I gasped as my feet touched solid ground—or something close to it. My head spun, and my body tingled as if I'd just walked through an electrified field. The air around me felt heavy, thick with energy.
Blinking rapidly, I tried to take in my surroundings.
The sky above was a deep, shimmering indigo, dotted with stars that seemed far closer than they should have been. In every direction, the landscape was strange—rolling hills of silver grass, crystalline trees that refracted light like prisms, and floating islands suspended in midair.
"Where am I?" I murmured, my voice echoing oddly in the open air.
Before I could make sense of anything, a soft, mechanical voice spoke directly into my mind as a pale blue screen shone before me:
"Welcome, Seun Adebayo. You have been summoned as one of the chosen challengers to save dimensions and climb the tower."
"Wait, what?!" My heart pounded as I spun around, searching for the source of the voice. "Who's there?!"
"This is the System. You and others like you have been brought here from your dimension because your unique qualities are critical to the survival of multiple dimensions."
"This has to be a dream," I muttered, pinching my arm hard enough to hurt. But the surreal world around me didn't fade.
"This is real, Seun Adebayo. Prepare yourself."
A bright light enveloped me, and in an instant, the peaceful landscape vanished.
⃝⃝⃝
All around me were others—people of all shapes, sizes, gender and ages. Some looked as bewildered as I felt, their eyes darting around in confusion. Others stood with purpose, their expressions grim, as if they'd been expecting this.
Before I could process more, a ripple of light shimmered in the center of the chamber. From the glow stepped a figure that made me blink twice: a humanoid rabbit. She stood upright, clad in a sharp, black tailored suit that didn't quite fit with her fluffy ears and twitching nose. Her fur was pristine white, her eyes a sharp, unnatural gold. A wide, almost-too-cheerful smile stretched across her face.
"Greetings, dear Challengers!" she announced, spreading her arms theatrically. Her voice was warm, almost soothing, yet tinged with something unsettling. "I am Alice, your guide for the tutorial phase. Before you officially become Explorers, you must pass through this necessary initiation."
Some murmured in confusion, others in disbelief. I just stood there, frozen, trying to reconcile the bizarre sight in front of me with the surreal situation I'd found myself in.
Alice continued, her smile unwavering. "Now, pay close attention. During this tutorial, no matter what you do—" Her tone turned sing-song. "—you cannot die. Not permanently, anyway. But that doesn't mean you won't feel pain or... break, let's say, mentally." She clapped her hands together, the sound sharp in the otherwise silent chamber. "But don't worry! It's all part of the process."
The words sent a shiver through the group. I wasn't alone in noticing the strange gleam in her eyes.
"I'm not doing this!" a booming voice interrupted. A man built like a professional wrestler shoved his way to the front, his face contorted in anger. "I don't care what game this is—I'm not playing! Send me back home! I need to prepare to get my child from piano lessons!"
Alice's ears twitched. For a moment, her cheerful expression faltered, replaced by a cold, predatory glare. "Interruptions are... inefficient," she said sweetly. With a snap of her fingers, the man vanished in a burst of light.
Gasps erupted around the room.
"Let that serve as a reminder," Alice said, her smile now razor-sharp. "The tutorial is mandatory. Complaints? Questions? Disobedience? All irrelevant. Now, let's keep moving."
The tension was palpable. No one else dared to speak.
A new chime echoed, and suddenly, screens appeared in front of each person, floating in midair. Just like the one I had seen before.
They displayed a dazzling array of weapons—blades, hammers, staffs, bows, even firearms—all glowing with otherworldly energy. The words "Select Your Weapon" blinked at the top of the screen in bold text.
People around me started tapping at their screens, each weapon vanishing as it was chosen. I stared at mine, overwhelmed. A glowing spear caught my eye, then a sleek katana, but my hands refused to move. Fear rooted me in place.
"Why is this happening to me?" I muttered under my breath, my heart pounding. My mind spiraled as I stared at the selection, unable to decide.
"This isn't a game. This isn't my life," I whispered harshly, my breathing shallow. "I should've been studying. Why did I waste my time daydreaming about this kind of stuff?"
Tears pricked my eyes as guilt and self-loathing consumed me. "I'm sorry, Mom. Dad. Ayo..." My voice cracked as I thought of my younger sister, imagining the look on her face if she could see me now—paralyzed by fear.
Behind me, Alice's voice rang out, cheerfully oblivious to my inner turmoil. "Remember, Challengers, the weapon you choose now will define your first steps in the Tower!"
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I could disappear. But I knew the choice wouldn't wait forever. My 1 minute had already turned to 30 seconds.
