The instant he crossed the threshold, it was as though he’d entered a world apart. The air grew thick and still, like even a single sound would be out of place here.

The hall stretched out before him, built entirely of raw stone with no trace of opulence. Beige walls and muted gray marble created a vast, empty space that seemed to swallow sound and movement alike. Near the entrance, a towering 15-meter statue of a solemn-faced man watched over the quiet hall, casting long shadows across the stone floor.

image [https://i.imgur.com/IL7p0xq.png]

“This… must be the hero Chris was talking about….”

Zi-Cheng reached out, brushing his fingers over the statue’s surface, surprised at how smooth and cool it felt. The stone was unfamiliar, yet that wasn’t what left him speechless, it was the craftsmanship.

Every scale on the hero’s armor, every ridge on the blade of his sword, and the fierce yet noble expression on his face looked as if it had been carved by a master sculptor from his own world, or perhaps even better!

“Please, no cutting! The Invocation line starts here. Everyone, queue up from this point!”

Zi-Cheng blinked, drawn back from his thoughts by the cheerful voice of a short-haired girl with golden locks and a playful tuft of hair that stood up at an angle. She was small, with an aura that reminded him of Little Red Riding Hood surrounded by a pack of wolves, or in this case, the fierce-looking warriors, each towering over her. Yet her warmth and bright smile seemed to soften them, making even the roughest of warriors grin as they obediently lined up.

Watching the girl handle the crowd with charm and ease, Zi-Cheng decided to appraoch her as she finished giving instructions.

“Um, excuse me,” he began politely. “Could I ask if there’s a fee for the Invocation?”

Zi-Cheng thought he’d asked reasonably enough, especially compared to those brawny warriors, but at his question, the girl’s bright smile dimmed slightly. A flicker of uncertainty crossed her eyes before she quickly smoothed it over.

“Why would earthly currency be needed to pray for a blessing from the heavens?” she asked, tilting her head as if genuinely puzzled.

(Oh, right! Most gacha games require special currency for pulls!)

“Ah, that’s right! We wouldn’t use something earthly for this now, would we?” Zi-Cheng nodded as if this were the most natural thing in the world, then added, “So, um… where can I get hold of these ‘special tokens’? And… is there, by chance, a free first-time pull bonus for newcomers?”

Then, the girl’s smile vanished. She blinked, her expression shifting from puzzled to visibly irritated. “What nonsense are you babbling about?! This isn’t some carnival game where you toss your ‘tokens’ around! This is Sanctuary Innovation, a sacred ritual where warriors receive blessings only after proving their worth in the arena! If you’re not going to take this seriously, perhaps you should just leave!”

Her voice echoed across the temple hall, and for a tense moment, there was silence. It finally dawned on Zi-Cheng that his one-track mindset had just caused another huge blunder.

“I… I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you!” he stammered, bowing his head. “This is my first time here, so I really don’t know how things work!”

The girl looked him over, curiosity softening her frown, “Never been to the Sanctuary before?” she asked. “Usually, families bring their children here when they’re young for an ability evaluation.”

“Well… that’s because I was a sickly child,” Zi-Cheng replied, faking a few coughs for good measure. “My family wouldn’t let me out much, so I only recently got permission to travel on my own.”

Thanks to his earlier run-in with Julia, the last thing Zi-Cheng wanted was another tense confrontation here at the temple.

(Please, just let this one slide…)

He shut his eyes, silently praying his story would be enough to steer him clear of trouble. For a moment, there was only quiet, then he felt a gentle hand take his own, and a soft voice broke the silence.

“…Poor thing, to think you’ve never been to the Sanctuary all this time.”

Zi-Cheng opened his eyes, blinking as he found the girl looking at him with an expression full of sympathy. Her hand held his firmly, and she seemed almost on the verge of tears.

(Whoa! That actually worked this time!)

As the girl’s suspicions faded, she grew friendlier, warmer even, as she explained the Sanctuary’s history and responsibilities while giving Zi-Cheng a short tour of the temple’s grand hall.

“So, the Sanctuary’s held several key roles since ancient times,” she said. “Apart from performing the Invocation to provide arena combatants with resources and materials, we’re also resp[onsible for healing the wounded, handling funeral rites, and evaluating people’s abilities. Basically, everything from birth to death falls within the Sanctuary’s duties.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Ah, I see… Thanks for explaining, uh…” Zi-Cheng hesitated, unsure how to address her.

“Elena. Elena Cavanagh, junior assistant of the Sanctuary, at your service.” Her smile brightened again, this time with a silver of pride.

“...That’s all?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, no title? Nothing like ‘Silver Fist’ or ‘Golden Foot’?”

Elena stared at Zi-Cheng’s genuine expression before bursting into laughter, “Golden Foot? Who would want a title like that?”

“Guess no one around here plays soccer….”

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing. Just forget it.”

