After finishing his sixth bowl, Chu Xueyue finally recalled his own skill seemed equally cursed. "Insufficient conditions. Liberation impossible." The skill sounded incredibly powerful—so powerful it couldn’t be unleashed except under specific circumstances. But then again, what if it was like the Demon-Slaying Hero’s skill? Utterly unusable.

If that were the case, he was screwed. Without a Hero Skill, he’d have to level up painstakingly slowly, only defeating the Dark Lord after reaching max level. Worst of all, his Hero Bracelet was broken. If he couldn’t level up, what then?

*Sigh.* He’d probably never return home anyway. He just prayed his mom wouldn’t open those few gigabytes of files on his computer. If she did, she’d definitely want to kill him.

Chu Xueyue stopped dwelling on it. No matter the outcome, the end result looked bleak. Might as well enjoy this otherworldly life. Albert was footing the bill—at least he wouldn’t starve.

After dinner, Chu Xueyue took a bath first.

"Ahhh, so blissful~~" Back on Earth, he’d only ever used showers. This was his first time in a bathtub. Warm water enveloped him as he lay submerged, and he sighed with genuine contentment. *This life was worth it.*

The water here was far purer than Earth’s, and the innkeeper seemed to have added something soothing. Chu Xueyue nearly drifted off—but dared not sleep, lest he drown.

"So I really have zero power? Guess I’ll just coast on the ‘Hero’ title, scamming free meals and drinks. Maybe trick a few starry-eyed girls drawn to the name. Heh. Not bad." He scoffed at himself.

Since he’d come to this world—and declared himself a Hero—the world *had* to compensate somehow. It couldn’t expect him to defeat the Dark Lord with a normal human body.

At the very least, he should be a once-in-a-millennium magic prodigy. Or a combat genius. Once-in-a-century would do. Even once-in-a-decade.

If not that, then unparalleled learning ability or insight. Anything! How else could he be a Hero? If he got nothing, he might as well be ordinary.

So Chu Xueyue had specifically asked Albert to teach him Battle Aura. Albert knew no magic, but his unique Dragon-Slaying Battle Aura was legendary.

The result was clear-cut. After testing him, Albert said flatly: "You *do* have Battle Aura potential. But you’ll have to train like any ordinary person. Your aptitude? Average."

The verdict crushed Chu Xueyue’s confidence. A Hero with only average Battle Aura talent? Still better than having none at all. And he hadn’t tested his magic affinity yet—maybe he was destined to be a big-shot mage. After all, mages ruled these days. A walking artillery platform? That had serious prestige.

Convinced, Chu Xueyue decided to soak a little longer before heading to bed. His nap at noon hadn’t been nearly enough.

***

The next day, they arrived at a place called "Swift Wind Express." At first, Chu Xueyue kept mentally replacing the last two words with "delivery," but no one here would get the joke. Pointless to mention.

This was a rental spot for flying mounts. They’d ride one out of the city. Chu Xueyue knew this place held painful memories for Albert, so he hadn’t insisted on sightseeing before returning to Albert’s homeland. Best not to poke old wounds.

The mounts were called Swift Wind Falcons—no wonder the shop was named that.

Albert explained that riding one would get them back to his country in just three days. *Wait—what was that country’s name again? Why can’t I remember?*

They could stop at other cities mid-journey. That meant spending daylight hours airborne. What if someone needed a bathroom break? Just… answer nature’s call mid-flight?

Actually, that sounded kinda thrilling. Liberating. Returning to nature while soaring through the sky.

Chu Xueyue shook his head, cutting off the daydream. Albert had already chosen their falcon and led it over.

"This is ours."

Following the reins, Chu Xueyue saw the Swift Wind Falcon stood three to four meters tall. He wondered how wide its wingspan was. Two saddles were strapped to its back—Albert had picked a two-seater. Trained and docile, it didn’t squawk at strangers.

But how to climb up? Scale it? That might work.

Albert noticed Chu Xueyue’s troubled stare. "Don’t look at it like that. It’s not for eating. And trust me—it tastes awful. I’ve tried."

"I wasn’t thinking about eating it! Wait—you *ate* one? Isn’t this a rental service? How hungry were you to eat someone else’s bird?!" Chu Xueyue blurted out. He hadn’t even considered eating it, and this guy had already sampled the menu.

"I ate one *I* raised. I wouldn’t touch others’ mounts," Albert retorted loudly. Every staff member nearby turned to stare.

"Let’s go." Albert grabbed Chu Xueyue by the collar and hauled him onto the saddle before he could unleash another barrage of complaints.

*Ugh. Being stared at is the worst.*

"Whoa—the view’s amazing!" Perched high on the falcon’s back, the world stretched out below. The height filled Chu Xueyue with an indescribable lightness. He almost burst into song.

"I felt the same my first time. Wait till it takes off—it gets even better," Albert called from behind. At his command, the falcon launched skyward.

Then Chu Xueyue remembered something terrible.

He was terrified of heights.

"—AAAAAH—"

A bloodcurdling scream tore through the sky.