“Hey there, Marty. Hot one today, huh?” James, Martin’s neighbor, said. He was checking out his mail in the apartment lobby when Martin came home from work.
“Oh. Hi. Yeah, sure is!” Martin replied with a strained smile.
James was the friendliest guy in the building, he refused to call anyone by their actual names, instead opting for various degrees of nicknames. Martin appreciated the effort, to a degree, but he knew it was all fake. Just a performance. He knew that because he actually made the mistake of taking James’ friendliness at face value when he first moved in.
Ever since his college graduation, when all of his friends moved away, and he learned that those friendships didn’t extend beyond the campus, he had struggled to make any real life friends. So when James welcomed him to the building a couple of years ago, he was actually excited. Turns out, James was just being polite, overly so, perhaps, but nothing more.
Martin took the stairs up to the fifth floor. He always took the stairs over the elevator, it was a simple way to add some extra exercise to his days.
He opened his door and stepped into the dark apartment. Even if he wanted to turn the lights on, he couldn’t. The bulbs had needed replacing for a couple of weeks, but since he never felt the need to use them, he also didn’t feel the need to replace them.
The only thing that lit up his apartment, other than the streaks of natural light through the closed curtains, was the glass cabinet filled with all his football memorabilia. A reminder of the last time Martin felt he knew what to do with his life.
He stared at it for a while, reminiscing, before he changed out of his more formal work clothes and into some comfy workout clothes.
The extra room in his apartment had been converted to a home gym shortly after he moved in. Keeping up with his workouts gave him something to focus on, even though he wasn’t training for some particular reason like he used to. He still loved the grind.
A sharp CRACK knocked him on his ass when he stepped out of his bedroom.
“The fuck?”
As he rushed into the living room, struggling against the mind-numbing buzzing which reverberated in the air, he was met by a tear in reality itself.
The moment he laid eyes on the physical paradox that floated in front of him, the buzzing noise went away. His mind cleared of all other thoughts and distractions, and he somehow knew what it was. A portal.
Martin had never been much for reading fantasy books, but he had fond memories of various comics from his youth. Even so, his mind couldn’t quite make sense of what was happening. It was magic. As impossible as it was, he knew that much, but what that meant wasn’t something he could grasp at the moment.
Without even thinking, he walked toward it, guided by something intangible.
Nothing but the portal mattered.
He had to reach out, to touch it.
The tips of his fingers were stretched out as far as he could reach in front of him.
He touched it.
As his skin prickled from the magic, everything turned a blinding white in an instant.
Then he was on the floor of a dark room, and whatever trance he was in faded.
Martin’s heart beat out of his chest. His breaths were shallow. His body had a subtle tremble. But it was excitement he felt, rather than trepidation or fear.
He looked around the room, processing what was happening.
Lit candles in a circle. Red lines and symbols painted on the floor. Men and women in robes catching their breaths.
Also in the circle were four others. One of them was up on his feet almost immediately.
Then a woman coughed, attracting all of their attention.
“Greetings, Blessed Ones! I understand you’re probably confused, but I assure you that everything is fine. This is Lumeria,” she shouted as she spread her arms wide in a dramatic fashion, “the greatest kingdom this world has ever known, and we have summoned you all here through an ancient, long lost ritual to help us defeat the forces of evil that threatens us all. I am Archmage Lyra, Lumeria’s Arcane Auditor, at your service.” She curtsied.
Holy crap… Is this really happening? A couple of the others started complaining, but Martin’s mind was racing. Wait. They want to leave? Why? This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me… To anyone!
“Go home?,” he asked, unable to hold himself back. “What are you guys talking about? We've been summoned to an another world! This is amazing!”
“Now, now, please settle down,” the woman said. “I'm sorry to say, there is no way to reverse the ritual. However, if you become powerful enough, it might be possible for you to wield magic strong enough to return to your world through your own means. In the meantime, the Kingdom of Lumeria will support you with everything we have—training, tutoring, food, women, men, luxuries beyond your wildest dreams, and if you succeed in defeating the demonic forces of evil, you will be worshiped like gods!”
Hell yeah!
***
Lumeria was beautiful, or at least the castle was; he hadn’t seen much else. The people were friendly, and the magic was… well, magical.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though.
