3. Distance

It's been around two weeks since Riyan and the others were summoned to this world as heroes who carry a heavy burden to protect the world from the predictions of the rise of the strongest demon king. For high school students like them, this is a responsibility that is heavier than doing a task, even though the prediction is still a long way to come.

When another student was training on the palace grounds, Riyan just sat in his room staring at the ceiling lamenting the status he had gotten two weeks ago.

"Rotten boy! What are you doing up there!? Get off quickly and practice with us! Ha ha ha!"

"Are you afraid because our status is way higher than yours? Ha ha ha! You are a coward!"

The students who were training on the field began to taunt Riyan again, continuing what they had done since two weeks ago. Riyan's status has spread to other students. From their point of view, Riyan is a useless human being called to this world. Why? That's because of his status.

Riyan ignores the taunts directed at him and keeps looking at the ceiling.

"Why is my status like this? I can still accept if my status is the lowest among them, but in this world? Seriously ...."

Muttering complaining about his status, he could only surrender unable to do anything. His status is very low, even for the size of the population in this world. Maybe even the lowest status in the world.

---

Name: Riyan Klaint

Race: Human

Class: Citizen

Level: 2

Life: 16/16

Mana: 5/5

Physical Strength: 0 (4)

Magic Power: 0 (6)

Endurance: 0 (12)

Attributes: Void

Skill: Appraisal, All Zero, Distract, Nothing Eye, Mana Manipulation, Comprehension, Auto-Counter

---

That is Riyan's current status. Too low to be said to be a living creature, even to 0. If you ask why there are additional numbers in brackets next to his status, that were his basic status.

Why did it happen? That's because of the skill he had, [All Zero].

Unlike ordinary skills that make the owner stronger, [All Zero] is the opposite one. [All Zero] possessed by Riyan is a skill that multiplies everything to zero, except the base level and numbers such as the basic status and parameters of life and mana.

Usually if the level increases the status will also increase, but not for Riyan. When the status increases because the level rises, all of that are multiplied by zero so making Riyan into someone is someone worth to zero.

This [All Zero] skill is what makes Riyan increasingly shunned by his classmates. He felt frustrated because he could not do anything except learn about knowledge in this world.

Knock knock!

Hearing a knock, Riyan immediately got up and walked to open the door. When he opened there was Faleon with his usual clothes, this time he didn't wear any armors.

"What's the matter, General Faleon? Do you need something from me?"

"Ah no, I just want to see you."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Riyan immediately replied quickly so that Faleon left him alone, but Faleon didn't move at all.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm really fine. Thank you for the worries, but it would be better if you joined the field to train the heroes."

"OK. If there's anything, just tell me. "

"Certainly."

Faleon, which was stopped by Riyan when he wanted to enter, took a step back. With a wry smile Riyan slowly closed the door. After the door closed perfectly, he walked back and lay on his bed.

"[Status]"

Then his severe status appeared. There are no changes or anything interesting to see there. Because of bored, he opened his skill to see further explanation.

[Appraisal]: a skill that can judge or saw the status of an item or living thing.

All students who are called to this world as heroes had that skill. This skill has a medium scarcity level because there are not many and also not a few who have this skill.

[All Zero]: skill that multiplies all statuses to zero, except the level, basic status, and parameters of life and mana.

As far as is known, only Riyan has this skill. Tria and Alestein were also the first time to see such a detrimental skill.

[Distract]: a skill that can distract the enemy from the owner.

This skill will be very effective if the existence of the owner is very little, this is a skill that matches with Riyan.

[Nothing Eye]: no explanation.

There is no explanation at all for this skill. Unknown and never existed before, just like Riyan's [All Zero].

[Mana Manipulation]: a skill that can control mana in the owner's body.

This skill is one skill that harms the owner. By using this skill, mana's utilization will be far bigger than using ordinary magic.

[Comprehension]: a skill that allows the owner to understand something faster than living things in general.

This skill is a skill that's quite rare. The owner of this skill is usually magic researchers or certain smart people. With this skill, Riyan can focus on knowledge rather than training in vain.

