It all began with a simple thing: sitting, talking, eating, grabbing phones—everything we did while the teacher was gone or during rest time. Everything was fine. We laughed, we sang, we played.

All that happiness was suddenly taken away.

A blue light emerged below us, like a spell glowing under our feet. One by one, our classmates started to disappear.

Including... me.

That’s when we were teleported into another world. When I woke up, I found myself in a bed, the rest of the others still sleeping. The room was dimly lit with candles, and my head felt dizzy and hurt for a while. Eventually, the pain faded away.

At first, I thought, This must be a dream. But dreams aren’t supposed to last this long.

When we all finally woke up, a person wearing a medieval-era suit guided us to a place where we met someone with a crown on their head—probably a king. We were told we had been transported to save their world. To become heroes of this world. To save both the human race and the kingdom itself.

At first, we laughed, not believing it, and started joking around.

But that’s when things got serious.

The king threatened us. The knights began unsheathing their swords, pointing them at us. We were terrified. And the king... he forced us to do what he expected of us.

But that wasn’t what bothered me the most.

Almost all of my friends had been teleported... except for one person. An energetic, crazy, and weird person. But also kind. A friend who loved us more than himself was missing among us. I wanted to ask about him, but something held me back from saying anything.

From that moment on, we were forced to train. Magic, swordsmanship, and more—all to prepare us to fight the demon king.

After two years of training, we were introduced to the citizens of the kingdom. They cheered for us, smiling and happy. But we... we faked our smiles because we were being forced into this.

The day we were deployed, we were separated into ten groups, scattered all over the place in hopes of pushing back the demon invasion.

I write this book just in case someone like us finds it. I don’t know what kind of fate awaits, but I hope your fate might end up better than ours.

From, Angel. one of the heroes

As she closed the book after writing, Angel stared at it with a pale and sad expression. Riding a horse alongside four of her friends, she placed the diary in her backpack and grabbed the reins.

All of them were silent as they rode, their eyes fixed forward. From the back, Aldir, one of her friends, broke the silence. His tone was calm but laced with hopelessness.

“Gel, with two years of preparation, do you think we can kill the demon lord?”

Angel sighed before responding, her voice carrying little hope.

“If it comes to numbers, I don’t think we can kill the demon king himself... even if all of our friends combined their strength. There’s... no hope for us.”

Hearing this, Aldir fell silent, unable to find the words to respond.

Angel reached for her backpack, opened it, and searched inside. She pulled out a map and spread it open, studying it for a moment.

“Our next destination is a city taken by a demon lord’s army. Hopefully, this will be easy,” she said in a calm yet weak tone.

Everyone glanced back at Angel, nodded in agreement, and then turned their gaze forward, continuing their journey toward the city.

Hours of journey passed, and they finally saw smoke rising from the city in the distance. They dismounted their horses and stood watching from afar. The sound of battle echoed from within the city walls, filling Angel with unease.

Angel shared her thoughts, her tone cautious.

“There’s something wrong. From the information we received, the city was overrun by demons. I didn’t expect to hear the sounds of battle.”

Aldir quickly responded, urgency in his voice as he ran toward his horse.

“Then that means there’s a rebellion inside the city! We should hurry and advance to help them!”

Angel, shocked, shouted after him.

“WAIT!”

But Aldir didn’t listen. He rushed past her, heading straight toward the city. 

Andreas then said with annoyed tone " HMPH, Indeed Aldir, INDEED " followed by Nana saying with dissapointed and annoyed tone " Here we go again " Before then Angel, Nana, Dewi, and Andreas quickly rushing to followed, jumping onto their horses and riding hard to catch up with him.

As they approached the city, a blaster shot into the sky, its piercing sound loud enough to shock them all.

Seeing the blaster as a potential threat, Angel snapped the reins of her horse, urging it to run faster. The others followed closely behind her, their urgency mounting as they raced toward the city.

As soon as they reached the city, the sounds of blasters, explosions, and clashing weapons abruptly ceased. Only the crackling echoes of burning fire remained, haunting the atmosphere.

Aldir rushed into the city, the others following closely behind him. He looked around at the remnants of the city. No people were in sight; it was eerily desolate. Only a dead demon scattering around the place with most of them having their body blasted by something.