Martin and the others were taken to a hospital on the castle grounds. Hundreds of soldiers lay writhing on cots with doctors and nurses running all over the place, desperately trying to tend to everyone. A foul, black substance oozed out of the patients’ wounds.
Demons were responsible, Lyra had explained. The reason they were summoned in the first place.
Lumeria, and this world at large, was under attack by their enemies, demons who wanted to exterminate them. And it was their jobs as Blessed Ones, as heroes, to exterminate the demons first, to save this world.
Martin had never been much of a hero before, except on the football field, but for the first time in years, he felt a sense of purpose bubble up inside him, and adventure.
***
They were given a feast for dinner, more food than Martin had ever seen in one place, and that included some crazy all-you-could-eat buffets.
Everything he put in his mouth was divine. Each new bite took the place of the greatest bite of food he had ever had.
“So, Lyra,” Josh, who sat opposite Martin, said. “We should probably know more about these demons. What do they look like? What do they do? What… I don’t know, powers do they have?”
Lyra’s face contorted for a moment, a micro expression of pure rage and hatred at the mere thought of the demons. “There will be plenty of time for you to familiarize yourselves with the enemy later. You won’t need to face them until your levels are quite a bit higher. For now, just know that they are antithetical to us in every way, and that they go to great lengths to deceive and destroy us in any way they can. As for what they look like, you’ll see, in time. When you’re ready to face them.”
“Honestly, I don’t really care about the demons,” said Mike. “I care about us. If I’m going to actually fight… well… anything, then I need to know what exactly is expected of us? You’ve explained some of this [System], and that we need to fight these demons, but what does that look like in practice? Do we need to go out into the woods to kill monsters non-stop for experience?”
Lyra chuckled gently, instantly disarming any tension. “There will be a great deal of hunting monsters, yes, but there are other paths as well. As for details, we’ll get into that tomorrow. For now, let’s enjoy the feast.”
Martin and the others continued asking more questions throughout the dinner, but Lyra didn’t give many direct answers. A part of him was a little frustrated about not getting to know everything up front, but an even bigger part appreciated it. He didn’t want to spoil the fun of discovering all the new things this world had to offer.
Meeting the king was exciting. Martin had never met royalty before. The closest thing was a brief exchange with an NFL legend who came to his college once.
***
The Hall of Heroes reminded Martin a bit of this museum he visited on a high-school field trip once. It was a smaller than he expected, but glorious nonetheless. The hall, that was, not the museum. That had been anything but glorious.
Tapestries on the walls depicted fantastical scenes, and invoked a sense of awe in Martin. Soon, he too would be up on those walls. A hero. A legend. A god!
Mike, the oldest of the summoned, asked about the inspection. The whole thing was pretty simple, so when Lyra asked for volunteers, Martin rushed up.
“Right here!” he said as he approached the pedestal holding the inspection crystal. “What do I do?”
Lyra smiled. It melted away any lingering worries Martin had. She had this warmth about her. Standing so close to her felt like being in the presence of an angel.
“All you need to do, Martin, is place your hand on the crystal. It will handle the rest.”
It was a small thing, to have her call him by his name, but it meant a lot. Martin hadn’t had a single boss in the past few years that ever seemed to bother with learning peoples’ names, after all. Her divine nature made it all the more impactful.
Martin did as instructed, and he placed his hand on the smooth crystal ball.
It tingled, like a tiny static shock.
A screen projected onto the back wall.
Name: Martin Wilkins
Level: 0/100
Exp: 0%
Titles
- Blessed
Talents
- Bedrock
Skills
- ★Wallbreaker
Standing next to Martin, Lyra lit up with excitement.
“A limit of 100, that's spectacular!”
Apparently, level 100 was the absolutely max level anyone could reach, and Martin decided then and there that he would reach it.
A couple of the others went up, and they had similar limits, though unlike himself and Kevin, Josh only had a limit of 98. A shame, but the guy didn’t seem to mind too much.
Next up was Sebastian. He had barely said a word since they arrived. At first, Martin figured he must have been overwhelmed, but the guy was paying too much attention for that. Listening and observing.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Everyone deals with something like this in their own way, Martin thought.
His Status appeared on the wall.
A limit of 5.
