Synopsis: Ran just wanted to be left alone. She just wanted a nap. She suddenly woke up on her way to an Isekai and told she was now a Hero who would fight the Demon Race alongside 11 others. So what if she could design her skills and body? So what if she was the last hope of humanity? Nobody asked her if she wanted this, so why should she care about their world? Genre: Adventure, Isekai, Fantasy Table of Contents Chapter 0 - Prologue Chapter 1 - The summoning Chapter 2 - The arrival Chapter 3 - Linestone city Chapter 3.5 - Artwork - On the way to Linestone Chapter 4 - 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 - 16
Chapter 0 - Prologue 4:14 pm. The laundry hadn’t been done in a while. The sink was overflowing with dirty dishes. There was nothing to eat in the fridge. The cupboards were empty. The sun hadn’t found its way inside this apartment for days, the shutters stayed stubbornly closed. The lonely figure of a woman in pyjamas stood in the middle of the living room. Black circles, empty eyes, and tired eyelids. The woman sighed. It was just another dark and rough patch; it wasn’t the first one and wouldn’t be the last. It hadn’t been long since she’d started over; she needed to give herself time. Take things slowly. She gave a hoarse chuckle. So weak! She shook her head in an attempt to make the dark thoughts dizzy, but unshed tears still threatened to drown her. The woman dragged her feet, peeking from beneath the stained pyjamas, to the mattress laid out in the middle of the kitchen. A nap. Yeah, she needed a nap. Or an ethylic coma. She hesitated for a second. The second option was incredibly tempting. A smoky whisky or a dark rum? No, forget it. She threw herself on the bed and shut her eyes. Let’s give my liver a chance. --- Her dreams had ceased to be dreams a long time ago. Nightmares, she was used to it. Tortuous paths and unbearable pain. Same old, same old. From the depths of the abyss, a warm light flickered. Faint and pale at first, it grew and grew until it became blinding and hot. The light swallowed her whole. Her body warmed up a bit. Dazed, she laid down on the white floor that expanded itself to infinity. She blinked and sat there in a daze. “This is different,” she mused. Such a dream was a novelty, so she stood up and chose a direction to walk in. --- A clear tingle of bells echoed in the empty space, taking the woman by surprise. “Welcome, Chosen One,” A monotone and unidentified voice resounded. “We need your help, Ô Chosen One. Our world is in peril and only you Heroes can save it.” The woman blinked, a bit lost, and asked, “Where is this?” “You are on your way to another world.” She laughed. “Another world? What a good joke.” she scoffed, looking around at the empty space that was still bleak. “Chosen One, you are now a Hero who will fight alongside others against the tyranny of the Demon Race and free the Human Race,” announced the monotonous voice. She grumbled, “Really? What kind of dream is that? Gosh, I knew whisky was the best way to go.” “Unlike Earth, this new world is filled with magic...” The voice glitched. “I don’t want to be a hero. I’m just some loser, find someone else”—the woman waved and walked away—“I need to wake up. Now.” “Unlike Earth, this new world is filled—” the voice repeated like a broken record. “Seriously, Brain? A summoning in an Isekai? Talk about originality.” “—with magic, that’s why we are giving you the chance to create your own skills and design your body—” She stopped in her tracks and knitted her messy brows, a frown of suspicion forming between them. “I can create my own skills and body? Why?” “So you can fight against the legion of demons to your heart's content.” She was stumped. What the hell! She pinched herself and winced at the pain. She frowned harder and pinched with greater strength. “Why can’t I wake up?” “Only you Heroes can defeat the Demon army,” the voice added. Ignoring it, she mumbled, “There is no way this is happening, right? For Earth to have a connection with another world is—” Suddenly, she realised something. “Heroes? How many?” “Twelve.” “Twelve! Twelve people have been transported to this world?” She couldn’t believe it. “Correct. Twelve Mighty Heroes have been summoned into our world,” the monotone confirmed. “No way! You transferred twelve people like that?” she asked. How can they move this many people through worlds? “Indeed,” affirmed the voice. She could barely process the situation. She ruffled her hair and paced around before stopping dead, “Wait… wait… didn’t you just say that I can create my skills and body?” “Correct.” “Am I the only one who can do that?” “No. All twelve can create their own skills and bodies” The answer had her shaking her head; this was too ridiculous. There was no way this was happening. Must be a new nightmare! “It’s definitely my retarded brain. There is no way this is real! As if any deity or whatever could allow this kind of bullshit! ” “This is... real,” the voice felt a bit out of tune. High in the sky, some faint statics appeared as if space itself had become unstable. She started, “Well, too bad! I don’t want to. Send me back. I can’t possibly—” “Time is limited. Please start the creation of skills and new body otherwise they will be assigned at random,” stated the monotone. A game-like window flickered then opened in front of her. She stood still, staring blankly at it. Deep inside, she felt the anger she’d tried hard to repress so far rise. “No, no, no! NO! I don’t want to! I don’t want to save anybody from anyone.” She ruffled her hair with force, on the verge of losing it. She had tried so hard to be normal, to suppress emotions and memories, to have a semblance of freaking stability, and now, this happened. “Send me back, RIGHT NOW! I’m not made to be a hero! Don’t you dare force me into this nonsense!” “Only you can... fight the Demon army and free us all,” the voice repeated like a broken vinyl. “I don’t care! I don’t give a damn about demons and whatnot! I’m weak! I’m more than weak,” she yelled with force. Space seemed to tremble under her emotions. A distortion started to take form. “I can’t even save myself, how can I help anybody?” “Only you—” “LISTEN TO ME!” she pleaded, her voice turned hoarse. “I—I don’t deserve to be anybody’s hero.” “Time is limited. Please start... the creation... of skills and new body otherwise they... will be assigned at... random.” The voice glitched. “LISTEN TO ME, DAMMIT!” She collapsed on the floor. “Time... is limited.” The voice died. The ethereal windows were blinking in front of her. Fate was a cruel thing. She was now stuck in a fantasy world.
