Beta Request - Chapters 1 - 3

I have a new author I've been trying to help with the LitRPG side of things. Systems / tension / etc. So his story is going live on the 10th of this month and I wanted to try and get him some last minute feedback before it does.

I'll post 4 of these (each with 3 chapters) and if you're willing to comment on what you liked or didn't for each one I'd appreciate it as I pass that on to him.

Currently working/coaching a few different authors who are trying to understand the LitRPG side of things.

Thanks to those who are willing!

*****

Blurb:

Two classes, one chance to save it all.

Zach thought the notification everyone in the world received was a joke. But when it went live, he quickly realized that the apocalypse would be a fight for survival—a chance to rise above the chaos. 

Joining the Partial Integration didn’t just give him power; it thrust him into a deadly game-show where three races compete for the survival of their worlds.

With divine beings watching and entire planets on the line, Zach must master his dual classes and outwit both human and alien rivals. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and failure is not an option. Zach will do whatever it takes to win—for his planet, for his people, and for himself.

*****

Chapter 1 - No Place for the Weak.

Partial System Integration commencing in:

0 hours, 30 minutes, and 30 seconds.

Your world is on the brink of collapse. You may choose to fight for a future that may never come, but the path will be paved with blood and death.

Will you rise as one of the New Earth’s Forerunners?

[Yes/No]

I read the message for the millionth time today. My fingers traveled across the phone’s screen. Should I press it?

“So Zach, will you press it?” Leo’s voice called from my side, and I was snapped out of my musings.

The elevator was hot as ever, and even with just Leo and me there, my throat was as tight as a noose. Talking with Leo would probably help my mind travel to another place that wasn’t this tiny compartment moving inside a forty-floor building. You’re not helping, brain!

“I don’t know. Did you press it?” I leaned against one of the elevator’s walls and shoved the phone back into my pocket, making the strange message disappear. The mirrored door on our side told me that my black hair wasn’t as professional as it had been when I left home. My curls never wanted to stay put no matter how much hair product I used.  Even worse was the small coffee stain on my favorite shirt because Dick from HR couldn’t keep his eyes off his phone and bumped into me at the reception.

“Hell no. One guy from accounting pressed it yesterday on his work PC, and I had to change his SSD. The fuckers behind the hack almost got some of the company’s bank accounts.” Leo leaned against the opposite wall, pointing at my sweaty forehead. “Are you okay, bro?”

“Yeah. I’m fine,” I lied, wiping my brow and returning to the conversation. “I read several stories on Reddit, and most of them didn’t mention a virus, much less one like this.”

“Don’t know, man. The only thing I know is that when I get home today, I’ll want to play some video games, not fix my computer or cell phone.”

“So, you’re sticking with the ‘Grand Hacker Theory’?”

I couldn’t help but hear Leo’s infamous snort, the telltale sound of whenever he thought something was funny. His button-up shirt struggled to contain the size of his mass, yet I knew he never cared if people made fun of his typical khaki pants and dress shirt outfit. Being in IT made him invaluable, and everyone had quickly learned mocking his size was a fast track to never getting your problems solved.

“I know I fixed a PC yesterday because of that button. It could’ve been just someone trying to take advantage of this. I never saw the page; it could be a mimicking one. One that can actually be traced with an IP.”

“Still the strange characters in the original message?”

“All the way, man. All the way. I don’t know how they’re doing it, but there’s no number on their IP. Nothing connecting the page to any address, with or without VPN.” Leo clicked his tongue as if the fact that he couldn’t get to the bottom of it messed with his pride.

I nodded as his words kept swirling in my head. We had discussed this before, and even though I wasn’t an IT expert, I knew everyone should have an IP address.

“No matter if they’re hackers, aliens, a prank, cyber war, or really some kind of apocalypse, don’t you think it’s strange how everyone seems fine with it?”

“I guess.” Leo shrugged.

“You’re talking about playing games when there’s this message saying our world is about to end.”

“Sorry, man. I just don’t believe it.”

I looked at the elevator’s screen and saw we had already passed the thirtieth floor. Soon, we’d reach our destination, and at least one part of my tension would be released.

“And your family?” I tapped my fingers on the screen, counting the floors to reach the office.

“No one pressed it. I don’t think my mother spared a single thought on it, while my father is saying it’s some kind of globalist conspiracy.”

“That seems like him.” I chuckled as my eyes traveled to the screen again. 

I took a deep breath and watched as the numbers went up and the door finally opened. We traveled the rest of the way silently, but it didn’t bother me a bit. That was one of the perks of having a true friend; you could be silent around them, and no awkwardness would be spilled.

I exited the door and the cold wind bathed me. I looked back at the elevator’s closing doors and smiled. That was my daily challenge. I had no idea why, but tight spaces simply made me panic.

The day I came for my job interview, I arrived an hour early and climbed all the steps to the fortieth floor. The next day, after being hired, I decided to face my fear, and I did it every day for the last six months.

Leo seemed to have had a good hunch about my phobia, but he was nice enough to hide it.

We stopped before the reception of the law firm we worked at, and he grabbed my shoulder.

“You’re thinking about the kids back at Saint Jerome’s, right?” Leo had a gentle smile on his big face. “With those scars you keep trying to hide, I wouldn’t be surprised if you could actually kick some ass in the Apocalypse.

I buttoned the last button of my shirt to hide the scar borning from my neck to my chest and replied promptly, “Yeah, I’m thinking about them,” I had no reason to lie about it.

“So, I think you should press it. If it’s a damn virus, I promise I’ll fix it for you and even give you a new SSD if that’s the case.”