Because of the [All Zero]'s skills, whatever training he had during the first week his status didn't change even one bit. This is the reason why Riyan focuses on knowledge.

[Auto-Counter]: a skill that can quickly respond to all attacks received by the owner.

This skill is very rare and sought after by the inhabitants of this world. A skill that can respond to all attacks very quickly after being driven away, that's an extraordinary thing.

Seeing the useless Riyan had this skill, of course all the students were got extremely jealous of him. Just like Riyan, Gilbert has [Auto-Counter] too. It's just that the difference is in the level of the strength. Riyan's [Auto-Counter] counterattack was almost useless because the status of his physical strength was very small, it could even be said to have no effect, in contrast to Gilbert whose physical strength was very gigantic.

After looking at the explanation of his skills, Riyan closes his status. Moments later, he got out of bed and came out of his room walking towards the palace library.

***

"Bored ...."

Riyan put the books on the table in the library and leaned back on the chair. After about twi hours of sitting and reading continuously, he finally got bored. Of course, for a high school student it seems reading is not something he usually does.

He often watches tv and play games in his room alone. Studying is only when there will be a test on the next day. There is no pleasant entertainment in this world.

Even so, the other students seemed to enjoy their activities so far. It's just practice, but it's like entertainment for those who don't have any activities.

When Riyan is resting from reading the books, the library door opens and someone goes inside. Riyan was a little surprised and immediately looked at the person who had just entered.

"Riyan, you here again?"

"I have no other activities."

"Hoo ... you got much of time, yeah?"

"I'm not happy with that sentence."

"I'm just joking, okay?"

Just as usual, Riyan cast a sharp gaze on almost everyone, this time the person sitting in the chair before him closed the door. He is Faleon, the great general of the kingdom of Alivonia. The reason why they can talk like this is a shape of the sympathy of Faleon.

Faleon has always paid attention to Riyan since the calling of heroes from other worlds. In his eyes, Riyan looked very different from the students who were dragged into this world.

When he found out that he was in another world, Riyan remained calm and did not panic, while almost all the students panicked because they were so sudden. Then, he also looked alienated by other students for some reason. And what caught Faleon's most attention was Riyan's mysterious unconscious aura.

Riyan's mysterious aura isn't something that is clearly visible, more like pressure than an aura. Faleon didn't know what that was before, then he realized it somehow.

"So, what did you got today?"

"Which one?"

"Anything."

"Only common knowledge about mana and magics."

The book that's readed by Riyan is a book about mana and magics. Faleon had explained it, but looks like Riyan wanted to learn more about it. He hopes there are some explanations about mana and magics that Faleon didn't have time to explain.

Mana is the energy that each living creature has to exert magic. Not all living things can use magic. Only educated or talented people can use it.

Magic is one result of mana processing in living things. Magic can be used for anything. For example, such as the military, a helper in a study, makes it easy to build a construction, even for household needs as well.

Apart from pure magic that is managed directly by living things, there are also tools that rely on magic. For example, like a magic stove that requires image of the fire magic sign.

To turn on the stove, you have to be able to pour it into the image of the fire magic sign in there. If one point is inserted into, maybe the stove will last about two minutes, depending on the quality of the stove. The better the quality, the longer the fire will be last.

"You're not satisfied with what I've explained before, aren't you?"

"Yes."

With a flat expression, Riyan answered the question from Faleon as fast as lightning. Hearing the quick answer without hesitation from Riyan, Faleon just smiled wryly. After the light conversation, silence struck both of them, but it was only for a moment. Faleon immediately continued the conversation so he could get close to Riyan.

"Riyan, can I ask something?"

"What?"

"Have you ever made a mistake or a great fight with your friends so they were away from you?"

Hearing the question, Riyan was a little surprised, but not shown. He straightened his sitting position and looked back at Faleon seriously.

"Why are you thinking like that?"

"Well, that's because almost nobody approaches you as long as I look at you. At best only Tifania, Gilbert, Layla, Rizu, and Johan."