Everyone was stunned, Lyra most of all. Sebastian looked devastated, but he clenched his jaw and stepped back.
Martin placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder.
“No worries, man,” he said. “I'm sure there's something that can be done.” And Martin meant every word. It’s a world of magic, surely there’s a way to get around a lower limit.
Sebastian flashed a smile. “It’s fine, I’ll figure it out.”
But Martin knew that smile. He saw it on his neighbor’s face most days. Polite. Fake.
Some servants came to escort each of them to their rooms.
Martin’s room was massive, and from what he saw of Kevin’s room on the way, they all had very similar accommodations. It was practically a luxury apartment.
Inside stood a woman who curtsied when he walked in.
“Welcome, Lord Wilkins. I am Camilla, your personal attendant. If there’s anything you need, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask, and I will see it so. Lady Florís has arranged an evening snack for our esteemed Blessed Ones in the parlor in an hour’s time, where you may discuss the events of the day and get to know each other in peace.”
Camilla was gorgeous, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, so he put it out of his mind.
“Uh. Hi. Cool. In that case, I don’t suppose there’s a change of clothes or something? My workout clothes are kinda scuffed up.”
“Of course, sir.” She walked over to a door in the bedroom which led to a large walk-in closet filled with all kinds of clothes. Somehow they all seemed to be a perfect size for him.
Martin had a bath. It was the first time since he was 10 and spent the weekend at his grandparents house.
***
Kevin was already in the parlor when Martin walked in, sitting in a lounge chair. A Butler stood silently in the corner.
“Hey, man. Kevin, right? Econ major.”
“Yeah. Hi.”
Martin plopped down on the couch. “This is crazy, right? I mean, I’ve dreamed of something like this forever. Actual heroes in a magical world!”
“I suppose.”
Frowning, Martin asked, “What’s wrong? Still want to go home? I can’t say I understand why, but I suppose that’s easy for me to say when I don’t have anyone waiting for me. Is there someone you need to get back to?”
Both Josh and Mike walked in the middle of the sentence.
The student shook his head. “No, not really. I had a sister, a foster sister. She made me make a promise, something that I need to keep, and I had a plan in place. I would graduate next year, get a good job, and… It doesn’t matter. It won’t happen now.”
Josh sat down on in a lounge chair opposite Kevin with an intrigued look on his face. “Wait, neither of you have anyone waiting for you? No family, lovers, friends?”
The question caught everyone off guard.
Kevin just shook his head.
“No,” said Martin. “Why?”
Josh turned to Mike. “And you?”
The older man, Mike, took a seat next to Martin, and shook his head. “Not since Carolyn died. I haven’t had much of anything since then. Just going through the motions, looking for something to occupy myself with. Didn’t have fighting in some magical war in mind, though.”
Josh’s face scrunched up as he thought about the implications. “OK, so none of us have people. No one who misses us, and no one that we miss in turn. I don’t actually know what this means, but it seems too unlikely to be a coincidence. The summoning ritual must have… chosen us. Like us specifically, or at least targeted people like us. I mean what are the odds that we’re all alone, and that we’re in a place in life where we are looking for something to do, for purpose? More likely to handle the change, maybe? More willing to risk our lives to fight demons? Be heroes? I mean, investing in summoning heroes from another world only for none of them to be willing to dedicate themselves to the cause, that would suck. It’s too big of a gamble for them not have factored that in, somehow.” He was mostly muttering to himself at this point. Then he looked up at the others and asked, ”What about the last guy, Sebastian?”
From the corner, the butler spoke, “Lord Moore declined to come, instead opting to remain in his chambers.”
“Huh,” Martin said. “The poor bastard must be feeling pretty down. I mean, coming here, summoned by actual magic to be a hero, and he gets a limit of 5. Hopefully there’s something we can do for him.”
“Still, the five of us are going through something pretty wild. You’d think the guy would at least want to talk it through with us,” Mike said. “I feel for the guy, sure, but he doesn’t need to be a prick to us about it.”
“Hey, just cause he needs to process alone doesn’t mean he’s being a prick,” Martin said.
The four talked for a few hours. Martin’s excitement and optimism was infectious. Since they all lacked a purpose in their lives on earth, perhaps this new world was where they would find it. What purpose could be better than being heroes who save the world from demons, after all?
