My name is Kuroha Kuroyami, commonly called Kuro. I'm 18.
I was not the best in appearances, pretty average actually.
My hair black, my eyes black, no defining muscles, rather slim, average height.
I didn't have much going for me, but to think I would wake up in a bed that wasn't my own!
"...!! W-Where am I? W-Who are you people!?"
The room I was in had a very wealthy feel to it.
The air smelled like lavender, a contrast to the rat shit in my home.
The bed was large and soft, decorated with great detail, a contrast to my simple, plain bed.
And unlike being alone in my own room, men in armor, reminiscent of Victorian times, had surrounded the bed, rifles in hand, standing straight as soldiers.
"Summoned one, please follow me."
One such man had his helmet off. Good looks, curly hair, and a nice frame to support that armor.
"...what? Where am I?"
"Everything will be explained. I need you to come with me. If you do not, I will have to force you to follow."
Unsure of what to do, I nodded.
I wanted to run away, but I was surrounded. They could catch me in an instant.
I thankfully still had my bedclothes, but it felt weird being surrounded by these people who looked like they were from the past.
Even the world outside the windows didn't look from my time.
If I had to compare, it would be Victorian America, which was ironic since I come from America.
Yeah, despite having a Japanese name, I was American. My mother was Japanese and my father was American.
She moved there for the typical reasons everyone does, which I'm not sure whether it was a good or bad choice, especially knowing the man she ended up with.
As they brought me along, I noticed the halls were definitely not in my apartment.
Long corridors with a red carpet, large paintings that had the face of a woman I've never seen before.
"Goddess Shumato, I have brought him."
I was brought to a very mystical room, which was fairly empty.
At its center, on a pedestal, stood a crystal ball, and a platform much higher with a door frame, remained empty.
"...!!"
More people are here, too? So, I'm not the only one. Why does this remind me of something?
My thoughts were interrupted when the woman I was meant to meet showed up, emerging from the door frame.
It was a tall woman, with glimmering skin and long white hair, her entire form outlined by a radiant golden glow, a woman of divine essence, standing proud, her authority letting all know just who she was from a glance alone.
Just seeing her, I felt insignificant, like a rat that was picked out of pity.
"Hello, dear summoned heroes. I know you must be concerned with your…current predicament. But I'm here to clear some things up. My name is Shumato. I am the goddess of the Northern State. It is I who summoned you four into this world."
Summoned…? Goddess…? What is she talking about…? Oh, now I remember. This reminded me a lot of those manga and novel plots.
Recognizing the rather cliché nature of her words, I felt this may be some sort of elaborate prank.
Like this was a TV show or something.
But then I could sue because who kidnaps someone during the night.
It made me wonder if this was my terrible luck again.
"...you brought us here?"
One of the other people had spoken.
A tall blondie with soulless blue eyes, handsome in appearance, but stoic in expression, with a lot of muscles that I could see through his t-shirt.
His voice was also quite deep, the kind of deep those male popstars had, or even a male actor would have, the kind of deep women desired.
Women would definitely fall for this guy.
"Indeed, I did."
"Which means you can send us back."
"That is also correct."
"Send me back."
"..."
"You heard me, didn't you? I don't know why you brought me here, but I would much rather go back."
"Go back? I doubt your life was THAT important."
Hearing that voice, I couldn't help but freeze.
A voice I could recognize from TV, yet famous for all the wrong reasons.
Isn't that…!?
Looking in the direction of the voice that sounded like a calm yet psychotic man.
It was Hannibal Gunk.
Famous serial killer.
He looked unhinged, a result of his time behind bars, short brown hair that was unkempt, with a handsome face, wearing a prison jumpsuit.
I remember clearly on the news he was on death row, sentenced to death tomorrow, yet it seemed luck was on his side.
"You brought a serial killer here? Some goddess you are." The man said, a shadow darkening his expression.
I wanted to leave this room.
I really wanted to leave this room.
To be trapped in here with a guy like that.
He was nothing but trouble.
"The Mark of the Chosen selects people fit to defeat the great evil."
"With another great evil? Fight fire with fire, you thought."
"..."
"You said something about fighting. I don't really know how to fight, so you probably messed up."
A woman spoke up, her voice soft, yet it felt forced, like she was trying to come off as something different yet failed.
She had light brown hair, a small braid over her shoulder, and brown eyes, a woman who looked petite, yet desirable in body, but the tone of her voice matched that of an adult woman, mature even.
"Everyone, please. I would like your attention."
"No, send me ba—"
"Silence."
At those words, I felt my body get tighter, as if I was grabbed by a giant hand, retrained and forced to line up.
"W-What the hell…!?"
"Whoa. Ain't this some shit."
"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is this!?"
I didn't do anything, far too scared to even do so.
After what she pulled, I had no intention of speaking up against her.