Chapter 1 - The summoning There was an open space stretching itself without end in sight. It was illuminated by numerous small orbs of light floating in the air. It was neither cold nor warm. The space had a holy and otherworldly aura. There stood eleven people varying in age and ethnicity. These people all stood apart from each other without speaking, immersed in their own minds. However, most of them shared the same expressions: arrogance and pride, impatience and excitement. Their backs were straight and their eyes sparkling. There was a certain thrill in the air. They were the chosen ones. They’d left the mediocrity of their life on Earth behind to become people who would bathe in wealth and glory. Someone finally complained, “How long are we supposed to wait here?” The man was tall and bulky as if his muscles were built from rocks. His chin was high and his gaze was condescending. A series of complaints started to flood the space. Some statics sounded, followed by the familiar monotone voice, “A hero has yet to finish.” “What’s taking them so long? We’ve finished a while ago!” asked an annoyed young woman with red hair. Just then, a ripple of magic crossed the space, and the last summoned person appeared in front of the group. She was around 1m65 tall (5.4ft), her skin was of a milk chocolate colour, and her features showed that she was mixed. She had long straight black hair with some silver locks and hazel eyes. However, in this crowd of beautified heroes, she looked somewhat average and painfully awkward. She’d even forgotten to change her clothes and was still in her old pyjamas. Placed in front of the group, her face paled; she looked particularly spooked and uncomfortable. “We were waiting for that?” the red-haired woman asked with disgust. The newly-arrived member blinked fast, bowed in apology, and then hurried toward the back of the group. Their gazes stained with contempt and impatience followed her as she passed by. On her way, she bumped past a half-elf dressed in black lost in the crowd. She quickly apologised without looking at him. Reaching the very back, she bit her lower lip and was about to lower her head when up high, a bright light appeared, and the silhouette of a woman dressed in white emerged from the void. As she was descending, she announced, “Welcome, heroes! I am Lyres, a God's Avatar. You were summoned into this world called Arkanium. The demon race is on the verge of conquering the free world. In times of need, summoning Heroes from another world is our last resort. You were given skills and powers, make good use of them.” Lyres surveyed the room, her eyes straying a bit longer on the latecomer. She slightly bowed, and added, “Please help Arkanium!” The bulky man roared with confidence, “Hahaha, don’t worry! With the great Dorian here, you have nothing to fear! You can at least count on me.” The others also smiled with ease. They received such a good opportunity to restart their lives and create their own unique skills. How could they lack confidence? But the half-elf dressed in black remained silent, his expression indifferent and stiff. He had glanced around at each of the others, his eyes darting over all parts of their bodies and armour. Not too far from him, Ran was mumbling under her breath and fidgeting with her fingers. She looked weak-willed at best. Lyres bid them goodbye, “Go, children! May fate be in your favour.”