Suddenly, he halted his horse as he sensed something above. Without warning, a massive amount of water fell from the sky, drenching the city—and him—completely.

“Fantastic,” he muttered in an annoyed tone, dripping wet. His armor, clothes, backpack, and even his horse were soaked. At least the water extinguished the fires that had engulfed the city moments before.

Cautious and alert, Aldir urged his horse forward, slowly scanning his surroundings, trying to piece together what had just happened.

The sound of rushing hooves from behind made him turn his head. Andreas, now in front, approached with his fist ready. Without warning, he punched Aldir’s shoulder, causing him to wince in pain, before sharply pulling the reins of his horse to stop.

Andreas shouted, his voice a mix of irritation and calm,

“You should’ve waited for us before charging in! We don’t even know… what happened here!”

Before Aldir could reply, Angel, Nana, and Dewi arrived, their expressions mirroring the unease that hung in the air. Angel approach aldir in anger, before she can saying anything directly to him.

A sound of people cheering echoed loudly in front of them, filling the air with happiness and joy. The celebration could be heard throughout the city.

Curious, the group exchanged glances before deciding to approach the source of the sound.

As they arrived, they saw a person standing amidst the crowd. He wore a brown robe that covered his entire body, leaving only his head exposed. His hair was striking—dyed blue at the top and red below, blending into a purple hue in the middle. His ears stood upright, sharp and alert.

Behind him were three tails, each ending in a dragon-like head. The tails moved joyfully, their expressions almost mirroring the smiling faces of the townspeople.

The person stood calmly while the crowd celebrated their victory. Noticing the group of heroes, he turned around to face them, speaking in a calm yet cheerful tone,

"Sorry, you were too late."

Confused, Aldir stepped forward and asked,

"What happened here?"

The person tilted his head slightly, his mismatched eyes—one blue and one orange—fixating on Aldir with a friendly expression. His pale white skin added to his otherworldly appearance.

"Oh, this? Well, all of us combined our powers to defeat the demons invading this place. Nothing special, really," he said nonchalantly.

Before anyone could respond, a woman from the crowd suddenly shouted, her voice sharp and filled with disbelief.

"LIAR!"

The shout startled him, his body momentarily jolting in shock. The group and the mysterious person turned to face the woman as she stepped forward.

"We’re not the ones who played the biggest part in this battle! Without your help, we wouldn’t have won," she said firmly, her tone softening into calm sincerity. "If you hadn’t been here, none of us would have survived."

Then, her voice rose again, filled with gratitude and emotion.

"SO DON’T SAY SOMETHING LIKE IT WAS NOTHING SPECIAL YOU DID HERE!"

The group of heroes turned their attention back to the mysterious person, who now stood silent. He raised his hand, holding a mug of some drink, and sipped it slowly, his expression unreadable as he stared at the woman who had spoken.

He then turned his head toward the heroes, who already suspected him. He then took two steps back from the heroes before telling them in a playful tone,

"Fine, you got me, ay? I am the only one here different from the others, so it shouldn’t be my fault you heroes didn’t realize."

He drank again, raising his head up as he drank every last bit of water inside. Suddenly, someone shouted in anger, causing him to spit out the water in panic.

"YOU HEROES ARE USELESS," the unknown man said from afar, hidden in the crowd.

Everyone who heard it quickly turned their gaze onto the man who said it. The man then raised his hand, pointing it at the heroes.

"WHY YOU HEROES COME NOW, HUH!? WHY LATE!?"

The cheerful crowd suddenly went silent after hearing this, turning their gaze toward the heroes with disappointed faces.

The group of heroes, seeing how angry and disappointed the people of the city were, remained silent as the crowd started complaining in anger, shouting at them. One of the people yelled with hatred,

"Why were you late? You're supposed to protect us!"

Others followed, shouting,

"What the hell have you guys been doing on your way here, HUH!?"

As the people continued to shout in anger, sadness, and hatred, they started throwing their food at the heroes, who lowered their heads and accepted it without resisting.

Angel watched as the crowd's faces, once filled with happiness and joy, now turned into expressions of hate and anger. The people continued to throw whatever they could grab.

