Raising My Trash Ability into a Broken SSS+ Rank Skill

Transmigrated with Mommy

The annoying, screech like voice of Ms. Mia filled the air, each taunt a sharpened knife aimed squarely at Vritra's countless flaws.

Sunlight streamed through the classroom window, illuminating dust particles dancing in the air, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere that had settled over the classroom.

Vritra slumped in his chair. His long deep black hair, falling like a curtain over his forehead, obscuring his left eye appearing a bit messy. He wore slightly baggy clothes that made him look skinny and weak though that couldn't have been anymore wrong.

The other students, a loud and restless bunch, blended into the background—a mix of chatter and judgment. He didn't look their way. He already knew what they were whispering.

Ms. Mia, his teacher, stood at the front of the class, her old face appearing full of fury. Her black hair was perfectly and neatly styled despite that her choice of cloth ruined her already bad appearance.

Her glasses were resting on her nose, occasionally slipping as she gestured emphatically.

She was in her late fifties and the wrinkles didn't do much to make her look any younger, yet despite being quite fit for someone her age, she was famous for her irritating behaviour and thin voice.

Ms. Mia's grating voice reverberated across the class as she shouted: "Vritra," she began, her eyes fixed on the youth who sat on his seat as if nothing around him actually mattered.

"His performance in this class has been very disappointing as if he himself doesn't want to score better. He never submits any assignments, his participation is minimal to none, and his grades… well, let's just say he passes all his subjects by merely a single mark."

A round of snickers rippled through the classroom. Vritra could feel all the eyes in the class focussing on him. He ignored them all only looking back at the woman standing beside his old teacher.

"You're not living up to your potential. All his answers are correct but he never writes more than he needs to pass!!" Ms. Mia continued, her gaze unwavering.

"Your mother is here today because I felt it necessary to address this issue directly. His lack of focus is disruptive, not to mention his aggressive behaviour.

That brat even hits the girls, can you believe that? More than half of the boys have their teeth missing because of him, everyone in the class fears and hate him and they complain about him on a daily basis."

Beside Ms. Mia stood Vritra's mother, tall and straight her presence full of confidence radiating a quiet aura that seemed to command respect.

Vanessa, even in her forties, possessed a timeless beauty that was both captivating and intimidating. Her green hair, like a cascade of emeralds, fell to her waist, framing a face that could stop traffic.

Her figure was voluptuous, a perfect balance of curves and undeniable sensuality.

Loose clothes did little to hide the generous swell of her breasts and the roundness of her hips, the kind of body that no man could resist with just the right amount of fat over her body, yet her modest clothes stopped all lustful gaze.

Her red lips were full and juicy, and her eyes, the same shade of green as her hair, looked captivating and beautiful. Her mere presence seemed to radiate an aura of coldness and confidence. She stood tall, her gaze calm, the teacher's words didn't really seem to have any effect on her.

The students around them were a mix of amusement and fleeting satisfaction. Most of the boys kept stealing glances at the rich and cold looking seductress who looked like a model, all of them were almost drooling.

Vritra, meanwhile, remained impassive, his expression hidden behind his curtain of hair. He was different from what all others knew or believed, he couldn't find any joy in such activities.

'When is this going to end? I have to go to the club, I have a match today.' Vritra wondered checking the time on his mobile.

"I am already aware of all this," Vritra's mother, Vanessa Arclis said, her voice a soothing melody that contrasted with the teacher's harsh tone.

"However, I believe that the money I have fed to this school is more than enough to look over such small troubles or should I ask to change the teacher, maybe a more competent one."

"C- Change?" Ms. Mia's eyebrow arched. "Mrs. Arclis, t- there is no need for such major action. Vritra usually behaves quite well and wouldn't disturb others until others provoke him hahaha ha-"

Vanessa looked at her son with a soft smile, a tender expression appearing on her face contrasting the cold one.

Inside, Vritra remained silent looking through his hair with a bored expression. He found the teacher's complaints to be a childish drama, an unnecessary disturbance to his perfect daily routine.

"!!!"

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted, engulfing the entire classroom. A collective gasp went around the class.

The world dissolved into a searing white, the space seemed to spiral around sucking them all as all of them closed their eyes and felt a strange churning in their bellies.

When all of them opened their eyes, they were no longer in the familiar classroom. The smell of chalk and pollution was completely gone, replaced by the scent of fresh air and something else, a fragrant scent of flowers.

Vritra observed his surroundings and found himself standing in a vast, pristine chamber.

The walls were a flawless white, as if carved from solid marble, and the ceiling soared impossibly high, disappearing into the shadows.

In front of them stood an ancient and beautifully carved statue, gleaming in the sunlight. It seemed to be some kind of temple.

The room was filled with the forty students, Ms. Mia and Vanessa, all blinking in confusion.

The chamber was filled with a sense of grandeur, a feeling of ancient power that both awed and intimidated.

Vritra felt a strange mix of anticipation and curiosity about the unknown. He was quite intrigued, but he wouldn't let his curiosity overrule his logic.

"Where… what…" Ms. Mia stammered, her glasses askew, her professional composure shattered. The students started chattering among themselves, their initial fear giving way to a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Vritra's mother stood close to him, her expression mirroring his own, cautious observation, as she stood protectively.

Then, she appeared.

Before them stood a woman of breathtaking beauty, a goddess of unparalleled perfection. Her hair was the purest white, cascading down her back like a waterfall of moonlight.

Her skin was flawless, a milky white that seemed untouched by the sun, radiating an ethereal glow.

