GRAND YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY,
MODERN DAY
It was the eve of Independence Day. People were already leaving the library earlier that evening, but the frail-looking young man with pale skin and dark eyes was still there. Sitting alone at the corner table, a perfect spot for an introvert – nobody can see you.
In front of him, a stack of books and written notes for his final year exam. Governance.
He chuckled whenever he read the word 'Governance'. It was not because he did not believe in it; it does not exist in Grand York. Everything was a façade, with politicians caring only about themselves, not the nation.
"Whatever, I will pass this exam next week, graduate, get a job, marry someone, grow old, and die." He thought. He had to pass this exam, or else he would have to repeat another semester.
He flipped open a note he took during lectures, "What the heck is this handwriting. Who wrote this piece of shit – oh... It's me." He threw the notes and opened another, the same useless ones. "What was the point of taking notes if you can't even read them?"
Getting bored with reading so many useless things for the past few hours, he stood and walked out of the library, bought a can of mocha coffee from the vending machine just beside the front door. He flipped the can open and took a slurp of coffee. "Bitter! What the heck, it's a bit too bitter than last time." He looked at the expiry date; it had expired about a month ago.
He immediately threw the cans away in the bin. The parking lot was empty; he was the only one left in the library. Mrs. Julia, the librarian, went home early for the celebration. Before leaving, she reminded him to turn off the lights and lock the door. Then, she left her key in her drawer.
Staring into the sky above, beautiful yet dark – and empty. "Just like who I am. I achieved everything I aimed for: a black belt in taekwondo, the best state debater, and even made a lot of money in the stock market. What else could one ask for? And yet… just like the skies, it feels empty."
He realized that dark clouds were gathering around the library; a thunderstorm was imminent. He could feel it, from the touch of the air to the smell of the sea. It was already on its way. It was too late for him to cycle back home from the library.
"Might as well sleep here for the night. Nobody's going to notice." He went back in, locking the doors from inside, and sat back at the table. Flipping through the notes and reference books on governance, he slowly drifted to sleep.
***
The sound of lightning strikes woke him up thirty minutes later, and it was already raining heavily outside. "Ren, funny how they named me Howard… Ren." He chuckled. He remembered when he asked his mother why she called him Ren, her answer was, "Because it was raining when you were born."
It was getting late, and the library was starting to give off creepy vibes. It made his senses tingle, and his hair stood on end. "Shit, I think I should just run in the rain. The very least thing that could go wrong is me getting sick right before the exam." He thought.
As Ren was about to pack up and leave, lightning struck the building, causing the electricity to trip. The building went completely dark and silent. It took a few seconds for Ren to adjust his eyes to the total darkness. His eyes widened when he saw heavy fog enveloping the whole area, just like in the creepy movies.
He quickly put on his bag and sprinted towards the entrance door. Along the way, he stumbled on a shelf and scratched himself, but he ignored it. Right when he touched the door handle, a huge circular ring appeared right beneath his feet.
"No… No… No… You aren't going to take me anywhere weird!" He yelled as he tried to twist the handle, yet it refused to budge. Then a bright white light flashed, leaving him disoriented and blinded.
In the total darkness, he heard a voice calling out to him, "Ren… Ren… Can you hear me?"
"Who are you? Where am I? It is so dark here. Am I blind?" Ren asked, waving his hands, trying to get the feel of his location.
"Ren, you are in an interdimensional realm where alternate worlds co-exist. There has been a bug in your current world. You will be transferred to another world. A world that needs you."
"You… You've got to be kidding me. Am I going to be isekai'd somewhere? Are you saying I am the bug that needs to be removed?"
"…"
"Hello? Anyone? Please answer me…"
"You will be transported to a dying kingdom. They have performed a summoning ritual to summon a hero, but they did not realize that the person the kingdom needs is you, so – "
Ren interrupted, "So, actually. I am not wanted there, right? I will be in some serious trouble later… Right?"
"… To compensate for your removal from the original world, I will give you some unique abilities to fulfil your new roles. Please say 'STATUS' in your head to check your status. Heads up, your intelligence and charisma have been maxed out, while your physical skill is adjusted to your current level. You, however, will have to think and work hard like in the previous world."
"Hey, don't I have to say in choosing my lev… - "
Boom!
***
Three more explosions woke Ren up. His head was still in pain, and his eyes were still refusing to open. He scratched his eyelids, trying to open his eyes. As he opened his eyes, it was blurry at first. Then, it grew brighter. He blinked once, twice.
The room temperature was warm and humid, and a dozen hooded men in pink were surrounding him in a circle, all of them collapsed and unconscious. People were running around and stumbling over one another. Soldiers rushed into the room to try to calm the people, but were pushed back by the crowds.
He moved his arms around his body to find that only his head was a little bloodied. Confused by the commotion, Ren turned around and found out he was sitting in front of an altar. "If I remember it correctly. This group summons me. What should I do in this situation? Should I say 'Hello, my name is Ren, while waving my hands?'"
