As I hurried down the dimly lit corridor of the castle, most of my thoughts swirled with the earlier events
I'm almost there, It would make it faster if I was certain I was going the right way.... No! this does seem to be the only route at the moment.
I paused, spotting an enormous, polished mirror hanging on the wall ahead.
It's so fricking huge! What are they trying to do, repel the sun?
It's so mysterious even, something I have no knowledge of in my original world.
adorned with diamonds, golden frame, This is beauty! A small smile placed on my face.
Speaking of beauty, I might as well check myself out, no harm in doing so right? Right then, I'm sure it's no issue.
The words of the man in the black robe still haven't left my thoughts.
Was what he said about my silver hair true? I couldn't have seen it properly in that dark room. Drawing closer, I hesitantly met my own gaze in the reflection, only to be met with a startling sight.
Wait....this can't be right
I mean...
At that moment my breath was caught in my throat as beholding my own reflection.
How could this had happen.
What has been gone was the familiar curtain of ebony hair that had framed my face before instead replaced by strands of silver cascading down my shoulders.
My lips separate letting out a sigh.
As I reached up to touch the silken strands, the realization had struck like a bolt of lightning—My hair had changed color, transformed into a shade I could barely even recognize... and my face.... I don't remember it being this pale.
In the dim light, my eyes appeared almost ethereal, a mesmerizing shade of blue that seemed to reflect back at me from my refection.
"So strange.?" murmuring, my voice barely above a whisper continuing to stare at my own reflection in disbelief. With a heavy sigh, I tore my gaze away from the mirror, my thoughts consumed by the what lies ahead of the hall.
I suppose it isn't the weirdest thing that's gonna happen.
Whatever the reason is behind my sudden transformation, one thing was certain—my journey was far from over.
As I continued down the corridor, the air grew heavier with an eerie silence. Just then, I noticed a faint glow emanating from a room at the end of the hallway. Intrigued, I approached cautiously, peeking inside.
The room was vast, lined with bookshelves and filled with strange artifacts. In the center stood a group of robed figures, deep in discussion.
Their voices were hushed, but the urgency in their tone was unmistakable.
These men... it's just like that of the romance visual novel I played, their outfits match.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the room. The figures turned to face me, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"wow..."
Their voice full of admiration and curiosity.
I found myself surrounded by men in robes, all staring at me with dumbfounded expressions.
Looking at their colored robes, I give them a light grin
"What? Are we making a fashion statement now?" I muttered, noticing their bewildered expressions.
No sense of humor these bunch. I sighed and turned my attention to a boy behind them.
"Where is this place?" the boy asked, his voice betraying his confusion.
"Rankers of legend, please bless our country with your power. Our country needs your help," one of the robed figures said, taking a knee.
Huh...
don't tell me... it's like 'that'. This awfully clichéd line felt like something lifted straight from a web novel.
One of the robed men arm was rested upon my shoulder.
"To put it simply, We've been assigned to summon A candidate as Ranker, We've gotten quite lucky, that young man is Ranker 24"
"Summoned!?"
That being the case, me being summoned in another area doesn't make much sense, assuming it was by the same spell they used.
Not only that but I had to walk here, no way they summoned me. It must have been someone else.
"This world is currently facing an issue with magic beast, we cannot ignore it any further, so we humbly beseech your aid o great one" One the men's knee touched the ground as they spoke.
He hadn't mention me once since I was brought here, neither my rank by the looks of it.
I also find it weird that they barely looked my direction too.
"Is that so?" I muttered.
In any case I should just focus on what they have to say.
"Hey, tell me old guy, what will I get by becoming a Ranker here? I could easily become your enemy for all you know, us humans from the other world are very greedy. And besides, I'd rather go home and play videogames, so send me back already, will ya?"
The boy slouched against the wall, his hoodie casting a shadow over his face. Despite his young age, his eyes held a sharpness that unsettled me.
While I was absorbed in their narrative, The boy interrupted me mid-thought.
"And Something to add, your robes, what dumbass made them?" A small smirk was placed on the boy's face. the man he directed his attention to clenched his fist then took a few breaths.
The boy's straightforwardness shocked me. This kid, why is he like this...not that I dislike it given the circumstances but still.
Shouldn't he be more worried or at least confused? This is basically a dream come true for most people in the world as well, Instead he chose to be provocative.
