Introduction: In the sweltering heat of a suburban Orlando barbeque, 20-year-old Lux Meridian is doing his best to avoid awkward family small talk when his world is abruptly upended. A mysterious system announcement declares that Earth has been inducted into a cosmic defense protocol, and Lux鈥攁long with the rest of humanity鈥攊s thrust into a surreal, life-or-death tutorial. As time freezes and reality warps, Lux finds himself face-to-face with a shadowy figure that takes the form of his mother, guiding him through the system鈥檚 cryptic rules. He must navigate a dangerous tutorial world filled with unknown threats and challenges. Though he鈥檚 no hero and lacks the unbreakable spirit of a main character, Lux鈥檚 inner nerd and survival instincts kick in as he begins to adapt to his new reality.As he explores the eerie landscape, Lux grapples with the system鈥檚 harsh truths: death is a real possibility, and the tutorial is only the beginning. With no choice but to push forward, he must learn to rely on his wits, his newfound abilities, and the faint hope that he might just survive long enough to uncover the secrets of the system鈥攁nd his own potential....