Her eyes were a vibrant, otherworldly blue, and her features looked just so perfect.

She had a hint of haughtiness about her, a sense of being above all else, looking down at them as if they were nothing more than mere ants.

"Welcome, mortals from another universe." the goddess's melodic voice echoed through the chamber, resonating with a power that commanded instant attention. The words seemed to shimmer in the air, carrying a magical quality that calmed the initial panic.

"I am Diana, the Goddess of Dunshire and I have summoned you here for a purpose."

Her words had a calming effect, quieting the chaos as the students, teachers, and Vanessa looked at her in amazement and wonder.

A wave of discussion and murmurs went through the crowd. They were discussing how ethereally beautiful she was, the vastness of the place, the elegance and expensive nature of the temple, and the aura around them.

"In the name of fucking gods, look at her!" a boy, Raino from the back row, usually known for his perverted comments and fat body, blurted out.

"She's… she's incredibly gorgeous! Is this some kind of setup? And where had my phone disappeared off to, fuck I just brought the expensive one last week."

Vritra's mother stood beside him, her expression a mixture of awe and apprehension.

Ms. Mia, still flustered, attempted to regain her composure. "Where are we? What is the meaning of all this? How did we suddenly arrive here?"

Diana's gaze swept over the group, her eyes moving without much emotion. She had an air of superiority around her, as if her presence alone made the others feel small and worthless.

"You have all been chosen," Diana said ignoring Ms. Mia, her voice steady.

"The universe is on the brink of destruction. Demons are spreading like a plague, consuming everything in their path. If you want to save all of existence, your own universe and people you loved back in your homes, you must start by saving my world and wiping them out." The students, in turn, were shocked by the words.

"W- What do you mean?" a girl asked, her voice trembling.

"This world is beset by the forces of evil," Diana explained.

"The demon gods, and their legions of demon lords, demon generals, and countless others, threaten to destroy everything. You have been chosen to fight against them."

Vritra's mind was racing. Demon gods? Demon lords? This is… interesting. He found all this hard to believe, it still felt as if this was some kind of dream or just a setup.

"F- Fight what? What are you talking about? We can't do something like that, just standing alone is making my joints creak. Can you please just send us b- back?"

"You will be granted abilities," Diana continued again ignoring Ms. Mia like some insect, her voice regaining a serious tone.

"You will grow stronger by killing demons and by acquiring the treasures that lie scattered across this land.

Your journey will no doubt be filled with dangers, but your success is essential and I will help you in whatever way to make sure you succeed. You do not have to fear, you still have quite some time to build up your strength."

Hearing her words another wave of discussion went through the crowd. There was still fear, but they had understood their situation and knew going back might not be possible just yet and they could only follow along for now.

Then, she commanded them: "Open your status windows, just think about it and it will appear."

A moment of confusion, then the air shimmered around each of them as a translucent screen materialized before their eyes.

Vritra's own status window flickered into existence, displaying a series of lines filled with information.

++

Name: Vritra Arclis

Level: 1 [0%]

Race: Human

Titles: None

Class: Dust Lord (Rank: F) [SSS+(?)]

Bloodline: None

Physique: Human

Mana: 180/180

Vitality: 100%

STATS:

Strength: 20

Agility: 21

Endurance: 19

Intelligence: 20

Mana: 18

Luck: 30

[Allocation points: 0]

SKILL:

Dust Manipulation (Rank-F):

[Level: 1]

(Dust Attunement): Allows the user to move dust within a certain range of 5 meters, also enhancing senses within that range. The ability enables basic control over dust particles, letting them shift and flow as directed around the user. Mana consumption for simply moving the particles is low, allowing frequent use without much drain.

Mutamorphis (Rank: ???): Allows the user to slowly adapt to the environment or situation around them, will awaken on its own when met with certain conditions.

Inventory: Empty

Resistances:

[Pain Resistance] (Level 4)

++

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Thanks for reading...

Just Dust...?

Vritra stared at the information, his mind already analysing the data. He didn't yet know what stats are considered average or high, but his luck stat was the highest among the others.

He took a mental note of all the information and decided to check the details later.

"Dust Manipulation…" he murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible.

He didn't know how disappointed he should be at his ability; after all, just at first glance, it seemed useless, but the rank seemed unusually high but why were there two ranks mentioned.

'And what is that Mutamorphis? It sounds just as useless… Is this some kind of survival skill? Not even a rank is displayed.' Vritra pondered before looking away from his stat window.

He took a quick look around, assessing the reactions of those around him and noticed that he could see others' status windows.

The students were a mixture of confusion, excitement, and fear. And their skills only displayed one rank.

Ms. Mia was staring at her status window with a doubtful expression.

Vanessa read the information on her window and seemed bewildered as she hastily removed the status window and looked around to make sure no one read it.

She didn't know what to say or how to react upon receiving such abilities.

'From the stats of other students, the average seems to be around 10 and I can only see a few things on others' status window.'

Vritra thought as he quickly scanned the abilities the others had gotten. He found that he couldn't see many of the details such as the rank of their classes and many other things.

As the students, Mia, Vanessa, and Vritra stood in the awe-inspiring chamber, each lost in contemplation of their new abilities, a hush fell over the room.

Excited gasps and sighs rang out across the chamber of the temple. Some students read their skills in joyful surprise while a few seemed disappointed as they quickly tried to come to terms with their current situation.

'What kind of abilities are these? These are just too salacious.'

Vanessa thought, just reading that alone brought a hint of redness to the cheeks of the usually cold and confident woman. She looked at her son and sighed in relief that he hadn't seen her status window.