To summarize, the world was apparently at war with the demon race, a race created by the negative karma of the world, started by a warlock named Lucifer. The 4 states North, being this one, South, East, and West, have all been trying to fight against this empire, but they weren't strong enough, so she created the Mark of the Chosen, a seal that went to infiltrate different worlds and pull humans from different worlds who have the potential to become great. She did say that it was a prototype, so in order for us to truly know how strong we were, she wanted us to have our capabilities, potential, and skills measured.
"Please, all of you step up and place your hand on this sphere one at a time."
"...fine."
The handsome guy walked up, still annoyed, but placing his hand on the orb, acknowledging his powerlessness.
I wonder what will happen…?
The moment he put his hand on the sphere; it glowed brightly yellow.
"...!!"
[Status Open]
The moment he looked at his arm, as if looking at a watch, a hologram of a status screen similar to a video game appeared.
To my surprise, I could see it.
Normally, you could never see these things.
But in this case, I could:
Name: Arthur Gink
Class: Hero
Rank: SSS
Stats
MP: 2500/2500
ATK: 453
DEF: 211
SPD: 233
ARC: 543
Skills
Sword of Destruction [LVL: 1]
Final Guard [LVL: 1]
Sword Creation [LVL: 1]
Hero's Juggernaut [LVL: 1]
The World Shall Cut [LVL: 1]
Passive Skills
[The Great Hero]
[God's Luck]
"What the hell is this? Some sort of game?"
"Not really. You see, I've been observing you humans, and I notice you have created this thing called 'LitRPG'. Seeing such interesting work, I had taken in spirits who would assist in measuring your power. This is called the Staitus System, but you can call it the Status System."
"..."
"Move it!"
Hannibal pushed Arthur out of the way, placing his hand on the sphere, and a red glow came from it.
Name: Hannibal Gank
Class: Butcher
Rank: A
Stats
MP: 300/300
ATK: 679
DEF: 49
SPD: 556
ARC: 340
Skills
The Mad Dog [LVL: 1]
Cleave [LVL: 1]
Dismantle [LVL: 1]
Hell's Kitchen [LVL: 1]
Passive Skills
[Lecter]
[Food Parade]
[Gluttonous King Azathoth]
"Huh? This is bullshit. I'm a rank lower than this playboy?"
"Watch your mouth. Don't make me beat you to death." Clenching his fist as he threatens the serial killer.
"Buddy. I've killed many. You'll just be another number in the pile."
They glared at each other, murderous intent leaking from them.
If I had to be with people like them, my father was far better than this.
The woman walked up, placing her hand on the sphere, and it glowed a purple color:
Name: Jung Go-eun
Class: Succubus
Rank: A
Stats
MP: 1000/1000
ATK: 223
DEF: 432
SPD: 323
ARC: 765
Skills
Lucious Whip [LVL: 1]
Controlling Kiss [LVL: 1]
The Swan [LVL: 1]
Passive Skills
[The Lucious Bitch]
[Don't Stop Fighting]
[The Ragnarok]
"...succubus…how—fitting."
…I guess it's my turn.
Walking up, I placed my hand on the sphere, a black and purple color leaked, and my stat screen appeared:
Name: Kuro
Class: Curser
Rank: E
Stats
MP: 10000/10000
ATK: 1
DEF: 1
SPD: 1
ARC: 1
Skills
Stun [LVL: 1]
Poison [LVL: 1]
Coma [LVL: 1]
Burn [LVL: 1]
Bleed [LVL: 1]
Disease [LVL: 1]
Fear [LVL: 1]
Hallucinate [LVL: 1]
Charm [LVL: 1]
Silence [LVL: 1]
Disarm [LVL: 1]
Panic [LVL: 1]
Obsession [LVL: 1]
Misfortune [LVL: 1]
Absorb [LVL: 1]
Passive Skills
[The Cursed Right Hand]
[The Forsaken One]
[Bastard Son of a Mongrel]
"..."
What the hell? I have so many skills, but my stats are terrible. I'm also an E Rank? And why is it using my nickname? Stun? Poison? Coma? These all sound like status ailments.
"…well, that's…everyone. How about you take the time to explore the castle? I want you all to explore and get familiar with this place before we start your training. You will also be given equipment fitting for your classes."
"Hold on."
Arthur called.
"...what?"
"What kind of benefits do we get?"
Benefits? What is he asking!? Did he forget what she did to us?
Recalling when she restrained us, I didn't want to experience that again.
"Various benefits. You will be treated like royalty. The laws won't apply to you, and you can request anything you want, apart from some exceptions."
"..."
"That's a good deal! Alright, I'll be your little giddy pig."
"...as long as I can get money, I'll do it. I also want a team."
"Those arrangements will be made."
Shumato shot a glare at me, one that looked simple and gentle, yet I couldn't help but feel it held malice.
