World's Last Hope

To be fair, Eric felt weird saying such things, but to his surprise, it actually seemed to work.

"Finally, a worthy chosen!" The old man got up and approached Eric with a smile on his face. "In that case, please follow me. We don't have time to waste."

"Wait, can't I at least get some clothes?" Eric didn't like the idea of going outside completely naked. If he was going to act as a leader, he at least wanted to maintain the image of a proper hero!

It definitely wasn't because he felt embarrassed being stared at by the beautiful priestesses, who for some reason seemed solely focused on his body—some with shocked expressions, others with startled ones.

"You should have received armor from the gods. You must use your system to summon it," the old man replied. He had already turned his back to Eric and was heading outside, clearly expecting him to follow.

'System, I have armor, right?! Put it on!' Eric didn't know if he could communicate with the system using his thoughts, but fortunately, it worked.

[WARNING}

[The cursed set has a severe side effect its recommended to read the negatives before-

'I don't care! Just put it on.' It seemed feeling the gaze of everyone in the cathedral made him more embarrassed than he expected.

Immediately, a dark armor covered his body, and on his back, a beautiful cloak made of red fabric appeared.

As the armor enveloped him, a surge of strength spread throughout his body—strength he didn't know he possessed.

He wasn't entirely sure, but he could swear he heard someone click their tongue behind him as soon as the armor concealed his naked form.

"Mister Eric, how old are you exactly?"

The voice belonged to a beautiful blonde woman with mesmerizing blue eyes, previously standing to the left of the old man. Her voice was like a melody, gentle and captivating.

Eric's heart skipped a beat as he met her gaze. The only way he could describe her was as a goddess. Trying to appear calm, he responded, "18 years of age. Oh, and you can call me Eric. There's no need for formalities."

The woman's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but she quickly regained her composure. "Aren't you from the place they call Earth?"

"Yes, I am… could I ask you for your name?"

"You can call me Aria."

"Nice to meet you, Aria." Eric tried to mask his nervousness with a smile.

Her lips curved into a gentle smile, but her piercing gaze seemed to see straight through him. "The pleasure is mine, Eric. I look forward to seeing what you're capable of."

Aria continued walking, her expression distant, as if lost in thought. Glancing around, Eric noticed that everyone else in the cathedral seemed equally absorbed in their own contemplations. What occupied their minds, he could only guess.

However, one thought ran through the minds of everyone present: If this individual is from the safe haven called Earth and is so young, why does he possess a body like that?

The reason summoned individuals always appeared naked was to allow the priests and priestesses to gauge their strength by examining their physical forms. That explained the intense stares he had received earlier.

And all of them had come to the same conclusion: Eric had the body of a seasoned veteran—one that could only be achieved through decades of grueling training. Yet, he was only 18 years old.

'He just might be the real deal, unlike the thousands who were sent before him' Aria thought, her reasoning mirroring that of everyone around her.

As Eric followed the old man, surrounded by priests and priestesses, they exited the cathedral. The moment they stepped outside, the acrid smell of fire hit Eric's nose, making him grimace. A torrent of screams from hundreds of people rang out, disorienting him for a moment.

Before them rose a towering wall made of what appeared to be silver, stretching 60 meters into the air. It loomed over everything in its vicinity, but it was clear that even this mighty barrier wasn't enough to fully protect the city.

Houses burned in every direction, and monstrous creatures with four wings rampaged through the streets. Their claws slashed through fleeing civilians with horrifying ease, leaving trails of destruction in their wake.

"Report!" the old man barked at a knight standing nearby, waiting anxiously for their arrival.

"Grandmaster Gryndor! We managed to stop the Grade-5 monster's advance, but in the meantime, several Grade-3 monsters flew over the walls and began wreaking havoc in the civilian district!"

The report was urgent, but Gryndor's mind was already racing.