Both Josh and Mike remained a little skeptical, but Martin didn’t care. He was resolute in making this adventure amazing, for all of them.
***
The next morning, Camilla woke Martin up. It was early, but he was fully rested. Something about the bed made him sleep better than ever. Some magic, perhaps.
Lyra had invited them all to breakfast in the courtyard lounge.
It was beautiful under the morning sun.
Light streamed in through the open archways of the arcade wall. Even though as a courtyard, with castle walls on all sides, there was plenty of sunlight bouncing down the walls to illuminate the adjoining room. In the middle of the courtyard stood dummies of straw and racks of training weapons. A whole selection of delicious foods was ready for them in the lounge.
Lyra stood in waiting and greeted them with that warm presence of hers.
“Good morning, Blessed Ones. I hope you slept well.” Her eyes swept across them, and she looked puzzled. “There’s one missing. Where’s Sebastian?” she asked the servant to the side.
“My lady. Lord Moore’s attendant sends her apologies. He rejected the invitation and will not be joining you.”
“Oh, what a shame. I was hoping to speak with him, to reassure him about the results of the inspection. We have a plan in mind, but… Hmm. Later, then. As for you four, there is much to discuss, and much to eat.” She gestured to the table, and they all sat down to have some breakfast while they talked.
“That loner is still holed up in his room?” Mike asked, more so rhetorically, though. “I know we agreed to give him a break, but come on. Maybe one of us needs to go up there and drag his sorry ass out of bed.”
Lyra held up a hand and shook her head. “Don’t worry. I will send someone to check on him. I’m sure it was quite the shock for him to see his Status. We should all allow him some time, and space, to process. There will be a place for him here when he feels ready, regardless of what his Status says. For now, let’s focus on you four.
“First off,” she said. “You will each need to decide which path is right for you. There are countless options, but the most basic ones are: warrior, mage, or ranger. These paths are not set in stone, merely ways to plan out your training, so don’t worry too much about your choices.”
Martin didn’t hesitate. “Warrior! I’ve always chosen some sort of warrior in games, wielding swords and shields. There’s really no doubt about it.”
“Hah, how wonderful!” Lyra said. She smiled brightly and turned to the others. “And you three? Where does you instinct take you?”
Josh wanted to know about magic. The display we saw from the mages yesterday had really stuck with him, it seemed.
Mike was also sure about what he wanted. He too chose warrior.
The last one, Kevin, wasn’t as certain. He had been convinced by Martin last night that this whole summoned to another world thing might have been a good thing, but that didn’t mean that he knew what he wanted. So Lyra decided to bring him along with Josh to look at magic first.
After they had eaten some, Lyra called in Sir Taric, the warrior who would be in charge of Martin and Mike’s training.
Martin couldn’t wait. He jumped at the chance to begin immediately. He grabbed a wooden sword and started whacking the dummy in the courtyard under Sir Taric’s supervision and guidance.
A sigh and a grumble sounded from Mike who dragged himself up and joined in with a wooden staff.
Soon after, the doors opened, and Sebastian walked in.
Martin looked over, and saw Lyra light up with joy. “Oh, you made it. How lovely. Good morning, Mr. Moore.”
“Sebastian, there you are!” Martin said. He leaned his practice sword on the dummy and walked up to Sebastian. “We’ve been talking, and we don’t want you to feel bad about your limit. I was actually thinking about it last night, every great team need a ‘guy in the van’. Someone to keep a look-out, to plan the heists, to supervise.” Martin placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “We got you, man. Don’t worry, this fantasy adventure is gonna be amazing, no matter what.”
All he got in return was another fake, polite smile and a dismissive, “Thanks… I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Then the guy immediately turned to Lyra to badger her with questions about his limit and how to surpass it.
Lyra took it in stride, though. She gently let him know that it wasn’t possible. Your limit wasn’t something you could change. Still, like she had said earlier, they had a plan to help him, to make sure he could still have a place here and help out.
An elderly gentleman stepped into the lounge. “You called, Your Ladyship?”
“Kendrick, take Mr. Moore here and teach him all that you know,” Lyra asked.
“Of course, Your Ladyship.” Administrator Kendrick accepted and welcomed the help. “My lord, please come with me,” he said to Sebastian.
