I Was a Loner, but My Class Got Summoned to Another World…

Roland could hardly believe the words. Doubt still lingered inside him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. They were on a timer, and it seemed the group wouldn't stop until they found a safe place to hide from whatever was chasing them.

They marched for hours, nearly fifty people alongside the King and his daughter, Stella.

Both looked depressed as they walked.

Only the King spoke now and then, offering quiet comments about the terrain, the kingdom's problems, or distant hopes for the future. The oracle occasionally joined in, speaking of the past or the present—explaining what had happened to this world.

Roland glanced upward. The sky above was not natural. It looked bloated, as if something was blotting out the sun.

"I see you noticed," the King said, following his gaze. "Maybe in your world the sky is blue, but here… it has been altered—to suit the vampires who wish to keep us as cattle."

His blue eyes reflected the red-tinted sky, as if being swallowed by its ominous, dark hue.

"Do you think… I'll have a chance against them?" Roland asked. He was feeling stronger than before, but not ready for battle. He had never killed anyone—yet hatred simmered inside him. His aunt and uncle had taken everything he should have owned.

"Can you not feel your body changing?" the King said. "It won't be long before your mind sharpens, too. Your thoughts will come quicker, your instincts clearer. Your newfound authority will come naturally. Just give it time, boy. You will lead this world to better days."

It wasn't the first time Roland had heard those words, but with each repetition, he began to believe them a little more.

Roland was given usable armor and a few weapons. From them, he selected a broadsword. It felt like the best choice—just large enough that he could also use it as a shield when needed.

It was nearly as big as he was, yet he managed to lift it without much effort. With it, he fought off anything that came their way—scouts, creatures, or anything else that dared attack them.

The journey was long, almost two days more than what the King had promised.

The terrain was crawling with scouts, eager to find the hero who had been successfully summoned. But each one became nourishment—magical fuel—for Roland. As he defeated them, he felt his strength growing, his connection with each spirit deepening.

The only one who didn't seem pleased with him was the girl, Stella.

She hadn't recovered from her brother's death, and the only person she could blame was Roland.

Just like before, he tried to approach her. The princess—the daughter of the King of Elris, wherever that kingdom truly was—had distanced herself from everyone.

"Say… I know I said this before, but I'm sorry about your brother," Roland began, his voice softer. "Please don't hold it against me. If I ever gain the power, I'll do everything I can to find him. But I need you to understand… I've changed. My view of this world, of my role—I will help you."

Stella had run off to find space for herself. She looked like a trampled flower—fragile, wilted, but still beautiful in a quiet, aching way. Roland couldn't look away.

Her silvery-white hair, usually hidden to avoid attention, was loose now, fluttering in the wind and partly covering her tear-streaked cheek.

"Don't come near. I don't want anyone here right now," she said, trying to push him away.

Roland sighed. He didn't move closer—not yet. He let her wipe her tears and clear her throat, the signs of her silent crying still fresh.

"You know… your father mentioned something about a blue sky," he said gently. "In my world, there was one such one. He said you've never seen it—that you were born in a world where the sky was always like this…"

Roland paused, trying to think of something—anything-to distract her, to give her hope.

"What are you talking about…" she murmured.

Roland didn't let her continue. He knew she would only try to blame him again, so he raised his voice slightly, cutting her off.

"Back in my world… my home, the grass is lush and green. Parks and rivers still thrive. Birds and animals live… well, somewhat free. I guess I'm not the best person to start praising my world. I was free, yes—but I was never really happy. My parents died in an accident. I know the feeling of loss… of betrayal. I've felt hate. I've known those dark emotions too."

Roland lingered for a few seconds before speaking again.

"But that's not what I want to focus on now. I want to bring at least a little of the happiness from my world to this one. I've seen enough to know what this world needs—and who's hurting it. So, help me change it. And maybe… just maybe, we'll find your brother along the way. Who's to say he's dead? He might've passed through another portal. He was the one who created them, right?"

Roland cleared his throat. He had never been good at speeches, and his voice was beginning to grow hoarse.

"…Yes, you're right, Roland," she said softly. "He might have done that. My brother is smart. He would have figured something out…"

She fell quiet for a while, then turned to him.

"So that blue sky you mentioned… what kind of blue is it?"

Roland looked at her. Her cheeks were flushed, no longer from crying.

Her eyes, though, were still slightly pink—but at least her saddened expression had changed, it now showed hints of eagerness to move.

"It's just like your eyes," he said, smiling gently. "I'll make this sky just like them—your lovely eyes."

The girl giggled—for the first time. She was around Roland's age, and the sound of her laugh made him turn slightly red. He looked away, awkward.

"Yes, well… let's keep going," he said quickly. "The faster I train, the more time we'll have to search for your brother."

He reached out his hand toward her, waiting.

She hesitated only a moment before taking it and using it to pull herself up.

"Yes… There's still much to teach you," she said. "The others haven't told you, but… You have the blessing of all seven spirits. You might be the only human in history to have received that. So, let's train. I'll teach you water and light. My father can help with the fire. There are a few in camp who can guide you through the other elements."

She paused, then lowered her gaze slightly.

"The only one we can't teach you… is darkness. That element belonged to my brother..."

Roland didn't let her dwell on thoughts of her brother. He was still holding her hand.

"Let's go then. I need to find my teacher."

The two returned to camp, and with that, Roland began his real combat training in magic.

It was hard as no one could determine his skills or abilities—the Chronicle Crystal that would have revealed them was currently lost.

That meant Roland had to learn everything from scratch.

Just because the princess could use all water-based spells didn't mean Roland shared the same ones.

Still, this did not mean that the spirits left him completely in the dark.

He simply had to train using raw elemental energy—feeling the power, shaping it, and slowly discovering what it wanted to become.

His first true offensive ability revealed itself as Water Blades. No one else had ever seen such a power, likely because of the sheer devastation it caused when Roland wielded it.

The blades cut through stone with ease.

He honed this skill more than any other, refining it alongside Stella, who helped him channel and control its form. Within hours, he was ready to test it in battle. When the next group of demons appeared, he didn't hesitate.

Water Blades danced around him as he swung his sword. The cuts were clean, brutal—like a jet of pressurized water carving through meat. The demons didn't stand a chance.

So far, nothing had proven difficult for him.

By the time they located the hidden passage to the underground city, Roland had already cleared every nearby scout. He counted twenty-four distinct chimes—each one marking a new level gained and the flood of power that came with it.

"You're improving by the hour, hero. That's good," said King Halter, standing beside him as they approached a massive stone doorway. "But don't let these easy victories fool you. We haven't fought the real enemy yet. Scouts are meant to be quick and nimble, not for fighting. The real threat is the main army—and the generals who lead it, along with their mutated beasts. Blood-bound abominations."

The king adjusted his crown as the group neared the entrance—a great circular slab built into the side of a cliff, resembling a sealed well more than a doorway.

"We'll find someone in the city who can forge you proper armor and a weapon, ones worthy of the blessings from the Great Spirits," the king added.

At his signal, one of the guards stepped forward and knocked against the door in a precise rhythm. Moments later, a small peephole slid open, and someone within peered out, cautious but alert.

"By the flame of Solis and the silence of Velmora, I—Holvin of Elris—seek refuge among the last light."

A few seconds passed.

Then, with a heavy groan of stone grinding against stone, the great door began to open.

Beyond it, Roland saw an endless cavern sprawling beneath the earth.

Countless buildings and tents filled the vast underground space, and within them, thousands of humans moved, worked, or simply tried to survive.