In a distant place from Earth was a world beyond human comprehension, a place that modern science cannot fathom. Those who sought after this world are those with grand ambitions or wishes. Whether it was riches, exotic men and women or even the power to rule thousands of stars, one can attain it in this place.
This world had many names. Some called it the Origin, others called it Heaven, but some call it Hell. Its name varies from languages known by man to names exotic to other races.
However, those who have been there can agree on one thing and one thing alone. Only those who are not afraid of falling will ever have a chance to experience the joy of flying. Treasures were lying everywhere, from the dense forest or the scorching desert, even in the mountains that pierce the heavens or the endless and bottomless seas.
At least hundreds of millions have lost their lives trying to attain greatness, even those at the pinnacle can lose their lives.
Excluding the ancient beasts and ancient lifeforms, everyone thinks of the 13 Gods as the overlords of every other species. No one knew anything about them, aside from the fact that they were mighty beings who once exterminated an entire species, that others considered one of the most feared species with ease.
Next to the hierarchy were dynasties, nations, and empires that have existed throughout the ages.
Humans, on the other hand, were almost at the bottom of the list their small kingdoms barely surviving. If it wasn't for the great heroes of the past, there was no doubt that they'd go extinct, and it seemed like it wasn't far off.
As of this moment, one of the human kingdoms were at war, and they were on the verge of losing.
Dragons fell from the sky, and creatures only thought to exist in legends even unknown lifeforms lost their lives one after another in a war that has been going on for eons.
Blood and corpses covered the once beautiful field, explosions from unknown sources ruined the landscape while balls of fire and ice burned and froze every moving creature.
One could hear the shouts of desperation and fear, followed by a laughter filled with ridicule and contempt. The bloodlust was thick to the point that one could see it with their naked eye, while the vile smell from the corpses filled the air.
Far from the battlefield, there was a kingdom that stood on the side of the ones losing in battle. Crumbling walls surrounded the nation, and what used to give the citizens the feeling of safety was now making them feel despair.
"My lord! Save us from the invaders!"
"I beg you, my lord, please punish those bastards who dare to step into our lands."
"Avenge my husband!"
Meanwhile, a group of desperate people surrounded the castle begging the one they looked up to for vengeance. A man could only sigh as he looked at the crowd before looking into the distance in the direction of the war.
He could see how his men were dying one by one, judging by the rate of when they're dying, and from his own experiences, he knew that they would barely last for half an hour.
His eyes roamed to his enemies, and he could see at the very back of the enemy's army was a tall and fat creature with four tusks protruding from its smiling mouth. It had four arms, and two of them were closed while one was pointing directly at the man. If anyone from modern-day Earth saw the creature, they'll immediately know it's an orc.
The man could only frown when he saw the sickening smirk of the Ork commander. He glared at the Ork, which only caused it to smile wider, ridiculing the man once more. The man no longer paid it any attention as he turned around.
In front of the man was a small magic circle, and after he chanted a few words for a few seconds, magic circles appeared on the bottom of every citizen in the kingdom.
"Teleport."
He said after making sure everyone had a magic circle. The man disappeared immediately, and the whole kingdom was empty with not a single citizen on the streets.
Not even an hour had passed when the Orks arrived on the empty kingdom. Salvaging whatever they could while burning down the ones they didn't need.
"Tsk, they managed to run away. Not even a single woman was left what a letdown."
An Ork wearing golden armor grunted. If the man were here, he'd recognize the Ork talking, for it was the one he saw at the back of the Ork army.
The Ork was looking around the city when another Ork wearing animal skin ran before stopping in front of the one wearing the golden armor. The Ork made a salute before reporting.
"Sir, the mana in the air is thinner than it should've been. I believe they used a powerful spell to move everyone in the city far away."
"I know, I've sensed the magic activating a while a- wh-what? RUN AWAY!"
He didn't get to finish his sentence due to the sudden vibration of the ground and the air. A tremendous amount of mana started to gather in the city at an unprecedented speed. It didn't even take a second before mana covered the small kingdom.
The Orks tried to run away, but unfortunately, it was too late. The last thing they could see was something white before everything turned into darkness.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the distance, at another kingdom, the man from before was watching the whole scene. A large image like a hologram floated in the air showing the man the location of the previous kingdom.
The hologram eventually stabilized, and right, where the once flourishing kingdom stood, was now a massive crater. There was no indication that there was once a kingdom there; the whole area was empty.
There were no corpses, nor were there any rubbles while the Orks never seemed to have been there. The man sighed before waving his hand, making the hologram disappear.
