Chapter 1:- Echoes of Another World: Heroes and the Demon's Curse

Somewhere in another world____

A woman knelt on the floor, with three swords embedded in her back. Dark red blood seeped from her wounds, and her gaze burned with intense hatred as she locked eyes with the seven individuals standing before her. "You will pay for this," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I swear on my ancestors' names that one day, I will return. I will slaughter your people, your children, your families, and your parents. I will destroy everything you hold dear."

"Hahaha! Quite the bold statement, Demon Empress," one of the seven people replied, a smug smile playing on their lips. "Unfortunately for you, your promise will never be fulfilled. Light always triumphs over darkness. A demon is destined to be defeated by an angel. And a Demon Empress will always be vanquished by a Hero Emperor." The seven individuals standing before her were renowned Heroes of their world.

The Demon Empress seethed with anger, her hatred burning fiercely within her. In this moment, she longed to strike down these wretches and bathe in their blood. Alas, her former strength had deserted her. She was weakened to the point where even defeating a general or an elite soldier seemed an impossible task, let alone conquering the mighty Heroes who were revered as the pinnacle of power.

"If I had not been betrayed by those bastards, none of this would have come to pass," the Demon Empress thought bitterly. These so-called Heroes had torn everything she held dear from her. They had razed her world to the ground and stolen her cherished treasures.

"For the future of the Demon kind, I must survive," she resolved, her eyes gleaming with determination. She memorized the faces of the seven Heroes, etching them into her heart. One day, she would return to this world and exact her vengeance.

Suddenly, a large, ominous red circle materialized beneath the Demon Empress. The seven Heroes panicked at the sight, realizing the danger they were in.

The Demon Empress couldn't help but feel a flicker of satisfaction as she witnessed their fear. "Hahaha! It is not over yet. I will take you all down with me."

The Heroes hastily activated their defensive spells and artifacts, desperately trying to shield themselves from the impending danger. But as they braced themselves for the Demon Empress's devastating secret spell, she smiled, knowing she had successfully deceived them.

The red circle beneath her swallowed her completely, enveloping her in a blinding light.

When the intense glow finally subsided, the Heroes looked around, only to find the Demon Empress had vanished without a trace.

"Damn it! How did we fall for her trickery?" one Hero exclaimed, frustration etched on his face. They had been deceived by the Demon Empress's cunning words. Activating their defensive artifacts had been unnecessary, as she had simply disappeared.

"It matters not," another Hero spoke up. "She has lost her power permanently. The chances of her regaining her strength are as slim as reaching the moon. It is an impossible task."

"Yes," a third Hero agreed. "With her disappearance, we can seize control of the entire Demon Continent. Our wealth and power will know no bounds."

"Hahaha! I quite like the sound of that," another Hero chuckled.

"However, there is still much work to be done," a fifth Hero chimed in. "We must solidify our hold and ensure our dominance."

The Heroes exchanged confident glances, their victory assured. Little did they know that the Demon Empress, fueled by her burning desire for revenge and driven by her unwavering determination, had only just begun her journey toward reclaiming her power. The world would soon witness her resurgence, and the seven Heroes would face the consequences of underestimating her tenacity and resilience.

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At the same time, in another place part of the world___

"The Heroes have arrived," the Pope announced, signaling the arrival of the otherworldly Heroes.

"Everyone, stand back," the King commanded, urging the crowd to create some distance.

At that moment, hundreds of soldiers, members of the Royal Family, and church officials stood around a massive magic circle. The circle, around 15 meters in diameter, emanated a dark purple hue. Intricate runes adorned its surface, glowing with a deep purple radiance.

As the light from the magic circle intensified, nearly everyone present was compelled to shut their eyes, the brilliance proving too overwhelming.

Once the light subsided, those gathered cautiously opened their eyes to behold seven figures standing within the circle.

The Pope and the King exchanged glances, their satisfaction evident. "It appears the Hero Summoning was a success, Your Majesty," the Pope remarked, his voice filled with delight.

"However..." The atmosphere shifted as everyone's gaze settled upon the young man cradling a two-year-old girl in his arms.

Silence enveloped the scene. It was the first time anyone had witnessed a Hero arriving with a child. Shocked, the onlookers exchanged bewildered glances, their curiosity piqued.

"Excuse me, but could someone please explain what is happening?" An American man with blond hair spoke up, his tone tinged with frustration. The other Heroes joined him in directing their attention toward the King and the Pope, seeking answers.

Meanwhile, the young man holding the toddler observed his surroundings with a cool detachment. His face betrayed no emotions, and his calculating gaze seemed to penetrate the shadows, as if capable of uncovering hidden secrets.