Chapter 2 - The Arrival A blinding light swallowed the twelve otherworlders. An unknown amount of time went by, and when they snapped out of their daze, they were in the middle of a small clearing in a forest. The sun barely pierced through the thick foliage. Around them were mere dozens of people: priests, mages, and a handful of guards. Their atmosphere was tense, but when the summoned beings appeared, they breathed out sighs of relief. At their feet, they could see a complex magic circle drawn in the damp earth. One of the people walked forward and bowed a little, “Greetings to you, Mighty Heroes. I am High Priest Kan Yune of the Arkadium Kingdom.” The whole entourage other than the high priest knelt and shouted, “Greetings to you, Mighty Heroes!” At the forefront of the group, Dorian was savouring every moment. He was looking down on them as if he was a god. He wasn’t the only one being lost in the moment. “Rise”, Dorian said with magnanimity. Kan Yune straightened himself and a light contempt flashed across his face. The non-attentive Dorian’s expression remained unchanged, but the black-dressed youth’s gaze flickered for a second. “You must be confused and—” started Kan Yune. “Lyres, the god’s whatever said we’re here to save you and you need us in order to win the war against the demon race,” interrupted Nora, the girl with the red hair. The high priest was at a loss for words, having never imagined that someone could have the gall to interrupt him. A flint of anger lit in his heart, but he tried his best to suppress it and managed to squeeze out a smile. “Indeed. Our world is in peril. And we—” He couldn’t say more before someone else interrupted him once again. “How come there are only you guys to welcome us?” Dorian interrupted. “Why in a forest? Is this how you treat Heroes who come to save you?” Where was the throne room? The bimbo princess? The bling-bling? Kan Yune breathed deeply as to pacify his rising anger. “It’s not convenient to discuss here. We prepared carriages. Let’s head to town. After a rest, everything will be explained.” He then turned around to give orders and cut short the conversation. “I hope the town isn’t too shabby,” Nora said in a soft voice loud enough for all the others to hear Ran took in their expressions as she thought: they saw themselves as Mighty Heroes who had to be venerated. Most of them were keen on forgetting their life back on earth. Power, fame, gold, and adoration, they wanted it all. But while they were caught in their own delusions, Ran was fidgeting and looking around restlessly. 3 priests. 9 mages. 6 soldiers. A magic circle of 5 m in diameter. She narrowed her eyes. Cardinal crossings. Elemental sub-division. 16 slots. 16 magic stones, 7 broken. Something wasn’t right. She sniffed; burned earth and the faint smell of blood. She turned her head and counted again. 9 mages. Ran was standing at the back of the group, her mind racing but her body still. She bit her lip, but unseen by the others, a cold light flickered in her eyes. The black-clad youth was also surveying around with attention. His eyes moved to the circle's periphery, then to the mages outsides. Cloak to cloak, they shifted 9 times. His brows creased for a second and then immediately relaxed. He observed his surroundings, thinking in silence. It should be early morning. The carriages weren’t on a common forest path as the tracks weren’t deep. The clearing was well hidden and he could feel the dense mana in the air. They’d hid the corpses of the missing mages, but had forgotten the extra set of footprints on the ground. The number of carriages also didn’t match the number of people nor the tracks on the ground. The trace of suspicion in his eyes was buried with care. He had kept track of everyone’s movements. Not too far from him, the latecomer was in a daze, her head turned to the heavens. She was completely out of it, and her worn-out pyjama made her look even more miserable. He glanced at the sky and suppressed a frown. He walked over to her and introduced himself, “Hey. Hi, I’m Rikku.” She was startled by the sudden introduction, her long eyelashes fluttering in panic. She gazed at him; he saw her eyes pass over his tall stature, black hair, and clothes, pausing a bit over his Asian features mixed with half-elf ones. She blinked fast and stammered, “My name is... Ra- no, it’s Ran. My name is Ran. Nice to meet you.” He saw her startled face yet there wasn’t much emotion in her eyes. He pointed out, “Are you alright? You seem really nervous.” Ran was startled again. She gave a small nervous laugh, and said, “You’re not? This whole thing is just absurd. Complete nonsense.” She shook her head and hugged herself in a comforting manner. Her fingers dug into her flesh and some unknown emotion flickered in her gaze. He slightly pursed his lips, and he hesitated before asking, “Do you want to share a carriage?” The girl lifted her head and stared at him. Rikku felt uncomfortable. Something in her eyes was unsettling. It took her several seconds before she nodded. He gestured for her to walk in front, which she did. He lowered his head to hide his expression and followed the young woman. Each carriage was normal, albeit a bit worn-out by travel. From the outside, Ran could tell there was no sign that they possessed any valuables or people of a certain nobility. Everyone boarded in groups, and she entered ahead of Rikku into the last and also the shabbiest. They travelled in silence, each sitting at a window and gazing at the landscape. Rikku was resting against the wood panel whereas she put on a blank expression, seeming to have lost touch with this new reality once again. The ride was bumpy and somewhat painful. The suspension didn’t exist and they were thrown all over the place because of the holes in the road. The wood was hard and smelt weird. The cushions were thin and rough. But the newly arrived heroes strangely didn’t complain much. They expected the level of technology to be low, welcoming it as an attraction for the time being. The whole trip lasted three full hours. The sun was almost at its zenith when the caravan arrived at the city’s gates. Ran squinted her eyes. She had seen better-fortified cities before. “This is the capital?”, Rikku couldn’t help but remark. “How could this be!" A soldier nearby replied, "This is the countryside. Linestone City is just some city of the Oria Duchy. The capital is way further north and far from here”—the soldier sneered—“If it wasn’t for you Heroes, we wouldn’t have come here.” “Are we far from the Capital city?” “Pretty far. We need to cross the whole Oria Duchy on our way to the Capital. It should take us a month if we travel fast.” “Why weren’t we summoned in the Capital?” Rikku questioned further “Must be a secret!" The soldier shrugged, "They must want to keep it from the spies of the Demon Army.” The shadow of a smile drew itself on Rikku’s face. “Hm.” Ran muttered, “Oh. Demon spies in the Capital. How dangerous.” Underneath his indifference, her travel companion noticed the faint sarcasm in her voice.
