The floating island of Avalonia—that's what the inhabitants of the world called it—drifted gracefully above an ocean of white clouds that stretched like a blanket of cotton. The island had existed for hundreds of years. Some referred to it as Elysium.
Its dimensions were vast, stretching as far as the eye could see, with green hilltops peeking through in certain areas. Below, scattered small towns appeared like dots of light when viewed from above. These towns were connected by circular roads that seemed to form an ancient symbol when seen from a distance.
However, the most fascinating part of the island was the expansive meadow located at its center. The meadow was a golden green, shimmering as if every blade of grass was made of magical threads. A gentle breeze constantly swept through,
In the middle of the meadow stood a majestic structure—the only one in the area. It wasn't just an ordinary house but a grand Victorian-style palace with a touch of magical architecture. Its walls were made of white crystal stone that sparkled under the sunlight, with towering pillars and small domes adorning the roof. Large windows framed in gold adorned each side of the building,
This was the residence of Lira, the summoner of heroes.
Lira was a woman with the power to summon people from Earth to this world. She summoned them with one purpose: to make them heroes. In her eyes, the people of Earth possessed potential and talent far beyond the inhabitants of this world.
"In this world, there are many monsters and creatures of immense strength," Lira often explained to newcomers. "That's why this world desperately needs heroes."
These monsters continued to appear and grow stronger every day. They emerged from nowhere, attacking settlements, destroying cities, and taking lives indiscriminately. The leaders of the nations had run out of ideas to counter this threat,
The most plausible explanation was that the monsters came from another dimension, just like the heroes summoned by Lira. Many theories circulated, but few were proven. What was certain was that this world needed help, and Lira had summoned many people from Earth to become the awaited heroes.
★★★★
In one of the grand rooms of Lira's crystal palace, the evening sunlight streamed through the tall windows. Lira sat casually on a large maroon sofa, her fingers gently touching a steaming porcelain teacup. Her luxurious blue dress swept the floor, adorned with shimmering decorations reminiscent of stars in the night sky.
Behind her stood a handsome man. His hair was jet black, with sharp amber eyes scanning every corner of the room. He wore a formal black outfit with gold accents, resembling a personal guard. His name was Ryn.
The silence of the room was broken when another woman appeared at the edge of the large open window—not entering through the door like a normal guest, but floating in gracefully as if carried by the wind.
"Hah! Zelvina?" Lira raised her eyebrows with a feigned expression of surprise. "What brings you to my home?" she asked, sipping her tea casually.
Zelvina stepped gracefully into the room.
"I think you already know, don't you?" Zelvina replied, standing in front of the open window. Her silhouette, backlit by the sunlight, made her look like a goddess descending to earth.
Lira smiled faintly, placing her teacup down with a graceful motion. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't," she answered in a playful tone. "But I'd rather hear it directly from you, Zelvina."
If someone could see Lira's status at this moment, they would be shocked to see how powerful this seemingly relaxed woman was:
[STATUS]
◆ Name: Lira
◈ Health: [100/100]
◈ Stamina: [100/100]
◈ Level: 100,000
✧ Abilities:
⤷ Healing, Water Manipulation, Fire Manipulation, Earth Manipulation, Wind Manipulation, Lightning Manipulation, Light Manipulation, Sky Manipulation, Space Manipulation, Creating Clones, Powerful Strikes, Teleportation, Summoning Someone from Another World, Creating Systems.
"How many people have you summoned to this world?" asked Zelvina.
"How many? Maybe hundreds. I'm not sure about the exact number. Why do you ask?"
"You've summoned too many people from other worlds, Lira," Zelvina said. "Your actions are starting to cause an imbalance between dimensions. You know the consequences, don't you?"
Lira chuckled softly, her voice melodious like a silver bell. "And you think that's a problem? This world needs heroes, Zelvina. The monsters won't stop on their own."
"Those monsters appear *because* of the imbalance you've created!" Zelvina emphasized, her eyes flashing dangerously. "The more people you summon, the more dimensional rifts open, and the more monsters can enter. You're only making things worse."
Lira raised her hand dramatically, golden light shimmering from her fingertips as she moved it through the air. A transparent hologram appeared, displaying various cities under attack by monsters—buildings destroyed, people running in fear, and heroes struggling to fight the terrifying creatures.
"Then what am I supposed to do?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising several octaves. "This is the only logical way! If there are no heroes in this world, countless cities will be destroyed!"
Lira snapped her fingers, and the hologram changed, showing statistics of monster attack casualties over the past five years—a staggering number, billions of lives lost. She stared at Zelvina.
Zelvina sighed deeply, shaking her head with a tired expression.
"Haah, forget all that," Zelvina said with a resigned tone, but then her gaze sharpened. "You must already know that the hero named Ryon is dead, right?"
"Yes, I know," Lira finally answered, her tone flat. "It seems he was killed by someone."
Lira snapped her fingers again, and this time two portraits appeared in the air—a black-haired man with sharp eyes and a neutral expression, and a young woman with long black hair.
"That person's name is Zen," Lira continued, pointing to the man's portrait. "He's also with a woman named Yumi."
The portraits shifted, replaced by a holographic recording showing Zen using his power, and the monster before him instantly froze.
"It seems he's had this power for about a month since arriving in this world," Lira continued, her voice a mix of awe and caution. "If I'm not mistaken, his power is to halt bodily functions. And he said the power has its limits."
Lira straightened her posture, her eyes now directly meeting Zelvina's. "Those whose bodily functions are halted cannot be revived or brought back to life," she explained seriously. "This power... is unusual, even by the standards of heroes."
Ryn cleared his throat softly, daring to speak. "Miss Lira, does this mean Zen's power could be a threat to... all of us?"
"Didn't I tell you to just call me Lira?" Lira looked slightly flushed.
"Ah, my apologies…"
"Perhaps," she finally answered. "But every power has its weaknesses. Zen is no exception."
Zelvina looked out the window, her reflection faintly visible in the clear glass. "Then why did he kill Ryon? Shouldn't heroes work together?"
Lira's expression darkened. "Ryon wasn't a good hero, Zelvina. He was arrogant and wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who got in his way. He died because of his own mistakes."
The hologram in front of Lira changed again, this time displaying a complex interface—like a sophisticated system. Statuses, health bars, stamina, levels, and various other statistics floated in the air, shifting and updating in real time.
Lira could see what the people she summoned were doing. She could also hear their conversations from a distance.
"The system they use is mine," Lira explained. "I can also tell who has died because if someone dies, a notification appears in my system."
The system Lira used was different from the one used by all the people from Earth. It was created by her older brother,
Its interface didn't look much different.
"So what will we do?" asked Zelvina, walking closer to Lira. "Will we let it go? Let Zen and Yumi roam freely after they killed one of your heroes?"
Lira tilted her head, as if deep in thought. "I don't know," she said casually, too casually even. "It seems he wants to meet me, but I'm not interested in meeting him."
Lira waved her hand gracefully, and the hologram in front of her changed, showing Zen struggling in a hotel that had turned into flesh. "You handle it," she continued, looking at Zelvina with a meaningful gaze.
"If he doesn't want to be a hero in this world, just kill him. After all, his power has limits, so I'm sure you can defeat him," Lira added.
Zelvina remained silent for a long time, her eyes fixed sharply on Lira.
"Alright," Zelvina finally said, her voice cold. "I'll take care of him."
"Hmm, thank you, Zelvina," Lira replied with a sweet smile.