The goddess Diana swept her gaze across the group, observing the abilities all these guests from another world had obtained. Some of them even surprised her, and she seemed quite satisfied with quite a few of them.

A few students stood out, especially with their legendary skills. Diana smiled as her gaze paused briefly on Vanessa, her eyes narrowed with surprise.

There was a calculating glint in her eyes, as if she was planning ways she could use that voluptuous MILF in the future.

None of them saw the brief look in her eyes. Diana's gaze then moved to the others, lingering on a few select individuals.

"Well done," Diana said, her voice echoing through the chamber. "It seems you have all been blessed with incredible abilities. Some of you even received legendary ones.

Especially Jack—the hero's holy abilities will be the most vital in our fight against the demon forces. Your strength will become the highest on the planet as long as you work hard enough.

And Fiona, your control over Phoenix's powers will be a formidable asset in our war. Even your bloodline and physique will be superior to others.

Max, I didn't expect you to receive such a deadly skill—Tempest Dominion. Truly great job. You will turn demons to dust with your lightning power.

Raino, with your abilities, you will become an excellent assassin. You will become the king of the night..."

Diana continued to comment on the abilities of a few students. Jack and Fiona seemed to hold the highest value in her eyes, though she glanced at Vanessa a few times as if planning to use her in some way in the future.

Jack, the class monitor and son of a wealthy man, stood tall and proud. He had short white hair combed neatly.

His face remained calm despite the strange situation. With his appearance, most girls would always flock around him.

Hearing the praises, he remained silent and tried making sense of the present circumstances.

Understanding that going with the flow was the only option, he nodded towards the goddess and glanced toward the gorgeous girl standing beside him with an infatuated look.

But she seemed to have no interest in him.

Fiona's milky skin seemed to glow under the faint light, appearing like a beautiful doll with just the perfect size of breasts pressing tightly against her shirt.

She was the dream girl of most of the boys in the class, but despite her calm and collected outer appearance, she hid her real thoughts and personality.

Fiona, the most beautiful girl in school, also basked in the goddess's praise. Her long red hair cascaded down her back, and her emerald eyes seemed to hold some special kind of flames.

"Isn't that too dangerous? Even with the abilities, what if some of us don't want to participate in this war? Is there no way of returning?"

Diana looked at her with a smile and replied: "Yes, it will be dangerous without a doubt.

And yeah, all of this is too sudden, but you will be trained properly.

Once you reach the peak and defeat the dangers, then you will be able to return to your own world with all of your powers, and so you will be able to save your home.

If you choose not to fight, you will only be returning to a damned place. The choice is yours. With such an amazing ability, you don't have to fear anything, and we will do our best to help you."

Her words seemed to put some tension and understanding among the crowd, and all of them knew they only had one option for now. The goddess knew perfectly well how to manipulate them all.

The other students murmured in awe and envy at their classmates' impressive abilities. Vanessa watched the scene as her gaze focused on Vritra, and she saw the status window. There was just one skill, and even that seemed so useless. She stared at it with a frown.

After looking over everyone else, Diana's gaze fell upon Vritra. The goddess gazed over his status window, her eyes widened in slight surprise, then narrowed in something akin to disdain and disgust.

'The stats of an average ordinary human are around 10 in all aspects. How surprising that his physical prowess matches those of level 5 or 6.

I have never seen a human like that. And his luck—it's more than twice as high as the others, but…' Diana thought as her gaze fell to his ability.

"Vritra Arclis," Diana said, her voice cold and scornful, a look on her charming face: "Dust Manipulation. A most... unusual ability. Seems like you have obtained the worst ability in the entire group. It's truly a pity, you aren't suitable for any role."

A ripple of laughter spread through the group as they read Vritra's ability. For some reason, he was in no hurry to hide it away.

All the students hated and feared him, so they seemed especially joyful that he had received such a shitty ability.

Their fear seemed to disappear instantly as most of them looked at him with malicious gazes, they completely ignored his higher stats since none of them had any idea about it.

The typical bully group, led by the blond-haired Max, were particularly vocal in their mockery.

They were the classic high school jocks— all muscles and machismo— with a penchant for causing trouble. But back in school, after receiving a few beatings from Vritra, they never messed with him again.

But here, it seemed Max too had received a great ability that would make him one of the strongest in the group, further boosting his confidence.

"Moving around dust?" Max scoffed. "So he possesses the great ability to clean the floors! Haha! Looks like the goddess got a cleaner for the temple. The sweeper from another world—what a joke."

"Maybe he can vacuum up our enemies that is—after we're done with them. We need someone to clear the battlefield, after all," another bully quipped, drawing more laughter.

"I can't believe this! The oh-so-great Vritra has become useless? Hahaha, let's see how you act tough now. Be careful—if you know what I mean," another boy from the group spoke.

"Oh, so soon he will become the weakest of our group? Looks like we will have to take great care of you.

Don't worry janitor Vritra, a really good future is right ahead of you." a boy from Max's group said with a smile but threatening tone.

'Can't they see Mutamorphis?' he wondered not paying attention to their words.

These words had absolutely no effect on Vritra, but Vanessa's eyes flashed with rage.

Her fists clenched, and she stepped forward, ready to give these boys a piece of her mind. But before she could say a word, Vritra placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Mom," Vritra said with a softness that he displayed towards no other person. Looking into his eyes through the drape of his hair seemed to calm down the fuming mother.

Vanessa sighed, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She remembered her skills, and an unsure expression appeared on her face. She knew that Vritra was different from everyone else.