"My apologies for the confusion. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sariyah McMillan, Emperor of The Flaming Dominion Empire," The young man declared, spreading his arms wide.

With a wide, joyous smile, the Emperor personally welcomed the Heroes to this world. "Welcome to the World of Twin Moon."

The five Heroes exchanged puzzled looks, while the man cradling the two-year-old girl narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased.

"The World of Twin Moon is a fantastical realm teeming with magic, gods, and diverse fantasy races. It is unlike anything you have experienced in your own world. Twin Moon is approximately five times the size of Earth," Sariyah explained, his voice filled with excitement.

"This is the Empire of the Flaming Dominion. This Empi....."

"Stop with your useless explanation and tell us why we were brought to this world?" Said the blond-haired American male. He looked quite pissed by the whole thing.

The Emperor did not lose his temper. He just smiled and asked the blond-haired American male's name. "Young man, can I know your name?"

"Nicholas Ross" Ross was 23 years old. He stood at the height of 6 feet 2 inches tall. Among all the Heroes, he was the tallest and also the oldest one. Ross was tan-skinned. He had brown pupils and a muscular built body.

"Mr. Nicholas, we have summoned you all to this world because we need your help. You see currently the whole world is at war. The demon race has spread the flames of war throughout the whole world. Each Empire has either summoned Heroes or already had the assistance of Heroes to fight against the Demons."

"So you want us to fight the demons? Why would I fight for you?" The man who was carrying the 2 years old girl in his arms spoke in a neutral tone.

"The name is William. William Lane" William did not bother to introduce the girl whom he has been carrying in his arms. The girl did not make any sound. She instead looked around her with a curious look. Her eyes were full of curiosity and innocence. Her angelic face could melt even the toughest heart in this world.

The King once again gave a gentle smile. "Mr. William, we are not going to force you to do anything. Right now you all have two choices. But before I tell you about your choices, let me tell you something important."

[Status Panel]

As the Emperor said these words, a holographic screen appeared before him. Seeing this William, Ross, and other Heroes were surprised.

"This is the system. You can summon the system by saying Status Panel."

[Status Panel] William, Ross, and other Heroes summoned the system.

[Name - William Lane

Age - 19

Class - [???]

Strength - 10

Speed - 11

Stamina - 12

Health - 10

Magic - 10

Mana - 15

Innate skills - [???]

Passive skills - [???]

"All Heroes who come to this world are given a Rare class and one or multiple innate skills which makes them more powerful compared to others."

"I have Fire Control skills." Ross excitedly said.

The King was surprised. "That's a really powerful innate skill. Only a select few people in this world have this innate skill." The Pope praised Ross.

"What is your class?"

"It's Flaming Knight."

Everyone was surprised to hear this.

"Excuse me?"

"What is it?"

"I don't have any class or any innate skills. Instead, there are some question marks." Hearing this the King, the Pope and everyone who was standing surrounding the Heroes were surprised. The King and the Pope frowned the next second.

"Young man, I think you will be able to find out what class and innate skills you possess by completing certain requirements or maybe by getting a blessing from a goddess or God. But getting a blessing from a Goddess or God is extremely difficult. Only a few people in this world's history have managed to get the blessing of a God or a Goddess." The Pope explained in a kind tone. In other words, William was a waste.

Hearing this William was a little bit disappointed but soon he cheered up. 'If I don't have any skills or class, that means I won't have to fight anyone. No one will force me to risk my life. This means I can focus on raising my daughter.' A part of William was glad that he couldn't awaken his class or any of his skills.

William quickly began to think about what he should do now. In his head, he was already making a plan for his and his daughter's future. 'If there is no way for us to return back to earth, then I will have to find a safe and peaceful place to live. I don't want to put my daughter's life in danger.'

"What about others?" The King asked. The king was very disappointed after learning that one of the Heroes couldn't awaken any class or any skills. This made William completely useless in the eyes of the King.

William was able to see this but decided to not say anything. From the beginning, William has been closely observing the King and the Pope. The reaction that Sariyah and the Pope showed was enough to let William know what kind of men both of them were.

'These two might appear to be very kind and gentle people but in reality, they are completely different.' William made up his mind to leave this place as soon as possible. For some reason, he didn't feel safe here.

After others finished telling the King about their classes and their skills, the King nodded his head with a smile.

"Now I will tell you all about your current options. Since you're Heroes and The Flaming Dominion Empire has bought you all into this world, if you agree to help My Empire, we will help you in every way possible." The King then went on to list out the hundreds of benefits that the Heroes would receive from working with him.

