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

Returning to his mansion, Logan's mind was already racing ahead to his next destination. With Cindra, his newly evolved Prima Draconic Hydra representing fire, the ancient ent for earth, Wyver the ice drake for water, the great thunderbird for storms, and the dormant darkness elemental egg refusing to hatch no matter how many darkness crystals he fed it, a problem he would need to resolve later.

He needed creatures blessed by wind and light.

Tracking down the wind temple would take time, and for now, heading to the Kingdom of Elris to find a light elemental seemed like the only realistic goal.

Yet there were complications with this plan.

His relationship with Elris was strained—not only because he had claimed a large section of their territory, a debt he was still slowly paying—but also because Brian remained there. Logan didn't fear the boy; rather, he minded what the kingdom might do if a confrontation broke out.

As he walked through the streets of Rosethorn, his thoughts remained heavy.

The midday sun was high, casting sharp shadows across the walls and courtyards. Most of the heroes were away, fulfilling their duties. Two groups had ventured deep into the labyrinth, advancing exploration, while another team worked in the Pearl Isles, aiding in the reconstruction of the capital.

For now, Rosethorn was quiet and peaceful.

But Logan knew better than to trust that silence for long.

The boy yawned a few times before stopping near Marie, who was seated beside his throne. She had various terminals active, each displaying reports and surveillance feeds tracking the heroes' activities across the kingdom.

"Anything interesting?" Logan asked, leaning closer.

Marie jolted slightly, disturbed from her concentration.

"Nothing... yet," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been keeping a close watch on the heroes inside the labyrinth. They just reached the 70th floor. The real battle is about to begin."

She tapped a few keys, enlarging one of the live feeds.

"The previous floor was dangerous, but with the help of your warks and goblins, they managed to overrun the large beast stationed there. This time, though, things are different."

Marie pointed at the screen, which showed a group of eight moving cautiously through the narrow corridors.

"They can't rely on numbers now. The pathways are too tight. It'll be a few against a single large boss—hopefully something manageable."

Logan folded his arms, watching the footage with a curiosity.

This was the true test—not just of the heroes' strength, but of their ability to adapt without the overwhelming force of his creatures backing them.

Darin, Carla, Yui, and Ren walked near the camera's view, while Chris, Mai, Charlie, and Owen moved on the other side.

Logan originally thought there were only eight until he noticed Lisa was the one the camera was following. Her beautiful hair occasionally flickered into view, meaning the camera must have been mounted around her shoulder.

On another screen, he spotted Ms. Claire giving orders. This time, the camera followed her as Victor, Alberto, Jin, and Bobby helped clear away the debris in the Pearl Isles.

"We had some problems deciding who would fight and who would go south to help," Marie added, glancing up from her terminals. "In the end, we settled it with a coin toss. Luckily, everyone accepted the arrangement."

Logan was about to hug Marie who kept her eyes on the screen when he felt someone latch onto his back.

"You're back!" Alma's voice chimed warmly. She wrapped herself around him, resting her forehead against his back. "I was wondering how it went with the hydra. We need to tie a camera to you too…"

Logan chuckled.

"You think I could keep it steady with how the fight against the hydra went. At least we gained a powerful new ally. You should check her out later—she's even bigger than Scorch."

Alma let out a soft laugh while she nodded in response, as for Logan he returned his attention back to the screens.

In the labyrinth, the group of nine cautiously advanced down the narrow passage. Lisa was riding atop Orus, her sturdy mount lumbering carefully through the tight space. Though Orus struggled a little, his presence meant Lisa didn't have to burn too much mana healing the others.

Soon, the cramped corridor widened into a large open chamber. In the center lay a massive figure, asleep.

Its golden body slowly rose and fell with each breath, the sound of snoring reverberating through the stone halls.

Each intake of air sucked the oxygen from the passage, pulling their hair forward, while the creature's exhale pushed it backward in powerful gusts.

The beast was larger than they expected.

It stretched at least six meters long, resembling a massive lion made of gold. Except its face — its face looked eerily human. Everyone found it strange and unsettling, the creature didn't seem to notice them at first, its body still resting as they approached.

