Lucy suddenly appeared atop a runic circle. The runes, or so he guessed from the heat beneath his feet, were glowing intensely—even though he couldn't see a thing. All he could sense was a strange warmth and a humming in the air that made him wonder if he'd entered some kind of trance… or if he was simply dreaming. There was no way to tell what was going on; his vision was completely dark, his world reduced to sound.
Voices. Whispers, chants, echoes of a strange ritual. It all felt ripped straight out of a nightmare. The murmurs wouldn't stop, and an uneasy feeling crawled up his spine.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered to himself.
His heart was pounding, and though he couldn't see, he knew something was watching him. Had he really been summoned to another world?
'This is the oldest cliché in the book. Come on, author, you couldn't come up with something else? What's next? A magic window and a demon king?'
Suddenly, a white light cut through the darkness, and a feminine figure appeared before him. She was imposing—like something out of legend—with an aura so powerful it made her float in the air. Lucy couldn't see her face clearly, but the energy she gave off was almost tangible, as if he could feel it vibrating in his bones.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Lysentia. I am Irina, Priestess of the Universal Judgment," she said in a soft but commanding voice. "You have been summoned by fate. A fate that calls for you to rise against the return of Azrath, the Demon King, Lord of Destruction, whose awakening threatens the balance of all worlds."
Lucy snorted.
"Couldn't you ask for volunteers first?"
Irina ignored the comment and raised her hands. A floating book appeared before her. It opened midair, and glowing letters began to write names across the pages.
"All of you have been chosen to train, grow stronger, and survive the trials that will allow you to stand against Azrath. Here, each of you will be assigned a class and a skill that reflects your energy and destiny. However, only the user can see their own system window, which will display their power and attributes."
Lucy smacked his forehead.
Oh, please.
"Am I the only one not seeing anything?" he asked out loud.
The other students didn't seem to care. The priestess turned to him with a serene expression.
"This system is unique to each summoned individual. In your case… it may work a little differently."
Lucy groaned. He was done. This felt like he'd been dragged into a fantasy RPG without being given the rules—or any rights, for that matter. But the priestess didn't stop. She continued her speech, pointing at each student one by one.
—Zhen Wei.
Class: Ethereal Warrior
Primary Skill: Void Blad
Control Level: 87%
Danger Level: Moderate
Notes: Lethal in close combat. Supernatural agility.
Zhen, a boy with jet-black hair and sharp eyes, nodded calmly, as if he'd been preparing for this his whole life.
'Great. The silent ninja. I bet he can slice a fly in half from ten meters away.'
—Isolda Leclair.
Class: Ice Mage
Primary Skill: Frostheart
Control Level: 92%
Danger Level: Medium-High
Notes: Precise elemental control. High magical potential.
Isolda, a girl with snow-white hair and silver eyes, smiled with elegance.
'Perfect. Smart, cold, and probably smells like lavender. Where do they sell that kind of luck?'
—Alaric Drummond.
Class: Shadow Summoner
Primary Skill: Devouring Umbra
Control Level: 75%
Danger Level: High
Notes: Summons semi-autonomous shadow entities. Emotional stability: questionable.
Alaric, a tall guy with scars on his face, nodded without emotion.
'Now this guy's scary. I bet he talks to his shadows when no one's watching.'
—Seth Arkwright.
Class: Brutal Warrior
Primary Skill: Sword of Dawn
Control Level: 81%
Danger Level: High
Notes: Exceptional physical strength. Aggressive style. Prone to conflict.
Seth crossed his arms with a smirk that practically screamed "punch me in the face."
—Lucy Voss.
Class: Abnormal
Primary Skill: Ocular Judgment
Control Level: 3%
Danger Level: High
Notes: Out-of-parameter status. Unstable activation. Supervision required.
Silence. All eyes turned to him. Some with surprise, others with pity… and a few with that annoying mix of fear and ridicule he knew all too well.
"Abnormal?" Seth was the first to break the silence, of course, and not with anything helpful. "No wonder you're blind, freak! You probably shouldn't even be here!"
Lucy turned his head toward him. He couldn't see Seth's face, but the arrogant tone said it all.
"And you probably shouldn't be skipping manners class, but hey, no one's complaining."
"What did you just say, you useless blind freak?!"
"Oh, come on. Don't you have any better insults? That one sounds straight out of a bad villain's script."
The priestess didn't even blink at the exchange. She kept the ceremony going. One by one, creatures began to appear—spiritual guides, companions… or as Lucy liked to call them in his head: "premium magic pets." In front of him, a black sphere floated, a single red line across it like a mechanical eye.
"[Greetings. I am A-01. Your execution assistant. Survival rate: 17%. Will attempt to improve.]"
Lucy blinked.
"…This day just keeps getting better, huh?"
The priestess raised her hands, and the runic circle began to fade.
"Tomorrow, squad selection will begin. And with it, your first trial. Rest well, for those who fail…"—she paused, dramatically—"…will be returned. Not to your homes, but to the abyss."
Lucy sighed.
"Perfect. Magical battle royale, with classes, levels, and sudden death. Just like that anime I dropped after episode two."
As the runic circle disappeared and darkness returned, Lucy, still blind, began to wonder how far he'd actually get in this strange world—if he'd ever get a real chance to go back home.