Altan calmed his beating heart. There was no need to worry. He reminded himself that he could overcome this if he just took one breath at a time.
Everyone here was also 18 years old like him, they were all feeling nervous too, probably. Nothing bad happened to the previous ones who went ahead of him.
They were fine.
The rest of the youths who hadn't had their chance yet were all gathered sitting on the floor of a gymnasium, feeling the safety of the solid wooden deck underneath them.
They felt awkward; they were used to the cold and damp ground.
Aside from a few murmurs, everyone was as silent as they could be. They tried not to let the excitement disturb their visitor from another land.
"Atlan of the Unclaimed Lands, step forward." The woman in front of them said.
She had long curly hair and wore a black suit that covered her entire body in protective pads. She was the only one there with clothing that wasn't tattered and dirtied.
Atlan looked up at her and he couldn't help but admire her beautiful face up on the podium. Even in the expanse of the gymnasium behind her, she kept everyone's eyes on her.
Her skin was as smooth as pearls and she emanated a sweet vanilla scent. Meanwhile, every youth looking at her smelled of soil and grime.
Even though she didn't look a few years older than them, she confessed that she was a hundred years old!
That was the difference between people who lived in a God's Territory and those who lived in the Unclaimed Lands.
They lived in a place protected by a god. They were given health, safety, and abundance.
They were given immortality.
While people like Atlan and the rest of these youths could only fend for themselves in the wilds.
However, with this Draft, they could change their destiny. They can break out of the Unclaimed Lands and live on a God's Territory!
Altan walked up to the podium.
There was a large pill-looking contraption that the woman stood next to. It was as tall as her, about less than two meters. It was made of metal, yet there was wood and vines wrapped around the patches of the machine.
"Ever since Gods descended into our reality and settled on their lands, they have given us humans everything we ever wanted.
We are no longer a species struggling to find food or suffering from disease.
However, it hasn't been easy for Them. They have been plagued by these wicked Canzers, and They need soldiers to fight them." she roared.
Some youths winced and cowered at the mention of Canzers.
While some's eyes gleamed in excitement when they heard the word 'soldier'.
"Only humans can defeat these Canzers. They are called Saviors!
This is your chance to become a Savior and hopefully become drafted by a God to join them in their territory."
The woman's words started a fire within everyone's souls. They yearned for that paradise.
"Saviors who live in a God's Territory will be given power, wealth, and fame. They will give you an eternal life."
These youths never even knew life past the age of twenty. Yet, there were those who lived for a thousand years in luxury.
"As long as you help kill Canzers that threaten the sanctity of Gods, then you will be rewarded with anything you want."
Now that the rest of the youths were fired up, the woman then looked at Atlan.
"Let me inform you again of what would happen to you when you enter the Draft. Your mind will be transported to the Remedium, the dimension where the Gods reside. In this place, you will encounter monsters and beasts that you must vanquish."
The woman pushed some buttons on her tablet, making last-minute preparations before another one entered the Draft.
"The monsters come in batches. They will become more and more stronger with each batch.
If you survive 5 batches of enemies, you can get an F-class LifeSkill. If you defeat 10 batches, you can get a D-class LifeSkill, and so on."
LifeSkills were the powers that the Saviors used to kill Canzers.
"The better class LifeSkill you have, the better chance you have of being drafted by a Town, or a City even."
The bigger the place, the stronger the god, and the more prosperous it was for their citizens.
Everyone hoped to be in a City, but they were more than satisfied with a Town.
This time, she addressed everyone.
"If you performed above normal and showed your talent, then you may be personally drafted by a God or maybe even multiple ones. They will personally visit you in the Draft," she added.
"If that happens, don't panic. They will be offering you lots of rewards including a unique Genus so that you can evolve your bloodline.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, just think about where you want to live. If you fear the water, then don't accept the offer of the Seven Seas god."
Realistically, there was no chance that these kids would perform above average.
The poor lifestyle in the Unclaimed Lands did not cultivate talent.
However, she still liked to inform these unfortunate juveniles about the intricacies of the Draft.
Who knew, maybe there would be one transcendent talent here.
"Atlan, was it? Are you ready to enter the Pre-Remedium chamber?"
Atlan gulped, hoping to swallow his fear.
"Yes, I think."
The woman looked at Atlan and felt that there was something unusual about him. He wasn't arrogant, nor was he frightful. Even though his demeanor showed fear, she could see a sense of steadiness and calm in his eyes. This was something she only saw with veteran Saviors.
"What type of Savior do you want to become? There are two types: the ones in the front line and the ones in the back." the woman asked.