"Hey kid Your attitude is rather odd, isn't it? shouldn't we listen to what they have to say first before jumping the gun?"
The boy looked at me perplexed, as if I said something wrong.
"Listen here Tramp, I don't need any lecture from you. go back to pleasing men for all I care."
"What the—
gasp escaped my lips. I was lost for words.
The figure in the red robe quickly look the other way before clearing his throat. "As you know, you're both essential, rest assured, the his majesty king Forger will discuss all the necessities for you 24."
In honest thoughts that sounds reasonable enough, I'm not sure how foul mouth over there will take it.
"How about we..." The kid shot me a glare, then turning his gaze back to the men.
"If you can somehow grant me an energy source to charge my handheld console, I'll be in. don't expect me to bark for you like a bitch.
Folding his arm with a click of his tongue his foot had already been marching, being out of my sight
"Yes 24, consider it done!" Following the arrogant boy, were the men in robes at his side, leaving me behind.
The sudden thought that they might have been ignoring me weighed heavily on my shoulders.
Certainly from what I understood, this boy was an assertive type.
What was this boy's issue, he's way too intense! And What I can see was height being around 5'4" if I compare myself, his physical structure petite, Main point is, he seemed very young.
Dammit, why does his words weighed heavily on my mind like that 'tramp and prostitute' How was he raised?
BZZZZZTTTT!
The room vibrated for what felt like 13 seconds.
My fingertips tapping at my side, trembling with anxiety
upon being frightened, I made my move.
"Hey wait up, I'm a ranker too remember!"
Running after them was exhausting, My breath getting hotter and hotter the more my foot moved forward, getting lost in my thought them, the sudden appearance of a brick wall had been there waiting to wake me by greeting my face.
OWW!!!!!!
I stood there trying to suppress the urge to shed a tear
Was there not a door just now. I thought in that exact moment.
Another one of the robed man approached me, this time one with a sword. The crimson hair of the man had me in a daze,
"The king would like to meet with you."
The figure stood there with a cold look on his face, his obsidian eyes could be enough to tell a story. before I could even respond, he grabbed my hand forcefully, moving along with him I couldn't help but stare at him and say nothing.
"What is with that look you have, it speaks for itself." He said breaking the silence.
"I'm a married man" He said with a straight face.
"Are you psychic or something?"
I let out a small chuckle.
Something about him felt too familiar to me. something I couldn't quite picture.
His grip was firm and tight, his hand had been shaking a little before entering the next room, the throne room was a vast hall adorned with shimmering tapestries depicting ancient battles, golden chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a warm glow over the polished marble floor.
"Whatever you do don't..." he paused.
"The king is an important man, don't do anything stupid."
He turned his back and walked away, the sight of his armor being brightened by the well lit hall, was a amazing sight, Similar to a hero's cape blowing in the wind.
What are with these knights I encounter giving me warning or being nice. I get it's a good thing but a bit unsettling in a way, It's how you'd expect to be treated after wining the lottery.
My footsteps echoed softly against the marble floor, carrying me further, every step echoed, amplifying the grandeur of the space.
The opulent room was filled with jewels, silks, and of course, a golden throne. Seated on the throne in the audience chamber was a elder who began assessing us upon arrival.
The boy from before stood next to me along with two others.
Taking a view at the two others, had my head tilted.
For some reason my eyes couldn't move away from the elder, I couldn't shake off a negative impression of him...
Something doesn't feel right...The feeling in the air felt thin at that very moment
A similar chilled feeling as I felt when I came to this world...In a split-second reaction, my body moving on it's own, I ducked instinctively as a icicle sliced through the air where my head had been just moments before.
You're joking, already! I could have died!
My body had moved on pure instinct, muscles tensing as I narrowly avoided the deadly projectile."
"What the hell was that!?"
Standing there not being able to shake the image of it embedding itself in my skull, the icy chill sending shivers down my spine.
Loud whispers and questions was going through the crowd, yet no panic.
The elder, who seemed to be the king had his eyes glaring down at me, before switching to the other ranker and the other mysterious duo, he then cleared his throat.
"Silence!"
The king's voice cut through the chatter, echoing in the grand hall.
"I am your king. You stand here because I command it. Understand this: your purpose here is to serve and protect my realm, nothing more, nothing less."
He spoke as though with quite some superiority.
"Is he serious?"
I thought incredulously, my heart still racing from the near miss.
How can he act as if nothing happened?