'The situation isn't as bad as we feared, but the appearance of the Grade-3 monsters wasn't something we accounted for. Even with the chosen one summoned, he wouldn't be able to immediately learn how to use his new abilities. So, not only do we have to spread our forces to deal with the rampaging monsters, but we'll also need to protect Eric until he's familiar with the system.'

With a plan forming in his mind, Gryndor turned around to explain it to the others.

But his eyes widened in shock when he saw that Eric and Aria were gone.

*****

"Stop! It's a Grade-3 monster, and you still haven't learned how to control your powers!" Aria shouted, running after Eric. Of course, she was faster, but Eric's sudden dash toward the nearest monster once he stepped outside was so unexpected that she needed a few seconds to catch up.

Eric wasn't the type to risk his life for a stranger, but when he exited the cathedral, his eyes locked onto the silhouette of a little girl about to be attacked by the flying abomination.

The sight of her reminded him of his sister. He knew he'd never see her again—she was in a different world—but from his perspective, only six hours had passed since he carried her injured body to the hospital. His body reacted on instinct, driven by the desire to protect the little girl who resembled his sister.

'System, weapon.'

Immediately, a black sword, about a meter long, materialized in his right hand. He was about five meters away from the monster.

'Summarize my offensive miracle.'

[Soul Flame: Once the target is cut, the flame continues burning until its death, but ke—]

Eric didn't have time to hear the rest of the explanation as the monster lunged at him, seemingly forgetting about the little girl.

Eric managed to dodge to the side and slashed at the creature with his sword. He had never used a sword in his life, so his technique was terrible, but he still managed to deliver a small wound to the creature's chest.

Immediately, gray flames erupted from the wound, staggering the monster for a moment.

The next second, a bolt of light shot from Aria's hand and collided with the creature, causing it to explode into a bloody paste.

"You need to be more careful. Your safety is our current priority—" Aria began, but her voice was cut short by Eric's shout.

"Are you all right?"

Eric's eyes lingered on the girl for a moment before a sharp pain struck his heart. 'Oh, she isn't my sister, is she?'

The little girl cried, looking up at Eric. "Thank you, mister! For saving my life! That was so scary!"

Not knowing how to comfort the crying girl, Eric awkwardly patted her on the head, which only made her cry harder.

"He just arrived and risked his life for a stranger before even managing to grasp his powers? He really might be different from the rest," Aria muttered to herself as she watched the young man try to console the crying girl.

Moments later, Gryndor reached their location.

"Eric! Please be more careful! Your life is more important than the rest of us! You must go to a safe place while we deal with the enemy!" Gryndor commanded, not wanting to risk the life of the last chosen one.

"It's okay," Aria replied, her gaze fixed on her grandfather.

"Aria?" Gryndor was momentarily surprised. He had never seen his granddaughter display such emotion in her voice—she was usually so composed. It made him wonder if she was closing herself off. The sudden change caught him off guard.

"I saw it firsthand. He is indeed different. He doesn't need an introduction to how things work. Not only that, but he also risked his life for a stranger. You go; I will personally protect Eric until you deal with the problem."

Gryndor hesitated, wanting to protest, but when he saw the determination in his granddaughter's eyes, he couldn't refuse.

"All right, just make sure he doesn't die."

As he finished speaking, lightning crackled beneath his feet, and he shot toward the wall with terrifying speed.

"So, Eric, care for a little chat?"

As Aria's voice reached Eric's ears, he turned to look at her, only to quickly look away, embarrassed by her gaze.

Now that she was forced into combat, Aria had discarded her white robe, revealing her stunning figure. The white armor she wore elevated her physique to a whole new level. If looking at her had made Eric's heart skip a beat before, now it felt as if it had stopped altogether.

'Man, she's so hot! Did I really have to be summoned naked in front of her?! Or, on second thought, maybe I should be glad about it?'

Not wanting to look awkward, Eric quickly responded.

"Sure, it would be my pleasure."