***
The sky cracked open without warning.
Noah barely had time to blink before a flash of searing blue light flooded his vision, burning into his eyes like the world itself had flipped inside out. The wind screamed past him, tugging at his clothes and wrenching his feet from the ground. Around him, screams erupted—panicked, confused, terrified.
His classmates, his peers from the last ordinary day before their lives changed forever, were torn apart by the invisible storm of power. Some shouted his name. Others wept. The world seemed to twist and tilt, and then—suddenly—silence. A silence so complete it pressed on his chest.
When Noah dared to open his eyes again, he no longer saw the familiar blue sky of Earth. Instead, a shimmering golden dome arched above, painted with constellations that pulsed softly like living stars. Below him, a circular platform of flawless white marble hovered, suspended over swirling clouds.
Around the edges of the platform, figures floated—towering, armored beings made of pure light. They bore halberds that glinted like the edge of a blade at dawn. These were no ordinary angels, no soft-winged messengers. They were impossible, faceless entities that radiated a quiet, imposing power.
Then, a voice filled the air. Warm and musical, yet so vast that it felt like it came from everywhere and nowhere.
"Children of Earth," it said, "Welcome to Rethvellia. Your souls have been chosen to bring salvation to our realm."
Noah looked around at the thirty-one other students from his school. His classmates—bullies, friends, the quiet ones, the loud—were all there, dressed in the same rumpled uniforms, their faces pale, their eyes wide with disbelief. Some cried. One girl clutched her smartwatch as if it might bring her back home.
The voice continued:
"Each of you shall receive a Blessing, a Class, and a Destiny."
One by one, Noah's classmates stepped forward into pools of light that bathed them, naming their fate.
"Ryota Shimizu — Class: Holy Knight. Blessing: Blade of Radiance."
"Yuki Nakahara — Class: Wind Sorceress. Blessing: Spirits of the Gale."
"Emi Takahashi — Class: Shadow Assassin. Blessing: Cloak of Night."
Cheers rose. Awed gasps. Power bloomed like spring flowers.
Noah stood back, silent, almost invisible. He wasn't the hero. Not the fastest runner, the smartest student, or the most popular. Just… Noah. Average. Forgotten.
When his turn came, the light seemed to dim as it surrounded him. The voice paused. His heart hammered.
"Noah Watanabe..." it said slowly.
The breath caught in his throat.
"Class: Villager. Blessing: None."
No sound. No applause. Only the sharp, bitter whisper of disbelief.
"Villager?" someone muttered.
"That's a joke, right?"
"He didn't even get a blessing?"
Noah felt a cold tightness in his chest, like someone had plunged a hand into his ribs and squeezed. His eyes stung with a sudden, unwelcome heat.
The divine voice, calm and unshaken, spoke again:
"May your journeys bring peace and rebirth to our land."
Then, the marble platform shattered beneath him.
Noah fell.
He woke up alone in a crater, gasping for air, his back aching, his school uniform torn and dirt-streaked. Above him hung two pale crescent moons, casting a faint silver light over the barren ground.
No fancy armor. No glowing sword. No blessing.
Only pain, dirt, and an eerie silence.
He tried to steady his breathing, his fingers trembling as he wiped the dust from his face.
Then, glowing above his open palm, a small prompt appeared, flickering like a broken neon sign:
[Class: Villager]
No combat skills. No magic. Survival potential: Near zero.
Suggested action: Die quietly.
Noah swallowed hard.
A bitter laugh escaped him, ragged and dry.
"Yeah, well… screw that."
The first days were hell.
Noah was weak. No power to fight, no magic to heal, no sword to defend himself. But he had his hands and his wits.
He remembered the science projects, the camping trips he'd begged his parents to take him on. He sharpened sticks into crude spears, fashioned filters from leaves and charcoal, and learned to read the forest like a book.
When wolves stalked the night, he climbed the trees, holding his breath as their jaws snapped inches below him. He smeared sticky tree sap on his skin, hoping to mask his scent.
He was no hero. Just a survivor.
On the fourth day, Noah stumbled into a valley.
A wide, open place surrounded by rolling hills, sunlight filtering weakly through the gray sky. Overgrown farmland stretched in tangled green waves. Ruined stone walls and moss-covered foundations whispered stories of long-lost lives. The skeleton of a broken windmill tilted against the horizon like a forgotten sentinel.
The valley smelled of earth and rain, of old dreams left to rot.
Noah collapsed beside an ancient well, laughing bitterly through cracked lips.
A sudden voice echoed inside his mind, calm and mechanical:
[New Location Discovered: Forgotten Vale]
Would you like to Claim this Territory?
Warning: You do not meet recommended class requirements.
He stared at the glowing words.
The choice was real. For the first time, a choice.
Noah took a slow, steadying breath.
He nodded.
[Territory Claimed: Forgotten Vale]
Provisional Title Granted: Village Chief
Beginner Administration System Unlocked.
A thin golden screen shimmered in front of him, flickering with data like some sci-fi hologram.
[Village Panel: Forgotten Vale]
Population: 1
Morale: N/A
Resources:
- Overgrown Farmland ×3
- Ruined Structures ×5
- Wild Orchard (Unharvested)
Danger Level: Medium
Upkeep Cost: None
Faith Level: 0
Suggested Action: Rebuild
Noah let out a long breath. His body ached from the fall and the exhaustion, but his mind buzzed with a strange new energy.
This was no dungeon. No monster to kill. No quest giver waiting.
This was his.
For the first time, something was his.
He rose slowly, ignoring the pain, and looked over the weed-choked fields and crumbling stones.
It wasn't much.
But it was potential.
He knelt in the soil and dug his fingers into the earth. Dark, cool, stubborn.
Noah smiled softly.
"Let's see what you and I can do," he whispered.
***
If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to add to your library