บท 4: Arrival At H’Trae
"Otherworlders, we plead for your help to save our world from ruin ."
These were the first words that hit the ears of the students as they stepped through Seraph's gate into the unfamiliar realm.
A mix of voices, a combination of tones and pitches, echoed through the air, clearly coming from a gathering of people.
Initially blinded by a brilliant light upon arrival, the twenty-nine students struggled to see their surroundings.
Gradually, the light dimmed unveiling the scene before them.
Once they could see, their eyes were greeted by what welcomed them to the new world.
"A-ahh…" Most of them mumbled in wonder.
The students were standing in a massive, luxuriously furnished room.
"A-ahh..." slipped from the lips of most in awe and amazement.
The students found themselves in an expansive, lavishly decorated chamber.
Chandeliers resembling dazzling diamonds hung from the ceiling, illuminating walls seemingly painted in gold.
Their reflections gleamed on the polished marble floors, while intricate murals adorned the walls, lending an extra touch of luxury to the surroundings.
Describing it as breathtaking would not have been an exaggeration, yet the students managed to maintain their composure.
Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they were being watched by a group of people who stood at a considerable distance from them.
Among the spectators were several elderly individuals, outnumbered two to one by armored figures.
Finally, standing at the forefront of the armored battalion was a man clad in a prestigious armor seemingly made from platinum.
He had a bushy beard, with a fierce gaze that reminded the students of their math teacher back on Earth. He had a sheathed blade strapped to his waist, and two others criss-crossed in their sheaths behind him.
The students could feel palpable tension sifting through the air. However, before they could utter a word, the most surprising thing occurred.
"W-we beg of you…"
In an instant, the entire assembly dropped to their knees, their expressions pleading, their voices trembling in supplication
"… Please save us!"
After this display, silence pervaded the hall for a few seconds. It seemed the students were grappling with how best to respond to these evidently desperate individuals.
Amid this internal turmoil—some considering exploiting the clearly desperate denizens, others feeling compassion—a murmur of discussions began to brew among the students.
Yet, before these murmurs could gain traction, a single voice cut through the emerging chatter.
"Greetings, denizens of H'Trae! My name is Adonis, and I have been chosen as the Hero of this world by the—"
"Wait a second, who chose you as the Hero?"
The interrupting voice came from Alicia, her steps carrying her forward to confront Adonis directly.
She had an evident scowl on her face, and her bold tone was definitely challenging his authority.
Yet, undeterred by Alicia's challenge, Adonis stood his ground.
Why?
"My Class is [The Hero], and Seraph specifically told me that I am burdened with glorious purpose. If anyone has a valid objection, please let us hear it."
In that moment, Adonis swiftly dismissed Alicia's feeble objection about his position.
However, she wasn't done.
"Show us," she demanded, an unwavering smile gracing her lips. "Prove that you're the Hero."
In response, Adonis turned his attention to the kneeling denizens who had remained silent, unable to comprehend the conversation since they didn't speak English.
Their silence persisted until Adonis, realizing the language barrier, presented a solution.
"There is a way to check out our Classes, isn't there?"
Since Adonis was referring to the kneeling audience, his words were automatically translated into the language they understood.
Finally able to comprehend, they cautiously responded.
"Yes, Lord Hero. We possess an Occulus which allows for the display of Classes. This is used to prove the identity of individuals in our society and…"
The one who gave these explanations was one of the old geezers, and his point was that their device allowed the residents of this world to properly confirm if a person was who they claimed to be.
In this world, Classes were everything. A commoner had the [Commoner] Class, and a Nobleman had the Class of a Noble.
The device allowed them to discern which was which.
"I have an idea. Why doesn't everyone use it? We could also display our Skills to better understand each other," Adonis suggested in a confident tone.
However, the Oculus Device couldn't check Skills, so Adonis was basically proposing the disclosure of abilities by activating them in front of everyone.
"Besides we can always check our Status Windows to confirm our abilities. Just saying [Status Window] reveals all our stats," he added, offering a simpler alternative for clarity.
Adonis, with his captivating personality and eloquent speech, effortlessly held the attention of everyone present.
Yet again, Alicia interjected with her trademark skepticism.
"That's a lot of information to take in. How did you manage to figure all this out?" Her doubt lingered in the air.
"Seraph told me," Adonis revealed.
Gasps ensued among the students. Seraph had given all of them basic information about their situation, but she had also refrained from telling them everything since they would be told once they arrived here.
However, it seemed Adonis was the exception.
