pulled out paper, ink, and a quill and scribbled on the page. "I don't know anything about those. I'll have to look through the archives and see if anything comes up."

That reminded me of something. Reaching into my inventory, I pulled Farvad's journal out. I'd snagged it when he almost fell off the side of the temple. When I caught him, the book slipped out and fell to the ground. When he didn't recognize it once we reached the ground, I figured it would be better if I kept it.

Reaching forward, I handed the small book to the scholar. "Arden, you should have this."

Arden took the journal and opened its pages. After reading through several, he closed the book and said, "I think this might be written in a cipher. I'm sure I can decode it, given time."

"Perfect. Thanks, Arden."

"This reminds me of the dwarf woman's journal. The cipher is different, but it feels similar."

"Farvad and Dorit knew one another, and they both worked with the cult." The dwarf blacksmith Dorit gave me her journal before she died. She said it contained all of her methods for creating the black blades we found down in Galden. "Maybe by translating and referencing both journals, we could find out something important."

Nodding, Arden said, "I'll make sure to do that."

"Thank you for bringing Farvad here, my children." Lady Varga stood. "For now, we will monitor him and begin treatment. He's in good hands. In the meantime, please continue on to Goodfield. This time of rest will be important, and I'm certain that Nivan and Nel will appreciate your helping them with their little issue. When you return, we will have finished developing the rest of your training plan until you leave for Embermist Keep, so rest up and enjoy yourselves."

Tristan, Vral, and I stood.

"Yes, mother." Tristan bowed her head.

I did the same. "Of course. We'll be back soon."

Vral crossed her arms. "As long as I don't have to sit on another pillow all day."

Varga smiled. "I have other ideas for how to help you achieve your breakthrough, little one."

Looking at me, her red eyes wide, Vral asked, "Uh, did she just threaten me?"