Chapter 3 - Linestone City The caravan passed through the city gates without any trouble or inspection. No one was there to welcome them either. Interestingly enough, the caravan didn’t cause a commotion since the townsfolk thought it was yet another merchant caravan. Rikku raised an eyebrow, they must have planned their entourage to be as low-key as possible. This city looked and felt almost medieval, with broad paved roads, red brick houses and buildings, and ironworks. Along the street, people walked busily while merchants and peddlers sold their wares loudly. Although the people weren’t that well-off, there wasn’t any visible sign of poverty either. The road was busy with a constant flow of carriages and merchants going to and fro. On their way, they even passed by several rich carriages - a perfect picture of a bustling provincial town with a thriving economy. Ran gazed outside absentmindedly, a sour feeling lingered in her heart as she travelled through town. Nothing she saw seemed to reflect in her eyes. She would have preferred to stay this way a bit longer had she not noticed some strange movement in the crowd. Groups of guards gathered around some sculptures along the road while some mages also stood there looking grimly at the crumbled figures. Their carriage drove past a couple of groups like this. Ran pursed her lips and glanced at the other person in the carriage. When she saw Rikku looking outside with a blank expression on his face, the question she’d been meaning to ask him died. The procession finally arrived in front of a castle. Ran and the others exited from their carriages and were ushered in. Inside the caste, the decorations were scarce and rather crude. The hallway was flanked with big windows which lit the passage brightly. Outside, was a view of a well-maintained garden that could cause one’s envy. Grey and dull carpets lined the floor and a slight smell of dust floated in the air. A strange light flashed through Ran’s eyes as she lowered her head to hide her sneer. This is a countryside castle indeed. Too bad, they weren’t so thorough in setting this place up. They’ve forgotten to take down the silken and embroidered curtains, while parts of the floors still had dust-free spots where pieces of furniture used to be. This place had been obviously cleared in haste, a rookie mistake. However, Dorian, Nora, and the others were too self-absorbed to notice these little details. “I can’t believe we have to stay in this shithole,” Nora exclaimed in disgust. “Hmph! This is the countryside, what did you expect?” Dorian chimed. He wasn’t happy about the situation. Doubts have started to form in his mind. This whole thing was beginning to be a bit shady. The two kept silent as they listened to everyone’s complaints. Rikku’s eyes carefully scanned the surroundings. His expression had not changed much since they arrived in this new world, and whatever thoughts he harboured were buried under his cold expressionless face. When his eyes reached Ran, he found her in her usual manner, with shoulders pointing to the ground and head bowed, while playing with her fingers. She had a weak frame and a meek face, while her dazed eyes hinted at a dejected spirit within. “Ran?” The girl raised her head and looked at him, her long eyelashes fluttered and chased away the gloominess in her eyes. She was biting at her lower lip as if she was trying hard to control herself. Seeing her this way, Rikku felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck. He felt as if there was a pinch in his heart. Something flashed through his eyes. He wondered what these feelings meant. How come he felt uneasy around her? “Don’t worry too much,” Rikku said in a flat voice. As he patted her shoulder, he felt a jolt of electricity and hurriedly retracted his hand. Ran was stunned and it took her several seconds to snap out of her daze. A complicated look appeared on her face before she managed to squeeze a small smile and nodded back at him. Afterwards, she lowered her head again. Deep in her heart, some memories were stirred. Rikku reminded her of the people she so didn’t want to recall.
Oh my! This is surely a new gem. The flow and plot of story was so good, the writing was exceptional. Only have 37.1 chapters as of now so reading this will leave em(me*) hanging. It's quite mysterious coz of Ran and Rikku's but that's what make's me want to read more! Banzai to the Author! Banzai to the translator! PS. K*LL BELLE AS FAST AS YOU CAN.