Both his mind and body were far better than any normal human for reasons only she knew.

But right now, she seemed to be struggling to make a hard choice; her skills would undoubtedly help both herself and Vritra, but she wasn't sure if she should really do that.

Diana cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention back to her. "Silence," she commanded, and the chamber fell still.

"Your abilities are not to be mocked or underestimated. Each of you has a vital role to play in the battles ahead—even if it is just to sweep. In any case, you should know more about this place and the current situation…"

The goddess went on to explain the dire situation facing their new world and the importance of their mission.

She told them about the labyrinths that are filled with monstrous demons—places brimming with dangers and also filled with great rewards.

They are currently in the Dunshire Kingdom, which is a part of the Topaz continent. All of them were summoned by the kingdom. She told them a little about the king, who is an amicable man, and described a few other important things.

As Diana spoke, Vritra's mind wandered to a distant memory.

He remembered his thirteenth birthday, when a friend of his had introduced him to the underground fighting arenas.

Vritra had been utterly bored and lonely back then, even though Vanessa cared and loved him more than anything in the world, but she had to spend a lot of time outside because of work.

But once joining the arena, he began to enjoy the dangerous environment; fighting almost every single day of the week, there was a lot of money, but it held little value to Vritra, given how wealthy his small family already was.

The school, those activities and even friends all began to seem childish, so he paid little to no attention to school.

Vritra had become one of the best fighters in the arena in just a few years, it was at that time that he noticed the difference in his body; as if his body had a mind of its own, it would become numb to pain at just the right time letting him fight without any restrictions.

And now he possessed the pain resistance at level four, which further made his beliefs firm; his strength, stamina and speed had always been much higher than others, but he didn't know why he was so different from others.

By the age of eighteen, he had fought countless dangerous fights even getting seriously injured a few times but always coming out victorious.

Yet he had kept this part of his life a secret from everyone else, Vritra was sure his mother might already be aware of all this considering her connections and ability but for some reason she didn't stop him, despite the worry that filled her eyes whenever she saw even the tiniest of bruise on his body.

So despite obtaining such a useless skill he wasn't affected too much, although unsure of what the future held in store for him he was sure that it will be very thrilling even if it brings an end to his life.

Vanessa looked at her son and couldn't help but worry, she knew he is very strong willed but this new world seemed far too dangerous just from what they had heard, but she was determined to protect him no matter how dangerous the situation becomes.

Diana finished her explanation and led the group out of the temple. Vritra took in the sights around him with keen interest - the gleaming white spires of the castle, the lush green grass that surrounded it, and the bustling city streets filled with people going about their daily lives in the distance.

Seeing this all finally made them feel that they have truly arrived in a completely different place, the dressing, the houses, everything appeared completely different from Earth.

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Thanks for reading...

Her Secrets

Soon they arrived at the royal palace, a magnificent structure with golden domes and intricate carvings, there were hundreds of guards stationed at different positions all of whom bowed their heads in front of goddess Diana, as she led the group into the large hall of the castle.

As the group of teenagers and two women entered such a castle for the first time, they couldn't help but marvel at the lavish structure and decorations, everything seemed to be made of gold and silver with countless jewels adoring them.

At the front sat a man wearing majestic golden armor with long black beard and a beautiful crown on his head, it was the king, he seemed to be in his forties but in this world, age was truly a number as strong people could go on for hundreds and even thousands of years.

He had a robust body and possessed a royal aura, but his smile brought a calming feeling around him.

On either side of the king stood four guards with deadly presence in silver armours, holding spears.

There were more than twenty seats present on both side of the throne in the hall where ministers, generals and other people at high positions sat, all of them stood as one of the guards announced the arrival of the goddess.

"Welcome my dear guests to this humble kingdom called Dunshire, I know this is all too sudden and far too dangerous and we've just placed you all in danger; but we will help you all in any way we can and provide you with all the resources we possess so you have nothing to fear."

King Aldric spoke after bowing his head slightly towards the Goddess, his tone was quite amicable.

"Our young heroes have obtained marvellous abilities that will greatly help us in the fight against the demons, prepare all the basic necessities for them; they are my responsibility so don't upset them in any way." Diana spoke, her tone calm.

"Of course goddess, I will do my very best in aiding them. You don't have to worry about a thing, whether it be living spaces, teachers or guards to protect them everything will be handled personally by me." The king responded with a look of assurance.

Then King Aldric greeted the group warmly, his friendly demeanour putting them at ease. He spoke of the threats that plagued his kingdom and thanked them, then introduced a few figures of importance and continued to speak about different things for some time.

After listening for a while Vritra paid little attention to the king, instead he observed his status window and with just a thought he was able to conceal it from the gazes of all the others; this ability of his that seemed utterly useless at first sight might not be as simple if it was ranked so highly.

'Pain resistance, no one else possessed any such skills; at least not at such a high level. Even the ones who had obtained different bloodline and physique like Fiona, who obtained the phoenix's abilities only possessed fire resistance at level 1.

How strange, seems like I will have to check it all out later on.' Vritra pondered in his mind, his expressions as always were veiled by the curtain of his black hair falling over his face up to his nose.

Soon the king led the group towards a large dining area where a lot of different types of meals were prepared for them all, as they ate the goddess discussed the abilities of all the people with the king, she informed him about the ones he should cherish and the ones that were useless.

After the sumptuous meal in the palace dining area, all of them gathered in the garden right outside the palace; the king, goddess and a few guards stood in front of them.

Clearing her throat, Diana looked over the group and spoke in a melodic voice that made the hearts of many boys race.

