It is said that before the universe as we know it came into existence, there was a being—a divine presence that existed before anything else. It was said to have absolute power over everything—well, everything that the void could offer. But, for all that cosmic power, there was one thing it lacked: a companion. Someone to chat with, to share the infinite with.
It was... lonely. And after eons of drifting through that emptiness, the divine being made a choice. A drastic one. It decided to end it all.
When it died, everything changed. Its body scattered through the void, and, in the most dramatic plot twist possible, gave birth to what we now call the universe. Planets, stars, galaxies—they all sprung from its remains. And its soul? Well, that scattered too, becoming what we now refer to as mana, the life force that pulses through, well, everything.
The chunks of its body turned into celestial objects—planets, moons, suns. But, as with anything in the cosmos, there was a catch. These newborn planets were fragile, far too weak to handle the immense power of divine mana.
So, in an unexpected moment of cosmic wisdom, the universe hit the brakes. It restricted the flow of mana into these planets, sending them into a kind of dormancy. Like putting them in timeout until they were strong enough to handle the energy without falling apart.
And when the time was right, something special happened. The planets were mature enough, and a grand event was triggered—a kind of cosmic tution. This gave the creatures on these planets a chance to unlock their potential, a safe space to learn how to wield mana without, you know, blowing themselves up.
We call this event the Tutorial. Pretty cool name, right?
But, of course, nothing stays that simple. The divine being's loneliness, that sadness it had carried for eternity, didn't just disappear when it died. Nope, it stuck around. And over time, it twisted into something... darker.
That sorrow morphed into a creeping chaos. No fancy name here because, honestly, it didn't need one. It was just there, festering and corrupting everything it touched. Silent, but deadly.
Naturally, this dark force found its way into the Tutorial, corrupting the creatures inside and making things, well, a lot more interesting.
So, now that you've had your crash course on how the universe came to be, you're probably wondering, "What does this have to do with anything?" Well, strap in, because we're about to dive into the chaos of the present, where things are just as complicated as ever.
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"Wh-what the hell is going on?!"
"Tim! Where are you?! H-have you seen my baby?!"
"Where the hell is this place?!"
The voices echoed through the clearing, full of confusion and panic. Gawain watched the chaos unfold around him, taking in the faces of the other people who had been unceremoniously plucked from their lives and thrown into this bizarre situation.
They stood in a forest clearing, surrounded by towering trees that seemed to reach for the heavens, their leaves whispering secrets in the gentle breeze. The sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Birds chirped nervously, their songs echoing the unease in the air. It was beautiful, yet eerie—an untouched piece of nature, quite a stark contrast to what most humans are used to.
'They are all flustered. Well, that's pretty obvious,' Gawain thought, rolling his eyes at the commotion. 'They were just picked up and tossed into this weird dimension without a clue.'
The Tutorial worked in a strange way. People were chosen at random from all over the world—millions at a time—and tossed into this bizarre, separate "dimension." It was like a cosmic lottery, but the prize was a chance to survive and learn to harness their inner powers. And well, let's just say that this was a game you didn't want to lose in.
In his last life, Gawain had been one of the few "lucky" ones selected in the first draft of the Tutorial selection. And "lucky" was a term used very loosely here.
'I still remember it clearly. The first batch suffered the highest casualty rate of all the groups sent into the Tutorial. Those who survived? They were the strongest. They had access to far more resources with a much smaller number of participants, after all.' Gawain cringed, recalling the slaughter that awaited them. 'But that's not my concern right now. It's about time it shows up,' he thought, glancing at the sky, where the air shimmered ominously.
Just as he suspected, a voice pierced through the noise of panic. "HEY! L-LOOK AT THAT! THE SKY IS SPLITTING!"
"O-oh god... what in the world is going on..."
"Something is coming out of that crack!"
"T-this has to be the end of the world..."
Gawain couldn't help but smirk at the chaos. 'Well, he isn't entirely wrong,' he thought, ignoring the others' frantic ramblings as he glared up at the fractured sky.
Not a moment later, a small, deep blue imp-like creature tumbled out of the crack, its appearance startling the crowd.
"Oof! Hello, you filthy mortals! Geez, your kind reeks of weakness... anyway..."
"What the heck is this thing? It looks like a giant insect!" one man exclaimed, trying to make sense of the bizarre scenario.
"I know, right? Dude, you were so dramatic! No way you thought the world was about to end," another chimed in, shaking his head.
"I don't know, man. I still feel like the world is about to end," someone whispered, eyes wide with fear.
"... I'm your tutorial guide. And I'll..." The creature continued, trying to regain control of the situation.
