《Struggle For Supremacy》 Chapter 1: Welcome to the System I woke up lying in a cold, musty, dimly lit, hard stone room. There was nothing in it, and it seemed to be a perfect cube. After looking around, I only saw one deviation from the perfectly smooth stone walls, an old looking wood door at the far end of the room. ¡°Well, this is odd,¡± I thought to myself. After all, I do remember going to sleep in my cozy little apartment in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. And this was certainly not my cozy little apartment in the suburbs of Toronto. ¡°Well,¡± I said, ¡°Why not go and have a look at that door, eh Jack?¡± So, I stood up, and walked over to the wooden door. As I approached it, I noticed some irregularities. For one, it didn¡¯t seem to have any hinges. It had a knob, but no lock, and no window to see through the door. Looking closer, there seemed to be weird symbols on it, mostly geometrical. But the weird thing was, it looked completely natural. ¡°How does this work!¡± I exclaimed. There is literally no wood in the world that could look like this, and I would probably know if there was, as a prospecting botanist, at least before all this happened. Looking at the door a little longer, I noticed something odd about the symbols, as a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu began to form. ¡°Is it just me, or do those look like the writing in the book that Gramps was always reading when he babysat me, and my sister, eh?¡± Of course, no one responded. ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s not suspicious at all.¡± After inspecting the door, I got a great idea. ¡°Hey. What happens if I touch it?¡± I wondered. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine, because you know, what could possibly go wrong, right?¡± Of course, as soon as I touched it, things went weird. A screen suddenly popped up in front of me, saying: Initiating Planet . . . Planet Mass: Low F-Grade Planet Energy: Error . . . Energy below F-Grade Calculating . . . Please wait . . . Solution Found: Merging Planets . . . Suddenly, the room started to shake a bit. ¡°What the hell is happening!¡± I yelled. Then, it stopped. There seemed to be no damage done to the room, with its stone walls as pristine as ever. New Planet Mass: Low D-Grade New Planet Energy: Mid D-Grade Welcome to the System, Cultivator. To access your status, please think ¡°Status¡±. ¡°What the hell is this!¡± I shouted, before wincing, as the sound ricocheted off the smooth stone walls. ¡°Is this a prank?¡± I wondered. Maybe . . . I thought, ¡°Status.¡± Suddenly, a new screen appeared in my vision. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Status Name: Jack Goldring Age: 18 Species: Human (G) Loyalty: - Core Attunement: Wind Core Sub-Attunement: Sword Core Level: 1 Credits: 0 Skills: - Titles: Cultivator (All stats + 5%), Integration (All stats +10%) Health: 50/50 (5/hour) Stamina: 60/60 (6/hour) Mana: 70/70 (6/hour) Attributes: Dex: 8 (115%) 9 Str: 6 (115%) 7 Vit: 4 (115%) 5 End: 5 (115%) 6 Wis: 5 (115%) 6 Int: 6 (115%) 7 Per: 7 (115%) 8 Lck: 4 (115%) 5 Free Points: 2 ¡°Okay, it¡¯s confirmed, this is crazy!¡± I exclaimed, as I looked over my Status. In it I saw, obviously, my name, my age, and then my species, which was a bit odd, as it made one believe that there were other kinds of species out there, which kind of made sense. There was also my Loyalty, which was blank, and then there were several things about my Core. There was my Core Attunement, which was wind, and then there was my Core Sub-Attunement, which was sword. ¡°Okay. How am I freaking attuned to Sword. How does that work!¡± I yelled, ¡°That literally makes no sense. When I was little, my mom literally didn¡¯t let me touch a knife until I was 12, because I almost cut one of my fingers off! Now, honestly, if someone handed me a sword, I¡¯d probably poke my eye out. How did this system even decide that?¡± The last thing under Core was the Core Level, which was just 1. There were also credits, which was probably just a currency, and then skills, which were blank, even though I thought that I was pretty skilled, and titles, which I had two of, both giving a percentage increase to all of my stats, 5% and 10% respectively. Then there were health, stamina, and mana, which seemed to be based off of my attributes, with different regeneration speeds, too. I had eight attributes, Dexterity, Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Wisdom, Intelligence, Perception, and Luck. Health seemed to be Vitality times ten, Stamina seemed to be Endurance times ten, and Mana, which probably was like magical fuel, was Wisdom times ten. ¡°Okay, so my Vitality is kind of trash, along with my Luck, but that makes sense, as I kind of just sit on my couch and play video games, these days, when I¡¯m not studying, and, well, my Luck is kind of the reason I had to do that.¡± The regeneration for Health was also my Vitality, with the regeneration for Stamina being my Endurance, and the regen for Mana was Intelligence, not Wisdom. ¡°Mana regen tied to Intelligence? Sounds about right¡ªplants can photosynthesize, so maybe this is my brain¡¯s version of that. Science for the win, I guess!¡± Finally, there were also two Free Points, which I think that I could put into any attribute, but I held off on distributing them for now. ¡°Well, Jack, you¡¯re officially a cultivator now. Whatever that means. Guess it¡¯s time to figure out how to open this door¡ªand pray there¡¯s not a dragon waiting on the other side.¡± With that, I made the brilliant choice to once again touch the door. Chapter 2: Special? As I touched the door, a feeling of dread came over me, unlike anything I''d ever felt¡ªa sudden weight pressing on my chest, my breath hitching as if I was standing at the edge of a vast abyss. But it left as quickly as it came. Instead, it was replaced by a stretching feeling, and then a sense of vertigo, as I disappeared from the room. I had closed my eyes, but then, I was forcibly stopped. I opened my eyes and looked around, but there was nothing to see, except for those same strange geometrical symbols that stirred something deep inside me, pulsing to some unknown, mysterious beat, and floating in blackness. Blackness was the only way to describe it. It was the true absence of light, the void. The void felt cold and oppressive, as though the absence of light carried a tangible weight, pressing against my skin. The symbols seemed to pulse in time with my own heartbeat¡ªor was my heart keeping time with them? I couldn¡¯t tell, and that scared me more than the empty blackness all around. Out of nowhere, a voice came, the first voice I have heard since the system came. It was deep and resonant, reverberating through the void as if it spoke directly into my mind. ¡°Greetings, young one.¡± It greeted me, ¡°I see Dodec has marked you. I will be having a word about this to him. Balance must be observed. Continue on your way, young one.