The man, witnessing the scene, sighed as he watched the crowd throw their food at the heroes. Suddenly, a barrier made of ice rose up, protecting the heroes from the people’s wrath. The crowd went silent upon seeing it.

He stepped in, his tails swaying as he stood between the heroes and the crowd. Staring at the people, he said in calm and serious face

"Ay, do you think I gave you food for you guys could throwibg it....at them?"

He turned his gaze to the man who had first shouted at the heroes from afar and continued,

"Tell me, what happens if the heroes had gotten here before me?"

The crowd fell silent, slowly lowering their hands from throwing anything. Marvell stated,

"All of you should be grateful they still came to save all of you. What do you think would’ve happened if neither I nor the heroes had come to this city, ay?"

Hearing his words, the people began to feel guilty and gradually lowered their hands.

"You guys shouldn’t waste your food. Enjoy what you’ve been given. Don’t hate others who couldn’t be here because they were busy," Marvell said, his tone serious.

The crowd slowly started to calm down, turning their focus back to their meals and looking away from the heroes.

The barrier that once protected the heroes from the crowd's hatred melted in an instant, leaving them exposed to the heavy silence that followed. The heroes, still shaken, turned their eyes to the mysterious man, who quickly faced them with an apologetic expression.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Sorry about that, uh… this," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the crowd. "Well, I didn’t expect how ungrateful they’d be."

Angel, still atop her horse, slowly rode forward toward the man. Her voice carried a tone of gratitude as she spoke, "Thank you for defending us. You didn’t have to do that."

Hearing her words, the man chuckled briefly, his laugh light but puzzling to those around him. He extended his hand toward Angel and, with a playful tone, introduced himself. "Name’s Marvell. Just a traveler with no sense of direction."

At the mention of his name, Angel's eyes widened in shock. Her reaction was mirrored by some of the others, except for Aldir and Andreas, who seemed more composed. Marvell noticed their sudden change in demeanor and tilted his head, curious.

"Hm, that’s interesting," he said, his brow slightly raised. "Does my name mean something? Like an enemy I should know about?"

Aldir stepped in, his voice steady as he clarified, "No, Marvell was… once our friend. A good person."

"Hm," Marvell mused, rubbing his chin with mild interest. "Sounds like something tragic happened to him."

Andreas, catching onto the topic's weight, replied quickly, "Yeah, better not speak about it, though."

Marvell glanced at Andreas, his curiosity piqued, but before he could press further, Andreas subtly motioned with his eyes toward Angel. Marvell followed the gesture, turning his gaze to Angel, who had noticed the exchange. Realizing the attention was on her, she reacted quickly, punching Andreas lightly on the shoulder.

Andreas winced, his hand shooting up to the spot she struck. "Ow!"

"Forget about it," Angel said firmly, her tone leaving no room for debate. "Don’t talk about it."

Marvell raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay," he said casually before adding, "You guys must be hungry and tired. Follow me—I happen to know a place where you can rest."

Without waiting for a response, Marvell began walking ahead, his tails swaying slightly as they moved. Angel, Andreas, and Aldir exchanged uncertain glances before a voice broke through their hesitation.

"Guys, come on!" Nana called out as she urged her horse forward, passing the group to follow Marvell.

The remaining heroes snapped out of their thoughts, guiding their horses to catch up, and soon found themselves trailing behind Marvell.

As they followed Marvell, he spoke in a calm and caring tone while walking ahead of the group. "Judging by your look, I can tell you guys didn’t sleep on the way here. You’re really putting in a lot of effort to save innocent lives. I wonder… did you meet a lot of challenges on the way? Can I hear my heroes’ heroic stories?"

The heroes went silent for a moment. Angel, hearing his words, began to open her mouth, seemingly ready to respond. Before she could, Marvell spoke again. "Or never mind. My heroes need rest, not wasting their time on small fry like me."

Aldir, annoyed by the remark, asked, "Small fry? We never said anything about you."

Marvell turned around as he continued walking backward, facing Aldir with a playful expression. "Oops, sorry. My bad habit of insulting myself. Don’t bother hearing it."

Still confused, Aldir pressed further. "Why do you insult yourself?"

