A Modest Apartment
The room was simple: two old armchairs and a TV hanging on the wall. The silence that dominated the space carried the weight of years spent here.
A chubby man with black hair and dark eyes sat quietly in one of the chairs, lost in his own thoughts.
At some point in his life, he believed there were many things he needed to do. Exercise, earn money, learn new skills, and meet people. Yet, he had done none of them.
Slowly, he closed his eyes. As he surrendered to the warm embrace of sleep, a single thought echoed in his mind: I wish everything had been different...
When he opened his eyes, a cool breeze startled him. He looked around and realized he was standing among colossal trees of every shade of green. The air was filled with birdsong and the distant murmur of a stream.
But he was not alone.
Beside him stood four others, equally bewildered. Two men and two women exchanged confused glances, trying to make sense of their situation.
Arch's eyes widened in sudden realization. Something about this felt familiar. A slow grin spread across his face as he thought,
This is it. My time to shine, baby!
Before any of them could speak, a figure emerged in the distance. A short, elderly man with white hair and piercing green eyes slowly approached, leaning on a staff.
The old man surveyed them one by one with a gaze so sharp and cold that no one dared to break the silence.
Finally, one of the women couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "Who are you? Did you bring us here? Where is this place?"
The old man didn't respond. He simply smiled faintly, his expression unreadable.
Frustrated, a tall, muscular man stepped forward, clenching his fists.
"Listen here, old man! Maybe I should teach you a lesson!" he yelled, throwing a punch at the old man.
Just before the punch landed, the old man's eyes glowed a vivid green. The man who had attacked disintegrated into a cloud of dust without a trace.
The others recoiled in horror. The old man, unfazed, muttered, "I have no use for fools."
Turning to the remaining group, he commanded in a stern voice, "Follow me."
The path was fraught with dangers Arch had never imagined. Towering orcs, swarms of goblins, and countless other monsters blocked their way. But the old man's staff, unleashing bursts of random magic, effortlessly obliterated everything in their path.
Arch nervously glanced around. This might not be as easy as I thought...
After hours of walking, they reached an area with a star-shaped stone platform surrounded by glowing runes, radiating a magical aura.
The old man gestured toward the platform. "Step onto the star. It will take you to your destination."
Arch hesitated, deep in thought. The old man's sharp gaze snapped him back to reality. Without another word, Arch lumbered toward the platform, his plump frame waddling as he moved.
Watching him, the old man allowed himself a small, amused smile.
One of the women finally spoke up, her voice trembling. "Aren't you coming with us?"
The old man's faint smile returned as he replied, "Where you're going, you'll be met by forces far greater than me."
As he finished speaking, the runes on the platform glowed with a bright blue light. In an instant, Arch and the others vanished.
The old man sighed deeply, murmuring to himself, "These people will either rise to greatness or plunge into despair. But which of them can stop the coming disaster? Only time will tell."
When Arch opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a smiling face. A young woman with radiant green eyes, green hair, and a maid's uniform stood before them.
"Welcome, heroes," she said in a soft, melodic voice. "I am Clara. It is an honor to have you here."
Arch stared at her, thinking, So, people like this exist in this world? Interesting.
Lara, the blonde woman in the group, asked politely, "Clara, could you tell us where we are?"
Clara's smile didn't waver. "You are in a world called Powl. You were summoned to help us stop a calamity."
Amon, a silver-haired man with a cold demeanor, interrupted. "What exactly is this 'calamity'?"
Clara's expression grew somber. "It's what we call the invasion of our world by races from other realms."
Arch took a step forward, his curiosity piqued. "What kind of races are we talking about?"
Clara hesitated before answering, her voice heavy. "Dragons."
The group froze, their eyes wide with disbelief. Dragons were nothing but myths in their world. Knowing they were real here—and their enemies—sent a chill down Arch's spine.
As Clara led them through the city to the palace, Arch couldn't help but look around in awe. The bustling streets reminded him of a medieval town, though some gadgets seemed unusually advanced.
For instance, he noticed a merchant selling what looked like a phone carved out of stone. When he asked Clara, she explained, "That's a mana device. It allows people to communicate over short distances using magic."
Clara continued, "Mana is the foundation of this world. Everything runs on mana. Some people can control it; we call them mages."
After reaching the palace, Clara instructed her subordinates to assist everyone in bathing and dressing appropriately.
Arch was led to a luxurious bathroom by a beautiful maid. As he soaked in the warm water, he reflected on the absurdity of his situation. Just yesterday, he had been lamenting his unfulfilled life. Now, he was chosen to save a world.
Still, one thought gnawed at him: If we're supposed to be heroes, why did that old man kill one of us so casually?
His musings were interrupted when the maid returned. Embarrassed, Arch submerged himself in the soapy water.
"W-What are you doing here?" he stammered.
The maid blushed slightly. "I'm here to assist you in cleaning, hero."
"I'm a grown man! I can handle it myself," Arch protested internally, resigning himself to the absurd rules of this fantasy world.
The maid, introducing herself as Alice, began scrubbing his back. Arch couldn't help but feel like a child again, as if his mother were bathing him.
"What's your name?" he asked, trying to distract himself.
Alice seemed surprised. "Why would you want to know my name, hero?"
Arch chuckled. "Well, you're the second person to ever share a bath with me after my mom. Feels like something I should know."
Alice laughed softly. "My name is Alice. You're quite an unusual hero. I imagined you'd be arrogant or prideful. I was even prepared to lose an arm for touching you."
Arch blinked in disbelief. "Who told you that?"
Alice hesitated. "No one told me. It happened with the last group of heroes we summoned."
Her face darkened as if she'd revealed too much. "Please, hero, don't tell anyone I said that."
Arch nodded seriously. "You have my word, Alice."
---
Clara then guided them, now dressed in elegant clothing, to a massive iron door guarded by two knights.
The knights shouted, "The hero party presents themselves before the emperor!"
As the doors creaked open, Arch took in the grandeur of the throne room—gleaming chandeliers, marble floors, and... a corpse being dragged out by servants?
"What?" he muttered under his breath.
Clara led them to the throne, where a golden-haired emperor sat with piercing green eyes.
"Welcome to my domain," the emperor said, his voice deep and commanding. "You must already know why you've been summoned."
Clara confirmed, "They've been briefed, Your Majesty."
The emperor nodded. "Let the Awakening Ceremony begin."
---
As Clara began chanting in an ancient, melodic language, Arch felt his entire body engulfed in searing flames. Then, as quickly as the fire began, it was replaced by an icy cold, trapping him in frozen agony.
After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes to see a blue, translucent screen floating before him:
---
Name: Arch Luk
Level: 0
Age: 24
Innate Skill: 3 Rules Domain (No Action-Reaction, No Space-Time, Absolute Sovereignty)
Acquired Skill: Beginner Wrestling
Strength: None
Speed: None
Defense: None
Mana: None