My attention strayed to the others, who seemingly hadn't noticed.
"Getting to the matter of things, I shall explain the history of this world, kingdom and Rankers, Is that understood." his deep demanding voice echoed through the audience.
The two girls next to me brushed their hair mid conversation, not paying attention to what the king is saying. The boy with the hoodie held his console in his hand using out the last of battery life.
This raise the question
"Am I the only sane one here!" The lot all looked at me and continued what they were doing.
"Just let the king explain or whatevs, I don't really care."
Said one of the girl.
"And You should relax a bit, learn to live a little, I see no reason for you to be so uptight, so uncute."
Said the girl next to her.
Is that even a word!? I let out a heavy sigh looking at their indifferences.
"Um, hey king , might you explain the details about our ranks and purpose here."
I forced myself to brush off what had just happened. The feeling in my chest still stayed.
The king tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne, his eyes narrowing as he listened.
"Very well."
"Magic in our world was not a gift, but a craft. Mages spent years studying ancient texts and perfecting rituals. Spells required precise ingredients and could only be cast within intricate runic circles. The most powerful sorcerers could manipulate the elements themselves, but even they had their limits and risks, that was until the birth of the first ranker, They refer to her as the goddess of magic, purging the world of demons, and providing the lands with a magic source we now know as Mana, or what most call it Magical energy.
One of the girl brushing her hair stopped. "Like, so what? What does that have to do with us." The rest shook their head in agreement.
"He's trying to explain important details here" Even so, her words did carried meaning, it wasn't as though we didn't have a choice.
"The kingdom was divided into three distinct regions: the noble North, where the aristocracy held sway with their lavish estates and strict etiquette; the bustling Central, home to merchants and craftsmen; and the rugged South, where independent clans governed themselves by ancient laws."
"The Mystic ranker Elias, being the creator of the east North, The south being created by The Fallen Ranker Luciene Eden."
It's the same as what the voice said, if that's the case, then everything else might be true.
The king gave me a glare before continuing.
"If you are still unfamiliar with rankers, I shall break it down. Rankers are like players in a game, each striving to level up their skills and abilities. Think of ranks as badges of honor, earned through battles and challenges that test a person's strength and resolve."
"In this world, ranks are the currency of power, determining one's place in the hierarchy of society. Rankers are akin to knights of old, sworn to protect the realm and uphold justice, with their ranks signifying their prowess in combat."
"""SO IT'S ACTUALLY LIKE A VIDEOGAME!!!"""
Me and the boy said in unison.
Clearing his throat the king had continued. "Giving it that you understand you may now-"
"Hold it right there high and mighty." Interrupting the king, One of the girl said brushing her hair, stopping then twirling her hair hair around the brush leaving blonde strands.
"Do you seriously expect us to protect your country just because we're Rankers?" She paused and turned her gaze at the girl next to her.
"That's the equivalent of saying a female is meant to give birth because she's female. If you can't give me a valid reason then send me and my sister back." They both fold their arms.
The eyes of the crowd began glancing back at the king. The king let out a small sigh as he felt himself having a hard time with one of the blonde girls.
"Returning the rankers to their original world would necessitate a period of approximately five years. Furthermore, the energy required is immense; initiating the ritual would demand the power of an entire city."
"What does that have to do with me, just get it done."
"chop chop!" She said with a swift motion of her hands.
While the conversation continued, I found myself watching the boy triumphantly complete a level in my favorite RPG game.
"Higher! get the loot box! You'll get exp" I shouted at him almost forgetting where we are.
"You Idiot, Stop bossing me around would ya, so annoying." Despite what he said, he curiously gets the loot box, giving him a massive crate filled with exp.
The air was filled with shock, no one dared speaking looking at the king's reaction.
The king's servants had been staring at us with a dumfounded look.
"Ehem! You're in the presence of his majesty"
Said a brunette woman next to his throne.
I got distracted didn't I? And it was getting good too!
"Ohh right, forgive me" I responded Taking a bow.
The woman sighed "Alright your majesty, They seem to be quiet now, you may take the room"
"Very well. Now, may I proceed without interruption?" Knocking the side of his throne the king continued after everyone were paying attention.