The screen before me glowed brighter, the vast array of weapons displayed in intricate detail. A hammer wreathed in lightning. A bow that seemed to shimmer and shift like liquid silver. A pair of daggers that pulsed faintly with a sinister red glow. The variety was overwhelming, and all around me, others were already reaching out to select their weapons.
Alice clapped her hands, drawing our attention. "Wonderful progress! I see most of you are making your choices. For those curious about our earlier... volunteer—" She gestured toward where the wrestler had vanished, her smile stretching unnervingly wide. "—he has already begun his tutorial. Don't worry! He can't die, not permanently. But whether he'll emerge... intact? Well, that's up to him. Now it's your turn!"
The room grew colder at her words, her chipper tone only making the statement more chilling.
"You see," Alice continued, her golden eyes glinting, "this is a learning experience. Think of it as a crash course in survival. You'll emerge better for it—or you won't emerge at all in one piece. But no one leaves without completing the tutorial." She gave a mock bow. "So, make your choices, and we'll proceed."
Despite the urgency in her words, my fingers still wouldn't move.
Around me, weapons continued disappearing from the screens of others as they made their selections. Anxiety clawed at me, freezing my thoughts. I wanted to scream at myself, to demand action, but I couldn't.
My vision blurred. A spear vanished from my peripheral vision. Then a sword. Soon, my choices would dwindle to nothing.
"Tick-tock!" Alice called, her voice playful. "No pressure, but if you can't pick a weapon, the System will be forced to assign you one. And let me tell you—it doesn't always have your best interests in mind. Just joking!!! You get NOTHING!!!"
I clenched my fists, bile rising in my throat.
"Too late!" Alice chirped. "Time's up! Congratulations to those who chose hard Mode!" With a snap of her fingers, my screen dissolved, and I felt a sickening pull in my stomach as the entire room shifted.
"Good luck, Challengers!" Alice called, her voice fading as darkness consumed everything.
When my vision returned, I was alone. The silvery chamber was gone, replaced by a dimly lit space that reeked of rot and just turned soil. The ground beneath my feet was slick and uneven, and the air was heavy with the stench of decay.
"What... is this place?" I muttered, gagging at the smell.
A screen suddenly lit up in front of me:
----
Tutorial: Survive.
Objective: Defeat the predator hunting you.
Time Limit: 8 hours.
----
"Predator?" I whispered, dread curling in my stomach.
A guttural snarl answered me.
Then I heard it—heavy footsteps, slow and deliberate, accompanied by a guttural snarl that sent a chill racing down my spine. I wasn't alone.
I turned slowly, my heart pounding. Emerging from the shadows was a creature so hideous it made my stomach churn. It was something I had seen so often in games that I was used to it.
The so-called beginner monster: A Goblin.
But a very ugly one at that. If I could qualify it, I would say it was a failed experiment of a mad scientist.
The goblin stood no taller than my waist, but its twisted, sinewy form radiated malice. Its skin was a mottled green, covered in boils and patches of oozing sores.
Its eyes were sunken and glowing yellow, and its mouth stretched unnaturally wide, filled with jagged, blackened teeth. The knife in it hand was no better, it was a rusted and old knife which has seen ages of use.
I couldn't hold it in. I bent over and vomited, the acrid taste burning my throat.
The goblin let out a wet, hacking laugh.
It had prey it had set its eyes upon in the name of me.
Anger flared within me, but it was buried beneath layers of terror and helplessness. "You're disgusting," I spat, wiping my mouth. "I hate this. I hate all of this."
The goblin's laughter stopped abruptly. Its glowing eyes narrowed, and it began to move toward me, its gnarled claws dragging against the ground with a screech that made my teeth ache.
I stumbled back, panic surging as the creature closed the distance. My mind screamed at me to run, to fight, to do something, but my legs felt like lead.
The goblin lunged.
I braced myself, knowing I couldn't stop it.
The goblin lunged at me, its gnarled claws scraping against the ground as it closed the distance with terrifying speed. Before I could react, its blunt, rusted knife raked across my left arm.
Pain like I had never known erupted from the jagged tear. It wasn't the clean cut of a sharp blade but the brutal force of something meant to crush rather than slice.
The sheer strength behind the goblin's strike, despite its diminutive size, drove the dull metal deep enough to rip my flesh. It felt like my skin was being chewed apart by a machine. A raw, guttural scream tore from my throat, and my legs buckled as the fire of pain coursed through me.
I staggered back, clutching my bleeding arm. "You little bastard!" I spat, the words raw and shaky as anger momentarily broke through my terror. But the searing agony soon drowned that defiance.