"How many kingdoms are you planning to lose before you agree? We might've eradicated a portion of their army, but at what cost? We've had to sacrifice millions of soldiers and the foundation of one of our kingdoms."
An older woman appeared out of thin air, but the man wasn't surprised.
"How long are you going to be stubborn? You are no longer a child! Everyone in the remaining eight kingdoms is looking at you as their last hope! For how long will you disappoint them!"
The older woman started to shout, and her voice only got louder when she noticed the man ignoring her.
"Ever since you've reached your position, your heart has become too soft. I hope you won't regret your decision when our end comes."
The older woman said before she sighed. She was just about to leave when she heard his whisper.
"Do it."
She couldn't believe her hers, so she immediately turned around with her eyes wide open before asking.
"Wh-what did you say?"
The man sighed before signs of hesitation from time to time appear on his face before he said in a determined voice.
"Do it tell the council that I Velius have voted yes for the commencing of the trials on Earth."
The older woman was delighted, decisions that involved Earth required every one of the eighteen human heroes, and now they finally had the last vote. Velius was the most stubborn one, and now that they had his agreement, the trials on Earth could start.
Just as she was about to leave to inform the others, she heard Velius talk in a low voice.
"Is this our only option to involve our home planet once again. The last time we started the trials, it took at least thousands of years before humans recovered. Out of the billions living on Earth, just how many will survive this time."
Thousands of years was a short time for them, but the woman understood
Velius's hesitation. He was the last one who faced the Trial, and the Trial's difficulty only increased the more humans advance.
"None of us wants to involve Earth if possible, and we've held back long enough. The number of people who sacrificed themselves for Earth is at least a thousand times more compared to their current population."
She said without a hint of remorse. She has lived for so long and has seen more than enough to find only billions of people dying as lucky.
Of course, it doesn't mean she doesn't care, but for the greater good of all human beings, she was willing to do anything.
She decided to leave when she noticed the man no longer had any intention to speak.
With the woman gone, Velius was on his own. He waved his hands once more before a projection of Earth appeared within his palms. Velius could see thousands of people with their friends, families, and romantic partners happily enjoying their life.
He felt sorry once again as he watched the children happily playing while smiling from ear to ear.
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In an underground room, 17 people were in a circle. They were all wearing robes that covered their whole body except their hands. It didn't take long before one of the people started to talk.
"It seems like Velius has given us his vote. With this, we can now start the Trial on Earth. Commence the Trial!"
An abundant amount of mana gathered into a ball before it turned into a beam traveling through various dimensions before enveloping the planet called Earth.
"With this, the Trial on Earth will now start. May the gods they blindly worship give them strength. We can only hope that one of them will survive and become a hero; otherwise, we're all doomed."
An older man said before closing his eyes and leaving the room; the others soon followed until no one was in the place. Right in the middle of the room was a big blue planet called Earth.
The projection in the middle zoomed in further and further into Earth until the only thing that was in the image was a man. A robotic voice soon resounded throughout the room, but no one heard it.
[ Warning anomaly detected, requesting for extraction..]
Minutes turned into hours before the robotic voice once again can be heard.
[Request for extraction failed, initiating protocol "Hope."]
[Initiation complete, the Trial difficulty for "Hope" has increased. Rewards Increased]
[The time before the Trial starts is: 24 hours]
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Meanwhile, back on Earth, the sky was bright, and everyone was oblivious to the changes that were bound to happen soon.
A young man was on his way out of his flat when the building started to shake violently, causing the young man to hide under a table instinctively.
The shaking lasted for at least half an hour, causing the young man to wonder.
'Was that an earthquake? Why did it last for so long? Ah, I don't have much time I got to go to my part-time job now. I guess I'll try to find out more on the way.'
He thought to himself before leaving the flat. The young man didn't care about the earthquake. After living in Japan for years, he had experienced multiple earthquakes. Without any doubt, some unknown scientist was probably explaining the reason behind the phenomenon already.
No one would have thought that this was just the beginning of something terrible; everyone carried on with their own lives oblivious to the changes happening in their planets and surroundings.
In a different part of Earth, in the thick tropical Amazon rainforest. A group of friends was exploring the lush and beautiful forest when the furious cries and roars of the animals echoed in the woods.
Shocked and terrified by the sudden turn of events, they huddled together while their guide held his gun while eyeing the trees. The ground suddenly started to vibrate while loud footsteps were stepping on the leaves and twigs on the ground.
The last thing the group of friends could see was the shadow approaching them before their cries of despair died down deep into the forest.