"All of you must be tired after such big events both mentally and physically, we have already prepared rooms for you all; you can tell me or the king directly if there is anything that you need, if none of you have anything further to say then you can rest for today." After speaking Diana looked over them waiting for anyone to speak.

"Uh… Actually my bones are in pain and my old body would shiver with just the slightest activity and even the ability I received is quite useless so is there a chance that I can stay back and just enjo-" Ms. Mia held her knee as she spoke with a pained expression.

Diana glanced at her for a moment before turning her gaze away.

"Hmm since none of you have anything to say, then you can rest or look around the palace; but be careful not to use your abilities carelessly, a guard or two will always be protecting you, so you don't have to worry about your safety at all." Diana told them about a few more things and finally dismissed them all.

The guards brought the group to their new rooms inside the palace, all the rooms were present in close corridors and just as the king and the goddess had promised the rooms were quite luxurious.

All of them selected their rooms, Vritra and Vanessa chose rooms next to each other though he was sure his mother would spend most of her time in his room she was obsessed and overprotective of him.

Jack wanted to get the room next to Fiona hoping to somehow get her attention, he was quite happy to have received such great abilities maybe he would finally be able to impress her.

But Fiona was quite the opposite of the calm exterior she presented to everyone, she in fact was into bad boys; she had never been interested in Jack instead she had recently fallen for the famous bully and gangster of her school, Max.

Max and Fiona were aware of each other's feelings and towards her, Max always acted like the perfect gentleman so their love blossomed in secret, yet their relationship had barely developed.

Fiona hid one more secret from everyone, even Max—behind her composed facade, she was utterly consumed by lust.

Her thoughts were filled with unrestrained desires and urges, her body aching for pleasures she dared not speak of. No matter how hard she tried to suppress it, the hunger only grew stronger but she could never let anyone know of this.

Everyone began to enter their rooms since they were really exhausted by this sudden journey, few students formed groups to chatter while some were too frightened by it all.

Max and Fiona briefly glanced at each other, a silent spark between their gazes as they entered their rooms, although Max wanted to deepen his relationship with her but since he truly loved her and planned to make her his wife so he was trying his best to go at a speed he believed suited her, not knowing of her true nature.

"My little darling, are you sure you are alright? Maybe I should stay with you?" Vanessa spoke, a rare expression of worry on her face, her overprotective nature surfacing.

"Don't worry mom, it is no big deal. It isn't as bad as it looks… probably, anyway you should rest too for now- oh right, what kind of ability did you receive?" Vritra asked curiously.

"Uh… That- Cough Well, this ability helps me cook delicious dishes, anyway you should rest now; call me if you need anything." After speaking and lovingly ruffling his hair she walked into her room.

'Looks like she is hiding something, I wonder what her ability really is. Hmm I am sure she will tell me later on her own, I hope it isn't anything troublesome.' Vritra thought as he walked into his own room.

The interior was more lavish than he expected, he was used to living in a luxurious house but the feel here was completely different; it gave off an antique feeling, everything was designed so differently.

There was a bed, a couple of shelves some food, clothes and many other necessities; it seemed they all were treated nicely in there at least.

Without looking around much he just fell back onto the bed, despite appearing calm all this while the whole situation was a bit too sudden for him too, especially the thing about his ability.

'Is this ability really as useless as it seems? But what about such a high rank then?' Vritra wondered as he stared at his status window.

He sat up and tried to use his ability, pointing his palm towards the floor he willed in his mind to use this ability and instantly saw dust starting to float, he tried to do more but it seemed that was all he could do for now.

But even after using his skill for a few minutes he barely saw much drop in his mana pool so at least that was an advantage.

Sighing he changed into the comfortable clothes of this world and soon drifted off to sleep.

******

Early in the next morning, all of them gathered for breakfast at a large table where the king and the Goddess were already waiting for them along with a lot of other important people from the castle.

Most of the students already seemed quite relaxed in this new environment in just a day, they talked and laughed and appeared as if they were on a picnic. They ate the food in silence and after the breakfast the goddess had something important to announce.

"It seems none of you had any problem with the accommodations and I am quite satisfied with your behaviour. Today, a team of our strong warriors will lead you all into a labyrinth, don't worry you are mostly going to just have a look around and see the demons so that you can get used to the sight and you can also try out your skills there without any worry there." Diana appeared as pure and majestic as ever in her white dress, her milky skin looked smooth and soft that could ignite one's appetite.

Like always, after hearing this news some students were worried and afraid while others were excited, they chatted for a while as the goddess observed their reactions then she added:

"You all will be divided into four groups, and each group will be led by one of the commander and a few other warriors. Their strength could be considered close to the top in this kingdom, with them present all of you will be completely safe. In any case you'll only be exploring the first level of the labyrinth, now king Aldric will divide you into groups."

Diana nodded towards the king and stood back, then the king took a scroll from one of the servant and called out the name; although the name seemed to be randomly arranged but Vritra sensed the arrangement was pre planned.

Jack was in the first group along with nine other students, in the second group were Vanessa, Fiona, Ms. Mia along with eight other students, in third group were students like Raino and others who were of above average talent and in the final group was Vritra along with Max and his entire group.

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Thanks for reading...

Labyrinth

'It feels this trip might not be as simple as Diana had made it appear.' Vritra looked around and saw the frown over his mother's face while Max and his group looked quite excited though a few of them were fidgeting around nervously, occasionally glancing at Vritra.

"Wait, I wish to be in the same group as my son, can't we-" Vanessa took a step forward without any fear or hesitation as she spoke to the king and the goddess.