Marvell shrugged, giving a lighthearted reply. "Well, I used to do this to… well, nothing special nor fun. Trust me."

Remaining puzzled, Aldir asked the same question again. "Why?"

Marvell sighed, his tone casual but slightly reflective. "I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I used to say it ever since I was a kid."

Aldir, still unsatisfied, persisted. "Yeah, why?"

Marvell fell silent, his face showing clear confusion as though he couldn’t answer the question. Andreas, noticing the awkwardness, intervened. "Stop it, Dir. Look at Marvell; he even looks confused."

Suddenly, one of Marvell’s tails snapped forward and bit his arm, yanking it to the side to pull him away from colliding with a passerby he hadn’t noticed.

"Ow," Marvell muttered, wincing at the pain from the bite.

Angel quickly asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

Marvell replied casually, "Meh, don’t worry, ay. It’s just a little bite, even though it’s bleeding." He glanced at his tail, which grinned at him mischievously, its dragon-like head opening its mouth and letting its tongue loll out like a dog. It then began licking the wound with its frozen tongue.

Angel cast a spell, the green glow of her magic illuminating Marvell’s hand. The tail stopped licking, tilting its head in confusion, soon joined by the other two tails, which quickly appeared and stared curiously at the magic.

Marvell inspected the now-healed wound and smiled at Angel. "Thanks. It feels amazing having my bitten arm healed in an instant so I don’t need to feel the pain," he said gratefully.

Turning back to the front, he added, "You guys really need a five-star place to rest. I guess I can do that as a form of gratitude."

Angel smiled back at him. "Thanks," she replied, followed by the others, who also expressed their thanks with smiles.

At that moment, Marvell’s tails stretched out in three different directions, surprising the group. The heroes watched in amazement as the tails returned, each carrying a plate with food on top. They handed the plates to the heroes, who took them with awe and thanked the tails for their gesture.

Angel patted one of the tails, which purred like a cat, its dragon-like head clearly satisfied by the attention.

Marvell, hearing the joyful interaction, could only smile and chuckle softly as he continued walking forward.

The group was having fun along the way with Marvell tail who played with them, followed by the sun starting to move down and night rising in return

"We’re here. You guys remember where all of you put the horses, and this is the best place I can think of for my heroes to rest," Marvell said in a calm yet playful tone.

The heroes, no longer riding their horses, glanced at the large, fancy medieval building before them. It looked grand and inviting, clearly a place meant for comfort. 

Confused, Dewi turned to Marvell, her voice tinged with curiosity and suspicion. "Why is this building… well, untouched? No scratches, no fire damage, unlike everything else."

Her question drew the attention of the others, who now stared at Marvell with questioning looks. Suspicion began to grow in their minds. Marvell remained silent for a moment, his usual playful demeanor momentarily subdued.

Finally, he broke the silence, flashing a smile. "Well, looks like I got caught, huh? Sharp eyes you’ve got there."

Even his tails turned to look at him, their dragon-like faces wearing expressions of confusion. The heroes, sensing something was off, instinctively placed their hands on their weapons, readying themselves.

But before tensions could rise further, Marvell turned around suddenly, his smile broadening. "Simple," he said, raising a hand and pointing a finger at himself. "Because I protected it."

"Protected it?" Dewi echoed, her confusion deepening.

Aldir frowned, skeptical. "Is that even logical? How could you protect it without leaving a single scratch?"

Marvell chuckled softly, clearly entertained by the question. "Everything’s possible if you try hard enough," he replied, his tone playful but calm. "But since you’re curious, let me properly introduce myself."

He bowed slightly, his gesture theatrical. "The name’s Marvell. Like I said, I’m an adventurer—a wanderer without any sense of direction. Plus…" He straightened up, his mismatched eyes gleaming with mischief. "...I’m a wizard. Or, as you’d call it here, a mage."

The revelation made the group pause. Angel tilted her head, intrigued, while Andreas and Aldir exchanged wary glances.

Marvell continued, "I happen to know a lot of spells. So, let’s just say there’s one spell out of the many I know that protects the structure of a building, leaving it unharmed. Does that answer satisfy my heroes?"

