Chapter I: Freya

The birds singing.

— Wake up, Noah!

The scent of roses filling the air.

— Wake up, Noah!

Pleasant sunbeams bathing my unconscious body.

— Wake up, Noah!

And an annoyingly familiar voice calling me.

— For heaven's sake, wake up, Noah!

"Ugh... What a noise!"

All of this was waking me up.

— Please, wake up — before that annoying voice could continue, I covered its mouth.

— I'm already awake — I said, opening my eyes and quickly pushing Selena's face away from me.

— You finally woke up! — she exclaimed, joyful at my awakening.

— Where are we? — I asked her, getting up from the flowery ground.

— I don't know, see for yourself — she said, leaning on the ground with one hand and looking worriedly at the horizon.

Curious about her answer, I quickly looked in the same direction she was looking, only to be dumbfounded by the landscape.

— Selena... do you remember how we got here? — I asked, stunned by my sight.

— I don't know, all I remember is a huge flash in the classroom, and then we were all here — she replied, staring at my reaction.

— I see. That must mean I was right.

Before me was nothing less than a vast field of flowers. With countless flowers of various shapes, each with a unique color and a different gentle spring scent.

Hovering over each of the flowers were butterflies of various colors fluttering back and forth, sipping nectar and further coloring the place.

Is this real!?

But what truly amazed me in that landscape was a huge tree so large that a single leaf must be larger than a skyscraper, and it was so far away that it seemed unreachable, yet at the same time it seemed to be right in front of me.

A paradisiacal vision of a place so beautiful and flowery that some might call it "Eden".

However, there was something unsettling about that sight.

— Are they okay? — I asked Selena, pointing to the unconscious bodies in front of me.

— Probably. I was the first to wake up, then I woke you up — she replied, gracefully positioning herself beside me.

All my classmates plus my teacher were unconscious right in front of me, clearly in the same situation I was in.

— Why did you wake me up first? — I asked.

— ...I... was afraid of being alone and decided to wake you up first — she replied, slightly embarrassed.

— In that case, you should have woken up one of your friends, not me — slightly annoyed with the response, I continued — never mind, let's just wait for them to wake up.

— Why are you always so rude? — Selena asked.

Before I had a chance to answer her, someone woke up.

— Ugh... Where are we? Where's the blackboard? — spoke the newly awakened.

It was the teacher who had just woken up, clearly with confused memories after the impact of the likely transmigration.

— Ow! My head hurts! — spoke another, right after the teacher.

It was Arthur who had just woken up.

— Teacher? Where are you? — spoke another student.

— What place is this? — exclaimed another, getting up from the ground.

— Hahahaha... I finally came to an isekai! — exclaimed another in joy.

One by one, they woke up, and in less than 2 minutes, everyone was standing, murmuring to each other about the current situation.

— They've all woken up — I said.

— Yes! That's great, as we can find out how to get out of here — exclaimed Selena, happy with the landscape.

— I don't think that will be necessary — I replied, convinced that I knew what would happen next.

— What do you mean?

Without needing to answer, a strong wind circulated the place, carrying countless flower petals into the sky, swirling like a whirlwind forming a cocoon, which quickly dispersed, revealing a beautiful resplendent female figure in its place.

— It's starting — I exclaimed, staring up at her.

— MUHAHAHA... It's about time you appeared, Kami-sama! — shouted Lucas, clearly excited by her arrival.

— How beautiful! — spoke one of my classmates, astonished by the image.

The figure that emerged amidst the flower petals was more than beautiful, she was perfect. Perfect to the point that we all stared at her without saying a word, until she took the voice.

[Finally, you have awakened!]

Descending slowly from the heavens, and emanating a graceful and pure light, she continued, revealing more and more details of her appearance and gracing us all with her beauty.

[I have long awaited to meet your...]

With wings that seemed angelic and sacred, she hypnotized us with her presence.

[My children...]

With a voice so gentle and soothing, it calmed and relaxed our hearts just by speaking, she enchanted our hearts.

[I greet you...]

With a body so beautiful, voluptuous, perfectly sculpted and seductive that it could only belong to the most beautiful, she made, regardless of gender, our hearts race.

[Oh, my heroes...]

And a face so perfectly symmetrical and well-modeled that it could only be that of a goddess, combined with a short and seductive black dress, she landed on the ground.

[I, Freya, welcome you to your new world!] she proclaimed, extending her arms.

— It's... It's an angel! — exclaimed Arthur, simply stunned by the image.

"Indeed, she looks like an angel."

I couldn't help but disagree.

Such beauty couldn't be natural, at least not to a human.

Even I, who have never been moved by the opposite sex, couldn't help but feel attracted and enchanted by a figure so beautiful.

"She must have been the one who summoned us."

Obviously, I quickly deduced that "She" was not human, "She" was at least a goddess.

[I am not an angel, my lovely little hero, but I am pleased with the comment] she spoke, approaching Arthur and gently lifting his chin.

He, in turn, was paralyzed by seeing her face inches away.