That's right, who had approached Riyan all this time were only the five people that mentioned by Faleon. Although only limited to asking for news and circumstances, but they have their own attention to Riyan, especially Tifania. She really wanted to talk and be close to Riyan, but when she was about to do that, the mens swiftly blocked her path towards Riyan.

Riyan turns to the right and left to make sure there are no people around them. After making sure it was safe, he sighed and looked back at Faleon seriously.

"I've ransacked the teacher's room."

"You ... what!?"

Hearing this, Faleon was surprised. He knew a little about the state of the world where Riyan and others came from Gilbert. Of course, that is a very despicable act for a student like him.

"But that's just a misunderstanding."

"Eh?"

Now Faleon made a funny expression.

"A year ago, I was told to deliver a student questionnaire to the teacher's room. The teachers were having a meeting in another room so there is no one in the teacher's room. "

Riyan smiled a little with the look of lethargic eyes that radiated in his eyes. On the contrary, Faleon was a little surprised at the continuation.

"Is it possible ...."

"Right, when I entered the teacher's room was messed with tables, chairs, paper, documents that lay on the floor everywhere. Of course I froze at this incident in surprise. I went inside and checked for someone or not. But when I entered, that's where a misunderstanding begun."

Faleon was slightly downcast to find out about Riyan's problem with her friends. He stared at the table with a sad look in annoyance.

"There is other students who appear to see you inside, then accuse you of being the culprit, right?"

"Exactly."

Now he knows what makes Riyan shunned by his friends. Just because of this 'little' misunderstanding, Riyan was shunned and hated by students and teachers. Even because of that case, she barely moved up to next class. Fortunately, his uncle was willing to compensate for the damage. Finally Riyan gets suspended for a full of half a month.

Since then, Riyan's life has been made worse by ridicule and insults from almost all students. No one knows this truth other than Faleon and Riyan himself. Until now, Riyan still did not know the real culprit, which was clearly not him.

"Well, that's just a past, please don't tell this to anyone, general."

"What? Why? Wouldn't they be more trusted and no longer stay away from you?"

"Unbelief is one of human's nature. A person like me is can't be trusted by them. If you spread out this, they will say that I dare to brainwash a great general."

"But if this continues, you will be affected! Do you really want that?!"

"All of this cannot be repeated, it can't be done. I've been used to this for a long time. After all, I'm also often ignored because of my thin presence. You don't need to worry about me, general."

Faleon could only be silent not to reply to Riyan's words. He just realized what exactly the mysterious aura he felt from Riyan was. That aura makes the existence of Riyan very thin. So thin that rarely does anyone know that Riyan is exist.

Riyan is aware of this small of his existence, but he is not realize with that aura. Only Faleon realized that the aura was tightly attached to Riyan's body. He just realized what Riyan had been experiencing all this time. Yes, not considered.

Because of the lightness of his existence, Riyan is difficult for most people to realize and as if he ever existed, even her uncle is hard to realize him in a close distance. Ignored and considered to be nonexistent, it disappeared a little when the teacher's room case was just misunderstood. Since then, Riyan has become famous for the big case.

"B-but ..."

Faleon clenched his hands tightly with irritation. At that moment, Riyan lowered her head to Faleon until it touched the table.

"Please don't tell this to others. Your good name will be at stake, General Faleon. "

Seeing Riyan who looked down like that, Faleon did not have the heart. He held both of Riyan's shoulders and lifted his body up again as before. His expression was filled with sadness mixed up, but he looked at Riyan steadily.

"Okay, I promise I won't tell this to anyone, for god's sake."

"Thank you, general."

After discussing Riyan's main problem which caused him to be shunned by the students, they again talked about this world. Faleon taught him a little about magics and how to activate it because he had never taken magic practice.

Actually there are still such incidents when Riyan was in junior high school, but he prefers not to discuss the matter. Why? Because they're troublesome.

At that moment — a black silhouette eavesdropping on their conversation about Riyan's problem — moved from the closed door of the library. There were a few drops of water leaving a trail as he walked away. Riyan and Faleon were not aware of the silhouette — precisely the person, eavesdropping on the outside.