I WAS The Rank–1 Hero Chapter 1: The last Mission [1]

Even the mightiest hero fall, but it's what they do afterward that defines them.

It's sothing my ntor always said.

Back then, I didn't really understand what she ant by it.

How could I?

I an, co on—I was only 17.

But now...

Everything in my life changed.

After... I t him.

***

"If it's you, sir Hope, then this mission won't even take half a day." A voice ca from my earpiece.

Haah..

'When will they learn.'

What am I, their god?

They expect too much from .

Everywhere I go, people worship like I'm their god.

"Oh! You're so powerful!" "No one is stronger than you!" "The savior of humanity!" "The strongest hero known to mankind!" "The Rank 1 Hero!"

'Utter Bullshit.'

They don't know the blood, sweat, and tears I've poured into this journey.

'The strongest human ever known to mankind' —that title didn't co easy. And trust on this, no one in the next hundred years will co close to earning it.

What about the Rank - 2 Hero, you ask?

"Heh."

Not. Even. Close.

But enough about that. Let's get back to the mission.

As always, the Hero Association handed one of their 'impossible' tasks. A standard protocol for the Rank -1 Hero.

Sigh

"Let's begin."

I tapped on my wristband, and a glowing holographic screen appeared in front of , It resembled a blue transparent window:

Mission Details:

Mission Rank: SS

Task: Reclamation of [Flora Island]

Assigned Hero Na: [HOPE]

Hero Rank: 01

"I'm in position, confirming target location—over." I tapped on my earpiece and reported in.

A cold, emotionless voice responded, "Assistant Mary reporting. Location confird your coordinates are 0°24'34'' South, 78°35'40" East on [Flora Island]. Sir HOPE, you are cleared to proceed."

"Oh, it's Mary. Been a while, how have you been?" I asked.

"Position confird. Current location verified. Sir HOPE, please proceed with your mission."

I smirked. "Still all business, huh? That's why you're still single."

"Sir HOPE, the president is monitoring your move."

My smile faded.

'Fuck! Just my rotten luck.'

Sigh....

"I'm proceeding with the mission."

The atmosphere in [Flora Island] was different.

The wind across the island carried a mournful tone that echoed through the dense forest.

The towering cliffs lood over the raging ocean, where all the waves slamd against the rocks, creating a thunderous cry.

The air around felt heavy and cold, and the atmosphere was unusually silent.

It was 7 p.m., but the sky was so dark that it felt, like it was midnight.

Thunder rolled into the distant sky, and rain fell relentlessly, making a hamring sound on the ground.

The chill was so piercing that it could freeze even an undead to its death.

Sothing was not right.

'It's too... quiet.'

"This is the right place, yeah?" I asked.

"Affirmative," Mary replied.

I stood at the edge of a cliff as I scanned the Island before .

The mission seed very simple: 'Reclaim the island from enemy forces.'

But the silence was bothering . It was just... too quiet, as if the island had been deserted for at least a decade.

"Heh, I guess, this might be my last mission," I said jokingly.

"Did you say sothing sir?"

"...No. Anyway, what am I fighting here? A [Ghoul]? A [Reaper]? Or maybe a [Fallen]?"

"It's [Wrath], sir."

My brow furrowed.

'Wrath?'

Monsters in this world ca in all shapes and ranks, each with unique abilities. And [Wrath] was a middle-tier monster, a threat, sure, but nothing a triple-rank hero couldn't handle.

"You're kidding, right? Then why is this mission ranked SS ? Wait... don't tell it's an army of [Wrath]?"

Even that didn't sit right.

A single Rank–10 Hero could take care of an army of [Wrath] easily. But sending , the Rank–1 Hero, to handle this was overkill.

I felt like sothing was off.

Was it a trap? A test? Or maybe sothing far worse?

'No ti to think.'

"Permission to use [Doombringer]," I ordered.

As these words left my mouth, a heavy weight settled on my chest.

I deduced, this wasn't just any regular mission.

Sothing is definitely off, sothing far bigger than I had ever anticipated.

And for the very first ti in years, I wasn't sure of myself, that I was ready.

End of Chapter.

[A/N]: The first couple of Chapters may seem to have so purple prose and long paragraphs in so places. (As when I started writing, I didn't know the aning of these.) Please bear with it for a bit, as of now I have started writing each paragraph shorter compared to before. I will keep editing the past Chapters when I get ti.