He spoke in his usual playful tone, but there was an undercurrent of pride in his voice. The heroes slowly lowered their guard, the tension in the front restplace now settle down.

Marvell’s tails, sensing the atmosphere had cooled, happy with the situation right now.

Marvell then open the door and tell his heroes " I be inside waiting, don't made wait to long my heroes " Without waiting, he entered the building. Seeing this, the heroes hurried to follow, opening the door and stepping inside. The warmth of the place greeted them instantly, a stark contrast to the chill they’d felt outside.

Their eyes scanned the interior, taking in the cozy ambiance. Nearby, they saw Marvell at the reception desk, speaking casually to the receptionist.

While everyone was in awe of the building’s interior, Angel looked around, visibly amazed. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm. Nana, brimming with excitement, exclaimed, "Gel, come here!"

Without hesitation, Angel followed Nana to a beautifully ornate mirror standing in one corner of the room. Nana stood before the mirror, admiring her reflection with a wide grin. Angel joined her, glancing at her own reflection. The two smiled and chuckled softly as they looked at themselves, sharing a brief moment of joy amidst everything that had happened.

Meanwhile, as the others busied themselves, Dewi stood still, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. A puzzled and curious expression crossed her face, as though something was bothering her.

"AY!"

The shout drew the heroes’ attention to Marvell, who was striding toward them with six keys in his hands. His tail swayed lazily behind him, though the dragon heads at its ends seemed to be watching the group intently.

Stopping in front of Aldir, Marvell tossed the keys at him in a swift motion. Aldir caught them deftly, glancing at the numbers engraved on each one. "1B, 2, 3, 4, 5," he read aloud.

"Those are for my heroes," Marvell said with a grin. "Rooms with the best, most comfortable beds on the second floor. Trust me, they’re so comfortable you might just forget the world outside."

He gave a playful wink before adding, "As for me, I’ll be heading back to my own room. Have fun, my saviors."

Marvell turned around to leave, his tails swiveling to glance at the heroes. The dragon-like faces wore exaggerated looks of disappointment, as if lamenting their temporary departure from the group’s company.

"Thank you, Marvell!" the heroes called out in unison.

Marvell waved a hand dismissively over his shoulder. "No problem. Consider it a present for my heroes."

As he disappeared down the hallway, Angel, Nana, Andreas, and Dewi gathered around Aldir, eyeing the keys in his hands.

"Marvell said the rooms are on the second floor, right?" Dewi asked, her voice eager. "What are we waiting for?"

The group nodded in agreement, each taking one of the keys. Together, they climbed the stairs to the second floor, the warmth of the building and the promise of rest beckoning them forward. Reaching the top, they each located their assigned rooms and disappeared inside, eager to finally relax after their long journey.

Angel closed the door to her room quietly, shutting out the warmth of the hallway. The room was cozy and inviting, with soft candlelight casting flickering shadows on the walls. She moved slowly, burdened not only by her armor but by the weight of her thoughts.

With a sigh, she removed her robe and armor, placing them carefully on the floor. For the first time in what felt like days, her body felt lighter. Yet, her heart felt just as heavy.

Her eyes fell on a mirror with a simple wooden chair in front of it. She walked over, sitting down and gazing at her reflection. The face staring back at her was tired, her eyes betraying the exhaustion and sorrow she had been hiding.

Angel closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. When she opened them again, she tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling.

"I wish I could go home," she murmured, her voice soft and filled with longing. "I wish... when all of this is over, all of us can go home safely."

Lowering her gaze, she bowed her head, clasping her hands together in silent prayer.

"Dear God," she whispered, her voice trembling, "if you're hearing this, please bless us with your strength so we can bear the pain and suffering we have to go through."

For a moment, the room was still, her prayer hanging in the air like a fragile thread. Then, she opened her eyes and leaned back, resting her arm on her forehead.

"I just don't know what to do," she admitted, her voice barely audible, as though speaking to the quiet emptiness around her.

The weight of her words seemed to linger as she stood up and walked to the bed. Pulling the blanket over herself, she closed her eyes, seeking solace in sleep.

But even as her breathing slowed, tears began to fall, trailing silently down her cheeks. In the stillness of the room, her sadness was unspoken, yet undeniable. For now, all she could do was hope for strength to face another day.