¡± The name Dodec stirred some memories, but once again, I could not quite place where they were from. I felt warmth, like I was familiar with him, but yet there was also some further depth to him, like a predator waiting to strike. With that, I stretched once more, but this time, when I opened my eyes, I was in another stone room, but this time, there was a plain wooden desk. Behind the desk, there was a thing. It was a completely white, humanoid shape. It said: ¡°Hello. Welcome to the Tutorial Briefing. The Tutorial will begin in five minutes.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Who are you?¡± I quickly interrupted. ¡°I am a representation of the System.¡± It replied. I then quickly tried to ask about who I met in the void-like place, but my tongue failed me. I was absolutely incapable of talking about the meeting. So instead, I quickly asked the first question that came to mind. ¡°What am I?¡± The System replied, ¡°You are a cultivator, a being that can absorb Essence to advance your core, by either absorbing it from where it naturally resides all around us, or if you are more martial minded, absorb it from your slain enemies.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± I thought to myself. ¡°Absorbing essence? From nature or... enemies? What kind of RPG nightmare have I landed myself in?¡± ¡°The Tutorial Rules are as follows:¡± A new screen popped up in my vision. Tutorial Rules ¡°So, encouraging people to kill other people doesn¡¯t make me trust the System much more.¡± But I kept that unsaid. ¡°Mandatory missions every 48 hours? Death rates up to 99%? Oh sure, this all sounds like a fantastic idea. Let me just sign my life away right now.¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t voice these complaints, and instead asked another question. ¡°What¡¯s my core?¡± I asked. ¡°It is the core of your existence, holding all of your archives. You advance it by gaining essence by absorbing it from where it naturally resides all around us, absorbing it from your slain enemies, or completing successful crafts. There is a path for everyone, but everyone must Struggle For Supremacy. Entering Tutorial in two seconds.¡± ¡°Wait! What is the Syst-¡± But my protest died in my throat as the world around me flickered and dissolved, bringing back the vertigo and stretching feeling. Whatever the Tutorial was, I had a sinking feeling it wouldn''t be a walk in the park. ¡°Entering Tutorial.¡± Chapter 3: Tutorial I was on a circular stone platform, in a shaft of stone that extended beyond what I could see. Suddenly, in a flash of light, four other people appeared on the platform. There were two teenage girls, who seemed to recognize each other, and immediately started to talk. Us three boys just eyed each other, but eventually the older guy wearing a suit and tie, with grey hair asked: ¡°Who are you guys?¡± One of them, the tall brunette woman, replied, ¡°I¡¯m Maria.¡± The other woman quietly said, ¡°Leah.¡± I then said that I was called Jack, and the last man, a guy with brown eyes and black hair said that his name was Jake. Apparently, the guy who spoke up was called Thomas, and was an office manager in Toronto before all this craziness went down, and was driving home from a late night at work when we got teleported to the tutorial. The two girls were in grade 12 of high school, and were on a walk in a park when all this happened. Jake worked as a financial advisor, and I actually recognized him, as he was one of the other tenants in my apartment. ¡°Wait, where are your apartments, again?¡± Thomas asked. Jake answered, ¡°At the corner of Bathurst Street and Ridgewood Road, right next to Ridgewood Park.¡± Then I understood. ¡°Wait,¡± I asked the girls, ¡°Were you guys perhaps walking in Ridgewood Park?¡± Maria confirmed my suspicions. ¡°Yeah, we were, that makes sense actually.¡± ¡°And I was driving on Bathurst Street, probably around the park when the System came,¡± Thomas said. ¡°Yeah, the System probably puts us in groups based on our location.¡± After confirming that their grouping was likely based on proximity to Ridgewood Park, the conversation drifted. Thomas, always eager to lead, clapped his hands and said, ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ve got location sorted. What next?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Jack hesitated, the nagging question forming in the back of his mind. ¡°Wait,¡± he said slowly, looking around at the others, ¡°why were we grouped together?¡± The rest of the group fell silent, glancing at one another uncertainty. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just say it¡¯s probably because we were all near Ridgewood Park?¡± Maria offered, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, but...¡± Jack frowned, struggling to put his thoughts into words. ¡°Why us specifically? What makes this group the right combination? There were like fifty other people in our apartment. Why us?¡± For a brief moment, the air felt heavy, with Jack feeling like someone was watching him, but then Jake crossed his arms, scowling. ¡°What are you getting at? You think the System has some... ulterior motive?¡± Jack shrugged, trying to hide the unease crawling along his spine as the moment passed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it¡¯s nothing. But the System, or whoever is behind it hasn¡¯t exactly been transparent so far, has it?¡± Thomas gave a low chuckle, an edge of nervousness creeping into his voice. ¡°Look, let¡¯s not overthink it. We¡¯ll deal with whatever¡¯s next when we get there.¡± The others nodded, eager to move on, but Jack couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something about their grouping¡ªand his place in it¡ªwasn¡¯t as simple as proximity. After this, we made small talk for a bit, before Thomas asked, ¡°So, what are all your attunements? Mine are Earth and Shield.¡± Maria said that hers were Earth and Staff, and Jake said that his was Shadow and Dagger. ¡°Mine are Sun, and Bow,¡± Leah said. ¡°And mine are Wind and Sword.¡± I said. ¡°So that probably makes me the tank, Maria the mage or damage dealer, Jake the assassin, Leah the archer or healer, and Jack the spellsword damage dealer.¡± Thomas added. ¡°Well, that makes sense,¡± I said, relying on my history of various RPGs. ¡°Well, what do we do now?¡± Jake asked. As he said this, a screen popped up. Please distribute all Free Points before starting the Tutorial. ¡°Okay,¡± Thomas said, ¡°I put mine in Endurance.