Uche's studio flat was dark, the weather cool and relaxing, but he was anything but relaxed. His calm visage had become his default temperament, nearly impossible to break even though he suffered within.
His worries stemmed from his past. To prepare for this moment, he gave up on the blueprint his family had put in place and cut them off completely.
He wasn't going to give them an opportunity to crush his dreams a second time!
It has been 5 years since he spoke to them and he wondered if this was the right time. Even with all the preparations he made, Uche understood that there was a good chance he would not make it out alive.
Hope for the best but expect the worst.
He wondered what his family would say when his corpse gets spat out by the world tree, and it's reported on national TV.
How would they react?
What will they say?
Would they even notice he is gone?
Pa–!
Uche left red palm prints on both cheeks—it stung like hell but he stopped him from falling into the well of negativity.
"A battle is first lost in mind." He reminded himself.
He tossed his phone on the bed and rose to his feet energetically.
"Door!" Uche's voice reflected his conviction.
Dong–!
The sound of the ogene shook the air, its metallic clang rippling like a heartbeat.
Another joined.
Then another.
Dong–! Dong–!
Dong–! Dong–!
The wind howled, twisting like spirits rejoicing in the night. Before Uche, the air cracked open, splitting like a calabash dropped from the heavens.
Out of the rupture, a grand door emerged, carved from the oldest iroko wood and pulsating with a life of its own.
Its towering frame bore the engravings of Nsibidi symbols, shifting and rearranging themselves as if there was life in each letter.
From the edges of the door, fresh blood dripped and the door came with a heavy scent of burning camwood and palm oil—thick and intoxicating.
[A/N: For those unfamiliar, this was the Nigerian equivalent of a "What the fuck?" moment. It isn't just a casual remark—it carries the full weight of shock, disbelief, and maybe even a little resignation. The kind of phrase you let out when life throws something so ridiculous at you that words fail, and all you can do is react. A portal covered in Nsibidi symbols, bleeding at the edges, and vibrating like a living thing? Yeah. Definitely a "Nawa ooh..." kind of situation.]
The thought of taking the test already unnerved him.
'But why does our door have to be this spooky?' Uche complained.
He could remember the majestic imperial doors summoned by the Chinese. This one had an overwhelming, ominous, dreadful, and heavy presence accompanied by the stench of death.
He had nothing positive to say about it.
It felt like his already slim chance of survival had been cut in half.
"Fuck it."
Before Uche could take a step forward, the atmosphere changed. A strong chilly wind blew even though the window was locked shut. A creaking sound resonated—not from the door, but from the four corners of the room while the door slowly slid open.
All he could see was darkness!
Without hesitation, he took bold strides until his figure disappeared into the darkness. A second later the door slammed shut with a bang before fading away in an eerie fog.
__________________________________
Uche found himself in complete darkness---a world void of light and sound.
"PLAYER... ACKNOWLEDGED!" A terrifyingly deep yet feminine voice boomed from a distance.
A glowing panel blocked his sight as a few messages spiraled into existence. It felt like an idea stolen from MMORPG games.
{Name: Uchechukwu Chimbo}
{Ancestry: Igbo}
{Spirit level: 1}
{Strength: 6} {Agility: 6}
{Health: 7/7} {Spirit Power: 10}
{Fatigue: 5%}
Uche recognized these stats because it was a never-ending topic on forums and interviews.
Why?
Because stats revealed your base capabilities as a human. Ten points in any stats represented the peak of human physical capabilities.
According to sources. The star ratings also dictated the amount of points the user gains from all stats. This meant as long as he gained a five-star rating, he would be stronger than the world's strongest human and faster than the world's fastest man.
This explains why people changed drastically after every trial they survived. Even the weakest deviant would make a mess of the world's strongest men without breaking a sweat.
At some point, people stopped referring to deviants as humans and just deviants.
"Interesting," Uche mumbled.
While he was disappointed with his strength and agility, he was much more surprised by his spirit power. He had never heard of anyone having such a high-quality soul.
{Ancestry confirmed}
{Trial will begin on 3....2....1...}
And the world turned completely dark again.
_________________________________
That was the first thing Uche felt was a suffocating weight pressed against his chest. His body ached—no, screamed—as if he had been trampled by war elephants.
A sharp, coppery scent lingered in the air, mixing with the stench of sweat, damp earth, and something rotting.
He groaned, shifting slightly, and pain exploded through his ribs. His wrists burned, raw, and chafed. The cold metal bit into his skin—they were chains.
He was shackled!
The realization sent a surge of panic through him, but his body was too drained to react.
Slowly, his senses sharpened while his eyelids lazily flipped open.
The air was thick and stale, weighed down by the scent of unwashed bodies. Somewhere close, water dripped, the plink... plink... plink... echoing through the confined space.
Through half-lidded eyes, he took in his surroundings. The cell was dim, lit only by a flickering oil lamp outside the iron bars. Shadows danced on the walls, stretching like twisted spirits. A few other men lay in the filth, some groaning in pain, others too still to be asleep.
'What the hell is this?' Uche panicked
His head throbbed as if someone had split his skull open. This body's memories were disjointed and hazy. He struggled, but eventually, he began piecing them together.
He was General Obinna nnwachuwku, a highly respected military leader in the Kingdom of Nri-Oba, a prosperous and sacred Igbo Kingdom known for its warrior tradition and strong reverence for the gods.
If such an important person was in chains, that meant something had gone terribly wrong!
{The trial begins now} the voice returned.
{General Obinna was framed for attempting to assassinate Crown Prince Ikemefuna and for secretly working with the enemy to weaken the kingdom's defenses. He has been declared a traitor to the kingdom and sentenced to execution in three weeks. Survive!}
Wam–!
Uche's vision blurred and a static sound tormented his ears as more memories poured in.
A forged letter was found in his chambers, detailing plans to overthrow the king. Witnesses who were obviously bribed soldiers claimed they saw him meeting with spies from the enemy kingdom.
Finally, a poisoned meal meant for the prince was linked to one of his trusted aides.
"Wait, hold on… How am I supposed to survive when I have been sentenced to death already?" Uche gasped between laborious breaths.
Why didn't they make him the prince who almost got poisoned?
"Fuck my luck!" he cursed.