Tom room.
Tom entered his room then shut the door behind him. He collapsed straight onto the bed, exhausted, weighing him down.
Then suddenly a red screen came in front of him, it looked like a status window but the structure and colour was different.
Curious, he sat up slightly and willed open his own status window. It appeared in familiar blue, sleek and rectangular.
[Name -: Tom Saviour.
Skill -: Holy Sword (SSS), Arch Mage (SSS)
Strength -: 150
Stamina -: 150
Mana -: 500 ]
Then look at the second status window. Red colour and rectangular but rough.
[Name -: Tom Saviour.
Skill -: Devour(???) , (???)
Species -: ???
Strength -: 1,000
Stamina -: 600
Mama -: 700]
He looked at both status window they have all things different.
Species. What is the meaning? These questions mark it as something special. He thought.
[Host please don't be overthinking]
"What can it speak?" He was shocked.
[Ding! Yes Host,]
"Okay, tell me about yourself?"
[Ding! What you want to know? Host.]
Tom crossed his arms, leaning against the bedpost. "Can we go home after defeating the demon lord?"
[Ding! Yes Host but If they really wanted to send you back your own world then they wouldn't put this slave magic on you.]
"It means they don't want heroes to save world instead they need hunting dogs to rule over the world."
[Ding! Yes Host, you want to remove the slave magic.]
Tom smirked faintly, though his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he jabbed a thumb at his chest. "You're no angel system, that's for sure. Tell me what you want from me. Nothing's free in any world."
[Ding! Hehe, the host is really clever. But that was a secret, I can't tell you now, please wait for the right time.]
He exhaled sharply, waving a dismissive hand. "Okay, then tell me what these skills are."
[Ding! Devour(???) skill can help you to extract life force and skills then convert into mana that make you stronger. It typically allows a Host to consume enemies, absorbing their powers, skills, stats, or essence to grow stronger rapidly.]
"I don't plan to kill anyone."
[Host please reconsider because in this world power is everything.]
Next Morning – Palace Courtyard
The sun rose.
The courtyard was filled with knights, horses, and magic carriages.
Students gathered with their bags.
Those with E-rank and above stood together.
Those below E-rank stood apart, near the palace gates.
Some hugged each other.
Some cried.
Some looked excited.
Jack tightened the strap of his bag.
"I don't know how long it will take but the journey starts here," he said.
Maxwell smiled nervously.
"Yeah... but we'll come back strong. Heroes, right? We'll train hard, get powerful. Then we can go back our world."
Jessica adjusted her white cloak.
"We must survive," she said softly.
Michael stood near the palace steps.
He watched them leave.
"I wish I was with them. F-rank... why me?," he whispered to himself.
Ray stood proudly among the elites.
"This is it! Adventure time!"
James laughed.
"Training or war—it's all the same! We'll crush monsters!"
Tom walked forward.
His face was calm as always.
No one noticed the faint dark shadow behind him.
A knight raised his voice.
"Those selected for training—step forward!"
Magic circles formed under their feet.
Wind rose.
The Princess watched from the balcony.
"Please... return alive," she whispered.
The Queen's eyes narrowed.
The circles shone brighter.
Space twisted.
And in the next moment— They were gone.
Afternoon.
A group of students standing in front of the carriage, their hands are shaking.
They were the ones with below E-rank skills.
Knights surrounded them.
"Where are we going?" one girl asked nervously.
"A place where you can help in research and development and other things where you can help the Empire." a knight replied.
They set inside the carriage, they started moving farther and farther away from the Empire.
The night was cold and dark.
No lights.
No villages.
Only forest and trees there.
Finally, the carriage stopped.
Students are talking inside the carriage.
"It took half a day," one boy muttered inside. "We're really far from the palace now."
"Yeah," a girl replied to boy, she hugging her knees. "Feels wrong. Too quiet."
The place was silent.
Too silent.
"Get down," a knight ordered the students.
The students stepped out of the carriage.
Fear filled their eyes.
One boy noticed something.
"W-Where are the palace guards?" he whispered.
Another pointed shakily, "This place where we have to work?. It looks like nothing!"
The knight raised his sword.
That was the answer to their questions.
"W-What are you doing?" someone screamed.
Blade slashed. Her head rolled. Blood sprayed hot and red.
After seeing knights kill their classmates they start to scream.
"No! Stop! Please!" a chubby boy begged, dropping to knees.
"Please! We didn't do anything!" another boy begged for life.
A girl with glasses clutched her friend. "We're humans! Heroes! The King summoned us! You can't—"
The knights showed no mercy.
They moved like killing machines.
One by one, students fell on the ground. Cries tore the night.
They're crying.
Steel pierced her gut. She gasped, blood bubbling from lips. "M-Mommy…"
They're begging.
"I have a family! Please, sir, mercy!" another wailed, arms up. Throat slit. Gurgle.
They're dying.
Blood soaked the ground in red color. The bodies of students fell on the ground. The atmosphere was filled with the smell of blood and iron.
"This is the Emperor's Order," Captain of the knight said in a cold voice and wiping blood from his face. "Useless pieces have no value. Weak skills? The Empire has no room for trash."
Michael stood frozen.
His heart pounded.
His legs felt weak.
A dying girl grabbed his arm. Her eyes pleading and blood dripped from her mouth. "Michael... help... it hurts…" She asked.
A sword pierced her chest.
Her hand slipped from his sleeve.
Michael's mind shattered. No no no—they lied. All of it. Palace. Party. Heroes? Murderers!
RUN.
That was the only word in his head.
He turned and ran.
"Hey! One escaped!" a knight shouted.
Fireball whooshed—BOOM! Ground exploded near his heel, singeing pants..
Michael ran blind. Tears stung. Lungs screamed fire. Branches whipped face. Don't stop. Can't stop. They'll kill me too.
He reached the forest.
Dark trees swallowed him.
"Get him! Don't let the rat live!".
But the forest was thick.
Dark.
Alive.
Michael tripped and rolled down a slope.
He fell into bushes and mud.
He didn't move.
He didn't breathe.
Knights crashed nearby. "Where'd he go? F-rank weakling can't run far."
"Search later. Clean the rest first. He'll die in the woods anyway—starve or beast food."
Footsteps faded. Voices gone.
Their footsteps faded.
Silence returned.
Michael slowly opened his eyes.
He was alive.
Barely.
He covered his mouth and cried without sound.
"They lied…" he whispered.
"The King… the Empire… they betrayed us…"
His hands trembled.
His weak body shook.
But something changed inside him.
Anger.
Hatred.
Pain.
Anger boiled. Hot. Black. King. Queen. Knights. Empire. Liars. Killers. I hate you. Hate!
The forest felt different.
Dark mana slowly gathered around him.
His Black Mage (F) skill trembled.
Cracked.
Evolved.
Fist clenched in mud. "I won't die," he whispered, voice raw. "I'll live. Grow strong. And one day…"
His eyes burned in dark. "...I'll destroy this Empire. Burn it all."
Deep in the forest—
Something ancient opened its eyes.