"It hurts… My head hurts so much, damn it!"
Raven groaned in pain, clutching his head.
After a while, the pain slowly subsided and eventually disappeared.
When Raven opened his eyes, he found himself in a hall that was not particularly large.
Seven white pillars supported the hall, each one sparkling and beautiful.
"This… where am I?"
He looked around and realized he was not alone. There were many people there, both men and women.
The expressions on their faces were the same as his—full of shock and confusion.
"Welcome, everyone."
A majestic voice sounded from in front of them. An extraordinarily beautiful woman descended from the sky.
Her face was exquisite, as if carved by the gods themselves.
She was tall—over two meters. Two white wings spread from her back.
She wore a white dress that showed off her voluptuous figure and beautiful cleavage.
Her silver hair was slightly wavy and fell down her back. Her golden eyes radiated an eerie coldness.
"Nice to meet you," she said indifferently. "I am Malphas, the Message-Bringing Goddess."
She held both sides of her skirt and bowed slightly toward them.
Raven and the others were shocked to hear her introduction. The beautiful woman before them was actually a goddess.
No wonder she was so extraordinary.
"I know you must all be shocked by everything that has happened, right? So I will explain. Earth, the world where you lived, has made a selection to eliminate those who are the most evil and useless. And you are those people."
Hearing this, they were stunned in disbelief.
Earth had expelled them?
What did that woman mean?
"W-Wait a minute! Can you explain it in detail? I really don't understand what you mean."
A middle-aged, overweight man stepped forward with a panicked expression.
Judging from his appearance, he looked like a director of a large company.
Malphas glanced at him indifferently and replied, "Of course. Pay close attention, because I won't repeat this. The world you live in has its consciousness and will. Humans have committed many crimes within it. Therefore, it has begun a large-scale expulsion of those who cause damage to it. All of this is happening gradually. You are included in that group."
When Raven and the others heard this, they stiffened in fear.
Their home had consciousness and was expelling them?
Wasn't that a joke?
However, judging by the woman's expression, she did not seem to be joking.
"I—Impossible! This is a lie! It can't be!" a middle-aged woman screamed in fear.
The other women also let out desperate cries.
It was hard to imagine something like this happening to them, especially those who considered themselves good people.
Raven remained calm and unaffected.
"This is really interesting," he whispered, narrowing his eyes.
To be honest, he was greatly surprised by this reality. But he was a realist.
Fear and panic would not solve the problem. Therefore, he had to find a solution to the situation before him.
His gaze locked onto Malphas. Since she was the one who had told them about this situation, she was the only key to solving their problem.
He raised his hand and asked, "I understand the situation. So, can you explain what we should do?"
Everyone was startled by his question. They turned to him with strange looks.
While the others were panicking and confused, the handsome man looked calm and relaxed.
This made those who were initially afraid slowly regain their composure.
Malphas glanced at Raven, a faint hint of admiration in her eyes.
"Since Earth has literally discarded you, you have nowhere to return," she said calmly. "But you don't need to worry. There is a world prepared for you to live in. That world is called Alvas, a fantasy realm much like those in novels. There are dragons, magic, and many other wonders. It is the only place where you will live."
Her words fell like a heavy silence over the hall.
They still couldn't accept that Earth had discarded them, and now they would be sent to a fantasy world where magic and other wonders truly existed.
"Can we refuse?" a girl with glasses asked nervously.
Malphas gave her a dismissive glance, which made the girl flinch in fear.
"Of course, you can refuse," Malphas replied calmly, a cold flash appearing in her eyes. "But you must be prepared for the consequences—death."
At that instant, everyone felt their hearts almost stop beating.
Death… It was the word they feared most, and they did not want it.
Seeing their frightened expressions, Malphas smiled faintly and continued, "For that reason, you have no choice but to go to the world of Alvas and become its inhabitants. But remember—there is a condition."
"A condition?" they asked in confusion.
Malphas' gaze swept over them one by one before she explained, "There are a thousand of you, but only one hundred are allowed to enter the world of Alvas. So…"
A beautiful yet terrifying grin spread across her lips.
"I will hold a test to select those hundred people."
Upon hearing her words, everyone felt their breath catch, their eyes widening in fear.
"One hundred people!?" they exclaimed in unison.
"Yes, one hundred people." Malphas gave a small nod. "That is the rule set by the gods' palace. So, I hope you will do your best."
"N-No! I don't want this!" A young girl collapsed to the floor, clutching her head in despair. "Someone, please help me! I don't want to die!"
She was not the only one screaming in panic; many others were doing the same.
They were just ordinary people, with no special abilities whatsoever.
Why were all these terrible things happening to them?
What had they done wrong?
Malphas watched in silence, but the flash of mockery in her eyes showed how disgusted and contemptuous she was of them.
"Such pathetic, disgusting ants," she whispered.