The bright white light slowly disappeared from around Hein's eyes.
He stumbled forward, putting his hand on his chest. His heart was beating very fast. When he looked down, he saw his feet were now standing on cold marble floor instead of the classroom tiles from just seconds ago.
"What the hell..." he whispered under his breath.
Hein raised his head and gasped. He was standing in the biggest room he had ever seen. The ceiling was so high he couldn't see the top. Thick golden pillars stood in long rows on both sides, each one as wide as a car. Between the pillars, glowing blue crystals floated in the air, filling the whole place with soft light.
At the very end of the huge hall, there was a throne that looked like it was made of pure light. Around it, people in long white robes were kneeling on the ground with their heads down.
"This is real," Hein said to himself. "This is actually real."
All around him, his classmates were standing and looking around with wide eyes. There was Kenji, the class president, still wearing his school uniform. Next to him was Yuki, the girl who always sat in the front row. Behind them were at least thirty other students from his high school.
Just five minutes ago, they had all been sitting in their boring history class. Mr. Tanaka had been talking about World War Two when suddenly a magic circle appeared on the floor. Before anyone could move, white light filled the room and now they were here.
In another world.
"Holy crap, we really got summoned!" shouted Daisuke, one of the popular kids. His voice echoed through the massive hall. "Just like in those anime shows!"
"This is so cool!" said another student. "We're going to be heroes!"
The excitement spread through the group like fire. Students started talking loudly, pointing at the crystals and pillars, taking pictures with their phones.
But Hein didn't feel excited. He felt scared. Back home, he was nobody special. He got average grades, had no friends, and spent most of his time alone. What was he supposed to do in a world that needed heroes?
"Silence, please."
A deep voice cut through all the chatter. One of the robed people had stood up from near the throne. He was tall and old, with a long white beard that reached his chest. In his hands was a wooden staff with a glowing crystal at the top.
"Welcome, O Chosen Ones," the old man said as he walked toward them. His voice was strong and clear, filling every corner of the huge hall. "I am High Priest Aldric. The Gods themselves have brought you to our world because we need your help."
All the students stopped talking and stared at him.
"Our world is in great danger," the priest continued. "An evil being called the Demon Lord has returned from the shadows. His dark army grows stronger every day. They burn our villages, kill our people, and destroy everything good in this world."
Some of the girls gasped. A few boys looked nervous.
"But the Gods have not abandoned us," Aldric said, raising his staff. "They have chosen you - young souls with pure hearts - to become our champions. You are the Heroes who will save us all."
"Heroes?" Kenji stepped forward. As always, he wanted to be the leader. "What do we need to do?"
The priest smiled. "First, we must awaken your true power. Each person has a special class hidden inside them - like a job that shows what kind of fighter you are. Some become powerful knights, others become wise mages. The Gods will decide what power is best for each of you."
He pointed his staff toward a large circle carved into the floor. Strange symbols were etched around its edges, glowing with soft blue light.
"Please, come forward one by one. Step into the circle and let the Gods reveal your destiny."
The students looked at each other. Some seemed excited, others nervous. Finally, Daisuke pushed his way to the front.
"I'll go first!" he announced with a big grin.
Daisuke walked into the circle. As soon as both his feet crossed the line, the symbols started glowing brighter and brighter. A pillar of golden light shot up from the floor, surrounding him completely.
The light was so bright everyone had to cover their eyes. But then it started to fade, and floating words appeared above Daisuke's head in glowing letters:
[Class: Sword Saint]
[Blessing: Divine Blade Mastery]
"WHOA!" Daisuke yelled, jumping up and down. "I'm a Sword Saint! That sounds amazing!"
The priest nodded with approval. "An excellent class. Sword Saints are master fighters who can cut through any enemy."
The other students cheered and clapped. Some of the girls even started squealing with excitement.
"Me next! Me next!" Yuki ran to the circle before anyone could stop her.
The same golden light surrounded her. When it faded, the words above her head read:
[Class: Archmage]
[Blessing: Infinite Mana Pool]
"Oh my god!" Yuki started crying happy tears. "I can use magic! Real magic!"
As if to prove it, small sparks of electricity started dancing between her fingers.
One by one, more students stepped forward. Each time, the results were incredible:
Kenji got [Class: Dragon Knight] and immediately summoned a small dragon that sat on his shoulder.
Mika became a [Class: Shadow Assassin] and could turn invisible for a few seconds.
Hiroshi awakened as an [Class: Elemental Summoner] and created a tiny tornado in his palm.
Every single class was powerful. Every single student became something amazing.
The hall filled with cheers, laughter, and excited shouting. Students were already forming groups, talking about strategies, planning how they would defeat the Demon Lord together.
"This is the strongest group of heroes we have ever summoned," the priest said, looking very pleased. "With power like this, surely the Demon Lord will fall."
But as more students awakened, Hein felt a cold feeling growing in his stomach. He watched his classmates get incredible abilities while he stood at the back of the group, forgotten as always.
What if he got something weak? What if he disappointed everyone? What if even in another world, he was still useless?