"Now, please scurry on. I have things to take care of."
And after that, she had let us leave the mystic room.
I was alone in the bedroom I had woken up in previously, looking at my status window.
I was a bit scared.
Every time in those novels, the person with the weak skills or low rank was always discarded. It always happens, no matter the novel I read, when it came to isekai.
Of course, it could have just been because writers just want something easy to write, but...
"Maybe I should look at one of my passive skills? Let's see, [The Forsaken One].
[The Forsaken One]: Lady Misfortune hates you.
"…could that be what it's about? Maybe your life and experiences translate into skills."
The theory had popped into my mind upon seeing something I had been experiencing for a long time.
I had always lived a life of misfortune.
Hell, this skill might as well just be a measurement of what already was.
Tapping the [Stun] skill, I decided to see what it was about:
Stun [LVL: 1]
[Duration: 1 Hour]
[Lock all movement of target(s)]
Just like a typical stun in games. I wonder how that will translate in real life. Would they just stop moving like paralysis, or would they be stuck in place?
Pondering this question while scratching my right hand, for a moment, I felt something lick my leg directly where my hand was.
"What the—!?"
Looking at my hand, nothing was wrong, but I could see a little glimmer on my pants.
"…what the hell? What licked me?"
Looking at my hand again, nothing happened as I expected something to.
"Weird."
I didn't explore that mansion; instead, I explored my room only, and let's just say, misfortune struck again.
When entering the bathroom, there was a leak, causing me to slip and almost hit my head on the toilet.
When I entered the kitchen, an attempt to turn on the stove, a Victorian-era one, almost resulted in an explosion that would kill me, as well as the pans and plates falling off the counter.
Overall, it was not a fun experience.
Even in this world, my misfortune would not leave me. I wasn't even sure whether to be excited or not.
On one hand, this could have been a fun experience. Exploring a brand-new world with magic. Defeat the demon king or monarch as promised. Live a nice life.
But on the other hand, the typical trope of a weak being abandoned floated at the back of my mind.
Even if it was fiction and this was real life, I still felt a little scared.
There was also the fact that there was a murderer in our ranks.
I was scared to sleep, knowing he was in the same building as us.
During the night, I still couldn't sleep.
I didn't want to find myself waking up to Hannibal near my bed with a weapon in hand.
I also didn't read any of the other skills I had, fearing of being distracted in case Hannibal showed up.
I was far too paranoid to do anything.
Just as I thought I was ready for sleep, the sound of knocking came from the door.
"...!!"
I quickly jumped out the bed, looking for a weapon when guards barged in!
"......oh."
Marching inside, they grabbed me by my arms, pulling me outside the room.
"H-HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I cried.
I struggled to fight against the guards, but they would go as far as to grab my legs, bringing me to the same mystic room as before, dropping me on the floor like trash.
"What's happening!?"
"Nothing special. Only your disposal."
"...!!"
Turning my head to the platform, Shumato was standing tall, but no longer did she feel divine; rather, she felt satanic.
I felt like there was a weight down on my chest, gripping my throat, my body releasing all sorts of danger signals from her glare alone.
"W-What are you talking about?"
"It's unfortunate that my mark has failed to do its job properly."
"What are you talking about?"
"An E Rank. How could I have an E Rank as my hero? You should know by now that the Rank is a measurement of potential, and an E-Rank is no potential at all as I designed it."
"...!!"
I was right in the end.
They were attempting to discard me.
But I wouldn't let that happen.
I tried to escape, running towards the door, but before I could reach it, I felt my body freeze like a statue.
"W-What's happening?"
Lifting her hand, she levitated me towards the center, a magic circle with hieroglyphics at the edges.
"You know, when I used the Mark of the Chosen, I expected great potential from all of them."
She began to speak, stairs appearing with each step she made, the taps of her heels echoing.
"I wanted warriors, powerful warriors. Humans I could trust and use. Humans that would serve me and grow my influence."
What the hell is she talking about?
"Frames of artwork, I would say. I wanted beautiful frames of work. Arthur Gink, a heroic frame, meant to inspire all who hear his voice, a warrior who will lead my state to victory. Hannibal Gank, a madman who will strike fear into all who hear his name, a beautifully grotesque frame. And Jung Go-eun, an adorable frame, a beauty that will seduce the kings and the demons, whose very wickedness knows no bounds."
Walking up to me, she placed a finger on my head, who was now restrained by chains, unable to move my arms, and held by my shoulders, forced down.
"But you, I see nothing. I don't see anything beautiful, I don't see anything invoking. You're just…a Failure Frame."
Upon those words being spoken, I felt a jolt of energy through my body, one that served as great pain.
"GEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
I cried, the ground opening, and I fell through, descending towards a portal.
[Passive Skill Obtained!]
[The Failure Frame]
I had fallen through the portal, thrown into a place where I would suffer greatly.