"Hey, what rank do you think you will get?"
"I don't know, but I hope it's at least an apprentice rank."
"Yeah, I imagine getting human rank. I would be so embarrassed, I might even kill myself."
"I know, right? Seeing all these trash players walking around just makes me want to vomit."
"Well, let's not blame them too much. It's not their fault they were born with bad luck."
"Hahaha, you are right. Let's head in; we will ace this test."
Vell stared at the teenagers talking as they entered the association building. He looked around before following them inside.
***
In this world, normal humans find it hard to survive. Everything is pretty much run by players, from politics and medicine to banking and more. This creates a hunger in people's hearts, a desire to be awakened and become a player. Only then can they live a good life, but this is not simple. Awakening is a random gift; humans have no control over it. Even those who awaken can end up in the same situation as normal people due to power.
There are 14 ranks. They are as follows:
- Supreme Being
- God Rank
- Demigod Rank
- Constellation Rank
- Divine Rank
- Transcended Rank
- Supreme Rank
- Heroic Rank
- Titan Rank
- Elite Rank
- Expert Rank
- Adept Rank
- Apprentice Rank
- Human Rank
The power gap between ranks is otherworldly. For example, an apprentice rank can fight 50 martial artists, boxers, or any humans at once, that's how vast the gap is. Even a human rank, which is the lowest, can still hold their own against at least five of those humans. This is why everyone wants to become a player: power, fame, and money. Nothing else matters. Bonds are easily broken, and trust is bought. This is a world run on power; you either have it or live a miserable life until you die. Alternatively, you can cling to someone with power and let them carry you through life.
So, how do these players become so famous and rich? It all started 500 years ago when a massive planet, making Earth look like an atom, approached. Humans were horrified as their sun was completely blocked for years, driving everyone mad. They turned on each other; hunger took over as there was no sunlight to grow food. Plants died, rain never came, and temperatures fell below zero. When no one was alive, the massive planet absorbed Earth and slowly began to resemble it. A few months later, it was an exact copy of Earth, just thousands of times bigger.
After that, purple trees grew all over the world, releasing a strange gas into the air. This gas revived most of the people who had died, but something was different. They gained inhuman strength and abilities, capable of feats that only gods should be able to perform. They were excited and some were shocked, but all that didn't last long once they discovered the dungeons and towers.
Unlike dungeons, where one enters, defeats monsters, and exits, towers operate differently. They are not merely hunting grounds. Inside are distinct worlds with inhabitants who live their lives, often unaware that they reside within a tower. These full worlds, teeming with never-before-seen species, captivate humans, prompting many to desire life within the towers. However, a voice resonates in their minds, urging them to climb the towers for greater power and answers.
While many agree, a few refuse, and after a certain period, those who decline lose their powers and revert to being ordinary humans. The reasons behind this phenomenon remain unknown, which is why they climb, to seek answers. It has been 500 years since then, and no one possesses any answers. In fact, this has become normalized, and few care about the origins of these towers and dungeons. All that matters is power and money.
***
Vell entered the building, shocked at how crowded it was. Given the number of people, he expected the place to reek, but he was pleasantly surprised by the absence of any bad smells in the air. He looked up to see a massive pink flower releasing some kind of pollen.
"...Is that thing making the air smell good?"
[Yes, it's a species of flower that specializes in fragrance. This one produces pleasant scents, but there are also varieties that emit foul odors.]
He turned his head around a few more times, admiring the beauty of his surroundings. It was his first time in such a fancy place. However, he soon began to notice the whispers about him, the clothes he wore were a bit out of fashion, not to mention the cheap slippers but he didn't care. Suddenly, a voice rang out across the room, capturing everyone's attention. He glanced toward the source and saw a man in a white suit, exuding power and elegance. A single glance told Vell that this man was incredibly strong.
"Welcome, everyone. I am pleased to see so many new participants compared to last week. To avoid wasting your time, I will explain the test for those who might not know. There are three tests, each assessing your current power, skills, and judgment. You can enter the tests after registering, but I trust everyone has already done that days ago. So, let's not waste time and begin. Please take out your registered ID cards and head to any of the ten doors. You will then wait for the test to commence."
The man turned and walked away. Vell, on the other hand, was confused. He had come here expecting a simple examination of his mana or something similar, but this was entirely different.
'Shit, now what? I don't have an ID. Maybe I should just go to the help desk and ask for assistance.'
He waited until the room had cleared completely. He was now the only participant left, and the workers stared at him, puzzled.
"Hey, is that shabby-looking guy also here for the test?"
"Maybe he's lost?"
They began whispering, but he ignored them and approached, placing his hands on the desk and staring directly at them without an ounce of respect. The woman grew nervous and wanted to press the report button, but she couldn't. After all, he had done nothing wrong.
"Hello, I am new here and would like to register to participate in the test."
'Huh, why is he registering on the day of the exam? Whatever, he gives me the creeps. Let's just get this over with.'
She began typing quickly on her keyboard and then placed an orb connected to wires on the desk.
"Can you please grab this orb?"
'Is he even awakened?' she thought, glancing at his hand on the orb. The orb glowed a strange sting in his hand, and energy began entering his body but was repelled, causing the orb to shatter. The woman stared in shock; even Vell didn't know what was happening.
'Hey, what just happened?'
[Hmm, that energy that entered your body was going in the opposite direction of your mana, so it got repelled. Strange. Why are they using such energy on humans? It's more pure, but that's definitely corrupted mana.]
'So it's basically bad? Strange indeed. Now what?'
[I suggest you leave immediately. I don't trust these people.]
'But how can I enter dungeons and towers or even join a guild without a player license?'
[There are other ways, but first, we should get out of here.]
The woman was staring at him suspiciously. No one had ever broken an orb, and his silent reaction only added to her suspicion. She wasted no time hitting the report button. Now, she just had to make him stay until the higher-ups arrived.
"Sorry about that, sir. It seems our—"
He cut her off and ran toward the exit. She shouted at him to stop, but he had no time to entertain her nonsense. Security entered from outside and immediately used their powers to try to stop him, but he easily leaped over them. Once outside, he vanished behind a building and evaded capture.
"Hah hah hah, what the hell? He's like a cat. Where did someone like him come from?"
One of the guards, huffing, leaned against a building while the other made a call to other guards around the city. Back in the association, the head secretary arrived and asked for an update.
"He broke the orb, ma'am. I'm not sure how, but the energy refused to fuse with his body."
She was nervous about being blamed, but the secretary simply observed the camera feed and paused right where she could see his face.
"Vell?... Find him, no matter what. Do you hear me? No matter what."
She walked away with a furious expression, barely holding back her power.
"Y-yes, ma'am."