"Sorry lady Vanessa, this arrangement is final. You don't have to worry about your son, as mentioned before this trip will be completely safe." The king spoke, maintaining an amicable smile.

"But-" Vanessa wasn't convinced though she paused as Vritra stepped in front of her.

"Mom, it is fine. We will only be separated for a short time." He spoke with a calm expression, they hold no power in this world so going against the king or the goddess will cause trouble for them.

She sighed and reluctantly nodded; her beautiful face filled with worry.

After being divided into four groups for their labyrinthine tour.

"Even though this is just a tour but all of you should bring some necessary items along." Diana spoke and gestured towards one of the servant.

And soon all forty two of them were holding a bag containing ten advanced healing potions and ten advanced mana recovering potion, along with special weapons of their choices.

Though most of them chose swords.

"These potions are very expensive and effective, they could heal most wounds and regenerate your mana within moments after consumption." Diana explained then she added: "But carrying these bags is a tough task, few among you should have obtained the inventory, right?"

'So not all of us have an inventory.' Vritra thought since he could only see a limited info in others' status window.

One of two member in each group raised their hands, in group four Vritra was the only one who got the inventory.

"It would be better to store your potions in the inventory to avoid losing them or accidentally breaking them, you can take it all back when you need." Diana spoke.

"Seems like our dear janitor has more than one trick up his sleeve—he can double as our porter. Not bad, you'll come in handy." Max sneered, his words dripping with mockery as the others in the group chuckled and handed their bags to Vritra who just stored them in his inventory.

Aside from Vanessa, no one had any problem with others mocking Vritra; it was obvious that the Goddess and the king didn't care about him at all.

If it was before, they would all have been beaten black and blue by Vritra but he was holding back right now since he had no control over the situation and he was the least favored by the people in power here.

Then they headed out together in separate carriages, along the way all of them observed the different culture though Vritra wasn't much interested so he just lay back in his carriage, resting.

It wasn't long when the carriages stopped and Vritra finally got up and walked out, he found himself standing in the midst of some forest, as he turned he saw a huge ominous looking mountain with a cave like entrance.

It was in the centre of the forest but because of the presence of the labyrinth even the forest seemed quite populated, there were a lot of shops and stalls; it was like a big market but they all stayed a safe distance away from the labyrinth, all the people were curiously gazing at the new arrival but didn't dare to get close because of the commanders and the royal guards.

All of them sensed the eerie energy lingering outside the labyrinth and instantly felt their excitement dwindle, but the presence of the four commanders and other warriors calmed them down.

"Let's head inside, there won't be anyone else entering for today so you can be relaxed." The first general spoke, as he then gave a few more instructions.

"Vritra, be careful inside." Vanessa said her brows knitted together, worry etched on her face.

"Yes mom, don't worry I will be fine." He replied giving a comforting smile, but couldn't give away the strange feeling he was getting.

Sighing Vanessa embraced him tightly, not wanting to separate from him after a few seconds she moved back and walked away towards her group.

As the groups separated and ventured into the labyrinth's first floor, Vritra fell behind the group walking vigilantly while tightly clutching the handle of the sword. The boys in the group eyed him warily but said nothing and just looked at him with mocking expressions.

The commander leading the group was wearing a shiny golden armor where aside from his eyes nothing else was visible, a sword was hanging around his waist as he ventured deeper into the labyrinth without any fear or hesitation; there were ten royal guards following the group.

The insides of the labyrinth appeared completely different from a normal cave, it was made of black stones and glowing stones were embedded in the wall.

"Alright, let's go find ourselves a demon," Max said, his voice dripping with bravado and a large grin on his face.

"You should know that the time inside a labyrinth moves slower compared, so a day outside will be longer inside but the difference is negligible at the first floor so you don't have to worry about it." The commander added.

They wandered through the maze-like corridors, the air heavy with tension. Vritra kept his senses on high alert, ready for any danger that might lurk around the corner especially from his own group.

Vritra walked silently behind the group, the commander occasionally pointed at different things saying a few facts while also praising his heroic deed of the past, the royal guards continued to chatter among themselves.

While the group of students laughed and joked without a worry while occasionally looking at Vritra and passing comments, the entrance was quite long they had to walk for over half an hour before they could even arrive at the entrance of the first floor of the labyrinth.

The labyrinth had ten floors, each floor going deeper underground and so far only up to ninth floor had been conquered since no one had been able to locate the entrance to the tenth floor yet, the commander even informed them about the types of demons that existed on each floor.

Even if all the demons on a floor are killed, more of them would appear after a certain period of time each floor was stretched over a large distance.

"And this is the entrance of the 1st floor of this labyrinth, there are other entrances too by which the other teams will enter. In any case the demons on the first floor will be quite scarce since we got it cleared right before arriving, therefore you can look around without any worry." The commander said as he pointed towards a large entrance.

As they walked inside, a stench of blood hit them; it smelled like rotten meat and the signs of blood on the ground proved that most of the demons on the first floor had indeed been cleared already.

Just after walking, all of them found themselves standing in a large space and in front of them dozens of paths were present. The commander walked in front of the group and then spoke in a heavy tone:

"Now, if you wish to look around by yourself you can go ahead, if you wish to walk in group then we will continue just like this and you can also bring one royal guard along to venture separately, but know that there is barely any demons left on this floor and even they would be at the lowest level so you won't have any trouble getting rid of them."

Several teenagers began to murmur among themselves, Vritra pondered for a few seconds; he did felt a sense of danger but believed that even if he and Max didn't have a good relation that bully still won't try to kill him, their moral values might change in the future but right now they still carried the same thinking as from the earth.

