Kingdom of Yarum – The Holy Capital of Ethelas – King Yarum Adalos IV's Palace
In the middle of a spacious, dimly lit room illuminated by a few flickering candles, stood an enormous bed, large enough to accommodate five people, but occupied by only two. Beneath the covers, the two figures were tangled in each other, their heavy breaths filling the air. The room was lavishly decorated, with ornate walls, shuttered windows, and a red carpet that stretched across the entire floor. Two statues of nude women flanked a large, polished mirror at the center.
The soft moans of the woman on the bed echoed alongside the rhythmic creak of the bed frame. It was King Adalos, indulging himself with his wife, Vinea. After finally finishing, he rolled away from her naked form and collapsed onto his back, exhausted. His hand moved to brush against his chest, which was dusted with hair. His physique was impressive, with balanced muscles and broad shoulders. Beside him, Vinea lay on her stomach, her long golden hair cascading down her back as she gazed at her husband, who seemed lost in thought, a hint of sadness on his face.
"Tiana has gone to celebrate her twentieth birthday. Don't you think we should go and congratulate her… or at least, I should?" Vinea asked softly.
"Hah… We have a major issue to deal with here. I can't leave the capital, and I won't let you leave either. Tiana going is enough; I can't risk you being away as well," Adalos replied, staring at the ceiling.
"Yarum… Perhaps it wasn't the best decision to send Tiana away from the capital," the queen murmured.
"No! Never! Sending Tiana away was the best decision I've made. She's my only heir, and I can't allow her to die here at the hands of the demons. Sending her to the far west was the only choice."
"I miss her dearly," Vinea whispered, flipping onto her back.
"I do too. Tiana is the most mature young woman I've ever seen. But it's fine. I'm sure the heroes will rid us of the demons soon enough," Adalos said confidently.
"And then we'll live happily ever after!" the queen exclaimed with a bright smile.
"I hope so…"
"Do you really think the heroes can save the kingdom?" Vinea asked curiously.
"I don't know. Their first battle against the demons begins today, so we'll see how useful they are. Besides, Arthur is in charge of them, so it shouldn't be too dangerous. For now, all we can do is pray," Adalos replied, rising from the bed and playfully squeezing his wife's breast.
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The Far West of Yarum Kingdom – Myria Coast
The scene was chaotic—waves crashing against the shore, sand swirling through the air, and the deafening clash of swords echoing amidst the chaos. It was a fierce battle, where arrows and magical spells streaked across the sky and bodies littered the blood-soaked ground. It was a painting—a grim masterpiece in shades of crimson, where countless lives collided in brutal symphony, only to end the same way.
The valiant warriors of Yarum roared as they clashed with the invading forces—the demons of Diablos. The battlefield was a place of pure terror: rivers of blood flowed amidst the carnage, and lifeless bodies lay scattered like discarded relics. In the heart of the chaos, a human warrior gripped his sword tightly and charged forward, his blade raised high toward a demon.
The demon appeared almost human, save for his distinguishing features—two long black horns and a muscular physique with pale white skin. He wielded a black spear tipped with a crimson blade. With a swift motion, the demon parried the human's strike and delivered a punishing punch to his helmeted face. The warrior fell to the ground but held firmly onto his sword.
As the demon advanced, poised to thrust his spear into the fallen soldier, a sudden blast of water struck him, sending him flying backward. A human mage, holding a silver staff, appeared and helped the warrior to his feet. However, before the brief moment of relief could last, an arrow pierced the mage's stomach, sending him collapsing to the ground.
A pack of demons with terrifying, wolf-like appearances emerged—horned monstrosities with haunting eyes and massive jaws. Unlike the horned demon earlier, they bore no human traits. They carried enchanted bows and loosed magical arrows with deadly precision. The warrior had no time to mourn his comrade; gripping his sword tightly, he charged once more.
The battle raged on. Fights began, ended, and continued endlessly across the blood-drenched sands of Myria. This was the battlefield—an unrelenting theater of chaos on the coast of Myria, a region occupied by demons for over a month.
