BOOMBOOM
Fireworks exploded overhead as a young man stood on the edge of the crowd, hands in his coat pockets, watching the colors bloom against the night sky. It was New Year's Eve, but Nol Sage couldn't shake the unease curling in his gut.
The sky looked... darker. The air smelled off. Something about the moment felt wrong — deeply wrong — but around him, people cheered, laughed, and celebrated as if nothing was out of place.
"Is the problem with me?" Nol muttered under his breath. His intuition had never failed him before, yet now it screamed at him — get away. The center of the crowd felt dangerous.
Before he could dwell on it further, a loud cracking sound ripped through the air. He tilted his head up—and froze.
There, in the sky, was a fissure. A glowing split that shimmered like broken glass across the night.
"What's that?"
"Is that part of the show?"
Chatter rippled through the crowd, but Nol wasn't listening. The moment he saw the crack, his instincts screamed. Panic clawed up his spine. He took a step back, then another, keeping his eyes on the growing tear in the sky.
And then it widened.
From the crack, a monstrous figure emerged — a head without features, only runes and pulsating veins across skin like twisted flesh. Limbs followed, too many to count, some taller than others.
The crowd barely had time to scream before it dropped.
It landed with a sickening crash, crushing everyone beneath it. Screams rose, people scattered — but the thing kept moving, snatching and killing with terrifying speed.
Nol ran. He didn't look back, didn't scream. He only moved.
Until he couldn't.
His body froze mid-step — and a translucent screen flickered into view before him.
System Stabilizing...
System Loaded.
Welcome to the Ascension Trial.
You have been selected as a member of the Ruler Species of the world "Earth."
Initiating Starter Trials...
Teleporting...
"Where…?"
"What happened?!"
Confused voices echoed through a strange, white space. Nol stood among a crowd of equally dazed people. Around them was nothing — no buildings, no horizon, just endless white.
But then he looked down.
Below their feet, through a transparent floor, he saw an unfamiliar terrain, divided into five regions: snowy mountains, volcanic deserts, plains, forests, and at the center, a black spire surrounded by ruins.
A crushing pressure descended suddenly, making the air itself feel heavier. Everyone looked up, instinctively, including Nol.
Floating above them was a tall figure. Pale skin like chalk. Horns twisted like roots. Black voids in place of eyes.
When it spoke, the voice wasn't loud. It simply existed — as if the world itself carried its words into every bone.
[Greetings, humans of Earth.
I will be your host for the Starter Trial.
Pass, and you return home.
Fail, and you die.**]
Nol tensed. This thing — whatever it was — made that first monster feel almost tame. Its presence alone was terrifying.
[Without further ado... Let the trial begin.]
Trial of the Zone: EA4809
Objective: Survive in a monster-infested land for 30 days.
All humans have been scattered randomly across a 1000km x 1000km area.
Terrain varies by sector.
Forced Quest
• Type: Survival
• Timer: 0 / 30 Days
• Reward: (???)
• Penalty Upon Failure: Death
With that, everyone vanished.
Nol blinked—and found himself standing alone. A screen flickered in front of him.
Your Trial Is Starting…
You have received a Random Weapon Ticket. Choose one.
Dozens of glowing orbs appeared, floating around him — green, purple, white, blue, even golden. He had no idea what to do.
He reached toward a white one — then paused.
His instincts flared again, tugging his gaze left. There, half-hidden, was a single black orb. The moment he looked at it, he knew. That was the one.
He walked over and touched it.
You Have Chosen:
"Blood Sword (Rusted)"
Rank: Rare
This sword was once used by the Sovereign of Blood in his youth. It grows stronger by absorbing blood — from enemies or its owner.
A rusted sword materialized in front of him — black-edged, red-handled. It didn't look like much.
"…This?" Nol muttered, reaching out to grab it.
The moment he touched the hilt, the world warped again.
A second later, he was standing in a dense forest, the sword at his feet.
Nol looked around, disoriented. The forest was unnaturally quiet.
He spotted the rusted sword and picked it up. Surprisingly light.
"At least I can defend myself… I hope," he muttered. "if something like that appeared again i would rather kill myself than be caught."
He frowned, remembering something from novels. "Status screen…? System? Profile? …Status!"
A screen popped up.
Name: Nol Sage
Race: Human(?)
Class: None
Level: 1
Stats:
Health: 100/100
Stamina: 100/100
Mana: 0/0
Strength: 11
Agility: 9
Intelligence: 14
Willpower: 25
Perception: 27
Luck: 3
Remaining Stat Points: 0
Titles: None
Skills: None
But before he could close it, the screen flickered again.
Exclusive Skill Loading…
You have been granted the Exclusive Skill: All-Seeing Eye
"All-Seeing Eye"
Rank: E
Level: 1/10
Passive: View status windows of anything in sight
Active 1: Gain +100 Perception for 1 mana per minute
Active 2: Silence all senses except vision, gain +30% Perception boost for 5 minutes
Cooldown: 10 minutes
"All-Seeing Eye…?" Nol tested it out, activating it while focusing on a tree.
Elderly Corrupted Oak Tree
"Corrupted?" he muttered, uneasy. Unknown equals danger. Best to leave the forest fast.
He turned — then his instincts flared again.
He dodged left just in time — but not fast enough.
Pain seared through his side. He hit the ground, breath knocked out of him. Blood soaked his shirt. He looked — and saw a root, like a whip, pulling back into a nearby tree.
"Well... f**k me then," Nol gasped, clutching his side as he staggered to his feet.
He turned and ran.
He had no idea how to fight a murder tree — and he didn't plan to find out.