Only when they got close enough for its nose to twitch did it react.

Its catlike whiskers quivered, taking in everyone's positions in the group.

The heroes stayed silent, communicating only through hand signals as they moved into formation. The mages took their places first, already familiar with who needed to stand apart — Carla, the water mage, positioned herself far from Charlie, the fire mage, to avoid mana interference.

Next came the tanks, their heavy armor clinking softly despite their efforts to stay quiet.

The massive golden beast began to rise. Its humanlike eyes scanned around, confused at first — then intrigued.

Why was food coming directly to it? Perfect. No need to hunt today.

Owen had already silently prepared an arrow skill, his body tense, finger resting on the limit, ready to fire.

The moment came.

"Now!" his voice rang out, sharp and urgent.

The arrow shot forward with a sharp hiss. As it climbed into the air, it split — ten arrows now, each seeking a weak point on the beast's body.

The great sphinx stirred. It tried to leap back, but its massive body couldn't move fast enough. The arrows homed in... yet instead of sinking into flesh, all they heard were harsh metallic clanks.

Each arrow bounced off as if they'd struck solid stone.

"Tough skin! We'll need to weaken it with magic!" Chris shouted from the front.

He hid behind his enormous shield, the heavy slab of metal nearly matching his own towering frame, now close to two meters tall.

Charlie, Mai, Carla, and Darin all unleashed volleys of projectiles, each laced with their respective elements. Explosions echoed through the corridor, shaking the ground as fire, ice, water, and wind clashed against the Sphinx.

A massive roar tore from the creature as the blasts pushed it back, its golden body sliding across the stone floor.

When the dust cleared, everyone tensed.

The Sphinx stood there, almost unfazed. Its skin was barely scratched.

"Damn it! We need another strategy! This monster's defense is too high!" Ren growled, glancing around, his heart pounding.

He especially worried about his sister, Yui. She was busy sneaking around the Sphinx's rear. Her class allowed her to spot enemy weaknesses, but she needed to get dangerously close to succeed.

Ren strained his eyes, searching for her. She should be in a semi-invisible state, blending with the surroundings, but the moment the Sphinx jolted in surprise, he realized it had noticed her.

Without hesitation, Ren charged forward, swinging his massive sword. Metal clanged against golden armor, deflecting the blow, but he managed to stagger the beast slightly, buying precious seconds.

"Get back, Yui! We need to wait until it's distracted before you move in again!" he shouted, desperate.

But Yui didn't move immediately. Her eyes stayed locked onto the Sphinx's paw, analyzing it for a heartbeat longer. Then, with a quick leap, she darted back to safety, her movement swift and sharp.

"I found its weakness!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos. "The skin— it's not natural! We need to tear it off, its like an armor! Focus your attacks on one spot until we expose the skin underneath!"

She prayed the human-faced beast didn't understand their language — because now, they had a real chance.

Ren stayed close to the beast, keeping its attention locked onto him. His offensive power wasn't enough to bring it down, but that wasn't his role anymore. He had to be the shield, the distraction, giving the others the opening they needed.

Mai slipped in beside Owen, already understanding what he needed. Her wind magic would strengthen his arrows, giving them sharper penetration. Charlie joined them too, his fire element ready to add explosive force to the strikes.

Meanwhile, Darin and Carla took up defensive roles. Earth walls and ice spikes were prepared, forming barriers to slow the Sphinx if it tried to charge at the group.

Owen nocked another arrow, his hand steady. His volley flew, not wildly — but calculated. Each shot was meant to pull the Sphinx's gaze, to keep it occupied. Only one of the arrows, however, was truly meant to strike.

That one arrow, infused with both wind and fire, streaked through the air toward the beast's spine.

The impact was immediate. Explosions rang out as the arrows struck the Sphinx's golden hide, scattering sparks and fragments.

The Sphinx roared, its massive body lurching as it realized the trick too late.

On its back, where the real arrow had landed, a crack split open the thick golden armor. Two of Owen's arrows pierced through, embedding themselves deep into the exposed flesh beneath.

The first true wound had been made.