Chapter 10: Me? A Hero?
That had to be it. Harry felt a small surge of satisfaction at his reasoning. It made sense. The system—or whatever was behind this strange reality—was showing him the stats that had been acknowledged or changed in some way. If he wanted to see more, he'd have to find a way to unlock or enhance his other attributes.
"Guess I'll need to test that theory when I get the chance," he thought, making a mental note to experiment later. But right now, he needed to focus on keeping everyone alive.
Looking around at his exhausted companions, Harry realized they needed a longer rest. They were all at their limits, especially Mr. Thompson and the teacher with glasses. If they pushed on without a proper break, someone could collapse, and that would put them all in even greater danger.
He turned his attention to Mr. Thompson, who was still leading the group with admirable determination despite his injury.
Harry took a deep breath, preparing himself to make a convincing argument to Mr. Thompson. He knew he had to sound rational and practical to sway the teacher's decision.
"Mr. Thompson," Harry called again, a bit louder this time, as he approached the front of the group. "I really think we need to rest here for a bit longer."
Mr. Thompson glanced back at Harry, his expression tight with pain but still focused. "We don't have time to waste, Harry. We need to keep moving. We're so close to that base—"
"I know, but hear me out," Harry interjected, trying to sound calm and collected. "We've been pushing ourselves for over an hour since we escaped those creatures. Everyone's tired, dehydrated, and hungry. If we keep going without a proper rest, someone could collapse, and then we'll be in even worse shape."
He noticed Mr. Thompson hesitate, his eyes flicking to the rest of the group. The teacher with glasses, still leaning heavily on Ms. Reed, looked like she could barely stand, and the girls were clearly struggling to keep up. Even Mr. Avery, usually so composed, seemed to be fighting his own exhaustion.
"Plus," Harry continued, "we don't know what's waiting for us at that base. If it's safe, great. But if it's not, we'll need all our strength to deal with whatever's there. It's better to rest now, regain some energy, and be ready for anything, rather than stumble in half-dead and be caught off guard."
Mr. Thompson's frown deepened as he considered Harry's words. The math teacher, Mr. Avery, stepped up beside him and gave Harry a curious look. "He's got a point, Mr. Thompson," he said. "We're all running on fumes here. A short break might do us some good."
The history teacher, Ms. Reed, who had been assisting the other teacher, nodded in agreement. "We can't afford to have anyone collapse out here. If we're not in any immediate danger, a rest could be the smartest move."
Mr. Thompson sighed, glancing around at the tired faces of his colleagues and students. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, Harry. You've convinced me. We'll rest here for a bit. But only for a short while—we can't stay too long in one place."
Harry felt a surge of relief at Mr. Thompson's agreement. "Thank you, Mr. Thompson," he said earnestly. "I promise it's the right call."
As Mr. Thompson began to announce the rest break to the group, the math and history teachers gave Harry a surprised but approving look.
"We didn't know you could be so level-headed, Harry," Mr. Avery remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Ms. Reed smiled warmly. "Yes, it's quite impressive to see you like this. You've really stepped up."
Harry grinned, his usual cheeky demeanor creeping back. "What can I say? I guess I've been hiding my responsible side all this time. Don't tell anyone, though; it might ruin my reputation."
The teachers chuckled at his joke, a much-needed moment of levity in the grim situation. "Alright, Harry," Mr. Avery said with a playful smirk. "We'll let you off this time. But don't think we won't be expecting more of this from now on."
Harry laughed, feeling a bit more relaxed despite the circumstances. It was a strange feeling—being taken seriously and even respected by his teachers. But he knew he had to keep it up. They were all in this together, and every bit of cooperation and strength would count.
"Okay, everyone," Mr. Thompson called out to the group. "We're going to take a rest here for a while. Make sure to rest properly and try to eat something, well if you have something to eat that is. We need to get our strength back before we move on."
Harry watched as the group slowly settled down, grateful for the chance to rest. He knew this break wouldn't last long, but it was better than pushing on recklessly. As he sat down on a rock, he couldn't help but glance back at the path they had come from.
The monsters could still be out there, waiting. They had to stay vigilant. But for now, at least, they had a moment to breathe.
'Now that I think about it, there is supposed to be a super lucky or powerful protagonist appearing in these kinds of situations.' Harry thought suddenly as he leaned on one of the trees.
'In moments like this, when everything seemed bleak, the protagonist would show up and save the day.' That thought made him grin.
What if it was him?
What if he was the one who would somehow become overpowered, get everyone out of this mess, and be hailed as a hero?
He chuckled to himself, the idea as ridiculous as it was amusing.
Him, a hero?
It sounded like something straight out of a comic book. Not to mention the fact that he didn't care about being a hero, what he cared was power and cool stuff he could do.
Shooting out fireballs, slaying or taming dragons, swordplay, and so on.
But as his chuckles faded, he shook his head and forced himself back to this absurb reality.
No, if someone was going to be the hero, there were a few better candidates who came to mind immediately. The first was...
'...Arthur,' Harry smiled. 'Our class rep. Athletic, smart, and good-looking, He had always seemed like the kind of guy who would take charge in a crisis. The perfect hero archetype. But Arthur isn't here right now. So, I can't say anything concrete... Hmm... The other would be...'
'Our lovely student council president, Leila.'
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