"She shared more than just that with me. You guys don't need to worry. Stick with me, and we'll be treated well here. We'll also have the chance to grow stronger. All we need to do is follow their guidance and stick together."
As he spoke, the guard who had previously departed to retrieve the Oculus Device returned, holding a crystal-like sphere in his hand.
Carefully placing it on a pillow, he promptly presented it to the stern-faced man among the guards who seemed to be the leader.
"Here is the device. If you do not mind, I would like to approach you all to confirm your Classes per your desire," the guard offered.
"We don't mind," Adonis responded immediately, automatically speaking for everyone.
At this point, he wasn't even asking for permission any longer.
He was the de facto leader.
**********
'Looks like things are about to get a bit awkward,' Rey thought, his nerves escalating as the Chief Warrior approached, carrying the Oculus.
'If they go through with this, everyone will know my Class,' Rey panicked inwardly. Personally, he wasn't too keen on revealing that information.
Surprisingly, there was no protest as he had anticipated.
Perhaps the group held an unquestioning respect for Adonis's decisions, or maybe they were just as curious about each other's Classes.
Rey personally didn't care. He already assumed others possessed superior Classes, making the reveal unnecessary for him.
'Displaying our Skills, though… that sounds interesting.' A faint smile played on his lips.
'Let's just wait and see.'
The Oculus was initially brought to Adonis, who confidently placed his hand on the crystal ball, initiating its glow.
[S Class: Hero] was boldly written above his head in gold print.
"O-OHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Just as he claimed, he possessed the Class of the Hero and this elucidated gasps from the kneeling ones especially.
"You may all rise. Dignified ones such as yourselves need not sully your robes any longer," Adonis declared.
In response to the words of Adonis, the old ones rose to their feet. Their eyes sparkled with wonder and respect for their Hero.
It was clear to everyone at that point that Adonis had become the center of attraction for everyone.
"Let's see your Class too, Alicia." The noble Hero turned to the girl beside him.
"We're all in this together, aren't we?"
Under the intense gaze of her peers and the piercing scrutiny of the H'Traens, coupled with Adonis' confident smile, Alicia found it difficult to refuse.
With reluctance, she allowed herself to be scanned as well.
[A Class: Grand Tamer]
As Alicia's hand made contact with the orb, her Class materialized in shimmering silver print.
"OHHHH!"
The reaction to her Class reveal didn't match Adonis's reception, yet it echoed loudly.
An A-Class still impressed these onlookers.
'Well, it's not surprising that the two most popular people in our class got awesome Classes.' Rey mused to himself, sporting a small smile.
He wondered what the Classes of everyone else might look like.
'Maybe some people could also have the Commoner Class.'
Whether this thought was just a fleeting notion or Rey genuinely believed it remained a matter of debate.
The Oculus made its rounds among the students, unveiling their Classes one after the other.
Most fell within the B or C-Tier range, with a few boasting A-Tier Classes.
Of course, none of them had D-Tier Classes or lower.
'Damn. I knew this would be the case, but it's still surprising.' Rey's eyes widened in disbelief as his turn approached, a twitch betraying his nerves.
Even his closest friend, Billy, had an impressive A-Tier Class, [Grand Knight].
'Am I the only one stuck with an F-Tier Class?!' Rey's thoughts raced with dismay.
Finally, it was his turn.
Rey tentatively placed his hand on the Oculus, bracing for what he knew was coming.
The text that materialized above him was lackluster and dull, its gray color barely emitting any light—the unmistakable mark of an F-Tier Class.
[F Class: Commoner]
As the display revealed Rey's F-Tier Class, his classmates' gazes shifted, filled with utter surprise.
He was among the first to choose, yet he ended up with such a shit Class?
Of course, everyone would be puzzled.
However, Rey was taken aback by another emotion resonating from his peers: scorn.
'Serves him right!'
'What a fool! That position was wasted on him.'
'If it had been me, I would have chosen better.'
'What do you expect from an underachiever?'
'Even for someone like him, that's a new low.'
Their faces twisted with amusement at his misfortune, offering condescending looks that could drive anyone insane.
But Rey wasn't shocked; he had anticipated this.
'I guess this is why I had such average Karma back on Earth.'
Even now that they were in this world, nothing much had changed.
He remained intensely disliked, even by his own classmates...
…all for simply existing.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
I hope you're enjoying the story. Please if you are, make sure to leave a comment to encourage me.
Power stones are appreciated too.
Cheers!
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