I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

"Alright." My voice was calm.

I met all of their gazes. "You guys probably have questions."

"And I think it's time to answer them."

A hush fell over the group. Under the dim glow of the lights, I could see their expressions clearly. No one spoke. They just waited for me to complete my words.

Aria and Julius exchanged glances. Anna, on the other hand, simply stared at me. Out of the three, she was the only one who already knew. She had seen it firsthand that the truth I was about to reveal to them.

I took a slow breath. "What I'm about to say… it might change things."

My fingers twitched slightly at my sides. Even Sera, who always had something to say, remained silent in my head.

Then, without another word, I raised my right hand. A small ember flickered to life at my fingertips, casting a warm glow that illuminated half my face.

Aria's eyes narrowed. "Fire? That's not—"

Before she could finish, I lifted my left hand. A cool breeze curled around my fingers, forming a swirl of wind.

Julius took a step forward. "Wait a damn second…"

With a simple motion, I clenched both hands into fists. The fire and wind disappeared—replaced by a tiny sphere of water, spinning rapidly above my palm.

Aria's eyes widened. "That's… water essence?"

I nodded. "Yes. And that's not all."

A faint tremor rippled through the ground beneath us. Cracks formed at my feet as I channeled Earth Essence. The stone shifted, responding to my will.

"Earth essence…" Julius's voice cracked.

Anna sucked in a breath. "Multiple elementals…?" Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "You can control more than one?"

Julius ran a hand through his hair, looking completely thrown off. "You're kidding, right? That's not possible. The known theories restrict—"

"I know." I cut him off. "It shouldn't be. But here I am."

Aria's gaze sharpened. "That means… you've been hiding your strength this whole time."

"Correct." My voice was steady. "And now you know."

Julius's face became sweaty, his expression was a mix of disbelief and envy. "This is insane. You know you could be at the top of this kingdom if you revealed all of this…!"

I exhaled slowly, then looked at all three of them. "That's exactly why I need you to keep this a secret."

Anna and Aria stiffened, while Julius narrowed his eyes.

"And I mean it," I continued. "No one else can know."

Julius frowned. "Why?"

I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Just know that… if this gets out, my family's life is on the line."

Silence fell over.

Everyone froze. Julius's eye's locked met mine, as if he was trying to find a trace of tiny hesitation in me. But in reality, there was none.

His fingers curled into a fist before he slowly exhaled. "Alright. We won't tell anyone." He placed a hand over his chest. "I swear it on my name."

Aria and Anna exchanged glances before nodding.

"You can trust us," Aria said.

Anna crossed her arms. "Your secret is safe.

Lightly forming a smile, I spoke.

"Good."

'It felt great right?' Sera spoke, her words felt extremely warm in my head.

'It does.' I said.

My heart felt light this moment, as if I had been released from a crushing weight. The burden I had carried alone for so long now felt just a little easier to bear. All my worries faded away, even if just for this moment.

I glanced at the three of them standing before me—the people whom I call my friends, I had only recently met them, yet somehow, the bond we had built felt deeper than time could ever explain. It's really strange for me.

May be I'm changing over time, and to be honest this felt great.

Trust wasn't something I gave easily to anyone, yet here I was, standing before them, sharing a truth I had kept hidden from even my parents. And they… they accepted it without hesitation.

'Cherish them.'

A lump formed in my throat. I had fought, struggled, and survived alone for so long that I had almost forgotten what it felt like—to not be alone. To have people willing to stand beside me, no matter what.

I watched as the three of them discussed about my multi-elemental abilities, it felt little embarrassing to hear... but I let it pass.

"This is insane," Julius muttered. "I mean, come on! Ice, Fire, wind, water, and earth? You're basically a walking disaster."

Anna's eyes sparkled. "No, no, think about it! The sheer potential—imagine the combos! Zane, do you even realize how overpowered you are?"

Aria folded her arms. "...and here I thought I had you figured out."

They are basically swarming me with all their glazing. Watching them, I couldn't help but smile.