...

" I give them a present, yet i wonder why i didn't give them a key to open it.....i shouldn't have even lock the present from the start "

Angel wakes up, blinking as a bright light shines in front of her.

"Why does it feel so cold?" she says, her breath trembling from the chill.

She opens her eyes wide, realizing she and the others are frozen in place with their mouths sealed by ice. She stretches her hand forward, noticing that while her hand is free, it’s bound by shackles she didn't suprised to see it as if it was her putting it on.

"Well, I must say, you guys really, really are easy to manipulate. I mean, I didn’t expect you guys to, well, follow me to a place none of you know."

Marvell steps out of the shadows with a calm smile on his face.

Angel, feeling betrayed, shouts, "What—what do you think you’re doing!?"

Marvell answers in a playful, joyful tone, "A kid-napped! But I am not here to nap you and the rest. I am here to kill all of you."

Hearing this, Angel is shocked, her face pale.

Marvell continues with a smile, "I can’t believe you fell for a demon trap. Let me introduce myself properly. I am one of the Demon Lord’s generals. I already told you my name, so you don’t have to hear my long, stupid introduction."

Everyone is shocked, feeling death looming over them, staring them in the face. Angel’s tears start flowing as she bows her head.

Seeing this, Marvell approaches her out of curiosity and asks, "What are you crying for?"

He touches her hair, lifting her head. Seeing her tear-streaked face, Marvell is visibly annoyed.

"Can you stop crying? Jeez, you look like a baby doing this, and it’s embarrassing," he says.

Angel continues to cry, ignoring his words. Marvell grows more and more annoyed, watching her.

The others, trapped and panicked, want to scream, but the frozen ice sealing their mouths prevents them from making a sound.

He sighs. "Well, this is disappointing. I thought heroes don’t cry. I thought they’d be angry or, like, hate me for some reason. Maybe I read too many books," he says, scratching his head with a calm expression.

Turning around, he mutters, "Well, now I don’t feel like continuing."

Disappointment weighs on his shoulders as he stands there in silence.

Angel, with a soft, calm, yet weak voice, says, "Do it... just do it... already..." Her tone is filled with hopelessness.

Hearing this, Marvell turns back, his eyes on Angel’s face, devoid of hope. A smile spreads across his lips. "Now that’s the spirit."

He steps closer to Angel, his face filled with joy as he speaks in a happy tone. "Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick, and I promise you the freedom you’re asking for."

Marvell takes a step back from her, raising his hand and pointing it directly at her. "Goodbye."

Angel closes her eyes, ready for whatever is about to happen, watched by the others, who remain powerless as the ice around them feels unbreakable.

Suddenly, multiple skeletal dragons made of ice appear in the air, floating with their mouths open, staring down at them.

The heroes watch in horror as the dragons begin gathering energy in their mouths. Blue energy balls form, aimed directly at them.

The skeletal dragons unleash their blasts, the energy hurtling toward the frozen heroes.

...

"My king, the third group that was deployed has been defeated by a demon general," the mage reported, standing still beside the king's throne.

The king, seated on his throne and reading a book, responded with an uninterested look. "I see. That’s a disappointment."

He closed the book with a soft thud. "Well, at least they didn’t bring their weapons with them; otherwise, it would have been a real waste of resources," he remarked, his eyes shifting to the weapons displayed in the throne room like decorations.

Hundreds of weapons adorned the walls, some sticking into them, while others rested on the ground, leaning against the walls.

The king stood from his throne, the book still in his hand, and began walking toward the exit of the throne room.

...

He reached a library, his steps echoing in the quiet room. Carefully, he placed the book he had been carrying into an empty slot on the shelf. The king turned around, his gaze calm yet filled with intrigue.

"It's only a matter of time," he said softly.

He approached a book sealed inside a glass case. The book emanated a divine aura, its cover adorned with angelic designs. At its center was the eye of an angel, staring back at the king with visible anger and defiance.

The king continued, his voice steady, "It's only a matter of time before I find that demon and figure out how to use you as I wish."

He stared at the book, a small smile playing on his lips as the angelic eye glared at him in silent fury.