¡± ¡°Mine are in Strength, and Leah put one in Dexterity and one in Wisdom,¡± Maria said. Jake put one in Perception and one in Dexterity, and I did the same. I felt a huge rush, and felt like I was speed incarnate, and the world seemed to be moving slower around me. Then it all passed, and the world was back to normal again, albeit with me a little faster. When we finished distributing our stats, another screen showed up. Tutorial Panel Time remaining: 59 Days, 23 hours, 47 minutes, 21 seconds Survivors left: 9992 Average Level: 1 Tutorial Points (TP): 0 As soon as the message showed, our platform began to descend, and yet another message came. Welcome to the tutorial. Remember: Struggle For Supremacy. Chapter 4: Planning As the platform began to descend, the air around us shifted. It wasn¡¯t just a sensation¡ªit was a fundamental change in reality itself. The walls of the shaft dissolved into an endless expanse of shimmering colors, rippling like liquid metal. For a brief moment, I felt like the colors bent toward me, as if the entire expanse had singled me out. It was fleeting, and I couldn¡¯t be sure if it was real or my mind playing tricks, but a strange heaviness settled in my chest. No one else seemed to notice. Time felt strange here. I couldn¡¯t tell whether we were falling for seconds, minutes, or hours. The platform didn¡¯t seem to move in a straight line¡ªat times, I felt we were rising, spiraling, or even turning upside down, though we never lost our footing. As I stared into the infinite expanse around us, faint shapes began to emerge. At first, they seemed like distant stars, but as they moved closer, I realized they were symbols¡ªcomplex geometrical patterns not unlike the ones I¡¯d seen on the door. My breath hitched as one symbol lingered directly in front of me, pulsing slowly, as if reaching out. I thought I heard a faint whisper¡ªmy name, or something that sounded eerily like it¡ªbut when I turned to the others, none of them seemed to notice. And then the sounds began. A low hum filled the air, vibrating in my chest like the deep drone of a massive engine. It shifted into a haunting melody, notes bending in and out of tune as if the music itself was alive. Whispers accompanied it, faint and unintelligible, as though the very fabric of this place was trying to communicate. For a moment, I thought I caught movement out of the corner of my eye¡ªa large shadow gliding through the shifting colors. It was there, and then it wasn¡¯t, but in that brief moment, I felt something unsettling. Not fear exactly, but something stranger, something closer to familiarity¡ªlike the shadow knew me, and I should know it. I turned my head sharply, but there was nothing there. Or at least, nothing my eyes could comprehend. Just as I thought we might be trapped in this otherworldly limbo forever, the platform slowed. The swirling expanse around us collapsed inward, the kaleidoscope of colors shrinking into a single pinprick of light. For a heartbeat, the silence was absolute, until a low hum rose from below, vibrating through the platform and my chest. I could¡¯ve sworn the patterns around us pulsed faster, almost as if they were... aware. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. And then we burst out of the ground, blinding light assaulting us from the sun. Looking around, we were on grass, with a forest arou-. My mind cut out. Wait. Grass. Where the stone was. We were in a clearing of uneven grass, and around us was a forest. It was very densely packed, but there was one dirt path leading into the forest. Before I could mention this, I spoke up, saying: ¡°Okay guys, look at the Tutorial Panel.¡± I urged. ¡°It says that there are only 9,992 people left. And do you know what that is, or really, isn¡¯t. It¡¯s not divisible by 5. But do you know what is, and is a nice, even number. 10,000, which is 8 off. All this tells me that at least 2 people might have lashed out and killed their whole group.¡± The others flinched at my grim logic, but before anyone could reply, the numbers on the panel flickered¡ªjust once. A brief flicker, like the System itself, or the thing controlling it was... amused. The others didn¡¯t seem to notice, but unease crept up my spine. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s quite dark.¡± Jake said, ¡°But can we just focus on ourselves right now, not others.¡± ¡°Fine. . .¡± I said. ¡°Okay!¡± Thomas chirped, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just figure out our plans from now on, eh?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a trail that looks as good a place to go as anywhere,¡± Maria pointed out, then asked Thomas, ¡°Do you think that there will be any beasts outside of missions?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out.¡± He replied. I thought to myself, ¡°Yup, we¡¯ll find out alright. We¡¯ll find out when we¡¯re gored on the tusk of a giant boar or something.¡± Jake then said, ¡°Well, if we¡¯re going to do this, then we¡¯ll probably need a leader, so I nominated Thomas, as he seems to be capable, and with his previous job as a manager, he should be good at this, and have experience dealing with people, right?¡± Leah seconded it, ¡°Yeah, good idea, he seems great!¡± Maria also agreed, with an excited, ¡°Yes!¡± That made me wonder what she was playing at. Finally, I agreed, saying, ¡°Sure,¡± even though internally, I did not entirely agree. Thomas spoke up. ¡°Well, if you guys are happy to let me lead you, it would be an honor to have you guys.¡± Thomas immediately jumped into his new role, saying, ¡°Now that we¡¯re all set, why don¡¯t we head down that trail, and see what we find.¡± Maria agreed, ¡°Yeah, and hopefully there is a camp or something down there.¡± The group began to move, but as I stepped off the platform, a twinge of resistance shot through me¡ªlike an invisible thread tried to hold me back. I froze for just a moment, the faint sense of being watched returning. I turned, but there was nothing. Shaking my head, I followed the others, the unease sticking with me. And so, we set off down the trail. Chapter 5: Tutorial Town So, we set off along the path, amidst thousands of acres of forest. After about a half-hour of walking, oddly enough without any sightings of beasts or monsters, or even any other people, Jake, who had the best Perception of everyone in our group, made an announcement. ¡°Guys!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°I think I can see an opening in the trees ahead.¡± As the rest of our group caught up to him and then got closer to the supposed clearing, the rest of us saw it. After another 5 minutes of walking in silence, we arrived at the clearing. In the clearing, there lay a small town. ¡°Okay, this is a bit odd,¡± Thomas said, ¡°The town seems to be completely and utterly deserted.¡± And it was, with no beasts, monsters, or humans. Maria wondered, ¡°Maybe the rest of the people have not gotten here yet? We left fairly quickly, and maybe most people didn¡¯t trust the pathway?¡± ¡°I mean, it makes sense. We were teleported to a random forest, with no apparent civilization, and told that we were allowed to kill each other.¡± Jake said, ¡°I was nervous too.¡± I agreed outwardly, but inwardly, I doubted that that was the only reason. ¡°Well, I mean, it doesn¡¯t really matter a whole lot, right?