"Now a topic that should interest you all Magic Beast, Magic beast are ranked from E to S to SSS+"
"E ranked beast are worth 10 silvers, goblins, slime, swamp monster. D rank are worth 5 gold, beast kings, orcs and slime kings. C rank is worth 40 gold pieces, demons, elves, demi humans. B rank, 200 gold, Skeleton beast, necromancers, boars. A rank, 500 gold, Lizard men, elves, dryads. S rank, 5 diamond and 500 gold, Hybrid Dragons, Demon lords, Demoness. As for the others, No one is" certain."
I was freaking right! It is like that game!
The Mysterious duo both spoke in an annoyingly unison vocal.
"""DIAMONDS!!!"""
I was shock to think that they had nothing else on their minds at this moment.
Moreover, I hadn't realized it before but I have no idea where they came from, they said they wanted to go back earlier, possibility of them being Rankers were the obvious conclusion.
That being said, that would mean the robed men were already lying through their teeth. The thought of me and the junior being the only two rankers in this country didn't make any sense to begin with.
The king tapped his staff on the ground, following that came a few beautiful women in red robes. "Your majesty, may we proceed in giving them all the 'cross detection'
Said one of the women in red.
What she had just hinted, weighed heavily on my mind.
"A cross detection?"
What could that be, I'm just hearing about this.
"Yes, Yes, I shall allow them to use it once they all collected their thoughts"
The boy with the hoodie looked at me for a split second and stared back at the king
"Listen geezer, I have no time for any of this, if you're going to show us something like our magic or skills then do it, I can barely stand to be in the same room as these idiots, a white haired whore, the blonde bimbo twins... if it were me I'd get rid of all these other rankers, my rank is already higher theirs so why keep them around?"
A whore!?
My hands were already gripping the side of my dress.
The twins couldn't muster up anything to say. I was frozen yet again by his harsh words.
The king said nothing. He let out a small chuckled and cleared his throat.
"Alright brave rankers, now that you understand the surface of ranking, give me your names and age and your reason for being a ranker if possible."
"My name is Lucy Amana The perfection!"
"And my name is Elayne Amana The beauty!"
"""AND TOGETHER WE ARE, THE BEATIFUL PERFECTION!"""
Both of them yell while striking a side view pose.
"I'm sure As you both know, Elayne and I are twins, but I am the older one, we're both 25 years old, my rank is 201!"
"And mine's 202!"
They both said dramatically.
The knights head were tilted possibly from cringe or curiosity.
"Since you bimbos are done, I'll start."
The boy in the hoodie cleared his throat.
The thought of knowing more about him had me a little interested.
"My Name is Damian, I'm not giving my last name so screw off, Rank 24, I'm 14 years old, and I'm becoming a ranker because you dumbasses promised me something good, even fatso on the throne over there."
Damian's signature smirk never left his face, even when he insulted the king. It was as if he enjoyed provoking everyone around him.
As his words hung in the air, the knights' swords rasped from their sheaths, while the mage in red robes pulled out a grimoire, its pages flickering with magic energy.
Is this kid losing it, does he want all of us to get killed!?
"Are you out of your mind? You can't talk to the king like that!" I stared straight into his eyes as I spoke, my voice unwavering. I said as I rest my palm on his shoulder.
Damian smacks my hand away. "I just realized that I don't need to respect the king, the voice of the system already gave me my skills, My Title is now Shadow emperor."
With, him as well....but why didn't I get a title?
Damian turns his attention to the men in armor, his grin not faltering. "if you fools don't want to lose your lives, I suggest you lay down you weapons."
Shock fills the crowd, whispers and questions got out.
"Did that boy really Just insult the king
"He said he had the system's voice, is he already awakened this soon?"
"Wasn't the Shadow emperor a lost rank!?"
"Yes I remembered hearing about that somewhere"
"It was said to be the one of the few Rank that can almost compete with the She-devil"
The crowed continued on with their question and curiosity
The king stomp his staff on the ground, the knights look up at the king immediately, while slowly pulling back their sword and sheathing it.
It was as if the kings actions just now was carrying words to them.
"Now that everything is cleared, shall we move on."
Looking around from confusion, I scratched my head then fake sneezed.
"Ahem! aren't you forgetting someone."
The king shot me a glare before continuing. "Alright men, Have the other rated rankers in their rooms for the night, Ranker, Damian, Lucy and Elayne. This other one shall stay here until I command."
Following the king's command, was the rankers being led into a room, the door to the room vanish immediately as they stepped in.
"That's so unfair, why not me!?"
The thought had just crossed my mind.
