Selected Heroes: Adventure In The World of Althea
episode 1

I am an ordinary student who loves playing online games. One day, while I was playing my favorite game, suddenly my computer screen turned black and a voice said: "Welcome to the fantasy world, chosen hero!"

I was shocked and couldn't believe what was happening. I tried pressing the keys on the keyboard, but nothing worked. I felt like I was trapped inside a computer.

Shortly after, my computer screen changed again and displayed a beautiful view. I saw a magnificent city with tall buildings and shining towers. I also saw many strangely dressed people and magical creatures such as fairies, dragons, and unicorns.

I feel like I'm dreaming. I don't know how I got into this world. Is this a new online game that I have never played before?

Suddenly, I heard the same voice again: "The chosen hero, you have been summoned by the Goddess of Light to save this world from darkness. You are our only hope. Please come to the palace immediately and meet the Goddess of Light."

I was confused and scared. Who is the Goddess of Light? Why did he call me? What am I supposed to do?

I tried to figure out a way to get out of this world, but nothing worked. I felt I had no choice but to follow the voice's orders.

I walked towards the palace that looked majestic and luxurious. In front of the gate, I was greeted by two armed guards wearing armor. They bowed respectfully to me and said: "Welcome, chosen hero. We've been waiting for your arrival."

I feel weird and embarrassed. I'm not a hero of anything. I'm just an ordinary college student who likes to play online games.

I was brought into the palace and into the throne room. There, I saw a beautiful woman wearing a white dress and a golden crown. She had long blonde hair and shining blue eyes. She is the Goddess of Light.

He smiled at me and said: "Finally you come, chosen hero. I'm so happy to see you."

I don't know what to say. I could only look at him in amazement.

He continued: "You must be confused by what happened to you. Let me explain. You are one of the ten chosen heroes summoned from another world to save this world from the threat of the Dark Goddess."

I was surprised to hear his explanation. What does it mean to be called from another world? Am I not in the real world?

He answered my question: "You are now in a fantasy world called Althea, a place where magic and magical creatures exist. This world is in danger because the Dark Goddess wants to destroy it with her dark power."

I asked again: "Then why did you call me? What can I do to help?"

He explained again: "You are a chosen hero who possesses the power of light, one of the five basic elements in this world. The power of light is the only force that can resist darkness. You also have a natural talent for using magic and weapons."

I don't believe what he's saying. I have never felt the power of light in me. I also never learned magic or weapons.

He looked at the doubt on my face and said: "Don't worry, I will guide you and teach you how to use your strength. You're not alone. There were nine other chosen heroes who were also summoned from other worlds. They have the power of other elements such as fire, water, wind, and earth. You'll meet them later."

I am still confused and scared. I don't know if I can trust him or not. I don't know if I can complete this task or not.

He extended his hand to me and said: "Trust me, chosen hero. I need your help. The world needs your help. You are our only hope."

I saw her eyes filled with hope and trust. I felt something strange in my heart.

I hesitated, but I finally held her hand and said: "Alright, I'll try. I'll help you save the world."

He smiled broadly and said: "Thank you, chosen hero. You have made the right decision. Come on, let's start our adventure."

I nodded and followed his steps.

I don't know what's gonna happen next.

I just hope everything's gonna be okay.

I followed the Goddess of Light to another room within the palace. There, I saw an altar with a sparkling stone on it. The Goddess of Light said: "This is the Light Stone, the source of all the light forces in this world. I will give you the blessing of the Light Stone so that you can use your power better."

I asked: "Blessing? What'sthat?"

The Goddess of Light explained: "Blessing is a gift that can improve one's abilities or qualities. There were all sorts of blessings that the Light Stone could bestow, such as strength, speed, endurance, intelligence, or luck. You can choose the one blessing you want."

I feel confused. I don't know what blessing to choose. I don't know what would be useful for this adventure.

I asked again: "How do I choose a blessing?"

