It didn't take a genius to sense the king's contempt for the students standing before him. The main reason for this attitude was their current level—they were all only at the very beginning.
The king spoke proudly, "Welcome, heroes. I am Mert Gahara, the sixth king of Gahara. I have high expectations for all of you, and now I kindly request that you show me your abilities." Though his tone was polite, every word from the king's mouth was an unbreakable command; no one dared to refuse him.
One by one, each person began demonstrating their skills. Every ability was powerful enough to reshape the game's rules, and some students even had multiple talents. As each took their turn, Liam felt his spirit recover, regaining his ability to use mana.
When it was Liam's turn to demonstrate his skill, he had a plan in mind. "My King, my skill is called [Rebirth]. It allows me to reset my level every ten levels, and when I reset, I retain half of my current stat points. However, I do have a disadvantage," he explained. The king asked, intrigued, "What is your disadvantage?" Liam answered, "When I level up, I only receive stat points."
The king appeared thoughtful, while the other students remained unaffected. He glanced at the knight beside him, who nodded in agreement. Liam felt as though he had narrowly escaped danger, yet couldn't understand why. In truth, the knight had the ability to detect lies, but since Liam's statements about his stats were accurate, the knight couldn't sense any deceit.
Others continued to showcase their abilities until it was Anna's turn. "My skill is a passive ability called [Life]. It grants me a significant advantage in everything related to life energy," she said. The king appeared slightly disappointed, and the knight again nodded.
Mia was delighted, thinking Anna could become a remarkable healer—a perfect fit for a priestess. However, to the king, this meant losing a potential warrior.
After Anna, Frank introduced his skills. "I have two abilities: [Super Memory] and [Super Learning]. These grant me enhanced memory and learning capabilities." The king's disappointment deepened, and his frustration grew with each new talent.
"I'm Selena; my cooking gives buffs." "My name is Agust, Your Majesty. I'm immune to all negative status effects." ...
Out of the 22 students, only three had combat-related abilities: Tom (Flame Body), Michael (Clone), and Liam (Rebirth). The rest had either supportive abilities or skills unrelated to combat.
When entering a fantasy world, what would be your first move? Risking your life for heroism or finding a way to survive? The answer was obvious, and no one was willing to gamble with their life, especially for a kingdom they barely knew.
The king asked with concern, "Tell me the truth: who truly came here to stop the Demon King?" The heroes all stared at him with blank expressions—except one.
One hero shouted, "I came to save this world!" It wasn't Liam, Tom, or Michael. It was Frank, who openly declared himself a worthy hero without a trace of shame.
The king looked intently at Tom, Michael, and Liam. They avoided his gaze, turning away. Tom and Michael showed no fear of the king, while Liam was intimidated but followed their lead, struggling to grasp what was unfolding.
The king turned to Frank and said, "You won't regret this choice. Show him around the palace." A few servants entered, bowing respectfully to Frank before escorting him out of the throne room.
The priestess told the heroes to follow her, accompanied by four guards, two at the front and two at the back. After leaving the palace, they walked to a building nearby, which held divine significance for the followers of the Goddess of Life. No demon could enter for various reasons.
As Liam was about to enter, a sharp sound echoed from the palace, prompting the priestess and guards to rush back. All the other temple guards also hurried towards the palace, followed by the senior priests and heroes.
Liam, however, didn't move. Instead, he approached the shrine, reaching his hand toward it, only to feel an invisible resistance. A faint, frightened voice came from behind him.
"D-Demon..."
Liam turned to see a young girl standing there, appearing no older than nine. Sensing her hidden strength, he quickly adapted to the situation.
Smiling at her, Liam said, "Looks like I've been caught." The girl paled with fear. Liam continued, "Give me one reason not to kill you." She tried to speak but couldn't. As he walked slowly toward her, the girl, trembling, said, "If you let me go, I won't tell anyone about you." His smile turned even more intimidating, and he gently patted her head.
The young girl was horrified, a chill running down her spine as she felt trapped by the demon's charm. Liam said, "Alright then, little one," and walked away, leaving her behind.
Unaware of what had actually happened, the girl entered the temple of the Goddess of Life, oblivious to the opportunity she had missed.
Liam slipped away through side streets and, once he felt safe enough, allowed himself to relax. His heart still raced as if it were trying to burst from his chest. Surprised by his own acting skills, he mused that if he ever returned to his world, he might pursue a career in acting—though he held little hope for such a future.
He sat down and began planning his next steps.
1- Find some clothes other than his school uniform before it causes trouble.
2- Find a way to meet his basic needs and avoid starving.
3- Make a plan to escape the city and learn the common knowledge about this world.
4- Leave the city and find a way to strengthen himself.
Liam decided that using his current name would be dangerous, so he chose to stick with his old name, Raphiel. His status panel adapted to match his intentions.
With his spirit healed, his abilities reappeared on the status panel. He had three skills: [Inventory (Lv.Max)], [All_Languages (Lv.Max)], and [Rebirth (Lv.1)]. His mana was not yet fully restored, and physical actions now consumed stamina, leaving him slightly fatigued.
Raphiel decided to gain some experience in magic for combat readiness. He reached out toward a stone, attempting to make it levitate, but nothing happened. Concerned that magic use might attract unwanted attention, he temporarily abandoned the idea.
He heard a child crying nearby, and after a moment's hesitation, went to check it out. In an alley, he found a pair of worn clothes. They were old and shabby, but to Raphiel, they felt like the finest attire.
"This must be fate or a setup," he muttered. He quickly changed, threw his school uniform and shoes in the trash, and left the alley. A minute later, he remembered his inventory ability and returned to erase the evidence.
When he got back, a beggar had already taken the clothes and was wearing them. They fit the beggar perfectly, and he looked quite dashing. Raphiel looked at him and, jokingly, asked, "Are you a hero?" The beggar, clueless, instinctively replied, "I am a hero." At that moment, Raphiel felt something leave his body, sensing that something terrible had happened.
He checked his status panel and was met with deep disappointment.
[Status] [Name: Raphiel End] [Lv.1(0/50)] [Class: Beggar] [Stamina(46/60)] [Mana(7/10)] [Body: 3.4]
[Mind: 6.3]
[Soul: 4.2]
-Skills: [Begging (Lv.1)], [Rebirth (Lv.1)]
-Status Effects:
[Eanna's Curse], [Eliam's Curse]
Raphiel walked away in confusion. Now, on top of everything else, he was struggling with a language barrier. Ironically, his new class suited his current attire perfectly.
All he could do now was act like a mute beggar—close enough to the truth. He knew who was behind this: the one who had sent him to this world, who treated him like a plaything.
Raphiel aimlessly wandered until he found a patch of dirt in an alley to rest. Even in sleep, he found no peace, trapped in a nightmare. Alone in this world, his frail body shivered in fear and cold as he drifted into uneasy slumber.