I Was a Loner, but My Class Got Summoned to Another World…

Victor glided across the fields, his shadows propelling him at a speed that rivaled Logan's fastest bird. His destination was the city of Fludar, where he had been told the mages of the Red Iron Republic would teleport him to the nearest city under attack by the demons.

He tried to recall the name of the city where the demon invasion began. It was a coastal settlement, its shores serving as the landing point for the invaders. Within days, the demons had transformed it into a bizarre fortress through the use of magic.

The transformation was beyond anything anyone had anticipated. Each arriving ship contributed to the fortress, with earth magic binding the vessels to the shore. The result was a stronghold with formidable defenses on both land and sea—massive walls that were nearly impenetrable, and access to the water that allowed the demons to retreat with ease when necessary.

Victor, like many other heroes, was determined to level up quickly and reach the next breakthrough. Everyone knew that the first to achieve it would earn an extra prize. Yet, despite his resolve, Victor couldn't shake the feeling that he wouldn't be the one to cross the threshold first. He had managed to reach level 68 by using Logan's magical crystals, gaining five levels while in his hometown.

His ability to summon an army of shadows made him a formidable force on the battlefield, but beyond combat, the shadows were of little use. They lacked intelligence, leaving Victor unable to delegate tasks or find alternative ways to earn money. As a result, he had to rely solely on himself for income, which meant he couldn't afford enough crystals to continue advancing. He knew others faced the same challenge, except, perhaps, for Logan—the creator of the magical crystals—whose unique ability to grow stronger with every creature he tamed gave him an undeniable edge.

None of the heroes knew each other's exact levels, making it difficult to gauge who was leading the pack. However, the opportunity to fight demons presented a chance to level up quickly, and Victor was determined to seize it.

That's why he was rushing today—he aimed to be among the first to reach the battlefield and slaughter as many demons as possible. Utilizing the shadows of trees and towering landforms, he pressed on with relentless speed. By the end of the day, he arrived at his destination. Now, he planned to rest and gather his strength for the coming battle.

Half a day later, Victor finally reached the city. He was promptly escorted with urgency to the teleportation array, where he encountered three individuals he had hoped to avoid—Brian, Jonathan, and George.

Victor's animosity toward them stemmed from his fiercely competitive nature. He knew the trio's strength was amplified when they worked together, making them a formidable group. As a loner, Victor understood that his own progress would be slower, yet he trusted in the potential of his shadows to help close the gap. After all, with each enemy slain, their power would surely grow.

"Tsk… The shadow is here, huh? Did anyone else show up? I don't need more competition," Brian remarked with a sharp click of his tongue, his expression laced with disdain.

"No, but if you don't start calling me by my name, I won't hesitate to make you one of my shadows," Victor retorted, a smirk tugging at his lips. "If you've forgotten, I saved your neck last time. The least you can do is show some respect." As he spoke, three shadows emerged behind him, adding weight to his words.

They were three of the most formidable creatures he had slain so far. For Victor, the labyrinth offered a unique advantage—it allowed him to capture the shadows of monsters at the cost of mana stones.

One of these shadows was an earth werebeast, a tiger with a humanoid body. It didn't resemble a human, though; it was merely a tiger capable of walking on two legs. Another was a lizardman, able to retain its water magic even in shadow form, as shadows preserved their original elemental abilities.

The third was perhaps the strangest of them all—a powerful demon Victor had defeated in the Pearl Islands. Unlike the other shadows, this one retained a fragment of its intelligence for reasons Victor couldn't explain. He even swore he had seen it attempting to learn speech, making it a curious and unsettling addition to his collection.

Though Brian had been saved by Victor before, he remained oblivious to the shadow hero's true strength. While he couldn't deny the past debt, it meant little to the man he was now. Confident in his abilities and his status as the strongest hero at level 71, Brian even entertained the idea that he could best Victor if it came down to it.

Before tensions could escalate, a burly man clad in plated armor stepped forward, tasked with maintaining order. No one could see his knees trembling beneath the heavy armor, yet he faced the group with unwavering resolve.

"Heroes, we appreciate your assistance and ask that you settle your differences on the battlefield. The crystals have been properly calibrated, and we are now prepared to teleport the five of you—along with your belongings and mounts—to your destination," the man announced. His gaze shifted momentarily to the Pegasus mounts, a source of pride for the Elris Kingdom, as the caretaker worked to keep them calm and prevent unnecessary wing-flapping.

"Fine, but only because you made a valid point," Brian retorted. He returned to the teleportation array, arms crossed in defiance, while waiting for his caretaker to bring his beast into the array.

It didn't take long for the four heroes and the caretaker to reach the nearest city. Upon arrival, Victor wasted no time, gliding off using nearby shadows. He wanted to survey the area before joining the fight. The city was a small coastal settlement, and from his vantage point, he could see the fortress looming in the distance. The massive structure stood at an imposing thirty meters high, its width stretching at least seventy meters from one edge to the other—an impressive feat for something constructed in just a few days.

Victor noticed more boats arriving, each one connecting itself to the growing fortress. This could only mean that the real battle was yet to begin.

His three shadows were spread throughout the town, each providing him with a view of the surroundings and the activity of the guards. The streets were eerily empty, with only mercenaries and soldiers rushing about. One of his shadows, which had infiltrated the largest barracks, observed soldiers mobilizing and preparing large-scale weapons for the impending fight.

Victor's final shadow observed the unfolding battle from a strategic vantage point. Neither side was suffering casualties, as the confrontation was limited to waves of long-range magic volleying back and forth. Mages on both sides erected barriers to shield against incoming attacks, while long-range classes unleashed their deadliest skills, searching for a weakness in the fortress's defenses.

Despite the lack of progress, the blasts reverberated across the battlefield, instilling fear in all who witnessed the spectacle. Amid the chaos, Victor's shadow caught snippets of a conversation between one of the highest-ranked generals.

"I've heard some heroes have arrived," the general remarked. "This is good news, as I anticipate the real battle will begin in two days. We need to keep them here until then, so instruct the mages to conserve mana and reduce unnecessary expenditure. More of our soldiers are en route, and we'll need all the resources we can muster when the battle starts."