Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Few days ago someone asked Kim Rok Soo what will he do on his only day off, ane he calmly replied: "Reading".

And he was wrong. Absolutely wrong.

Yesterday Kim Rok Soo, the team leader, calmy fell asleep, knowing that tomorrow he won't need to go to work.

«What the hell is that?».

And today he woke up feeling that his head is about to explode. Vision was blurry, body was extremely hot. But what was more important is that he didn't recognise himself. Hands too small, no more constant pain in the back, the lack of chronic fatigue. He tried to look around himself, but instead heard a steady, calm voice.

"Young master, don't move."

That was all he he could understand, before everything went black.

Count Derut sat silently in his office, his elbows on his legs and his face in his hands, the oppressive atmosphere of despair was worsened by the all-consuming silence. Just few hours ago the western continent explode with shocking news: People went missing. And not just some random people, the rulers of kingdoms, the worldwide known mages, swordmasters, young heirs, significant participants of the largest trade guilds, saints. They all seemed to have a really weird sickness before they vanished overnight. And every simpton of this sickness is right now showing in Deruth oldest son condition.

He got up and started walking in circles clutching his hair with one hand. He looked ten years older then yesterday.

His son may disappear and he has no idea how to stop this nor help him.

Violan, Cales stepmother, was hardly in a better situation than Deruth himself. Her always perfect bun was disheveled, she was extremely pale and her brows were in deep frown. She felt so stupidly helpless.

They looked in eachothers eyes and both saw undisguised horror. What could they do to save their son? They were ready to sacrifice every coin they had, to give up their tituls, their status, if only this would help.

"Count Deruth! Countess Violan! Young master, he, he.. he's gone!"

Hans did not follow the rules of decency, instead he burst into his master's office shouting, but no one cared.

The pure horror on countess and count faces told everything they felt. Deruth legs were about to give up.

In the dead silence, only one phrase was heard, which could only signify the grief of a parent.

"My son, oh, my Cale."

Right now, Cale's room wasn't empty. There stood the humble and loyal servant of the Henituse mansion. But before being the Henituses best butler, he was Cales. Ron watched his puppy master grow into that weird mess he was, and what now? He's standing in the room he stood over a thousand times before. But that the only time he doesn't have the idea of where the owner of that room is. It happend right before his eyes, no magic used, no weird sleeping poison, just gone.

Right at that moment, when Henituse mention was filled with confused gossips of servants and gut-wrenching sobs from Cales heartbroken family, the personal palace of the Crown Prince of the Roan Kingdom was also plunged into chaos.

"You need to find him! Everyone, use everything you can!"

Tasha was genuinely terrified. Her nephew got sick with a strange cold and then he went missing. It's important when crown prince goes missing, but firstly he's not a crown prince, he's her nephew. And that's even more important.

Honestly, not only these two places were in this state. Even the ocean wasn't calm this night. Witira was searching every drop of water for her younger brother.

In the jungle the situation was no better, Queen Litana had lost her beloved and faithful companion, a panther named Ten.

At this point, there were no place in this world that didn't suffer because of that weird anomaly.

And then. Orange light, that stroke across the whole globe. Infront of everyones eyes appeared something unknown.

There were many squares, and in these squares people were visible. These were not just random strangers, these were the disappeared individuals, that were shown one by one. It took seconds to depict each person, but it was enough to figure out the identities of those who were shown.

"Is that actually Cale?? Violan-"

And then everything just.. disappeared. But there were no doubt, everyone saw that. News and theorys spread like wildfire and it became the most important topic all across western continent in hours.

Tasha rubbed her temples, she planned to keep the disappear of crown prince a secret, until she'd found him. But now, most likely, everybody saw in that weird looking squares that Alberu is also one of the missing, or perhaps, kidnapped people. That's going to be a huge problem once she will get her nephew back.

But she'll worry about that later, right now there is more serious issue that she has to think about. Is Alberu even okay? She didn't know who that psyho kidnapper was, but they were extremely strong, that's for sure. Who else was that strong to kidnap so much unique people with extremely good security, except, maybe, a dragon? Or even a god. The thought sent shivers down her spine. If that was true, she could only hope this god was friendly or meet her death trying her best to save her nephew.

Two hours later, orange light with squares appeared again, and it didn't fade away in minutes this time. But those observing this phenomenon couldn't see anyone, just pure blakness. And then they heard a voice:

"Well, hello hello! Can you hear me? I'm pretty sure you can."