William noticed that as the King mentioned the list of benefits that the Heroes were going to receive, everyone looked very interested. 'Of course, in this unknown world and unknown place, the King is their guardian. Staying with the King ensured their rapid growth and also offered them protection. However, since I don't have any classes or skills, my path was already set from the beginning.' Even if William had awakened his class and skills, he still would have chosen to take option two.

The King then turned to William. It was as if he was specifically targeting William with his words. "The second option is, I will give you a big sum of money as compensation for bringing you to this world for my selfish motives. You can head to some countryside or somewhere safe and live your life there." William can tell that these words were said intended for him.

"So, what will be your choice?" The King asked.

'That's a good thing. Since Sariyah doesn't look so interested in me, I can easily get away from this place. And getting money would help me a lot.' William wasn't going to follow the King's orders. William wasn't a soldier nor he was a slave. Since he had come to this world, he wanted to curve his own path.

"I chose option 2. Since I couldn't awaken any power, it would be better for me to find a safe place to live and raise my daughter." The King nodded his head. He wasn't surprised hearing William's answer.

Though he was a little disappointed. Even if William couldn't awaken any of his innate skills or his class, William can still train and become stronger. After all, at the end of the day, he was a Hero. This meant that William was special.

William stood tall, his stature reaching an impressive six feet. His fair skin glowed with an ethereal radiance, complementing the striking contrast of his dark blue hair that cascaded with a silky sheen. His piercing blue eyes held an enigmatic depth, drawing others in with their mesmerizing allure. There was no denying that William was exceptionally handsome, his features chiseled and refined, exuding an air of timeless charm.

Clothed in garments that spoke of opulence and refinement, it was evident to all who beheld him that William hailed from the privileged class in his former life on Earth. His attire, meticulously tailored and adorned with intricate details, spoke of a discerning taste and an appreciation for the finer things in life. Yet, despite his refined appearance, there was an air of unapproachability that surrounded him, an intangible aura that hinted at a hidden depth and complexities within his being.

Adorning his hands were a pair of sleek black gloves, adding a touch of intrigue to his already captivating ensemble. Crafted with meticulous precision, the gloves hugged his fingers and palms with a perfect fit, the supple leather yielding to his every movement. Their ebony hue contrasted against his fair skin, creating a visual harmony that accentuated his elegant gestures.

The black gloves carried an air of mystique as if concealing secrets and untold stories within their supple embrace. Their velvety texture hinted at a hidden strength, the subtle gleam of their polished surface catching the light in a tantalizing display. It was as if these gloves were not merely accessories, but an extension of his very being, an embodiment of his enigmatic nature.

As William went about his endeavors, his gloved hands became a focal point of intrigue, capturing the attention and curiosity of those who caught sight of them. Some wondered what secrets lay beneath the elegant exterior, while others speculated on the significance of this mysterious accessory. The gloves became a symbol of his allure, a visual cue that there was more to him than met the eye.

Gently poised, William carried himself with a graceful elegance, each movement exuding a natural confidence that commanded attention. While his countenance was gentle and serene, there was a magnetic quality to his presence, drawing people toward him like moths to a flame. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded him, simultaneously inviting and yet cautioning others to keep their distance.

In the grand tapestry of this fantastical world, William stood out as a beacon of mystery and allure. His striking appearance, coupled with an undeniable allure, made him an enigma that both fascinated and intrigued those who crossed his path.

This is the first time King Sariyah has heard of a Hero coming to this world with a member of his family. 'William is of no use to me. I will focus on the other Heroes.' King Sariyah made up his mind.

"Very well. I respect your desire. I won't hold you back." King Sariyah clapped his hands.

A few minutes later, a servant came carrying a black Leather Backpack. The maid handed the backpack to William.

"Inside this Backpack, there are 5000 gold coins. A map of this continent, a dagger, and a few other necessities. 5000 gold coins should be enough for you to live a luxurious life for the rest of your life. If someday you change your mind then you can come to me."

'That day will never come.' William would never return to this man. Being a businessman on earth, he had a thing for people like Sariyah. William took the backpack.

"One last thing, is there any way for me to return to earth?" William would rather live on Earth with his daughter than live in a fantasy world that is full of dangers. If William was alone then he wouldn't have thought of going back but now he was with his daughter. The safety and well-being of his daughter were more important than anything.

"Unfortunately, once you have come to this world. You cannot return back to Earth." Hearing this William wasn't disappointed. He had somewhat expected this answer.

Without wasting a single second, he walked out of the palace. But before leaving, he looked at the remaining 6 Heroes.

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