Atlan answered without any hesitation. "The one in the backline."
"Really?" The woman was surprised. Usually, most youths liked to be on the front lines and be in the thick of it all.
Saviors who fought on the front lines were awarded the most. They were also the most renowned and celebrated in the lands.
If they were going to fight, why not fight up front? There was no harm in it.
After all, no one could die in God's Territory.
"Yes. I don't like to see suffering. I hate blood. I'm a pacifist." Atlan said, calming his nerves.
It was unusual to find such a youth. She looked over to the rest of the group and they all nodded their heads. Atlan was known for being a pacifist. He didn't even eat worms and forced himself to live by eating grass.
"No worries. Some Saviors can kill Canzers while staying in their homes," assured the woman.
"Step inside." The large water tank-like contraption opened by itself.
The Pre-Remedium Chamber was simply an empty compartment with nozzles placed in the cardinal directions: up, down, left, right, front, and back.
Atlan stepped inside and faced the door.
There was no glass window, leaving only darkness for him when the woman closed the chamber. And despite the confinement, Atlan felt safer. It reminded him of countless nights spent living underground.
"Get ready. The Draft is about to start," warned the woman, her voice muffled.
"Oh, and don't worry about your injuries. This is just a simulation," she added before activating the chamber.
TSHHHHHH
The nozzles sprayed Atlan's entire body with a strange violet mist that glowed even in total darkness.
Even when he tried not to breathe it in, the mist seeped into his skin and mixed into his blood, intoxicating him into a hallucination.
Atlan's body went stiff, but his brain went into a deep sleep psychosis and forced his eyelids shut.
When he opened his eyes again, the only thing he saw was an endless white space. He was standing, yet he could not see the ground. He was still wearing his tattered white shirt and old, ragged jogging pants.
The horizon blended with the foreground, everything was white.
ZINGG
Atlan suddenly saw a holographic banner in front of him saying;
[1st Batch of Monsters appearing in 3…2…1]
After the countdown, a small ant suddenly materialized a few meters away from him.
An ant. A literal red ant. It was so small.
He wouldn't have even noticed it if it weren't for the holographic effect of the summoning.
[Defeat the first batch of monsters to reach the next stage]
The beauty's words echoed back in his mind.
'If you survive 5 batches of enemies, you can get an F-class LifeSkill.'
An F-class LifeSkill was the most basic power that anyone could have. At most, it would only give you extra resistance against elements. Even a fur coat could give you more protection than an F-class LifeSkill.
All Atlan had to do was crush this ant and he'd move on to the next stage.
It wasn't even moving. It didn't even try to attack him.
Yet, Atlan couldn't bring himself to do it.
He bent down and brought the red ant closer to his face.
How could he kill such an adorable creature? Its little mandibles were tapping in happiness as it looked back at him.
"No. I refuse," he declared. He put the ant back down. "I don't like to see suffering. I hate blood. I'm a pacifist."
The moment he did, the whole scenery changed.
The world of vast whiteness was tainted by crimson red waves, propagating and conquering the purity of the white background.
He now stood upon a cracked road, with boiling lava spurting out its crevices. A wall of hellfire covered the horizon, inducing fear and damnation.
"You human…why have you not killed this pesky little animal?"
Atlan heard a dark, low, growling voice behind him.
But instead of answering the question, Atlan looked back to the demon that was waiting for him behind.
He looked at it dead in its 666 eyes, with no fear, no trepidation, and no terror.
He was deathly calm.
"Are you a God?"
The demon was a large worm-like creature ten times bigger than Atlan.
Its mouth covered more than half of its face, with millions upon millions of layered hair-like teeth that circled its 'lips'.
Beyond the mouth, complete darkness.
Looking inside the mouth of the demon was akin to looking at an abyss that led directly down to the deepest depths of space.
I am the God of Death, it said telepathically, its teeth clacking upon each other.
Its 666 eyes looked like beads of blood above its mouth. The induced trypophobia gave discomfort to anyone who dared to lay its eyes upon the God.
Each one of those eyes looked down at Atlan.
Yet instead of cowering upon this gigantic creature, Atlan stood tall in defiance.
The God of Death, Grim Reaper himself, was stupefied by Atlan's lack of fear. His hideous appearance should have scared Atlan's very soul into fright, unable to even utter a single word.
Yet he did, mutinous gaze and all.
And before the God of Death could try and threaten Atlan that he would suffer a fate worse than death…
Atland jumped inside its sinister and dusky mouth.
"YOU DARE!!!!"