Linda's POV
The air was a bit chilly as I gathered with the others inside the tent, waiting for Arthur, who had ordered us to remain here. It had been a long time since we arrived in this world, and I had honed my skills tremendously. I trained under many professionals and worked hard. Now, it was time for the test. Would I succeed and return to my world? Spending time in this world only solidified my true goal: going back to Earth.
I hated every part of it. Even after gaining the Hero class—a sacred class here—I still couldn't fully accept it. This world felt like a dream to me, and that feeling annoyed me deeply. At first, I felt a bit of comfort, but now, not anymore. I want to go back. My life, my family, my school—I want to do the things I always did. And for that, I must fight. Yes, I will crush anything in my way!
"My God! I'm so excited!" Tom shouted.
"We're now in the camp, near the battle. That means the demons are close... It's terrifying," Susan muttered.
"I... I don't want to fight," Stephanie whispered shyly.
Everyone had gained tremendous power during training, but what they hadn't gained was adaptability. Even with their acts, like Sebastian and Tom pretending to be cheerful, it was clear that homesickness overwhelmed everyone, especially Stephanie. She's truly pitiable, knowing she'd have to face horrifying scenes on the battlefield and tend to gruesome wounds. Poor girl.
"Come on, Stephanie, your job is the easiest," John said.
"Yeah, you'll only be healing people. Why so scared? You won't be fighting anyone," Tom added.
"Her task is not easy at all; it's the hardest one in battle!" I snapped, lifting my gaze from the map of the coast to lock eyes with Tom and John.
"You always defend her. Come on, Hero, stop being childish. We're about to fight an army of demons, so be more mature," sneered Sebastian, that disgusting guy, as he embraced his fox-eared slave.
"Be mature? What nonsense are you spouting?" I shot back.
"You have the most powerful class in the world and still talk like a weak teenager!" Sebastian retorted.
After that, his fucking slave began laughing mockingly, joined by Tom. Oh, my God! I can't stand these fools. They're stupid, obnoxious, insane, fucking bastards! Shit! Shit! Shit! They provoke me endlessly. When will I adapt and become someone who doesn't care? Oh, God, I want to crush their heads.
"This is our first battle; let's cooperate like we did during training," Malin interjected.
We hadn't changed much in this world. What had changed significantly was our strength. We now possessed incredible, terrifying power—something I had only read about in Greek mythology. Yet, I still hated this world. And I was scared of the fight ahead, even though I knew I was strong. I had defeated a giant golem on my own, but I still felt afraid. I couldn't believe I'd be participating in a war soon.
We'd spent some pleasant times in the capital, discovering much about this world and its history. But now, I had to leave all that behind, pick up my weapons, and fight. Yes, because I am "Linda the Special." After this, I'll return to my world, apply my favorite makeup, watch the dramas and movies on my list, and have sleepovers with girls after exhausting study sessions.
This world had forced me to do things I'd never imagined myself doing. I had killed and participated in dangerous battles—things I'd only done in gacha games. Things that began to shape new thoughts in me. Did that mean I had changed? I don't know. All I know is that this world irritates me; it's a barrier preventing me from achieving what I want. Shit.
"Are you ready?" Susan asked.
"Yes," John replied.
"One second," Kevin said, casting a spell on his swords.
"Oh my God, I just remembered Laos!" Tom suddenly exclaimed.
"Hahaha! Laos, what could he be doing now?" Sebastian chuckled.
"Probably wiping nobles' asses," Kevin joked.
By the way, we hadn't heard anything about Laos since he was transferred to the princess' palace. Poor guy. He was such an introverted boy, too shy to speak. Oh, God, I remember when I asked him if he had read The Lord of the Rings. He looked so nervous and embarrassed. He's truly a good person—and beautiful, too—but unlucky. I have to bring him back with us once we complete our mission.
"Laos, oh Laos, that fucking NPC!" Sebastian sneered while groping his slave's chest.
"Stop! Why do you always speak so poorly of him?!" Stephanie suddenly shouted, her long green hair flying dramatically.
"Ooooh! Look who we have here, the lover of the fucking NPC," Tom teased.
Stephanie rose from her chair, her beautiful white robe billowing, and declared:
"If you keep this up, I swear I won't heal you in battle!"
"Whoa, calm down! What's with the outburst?" Susan asked.
