A Mission to Prove Myself

The Elders' Hall always had that suffocating vibe cold, heavy, like they'd intentionally made it uncomfortable just to mess with our heads. Honestly, if I spent enough time in that place, I'd probably lose my sanity too.

"Sit down, Amon," Elder Wei's voice rumbled, deep like a landslide.

I eased into the seat, trying not to look too eager. You don't want to seem desperate when you know you're about to get yelled at, even if you haven't actually done anything that bad. In my case, just existing seemed to be enough to land me in these situations. Classic Amon.

"We need to talk about Master Fang Zheng," Elder Wei said, his tone like someone who'd just been asked to discuss a tragic novel.

I straightened up. "Uh, what's up with him?"

"He's been taken to the Inner Chambers for... a mental health break," Elder Wei said, all serious-like, like I was supposed to feel bad about it. "And you're the one responsible for it."

"What?!" My heart sank. I shot out of my seat, feeling like I was about to pass out. "How am I responsible? I didn't do anything!"

Elder Wei fixed me with a long, considering stare, like he was weighing whether I was genuinely this clueless or if I was trying to mess with him. "You didn't do anything? You're the last one he trained, Amon. His breakdown didn't happen overnight. It happened because of your... methods."

I blinked, not entirely sure how to respond. "Well... technically, it did happen overnight."

Elder Wei gave me the kind of stare you reserve for people who've just made their first attempt at breathing underwater. "It's not my fault he's crazy," I muttered under my breath, but I could tell he wasn't buying it.

There was a long, painful silence before Elder Wei finally sighed, like he was out of patience. "You are truly a special case, Amon. You'll have to make amends for what you've done."

I swallowed. "Make amends? How? Do I need to buy him a fruit basket or something?"

"You'll need to prove you're capable of handling responsibility," Elder Wei said, his voice grim. "It's time for you to show us that you're more than just a waste of space."

I blinked, stunned. "Wait, are you saying I've been a waste of space this whole time? I thought that was just a rumor."

Elder Wei ignored me, handing me a small scroll. "You'll be taking on a mission. A simple one. Don't mess it up."

I looked at the scroll like it might spontaneously combust. "A mission? Like... a real mission?" I asked, trying to process what was happening. This kind of thing usually only happened in real stories, not in my world, where just getting through a day without embarrassing myself was an achievement.

"Yes, Amon. A real mission. And if you mess this up, there will be consequences. Understand?"

I gulped. "Yeah, yeah, I understand. So... what's the mission?"

Elder Wei gestured to the scroll in my hand. "Take this to a contact in the nearby town. It's a simple errand. Don't screw it up."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Just deliver a scroll? No treasure hunts? No fighting evil overlords? No mind-bending puzzles? Just... deliver a scroll?"

"Yes, Amon. Just deliver the scroll."

I glanced down at the scroll, the weight of my new responsibility sinking in. This was my chance to prove I wasn't just a walking disaster. I could do this, right?

But let's be real. As soon as I stepped outside the Elders' Hall, I started thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. Because, come on, if I didn't screw it up somehow, it wouldn't be my story.

I just hoped the readers weren't expecting much. Because we all knew how this was going to end.

I'd barely stepped out when Astel caught up to me, looking way too serious for someone who didn't have a single important thing to do all day.

"You're really going to deliver that scroll, huh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what's the problem with that? Elder Wei said it was simple," I said, trying to sound confident, but deep down, I knew things were about to go sideways.

Astel shook his head, that smirk of his growing. "You and 'simple' never mix well. I've been around long enough to know that when they say 'simple,' you should expect trouble."

I puffed out my chest. "I'm not going to mess this up," I insisted, though even I had trouble believing it.

Astel shot me a look like he was already writing my failure in his mental diary. "Sure, sure. Just don't come crying to me when something goes wrong."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I turned to leave.

If this mission was really as "simple" as they said... disaster was probably just waiting to happen. But hey, at least I wasn't stuck doing more pointless training, right? Just delivering a scroll. What could possibly go wrong?

Famous last words.