¡± I asked myself. Later, it turned out that it did actually matter quite a bit. As we approached and entered the town, a System message appeared. Welcome to Tutorial Town A-0001. As the 1st group to enter a Tutorial Town on your planet, you are granted the Title: Adaptive (All stats + 10%). Congratulations! Your adaptability will be observed. Always Struggle For Supremacy! As the System message faded, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that something¡ªor someone¡ªwas watching. The words ¡®Always Struggle For Supremacy¡¯ echoed in my head, the weight behind them far heavier than simple encouragement. They didn¡¯t feel like a cheerleading slogan, but more like a command¡ªunyielding, absolute, and far beyond our comprehension. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I glanced around at the others, half expecting to see similar reactions, but they were still chattering excitedly about the stats boost. Maybe I was just imagining it. Still, the unease gnawed at me, lingering like a shadow just out of sight. After this message came another: You may now designate your group. What do you wish to designate your group? Immediately, chaos ensued. But not about the title we just got. Oh, no. ¡°We¡¯ve got to name it the Night Raiders!¡± Maria shouted. ¡°Nooooooo! The Sentinels is just a better name!¡± Jake argued. ¡°Come on, Dragon¡¯s Bane is waaaaay better!¡± I tried. Thomas settled our escalating argument by saying, ¡°Y¡¯all, why not just Originalus? After all, we are the first.¡± ¡°Fiiiiiine,¡± Maria relented. ¡°Sure,¡± Jake agreed. I then decided, why not, and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Confirm name: Originalus Y/N ¡°Yes.¡± Welcome to the Multiverse, Originalus. Proceed to the Civilization Shard to enter your first mission. ¡°Well, looks like we got that settled,¡± Thomas said, ¡°Now we¡¯ve got to find this ¡®Civilization Shard¡¯.¡± Maria pointed out, ¡°I bet it¡¯s in the centre of town, or whatever that is here.¡± As we walked around the town, looking for the Civilization Shard, Jake remarked, ¡°It¡¯s eerie how quiet it is here. I mean, it makes sense that there are no people here, but shouldn¡¯t there be some kind of creatures, like raccoons, or mice?¡± He was right. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint sound of our footsteps on the cobblestone streets. Windows stared down at us like empty eyes, and every shadow seemed to move just at the edges of my vision. ¡°I bet that it has something to do with the System,¡± Maria said, ¡°Like magic bug repellent.¡± I wondered, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the Civilization Shard that does it?¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± Thomas said, ¡°I bet we will find out later, either way.¡± Just as he said that, Leah, who was looking around for the Civilization Shard, suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Look! Down that side street! There¡¯s a blue glow!¡± As we went through the side street, which opened up into a large square, we immediately saw what took up the majority of the square, and were speechless. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s huge.¡± Jake muttered. He was right. In front of us stood a massive, 25 meter tall, glowing blue crystal. On it, swirled yet again those strange geometrical symbols, pulsing to some unknown beat. ¡°Well, should we touch it?¡± Thomas asked. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a great record of touching weird things. But like, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine to touch a huge, glowing blue, totally not radioactive thing from a being billions upon billions times stronger than us, right? What could possibly go wrong?¡± ¡°Well, I mean, what else are we supposed to do.¡± Maria pointed out. ¡°Sit here and wait?¡± ¡°Better now than never,¡± Thomas said, as a bad feeling washed over me, and then we reached for the crystal. As the others reached for the crystal, the bad feeling twisted into something sharper, a sudden pull low in my gut¡ªlike the crystal itself was reaching for me. My fingers hovered just shy of its surface, the air thrumming with energy. Then, we touched it together. Chapter 6: Mission Error As we touched the crystal, several notifications appeared. Welcome to the Mission Panel. Please select between a Team Mission or a Solo Mission. Team/Solo ¡°I would like to enter with my team, please.¡± I asked. But oddly enough, it didn¡¯t react. I felt a sinking sensation, and then that familiar dread returned. It was like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, that reached deep into the unknown, mysterious symbols beating in tune with my heart all around me. The System asked again. Please select between a Team Mission or a Solo Mission. Team/Solo ¡°TEAM!¡± I shouted at it. Once again, it completely ignored me. Please select between a Team Mission or a Solo Mission. Team/Solo The dread surged, sharp and overwhelming, like the ground beneath me had crumbled, leaving me teetering on the edge of an abyss. I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening¡ªthe System didn¡¯t fail, did it? And yet, here I was, staring at an error that felt personal, deliberate. The notification changed. Error CCTM-19367047 No Team found. Calculating. . . Please Wait . . . Solution Found . . . Solo Mission Selected Please select trial difficulty: Easy Normal Difficult Hard Extreme Impossible A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Wait! What!¡± I panicked. ¡°No, no, no! Stop! What¡¯s happening!¡± All the trial options except for ¡®Impossible¡¯ were crossed out, and, to be honest, I started to freak out again. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to think, but my thoughts scattered in every direction, like leaves in a storm. After panicking for two or three minutes, I calmed down again, just to see those exact same options. Naturally, I stayed perfectly calm and considered all of my many options very deeply, before making my final choice. Yeah, no. Not what happened. All this is to say, I completely panicked, and screamed. I tried to press the ¡®Easy¡¯ difficulty, but it wouldn¡¯t let me. Of course, as soon as I tried this, those same geometrical symbols appeared, hovering in my vision like fragments of an ancient language I couldn¡¯t read but somehow felt. The edges of the patterns glowed faintly, tracing spirals, hexagons, and shapes that defied description, flickering faster as my panic rose. They weren¡¯t just inert marks¡ªthere was intent behind them, a logic I couldn¡¯t hope to understand. As they pulsed, I noticed the symbols weren¡¯t random. They moved in time with the thrum in the air, aligning and rearranging themselves in intricate loops that seemed... deliberate. It was as if they were adjusting to my thoughts, responding to my choices¡ªor maybe guiding them. The sinking feeling in my gut deepened as one particularly large symbol stopped mid-pulse. It shifted, its outer edges glowing brighter, and I swore I could hear something¡ªa faint hum that vibrated in my chest, low and resonant. The symbol began to spin, slower now, pulling at my gaze. For a fleeting moment, I felt like it was alive, watching me as much as I was watching it. And then it was inside me. Not physically, but in some intangible way that made my skin crawl. It wasn¡¯t pain¡ªit was worse than pain. It was the undeniable sense that something far bigger than me had brushed against my very existence, leaving a mark I couldn¡¯t erase even if I wanted to. The instant the symbol entered me, the world tilted. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I wasn¡¯t standing on the crystal platform anymore¡ªI was somewhere else. Flashes of light, towering shapes, and whispers too faint to understand filled my head. It lasted only a heartbeat, but when my vision cleared, I was still trembling, my breath coming in shallow gasps. Whatever had just happened, it had left something behind¡ªa presence I couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± I muttered, the words barely audible as the patterns dimmed. But instead of an answer, another message appeared, stark and final. Please select trial difficulty. If you do not select trial difficulty within one minute, it will be chosen for you. Time remaining: 57 seconds As I read this, it ticked again, Time remaining: 56 seconds ¡°Well.¡± I thought to myself. ¡° Either I select ¡®Impossible¡¯ difficulty and I die, or I wait¡ªI checked the timer again¡ª17 seconds and probably have it chosen for me, making me die. To be honest, I don¡¯t think my options are very good. The timer hit zero. The world around me twisted and stretched, the space itself warping as though reality were being unraveled like thread. That same unnatural pull seized me again¡ªstronger this time¡ªdragging me forward with an irresistible force that pressed against my chest and clawed at my mind. A cacophony of whispers erupted around me, no longer faint but deafening, layered with countless voices speaking in languages I couldn¡¯t understand. The sound reverberated in my skull, each word sharp and jagged, carving into my thoughts. It wasn¡¯t language¡ªit was knowledge, raw and incomprehensible, burning its way through my mind like a blazing comet. And then, for one horrifying moment, I felt it: a vast, ancient presence, its attention fixed entirely on me. It wasn¡¯t just watching¡ªit was probing, searching, as though I were no more than a speck of dust beneath its gaze. My breath hitched, and a cold sweat broke across my skin. I didn¡¯t know what it wanted, but it felt like it already knew everything about me. The whispers stopped abruptly, leaving a silence so profound it felt like the universe itself had gone still. And then, for one terrifying instant before the silence, I felt something remain¡ªan echo of that probing gaze, like a handprint pressed into my thoughts. It wasn¡¯t completely gone; it was waiting, watching, even as the void swallowed me whole. And then I was gone¡ªtorn from everything I knew, hurled into the unknown with nothing but the mark left behind. Chapter 7: Normal Difficulty (1) Thomas thought that normally, he was a pretty brave guy. But this new ¡®System¡¯ changed his view on quite a lot of things, including this. When the message came to select between Solo and Team trials, he didn¡¯t even hesitate. There was no way he was going to select Solo. Then, the next screen appeared, asking him to select a difficulty, with his team of fou- ¡°Wait. Four. Not five?!¡± Thomas thought. ¡°Where¡¯s Jack?!¡± As he thought this, Jack suddenly yelled, ¡°TEAM!¡± Jack¡¯s voice echoed louder than the crystal¡¯s glow. Thomas frowned, but before he could step forward, Jack¡¯s voice faltered. There was a sharp intake of breath, and then... silence. Jack was gone ¡°What the hell just happened to him!¡± Maria shouted. ¡°Why¡¯d he disappear!¡± ¡°Just think it through,¡± Jake said, ¡°The guy probably just ditched us.¡± ¡°Think it through?!¡± Maria snapped, throwing her hands in the air. ¡°The guy yelled ¡®TEAM!¡¯ and vanished into thin air! What the hell is there to think about?¡± ¡°Maybe he screwed up,¡± Jake suggested, folding his arms. ¡°Pressed the wrong option or something. You saw how panicked he was.¡± ¡°Jake, that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Leah said softly, though her eyes were wide with fear. ¡°The System shouldn¡¯t let someone just... disappear like that. Someone, or something, must have done something wrong.¡± ¡°And that someone is Jack.¡± Jack stubbornly refused to listen. ¡°He made a mistake, and now we are down a guy,¡± Jake said coldly, folding his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about him and focus on our survival.¡± Maria¡¯s jaw tightened, her hands curling into fists. ¡°You¡¯re a real piece of work, you know that?¡± she snapped before biting her lip, clearly trying to rein herself in. Leah glanced away, her expression unreadable, but Thomas caught the faint tremor in her hands. Thomas clenched his jaw, staring at the glowing screen. This wasn¡¯t just a glitch¡ªhe could feel it. The System wasn¡¯t malfunctioning, but it also wasn¡¯t playing by the rules they thought they understood. And now Jack was gone, leaving Thomas to figure out how to keep the rest of them together. ¡°This isn¡¯t what I signed up for,¡± he thought, though he didn¡¯t dare say it out loud. A leader didn¡¯t get to voice doubts. A leader had to act¡ªcalmly, confidently¡ªeven when they had no idea what the hell was going on. Whatever happened, Jack¡¯s strong,¡± Thomas said, looking at each of them in turn. ¡°He¡¯s probably fine. Right now, we have to stay focused and figure out what the System wants from us. We can¡¯t afford to fall apart.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Maria looked unconvinced, but she nodded reluctantly. Jake muttered something under his breath and turned back to the screen. Leah glanced at the crystal, her eyes lingering on the swirling symbols, and Thomas couldn¡¯t help but follow her gaze. ¡°They¡¯re changing,¡± she murmured, her voice so soft it barely carried over the argument. Thomas glanced at her. ¡°What?¡± Leah took a hesitant step closer to the crystal, her head tilted slightly as if listening to something only she could hear. ¡°The symbols. They¡¯ve been shifting since... since Jack disappeared,¡± she said, her voice trembling. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re... responding.¡± Jake scoffed. ¡°Responding? It¡¯s a bunch of lights on a rock, Leah.¡± But Thomas followed her gaze, a shiver creeping up his spine as he noticed it too¡ªthe symbols weren¡¯t static. They moved in an almost deliberate rhythm, aligning and rearranging themselves in loops and patterns that felt anything but random. Leah pressed her lips together, hesitating. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the System¡¯s observing us,¡± she said carefully, glancing between the crystal and Thomas. Maria stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing. ¡°You mean there¡¯s some like god or something? That¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Leah admitted, hugging herself tighter. ¡°But maybe not. Didn¡¯t you feel it, when Jack vanished? That pressure, like something was watching us?¡± Thomas wanted to reassure her, to brush it off as imagination, but the unease crawling along his skin wouldn¡¯t let him. He¡¯d felt it too¡ªthe weight of something vast and unseen pressing against them. But saying it out loud would make it real, and real was dangerous. ¡°Whatever it is,¡± Thomas said, forcing authority into his tone, ¡°it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we have to move forward. Jack¡¯s gone for now, but we¡¯re still here, and we¡¯ve got a mission to complete.¡± Leah didn¡¯t argue, but she didn¡¯t look convinced either. Her eyes lingered on the symbols a moment longer before she stepped back, falling silent. ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s sorted, why don¡¯t we select a difficulty.¡± Jake said. ¡°I think we should do ¡®Normal¡¯ difficulty, because if we really focus, I think we have a good setup, and Maria could kind of fill in for Jack.¡± Internally, Thomas was terrified. ¡°What! There is no way we can do this.¡± He thought to himself. But outwardly, as the leader, he had to put on a brave and confident face. ¡°OK, Jake, but you¡¯ll probably have to do most of the damage, as Maria doesn¡¯t have as much damage.¡± Thomas forced himself to nod as if he believed it, but his stomach churned. He didn¡¯t know if Jake could deliver, or if Maria could make up for Jack¡¯s absence. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if he could handle this. But leaders didn¡¯t have the luxury of showing doubt¡ªnot now, not ever. ¡°I can live with that.¡± Jake replied. ¡°Sure, That¡¯ll be fine.¡± Maria agreed.¡± Leah just quietly said, ¡°Okay.¡± As they stepped forward to confirm, Leah¡¯s quiet ¡°Okay¡± lingered in the air, her voice so low it was almost lost under the crystal¡¯s hum. She didn¡¯t step forward with the others but remained rooted in place, her gaze flickering back to the symbols. For a moment, Thomas thought she might say something else, but instead, she clenched her fists and followed, her expression clouded. Confirm Mission Difficulty: Normal Y/N Thomas stared at the confirmation screen, his finger hovering over the button. His throat felt dry, and his heart pounded so loudly he could hardly hear his own thoughts. This was a mistake. He knew it was a mistake. But his team was watching him, waiting for his lead. And as much as his instincts screamed at him to stop, to rethink this, he pushed the button anyway. ¡°Yes.¡± Thomas, as confidently as he could, said. Transferring to Team Mission: Normal . . . Chapter 8: Normal Difficulty (2) Welcome to the Moonlit Forest. This is a combat/siege mission. In this mission, you and nine other groups will be working to defend against waves of enemies. Tutorial Points can be gained by repelling waves, crafting, and by killing enemies. Struggle For Supremacy. The moment they materialized, the group found themselves standing in a large clearing, surrounded by a shadow-drenched forest bathed in a faint, silvery glow. Ancient trees towered overhead, their gnarled branches forming a canopy that barely allowed the moonlight to pierce through. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and the faint metallic tang of... something unnatural. In the distance, faint howls echoed, low and guttural, sending shivers down Thomas''s spine. The forest loomed like a living thing, ancient and watchful. The faint howls sounded closer now, low and guttural, echoing through the clearing. The air itself felt heavy, as if it carried more than just moisture¡ªlike it carried whispers, faint and fleeting, just beyond hearing. Thomas kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting to see eyes glinting from the shadows. There were forty-five other people standing around them. Immediately, people began to shout, but soon enough, several leaders began to emerge. Overall, the group of Originalus stayed clumped together as the chaos ensued. Shouts filled the air as people jostled and argued, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of panic. ¡°We need to stick together!¡± someone yelled. ¡°No! We should spread out, cover more ground!¡± another argued. Amidst the chaos, a tall blonde man climbed onto a fallen log, his confident voice cutting through the noise. ¡°Everyone, listen! We need to fortify this clearing¡ªit¡¯s the only open space we¡¯ve got! If we work together, we¡¯ll survive this.¡± His tone was commanding, and slowly, people began to gravitate toward him, forming the largest camp. Soon, three camps began to form. One, the largest, with five groups in it, was led by the tall, dashing man with blonde hair and blue eyes, and began once again calling for people to start to prepare defences in the clearing. The second group, of only two groups, and two stragglers from another group, were led by a team that looked like they were from the military, and they confirmed this by saying: ¡°Hello. I am Captain James Birch in the Canadian Army. With me are Lieutenant Officer Allison Brier, and Second Lieutenants Gregory Thomson, Jill Green, and Charles Jackson. We are planning on delving into the woods, and taking the fight to the monsters.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The rest of the groups, like Originalus just stayed on the fringes, kind of sticking close to the other non-affiliated groups. Then, Jake, fed up with his non-acting group, decided to leave them. ¡°I¡¯m going to go with the military folks,¡± Jake said firmly, his jaw set. ¡°They have a plan, and I¡¯m not sticking around waiting for us to be sitting ducks.¡± Maria stepped forward, her voice desperate. ¡°You can¡¯t go¡ªwe¡¯ve already lost one person. We can¡¯t lose another!¡± Jake didn¡¯t look at her, his gaze fixed on the military group. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Maria, but I¡¯m not just going to sit here. I¡¯m doing what I have to do to get stronger.¡± His words hung in the air like a challenge, and when he walked away, the space he left behind felt like a chasm. ¡°No! Come back!¡± She shouted. Thomas interrupted her. ¡°It¡¯s fine, let him go. He¡¯s made up his mind, and now we¡¯ve got to make up ours, eh?¡± As he said this, the leader of the first group, the tall blonde guy, and his group, came over. ¡°Hey guys, my name¡¯s Robert, but you can call me Rob.¡± He said. ¡°This is Tracy,¡ªas he pointed to a tall brunette¡ªJaxon¡ªa shorter guy of Mexican descent¡ªand Oliver and Olivia, twins¡ªtwo very similar looking people, also blonde. So, we came over here because we noticed that you guys are down two people. Do y¡¯all want to join us?¡± Thomas, desperately looking around at his remaining group, saw that Maria just wanted to follow Thomas, but Leah looked a bit hesitant. After a bit, she gave him a shrug of her shoulders, which he interpreted as an ¡®OK¡¯. ¡°Okay, it would be great to join you guys!¡± Thomas agreed. ¡°I¡¯m Thomas, and this is Maria and Leah.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Rob replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see if we can convince a few more people to join, eh?¡± Just as he says this, a message appeared. The first wave will be coming in fifteen minutes. Prepare accordingly, and Struggle For Supremacy. A glowing countdown timer appeared in the corner of Thomas¡¯s vision: 00:14:58 The seconds ticked down steadily, relentless and unyielding. ¡°Fifteen minutes,¡± Maria muttered, her voice tight. ¡°That¡¯s not enough time.¡± ¡°It has to be,¡± Thomas replied. Rob clapped Thomas on the shoulder, grinning as if they weren¡¯t about to defend their lives. ¡°Glad to have you guys with us. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve got a solid strategy. Just stick close and we¡¯ll make it through this.¡± Thomas forced a smile, but his jaw tightened. It was subtle, but there was something dismissive about the way Rob phrased it¡ªlike Thomas¡¯s leadership ended the moment they joined. ¡°We should set up barricades here and focus on holding the clearing,¡± Rob said, gesturing to the edges of the camp. ¡°But what if we¡¯re flanked? We need a fallback point, just in case,¡± Thomas countered, his voice steady but firm. Rob raised an eyebrow, his grin faltering for just a moment. ¡°If we¡¯re flanked, we¡¯ll deal with it. These monsters will be too stupid to flank us. Anyways, worrying about retreating is a good way to lose morale.¡± As he walked away to talk to another group, Leah leaned in closer to Thomas. ¡°Do you trust him?¡± she whispered, her voice barely audible over the distant howls. Thomas hesitated, his eyes following Rob as he gestured animatedly with the next group. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we have a choice.¡± Chapter 9: The First Wave Rob continued to encourage the groups under him, which have grown to seven, to keep working, as they cut down a tree with a hatchet that for some reason, one of them had brought to the Tutorial. Leah lingered behind Thomas and Maria, her eyes flicking between Rob and his team. Tracy was barking orders at the twins, who seemed to listen but didn¡¯t hide their shared smirks. Jaxon leaned casually against a tree, his sharp gaze scanning the clearing with an unsettling calm. ¡°They don¡¯t trust us,¡± Leah whispered, barely loud enough for Thomas to hear. Thomas stiffened. ¡°And do you trust them?¡± Leah hesitated, her gaze landing on Rob¡¯s easy grin as he shouted encouragement to another group. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I think they¡¯re hiding something.¡± 00:03:49 With just under four minutes until the first wave, Rob and the people who had stayed, had cut down seven trees, and with one of them, had made two crude wooden spears for everyone. Of course, Rob¡¯s group, along with a few others that he favored, got sharpened stone points for their spears, and Rob got the only metal knife on his. Leah, on the other hand, as the only one with a Core Sub-Attunement of bow, got a bow, made out of a sinewy wood they found, and a drawstring from a hoodie. They even got her some sharpened stakes, and one enterprising man found some feathers stuck to a bush, and managed to put fletching on three arrows. With the rest of the trees, Rob had made a barricade, and had stationed all twenty-seven non-healers in intervals around it, with the support and his group in the middle, to provide ¡®aid¡¯ if necessary. 00:01:00 ¡°One minute!¡± A guy shouted. ¡°Everyone to their stations, the people in the middle will finish with this tree!¡± Rob shouted. With that, everyone ditched whatever they were doing, and ran to their stations, picking up one spear, and having a second spear close by, for if their first spear breaks. Thomas tightened his grip on his spear, the rough wood biting into his palms. Around him, the others fidgeted nervously, their breaths visible in the cold, heavy air. ¡°Forty seconds!¡± someone called, their voice cracking with tension. Maria shifted from foot to foot, casting nervous glances toward the forest. Leah, in the middle, hugged her arms to her chest, looking over the people on the outside, her eyes fixed on the treeline as if she expected something to burst out at any moment. Leah¡¯s fingers danced on the grip of her bow, her breathing shallow as she scanned the barricade. The defenders looked nervous, their grips shaky on the crude spears. Every now and then, one would glance back at her¡ªat the center¡ªfor reassurance she wasn¡¯t sure she could give. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Rob¡¯s voice boomed out again, calm and steady, as though trying to smother the rising panic. ¡°Everybody! Stay calm. Fifteen seconds! Get ready!¡± Remember, hold the line!¡± Rob called out, his voice ringing over the clearing. ¡°Stick together, and don¡¯t lose your nerve!¡± Some defenders straightened at his words, their grips tightening on their spears. Others exchanged uncertain glances, their doubt clear even as they nodded. Tracy smirked from her spot near Rob, her confidence almost unsettling. ¡°They¡¯ll follow him,¡± she murmured to Jaxon. ¡°For now.¡± A low growl rumbled in the distance, cutting through the tense silence like a knife. The shadows in the forest seemed to ripple, the pale moonlight catching flashes of movement that disappeared as quickly as they came. ¡°Here they come!¡± Robert boomed. ¡°Brace your spears!¡± In a flurry of motion, all the defenders on the outside lowered their spears, and got ready to stab and slice.¡± ¡°Eight seconds!¡± ¡°Five!¡± ¡°Four!¡± ¡°Three!¡± ¡°Two!¡± ¡°One!¡± The first wave approaches. It consists of forty-nine Moonlit Wolves, thirty-five attacking you, and f ourteen attacking the other group. Struggle For Supremacy. Then, the beasts emerged from the treeline. The first creature exploded from the treeline with a guttural snarl, its glowing red eyes locking onto the barricade. Its body was lean and sinewy, its claws scraping against the ground as it charged with terrifying speed. ¡°Incoming!¡± Maria shouted, her voice breaking through the stillness like a gunshot. More creatures burst forth, dozens of them spilling from the shadows like a flood. The barricade shuddered as the first wave slammed against it, claws raking against wood and snarls filling the air. The first impact hit like a thunderclap, the barricade shuddering violently as claws scraped and pounded against the logs. Thomas gritted his teeth as splinters flew past his face, the snarls of the creatures mingling with the panicked shouts of defenders. ¡°Hold steady!¡± Rob yelled, his voice barely audible over the din. A creature lunged through one of the gaps in the barricade, its jagged claws inches from Maria¡¯s face. She screamed, driving her spear forward with all her strength. *Ding! You have slain [Moonlit Wolf - lvl 2 ] ¨C Bonus essence earned for killing an enemy above your level. 2 TP earned* All along the barricade, defenders fought desperately, their movements growing more frantic with every passing second. Spears jabbed and pierced, cutting down the creatures that threw themselves at the wall, but for every beast slain, two more surged forward. The line wavered, the weight of the onslaught pressing harder and harder. Thomas¡¯s arms burned as he thrust his spear forward, the jagged tip sinking into a creature¡¯s chest. It shrieked, spraying blood it fell, but two more took its place. *Ding! You have slain [Moonlit Wolf - lvl 3 ] ¨C Bonus essence earned for killing an enemy above your level. 