My chest heaved, and for a moment, the world spun. Blood oozed between my fingers, warm and slick.
The goblin sneered, its jagged teeth gleaming as it raised the blade again, licking its lips with grotesque anticipation. My instincts screamed louder than my pain. I turned sharply, my legs finally obeying, and I bolted in the opposite direction. The effort sent white-hot sparks of pain radiating from my wound, but adrenaline pumped through me, dulling the edges just enough to keep moving.
I ran blindly, my breaths ragged and uneven, until my foot caught on something hard and unyielding—a jagged stone jutting from the uneven floor. With a strangled cry, I tumbled forward, hitting the ground hard. The impact jolted my injured arm, making me scream out again.
"Shit!" I hissed, kicking at the stone in frustration and pain as I scrambled to push myself up. But it was too late.
The goblin's laughter echoed behind me, wet and guttural, as it stalked forward with sickening confidence.
It wasn't running—it didn't need to. It knew I was cornered. It dragged its knife lazily along the ground, the screech of metal against stone making me flinch. Its posture was not appropriate for a fight, but having me as its opponent didn't make a difference.
Tears spilled freely down my face, mixing with the drool that I couldn't keep from dribbling out in my panic.
My chest heaved with sobs I couldn't control. I felt like a child, powerless and humiliated, my fear only feeding the goblin's twisted amusement. Its laugh deepened, guttural and mocking, as it savored my helplessness.
I lashed out, my right hand grabbing the stone that had tripped me, and hurled it with all the desperation I could muster. The rock flew wide, missing the goblin entirely. I cursed under my breath, my head spinning with hopelessness. But as the stone arced upward, I noticed something—a glint of light reflecting off jagged metal spikes embedded in the ceiling above.
The goblin paused briefly, its laugh faltering as the stone clattered against the wall behind it. That moment was all I needed. My mind raced as I scanned my surroundings, forcing myself to think past the terror.
The spikes. The ceiling. The goblin's strength.
A plan began to form, shaky but better than waiting to die. The goblin was small, but its raw power was undeniable. If I could use that strength against it...
Swallowing hard, I pushed myself to my knees, my uninjured right hand pressing against the slick, uneven ground. My body screamed at me to run, but I knew that wasn't an option. My chest tightened as the goblin resumed its slow approach, its grin widening.
"Come on, you ugly freak," I whispered, trying to steady my shaking voice. "One more shot."
The goblin's glowing yellow eyes narrowed, and it snarled, lunging toward me once more—this time a little faster than before. I clenched my teeth, bracing for the impact.
The blade bit into my right shoulder this time, the blunt edge tearing through muscle with brute force. The pain was blinding, worse than before, but I grabbed onto the goblin's slimy wrist with my good hand and screamed, pouring every ounce of adrenaline I had into a desperate, final effort.
With a guttural yell, I twisted my body and heaved the goblin upward. Its wiry frame was lighter than I expected, but its strength made the motion feel like wrestling with a steel spring. My muscles burned as I threw it toward the ceiling.
The goblin's screech turned into a gurgled howl as its body slammed into the metal spikes above. The jagged tips pierced through its grotesque form with a sickening squelch, and its limbs flailed weakly before going limp.
I collapsed onto the ground, every inch of me shaking, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The pain was unbearable, but the sight of the goblin's lifeless body dangling from the ceiling brought a flicker of grim satisfaction.
For the first time since I'd arrived in this nightmare, I felt a sliver of hope.
[Ding!]
[You have successfully killed a very ugly goblin!]
[Kill evaluation: A+]
[You have passed the tutorial!]
[System will distribute rewards!]
[You possess a transcendent soul. Will you forgo your rewards to awaken it?]
[Yes][No]
I swiftly considered the options before me.
I knew I didn't have much time left. I was bleeding and was probably infected with tetanus or whatever disease had been in that unclean knife the goblin cut me with.
But I was not about to waste this chance. The results of not choosing a weapon had almost cost me my life. Not that I could trust the fact that Alice said we can't die in the tutorial 100%.
I will go with whatever is best for me and try to survive!
I clicked the Yes button.
[System will begin to consume the causality you have collected to increase the level of your soul.]
I heard the sound of breaking glass immediately.
Something inside me shattered. I felt like I was breaking apart at the seams, my very being splitting into pieces. And then, for a moment.
I was nothing. I was not even sure I was existing.
But then, something inside my self-came out replacing everything I could call my former self—something huge, something... that I could not quantify.
And just like that, the shackles on my soul broke.