When everyone's vision finally returned, they realized that they were no longer inside their classroom. Instead, they now stood in an unfamiliar place steeped in the atmosphere of a medieval era.
A sense of awe washed over them as they looked around.
"Where is this? Weren't we just in class?"
"This place is incredible… it's like a medieval castle!"
Behind that amazement, confusion and shock quietly spread among them. None of them recognized the room they were standing in.
"Could this be some kind of hologram set up in our classroom?"
"Doesn't seem like it. This jug feels real when I touch it—and there's nothing like this in our classroom!" one student replied while placing his hand on a large decorative jug.
"Excuse me, everyone."
A gentle, soothing voice suddenly echoed from the front.
The sound drew everyone's attention, including Arya and Anton. Standing before them was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, almost angelic in appearance. She wore pure white garments, her long golden hair cascading down her back. Her skin was as pale as milk, looking soft enough to melt at a single touch.
Anton stepped forward with a stern expression and shouted harshly,
"Who are you?"
Despite his rudeness, the beautiful woman did not show the slightest hint of anger. Instead, she smiled warmly, a soft and graceful smile, before speaking in a gentle tone.
"First of all, please allow me to apologize to everyone. My name is Rani, a holy maiden who serves the Goddess of Compassion, Ani. By divine revelation from Goddess Ani, I summoned all of you heroes to this world, and—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Anton abruptly interrupted her.
"Wait a second. Did you just say heroes?"
"Yes?" the holy maiden replied, tilting her head with a confused yet adorably innocent expression.
"You mean us?" Anton asked, spreading his arms wide.
"Of course," she answered with a gentle smile.
"Don't tell me you're about to ask us to fight and defeat the Demon King," Anton said seriously.
"That is correct."
The corners of Anton's lips curled upward into a sly grin. He stepped forward confidently and declared,
"We're just ordinary students. How are we supposed to fight and defeat the Demon King?"
"There's no need to worry. People from another world are granted special blessings that can be used in battle. To make it easier to understand, you may call them skills."
After hearing her explanation, Anton couldn't stop smiling. He was clearly the most excited among the class.
"Hey, Anton. You seem pretty familiar with this. Are you one of those otaku who watches isekai anime all the time?" one of his friends asked.
"Oi, bastard! Don't pretend you don't know—you watched it with me!"
"Oh right… I forgot."
Anton turned back to the holy maiden.
"So, how do we find out what abilities we have?"
Before she could answer, Arya interrupted.
"Wait a minute. Why are you two deciding everything? I'm not interested in your isekai fantasy. Can you send me back to Earth?" Arya said firmly.
"M-me too!" Tiara added nervously.
The holy maiden did not respond immediately. She maintained her warm smile for several seconds before speaking.
"Before that, I'll answer young master Anton's question. Perhaps once you see what skills you've obtained, you might change your minds.
Do you see the glass sphere before you? That is a magic crystal. When you touch it, a status window will appear, displaying your abilities and skills clearly."
Everyone's gaze shifted to the magic orb resting atop a small altar in front of them. Whispers spread among Arya's classmates, their excitement growing as they anticipated their skills.
"Well then, who would like to try first?" the holy maiden asked.
"I'll go first!" Anton stepped forward confidently.
He stood behind the altar, staring at the crystal.
"You only need to place your hand on the crystal and say the word 'Status,'" the holy maiden explained.
Anton immediately extended his right hand and placed it on the crystal. The moment he touched it, the crystal began to glow brightly.
Swoosh…
Three seconds later, a floating status window appeared before him. The holy maiden stepped closer to examine it.
"Congratulations, young master Anton. You have obtained the skill Swordmaster, Rank A+."
"Only Rank A+? Tch… boring. I should've gotten at least Rank S or SS+," Anton scoffed in disappointment.
Afterward, he stepped down from the altar and glanced at Arya with a mocking smile.
"Hmph. I'm curious what kind of skill you'll get," he said provocatively.