2 TP earned* ¡°Damn it!¡± Maria shouted, her spear cracking as she swung it sideways, deflecting another creature. ¡°We can¡¯t hold them like this!¡± ¡±Just keep pushing!¡± Thomas snapped back, sweat dripping down his temple. His heart pounded as the creatures pressed harder, their claws scraping closer with every second. Just then, a scream ripped through the air as one of the defenders was dragged over the barricade, their spear falling to the ground. ¡°Get them back!¡± Rob shouted, but it was too late¡ªthe creatures swarmed, their snarls drowning out the defender¡¯s cries. Leah¡¯s breath caught in her throat. ¡°That could have been someone I met just fifteen minutes ago.¡± She thought to herself. ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen again.¡± Soon, Rob yelled, ¡°Leah! Get up here and start shooting! If you can kill a few, then we might be safe!¡± Leah froze for a moment, her heart hammering in her chest. Her bow steadied her, familiar in her hands, the string humming as she pulled it taut. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be fighting¡ªshe had thought her job was to keep people alive, not to take lives. But as she watched another defender fall, claws raking through their chest, something shifted. ¡°I have to,¡± she whispered to herself, raising the bow. ¡°Sun can burn, after all.¡± Her hands steadied, her focus narrowing to a particularly large beast lunging at the barricade. The arrow loosed, slicing through the air. The arrow loosed with a sharp twang, cutting through the air like a whisper. Leah¡¯s heart stopped as she watched it streak toward the wolf lunging at the barricade. It struck true, sinking deep into the creature¡¯s shoulder. The wolf yelped, stumbling to the ground before another defender drove their spear into its chest, finishing it off. For a moment, Leah just stared, her chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. She¡¯d done it. *Ding! You have slain [Moonlit Wolf - lvl 4] ¨C Bonus essence earned for killing an enemy above your level. 4 TP earned* *Ding! Your core has reached level 2. +2 Free Points* Chapter 10: Bloodline ¡°Well, young one,¡± the voice rumbled again, its words carrying an unnatural weight, as if the void itself bent to its will. ¡°I see that you have been causing trouble. A few lesser gods are... intrigued by your bloodline.¡± I opened my eyes. I was once again in the void, mysterious symbols swirling around me. ¡°What are those?¡± I asked. ¡°Ha, ha, ha.¡± The voice spoke. ¡°The young one speaks. Those, child, are called runes. Not only are they the standard form of writing in the Multiverse, written correctly they can hold much magical power.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I select ¡®Team¡¯ and ¡®Impossible¡¯ difficulty?¡± I asked another question. Then the void darkened. The runes pulsed faster, their rhythm erratic, like a panicked heartbeat. The voice that had once filled the void with mocking laughter now felt sharper, almost dangerous. Its words hung heavy in the air, each syllable rumbling like distant thunder. ¡°It seems my cohort does not... appreciate you,¡± It muttered, ¡°They see your bloodline as a threat, an anomaly that should not exist within the System. And so, they sought to erase you. But their interference changed the balance, allowing me to act.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so dangerous about my bloodline?¡± I demanded, my voice cracking. ¡°You will learn, in time,¡± the voice replied, almost mockingly. ¡°Assuming you survive.¡± ¡°What exactly is this?¡± I demanded, my voice cracking as I tried to gesture at the swirling runes and oppressive darkness. My body wouldn¡¯t move. I could feel the pressure pressing down on me, thick and suffocating. The darkness seemed to tighten, the runes swirling faster as the pressure around me grew unbearable. My chest felt heavy, my breath shallow, like the void itself wanted to crush me. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Stop,¡± I choked out, though I wasn¡¯t sure if I was speaking to the voice or the runes. ¡°I am sorry. It is necessary for what comes next.¡± The voice said. ¡°And what comes next?¡± I demanded. The voice did not answer. ¡°Just accept the System prompt.¡± Do you wish to be sweeped for a bloodline? Please remember, a bloodline is an intricate part of someone, and one of the biggest rules in the multiverse (A-00024) is that none shall do anything to a bloodline without their utter and express consent, after the Great Bloodline War of the 4th Era. The System will know if anyone tries to manipulate you into agreeing. Agree to Bloodline Sweep? Y/N It was easily the biggest System message I had ever seen. The pressure continued to grow. My breath hitched as I stared at the message. A bloodline sweep? The words meant nothing to me, but the weight of them pressed against my chest. The mention of a war¡ªa Great Bloodline War¡ªtwisted in my gut like a knife. What exactly was I agreeing to? And yet, the pressure wasn¡¯t just physical anymore. It was in my mind, a growing urgency clawing at me like I was running out of time. ¡°Please accept the message,¡± the voice repeated, softer now, almost soothing. ¡°You have questions, young one, and this will bring answers. The sweep will awaken truths buried within you¡ªtruths that may decide your survival.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± I asked, my voice barely a whisper. The voice didn¡¯t respond immediately, and that silence terrified me more than its words ever could. ¡°What is my bloodline?¡± I barely managed to get out, my mind slowly shutting down from the pressure. ¡°Your bloodline is a gift,¡± the voice said, ¡°but it is locked away. Refuse this, and you will remain blind to its power. Accept it, and you may yet survive what is to come.¡± ¡°And if I accept?¡± I asked, though I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to hear the answer. ¡°You will change,¡± it said simply. ¡°Whether for better or worse depends on you.¡± ¡°Very well then.¡± Agree to Bloodline Sweep? Y/N I let out a deep breath. ¡°Yes, I agree to a Bloodline Sweep.¡± The voice chuckled softly, its tone both amused and reverent. ¡°You have taken the first step, young one. The path ahead will not be easy, but then... it was never meant to be.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, my voice shaking. ¡°You will see,¡± it replied, and for the first time, the voice sounded almost... proud. The runes flared one final time, their golden light piercing the void¡ªand then, for a moment, everything was still. But I could feel it, a shift in the air, like the universe itself had taken notice. ¡°What happens now?¡± I whispered, but the voice was gone. And then the pain hit.