Wasn't he ignoring me before... not only from the king but from the men in red.
"Tell me your rank, age and name like the others, and I'll tell you why I kept you here." There was still authority in his voice, with a small hint of pity.
"My name is kyo....."
(Name unrecognizable)
"My....name is???"
(Failure to execute)
My breath was increased as I began panting uncontrollably.
What the hell is my name, what was it? why can't I remember it....
"My Rank is 240, and my age is 25 years old, I'm becoming a ranker because...I want to experience new things"
The king sighed, as if I had proven a point of his of some sort.
"Do you know why you cannot remember your name, or perhaps why your hair and face is different?"
Still thinking about what my name is, I stopped as the king interrupted.
"Well no, not exactly, why is it?"
Looking down on the ground, I felt embarrassed to even admit something like that, 'not being able to remember your name' that is the peak of embarrassment.
"You weren't just summoned into this world like the others, I can assure. The information I had gotten from the Great emperor. your body was left behind. Then your soul was brought here and immediately your soul entered the corpse of a prisoner."
"Tell me, Were you in the Death room when you awoke... oh right, you might not know what I'm talking about just yet. The room is black, a void filled with nothingness."
The few seconds I had, I decided to respond. "Yes, I had been woken in that room"
"The reason I asked this was to be sure, now that I am, I can say for certain that you now have the body of a fiend ranker known as Lucienne Eden. And I'm sorry but, you cannot be left to live under any circumstances. even if you aren't her, there's a chance she's still alive in you somewhere, knowing that fact is frightening, it can mean life or death for this kingdom."
"My lord are you really going through with this? I mean how could you really just-"
Speaking out of turn, an icicle was shot at the woman's arm.
The crowed gasp, then those gasp turns into whispers, the knights quickly evacuated them from the throne room.
The caster stood behind the king's throne, the king not saying anything about the situation.
"W-What t the hell was that.... I paused, looking at the blood gushing from the woman's arm.
"Surely this was her own fault" Said the caster behind the king's throne
I stood there shaking unable to fully grasp the situation
If that icicle came from that caster, that must mean earlier... Don't tell me...
I had fully grasp the situation. stepping back out of fear, I was met with a sudden grasp of both my arm.
I began hyperventilating.
"I can't die, don't kill me"
My eyes looked down at the floor, Knowing what was coming next, my heartbeat increased rapidly.
Barely raising my head, A spray of blood arced through the air, splattering the red carpet, in a dark, sticky mess. The sharp metallic scent of blood mingled with the musty odor.
"It can't be... this can't be happening!"
The pain was blinding, searing through every nerve in my body. I couldn't believe what had just happened.
My arm... my arm.. tear trickled down my face.
The sight of my own blood, pooling on the ground, was surreal. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the stump where my arm had been.
Following the sheathe of the knights sword.
my existential crisis, got worse as they came closer. the knights surrounding me holding out their weapons.
Breaking the silence, one of the knight said, with a straight face with a look of pity.
"We simply have no choice but to kill you, we can't risk the safety of the people and the county, the king knows this better than anyone here, so please don't resist, you won't be executed right away. The knight holding me let's go of my left arm
I had fallen to my knees, the sound of heavy fast pasted panting grew heavily throughout the room.
"This isn't real. This can't be real. How could this happen? How did this happen? My arm... my arm... it's gone..."
One of the knight's has a wide grin on his face. My majesty, say we make good use of her before she's dead.
A massive stomp was heard throughout the room, the king's stomp had impact and authority.
"My orders were clear, were they not! take her to the dungeon, her execution will be carried out tomorrow "
My mind had suddenly went black, a snap in my mind, feeling a sudden joy in the situation.
"Haaa...haaa...."
"HAHA HAHAHA~!"
"She's laughing!?"
The knights stood there on guard.
The glimpse of shock replaced their smug and worried look.
(Body is reaching critical heat)
(Absorption skill has been attained as passive skill)
You're the voice of the system right.
haa.... alright!
"Then if you save me, I'll live, which means you'll live since you're alive in my head."
(Understood)
...
(Skill is now able to use)
....
(Getting all skills prepared, any interruptions will render skills lost)
A swoop smack was received at the back of my head
In the end, it looks like I couldn't do what I wanted.
I couldn't have fought for my survival, I couldn't have been saved.
Plat!
My body makes a loud contact with the ground
Everything at that moment went black.