In the stars above, a conversation between two deities silently took place.
"It's him."
"Who?"
"The Mythmaker. He's back."
"How?"
"I don't know."
"Should we do anything?"
"Let's wait and see."
Chronos slowly traced his fingers on his body. There, a deep scar ran from his neck to his chest. Even after centuries of time, the wound he received from that individual still refused to heal. Like the hands of a clock, his glassy eyes ticked and turned.
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After a century of being analyzed, the world had a generalized idea of what is to be expected during a 'First Challenge'.
The otherworldly curse, more commonly referred to as the "Phenomenon", would transfer dozens to hundreds of challengers into another world, or a past iteration of their current world.
There, the challengers would need to satisfy several unknown conditions to be transported back into their original world.
The difficulty of the First Challenge was relatively tame compared to the nightmares of the latter challenges. Despite this, the original challengers had a disastrous 0.001% success rate.
The reason?
Lack of survival skills. Humanity had grown so accustomed to technology that the average person could live out their entire lives without ever stepping foot on grass.
The leading cause of death wasn't getting mauled by an unearthly monster like one might expect. Instead, it was from exposure to the environment, followed by lack of water and food.
Nox had grown up being inspired by heroic tales of challengers slaying demonic beasts and leading armies to conquer the challenges.
However, reality wasn't so kind.
He wasn't born out of love and affection, but because of a torrid affair. Shortly after his mother was pregnant with him, his biological father fled the country.
His mother was a low-class worker, making a few silvers a week. It was only enough for a room at a cheap inn and meals of stale bread and soup.
Her body was weak, never getting the proper nutrients that a grown woman needs. With another mouth to feed, she was forced to increase her hours.
The workload soon caught up to her. On August 23rd, 2332, she left this world.
With no remaining relatives in this world, Nox was left to fend for himself from an early age.
Resorting to gambling and stealing from local stores to survive. At times, he even had to move to new bastions to evade the authorities.
If he were caught, he would be forced to work in a factory for the rest of his life, processing otherworldly metals and products for the awakened and royalty.
Despite all of this, Nox was now a challenger.
One of the lucky individuals left in this accursed world to have an opportunity to change his life.
Nox slept and slept. After what seemed like forever, he slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to his new surroundings.
At the same time, he heard a familiar voice.
[Awaken, otherworlder! Prove your worth, or be devoured.]
It was a dreary night. The world seemed dark, the only source of light being the twinkling stars that littered the sky. Nox himself sat atop a lonely island. Furnished with nothing but foliage and a rotting tree, it would appear that he was stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Surrounded by miles of pitch-black ocean from all directions stretching as far as the eye could see, he frowned.
'Could they not have placed me somewhere more convenient?'
As Nox was surveying the island, he recalled something the guard had told him.
'Let's see if it works.'
Nox relaxed his muscles. Focusing on his beating heart, he concentrated.
'Connect.'
Instantly, a wave of information flooded his brain.
+
[Scenario Name: First Challenge]
[Challengers Remaining: 499]
[Description: Noxus was once a glorious planet. Filled to the brim with innovators and warriors, they dreamt of exploring the otherworlds. Alas, fate was cruel. After many failed attempts to leave their planet, doubt crawled inside their hearts. First, it was their leader, young and courageous, but shattered by the expectations of his entire world. Succumbing to the corruption, he unleashed a nightmare upon his people. One by one, the citizens of Noxus were infected. Not knowing the virus inside their hearts, they lived by day until one fateful night… their whole world collapsed.]
[Difficulty: Fatal]
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「Nox」
Rank: Unawoken
Divinity: ???
Relics: Last Light
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He shuddered.
'A fallen planet? Isn't that reserved for second challenges and above? And what's with the difficulty? Where did he get the relic from?'
There were too many questions he wanted to ask.
Nox opened his mouth to let out another sigh, only to find that… he couldn't.
Suddenly, the hairs on his arms stood up. He turned up and faced the sky.
One by one.
The stars were slowly being distinguished. Dark patches formed in the clouds above.
His field of vision was reducing by the second. A voice in his head told him that he was in danger.
With no other option, he concentrated on his heart, specifically, his relic.
A wooden stick manifested in his hand.
Despite having never held or used a torch before, he felt as if he instinctively knew how to use it.
He felt a trickle of energy leave him as the stick burst into flames, illuminating the area.
That's when he saw it.
Hidden behind a blackened tree, a one-eyed creature revealed itself.
Moving slowly, it stepped into the light.
It was a humanoid monster, standing about a foot over an adult human. Its limbs were long and thin, resembling whip-like weapons with sharp fangs on its end.
Suddenly propelling itself with its long legs, it lunged at Nox, aiming to tear open his face with a swipe.
Thinking quickly, Nox ducked and let the attack pass over him.
His fist impacted with its stomach, knocking the breath out of the monster.
Simultaneously, he swung the torch at its most vulnerable spot: its massive eyeball.
He felt a strange sensation as he stabbed into its flesh, embedding the stick halfway into the eye.
The creature shrieked in pain as it tried to pull out the relic.
Wrapping its foot around his legs, it sliced through his skin with razor-sharp precision.
Nox gritted his teeth as he chose to endure the attack. He grabbed a nearby rock, aiming to smash the monster's head in before the injuries piled up.
Unfortunately, the abomination had undergone a transformation. The fangs grew larger, sharper. But most importantly, they were longer.
An attack arced around his field of vision, almost jamming into his eye. He dodged at the last second as it nicked his face.
A wave of pain surged through him, and blood dripped from the fresh wound.
Retreating a step, he watched as the beast slowly regained its composure, both combatants now on an even playing field.
Undeterred, Nox rolled up his sleeves, determination gleaming in his eyes, as the monster readied its claws.
'I'm ready.'