The old man looked into the boy's eyes and said firmly,
"I will give you a task. At the top of the mountain, inside a castle, lives an eight-foot demon. You must defeat it."
The boy's eyes widened.
"W-what? An eight-foot demon!?"
The old man continued, ignoring his shock.
"There are conditions. You must go alone. And you must defeat the demon with this sword."
He pulled out a plain, worn sword and placed it in the boy's hands.
"If you succeed, the sword will be upgraded to level two."
The boy nearly dropped it.
"What??? For just a level two sword you want me to fight a demon? Are you joking with me?"
The old man chuckled softly.
"Go. Finish the task, and you will understand."
And without another word, he turned and walked away.
The boy blinked in confusion. He wanted to ask more, but when he looked up, the old man was gone. Vanished like mist in the wind.
Dark clouds suddenly gathered. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The sky turned into a stormy, frightening night.
Shaken, the boy held the sword tight and walked back home.
When he stepped inside, his father noticed the weapon.
"What is that in your hand? Is that… a sword?"
"Yes," the boy replied quietly.
"Did you complete a task to get it?" his father pressed.
The boy shook his head.
"No… it was given to me by an old man."
"Oooh…" his father muttered, raising his eyebrows but saying nothing more.
The boy went to his room. He sat on his bed, staring at the blade, the old man's words echoing in his mind.
For just one level up… do I really need to take such a risk?
He laid down, trying to sleep. But sleep refused to come. His heart was restless.
At midnight, his eyes snapped open. He rubbed them, then turned to see the sword still lying beside him.
Slowly, he sat up. A decision had been made.
"I'll do it," he whispered to himself.
He picked up the sword and slipped out of the house, silent as a shadow. The night air was cold, the storm still rumbling above.
Step by step, he began his journey walking beyond the forest and across the hills, toward the distant castle where the demon waited.