As time went on, surprisingly, they didn't ask me the obvious questions—how I could wield all five elements or what it felt like. And for that, I was grateful.

The conversation gradually shifted from my powers to my sword skills.

Aria was the first to speak. "Who taught you your sword style?"

Everyone's gaze turned to me.

For the first time, I found myself at a loss for words. The sword art I used wasn't just any style—it was something my master had taught me. My master, who happened to be Aria's mother.

Of course, she would recognize it instantly.

Just my rotten luck.

Can't able to find the appropriate answer, I asked for help to Sera.

'Hey Sera, What do I do?'

'Don't you dare tell her, that her mother was the one who taught you that.' She suggested.

'Yeah, I know. I am not dumb.'

'I doubt that.'

'So... what should I tell her?' I genuinely asked her.

'At this point, just throw your usual lame excuses at them... they will understand.'

"..."

I didn't understood any of the things Sera was trying to convey.

'What do you mean—'

'Just do what I say.'

"Zane...?" Aria interrupted. "What happen?"

I hesitated, "Nothing." I shook my head.

Currently, I was in a process of creating a solid, believable answer for her question, and soon enough, I finally came up with a brilliant one.

Deciding on it, I looked at Aria, and with a calm voice I answered her. "I learned it on my own."

Everyone frowned.

"Own your own?" Aria narrowed her eyes.

Julius raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me you mastered a sword style like that... without a teacher?"

Anna crossed her arms. "That doesn't sound very believable. But.... Meh! Who cares."

I forced a chuckle. "Well, I had references. Observing skilled swordsmen, experimenting on my own, reading more than hundreds books, and countless hours of practice. That's all there is to it."

Sera groaned in my head. **'That was the lamest excuse I've ever heard.'**

_'It's better than nothing.'_ I shot back internally.

Aria didn't press it further. Instead, she let out a soft sigh and muttered, "I see."

I exhaled, feeling relieved.

'A success.'

'You are an idiot.' Sera shot back.

Ignoring her, I checked the time on my wristband. It was past 10 P.M.

As if reading my mind, Anna pointed out, "It's late... we have class tomorrow."

Julius blinked, then let out a groan. "Oh! I didn't even notice the time… Alright, you guys, we seriously need to go."

With that, we exchanged goodbyes, and the three of them headed off toward Celestial Hall—the dorm reserved exclusively for single-digit rankers.

I watched them disappear into the distance before turning on my heel and making my way to my own dorm.

***

—Clank.

Shutting the door behind me, I entered my room. Changing into something light, I sat down on the sofa.

Sigh…

I exhaled a long sigh. Today had been one heck of a hectic day. Sometimes, I wondered if my time at the Hero Association had been less messy than my current situation. Gods, Apostles, Deities, Authority Holders, and Demons…

I really had mixed feelings about all of this.

"Heh." A quiet chuckle escaped my mouth.

"I pity myself."

'Now, now, I told you before to forget about the past and the future, and just live in the present, didn't I?' Sera spoke.

"~Aye, aye, my dear queen." I said sarcastically.

"Anyways, thanks, Sera. I think telling them was a good idea after all."

'…Hehe, told you it would work out.'

One problem was down. Now, what remained was gathering as much information as possible about Authority Holders, Gods, and Demons. That would be my main focus.

I wouldn't make any unnecessary moves unless I got a solid grasp of everything. And for that to happen, I needed to talk to Nathalia.

My gaze shifted to my wrist, where a tattoo was imprinted—proof of the contract between Nathalia and me.

"I'm tired." My eyelids felt heavy. I hadn't gotten any proper sleep.

'Rest is necessary. You can contact Nathalia tomorrow if you want,' Sera suggested.

Guess I'd do just that.

Countless obstacles lay ahead of me, and maybe… just maybe, the struggle would be worth it in the end.

"...I have to make changes to my plans."

A/N: Sorry for the 1 ch/day updates—I've been busy moving houses. I'll be back to posting two chapters a day in 2–3 days. Thanks for reading! (PS: This A/N won't increase the chapter price, as it was added after I uploaded the chapter.)