Arya met his gaze with an emotionless stare, completely ignoring him.
"Next," the holy maiden called gently.
One by one, the students climbed the altar to awaken their status windows.
Eventually, it was the turn of Ren Gama—the handsome and popular class president, admired by both boys and girls.
"Let me guess… he's going to be the hero," Arya muttered inwardly.
Ren touched the crystal, which shone brighter than ever before. His status window appeared, distinctly different from the others.
Only Ren had received the job Hero.
"A hero! Congratulations, young master Ren! You are the true Hero! We will rely on you, Hero Ren!" the holy maiden said respectfully.
"Just as expected. Such a predictable plot," Arya thought. "Even without being an otaku, I know how clichéd this is."
Soon after, it was Arya's turn.
With a cold, indifferent expression, Arya stepped onto the altar.
"I'm not interested in this. Just send me back to Earth."
"Please, at least try, young master Arya. You might obtain a high-rank skill," the holy maiden said kindly.
"Fine. But whatever I get won't change anything."
He placed his hand on the crystal. It glowed faintly—nothing special.
His status window appeared.
"Strength 7, Agility 6, Endurance 6, Mana 1… Skill: Adaptation?" Arya frowned. "Where's the rank?"
"May I see your skill?" the holy maiden asked.
"Adaptation."
"Oh? Interesting. I've never heard of such a skill before. What rank is it?"
"There isn't one."
"…What?" She looked startled. "What do you mean?"
"It just says Adaptation. And it's a passive skill—always active."
She examined the window again.
"There seems to be no error. In that case, there's only one possibility. You have no potential, so your status reflects that of an ordinary person. Still, there's no need to be disappointed. The average adult has stats of 5, while yours are 6."
Whispers erupted around him. Anton grinned widely.
"I don't need your consolation," Arya said flatly as he stepped down.
"Arya…" Tiara whispered anxiously.
"I'm fine. Worry about yourself," he replied.
Anton approached with his followers.
"Yo, Arya! What a shame—you're nothing but useless trash now!"
Without warning, Anton threw a punch. Arya dodged instinctively and countered, knocking Anton to the ground.
Thud!
"You might have a high-rank skill," Arya said coldly, "but my stats are still higher than yours."
"Please stop fighting. This is a sacred place," the holy maiden intervened gently.
"Tch! You're lucky this time," Anton spat before retreating.
Eventually, Tiara awakened her status.
Her average stats were only 4, the lowest among them.
Her skill: Devour, Rank E.
Mockery erupted.
"Perfect pair—trash with no rank, and trash with trash rank!"
Laughter filled the room—except for a few, including Ren.
Finally, the holy maiden spoke again.
"To answer Arya's earlier question… I have received a divine revelation.
Before the Demon King is defeated, you cannot return to Earth. However, I can send you to a place suitable for people like you."
Arya felt a chill.
"This isn't formal language… something's wrong."
Moments later, teleportation magic activated beneath Arya and Tiara.
"That place will truly suit the likes of you," she said, smiling cruelly.
Now Arya understood.
"Damn it… so that's how it is."
Before vanishing, he raised his middle finger.
"You started this. I'll make you regret it."
Swoosh—
Deep within an unknown dungeon…
Darkness swallowed him whole.
Fear, panic, and anxiety surged—but above all, rage.
Then—
Krrsssk…
A massive spider monster emerged.
Arya fought with nothing but instinct, desperation, and fury.
And when it finally died beneath him, breath ragged and body drenched in sweat, he muttered:
"To hell with holy maidens and gods. I'll show you what someone with the greatest potential can truly do."
Arya lifted his head and gazed up at the towering stone ceiling above him. Only then did he realize that subtle changes had taken place within himself.
"I can see quite clearly in this darkness now. Could it be that my vision improved after killing that spider? …No, that doesn't add up. My sight had already sharpened before I defeated it. Then there's only one possible explanation—my Adaptation skill."