[I know you have many questions, but allow me to introduce myself properly.] Walking towards the center of us, with a small bow, she continued [I am Freya, goddess of the creation of the world of Vanaheim, and also the one responsible for bringing you here.]

No one dared to speak a single word, or rather, no one could speak a single word.

Everyone remained silent, staring at that scene; some for fear of speaking, as was my case, as they felt that such an act would be equivalent to a mortal sin.

Yet others were clearly thinking of "other things" as they looked at Freya making a graceful bow in front of everyone, while exposing her legs.

[My goodness, it seems you are still incapable of decently communicating with me.] Snapping her fingers, she continued [First, eat, then we continue.]

Instantly after her words, fruits appeared in our hands with shapes very similar to apples, but with a much smoother surface and colors resembling peaches.

I didn't think much about what to do and immediately devoured the fruit, as if my life depended on it.

"The truth was that I only did it to please 'Her.'

Although in a trance, I could perceive that I wasn't the only one acting in this deplorable and repugnant manner, as Selena, who was beside me, was acting the same way.

It didn't take long before everyone in the room had eaten that fruit.

[Very well, how do you all feel now?] Freya asked, curiously scanning the faces of each in the garden.

"What was I doing!?"

It was confusing. As if at one moment all I wanted to do was serve and worship her, and at another my consciousness was back to normal.

— Noah... did you feel that too? — Selena asked beside me.

— Yes, I think so.

The same applied to my classmates.

[I see you're all more relaxed now; I think we can talk now.] Freya pronounced, bringing everyone's attention back to her.

— Um... Miss Freya, can you explain what's going on? — nervously asked the teacher, raising her hand as if she were a shy student in the middle of a classroom.

[Excellent question, my dear Elizabeth.] Praised the goddess.

— You know my name!? — exclaimed the teacher, strangely happy with the news.

[Of course, I do, after all, I am a goddess.] Turning to everyone, she continued [As I mentioned before, I am the goddess of creation Freya, and I am here to humbly ask for your help to save my world.]

A whirlwind of murmurs filled the air. Clearly, the students were much more confused and scared than enlightened about the situation, with the exception of two people.

— Tsk... I knew it — I whispered lowly as I watched the scene unfold.

— Muhahaha... demi-humans, just you wait — Lucas laughed hysterically.

[Everyone calm down] ordered Freya.

Immediately after her command, everyone fell silent, as if the feeling of being enchanted by her had returned for a mere second.

[Very well, before you ask more questions, let me explain the situation.] Snapping her fingers, she continued [many centuries ago, there were other gods who ruled this world alongside me...]

With every word she spoke, flower petals on the ground flew and danced in the sky, basically staging a play.

[...among these gods, there was an evil god who coveted my place as queen of the gods...]

Slowly, the petals in the sky showed the image of a battle between two entities. One of them being a beautiful woman with wings and the other a furious demon.

[Knowing he could never have such grace, he mingled among mortal races with the intention of ruling them and pitting them against me, their creator.]

Slowly, the flower petals in the sky showed the image of a huge army of demons destroying lands and enslaving other races.

— How vile, for someone to desire such a thing! — exclaimed Arthur, angered by the images.

[Yes, you're right, my little hero, but unfortunately, I can't do anything on my own, so I need you all.]

Everyone was excited about the conversation and, at the same time, with fire in their eyes, clearly wanting to join Freya in this battle.

However, I felt something was wrong.

"Why would a goddess need the help of mortals to fight? Does she expect us to risk our lives for her?"

Something didn't seem right to me, with my instincts telling me I should wake up to reality.

"Why do I feel like she's similar to my uncles?"

Before I could finish reasoning, a voice cut through the crowd.

— Are we going to gain special abilities? — shouted a piglet with a potato nose.

It was Lucas, strangely adapted to the situation.

[Great question, Lucas. Each of you has received a special ability to face the evil god, who in the mortal world is known as Demon Lord. If you want to know what ability you received, just say "Status."]

Immediately, everyone in the area spoke up loudly "status," while seemingly looking at something that was only visible to them.

"Maybe I should try too."

— Status.

Suddenly, in front of me, a semi-transparent golden screen appeared, bringing with it my physical data and various additional information.

=============================

[Status]

Name: Noah Elísio

Age: 17 years

Level : 01

Race: Transmigrated (Human)

Rank: E

Strength: 7.1

Intelligence: 15.8

Resistance: 9.3

Speed: 8.1

Divinity: 0.5

[Abilities]

"Divine Eyes Lv1"(EX)

"Status Lv Max"(C)

[Blessings]

"Freya"

[Curses]

=============================

"As expected, there really is a statistics system."

Everything was following exactly the same patterns as an isekai work, which made me even more worried, since here, in real life, I'm not a protagonist or someone who would be able to play the role of a hero in the midst of a war.

Just the fact that there's a "Rank" system on the "Status" screen is enough to make me even more worried.

"What exactly does 'Rank' mean?"

As if she were reading my mind, Freya spoke:

[By eating that paradise fruit, the dormant potential of your souls was unlocked, allowing you to awaken unique powers that only you can use. Each of you now has the strength needed to be true heroes.]