"Dude, you don't actually believe this insect can destroy the world, right?" one skeptic laughed nervously.
"Can you all please listen to what I'm trying to say?" the creature said, its patience wearing thin. Gawain couldn't help but notice a vein pulsing on its forehead.
"I know, right? Man, I think I had shrooms. I'm fucking hallucinating!" a guy muttered, laughter tinged with disbelief.
Gawain winced slightly, half-expecting the creature to retaliate against their mockery. 'Geez, I don't even feel bad for what's about to happen to these guys,' he thought as the "insect" looked furious.
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME, YOU LOWLY HUMANS!" The creature bellowed, and an overwhelming pressure crashed down on everyone in the clearing.
"Argh!"
"H-help! W-what is going on?! I-I can't breathe!"
Gawain gasped as he too fell to his knees, immediately channeling mana through his body just to hold it together. 'Y-yeah, this thing is still as strong as I remember,' he thought, a wry smile forming on his lips.
Looking around, he noticed the others sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, faces twisted in panic.
"Hmph, shouldn't have cut me off. How does it feel, groveling in front of a supe—? Hm? Oh? Would you look at that..." The creature floated closer to Gawain, still maintaining its oppressive hold over the humans.
"...are you using mana to enhance your body?!" it exclaimed, shock evident in its tone.
Gawain tensed, alarm bells ringing in his mind. 'These idiots! Why did they have to provoke this thing? I wanted to lay low until the class selection!' he growled mentally.
"I-I don't know what that is," he muttered, praying the creature would buy the excuse.
"Hm? Does that mean you're using it unconsciously? That's quite amazing for someone of your lowly race," it said, circling Gawain, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Why are you hiding your face? Are you ugly? That's quite sad. And what's with all these weapons?" It reached out and pulled one of Gawain's swords from its sheath, waving it around carelessly. With a flick of its wrist, it tossed the sword back into the sheath, barely missing Gawain's neck.
'H-Holy crap! This bastard. That almost took my fucking head off!' Gawain gasped, touching his neck with trembling hands, glaring at the creature with barely contained hatred.
"Hmm... you're quite suspicious, human. Anyways..." The creature smirked, and suddenly the pressure vanished. "Now, now. Take your precious oxygen to your heart's content. Hohoho!" It laughed, relishing the misery of the humans around it.
Gasp!
"O-oh, oh my god!"
"W-what are you...?" A man whispered, fear creeping into his voice.
"Now we're getting back on track. You humans need to be disciplined, don't you? Don't interrupt me again, alright?" the creature said, its tone dripping with sarcasm. "You can call me Mr. Wisp. And like I said, I'm your guide to this tutorial. All of you will be given equal opportunities to carve your own destiny."
But before it could continue, another voice interrupted. "Oi! I don't care about any of that. Just send me h—? Huh?"
Splat
This time, Mr. Wisp didn't hold back. "I told you I don't like interruptions, didn't I?"
Thud
For a heartbeat, no one moved. The body slumped to the ground, the clearing feeling eerily silent, as though the air had been sucked away. And then, chaos erupted.
"Kyahhh!"
"H-he just killed him! How dare yo—!" But before the man could finish his sentence, his head exploded in a gruesome display.
Splat
"I said I hate loud things, didn't I?" Mr. Wisp exclaimed, raising his voice for emphasis. "If I hear you pigs squeal one more time, I'll kill you right here, right now."
"Now then, let's continue the explanation, shall we?" The creature smirked, its eyes glinting with malice.
"Your world has finally awakened. And now, the new world order will begin. Infinite freedom is given to everyone here. Law, order, morals, and ethics... Have you ever thought of a world free of all that? Well, guess what? It has all come true now!"
For the first time since arriving in this bizarre realm, the crowd fell silent, rapt with attention. Some were intrigued, while others were frozen in fear.
"All physical limitations that weigh you down will be removed. Depending on what you do, you can grow infinitely stronger. Isn't that amazing?" It giggled, the sound manic and unsettling.
"Ahem!" Mr. Wisp took a moment to regain composure, a wicked grin stretching across its face as it clapped its hands. "Now, let's break this down a little. You see, your lives are about to get... interesting. In this Tutorial, you will face challenges that will test your strength, willpower, and sanity. Those who survive will rise to new heights, but those who fall? Well, let's just say they won't be coming back."
Gawain felt a chill run down his spine, but he kept his face expressionless. He had been through this before.
Mr. Wisp didn't care about all that, and continued, "I will divide you into groups, and you-"
"Groups? You mean we're going to be stuck with these idiots?" one man interrupted, gesturing wildly at the people around him.