Nothing was visible, so no one could see who is talking, but there was something strange about that voice. It felt so wrong, they couldn't handle hearing it, almost like it was something that was contrary to nature itself. A feeling of pure disgust began to well up within the people, causing bouts of nausea. The creature's tone was very cheerful and sweet, yet it sounded as if it were being spoken by more than one person, as if it were the voice of children, old people, women, and men. Everyone and everything.

On a snow-capped mountain, in a gilded cave, an ancient dragon covered his ears with sincere hatred.

«What kind of... thing is that?» Surely, he was away from the outside world so long, that everything started going insane.

The dragon tried to listen to his senses. But no power emanated from the orange light. He felt no touch of a deity and could tell with certainty that this power was not from one of his kind. He felt only cold disgust.

The disgusting voice spoke again, even more louder, even more nasty:

"As many, if not all of you may know, i may have... borrowed creatures from your world."

Eruhaben exhaled with a distrustful laugh, but thought without any joy at all: «It did what?»

"But! Before you say something, i want to reassure you, that's I've been doing that just for the game! I was very careful when choosing players."

The next second, everyone could once again see people locked in small rooms. Some were banging on the closed iron doors with their fists, some were huddled in a corner, others were simply pacing back and forth. Everyone tried to use their special abilities, but it didn't lead to anything. Their frightened voices with pleas and threats to be released sounded in the synchronized chaos like a real melody of horror. All those who watched this heard how the creature that had spoken earlier chuckled with delight.

"See them? You probably wonder what all of this for. As i said before, this creatures will be participating in my little games. Once in two weeks I'm going to change some players and send this ones back to your world. Can't promise you that they will be fine tho, ha! But If i think about it, sending you their limbs is also a kind of generosity, isn't it? At least you can bury them in the ground, or however you say goodbye to organisms that have lost the ability to live"

People across the continent held their breath. Those whose relatives were on the other side of the orange light heard the final words and just stopped breathing for a second. Grieving parents shed tears of disbelief.

In the capital palace of the Kingdom of Breck, the Queen herself covered her mouth, looking at her husband. Their child, first princess of the Breck kingdom, run away from palace a few months ago, and just few hours ago they saw her face in that orange light. And now they found out their adored child can die.

The king looked gloomily at the guards, who stood frozen in disbelief, and ordered:

"Call the magicians"

Kim Rok Soo could've swear something changed. He really needed to find a mirror. And then he saw it. bloody red clock of hair hanging Infront of his eyes.

"Just what is- ugh"

A sharp headache pierced through Cales body. Pale fingers dug into the scalp, but nothing could relieve this all-consuming pain.

"See that redhead? The one who looks like he's on the verge of death? Yeah, he's the reason our little live show game got delayed. Something in his soul intrigued me, he's kind of weird."

"Cale!" Basen yelled at the square where he's brother was. Why did everyone seemed fine except hyeong?

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Kim Rok Soo felt like eternity has passed, even though he knew it was only a few minutes. Headache finally vanished, and now he had time to look around. His gaze instantly felt down, to his body, his hands were weak, pale, and shaking. Surely it's not his body at all. He doesn't remember a day in his life, when his skin looked this soft.

Red hair still were hanging in the corner of his eye.

He looked around, and found himself in a small room, probably about ten square meters. There were nothing much except one bed, small wardrobe and a nightstand. Right Infront of an old wooden bed was an iron door, that looked like it belonged in some bunker.

He slowly got up, just to hear a soft notification Infront of his face. Robotic female voice started speaking:

Understanding the picture of the world gradually began to come to the mind of Kim Rok Soo, or more precisely, Cale Henituse.

He transmigrated. But the thing is, he doesn't remember any system in "The birth of hero"?

The notification sounded again.

Just as he read this, another the inscription began to become clear:

«That's clearly not the «Birth of Hero» that i've read»

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Meanwhile, at the main square of the Roan Kingdom.

Despite the fact that it was the dead of night, no one in the kingdom was asleep. The people were on edge, and everyone was waiting for an announcement from King Zed.

The magical communication device glowed, and the gazes of both nobles and peasants fell on the stern face of the ruler of the Roan Kingdom. After some time, a stern voice that immediately hinted at submission resounded throughout the kingdom.

"I am, the king of the kingdom of Roan, address the loyal subjects and residents of our kingdom.

Troubled times have come. Now the heavens are testing the strength of not only our people, but also the people of the entire Western Continent. Corona is doing everything possible to keep our people safe, so we ask you to avoid unnecessary outings. If you notice any unusual symptoms in yourself or your loved ones, please contact guards or royal magicians immediately.

We call on you to maintain fortitude, mutual respect, and loyalty to the laws of our ancestors, on which our state has stood for centuries.
Difficulties are temporary, but the honor, wisdom and unity of our people will last forever. May the mercy of heaven rest upon your hearths, and may our kingdom be strengthened in peace and justice."