With those words, all my classmates went wild with excitement, almost as if they could go to the battlefield immediately to face the army of the Demon Lord, but I, on the other hand, was worried.

"Does anyone have any more questions?" the goddess asked.

Seeing that none of my classmates were interested in asking anything, I decided to speak up.

— I have one — I said, raising my hand.

Immediately, she looked at me, staring me in the eyes and waiting for me to speak.

Of course, seeing her face directly facing mine, for a mere second, my heart started beating faster, but this time my judgment wasn't affected.

— What exactly does "Rank" mean? — I questioned.

[Noah, my beloved child, you seem concerned about something rather unnecessary. The "Rank" is nothing more than the potential for growth of your souls. Since all of you are beings from another world, you must have at least a potential of "Rank B."] she spoke, as if it were a trivial matter.

A strange chill ran down my spine, as if I already knew where this was going.

— What's the lowest one? — I asked again.

[In total, there are 15 ranks, with the lowest being "E."]

"It means I'm at the bottom of the pyramid."

— If someone is Rank E, what happens to them? — I asked once more.

As if pondering what the most appropriate answer would be, she spoke:

[They become a star in my heart, always remembered as someone who nobly sacrificed themselves for peace!]

"We are independent of "Rank" or our security, we would have to fight"

It was obvious to me, we're disposable.

It seems she sees us as nothing more than sacrifices summoned for her goals.

If we die, it's because we're weak, and if we fail, we can be replaced.

Obviously, we're nothing more than pawns summoned by someone who sees us as nothing more than cockroaches, to fight with our lives at stake for a "peace" that we probably won't even get to enjoy.

"No one's foolish enough to believe that speech."

Contrary to all my expectations, a rain of praise and applause was directed at her.

— What a beautiful speech — the teacher spoke, genuinely moved by those words.

— It would be an honor to die for peace — Arthur exclaimed.

— Yes, let's fight in the name of Lady Freya! — another student shouted.

— Muhahaha... With my special ability, I can easily defeat the Demon Lord in less than 12 episodes — Lucas laughed.

Everyone was excited to be heroes, even knowing their lives would be at risk.

Of course, seeing this, Freya became delighted with the landscape that formed around her, but not me.

[Very well, it seems everyone is excited. Perhaps it's time to send you to your final destination, my temple in the capital of the Argyros Empire.] She declared, extending her wings and conjuring a vortex of golden energy that resembled a dimensional portal from MMORPG games.

"These people are serious? Do they really intend to fight in this war?"

Despite being incredulous about the situation, I couldn't help but feel concerned for them.

They weren't my friends, nor people I had any intimacy with, but still, I spent months studying with them and didn't want to see them hurt that way, but it seemed they had already made their decisions.

[Very well, who will be the first?]

Before any of them volunteered, I raised my hand.

[Very well, Noah. You may approach!]

— I don't want to be the first. What I really want is to go back home — I proclaimed, staring directly into her eyes, but this time without feeling my heart shaken.

[What!?]

She was simply astonished by my words. Not only her, but everyone present at the scene, especially Selena.

— You're crazy, Noah. The other world and Lady Freya need us — she said, clearly incredulous at my response.

— Give up on him, Selena. We've known this guy for months, but he's never been one of us — Arthur said.

— This snob is really serious? I always knew he was a coward, but never to this extent — said another student.

One by one, they criticized me, as if it were strange for me to want to go back home, but to me, they were the strange ones.

I didn't want to go back to Earth because I'm attached to that place. I have no family, friends, or a place I can call home, unlike them, who have everything and more, and still prefer to fight in a war that isn't theirs.

"Idiots. Die however you want, but I won't die for people I don't even know."

As if astounded by my words and slightly irritated, Freya stared at me and asked:

[Noah, answer, why do you want to go back home?]

As if a force within me forced me to obey, I sincerely spoke my opinion.

— I don't want to fight for you, nor die for people I don't know.

I don't know why I said that, but it was obvious she didn't like my response, as her eyes stared at me with fury, but her lips continued to smile.

[I understand. You may go home, but first tell me, what is your Rank?]

With this question, I immediately realized she was measuring my usefulness to her plans, and only if I were considered a burden would I be released from that charade, but for some reason, I didn't feel angry at her, or rather, I couldn't even think; all that mattered was obeying her orders.

— Rank E.

[I see.] With a smile on her face, she continued. [It seems you won't be very useful in the war. Very well, go through the portal and you'll be sent to where you belong.]

I didn't think much and walked towards the portal, trusting her words.

"No matter how bad my life is, when I turn 18, I'll be free and able to live in peace. I won't throw it all away for a life-or-death adventure."

When I was about to step through the portal, I felt someone pulling my collar.

— Wait a minute, Noah; I want to tell you something — she spoke.

It was Selena, who seemed distressed by my actions.

— I li–.

Before she could finish, I interrupted her.

— You were the only one who insisted on getting close to me despite my constant attempts to push you away — giving her head a pat, I continued — take care.

Without looking back, I stepped through the portal, ready to return to the classroom.

[I wish you a safe journey, Noah] the goddess spoke, in a slightly amused and sarcastic tone.