Luke Dawn could no longer stand hearing the loud conversation coming from the break room.
Peter and his two colleagues were talking about him, and also the girl he had admired for the past two years, while Peter himself was a newcomer in their branch office, transferred from the other city's branch.
Although Peter was more handsome with blond hair and blue eyes, and also richer than him because he was skilled in sales, Luke didn't care.
He suddenly stood up so that his chair hit the cubicle wall where he worked with a loud thud, no longer caring about the sales report that was almost finished on his computer screen, and immediately walked angrily toward the break room.
"I bet, in a month Lisa will already be mine," Peter's voice could still be heard.
"So you really want to be serious with her?" Ryan asked curiously.
"Hmm, I don't know. I'm not really the serious type," Peter's answer made Luke even more furious.
He immediately opened the break room door, ignoring the other colleagues who were now staring at the break room, excited to see the drama that was about to happen.
"Oh, morning, Luke. Want some coffee?" Peter asked with fake friendliness when he saw Luke open the door.
"No. We need to talk," Luke growled as he walked toward Peter, passing Ryan and Mark who glanced at each other, unsure whether to leave or stay in case a fight broke out.
"What do you want to talk about?" Peter asked casually, still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His fairly handsome face looked mocking as he stared at Luke approaching him.
"About Lisa. You need to stay away from her," Luke said bluntly.
"Oh, and why's that? She's not your girlfriend, right?"
"You need to stop treating her like some object you can just get and throw away!"
"Shut up! You're nobody to me, and nobody to her, so why are you meddling with me?!" Peter snapped, standing upright.
Luke grew angrier, approaching Peter until their faces were only inches apart.
"You're an asshole," he said right in front of Peter's face.
"Oh yeah?"
The two of them looked ready to fight at any moment.
Suddenly the break room door opened, and Lisa stood at the doorway, wearing a work dress with small flowers and her long brown hair tied in a ponytail, staring at everyone in the break room with an angry face.
"You're all acting like children!" she said in a high tone, her pretty face flushed with anger. "Everyone can hear you fighting, and it's because of me."
"No, no… We were just discussing," Peter denied with a nervous smile, but she had already walked away.
"Lisa! Lisa, wait!" Luke called, chasing her to the front of the elevator that had already opened, with Peter following behind.
The three of them entered the elevator.
"Are you two fucking kidding me right now?! I SAID GET OUT!" Lisa shouted angrily this time.
But the elevator doors had already closed.
Lisa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can't believe this is happening to me."
She reached out her hand to press the nearest floor button, but the elevator suddenly shook violently, and the three of them fell or slammed against the elevator walls hard. Then the elevator lights suddenly went out completely.
"Shit. Great. Perfect. Trapped in an elevator with idiots," Peter muttered in the darkness.
"Who are you call~" Luke shouted back.
"Can you two just shut up?!" Lisa snapped angrily. She tried pressing the emergency button.
But suddenly the elevator floor shone brightly. The three of them automatically looked down and saw a glowing circle filling the elevator floor. Inside the circle were strange symbols that also glowed.
"What the hell?!" Peter exclaimed.
Luke felt himself being pulled, sucked into the circle, and his body began to sink into it, then felt the sensation of falling from a great height, the same feeling as when he tried a roller coaster. The same thing happened to Peter and Lisa.
"Lisa!" he shouted, trying to reach the girl's hand, but couldn't.
He screamed as loud as he could, echoing with Peter and Lisa. The bright light grew brighter and brighter until it hurt his eyes, then everything turned pitch black.
—
Luke opened his eyes and found himself lying on a cold stone floor. He slowly got up, staring at the large room he was now in.
Stone walls, banners with crowns and animals hanging from the domed ceiling, and rows of torches burning along the walls. No longer an elevator.
Dozens of people dressed in medieval royal attire surrounded Luke, staring at him and whispering to each other.
"Heroes! The summoning worked!" someone shouted, followed by cheers from the others.
"Wh~"
"…What the hell?" Peter's voice came from behind him.
Luke turned and saw Peter sprawled messily, his suit disheveled, and his hair sticking out everywhere, looking ridiculous. Lisa was standing with a pale face, her ponytail now undone and messy.
"We've been isekai'd?" Luke muttered softly, but still audible to his two friends.
"No way…" Peter said in disbelief.
"Isekai?" Lisa asked while observing everyone still cheering.
"Moved to another world…" Luke answered briefly.