The peasants breathed a sigh of relief, even though the news was not good, it was nice to hear the king's confident speech.

On the other hand, the nobility only panicked more and clenched their teeth tighter. Hard times meant fighting for status and losing money. With each passing day, their lives could be turned upside down, and no one knew whether the person standing next to them today would turn out to be their sworn enemy tomorrow.

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At the Henituse territory.

Servants who had family's to care about and worked part-time were sent home, while the rest remained to serve the count's family of their own free will. The corridors of Henetus Manor were quiet enough to hear a needle drop, but this statement didn't apply to the Count's office.

Deruth slammed his fist on the table. The reports from his information network scattered across the floor.

"He thinks we're idiots! Some dumb puppets. This stupid excuse of a ruler! If the farmers don't settle their lands, they'll simply have nothing to eat! But he didn't even think about opening the grain warehouses!"

Violan closed her eyes and counted to five. She was also angry. Despite her merchant origins, her heart was of a countess. She couldn't stand to see anything so short-sighted in the government.

She walked right over the scattered papers and went to the window. The residents of Henituse were much more gloomy than those in the capital. Because they were more resourceful. Quarantine meant no work, no work - no food.

"Did you expect something more of him?"

The Countess bit her lip when she saw the townspeople closing themselves in their houses in fear.

Count took a deep breath and also came near the window. "No, of course not. We're just... don't even have the idea of where he is right now. And these «nightmare games»..."
Suddenly their dialogue shifted to Cale again. They knew they had to protect their people, but what about their son? Parents heart's can't calm down in situations like these.

Violan closed her eyes once again. "The voice promised to show them again in few hours. It's said they will be dealing with some quest. Let's just wait and hope we can do something to help him."

The silence between them lasted for a few more minutes, their thoughts were occupied with worries.

"When are you planning to open granaries?"

"Tomorrow, in two days at least"

"That's good."

The other two children of Henituse family were hiding in small pantry room, that was one of their favourite hiding spots. The atmosphere between them was extremely sharp, but both of them seemed to be lost in their minds.

After another silent minute, Lilly whispered quietly to her older brother "Do you think ajeossi will be okay?" Tears were forming in her eyes, and she looked extremely scared.

Basen didn't reply at first and just gently stroked her hair.

"I hope so." After a few more minutes he was finally able to say it.

That night, no one in their family could sleep. And maybe not only them, some member of the Molan family also found this night unsleepoble.

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Cale began to move unsteadily towards the door, confirming his suspicions that it was locked. His hand, hot from the sickness that had almost completely cleared up, touched the icy iron. A notification immediately popped up before my eyes.

Kim Rok Soo frowned and tried to say something, but after a long cold, his throat was burning and his voice could only come out impossibly quietly.

"...What...What type of mission?"

But no one answered.

Across the magical screen, Cale's family exchanged glances. Frankly, they'd expected any other reaction. Anything but a calm question, while in other rooms people known throughout dozens of kingdoms were panicking and throwing tantrums. Their Cale really stood out.

"Still, he has Henituse blood in him."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Even the servants, secretly rejoicing at Cale's disappearance, unfortunately couldn't help but agree. Cale was a bastard, but apparently there was some sense left in him.

Besides Cale, there were just over a dozen other people who had maintained at least some calm. And they weren't the only ones who noticed Cale; the nobility of the Roan Kingdom were also somewhat surprised to see Cale on the other side in a relatively sane state. But there were a couple of other people who attracted much more attention than heir to the county of Henetuse.

First, there's the Crown Prince himself. Everyone knew he had no support among the nobility, but he spent years winning the hearts of the common people. Therefore, the news of his disappearance raised real chaos in the minds of the Roans inhabitants.

His second and third brothers received the news with undisguised delight. They usually didn't perceive him as a particularly strong opponent, when almost all the opinions of the aristocrats had already been distributed and Alberu Crossman was famous for his nickname "The Forgotten Prince" among a small circle of other princes, However, in the last couple of years, their older brother has been giving them a hard time with his gift for gab.

Now that the mysterious voice had stated that the people who had ended up on the other side of the orange light could die, the princes breathed a sigh of relief.

The second person, who was recognized only by high-ranking officials in the Kingdom of Roan, caused a real sensation in the Kingdom of Breck. The crown princess, and by the unanimous opinion of the entire kingdom, the future queen, Rosalyn, was kidnapped.

It was simply an indescribable scandal: the heirs to the throne of two kingdoms were captured.

