Ashton sat on his chair as he stared at a blank space.
His mind was whirring with thousands of thoughts right now but nothing could make him recover from the shock of the life he just got.
Did the First Hero legit just talk to him? The Fist Hero? That Alexander Highdragon? That legendary man!? Did all of those seriously just happen?
He couldn't even tell what he was feeling right now. He's shocked, furious, surprised, confused, etc. One revelation after the other bombarded his unprepared mind today. It would take days for him to recover from this but right now, all he does is this...stare at a blank space.
'Seriously, why me!?'
Ashton whined inwardly. He doesn't get it. Why was he getting caught up with so many things that he'd rather not deal with?
First, there's what happened with City M which forced him to grit it out and crawl all the way back home. Then came the mysterious blueprints and that Demonic City with a Demon Prince in it.
And now, this!?
Seriously? Why him? All he wanted to do is to chill in this lifetime, study magic, have a small family, and die peacefully, that's about it. But why does fate doesn't seem to like that?
With his personality, there's no way he could stay quiet after hearing all of this. He couldn't let humanity continue suffering like this! Yet, doing something about it will be a lot of work and pressure for him!
Could he even handle that kind of responsibility? He's just 15 years old. Even if we combine his age from his previous life, he still doesn't that he'd be mature enough to handle this kind of burden.
A burden of an entire race, resting upon his shoulders? That's too much!
Still, it is lamentable...the fate of humanity is.
The cold truth still causes him to reel and wince. To think that Humans are being forced to raise one of theirs to be taken as a sacrifice just so that the many would be kept safe...
From a logical perspective, it's a wise choice, sacrificing one for the sake of many. But from a moral standpoint...it's ugly.
But what could humans do? None of them were strong enough to handle both the Celestials and Hypogeans! To ensure the longevity of their kind, they could agree to the pact and endure the humiliation.
If push comes to shove and Ashton was to be placed in their position, he would most likely do the same thing. He wouldn't like it of course. He would feel incredible guilt and it'd most likely eat him inside but it has to be done. He will endure the consequences if it means that he could buy time for the next generation to grow up.
This is why, even though he couldn't bring himself to wholeheartedly agree to the actions of the Morning Sun Federation, he couldn't bring himself to despise them. They did what must be done.
The peace they established was a lie but it's peace nonetheless. It allowed humanity to breathe and smile even though at the end of the day, all of it was fake.
Still, he is now the Master of the Grand Archives. This is something that Ashton could never just put aside.
From Alexander Highdragon's words, all of the works of past Heroes are all compiled here, hidden under the nose of both Celestials and Hypogeans. Kept under the wraps and preserved for the person who would wield this knowledge and turn the fate of humanity around.
...which just so happens to be him.
Looking at the books that are here, bathing in ancient light. Ashton couldn't bring himself to touch them.
Even the mere sight of these books felt heavy to him.
'Seriously, why me!?' Ashton groaned to himself again. He just can't really understand why he was chosen.
Was it because of the System? How much does the First Hero know about him? Why does it feel like he's still missing some important details here?
Ashton rubbed his face aggressively. He roamed his exhausted gaze on the books and whispered to himself:
"I'm not a Hero." He groaned, "I don't want to become a Hero. It's just not something that I'd want for myself. My System's called the Idle Mage System, I'm a backseat gamer so why the hell am I finding myself in this kind of situation?"
Yes, he just really can't understand how this keeps on happening to him. He didn't want any of this. He just wants to chill and take it easy, was that so bad?
"I'm not some kind of a 'Chosen One', nor do I want to be one. Yes, my soul came from another world but that doesn't automatically mean that I'm some kind of a protagonist. I don't want to suffer from an MC-complex either cause that will automatically make me a dumb and horrible person. I don't want that."
He had seen far too many transmigration novels in his previous life. Most of them, if not all, suffer from some kind of 'Main Character Syndrome' which makes them think that they're all some hot shit just because they came from earth!
It's the same abused trope that he hates; Transmigrated Soul + Golden Finger = a self-righteous bastard who thinks their some hot shit, collecting hoards of whores and calling them beloved when the truth is it's just some sorry excuse for a romance which makes the whole story turn into some horrible porn script.
The worse part is that people buy that shit...Like, hello? Just watch porn instead of wasting money on that!
It's the very reason why Ashton somehow dreaded this second life of his. He received the same formula as those people did so he was afraid that he'd eventually become like those failed abortions who call themselves 'Main Characters'.
So far though, it's going well which he's thankful for. He managed to stay true to himself though he could still feel himself changing.
Well, he never expected that he'd fall in love with an Immortal Library Spirit but it isn't something that he regretted, not at all.
He just wanted to take it easy. Live a simple yet fulfilling life of a scholar. But it seems that that kind of life isn't for someone like him.
Ashton bit his lips as he stared at the books. The words of the First Hero were still ringing in his ears. He's feeling the pressure now.
"Wait...who says that I have to become the Hero?" Ashton wondered to himself.
Eyes brightening ever so slightly, he rose from slumping on his seat as he found a new kind of inspiration.
"I don't need to be a Hero to make use of all of this." He muttered to himself, "Instead of being the one who goes into the front lines, why don't I just pay people to fight for me!?"
His eyes shone in splendor as he came up with this idea.
"It's not like I can fight the Celestials and Hypogeans on my own anyway. That's suicide, considering that the rumors of their army being way bigger than we think happens to be true, why the hell would I want that?"
"Instead of being the Hero, I'd just be the Bigwig who pays them instead! I can become one of those old foxes!"
Ashton opened his Inventory and saw the rows of supplies that he has. Materials, resources, medicines, trinkets...all sorts of items that are rare even for the Last Bastion, he has a lot of them.
"The resources I have here would be enough to sponsor a group of people who had the makings of a Great Hero! As long as I can support their growth and they're willing to work hard, this can work!"
"Heroes will become my lackeys instead! They'd do the heavy lifting for me while I ensure that they have a place to return to. With the System and the blueprints I have so far, I can show them the fruits of their labors so that they'd see that their efforts are taking them somewhere!"
"There are also these books that I haven't touched yet!" Ashton's gaze towards the archive changed into a more positive one. "The work of deceased Heroes wouldn't be shabby right? After all, the First Hero said it himself, some of these books contain information which could seriously threaten the invaders!"
"Since I'm the new master of this place, I can learn them all! So long as I have the resources and foundation, I can let these creations release their true brilliance in this era!"
"If I play it smart, Humanity will have a chance. I can get to take it easy at some point while Humanity becomes self-sufficient. Who knows!? Maybe at some point, we can make the invaders feel our collective wrath and be free of the humiliation that they forced us to endure after so long!"
"Mn! Mn!" Ashton nodded to himself. "This can work-no, I will make this work!! This is it! This is my ultimate goal!"
"I won't be a Hero. That's just not me."
"I'd become Humanity's Stronger Backer instead!"
[Notice! Mission updated...]
***
Unbeknownst to Ashton...at an unseen place within the Grand Archives, the silhouette of the First Hero was observing him with an amused expression and an approving smile.
