Chapter 1

Prologue: Welcome!

“Chosen Heroes! I sincerely welcome you all to the world of Fantasia!”

This unforeseen event occurred while our homeroom teacher had briefly stepped out of the classroom during our end-of-day meeting.

“Huh! What an incredible beauty…”

“Is this a hidden camera?” “Awesome! No way, is this…?” “Where are we?”

Including me, the students in the classroom were engulfed in chaos. Our smartphones, tucked away in our pockets, were dead, and there wasn’t a single concrete building in sight, not even dust. Only a clear, blue sky stretched endlessly.

And beneath our feet… “…Mother.”

I was standing on clouds, defying the laws of physics and gravity.

The beautiful woman who had called us “heroes” introduced herself in an elegant voice.

“Do not be alarmed. I am a goddess who has summoned you to save the world of Fantasia, which is in crisis due to the Great Demon King’s ambition.”

Goddess. As an atheist, her self-introduction sounded utterly absurd to me.

However, there wasn’t enough evidence to refute her claim. “A transfer to another world, seriously…” “Is this for real?” “Look at your feet. Does this look like a joke?” “Is this development actually happening…?”

The perfectly beautiful woman and the surreal, ethereal location.

Those two things alone were enough to tell us that this wasn’t a hidden camera or a hologram. Though we didn’t want to admit it, we had been summoned from the green planet Earth to another world. “So fantasy really exists…” “Is this a parallel world?” “A real goddess, seriously…” “Ow! It’s not a dream.” Perhaps it was because the situation was so far beyond common sense?

Even those who had never encountered fantasy novels or comics were silently observing the situation instead of denying reality.

The goddess, judging that we had calmed down sufficiently, wore a bright smile.

“You will soon be transported to a temple on the continent of Fantasia. A saintess who has received my oracle will be waiting there and will assist you in every way, both materially and spiritually, to help you adapt to the world of Fantasia.” “Goddess! May I ask a question?!”

A male student, who usually went unnoticed in class except during group projects, raised his hand high and stepped forward.

His name was probably… Oh Han-woo.

I remembered it from his name tag on his uniform. This was the first time I’d seen Oh Han-woo act so assertively. “Yes. Ask anything you like.”

The goddess, with a gentle tone, granted his request. “Are there levels, skills, status windows, and monsters like in a game?” “Yes.”

“Alright…!”

Oh Han-woo pumped his fist and cheered upon hearing the goddess’s brief reply.

…What a truly strange guy.

It’s a good thing I wasn’t close with him.

“I have a question too!”

Following Oh Han-woo, a flashy female student with striking long, dyed blonde hair abruptly interjected. “If this is a fantasy world, is it set in a medieval era like in novels? Are there princes and knights?” “Yes, there are.” “Wow! Then this might be fun…”

The name of the girl who asked such a pointless question in a cheerful voice like a young lark was Jang Mi-yeon. She was an aspiring singer, a beautiful student who often skipped school. She didn’t care about her grades and did as she pleased, but she rarely caused problems because she was hardly ever at school.

At any rate, I consider anyone who has caused a problem at school, even once, to be far from ordinary.

“Noble Goddess. I also have a question.”

A male student with an extraordinary appearance and aura, contrasting with the ordinary Oh Han-woo, lightly raised his hand.

“Speak.”

I wasn’t the only one who felt the goddess’s voice soften when she saw the handsome man compared to when she spoke to Oh Han-woo. “Will the most outstanding talent among us be selected as the hero?”

“No.” “So everyone is a hero, regardless of their abilities, you mean?”

“Yes. However, not everyone will be granted the same power. You must be recognized by various gods of the world of Fantasia and receive their blessings to truly become a hero.” “The gods’ recognition and blessing. Thank you for your answer.”

“Haha! Confident hero. May I know your name?” “It’s Choi Kang-min.”

“Hero Choi Kang-min. I look forward to your great success.”

Choi Kang-min.

He was an all-rounder who perfectly illustrated that life is unfair.

