The Empyrean's Reign
Ch.1- A... Pimply

"Ugh..."

'What's this? The feeling of my bed is not this comfortable.'

"Mr Danniel Arthos, good morning."

Niel instantly opened his eyes wide and got up from his lying position. The excruciating pain instantly struck him from head to toe, causing his body to fall down and return to a lying position.

Niel moved his eyeballs to the left side of the mattress without raising his head to see who was expressing the greeting, causing the person who was the object of his gaze to creep.

"Please don't look at me with that kind of gaze, Mr. Arthos. My name is Aldios Xellqa, one of the Five Generals in the Kingdom of Malchus. I am very honored to be able to come face to face with a Hero who will be the light of humanity in the future."

Niel who heard the long, wide speech instantly fell silent in confusion, "... Whatchu mean?"

General Aldios closed his eyes for a moment as if he was considering something. After a few seconds had passed, the middle-aged man reopened his eyes and gave a dry smile to Niel,

"I think the basic things should be explained first by His Majesty the King. After you have finished listening to His Majesty's explanation, you can ask me anything. For now... You better rest for a while. I will escort you to the Royal Hall within five hours."

Aldios bowed her body before exiting through the dark brown door opposite the mattress that Niel was using.

Niel's mouth opened slightly after the figure with the wide back disappeared from his sight. The young man pinched his cheek hard to make sure what he was going through right now was real.

Niel's eyes twitched, "Kingdom? Don't tell me I'm going through the main cast in hundreds of novels I've read? What the fuck?!"

"This is impossible! Give me back to Lazarus!" Amuk Niel while gripping his head. Niel's anger grew even more when he saw the white strands of hair lying on his palm,

"What the fuck else is this? I instantly aged after going to another world?!"

***

"My face does not wrinkle even though my hair turns white. Did they secretly color it while I was unconscious? But, what for?" Suspicious Niel. Right now, he was standing in front of a mirror long enough to show his entire body. The school uniform he was wearing just now had been replaced with a clean white shirt and black trousers.

'I still want to believe that all this is just a dream. Yet with these blushing red cheeks, it seemed like it would never happen.'

His denial session had ended after four hours had passed. With red cheeks pinched many times, Niel breathed a tired breath because there were still many things that he could not absorb into his head.

"Why does this have to happen right before I'm going to graduate and be able to become a Hunter..."

'I'll kill everyone if they give me a stupid reason for why I was called here.' Niel bit his thumb nail firmly, putting on an expression that would frighten all who saw him.

The sound of the door creaking interrupted Niel from his daydream. Niel turned his gaze towards the door and instantly found General Aldios who was smiling a little.

"Mr Arthos, have you finished preparing yourself?"

Niel nodded towards General Aldios' question in lethargy.

General Aldios who saw that then smiled wider, "Then, please follow me."

***

'There are 12 people including me who have been called. Whether Enzo and the twins are there'

"Niel!"

Right after Niel thought that, a loud voice immediately revealed his name. The man with the white mane let out a tired breath, already knowing what would happen to him after this.

"Hello, En-"

Just when he wanted to say hello to his best friend, Niel was immediately surprised by the eyes of his best friend who was very swollen,

"What's wrong with you?!" Niel was surprised.

"Ah this? I was a little surprised earlier, so my tears came out continuously. Hahah, this is so funny. I look like a puffer fish." His friend— Theodoric Enzo, raving lethargic. Seeing Enzo who was usually very excited being like this made Niel feel a little worried.

"Hm? Sorry Niel. I think I'm hallucinating. Your hair is white! Hahah, this is so funny..." Enzo repeated the same sentence with a soul that seemed to have floated away from his body.

"Enzo's..."

"Welcome to Zendia, the Holy Heroes who have been chosen by the Goddess Synthia herself! I am the ninth King of the Malchus Kingdom located in the West Manvit Continent, Reagon Qioer Malchus IX."

The voice of a middle-aged man with gray hair cut through the conversation of Niel and Enzo. For some reason, Niel's body with reflexes immediately stood firm when he heard the authoritative voice.

"Before, I wanted to represent Goddess Synthia to apologize for calling all of you to come to Zendia. You're... It has been called to save Zendia from the great calamity foreseen by The Divine Oracle."

Everyone who had been summoned was shocked instead of playing, there were even some who started to tremble in panic.

"How can a kingdom expect the help of thirteen ordinary teenagers? Have you lost your mind?"

"All-in"

"I didn't say anything wrong, Luan. Judging from any side, this makes no sense. What about our family in Lazarus? You think we'll forget everything and become a "Hero" just because of your request?"

Alan's veins bulged out his neck when thinking about how his fate would be in the future.

The King of Reagon closed his eyes for a moment, "To be honest, I don't know why the Goddess Synthia suddenly sent out a Divine Oracle.

I also had no idea about what the "Great Catastrophe" the Synthian Goddess meant. To be sure, I am also reluctant to put this burden on the thirteen teenagers who should be enjoying their lives right now.

It's just... You are not all summoned through the Rite of Summoning as usual, but you have been forcibly withdrawn by the Divine Oracle itself."

The eyes of Niel and the others were rounded when they heard the statement from the King of Reagon.

"Of course, we, as a Kingdom that worships the Goddess Synthia, must do our duty to carry out the commands of the Goddess. I once again represent Goddess Synthia, apologizing for this selfish request."