The commotions finally died down when a hooded man, much older than those with him, arrived. He was hooded in deep purple and holding a large book. Behind him were several other hooded men in pink, lined up and holding various items, such as staffs and swords.
The procession moved slowly towards the altar while chanting in a language he does not understand.
When they finally reached the altar, the man in purple, possibly the priest, extended his hand toward Ren. Not knowing what else to do, Ren reached out his hand, forming a handshake with the priest. The rest of the men helped him to stand in front of the crowds.
As soon as Ren stood up, the priest realized something was not right. A frail, pale guy wearing a backpack doesn't look like the standard hero you'd expect. The priest smiled hesitantly. He took Ren's hands out and lifted them along with his other hand; the other priests followed suit.
"Long live the hero! Long live the hero!" he yelled, hesitantly followed by music and songs, announcing the arrival of the hero.
After the fanfare, a few hours later, Ren was brought to the palace by the priests. At the entrance to the great hall, "Remember, when you enter the great hall, lower your head and let us speak. Understood?" The head priest said.
"Understood."
A voice emerged from behind the door. "Priest of Holy Church, you may enter…"
Soon, the entrance door opened, and they entered, bowing their heads in respect. The great hall was filled with people wearing fancy clothes, unlike the commoners' usual muted attire. "Most probably the nobles."
At the throne, King Douglas the Third was still busy reading their report.
"Two priests died on the spot, and ten were hospitalized. The cost of repair, 300 gold coins? Are you kidding me?"
The head priest stepped forward with his head lowered, "Your Majesty, however, their sacrifice is not in vain," he turned his gaze at Ren, "This is the result of our sacrifice. I introduce to you, the summoned hero."
The crowds murmured and gasped. "This scrawny guy is the promised hero. He looked like even the wind could blow him away. Where is his Armor?"
Question after question escaped their lips, obviously to air their dissatisfaction with the summoning ritual performed earlier.
The king scratched his chin, "Hero, step forward."
Ren stepped forward, his head still lowered. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"First, welcome to the Kingdom of Thessalonis. What is your name, and what did you do in your old world?"
"My name is Howard Ren; people usually call me Ren. I am a student in my old world."
"A student? Never heard of a student-hero before. What did you study?"
"I study governance, Your Majesty. The study of governing a country."
"It sounded like you have the potential to be one of my governors one day."
"I am still learning, Your Majesty," Ren paused for a moment, "May I ask you a question?"
"Yes, what do you want to ask, Ren?"
"Why am I here, summoned to this place?"
The king looked left and right at his subjects, gathered in the hall. He took a deep breath and sighed, "I am tired of all this. Our kingdom is under immense pressure at the moment. Raiders from the Great Plain raided our supplies; our treasury is almost empty; we failed to produce enough crops for the kingdom; and we are facing incoming attacks from our neighbors."
"You want me to help with all of these?"
"Exactly. We summoned you here to resolve these issues before an attack on us comes."
"I am flattered by your high opinions on me, Your Majesty. But I believe there are more capable people, nobles or ministers, taking charge of this?"
The king cleared his throat, "The ministers have worked hard on these issues. But we still could not manage it. In one of his sermons, the High Priest said that when the kingdom is in great peril, summon the heroes for help."
"And here I am." Ren immediately felt as if a heavy boulder dropped on his shoulders.
"That is why we sacrificed a lot of resources, including men, to bring you to our kingdom. We needed someone who could give different ideas, to save and prosper our kingdom."
Ren froze. He did know how to react with that. There were too many things that needed to be resolved. What happens if he fails to save the kingdom? Would he be killed?
As the king stood up from his throne, "Prepare a place for him to sleep. He went through a lot today." He was about to move out of the hall when, suddenly, a large explosion erupted inside the palace.
Soldiers rushed into the hall, immediately encircling the king while yelling, "Protect the king! Protect the king!"
A large fireball pierced through the hall and hit the throne directly. A few more fireballs landed near the hall. People screamed and ran outside for their lives, only to be cut down by soldiers with the same insignia.
A group of hundreds of soldiers blocked the hall's entrance. A man in red armor led the group, "Kill anyone who tries to run away from this building." He then walked around the hall, slashing anyone in his way.
"Why? Why are you doing this?" the king asked. He was down on his knees, eyes wide open in shock. His soldiers dropped left and right, dead.
The man in the red armor took off his helmet, "I am taking this throne from you, father." He looked at the king, up and down, and spewed his saliva on the king's face. "I am stopping you from surrendering our kingdom to an outsider like that weak-looking insect!"
"Don't do this, son, if you do this. Our kingdom will be destroyed. Please… - "
The king could not finish his sentence; his son, the prince, swung his broadsword while his father was speaking, effectively ending the rule of King Douglas the Third that night.
He side-eyed Ren, who was witnessing the whole thing and too shaken to move, "Guards, get this rubbish out of my face. We will execute him publicly tomorrow," he flashed a wide smile, "For killing our beloved king and the loyal nobles…"