Afterward, the creature reverted to a human form, staggering as though sick. Blood-stained, the man's gaze fell sorrowfully. Just then, two children holding whips and shields entered the room.
The blond-haired boy declared, "Let's send this half-demon back to hell."
---
After death, the last sense to fade is usually hearing. This is common knowledge, and it is also known that certain hormones, like melatonin, peak at death, creating vivid dreams. Survivors often describe seeing memories flash before them like a film, or a bright light. But for Raphiel, it was different.
Raphiel heard his sister's cries as she disappeared, and he visualized this in his mind, as if watching a distant vision. He could see her fading away until finally, he too began to lose his senses.
His mind had nearly shattered. Even if he survived, he would likely be broken. He cursed all the gods he could think of.
As his thoughts quieted, he fell to his knees, tears streaming down onto the dark ground. Just then, a light appeared, illuminating everything around him.
In front of him, a powerful figure sat on a colossal throne. The figure looked down at Raphiel with a faint smile and said, "It was I who turned your father into that creature. You are right to hate me, but this had to be done."
Raphiel shouted, "Who are you?! Who gave you the right to do this?" The man's expression was somber as he replied, "Your sister and you allowed me. I'll be brief: I am sending you to a magical fantasy world. Others have arrived there before you, so you must hurry." Raphiel, filled with anger, shouted, "Don't mess with me, you—"
A white light enveloped Raphiel's body as the man spoke once more: "Oh, and don't mention you have died; the others were summoned while still alive, and I've told them there will be two demons among them." Upon his reincarnation, Raphiel had already decided to announce himself as a demon.
"And by the way, your sister will be there too."
Those were the last words Raphiel heard.
---
Raphiel found himself in what could only be called a summoning hall. Beneath his feet was a magical summoning circle, and he quickly adapted to his surroundings.
Unlike the others, he made no attempt to mimic their expressions; he wasn't an actor, nor did he have any skill in pretending. He simply acted naturally, allowing his emotions to show.
Soon, one of the girls in the class tried to comfort him, saying, "There's no need to worry, Liam. The goddess has assured us that she'll protect us until we're strong enough, and will stop the demons from harming us."
Now learning that his new name was Liam, Raphiel replied, "Thank you for the support." The girl teased him, whispering, "You forgot my name again, didn't you? How can anyone's memory be this bad?" She leaned close and said, "It's Selena. If you forget again, I'll spread a rumor and everyone will think you're a demon."
---
Two guards stood at the only exit from the summoning room, holding spears and looking formidable. Their armor was made of a blue-tinged metal that appeared even stronger than steel.
The sound of footsteps echoed suddenly, signaling someone's approach. As the sound grew closer, the others fell silent. Soon, a woman in luxurious attire entered the room. Liam assumed she was a princess, but he was mistaken. She announced, "Welcome, heroes. I am Mia, a priestess serving the goddess Eanna."
Everyone began introducing themselves.
"I'm Selena, nice to meet you all." "My name is Liam, pleased to meet you." "I'm Anna." "I'm Agust." "I'm the class's diligent student, Frenk." "Frenk, stop lying in front of the priestess; we all know how lazy you are." "I never lie! I'm the most diligent and honest student in our class." ...
As they spoke among themselves, Liam noticed that some of them seemed to be reading an invisible book in front of them. His sharp mind quickly pieced together what was happening.
[Status]
[Name: Liam Paar] [Lv.1 (0/50)] [Hero]
[Stamina (50/60)] [Mana (0/0)]
[Body: 3.4] [Mind: 6.3] [Soul: 0.1]
-Status Effects: [Eanna's Curse], [Eliam's Curse], [Damaged Soul]
Liam understood the status panel's function and quickly familiarized himself with it.
[Hero]: This class requires only one-tenth of the normal experience to level up. Additionally, Heroes gain double the normal attribute increases and have a higher chance of receiving extra loot, which automatically goes into their inventory. Inventory space is unlimited and unaffected by time, and Heroes have the ability to understand all languages.
Though pleased with this, Liam's enthusiasm faded as he read through the status effects.
[Eanna's Curse]: Maximum lifespan is halved, and the Skill Tree is inaccessible. (Lifespan restriction is nullified under special circumstances, and demons won't harbor prejudice against you. Demon magic affinity slightly increased.)
[Eliam's Curse]: This curse prevents the acquisition of skill and talent points upon leveling. (Due to special circumstances, grants [Rebirth] ability.)
[Damaged Soul]: Those whose souls have suffered damage cannot use mana, level up, and will slowly weaken over time. (This effect will gradually disappear. Estimated duration: 10 minutes.)
Liam absorbed the information and decided that the advantages and disadvantages balanced each other out. It wasn't as bad as it seemed. With curiosity, he examined the [Rebirth] feature.
[Rebirth]: At specific levels, you may reset your character and skill levels in exchange for certain benefits.
-Character Level: Every 10 levels, you may choose to reset your current level or continue progressing. If you reset, only half your current attribute points will be lost. If you continue, you can only reset after an additional ten levels.
-Skill Level: Every 10 levels, you may reset a chosen skill. This works similarly to character level but reduces the effort needed to level up the skill by half.
Feeling he had struck a fortune, a small smile crossed Liam's face. He believed this ability was almost a cheat skill, and he had already forgotten it came as a result of a curse.
With this newfound knowledge, Liam began to feel a spark of hope amidst his lingering shock. His sister was somewhere in this world, and he felt strangely content. It was an odd feeling, carrying both the sorrow of his mother's loss and the happiness of knowing his sister lived.
Mia addressed the students, "The king awaits you. It would be unwise to keep him waiting, so please follow me." The students complied, and the guards escorted them as they followed Mia.
The torches on the walls lit up with each step the priestess took, their glow almost magical. They turned left at the corridor and reached a staircase with a red carpet laid across it. Ascending the steps, they arrived at the throne room.