Chapter 1: One’s Imagination

  Ben briefly woke up and saw his surroundings. A dark room, there was no light other than the glowing orbs that surrounded him in a circle. He saw eight hooded people standing behind each of these orbs. As Ben wanted to say something, one of the hooded people collapsed coughing out blood. Ben glanced at the person coughing blood and looked at the other’s reaction. Ben wanted to talk but felt his throat flare up with pain that felt like scorching flame causing a raspy gasp to escape his throat. As time passed by he slowly got accustomed to the darkness.

(Why aren’t they doing anything? One of their hooded members just coughed blood, why am I here in a dark room with them? Don’t tell me I ate something weird back in the forest and got dragged into a sacrificial cult?)

(At least my eyesight is getting used to the darkness, I might be able to see their faces)

As soon as Ben thought about that, the door behind the coughing member was bursted open, torches flared chasing the dark away and the brightness caused the pain to surge from within Ben’s eyes. (AGHH! Just when I got used to the darkness!) Ben merely planted his face towards the ground and cupped his hand around his face. As soon as he did that, the sound of metal rubbing on metal echoed in the room and Ben immediately turned his attention back towards his surroundings trying to ignore the pain in his eyes. Just in time to see the swords slicing the one hooded figure, blood rose from the person who neither screamed or grunted in pain. He quickly dropped down onto the ground. The blood slowly flowed from the body towards the etched ground. The other hooded figures started to head towards the slain member and knelt down upon his body. The soldiers that were holding the torches backed away and stationed themselves next to the wall surrounding the hooded figures and Ben. Ben merely looked at the spectacle.

Ben simply mumbled his words.

“What…. why are my dreams so messed up…”

Ben looked around and continued observing the silence, he tried to get up but felt weak with his leg. He quickly collapsed back onto his knees and felt his eyes weathered with drowsiness. He felt something warm touch his hand, the smell of fettering iron came upon his nose. The smell was fresh and when Ben lifted open his eyes, his hand was covered in blood, the blood pool slowly encroached upon him. He looked up and saw that the dead body in front of him was leaking blood out. Ben quickly backed a bit away from the dead body, feeling the urge to throw-up. As he felt the presence of another person walking into the room, Ben quickly looked up to see a man with a different colored robe from the other, he slowly walked up towards Ben with his hand out as if offering help. Ben felt as if there was some divine atmosphere but quickly nodded off the feeling. Ben tried to stand up but failed as his knees were weak, he gave up and simply faced towards the person while on his knees. The hooded one began to talk.

“Oh little one, who hath been summoned forcefully within our world, we display our sincerest apologies for we require your strength, your mind, and your power to aid us within this time.”

(Oh? This is almost like one of the summoning novels except a tad darker, if I remember)

Two soldiers rose from their position and started to head towards Ben, standing by his side. The hooded man stretched his arms out in a grandiose pose as the soldiers took their positions within their place and looked towards Ben. They held on both of Ben’s arms to stabilize him for he was somewhat trembling with weakness on his knees, helping him stand up on his feet.

The hands around Ben’s arm gripped harder as the hooded man started his next sentence.

“We require what your soul has to offer us, and to our god Lothcar”

Ben’s eyes opened a little wider and took a second to comprehend the hooded one’s sentence.

(Wait, Lothcar? God? Soul?)

“Yes, little one we require your attendance within the ceremony. That we so "wholeheartedly" prepared for you. Your soul will be offered to serve the god and be enlightened within his light. You will contribute greatly to this god for only you and a selected few have the capabilities to do so.”

Ben’s thoughts quickly rolled off the cliff from the idea of being a summoned hero, into a summoned lamb sacrifice.

(I’m being summoned just to become a sacrifice for some god? I’m even atheist, but where’s the mercifulness and the sincere hardworking gods that want to see the prosperity of the humans, nature? Why sacrifices? Don’t tell me I was somehow miraculously summoned into some large cult that largely believes in sacrificial appeasement to gods.)

The soldiers started to lift Ben up towards the ceiling while two others grappled upon his legs. He faced towards the ceiling as he was being carried by the soldiers. The image of a stuffed boar on a stick appeared in his head.Ben looked around at the other hooded people who were crouched next to the dead body. As Ben was being carried away he saw that the hooded people were not mourning for the dead body but was carving out his organs. One of the summoners held out the dead person’s heart with a confident attitude and cheered joyfully.

“HAHAHA! Olmac’s heart! Olmac’s heart! I can feel the aged power within this heart!” The blood that flowed from the heart slowly dripped onto the face of the hooded man… his eyes bloodshot with an ecstatic feel.

