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Looking upon the crossroads, Derrick scratched his head at the need to make such an important decision. On one hand, cutting through the woods to the Croplands almost seemed like something to do instinctively. Derrick was, after all, the type to avoid roads. [i]A true hero avoids the roads whenever possible[/i], after all. Running into random people wasn't very heroic according to Mother, as their entanglements may become his. What kind of hero would Derrick be if he was too busy helping other people to save them from monsters, anyway? Derrick also pondered on whatever this strange monster in the Croplands may be. Perhaps it will be different from the slimy monsters, scaly monsters, and ribbity monsters he was too familiar with.

While the path to the Croplands was something of a mystery bag in terms of variety, Derrick looked upon the road. The Scorchlands seemed to have the largest variety of new and different monsters, such as the stingy monster, a close relative to the eight-legged monster. At the same time, Derrick was sure that his clothing wasn't good enough to last in the desert, and he would need to cut down on his gear a fair bit to properly manage the heat there. His other choice was the Tidelands, perhaps a land he'd be more familiar with. Coastal and humid, it almost sounds like a more open swamp... And to fight a snaky monster, as well. It does sound quite exciting.

So many decisions and so little time... Derrick looked on at the feathered monsters dotting the skies and trees with a fair bit of annoyance at their miniature roars. As much as he was tempted to slay them, his bow was broken and he was running low on sharp rocks to sling at them. The number of sharp stones laying at his feet will determine whether these beasts will be spared by Derrick's wrath or not. In any case, Derrick thought of a way to determine where he will go, nodding as the method came to his head.

Drawing his trusty hatchet, Derrick began to whisper to its head a request... [color=beige][i]Show me the way to the biggest, scariest, most monstriest monster.[/i][/color] As he did so, he began to cast a spell from his own personal method of magic, a special gift given only to him by the gods as a means of surpassing his blood curse as it didn't require the use of mana, and one he kept a secret even from Mother. Derrick remembered the last time he told Mother he was able to "do magic," not wanting to relive of the painful needles and yucky poultices he suffered because of it. It was a school of magic different from the core three, as it consisted of things only a "hero" would need. This school was one that Derrick aptly called "Hero Magic."

To create a fate in order to surpass it...

Derrick threw his hatchet into the air and took a step back, awaiting for the axe to land. Whatever direction his axe's haft pointed towards was the one Derrick would take, no matter what...

... Unless, of course, it pointed at a path he didn't have in mind. In that case, he will try again and again until he got it right. "Hero Magic" is unreliable at times.