Finally, after what felt like hours, the priest looked around and spotted Hein hiding behind the others.
"You there," Aldric pointed at him. "You are the last one. Please, step forward."
All eyes turned to Hein. His classmates, who had been talking and laughing, suddenly got quiet. Some of them started whispering to each other.
"Oh yeah, Hein's here too."
"I forgot about him."
"Wonder what loser class he'll get."
Hein's face turned red. Even in another world, they talked about him like he wasn't worth noticing.
His legs felt heavy as he walked toward the circle. Each step echoed loudly in the now-quiet hall. He could feel everyone watching him, waiting to see him fail like always.
He stopped at the edge of the circle and took a deep breath.
"It's okay," he whispered to himself. "Maybe... maybe this time will be different."
Hein stepped into the circle.
The moment his feet touched the glowing symbols, something strange happened. The light that surrounded him wasn't golden like the others - it was pure white, brighter than anything he had ever seen. It felt warm and gentle, like being hugged by sunlight.
But the light faded quickly. Too quickly.
When it was gone, the words above his head appeared:
[Class: Healer]
[Blessing: Healer's Divine Codex]
The hall became completely silent.
Then someone started laughing.
"PFFFT—HAHAHAHAHA!" It was Daisuke, holding his sides. "A healer? Seriously?"
More students joined in. The laughter got louder and meaner.
"That's so lame!" shouted Mika.
"All he can do is heal people?" said Kenji, shaking his head. "That's not even a fighting class!"
"Looks like Hein's gonna be our walking first-aid kit!" yelled another boy.
"Hey Hein," Daisuke called out with a nasty grin, "make sure you don't die before we get to any real fights, okay? We might need someone to carry our potions!"
The laughter got even louder. Even some of the students who used to be nice to him were giggling behind their hands.
Hein felt his face burning with shame. His hands started shaking. All around him, his classmates - people he had known for years - were looking at him like he was garbage.
Even the priest looked disappointed. Aldric frowned and shook his head slowly.
"A healer," the old man said with a sigh. "Support class only. Very rare, but also very fragile. Healers are important, yes, but they are not meant for combat against the Demon Lord's army."
"So what do we do with him?" asked Kenji. "Can he even come with us on missions?"
"Perhaps he could stay at the temple," Aldric suggested. "Help tend to wounded soldiers in the capital city. Much safer than the battlefield."
Hein's heart sank. Even here, in a world that needed heroes, he was being pushed aside.
The other students had already stopped paying attention to him. They were forming groups, talking about team strategies, comparing their new powers. Some of them were already planning their first adventures.
Nobody wanted to team up with the healer.
Hein stood alone in the circle, forgotten again. He stared down at his feet, trying not to cry in front of everyone.
"Maybe they're right," he thought. "Maybe I really am useless, even here."
But just as he was about to step out of the circle and disappear into the background like always, something happened.
*Ding!*
A small, clear sound echoed in his ears. But when he looked around, nobody else seemed to have heard it.
Then words appeared in front of his eyes - not floating in the air like before, but like they were written on invisible glass right in front of his face:
> [Healer's Divine Codex has fully awakened.]
> Unique Trait unlocked: The more you heal, the stronger you become.
Hein blinked. "What?"
Another message appeared:
> [New Skill Acquired: Pain Conversion]
> Effect: Healing an injury grants you a temporary boost in physical power equal to the damage restored.
His heart started beating faster. He read the messages again to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
Then another one appeared:
> [New Skill Acquired: Damage Memory]
> Effect: Your body remembers every injury you heal. You can call upon this knowledge to make yourself temporarily immune to similar attacks.
And another:
> [New Skill Acquired: Life Force Absorption]
> Effect: When healing critical injuries, absorb a small portion of the patient's maximum life force permanently.]
Hein's eyes went wide. More messages kept coming:
> [WARNING: These abilities are hidden from the standard awakening ritual. Other people cannot see your true system.]
> [The Healer's Divine Codex is not like other classes. The more pain you heal, the more powerful you become. Your true strength will only show when you help others.]
A fire started burning in Hein's chest. The shame and embarrassment began melting away, replaced by something he had never felt before.
Hope.
Around him, his classmates were still laughing and making jokes. They had no idea what had just happened.
"Guess we know who's carrying the medical supplies!" Daisuke was saying.
"Don't worry Hein, maybe you can make friends with the town doctor!" added another student.
But Hein wasn't listening anymore. He was reading through his system messages, learning about abilities that sounded nothing like a weak support class.
He could get stronger by healing others. He could absorb life force. He could become immune to attacks by healing the same injuries over and over.
This wasn't a weak class at all. This was something completely different.
Something powerful.
Hein slowly raised his head and looked at all his classmates who were still making fun of him. A small smile started forming on his lips.
"Mock me all you want," he whispered, too quiet for anyone else to hear. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."
He clenched his fists, feeling strength flowing through his body that hadn't been there before.
"Keep laughing now. Because soon, you're all going to regret it."
The smile on his face grew wider.
For the first time in his life, Hein couldn't wait to prove everyone wrong.