6☆ A New World ☆

In the worlds across the Milky Way galaxy, there was both tribulation and merrymaking as the gods had answered the prayers of the so-called main inhabitants: humans.

Most of these worlds were plagued by the Destroyer's miasma, an entity as old as chaos itself, with the sole purpose of extinguishing what was, what is, and what is to be—pure, unadulterated destruction.

It invades worlds, corrupting their beings and turning them into demons whose only purpose is to destroy. In some cases, the miasma takes on a physical form, becoming what they call a Demon Lord—a powerful entity whose abilities are unmatched, with destruction as its only instinct.

To combat these destructive creatures, the people of such worlds prayed to their gods, cosmic deities, to provide them with a solution. After many years of rituals and prayers, an answer was finally given in the form of heroes—humans from another world possessing abilities greater than anyone on their planet. These heroes brought unique ways and knowledge from their worlds to aid them.

Many worlds rejoiced as their summoning rituals succeeded, not summoning just one but numerous heroes to their aid. Their oracles even prophesied the birth of blessed ones—people who were only inferior to the heroes. These blessed ones were believed to have come from another world as well, bringing with them unique ways of life.

The heroes, children under the age of fifteen, were welcomed with grace and prestige. Their memories of their previous world were still intact but slightly hazy, leaving them unaware of what had brought them here or what their purposes were. They remembered their loved ones and longed to be reunited with them in this new world.

A system, a perk of every hero and blessed one, gave them false hope—a way back to their families and friends through the promise of destroying the evil that plagued the world.

Faced with such a promise, they had no choice but to conform to their new roles, hoping that one day they would see their loved ones again—a future that was never to come.

Rasheed, a young boy with seven-star aptitude, found himself on a large circular podium adorned with strange writings and runes. Around the podium were numerous people, their eyes gleaming with reverence as if they had seen a god.

Unlike most of the heroes, he had memories of the cosmic auction, where he was given a chance at another life. Having such memories, the promise of being reunited with a loved one was for naught, and thus the system promised him power, glory, and fame, knowing he had no one to return to in the world that no longer stood.

A smile graced his lips, one of confidence and solemnity. He now stood above others, receiving the respect he had always craved but was never shown, as he had always been at the bottom of the barrel.

"I have been given another chance, a life better than the first... Thank you, gods," he said, truly grateful to the cosmic deities for giving him another opportunity in life.

"Where am I?" Snapping out of his daze, he turned to the people below, their sparkling eyes making him feel a bit uncomfortable, as he was not used to the gazes they threw at him.

"Where am I?" Snapping out of his daze, Rasheed turned to the people below. Their sparkling eyes made him feel a bit uncomfortable, as he was not used to the intense gazes they threw at him.

"Valiant hero, welcome to Beluaria," a beautiful woman spoke from among the crowd. She radiated a motherly warmth, and unlike the rest of the populace, her gaze held respect rather than reverence.

"Oh... okay..." Rasheed was caught off guard. His eyes inadvertently drifted toward the woman's chest, but what truly captured his attention was her clothing. Unlike the medieval-style attire of those around her, her outfit was a blend of futuristic and medieval elements.

She wore a bright yellow gown that seemed to be made of metal rather than fabric—or at least, that's how it appeared to Rasheed. His mana-sensitive eyes could see circuits of mana running seamlessly through the dress.

His gaze moved away from the woman's cleavage and focused on the shimmering yellow dress instead.

She noticed his shift in focus and smiled knowingly. "You are truly a gifted hero, to resist my charm and instead focus on my artifact. I am both disappointed and pleased," she said, her voice snapping Rasheed out of his trance.

Intrigued, Rasheed marveled at the dress. He had never seen anything like it before—it was as if he could see the flow of electricity through wires or invisible radio signals.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." he apologized awkwardly, an involuntary response ingrained in him from always having to say "sorry" or "please," even when he wasn't at fault.

The woman noticed this subtle behavioral quirk, and a thought formed in her mind—a plan on how to make use of the boy to save them from the cruelty of their oppressors.

"Don't worry. Come with me; we need to educate you about your new world," she said with a warm smile. Rasheed smiled back, though he could tell from her smile that she had other intentions for him—intentions of exploitation, similar to the smiles adults had often thrown his way in the past. But this time, he wasn't just going to be their plaything.

Gracefully, the woman escorted Rasheed down from the altar, the gazes of the common folk never leaving him. Curious about his surroundings, he ignored their stares and instead observed his new environment.

He had no idea where he was. There seemed to be no sky, yet clouds hovered above them.

He glimpsed a silver cave ceiling through a parting in the clouds, leading him to conclude that they were in a large underground cavern of some sort.

But the surroundings contradicted that conclusion. Trees, grass, and shrubs grew around each brick house, each with a flat stone roof. The houses resembled cubes scattered across a grassy field.

The layout was well-structured, like some kind of estate, with the expanse of the cave almost as large as a small town.

As they traversed the rocky pavements, bordered by lush green grass, people who hadn't attended the ritual emerged from their homes, all ogling him.

"Don't mind them," the woman remarked. "They're just glad to finally have a hero." Rasheed nodded in understanding.

He could tell from their faces that they genuinely longed for a hero, which meant that the world he had entered was one where the human race was seemingly suppressed.

"Here we are," the woman's voice cut through his thoughts once again, signaling that they had arrived at their destination—a larger cube-shaped house with a door that gleamed like metal.

Like the other houses, this one radiated with mana, intricate circuits invisible to the naked eye running through it. But unlike the others, the mana in this building seemed much more potent, almost as if the structure itself was alive with energy. Yet, it wasn't blinding to look at; in fact, the sight was oddly soothing.

With a barely audible creak, the woman opened the door, allowing a dim light and warmth to seep out.

His eyes adjusted almost immediately to the room's interior, and he found himself staring at three people seated on a modern-looking couch. They were dressed in medieval-style clothing, their gazes sharp and scrutinizing him. Rasheed quickly looked away, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with six others in the room—youngsters like himself. A quick glance told him they were heroes too, likely from his world, or at least that's what it felt like. They exchanged the same cautious look with him.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," the woman gestured, taking a seat alongside the three others on the large couch. Like her, they were all female, dressed in red, blue, and green gowns.

Rasheed sat across from them, joining the six others on a couch. His eyes scanned the room, which looked almost like something out of a movie—a lavish living room with ceramic tiles and a stunning chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. The chandelier was intricately designed, its surface pulsating with runes that added an air of mystique to the space.

"Once again, welcome to the world of Beluaria. I am Sophia, the head of the human rebellion force in Area 2 of the Verdant Expanse," she said proudly. After a brief pause, she continued, her tone tinged with sorrow, "This world is under the rule of the beastkin, hybrids of animals and humans—strong, savage creatures who suppress the human race with their strength."

"We have been oppressed for six generations now, with humans enslaved by these beastkin," the woman adorned in red added.

"You are heroes, gifted to us by our great God, to aid us in the war against these entities. We beseech you to lend us your strength," she said, her voice solemn and almost pleading.

"It's just like an isekai story... Will we be hunting monsters?" one of the six individuals, a boy with short ginger hair, asked with a grin.

"Y...eah..." the woman in red answered with a nervous smile.

____________

Meanwhile, a monster—an experience point for the heroes and other inhabitants of Beluaria—was moving its body as if it were a toddler, its own body foreign to it.

""What the—"