Crack!
Mr. Wisp shot a bolt of energy from its finger, striking the man squarely in the chest. The impact sent him flying back, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Eek!"
"I said SHUT UP!" the creature screamed, its voice echoing through the clearing like thunder.
Gawain swallowed hard, feeling the tension in the air. 'Yeah, this is definitely just as bad as I remember,' he thought, clenching his fists.
"Now then, mortals!" Mr. Wisp chirped happily, as if a switch had been flipped, and clapped its hands loudly. "Like I was saying, you will now be divided into groups of five. Each of you will be assigned a number, and those with matching numbers will be on the same team."
The crowd murmured anxiously, and Gawain could see the nervous glances exchanged between strangers. They had all been yanked from their lives and tossed into this bizarre nightmare, and now they were expected to work together?
As Mr. Wisp began calling out numbers, Gawain's heart raced. He felt a chill as he noticed the creature scanning the crowd, its eyes locking onto him with an unsettling intensity.
"But you... number zero!" Mr. Wisp shouted, pointing dramatically at Gawain, before its face broke into a grin. "You will be... all alone!"
A ripple of murmurs swept through the crowd as everyone turned to look at Gawain, confusion and sympathy etched on their faces. "What? Alone? That's messed up," someone whispered, shaking their head.
"Dude, that sucks," another muttered, giving Gawain a pitying glance.
Gawain sighed, feeling the weight of their stares. But mentally, he was grinning ear to ear. This was the best case scenario, that he himself didn't know existed. Even in his last life, he was in a team, but it looked like this time, he caught the creature's eyes. Gawain was sure that Mr. Wisp just wanted to fuck with him. And he would gladly bend over this time.
"Now, now. Let's focus on the task in hand." Mr. Wisp said and clapped his hand. With a flourish, a glowing blue screen popped up in front of everyone, which was surprisingly empty right now. Gawain just stared at it neutrally. He'd been here before, so it was new for him.
"What... is this?" a woman asked hesitantly, her hand raised timidly.
Mr. Wisp turned to her, a wicked smile spreading across its face. "Oh, how polite! Aren't you just a gem?" It leaned closer, eyes glinting with mischief. "Let's be honest here—you're all a bunch of primitive beings. But don't worry, Mr. Wisp did quite some research on this planet and came up with something, your puny minds to comprehend. This is the interface, of what you call an....RPG!"
"An RPG? A game?" The woman whispered in confusion.
"Yes! A game where you get to use your 'magic' and kill monsters," Mr. Wisp spat, almost in disgust. "Magic? Pathetic! Just using that word to define mana is repulsive."
"Anyways. Each of you has three primary class options to choose from," Mr. Wisp announced, its tone turning a bit more serious. "Take a look at your screens!"
Gawain glanced back at the glowing blue screen before him. It now displayed three options:
[Warrior]: A master of physical combat, strong and resilient. [Class Bonus]: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution
[Mage]: A wielder of mana, capable of powerful spells and magical effects. [Class Bonus]: +1 Mana, +1 Focus
[Thief]: A stealthy and agile fighter, skilled in deception and evasion. [Class Bonus]: +1 Agility, +1 Focus
"Once you make your choice, your status window will be generated, revealing your primary class along with a starting skill. You'll finally have access to mana, although I doubt most of you even understand what that truly means." It scoffed, a cruel smirk crossing its grotesque face. "Your race is so pathetic that the concept of mana might as well be a fairy tale."
"And as a bonus," the creature continued, clapping its hands together with a jarring sound, that was honestly pissing Gawain off now, "you will each receive a weapon suited to your chosen class." It paused for effect, eyes glinting with malice. "But you have only five minutes to decide. Choose wisely; this is your only chance to select a class. Don't pick something you might regret later."
The creature's grin widened, revealing rows of sharp, pearly white teeth. "And remember, those who fail to make a selection in time… will be eliminated. Your time starts...now!" And with that, Mr. Wisp vanished into thin air.
A ripple of hushed conversations broke out among the group. Teammates leaned in close, some gesturing animatedly, others arguing fiercely over the merits of their desired classes.
"I'm taking the Mage class. I don't wanna fight in the front lines."
"What?! you're such a pussy. I finally have the chance to beat things up with my fist. I'm taking the warrior class."
While the others were fighting over which class they'd choose, Gawain just grinned behind his mask confidently. He had no interest in the petty squabbles of others; he knew exactly what he wanted. With determination in his eyes, he raised his hand to the glowing panel in front of him, and selected his class.
[Congratulations! You have selected the Thief Class!]
[Your status window will be generated.]
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