So he wasn't as worried about the other nine boys, as for the commander and the royal guards if they really tried to kill him, he won't be able to fight back so he came to a conclusion soon; hoping that his thoughts don't turn out to be true.

Taking a deep breath he stepped forward and spoke: "I would like to go alone."

The commander's gaze focussed on Vritra for a few seconds, then he nodded and pointed towards the various entrances, replying: "Sure, you can choose one of the path but be careful, there might still be lingering demons inside though if you wish you can take one of the guard along."

Shaking his head Vritra gazed at the entrances and just chose a random one since he couldn't get much information just based on that.

"It's alright, how long before I have to come back here?" Vritra asked as he began to walk forward.

"You can explore this place for over three hours and return by then, if you don't return by that time then I will send someone to look for you. Also don't go to the second floor, that place is still too dangerous for you." The commander instructed, then he moved his gaze back to the group.

The sound of their chatter and laughs became distant as Vritra walked through one of the entrance, he held the hilt of the sword tightly to draw it at any time even though this was the first time he was even holding one.

'The place is so quiet and the rotten smell just won't go away. I understand that it is important for all of us to get used to such an environment and to the sight of demons but is that the only reason behind this… adventure.' Vritra thought.

The corridor was lit with the glowing stones, making it as bright as outside.

After walking for some time he found himself standing in a large hall, there was not even a sound of a demon yet Vritra didn't relax as he cautiously observed the area around.

The hall was connected to dozens of rooms, halls and even a few corridor that could take him further.

'I guess I will just stay here in one of the rooms for three hours and then head out, even if the demons in this floor are weak I might be in trouble if they were to ambush me, plus there might be some traps.' After pondering for a few seconds, he pulled the sword out and held it tightly then he walked towards the first room and peeked inside.

The room was completely empty, there were no signs of demons but it was far from good enough for Vritra to rest since the whole floor was filled with blood and limbs of humans.

Frowning slightly, Vritra turned and decided to check the other rooms. He had fought so many times in the underground battles, many times even his life was in danger still this place was countless times more dangerous anything he'd faced before

The labyrinth's cold, damp air pressed against Vritra as he continued his solo exploration. He moved with slow and soundless steps, his senses on high alert, a constant watch for the unseen dangers that lurked within the stone walls.

Finally, after going through a few rooms and halls he found just the perfect place where he could stay for a couple of hours, and thankfully he didn't encounter any demons.

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Thanks for reading...

Death Canopy

Finally, after going through a few rooms and halls, Vritra found just the perfect place where he could stay for a few hours.

It was a hall with some blood on the walls but the place was in much better shape than the other ones for some reason, after entering Vritra first examined it with his gaze and then decided to look around and make sure there wasn't any danger.

He sheathed his sword and began to walk around.

Just as he got close to a corner, his hand instinctively reached for his sword as suddenly his foot pressed on a barely visible stone embedded in the ground.

All of a sudden there was a slight rumble in the ground.

A hidden pit yawned open before him, an endless darkness filling the pit; promising a nasty fall. Vritra's eyes widened and all his senses tingled as he felt the land beneath his feet vanish and found himself falling down into the trap, it was so sudden he couldn't even understand what had happened.

With a surge of adrenaline, he twisted his body mid-air, barely managing to grab the edge of the pit. His fingers strained as he pulled himself up, his muscles screaming in protest.

He lay panting on the floor, his heart hammering against his ribs from the sudden jump scare he just got it was a thousand times more scary than any of the horror games he had played, no fight he had fought in the arena could be compared to such an environment.

This was just the first floor, the supposedly easiest and safest one yet he almost lost his life within mere moments.

'That was such a Close call.' he thought, his gaze sweeping over the large hole that still remained there, this trap had undoubtedly swallowed quite a lot of people, no wonder this hall was cleaner than the others.

He was becoming more and more wary of this place as the labyrinth was proving to be a treacherous environment, filled with all kinds of hidden dangers.

As he examined the pit, his gaze fell upon a small torn bag hanging from a pointed tip on the wall, just a little further away from the entrance of the dark hole.

"It must have belonged to an adventurer who had fallen into this hole." Vritra mumbled as he stood up, the bag was barely hanging on.

Curiosity piqued, he cautiously approached, his senses on high alert. Leaning into the hole, he was able to retract the bag without much difficulty since it wasn't too far away.

As he opened it he found a stack of glass bottles, their contents glowing with a faint, ethereal light.

Vritra instantly recognized them.

Healing potions, mana potions, and even some that seemed to enhance strength and agility. Soon he found text written under the bottle, and somehow, he was able to understand the text though he wasn't much surprised.

"There are quite a few healing and mana regeneration potions, but it seems they are at intermediate rank; less effective than the ones that Diana provided us.

I already have one hundred of each, though only ten belong to me from each set. Anyway there are over thirty healing potions and twenty five mana regeneration potion; aside from that there are also these basic rank agility and strength enhancement potions, ten of each."

He read the details about the enhancing potions and found that they had the capability to enhance his speed and strength respectively by over twenty percent for over an twenty minutes.

He quickly stored the bottles in his inventory, his mind calculating their potential utility.

'These might be useful though I can get better ones from the goddess or the king.' he thought, but still feeling satisfied at finding something in this wretched place.

BUZZZZZZ!!

Just as he was about to turn, a jolt of electricity struck him from behind and surged through his body. His muscles seized, and his vision blurred.