The other summoners only mumbled in disappointment. “I wanted Olmac’s heart, he had years of experience within his soul.”

(What? How could these people merely ignore the death of their own acquaintances?)

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Ben merely stared at the ceiling in front of him, his neck has grown tired after trying to establish some sort of directional sense within the never ending hallways. The walls were identical, the atmosphere was dark with exceptions to a couple of lighted torches that was for illuminating the way for the soldier that carried him as if he was weightless. Suddenly the soldiers stopped at a wooden door, one of the soldiers took the time to open the door. As Ben craned his head to see the other side of the door. It was a small elegant room, almost colored in red, the carpets were mostly red only for the symbols of a standing lion holding a sword was a different color from it’s background, while the entire room was furnished with bookshelves and a couple of couches that would earn the praise of a rich medieval living room for guest. There was a man in a bright white uniform, cladded with yellow robes that hangs around his shoulder. The man was in his early 30’s, his face was charming and suited alongside with blond short hair that significantly showed his strong forehead (a true ikeman jock).

The man in white suit motioned the soldiers to put Ben on the couch, which they did so graciously by chucking Ben onto the couch head first. The soldiers promptly headed towards the door and left.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Ben grasped his head hard and started to get up from his position, he looked at the man with caution. Ignoring the simple pain that his body screamed.

“ *Cough* right onto business. Here’s a cup of water.*

The man’s hand led Ben’s eyes towards the cup of water on the table. The cup was finely made, but was still in a poor condition compared to the cup that the man held. His was laced with golden designs and even had a finger loop for the finger to latch onto the cup to avoid burning themselves with scalding water.

Ben readjusted himself on the couch and started to grab the cup of water. He felt the warmth of the cup and momentarily closed his tired eyes and sipped. It was warm, with a hint of lemon. Ben slowly opened his eyes again and looked at the man again. Slowly clearing up his throat, and taking a position to listen to this man, since he kind of noticed himself but he was in no condition to resist the soldiers, let alone walk steadily.

(Must’ve been some kind of drug, and now they’re doing a stupid play to get some sort of consent to murder me….)

The man began to speak to Ben, however his eyes glared with silent hostility and seemed to already see Ben as a simple image that contains no life.

“Right, my name is … no nevermind… it’s pointless to state my name to you. You have been summoned to this world and you have no rights since you are merely an outsider. You’re lower than a rat. Now stand still….

Ben was shocked. (What? He just abandoned his play acting and started to go cruel on me? What?)

As Ben was thinking of this, the man’s arm started to form some sort of claw shape, his four fingers resembled the eagle’s claw and the man was raring to strike him as he slowly moved his hand back. Ben quickly saw some small blue and black orbs forming at the man’s fingertips.

(What the heck is that forming at his fingertips? Is he planning on iron clawing me or just pierce through my heart like an aztec sacrifice? )

The man quickly thrusted his hands towards Ben. Ben immediately grabbed a pillow and threw it at the man’s hand, while also jumping off the couch and backing away.

The pillow immediately burst open and feathers flew around the room. Ben stared at the spectacle and ran towards the fireplace and grabbed the fire poker out of its place. The man that tried to pierce Ben, slowly stood up and smiled.

“Nicely done, glad you passed the first trial, now come back here and sit down.”

“Y- *cough* Y-”

Ben tried to talk back towards the man but the throat began to tighten itself once Ben started to talk, he grasped his throat to indicate that he couldn’t talk. The man’s expressions didn’t change and started to grab something from behind the couch. As he lifted it up, it was sheath for a short sword. He slowly unsheathed it and let it reflect light onto Ben’s eye. The man smiled dangerously next to the sword.

(How am I supposed to fight a sword with a fire poker? Also I have no experience in fighting, sure I dabbled a bit in knife fights but not sword fights.)

The man threw away the sheath and started to walk towards Ben with his sword on his side. Ben frantically looked around to look for salvation, and found a bookshelf next to him. He grabbed a book and pulled it down lightly, only to find the book on his hand.

(Aww, I was hoping for a secret door…)

Ben looked back at the man who was walking towards him dangerously. The man swung his sword at Ben, clashing with Ben’s fire poker. Ben immediately shifted the sword’s weight to the side and made way towards the side of the man, and immediately parried the back swing of the man. Ben felt his arm go partially numb as he backed up from the person. The man simply smiled and each swing that he did with his sword was playful and lazy.