Objectively handsome, good at studying, good at sports, good at games, and had a good reputation…

He occasionally showed off, but even that sole flaw was covered with a touch of humanity, making it a positive trait. He was a friend, but Choi Kang-min was always surrounded by throngs of female students, so I didn’t get many chances to talk to him. …Are we even friends? It’s clear we’re not enemies, at least.

“Goddess. May I also ask a question?”

A stiff female voice. I instantly knew who it was just from her tone. “Of course.”

“Thank you for taking your precious time. I am Yoo Bo-ra, the class president of this class.” Class President Yoo Bo-ra. She was not chosen by vote but by the homeroom teacher based on her grades, yet she was an exemplary student whom everyone recognized.

When the flamboyant Jang Mi-yeon wasn’t around, she was also popular, drawing the attention of all the male students. Though she herself was unaware of it. “What is Hero Yoo Bo-ra’s question?”

“I understand that this world is in crisis and that our help is desperately needed. However, we were suddenly summoned, and our families and teacher must be worried. Can we contact them?”

“That would be difficult.”

“Then when can we return?”

“Once you defeat the Great Demon King, the gods who granted you their blessings will directly grant your wishes.”

Class President Yoo Bo-ra was about to open her mouth again, but the surrounding noise pushed her to the background. “Me too…!” “Goddess. Me too…” “I have a question too…!” Carried away by the momentum, the other students also began to barrage the goddess with questions.

I would have gotten annoyed and cut them off halfway, but the goddess diligently answered all our questions. Of course, her answers became more concise as time went on. “Any more?”

The goddess, exhausted from the long, long Q&A session, looked around at us to confirm.

Thump!

I, who had been quietly listening the whole time, raised my hand high.

“Ask your question.”

“It’s not a question, it’s a request. Please send me back to Earth.”

“I just explained it, didn’t I? If you defeat the Great Demon King, your wish will be granted.” “I’m telling you that I wish to return to Earth immediately because I have no desire to become a hero.”

The goddess, who had maintained her smile until now, lightly frowned for the first time.

I asked for confirmation.

“Surely, it’s not impossible to send me back to Earth, is it?” “…Of course, it’s possible. But before that, may I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“What is your reason for turning your back on a world on the brink of destruction, where countless lives reside, and wishing to return to an ordinary life?”

“How can a guy who only causes his family worry save the world? That’s what I think.” “…Your name?”

“Kang Han-soo.”

Kang Han-soo. My name, carefully chosen by my loving parents. My friends seem eager to save a world they know nothing about, but I’m not in a position to worry about others. Me, who’s even scared of the local thugs, saving the world? That’s truly laughable. “If anyone else doesn’t wish to be a hero like this person, please speak up now. I won’t force you.”

“……”

Huh? Really? Just me?

The fact that there was no one else who wanted to return to Earth, to the embrace of their family, was a bit shocking. And that’s not all. Some friends even looked at me with disdain. “Is this for real…”

The goddess’s smile, which had been slightly disturbed by me, returned. “Mr. Kang Han-soo? You don’t belong in this place meant for the great heroes, so you’ll have to leave now.” “Ah, yes.”

Though shocking, I had no complaints.

My friends, who were now destined to be heroes, bid me farewell.

“Say hi to my parents for me!”

“Mine too…!”

“Han-soo! Please, me too!” “Tell Young-hee I’m sorry!”

“I’ll be back soon!”

Flash!

Enveloped in a mysterious light, I waved to the unfilial children and departed from that place.

From the fantasy world to my home planet Earth!

…How much time had passed since that incident?

I returned to the beautifully suffocating, smoke-filled green planet Earth.

No, I should have returned. “That damn swindler of a woman…!”

I’ll kill her!

I’ll definitely kill her! If I survive here, I’ll use any means necessary to take down that goddess first! “Delicious meat!” “Human meat!” “Stop! Meat!” I was abandoned in a dangerous world overflowing with cannibals.