The Goddess of Light replied: "You just need to touch the Stone of Light and think about the blessing you want. The Light Stone will read your mind and give you blessings according to your wishes."

I asked again: "Are there any side effects or limitations of this blessing?"

The Goddess of Light shook her head: "None. This blessing will not harm you or diminish your strength. You can use this blessing anytime and as much as you want. But remember, this blessing can only be given once in a lifetime. So, choose wisely."

I nodded and approached the Light Stone. I felt a warm aura engulfing my body. I touched the Light Stone with my right hand and thought about the blessing I wanted.

I choose ...

I choose intelligence.

I want to be smarter and easier to learn new things. I thought it would be useful to deal with the challenges and puzzles I might encounter in this world.

When I touched the Light Stone, I felt something strange inside my head. I felt as if there was a lot of information and knowledge coming into my brain. I felt as if I could understand everything faster and easier.

I took my hand off the Light Stone and opened my eyes. I saw the Goddess of Light smile at me and said: “Congratulations, you have gained the blessing of intelligence from the Stone of Light. Now, you're becoming smarter than ever. You can also learn magic and Althea language more easily.”

I was surprised to hear his words. Am I really getting smarter? Is it true that I can learn magic and the language of Althea?

I tried to say some words in Althea language that I just heard from the Goddess of Light: “Thank you, Goddess of Light.”

The Goddess of Light was surprised and delighted to hear my words. He said: “Wah, you can already speak Althea language? Just incredible! You are indeed a great chosen hero.”

I blushed in embarrassment and said: “No, no. I'm still learning. I still have a lot of people who don't know.”

The Goddess of Light laughed and said: “Do not be inferior, chosen hero. You have great potential. I'm sure you can be an amazing hero.”

I feel happy and excited. I want to start my adventure soon.

I asked: “Goddess of Light, what is your name? I want to know more about you.”

The Goddess of Light smiled and said: “My name is .. hmm, actually I can't tell you my name right now. You'll find out later, in a special place. That place is my temple, the place where I live and pray. If you have a lot of time, you can stop there for a while. My temple is in the high mountains, to the north of the city. You can see it from far away, because my temple shines with a white light.”

I wonder about the name and the temple. I want to visit her one day.

I said: “Alright, I will try to visit your temple if I have the chance. Thank you for your blessings and guidance, Goddess of Light.”

The Goddess of Light nodded and said: “Sama-sama, the chosen hero. I hope you enjoy your adventures in this world. I will always support you from far away.”

He then took out a ring from his pocket and gave it to me. He said: “This is a communication ring, a tool that can be used to communicate with others who have the same ring. I'll give this ring to nine other chosen heroes. With this ring, you can talk to them anytime and anywhere. You can also see their location on the map inside this ring. Use this ring well, because it will be very useful for cooperation and coordination between you.”

I took the ring and put it on my right ring finger. I saw a small button on the side of the ring. I pressed the button and saw a small screen appear before my eyes. On that screen, I saw an Althea world map with several colored dots showing the locations of other chosen heroes.

I was amazed by the technology of this ring. I asked: “This is so cool. How does it work?”

The Goddess of Light explained: “This ring uses light magic to send and receive sounds and images. The ring also uses wind magic to connect the other rings. The ring also uses earth magic to detect the location and distance between the other rings. This ring is the result of the research and development that I did over the years.”

I was amazed by his explanation. She really is a great goddess.

I said: “You are truly amazing, Goddess of Light. You made all this yourself?”

The Goddess of Light smiled shyly and said: “Ah, don't praise me so. I'm just doing what I can to help you guys, chosen heroes.”

I feel admiration and respect for him.

He then said: “Alright, now is the time for you to go and meet other chosen heroes. They've been waiting for you at the rendezvous I've set before. That place was a vast meadow to the south of this city. You can see it from the window of this palace.”

I followed her gaze and saw a green meadow that looked beautiful in the sunlight.

I said: “Oke, I'll go there now.”

The Goddess of Light nodded and said: "Alright