Why did Stephanie do that? Does she love Laos? It seems like she does. Oh, my God, I didn't know this. But wait, I've noticed this many times before and didn't realize it. She always gave him answers during exams and lent him her notebooks to copy lessons. She was the only girl Laos interacted with in class. Of course, Laos didn't talk to girls, but he always turned to Stephanie when necessary. Wait, were they dating?!
◆ ◆ ◆
Inside a large tent where the heroes had gathered, a knight with golden hair, clad in a massive white armor, entered. His sword hung at his side as he raised the tent flap and stepped inside. Moving toward the heroes' table, he sat with them. It was Arthur, the commander of the knights of the Kingdom of Yarum. Placing his hands on the map, he moved a piece from the sea to the mainland.
"The reinforcements from Diablos have arrived, but our numbers still surpass theirs," Arthur declared.
"What about their commander?" Kevin asked.
"He's a axe-ranked demon, the most formidable opponent in this war. I'll leave him to you. If he falls, the demon forces will weaken significantly. He's the one enabling the use of Myria's coast."
"I'll lead a group of warriors to attack their reinforcements while leaving the eastern coast to you. Understood?" Arthur added, rearranging the map pieces.
"What about the division of roles?" Linda inquired.
"Yes, only half of you will handle the eastern coast. Linda, you, Kevin, Malin, and Stephanie will take charge of the east. The rest will handle the west. I'll send additional warriors with you, so move out!" Arthur commanded firmly.
The heroes stood and exited the tent, dividing into their assigned groups and heading to their designated areas. Linda gripped her weapons tightly, as did the others. After a long march, they reached the battlefield and stopped, stunned by the grim and horrifying scene before them. Stephanie staggered backward, clutching her mouth and screaming.
"Stephanie! Don't worry, I'm here!" Linda reassured her, pulling her into a comforting embrace.
"No! No! No! I can't stay here anymore!" Stephanie cried, tears streaming down her face.
"If you want to go back, you have to fight!" Kevin shouted at her.
Linda wiped Stephanie's tears and took her along. Though everyone was shaken, each hero knew their purpose in this war.
Kevin dashed into the fray with his twin swords, swiftly decapitating one of the demons. Planting his feet firmly, he dodged an attack from a hammer-wielding demon, countered with a backflip kick to its face, and slashed an "X" into its abdomen.
The demon staggered back, clutching its wound, and hurled its hammer at Kevin. Thankfully, Linda cast a shield spell, blocking the hammer. Malin then fired an arrow that struck the demon's head, sending it to the ground.
Suddenly, a horde of demons surrounded them. Stephanie trembled with fear, but Linda placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before launching herself into the swarm. With her poleaxe, she unleashed a devastating golden aura attack:
"Valkyria Slash!"
The attack obliterated many demons, though countless more remained. Malin drew his bow, channeling wind magic, and released an arrow that sent a cluster of demons flying.
Then, a towering demon with a chain appeared. His terrifying face bore two horns where eyes should have been, and his bloodstained body was thick with muscle. A group of human warriors arrived, and one of them shouted:
"Be careful, heroes! That's a spear-ranked demon!"
Linda advanced toward the demon as he raised his chain high and swung it at her. She leaped back, dodging the attack, and lunged with her spear, managing to pierce his left chest but only slightly, causing her face to be splattered with blood.
Furious, the demon spun his chain wildly in the air before slamming it down. Though the ground shattered beneath the impact, Linda evaded the blow. She then enhanced herself with golden energy, leaping high to stab the demon's face. However, he caught her spear, dropped his chain, and grabbed Linda.
"Linda!!" Stephanie screamed in horror, tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, the demon's arm was severed, freeing Linda. Kevin emerged, holding his twin swords, revealing himself as the one who had cut the demon's arm. Linda instructed Kevin to fall back as she gathered a massive golden aura in her hands.
Linda unleashed countless light-infused projectiles at the demon. The resulting explosion created a towering cloud of dust. When the dust settled, the demon's lifeless body lay on the ground, and Linda stood tall above it, her long golden hair fluttering in the breeze. Gripping her dual weapons, she gazed sternly over the battlefield, embodying the fierce determination of a warrior.