Still chuckling, Elena continued, “Titles are only given to renowned combatants. I’m just a lowly Obsidian Rank, no one gives titles to someone at my level.” Then she noticed Zi-Cheng’s puzzled look and paused. “Wait…. Don’t tell me... You don’t even know about the ranking system?”

Zi-Cheng scratched his head and nodded, feeling a little embarrassed. Instead of teasing him, Elena kindly raised eight fingers. “Alright, there are eight combatant ranks in all. The lowest is ‘Iron,’ and the highest is ‘Grandmaster’….”

(So that’s why Julia called me Scrap Iron, She meant to call me the worst of the lowest rank!)

“Right now, the Grandmaster title belongs to none other than the second most powerful person in the Kingdom of Izanish – our Royal Agent, Grandmaster Vladix Malvolia.”

Elena then illustrated on a piece of paper of all the ranks there are in the arena, starting from the lowest rank.

Tier 8 – Iron

Tier 7 – Obsidian

Tier 6 – Bronze

Tier 5 – Silver

Tier 4 – Gold

Tier 3 – Platinum

Tier 2 – Master

Tier 1 – Grandmaster

“That’s straight out of a leaderboard ranking system!” Zi-Cheng blurted in disbelief.

“A...leaderboard?” Elena asked, tilting her head looking confused.

“Oh, uh… it’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Zi-Cheng waved it off with a quick hand gesture. But as he glanced at Elena’s sincere expression, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was more to this world than he’s first thought. All these game-like elements woven into this world… It just didn’t sit right.

(Something’s off… it’s like whoever made this world knew about video games….)

Oblivious to his thoughts, Elena continued with a cheerful tone. “Usually, only fighters who accomplish something truly special earn a title. Maybe, if I keep working my way up the arena ranks, I might earn one of my own someday….”

“You know, ‘Elena the Smiling’ would suit you perfectly,” Zi-Cheng remarked, half-jokingly.

Elena blinked in surprise, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as his words sank in. “E-Elena the Smiling…” she repeated softly, turning it over in her mind. No one had ever said something like that to her before. “It… doesn’t sound too bad… I guess….” Her lips curved into a small, genuine smile, and for a brief moment, the hope of earning a title filled her with a quiet happiness.

But just as quickly, her smile faded, and a flicker of doubt passing over her eyes as the fantasy slipped away.

Noticing her expression shift, Zi-Cheng quickly changed the subject. “Oh, by the way, you mentioned the Grandmaster is the second most powerful in the kingdom, so does that mean the Hero still rules over Izanish?”

“You… really don’t know?” Elena blinked at him, surprised.

“My family… kept me pretty isolated,” Zi-Cheng answered, a sheepish laugh escaping. “I was bedridden for most of my life, so there was a lot I never heard about.” He added a light cough to back up his story. Elena’s expression softened, sympathy shining in her eyes.

“That would explain it.” she nodded, “The truth is, the Hero has been missing for over 150 years. Since then, each Grandmaster has served as the kingdom’s highest representative and Royal Agent.”

(The Hero… is missing?)

The thought echoed in his mind. For over a century, the throne had remained empty, as if the kingdom were waiting for something — or someone — to fill the role again.

(Wait… didn’t that guy on the phone say something about ‘finding someone’? Could he mean… the Hero?)

The idea of tracking down someone who’d been missing for over 150 years – even in a world as strange as this – seemed wildly improbable. What were the odds that the Hero was even still alive?

(Well, it’s either that...or….find somebody to fill the role?)

Like….

“Hey, since it’s your first time at the Sanctuary, you should go and do an Invocation!” Elena’s cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts.

“But... didn’t you say that’s a sacred ritual only performed after proven your worth in the arena?”

“Yeah, but that’s for the adults! The initial Invocation is something everyone does as a child here, and since you have never done yours...”

“Hold on,” Zi-Cheng’s face lit up, his excitement growing, “You’re saying I’m getting a free gacha pull?!”

“Wait, what... what’s a gacha pull?”

“Unbelievable! This... this is amazing!” Zi-Cheng’s mind raced, his heart pounding with exhilaration. Could this really be happening? The classic isekai “cheat ability” handout trope, right here and now?

Recalling the hardships he’d faced until now, Zi-Cheng felt as though he was finally on the brink of seizing his fate. That old saying flashed through his mind, "When the heavens assign a great task, they first test one’s endurance and spirit."

(It’s really happening!)

"Ventus… are you sure you’re okay?" Elena’s voice held a hint of worry as she observed him, clearly bewildered.

"Oh, I’m more than okay!" he grinned, brimming with a confidence he’d rarely felt before. Everything suddenly made sense; the one meant to fulfill this destiny was him! He gave her a confident wink. "Just wait here—I’ll be back in a flash!"

With newfound energy, he strode toward the Invocation chamber, as if each step brought him closer to claiming his place in this world. Reaching the heavy doors, he threw them open, ready to face whatever awaited inside.