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In an instant, a strange noise, like a snowstorm, was heard outside the door, and the door swung open by itself, hitting the wall. A huge circle of people looked at each other, each from their own door. There were at least three hundred people, and Kim Rok Soo tried to look at as many as he could. He was looking for the main character, because surely Choi Han, the son of the plot, couldn't fail to appear in such a strange place?

However, he didn't need to search for him, in an instant he felt a cold gaze on himself, which immediately moved on, and he turned to its source. What he saw made his hair stand on end, and he immediately wanted to go back into the room and lock himself in, but Cale did not give in to the desire.

Choi Han stood slightly to the left, looking no better than a wild animal. Kim Rok Soo wanted to guess that this was Choi Han from the beginning of the story, but he wasn't sure.

Kim Rok Soo's searching gaze met the protagonist's night-black eyes, and the red-haired teenager instantly turned away.

Before anyone could get a word in, a system window popped up in front of everyone.

Kim Rok Soo, in Cale's body, clenched and unclenched his fists. He was aware of what was happening and could guess what was going on here. But what about the people around him? Every single one looked confused. A chorus of shouts rang out in the huge, round, black-walled room. But they were immediately drowned out by a new notification.

And although the people's hearts were still in confusion, they quickly pulled themselves together. Or to be more precise, a few specially gathered people spoke up and began to call on the others to gather in groups.

Just at that moment he heard a clear, firm voice shouting:

"I ask the residents of the Roan Kingdom and those who are willing to cooperate with them to gather around me!"

Cale's gaze immediately fell on the source of the call and he saw golden hair like the sun and blue eyes sparkling like the clear sky.

«Oh. Should I pretend I'm not from Roan?» He really didn't want to deal with Alberu Crossman right now. Plus, Cale suspected that the Crown Prince himself had no intention of taking such a burden as the drunkard Cale Henetus into his team.

However, he was wrong. Alberu noticed his gaze and beckoned to him with a smile. There was no way he wouldn't recognize Cale.

«Ugh»

The people watching the orange light nodded at Alberu's behavior. This was the true spirit of a ruler.

Meanwhile, those whose loved ones were on the other side breathed a sigh of relief. At least they would be under the prince's protection.

Gradually, people began to flock to Alberu, and Cale, too, slowly took the first steps towards him when he heard a scream right behind him that sounded more like thunder:

"Ha! Strong people! I can smell you! Gather around me!"

Cale heard whispers from all sides: "He wants to create a coalition of only the strong? I'm not sure if that's right, then the balance of power will be distributed incorrectly."

The other one answered: "oh, who cares about weak ones? Being in a group of strong people will increase their chance of survival!"

However, the one who shouted didn't finish there: "Gather around me, I'll beat you all up!" Laughter echoed through the awkwardly silent room.

"No way." Cale looked at the laughing Toonka, expressionless. "I'm locked in a building with lunatics!"

But he had another question, “They didn't take away Toonka’s ability to sense the power of others?” It was strange, because from the conversations of those around them it seemed that no one could use their power. Maybe they didn't take away creatures' natural qualities? Then the beastmen can still transform.

As a result, only people from the Kingdom of Whipper, who were familiar with this format of cooperation, gathered around Toonka.

At that time, Cale found himself surrounded by characters important to the plot of “Birth of a Hero.” Opposite him stood a shy, tall teenager who definitely looked like he was on the verge of his first breakdown. It was absolutely Lock.

A gloomy Choi Han stood to the left, one hand on his empty sheath. Apparently, the system had confiscated his weapon as well.

In the middle of the assembled people stood a smiling Alberu Crossman, whose gaze calculatedly scanned the surroundings. Others might not have noticed, but Cale didn't believe his bright smile.
Rosalyn stood nearby; she and two residents of the Breck Kingdom had joined the group of the Roan Kingdom, since there were only three of them.

Two children, a brother and sister in dirty rags, stood guard nearby. Cale glanced at them once and turned away. In turn, they often received worried glances from other group members, but no one said anything.

Alberu broke the silence with his conclusion: “I am very glad that we are all gathered here together, but we are still missing one more person.”

Everyone glanced around, not noticing one free player. Then Cale froze. Alberu was the first to notice and asked:
"Excuse me, young master Cale? Do you by any chance have a suitable candidate?"

But Cale didn't hear him, he was looking at a certain point before whispering loud enough for only the people standing nearby to hear:
"Does the system allow animals into the game?"

"Animals? What are you talking about—"

But then everyone saw it. The black panther froze in place and looked straight into Cale's eyes. It looked like they saw only each other. Slowly, it began to approach and stood next to him. Cale tried to move away, but was stopped by a notification that appeared above their group:

Five more notifications appeared: