"Hey, what rank do you think you'll get?"
"I don't know, but I hope it's at least an apprentice rank."
"Yeah, I'd be so embarrassed if I got human rank. I might actually kill myself."
"I know, right? Seeing all these trash players walking around just makes me want to vomit."
"Well, let's not blame them too much. It's not their fault they were born with bad luck."
"Hahaha, you're right. Let's head in; we're gonna ace this test."
Vell watched the two teenagers, all swagger and cheap confidence, as they strutted into the massive building ahead. The Association. The heart of the player world in this section. He looked around, taking in the towering structure of polished white stone and gleaming blue glass, before following them inside.
---
'Okay, little history lesson, just so we're on the same page.'
In this world, being a normal human sucked. Players ran everything—politics, medicine, banking, you name it. If you wanted a good life, a life where you weren't just struggling to get by, you had to be awakened. You had to become a player. But awakening wasn't something you could work for; it was a random gift from the universe, a cosmic lottery ticket. Even then, you could still end up at the bottom of the food chain.
There were fourteen ranks, and the power gap between them was insane.
- Supreme Being
- God Rank
- Demigod Rank
- Constellation Rank
- Divine Rank
- Transcended Rank
- Supreme Rank
- Heroic Rank
- Titan Rank
- Elite Rank
- Expert Rank
- Adept Rank
- Apprentice Rank
- Human Rank
A single apprentice-rank player could probably take on fifty martial arts masters at once and not even break a sweat. Even the lowest of the low, a human-rank player, could hold their own against a handful of normal people. That's why everyone was so desperate for power. It was everything: fame, money, respect. Bonds were easily broken, and trust was something you bought with credits. It was a world run on strength. You either had it, or you lived a miserable life until you died.
So, how did things get this way?
It all started about 500 years ago. A massive planet, so big it made Earth look like a grain of sand, drifted into their solar system. It completely blocked out the sun for years. The world went mad. Without sunlight, plants died, rain stopped, and the planet froze. People turned on each other, driven by hunger and desperation.
By the time the last human had starved or frozen to death, the massive planet did something weird. It absorbed Earth, and over a few months, it slowly transformed into an exact copy, just thousands of times bigger.
Then, strange purple trees grew all over the new world, releasing a gas that brought most of the dead back to life. But they weren't the same. They came back with inhuman strength, with abilities that belonged to gods and monsters. They were the first players.
Of course, their excitement didn't last long. Soon, they discovered the dungeons and towers.
Dungeons were straightforward: go in, kill monsters, get loot, get out. Towers, though, were a whole different game. They weren't just hunting grounds; they were entire worlds, each with its own people, its own rules, its own never-before-seen species. A voice would echo in the minds of the players, urging them to climb higher, promising greater power and answers.
Some refused. And after a while, those who declined lost their powers and became normal humans again. No one knew why. So they climbed. They fought. They sought answers.
It's been 500 years since then, and no one has found any real answers. Most people don't even care anymore. All that matters now is power and money.
---
Vell stepped into the Association building, and his jaw nearly hit the floor. The place was massive, and crowded as hell. He expected it to smell like a locker room, but the air was surprisingly fresh, carrying a faint, sweet scent. He looked up and saw a massive pink flower hanging from the high ceiling, its petals gently releasing some kind of shimmery pollen.
'…Is that thing an air freshener?'
[Yes, it's a species of flower that specializes in fragrance. This one produces pleasant scents, but there are also varieties that emit foul odors.]
He turned his head, taking it all in. The marble floors, the glowing crystal displays, the players in their shiny, expensive gear—it was his first time in a place this fancy, and he felt completely out of his league in his stolen clothes and cheap slippers.
The whispers started almost immediately.
"Hey, is that shabby-looking guy also here for the test?"
"Maybe he's lost?"
He ignored them, walking toward the registration desk. He placed his hands on the smooth counter, looking directly at the two women working there without a hint of the nervousness he felt. One of them looked at him, her expression a mix of annoyance and curiosity. She wanted to press the security button, he could tell, but he hadn't actually done anything wrong. Yet.
"Hello, I am new here and would like to register to participate in the test."
'Huh, why is he registering on the day of the exam? Whatever, he gives me the creeps. Let's just get this over with.' Her thoughts were practically written on her face.
She started typing quickly on her keyboard, then placed a small, glowing orb connected to a tangle of wires on the desk.
"Can you please grab this orb?"
'Is he even awakened?' she wondered, her eyes flicking to his hand as he reached for the orb.
The moment his fingers touched it, the orb glowed brighter. A strange energy, like a faint sting, flowed from the orb into his hand, trying to enter his body. But something inside him, his own pure mana, pushed back. The two energies clashed, and with a sharp crack, the orb shattered into a hundred tiny pieces.
The woman stared in shock. Even Vell didn't know what the hell had just happened.
'Hey, what was that?'
[Hmm, that energy that entered your body was going in the opposite direction of your mana, so it got repelled. Strange. Why are they using such energy on humans? It's more pure, but that's definitely corrupted mana.]
'Corrupted mana? So it's basically bad? Strange indeed. Now what?'
[I suggest you leave. Immediately. I don't trust these people.]
'But how can I enter dungeons and towers or even join a guild without a player license?'
[There are other ways. But first, we should get out of here.]
The woman was staring at him now, her initial shock turning to suspicion. No one had ever broken a registration orb before. His silent, calm reaction only made it worse. She didn't waste another second; her finger jabbed the red report button hidden under her desk. Now she just had to keep him here until the higher-ups arrived.
"Sorry about that, sir. It seems our—"
He cut her off. He didn't need to be a genius to know what that button-press meant. He turned and bolted for the exit.
"Hey! Stop!" she shouted after him, but he was already moving.
Security guards rushed in from outside, their own mana flaring as they tried to block his path. But he was faster, more agile. He leaped clean over them, his movements fluid and practiced, and disappeared into the crowded streets.
"Hah hah hah, what the hell?" one of the guards panted, leaning against a nearby building. "He's like a cat. Where did someone like him come from?" The other guard was already on his comms, alerting patrols around the city.
Back in the Association, the head secretary, a woman with sharp eyes and an even sharper suit, arrived at the registration desk.
"What's the situation?" she asked, her voice cold and professional.
"He broke the orb, ma'am," the nervous receptionist reported. "I'm not sure how, but the energy... it refused to fuse with his body."
The secretary didn't blame her. She just observed the security feed, pausing it right on the fleeing man's face. Her professional mask cracked, just for a moment, revealing a flash of something else—shock, anger, maybe even fear.
"Vell?..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her expression hardened, her own power barely held in check. "Find him. I don't care what it takes. Do you hear me? No matter what."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
The secretary walked away, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. The hunt was on.