"Welcome, champions from another world. I am Eldred Theron, ruler of Rafathar. You are here to fulfill the prophecy. You must defeat the Demon King Zalthorak."
Suddenly a loud male voice came from the far end of the crowd, and Luke could see the man sitting on the throne, stout-bodied, around fifty years old. A crown of gold and jewels rested on his head.
"Are you all filming a movie or something?" Peter shouted, trying to push through the crowd toward the King with a threatening attitude. "Send us back right now."
The crowd immediately became chaotic, shouting in panic or backing away from Peter. But suddenly he stepped back into the circle, because three armored men pointed their spears at him.
"Wait!"
Suddenly a woman in a white robe carrying a wooden staff with a gem on top bowed to the King, then said, "Your Majesty," she said. "Forgive me, but I think there is a problem."
The King's expression, which had been enthusiastic, turned to confusion. "What problem, Grand Mage Almera?"
Almera looked at Luke, Peter, and Lisa. "The prophecy spoke of only two Heroes," she said, pointing at them. "But there are three of them?"
Everyone in the hall now stared at them, clearly wearing clothes different from everyone else, and began whispering.
Almera raised her staff toward the three people from another world, and suddenly light surrounded each of their bodies.
"We will see who the true heroes are," she said, "Stay still, it won't hurt you at all."
But Luke and his two friends reacted in fear, trying to brush away the glowing mist that continued to swirl around them. Soon the light around Peter changed color, becoming rainbow-like, then solidified into a sword, which floated before Peter, then disappeared.
Everyone around them gasped and clapped happily. Their eyes turned to Luke and Lisa.
The light around Lisa's body also turned rainbow-colored, then solidified into a bow. Just like Peter, the bow floated before Lisa, then disappeared.
Luke himself was anxious even though he didn't want to be a hero who would slay the demon king or whatever.
But his hopes were in vain. The light that had been swirling slowly faded and disappeared without a trace. No weapon or anything appeared like with Lisa and Peter.
The great hall became completely silent.
"Ahem," Almera cleared her throat, then pointed at Peter and Lisa. "They have the classes Magic Swordsman and Elemental Archer."
She looked at Luke but said nothing for a few seconds. When her voice finally came out, it sounded apologetic. "I am sorry. It seems you have no power at all."
"W-what do you mean…?" Luke asked her, swallowing hard.
"It means you weren't supposed to be summoned to this world," Almera said bluntly. "You must have been near them when they were summoned."
"You mean? I got dragged into this world just because I was standing too close to them? Accidentally summoned, like that?"
"I'm afraid, yes."
Luke's legs felt weak, his soul seemed to float out of his body. The absurdity of the whole situation made him want to laugh and scream as loud as he could.
"Wait a moment," Almera suddenly said. "Let me see if he has another power."
She reached out her hand and held Luke's arm. He wanted to brush off Almera's hand but Lisa's gaze stopped him.
"Maybe you have a power so the three of us can be together here," Lisa said.
Luke obeyed and let Almera hold his arm, but he was stunned when he felt energy flowing from her hand. The energy was like a low-voltage electric current, spreading throughout his body.
"Relax, it won't hurt," she said.
And indeed, aside from the ticklish feeling of the current, there was no other pain. The energy continued to flow inside his body, as if searching for something. When it entered his head, Luke felt like someone was flipping through his memories.
And indeed, aside from the ticklish feeling of the electric current, there was no other pain. The energy continued to flow through his body, as if searching for something.
When it entered his head, Luke felt like someone was flipping through his memories. Suddenly Almera widened her eyes and gasped, startling Luke, but she quickly refocused. "Oh… oh, this is very unusual," she muttered softly.
"What now?" Luke growled.
Almera didn't answer, and kept concentrating. Soon, something inside Luke's head clicked loudly, making his ears ring intensely.
"Aarrggh!" He screamed loudly while clutching both of his ears.
"What's wrong with him?" Peter shouted, staring at Luke's staggering body, as did Lisa.
"It's fine," Almera said calmly, "It's just the effect of his class activation."
A glowing panel suddenly appeared in the air, right in front of Luke's face. And everyone in the room could see the panel.
[UNIQUE CLASS]
[Monster Innkeeper]
[Welcome to the Arx Inn system]
Everyone began whispering again.
Luke stared at the panel that looked like something out of a game, his heart sinking. 'Monster Innkeeper?'
Images of himself serving beer to huge horned monsters, or cleaning toilets already used by monsters, or blood everywhere when they were partying raw meats, made him nauseous.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."