Chapter 1 - Ryan vs the Manager
-???? 1962
“Congratulations! You and six others of your world have been chosen to pioneer the Trial System. Do you want unmatched power? Unending wealth? Eternal life? All can be obtained by completing the Trials.”
Silence.
“I can tell this is a lot to take in, but have no fear. There is only as much risk as you are willing to take on. Everyone gets one free life, and as a Destined, you will have privileges that few others will get.”
The young figure looked up at the entity that promised everything for nothing. It smiled while wearing traditional clothes from the young woman’s homeland.
“Before you say anything else, why don’t you take an example of the power you might obtain?”
Three spheres of glittering gold appeared between them. The iridescent orbs mesmerized her and demanded to be touched. She reached out.
The [Mage] was up against a tide of shadowy monsters, allies at her side. A surge of static poured into her veins as
She should have been afraid, yet she wasn’t. She knew what she needed to do.
“[Fireball]”
The Manager smiled.
It was never really a choice, was it?
Earth 2025
“GET DOWN!”
Ryan shouted as he dove to push the orc to safety. There hadn’t been a need for it at all. The ex-eighth realm adventurer had already moved out of the way as Ryan took his place, the bullets piercing his chest.
And his body hit the floor.
He spasmed out of the chair he’d found himself in, clutching desperately at his chest. Phantom pain rippled out as he went into a fetal position.
“My, that hasn’t happened in a while are you alright?”
Ryan was still grabbing at his chest, trying to cover the wound and put pressure on it. Firm pressure until the ambulance arrives. He looked down… to see no bleeding wound at all. In fact, while his Manaburger uniform was stained red with blood, it wasn’t wet at all.
The spoken words finally registered as Ryan looked around.
A room of pure inky black surrounded him. The only things in here were a table and two chairs. A single person sat from across him. From his perspective, he could only see the legs of the speaker. It was all he needed. The material of the suit pants looked as if it were made out of galaxies. They slowly swirled in motion with countless stars twinkling throughout.
Somehow, Ryan’s heart started beating even faster. This was the moment that everyone dreamed of. The dream that he’d given up on. His voice trembled.
“This is real, isn't it?”
“Of course, Ryan Robinson. Congratulations on being chosen as a Destined.”
A Destined, something that was only picked for a hundred twenty people a year. It was better than winning any lottery. Ryan would take this over ten million dollars, no, even a hundred million dollars couldn’t compare to this. The now ex-Manaburger employee dusted himself off with the widest grin on his face. The shooting didn’t matter, his life before didn’t matter anymore.
He was going to become an adventurer.
Taking a seat on the chair that had magically righted itself, Ryan sat across the entity that managed both the Trial System and The Realm. The entity called itself the Manager and would imitate the species and gender you were most comfortable with.
Ryan guessed that even the most powerful of beings had to have a hobby. The Manager smiled back.
“Welcome to the Trial System. As you know, everything can be found here. Riches, power and immortality. All of it and more can be obtained by completing the Trial System. The entrances to these Trials will be located in The Realm. As a Destined, you also have privileges the others do not. You will be able to enter and exit The Realm without the use of System portals. Further, unlike those that become Trialists the regular way, you will not be stripped of your powers should you lose your safety life and choose to remain on Earth. Do you have any questions?”
“No, that was perfect, thank you.”
Everyone born on Earth in the past sixty years knew all of that, but this was tradition, and Ryan would be damned if he was going to skip his own induction.
The Manager smiled.
“Very well, now, shall we move onto your class selection?”
The Manager spread its arms as three glittering spheres materialized over the table. Three combat classes. It wasn’t like you couldn’t get crafting classes, just that you would always start with a combat class. It really did show that the Trial System favored violence above all else. Ryan stared at the orbs and the classes reflected on them.
[Warrior], [Rogue] and [Mage].
Each orb showed a reflection of his future self. A sense of superhuman confidence on the faces of all three Ryans in the orbs. He was mesmerized, his hand reaching out to touch the [Warrior] orb.
The hand froze mere inches away from it. Ryan had responsibilities and knew where he stood on the talent scale. He sighed and pointed at the [Rogue] orb.
“I’ll choose the [Rogue].”
The Manager shifted slightly. “You do not wish to experience the power of a fourth realm?”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Ryan shook his head. “I don’t want to cloud my judgment, thanks.”
“Very well.”
The Manager sounded annoyed as the [Rogue] orb floated to him. It might have been a bad move to disrespect the Manager like that, but he didn’t want to be tempted by experiencing the class orbs. Even now, with all the information they had, plenty of people still changed their minds at the last minute.
You could be the most rational person in the world. It would matter little when you experienced being a superhuman then have it brutally stripped away.
It was better to stay lucid.
The orb melted in his hand as it made contact. The golden sphere vibrated then started melting. Thick golden sludge wrapped around his hand and started to seep into his veins. It traveled throughout his body as the first System message hit him.
| Welcome Destined, to the Trial System. Warning! Your body on Earth is in critical condition.
|