After the heroes were briefed on their summoning, they proceeded to a grand hall where their abilities would be revealed and assessed. Despite Alicia's lingering confusion about Jay's unexpected presence, she maintained her professionalism and directed him to follow her to the hall.
As they walked, Jay couldn't help but marvel at the surroundings. The expansive corridor leading to the hall was imposing, adorned with statues of winged humanoid figures resembling the goddess Alicia. While Alicia had a single pair of wings, the statues depicted beings with multiple pairs—some with four, others with three. The most striking was a statue of a beautiful female with eight pairs of wings, exuding a majestic aura that made her appear almost divine. Her cold, aloof expression was captivating, even more so than Alicia's own demeanor.
Not that I was actually captivated by her beauty or anything like that; I was just admiring her, that's all, Jay thought.
He also observed his fellow summoned heroes. Some were composed, while others appeared panicked. Among them was a tall, handsome young man who resembled the typical protagonist of an Isekai manga. Jay, being a seasoned otaku, recognized this archetype immediately.
Oh, we're already at the entrance of the big hall. That was fast.
They arrived at a well-decorated door leading into the hall, which was vast and nearly filled the entire space. Alicia instructed everyone to enter, and they followed her into the grand hall.
Oh, I forgot to tell you guys the hall's name. Yeah, it's called the Heart of the Ancient Hall of Eldoria. Hmm, what a nice name. I feel so proud as the writer.
Jay and the eight other heroes gathered, their footsteps echoing through the grand hall as they approached the sacred altar where their destinies awaited them.
Oh, and just so you know, the heroes comprise five boys and three girls, including Jay.
Alicia spoke:
"You were each chosen by fate to wield extraordinary powers against the encroaching darkness. Now, it's time for you to accept your destinies."
Leading at the front was Aiden, with his sharp eyes and overconfident demeanor—the guy really looks like the MC character in an anime. Jay thought Beside him was Raine, the cold beauty with the nice body and aloof face. Trailing behind were the twins, Eren and Elara, their faces showing some amount of fear and nervousness; they looked like they were easily scared of people. Then there was Darius, the muscular guy among the heroes. I really think even his brain is filled with muscles. A young boy named Avalon, the only beautiful guy in the entire class, caught Jay's attention.
Sometimes he even makes me and the other guys question our sexuality as guys. Some girls were even jealous of his beauty. If not for his stupid punchable face and lustful, arrogant behavior, he would have been the perfect ideal man. But sigh, I guess a person can't be truly perfect. Jay sighed
Then there was Orion, a really easy-going person, the go-with-the-flow kind of guy. And lastly, at the very end, Jay—your favorite character in the novel.
As they reached the altar, a hushed silence fell over the hall, broken only by the words of the beautiful goddess Alicia.
"One by one, young heroes, step forward to receive your classes."
First was Aiden, blessed with the power of a Paladin by the ancient goddess of light and life, Syrus. His abilities could heal even the gravest wounds and eradicate evil from its very core.
Name: Aiden
Class: Paladin
Level: 1
Experience Points: 0/100
Stats:
Strength: 51
Agility: 36
Dexterity: 48
Constitution: 46
Intelligence: 48
Charisma: 40
Mana: 40
Skills:
Divine Strike (Passive): Increases damage dealt with melee attacks by 10%.
Holy Shield (Active): Summons a protective barrier that reduces incoming damage by 25% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Lay on Hands (Active): Heals the target for 20% of their maximum health. Cooldown: 90 seconds.
Smite (Active): Unleashes a powerful strike imbued with divine energy, dealing bonus damage to undead and evil creatures. Cooldown: 45 seconds.
Then came Raine, blessed with the power of a Sword Elementalist by the ancient god of elements, Gasto. She could manipulate the elements themselves through her blade, striking fear into the hearts of evil with each swing.
Name: Raine
Class: Sword Elementalist
Level: 1
Experience Points: 0/100
Stats:
Strength: 48
Agility: 42
Dexterity: 45
Intelligence: 31
Constitution: 40
Charisma: 38
Mana: 40
Skills:
Elemental Strike (Passive): Adds 5% of Agility to melee damage. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Elemental Infusion (Active): Imbues the sword with elemental energy, granting bonus damage based on Intelligence for the next 20 seconds. Cooldown: 25 seconds.
Whirlwind Slash (Active): Unleashes a spinning attack that strikes all enemies within range, dealing damage based on Agility. Cooldown: 25 seconds.
Flame Blade (Active): Engulfs the sword in flames, adding bonus fire damage to attacks for the next 20 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Next was Darius, whose strength knew no bounds, blessed by the god of destruction, Icarus. He wielded the power of a Divine Reckoner, a warrior of righteousness, using destruction with precision to annihilate all forms of evil.
Name: Darius
Class: Divine Reckoner
Level: 1
Experience Points: 0/100
Stats:
Strength: 50
Dexterity: 40
Agility: 38
Constitution: 46
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 30
Charisma: 36
Mana: 38
Skills:
Wrathful Strike (Active): Unleashes a powerful strike infused with destructive energy, dealing bonus damage equal to the Divine Reckoner's Wisdom modifier. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Destructive Aura (Active): Surrounds the Divine Reckoner with a menacing aura, causing enemies within range to suffer a penalty to attack rolls. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
Reckless Charge (Active): Charges forward with reckless abandon, gaining a temporary boost to speed and damage. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Divine Retribution (Active): Calls upon the power of destruction to retaliate against attackers, reflecting a portion of damage back onto them. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Next were the twins, Eren and Elara, each blessed by the ancient goddess of life, Syrus.
Eren became a Divine Healer, capable of mending wounds, curing ailments, and restoring vitality.
Elara was granted the powers of a Celestial Songstress, using her songs to channel the essence of life, granting renewal and healing.
Eren's Stats and Skills:
Name: Eren
Class: Divine Healer
Level: 1
Experience Points: 0/100
Stats:
Strength: 28
Dexterity: 30
Agility: 26
Constitution: 25
Intelligence: 40
Charisma: 47
Mana: 45
Skills:
Healing Touch (Active): Channels divine energy to heal wounds, restoring a small amount of health. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Divine Blessing (Active): Temporarily boosts a target's defenses, increasing all stats by 10 points for a short time. Cooldown: 25 seconds.
Purifying Light (Active): Emits a radiant light that dispels darkness and removes harmful effects from allies. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Divine Intervention (Active): Calls upon the goddess of life to prevent a fatal blow, healing the affected ally instead. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Elara's Stats and Skills:
Name: Elara
Class: Celestial Songstress
Level: 1
Experience Points: 0/100
Stats:
Strength: 24
Dexterity: 28
Agility: 24
Constitution: 20
Intelligence: 46
Charisma: 30
Mana: 45
Skills:
Melodic Harmony (Active): Sings a soothing melody, boosting allies' morale and shortening their cooldown durations by 10 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Celestial Hymn (Active): Channels celestial energy through song, restoring a small amount of health to allies within range. Cooldown: 20 seconds.
Aegis of Serenity (Active): Projects an aura of calm, pacifying hostile creatures for a short duration. Cooldown: 25 seconds.
Song of Renewal (Active): Sings a powerful hymn that accelerates natural healing for allies. Cooldown: 25 seconds.
Jay watched as his classmates stepped forward, each receiving their blessing. His thoughts were filled with mixed emotions—part annoyance at their luck and part curiosity about what awaited him.
As the ceremony continued, the divine atmosphere of the Heart of the Ancient Hall of Eldoria grew more intense, the anticipation thick in the air.
To be continued...