A searing pain shot through his limbs, and he felt himself falling to his knees, his body trembling as the current crackled through his nerves. His breath hitched, and his vision darkened at the edges, but he fought to stay conscious.

His body refused to move no matter how much he tried.

He heard a faint voice in the distance that he could never fail to recognize, the sound was so low that he almost didn't hear it along with the sound of over a dozen footsteps.

"Whoa! It really hit him, don't tell me he died just from that. I was just planning to stun him, g- go ahead and take care of him." Max's voice, laced with surprise and satisfaction along with some fear, cut through his dazed senses.

"It is fine, I needed you to be a part of this too you will get used to such things soon, remember this is not your home.

That is the only way I can trust you and don't worry he is still breathing; his body is surprisingly strong and sturdy for just a deadweight. Anyway, just stay here while I finish the task." a heavy voice sounded next, mixed with the silent murmurs.

Using all the strength he could muster, Vritra pushed his body forward, pushing himself into the endless darkness, into the hole that still seemed better than certain death.

Who knows, there might actually be a chance to survive.

Seeing this, the commander rushed forward with all his might, his body becoming a blur as he appeared at the spot where Vritra was just moments ago, but it was too late and now he could only see Vritra plummet into the pit, the darkness swallowing him whole.

"Fuck!!" The commander cursed at the pitiful failure.

Vritra heard an angry roar of the commander that soon became distant, making him understand that just killing him wasn't their only motive; it seems the commander planned to take his dead body for some reason.

As he got away from one dangerous situation, Vritra found himself facing another life threatening event, as his body continued to fall, his senses had already started to return.

Vritra tried to slow himself down by grabbing something but it only resulted in injuries in his palms and fingers, within few seconds almost all his nails were ripped away and deep cuts appeared over his palms.

But still, he managed to rotate his body so as not to hit the floor with his head.

Finally, after a long fall, he landed with a sickening thud, his body aching and his vision swimming as pain coursed through his entire body, he could taste something metallic in his mouth and couldn't sense his legs.

His legs had borne most of the impact of the fall, so he was more than sure that both his legs were in extremely bad shape right now.

He attempted to get up, but his limbs felt heavy and unresponsive.

He lay there for a moment, trying to regain his senses. His body was completely numb, the aftereffects of the electric shock lingering. After taking few deep breaths he raised his head and look down at his feet and just as he had expected, his feet were a mess, up to his thighs the bones had completely shattered and had torn out of his skin, it was such a blood mess.

There were many other injuries all over his body but at least he succeeded in avoiding a certain death, if the pit wasn't slightly slanted then he would have definitely become a stain on the ground.

Once he could move his right hand, Vritra pulled one intermediate potion out of his inventory and gulped over half of it before putting it back.

Almost instantly, the pain was replaced by a warm feeling that swept across his entire body, he heard the sound of his bones crackling and within a few minutes, none of the previous injuries remained on his body.

The process was slightly painful but wonderous.

"This thing is truly magical, if it was back on earth there was no way my legs could ever be healed and here, I am completely fine within just a few minutes."

Vritra mumbled as he sat up and look down at his body, his clothes still remained bloodied and torn but his skin looked as smooth as ever without even a single scratch, even a couple of injuries in his arms he had from his fight in the arena disappeared.

"Fuck!!" he cursed, his jaw clenched. "Those assholes, all of them were a part of it. But why did they try to kill me?

Even if I have a shitty ability, that still won't explain it or maybe there is something they could obtain by killing the people who had come from the different world."

Vritra frowned at this thought, yet it made sense because of the commander's angry roar, which showed that they needed to get his body after killing him.

"So they picked me out since I have a shitty ability, is mom safe? She said she had an ability related to cooking right?" Vritra felt worry increase in his heart, but after thinking for a moment he realized that the people with the most useless abilities were either in group three or group four.

'So there is a high chance that she is safe and her ability isn't as simple as she made it seem.' He could only hope for now.

Vritra stood up and felt no pain in his body, then he decided to look around; the light in this place were dimmer than the first floor, so it took him a few seconds to see clearly.

As Vritra's vision cleared, he found himself gazing up at a towering wall—the very place he had plummeted from.

Turning to his left, he spotted another wall just a few meters away, its presence adding to the eerie vastness of the space.

Glancing right, he was met with the same sight. The realization settled in—he was trapped within an immense hall, its true scale yet unknown.

"Heh, so this fall killed so many people? This trap was certainly better than getting killed by that group…" Vritra mumbled to himself while stretching his body slightly.

Just then, a faint noise echoed from behind him.

He turned around and froze, Vritra's eyes opened wide and his heart beat increased like inflation in market. In front of him, the space seemed to be endlessly stretching without any end in sight but that wasn't the cause of his surprise.

In the dim light, he saw countless eyes glowing and staring at him, it was an endless horde of goblins. Their height was a little more than a meter tall, all of them were carrying heavy wooden staves or knives made of bones, the goblins growled as they glared at him.

__

[You have entered the Death Canopy.]

[A sealed extermination zone designed for absolute annihilation. A space present below the tenth floor of the labyrinth. Once inside, there is no exit, and an endless horde of demons will spawn, increasing in strength over time.

The attack will begin with demons from the 1st floor of the labyrinth, escalating in strength with each passing interval.

If the current wave fails to eliminate the intruder, demons from the next floor will be summoned after a certain period of time— progressing relentlessly up to the 10th floor.

There is no limit to their numbers, the onslaught will only stop with the death of the intruder.]

[Survival chance: None]

[Difficulty level: Impossible]

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"..."

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Thanks for reading...