Sebastian stuttered a little. I don’t think he was hoping to hear that there wasn’t anything he could do about his limit.
Before he left with Administrator Kendrick, Martin made one more effort to reassure the guy. He called out, “Don’t worry, Sebastian, we got you!”
He didn’t get a response.
***
Sir Taric had taken Martin and Mike to a training room in a neighboring building. There, the warrior instructed them on form and technique.
Martin took to it like dry soil took to rain. It brought him right back to his football days, and he stood there and ran the moves and the exercises again and again.
After a while, Sir Taric told them that it might be best to bring in some other trainees. Both Martin and Mike were progressing so quickly that they needed to spar with someone, and since Sir Taric was alone, it was best to use the trainees.
The sparred with wooden swords for a while. Martin felt himself completely outmatched, but he suddenly felt a wave of energy rush through him, and his swing doubled in strength in an instant.
Skill gained: Downward strike
Level gained
In gaining his first Skill, Martin leveled up.
“To learn so much in just a few hours,” a trainee said to Martin and Mike, almost at a loss for words out of sheer admiration. “You two truly live up to your names as Blessed Ones.”
Another, of the dozen surrounding them, said, “It’s an honor to have trained alongside you, my lords!”
All of the trainees surrounded the two heroes-to-be, showering them with praise and admiration. Most wanting to shake their hand or give a supporting pat on the shoulder. Both Martin and Mike accepted it, albeit awkwardly.
“Alright, enough of that,” Sir Taric said. “You lot, off to your patrol.” He gestured to the door, a proud smile adorning his face. Once the dozen trainees had left, he turned to Martin and Mike. “They are right, you know. For both of you to gain a Skill on your first day is impressive. Most take weeks, if not months. At this rate, you can begin hunting monsters immediately after your initiation ceremony.”
The two Blessed Ones were beaming with joy and pride. Feeling the effects of leveling up, and having something physical to do seemed to have really gotten through to Mike about the whole endeavor.
***
During dinner that night, Martin learned that Sebastian had had something of a tantrum. He had refused to work with Administrator Kendrick, and he continued to avoid the other Blessed Ones.
And the next morning, Lyra sat them down for breakfast and broke the news.
“It pains me to say this,” and Martin believed her, the tear running down her cheek was very real, “but Sebastian ran away in the middle of the night. And I— I don’t know how to—“ She took a breath. “He told his attendant that he was going for a walk, but he left the castle through a back door. Guards went out to look for him as soon as they realized he had left, but… He— He’s dead.”
“What!?”
“How?” they all asked.
“They found his remains on the outskirts of the Emberwoods forest. He must have gone out for— Gods, I don’t know. Maybe he thought he could prove himself… Instead, he must have encountered some monster. I’m so sorry!” Lyra broke down in tears. “This never would have happened if I hadn’t summoned you all here, but… You have to understand, we had no choice. Without the Blessed Ones, Lumeria will fall. That’s no excuse, but I—“
“No! Don’t cry, Lyra,” Kevin said. “It— It’s not your fault.”
Mike jumped in. “Yeah. I don’t mean to talk ill of the— But that guy was a moody loner since we arrived, and he obviously couldn’t handle having such a low limit. That’s on him, not you.”
Martin placed his hand on hers. “They’re right. We’re here for a reason, and we’ll make sure we see it through to the end. We won’t let him die for nothing.”
***
A few days later, the four Blessed Ones kneeled before the king in the throne room.
“You have all done well, I hear,” His Majesty said. “This initiation ceremony is simple, nothing to worry yourselves with. Auditor Florís will give you each the Mark of Lumeria, which will cement your positions as Heroes. Although, your levels are still too low for us to officially make the announcement. There are protocols and rules for these things. Today you receive the mark. In about a month’s time you will be proclaimed Hero Candidates. Finally, when you surpass your Major Accomplishment Tribulations, you will be formally inducted as Heroes to all!”
Lyra stepped forward and wielded some magic through her staff. She reached out and touched each of their chests, right above their hearts, one after the other with the crystal at its top. The mark itself was like a small tattoo of the Lumerian emblem that lit up and then vanished, as though it had never been there in the first place.