(What strength? I should exercise more…)

Ben quickly noticed blue orbs surrounding the water that he drank from, and the blue orbs that were rising from the person’s fingers. As the man shifted his hand towards Ben, the water from the cup spilt over and shot towards Ben’s face. Ben immediately ducked down and thrusted his fire poker towards the man, who simply knocked off the fire poker out of Ben’s hand.

As the fire poker fell onto the red carpet the man quickly rushed towards him. Ben merely backed up and tried to look for something to cover himself. The man knocked Ben down with his feet and shifted his sword towards him. A murderous aura lit up from the man’s eyes, his sword flared in flames threatening to kill him.

Suddenly, when the door opened from the side, the murderous intent had disappeared quickly, flames dispersed. Ben looked at the cause of the result, and saw a woman in her early 30s dressed in a white robe, with green outlines on the sleeve. She moved her hood away from her head and unveiled her blonde hair, there was a small crown with a green gem embedded within it around her hair..

“Lucious Manac, this is rather unsightly… attacking a young poor boy. While, your own rank consists of low nobility.”

“Hmph, how dare you talk at this level with me, if you weren’t so important within this organization then I would’ve killed you by now.”

“My, anyways your mission was to check the summoned capabilities… not kill them as you have with the few others that you have summoned.”

“If they couldn't survive my test then they have no reason to sacrifice to my beloved god Lothcar.”

“I will not say anything about your beloved god, since I’m only a hired hand that has sworn secrecy.”

The woman suddenly looked at Ben with her blue eyes, they were calm. She suddenly turned towards him.

“Young one, my name is Liliane Inn. I am a healer. Let me tend to your wounds and observe your conditions.”

Ben looked at her with suspicion, he saw that the robes gave short blimps of green and white lights from her robes. There was no indication of rapid movements from the lights. Ben nodded and slowly crept towards her. Constantly observing her, for any sudden movement.

(I have no choice…. it’s clear from the conversation that the man only wanted to test me, but this could also be a trap. The good cop, bad cop operation where it’ll let the target loosen its guard to the good cop even though it's the good cop you have to look out for.)

Ben stopped a couple feet away from the lady, as her palm was filled with white light. Her other hand’s finger was glowing green light.

(The green lights are in frenzy as if wanting to attack, while the white lights are calm and in wait. What does she want to do?)

The green light on her fingers suddenly glowed brighter and some of the particles flew towards Ben. Who immediately ducked from the light, however his feet suddenly felt light, while his back felt some sort of pressure that pushed him towards Liliane. He couldn’t resist it for he was lightly floating towards her. Liliane suddenly casted her hand with white light and thrusted it towards Ben’s chest. Ben’s eyes cringed at the impact, but felt only a warm hand on his chest. The pain from his body disappeared, his throat no longer burned with pain.

“Ugh, that felt nice” Ben instinctively spoke out of satisfaction.

“As I said I’m a healer.” Liliane smiled lightly

“It also seems like this child has been through a bad summoning, One that could’ve killed him on his way here. The summoner that died, Olmac was the one who forbade the summon when he checked it. However this child managed to surpass that trial and arrive here without much problems. “

“He was simply blessed” scoffed Lucious

“However he’s still going to die in the end, this summoning just shows that he has the ability to give us what we want.” added Lucious

Liliane just looked at Lucious and Ben for a short while, then she gave a short bow towards them both.

“Then my job here is done, this child still has the aptitude to open his potential. For during the summoning and the test he managed to see the magical aura and evade them. While in the summoning he managed to surpass a threatening issue, however the summoning has also suppressed his aura immensely. He should be given time to recover those aura in order to be maximized for his use for the ceremony.”

Liliane concluded and left the room, while Lucious merely watched her leave. Lucious then turned towards Ben and swiftly grabbed his hand, quickly throwing him out of the door and handing him over to the guards.

“Hey, bring him to the special room. If he runs, break his legs, don’t kill him, also if he yells and wakes up anyone then feed him poison to shut him up. I don’t want the others to notice him… got it?”

The guard nodded and quickly threw him onto his shoulder as if he was lifting a bag of potatoes. Ben could only look around the hallway from the back of the guard. The hallway curtains were closed and the light that illuminated the hallways was only the small lantern that the guard held with his hand, in exceptions to a couple lights in the hallway that was lit. The floor of the hallway was created with marble, and the carpet was vibrant red, unhindered by the dirt and dusts of the soldier’s armor. The patterns continued on and on, while the ceiling of the hallway was dark. Ben could only stare at the guard in front of him as he was being carried to the next destination. Feeling his neck go sore, Ben could only dangle there helplessly as the guards took him to another place.

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