Martin knew it was, however, as he felt a wave of energy wash over him, starting at his heart and coming to a close at his crown of his head, empowering him and strengthening his resolve even further in the process.
“Rise! And go forth, Heroes of Lumeria!”
***
A few weeks later, the four Blessed Ones wrapped up their latest excursion.
“Level 28!” Martin cheered. “I’m winning this bet, Mikey. There’s no way you’ll get to 30 before me, not at your pace, old man.”
Mike planted his heel on the dead gnoll’s neck, and he pried his spear loose, utterly unbothered by the squelch of blood that stained his boot. “You’re awfully cheery beating an old man. You’re still behind Kev, and I’m gonna catch up any day now.”
To their side, Kevin walked back from the edge of the woods, sheathing his daggers as he approached. “I really wish you two would take this more seriously. As much fun as adventuring is, we’re here for a reason. Don’t forget that.”
“I’m glad you’ve really taken to this quest we’ve been given, but loosen up a little!” Martin pleaded. “We can have fun and save the world at the same time. Speaking of, did you get it?” He looked over Kevin’s shoulder, toward the woods.
Kevin shook his head. “No, the last gnoll got away. It’s weaker than these guys, though. I doubt it’ll be any trouble.”
“Cool,” Martin said, before changing the topic. “Well, since we’re out here… What do you guys think about doing some exploring?”
Josh walked up, he had stood in the back to offer support with his spells during the battle. “I wouldn’t mind it one bit. We’ve been holed up in the castle for weeks, only really leaving on short stints to hunt specific monsters. It would be nice to see more of this world.”
“No!” Kevin said resolutely. “Lyra gave us a mission, and we’re doing it right. We can’t just run off. We need to go back and report in with Sir Taric.”
Martin sighed. The youngest of them had been hesitant when they first arrived, but he had really dived in with both feet recently. Something about the promise he’d made his foster sister, Martin figured. He couldn’t honor it back home, so he’d devote himself to honoring it here. It was fine, good even, but Martin also wanted to enjoy the adventure along the way.
“Fine, but we’re taking the scenic route back!”
***
Months after they were first summoned, Martin, Mike, and Josh sat in the parlor after another successful expedition. A group of gigantic fire lizards had been terrorizing a town a day’s journey outside Luxoria, and they had recently finished them off.
“Another town saved! High-fives all around” Martin said.
Both Mike and Josh reluctantly agreed. They knew better at this point than to think Martin would take no for an answer when it came to celebrating their victories.
“Yeah, but it would have gone a lot smoother if Kev was there,” Mike said. “Does anyone know why he’s been gone so long? What is this quest he’s been sent on?”
Josh shook his head. “No idea. I tried looking into it, but they wouldn’t tell me. Which is unusual, they usually tell us everything. All I know is that he’s coming back today, and he’ll tell us himself.”
A few hours later, Kevin finally walked into the parlor.
He dismissed their cheerful greetings, and they quickly understood the severity of whatever he was about to tell them. The youngest of the four plopped down onto the lounge chair, on the same spot he always sat in. He looked tired, Martin noticed, though more so mentally than physically.
“So… What’s going on? Where have you been?” Martin asked.
“It’s Sebastian,” Kevin replied. “He’s alive. Or rather, he was.”
They were all stunned, and looked at each other questioningly.
“What do you mean?” Josh asked.
Kevin let out a deep breath, and he began recounting the event of the past few weeks.
“It’s— I… I don’t even know where to begin. That night, when he ‘ran away’ and died, he didn’t actually die. He turned to the demons and faked his death.”
“What!?” Martin was shocked. “How? Why?”
The others just stared, unable to find any words.
“They have rituals. Blood rituals. He used them to perform human sacrifices to forcibly increase his level limit. He’s already well over level 30.” He shook his head. “So many people are dead. I— I saw the aftermath for myself. I fought him myself.” Kevin’s head drooped in disgust. “And I let him get away…”
Martin and the others shot to their feet, ready to take action, but Kevin raised his hand to stop them from going off the rails. “Don’t worry… He’s already dead, for real this time. After he joined up with a group of demonic affiliates in Luxendorf, they all fled into the Silvervale Woodlands, and Lady Lyra made it very clear that nobody can survive in that forest right now.”
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