“Thanks, man. That’s actually a nice incentive.”

“I’m the best friend in the world, I know,” he said, hugging me.

“Alright, alright. There's no need to make this weird.” I shoved him away while we chuckled.

“Go ahead and be a hero. If nothing happens, in forty minutes I’ll come to your desk and laugh in your face.”

“That’s fair. Did you bring lunch?” I asked, already moving to the left while Leo walked to the opposite side, toward the IT sector.

“Yep. I’ll meet you at the food court at noon.”

“Nice,” I replied, moving toward the lawyer’s office.

I received smiles and waves from some co-workers and returned the gestures.

All in all, I enjoyed working at the R&R Law Firm. People were friendly, there was no drama, and I was on the way to a full-time job when I graduated in a few years. Besides, the salary and perks were way better than most law firms paid for internships.

There was plenty of time to go to classes, work, and even help frequently at Saint Jerome’s. The place’s image popped into my mind as I sat before my desk.

I picked up my phone and looked at the countdown again.

Partial System Integration commencing in:

0 hours, 25 minutes, and 30 seconds…

However, it wasn’t the timer that caught my attention but the words.

You may choose to fight for a future that may never come.

The sentence fragment was ominous, but the message was clear. The future was uncertain, but some people would fight for one version of it.

I bet the government has several military, police, and secret services pressing it. Would I sit and watch others make a future for me when the same people failed me in the past, and many other kids, to this day? That was one of the thoughts that bugged me the most.

The fact that the press seemed so uninterested in the countdown also didn’t help. When it started popping up around the world one week ago, everyone only talked about it. But after a few days, poof! There was no news anymore—only the tabloids published about it, and it was all about conspiracy theories.

Some of them were at least interesting, like the one about how some authors had predicted this in a niche genre of literature. I read about this and other theories, pondering whether I should pursue my instincts and press ‘Yes’.

Deep in my mind, I had decided a long time ago. 

I’d needed someone to fight for me in the past, but all I had back then was my wits to survive. Ten years after my life took a different turn I could finally be that someone for the kids who needed it. I saw Marcus, Tony, and Isabela’s faces as I decided.

Will you rise as one of the New Earth’s Forerunners?

[Yes/No]

I clicked Yes. The notification disappeared from my phone for the first time since its appearance one week ago.

Besides that, nothing happened.

What was I expecting? I still need to wait twenty minutes.

That was the most excruciating twenty minutes of my life so far. I turned on my PC and scrolled through sheets and documents I needed to edit before sending them to the lawyer I was assigned to. I did nothing besides scroll and switch to different tabs on the PC.

Multiple web sites by a handful of ufologists had sprang up with to keep track of the countdown. If this is real, I’ll be surrounded by nutjobs, adrenaline seekers, and trained killers. The realization struck me, and I smiled for the first time since I pressed Yes.

I gazed up from my PC and saw some of my co-workers with a similar countdown on their screens. Some of the nutjobs are right here, or at least I hope they’re not the killers. I stared back at my screen.

One minute from the end of the countdown, my shirt glued to my skin, soaked with sweat, and my feet couldn’t stop stomping the ground.

With thirty seconds remaining, I was already biting my nails for the third time.

With ten seconds left, my phone vibrated. I picked it up, and a new message appeared.

Preparing to enter Proving Grounds.

The Gods are watching you.

Create a safe haven.

Dive the dungeons.

Climb the Tower.

Survive.

10  

9  

8  

7  

6  

5  

4  

3  

2  

I heard a familiar voice calling me, and then, nothing.

Leo exited his room when the countdown reached one minute. He couldn’t wait to see Zach’s face when nothing happened. Some of his co-workers were excitedly waiting for it to reach zero as if the Lakers were tied with the Celtics in the last seconds of a final match.

Losers, he thought as he shoved Doritos into his mouth with one hand and watched the countdown on his phone with the other. “At least Zach has a good reason,” he mumbled with his mouth full as he crossed the reception.

When he reached the lawyers' sector, the countdown was already close to thirty, and when he finally saw Zach’s head over his PC a few lines away, it was only twenty seconds to the so-called end of the world.

Zach seemed so concentrated that Leo couldn’t miss the opportunity to scare him a little. Maybe I should fake the sound of an explosion. Considering all the tension with the countdown, his bosses wouldn't mind it. They’d probably even like that Leo broke the ice. At least, that was what was going through his mind.

Leo approached his friend’s chair as silently as possible and watched from over his shoulder. Is this a new message? It doesn’t matter, he told himself as the countdown neared zero.

“Doomsday!” Leo shouted, clasping one hand against the sack of snacks and making a feeble explosion sound.

Zach turned his head toward Leo, but the world exploded in red light before their eyes could meet. Leo heard the glass windows breaking but saw nothing but bright crimson. A strong force pulled him to the ground as if gravity revolted against him.

His face crashed against the cold floor, and his Doritos flew away. Nothing reached his ears besides a deafening ringing deep inside, as if he was flying in a fighter jet without ear protection. In the distance, he was sure someone was screaming, but he couldn’t actually hear it.

The minutes he spent there, blindsided and crushed against the floor, seemed to take an eternity, but slowly, his vision adjusted, and he felt the weight on his body slowly fading.

Leo grunted, moving up and hearing similar sounds everywhere around him. He inclined his head, searching for Zach, but he was nowhere to be seen. When Leo inspected his surroundings, he noticed that at least one-third of the people of the office had vanished.

Shit. It was all Leo could think as he walked toward one of the broken windows. The red he had seen was still adorning the sky, replacing the bright blue from before and making it as macabre as an expressionist view of hell. However, the blood-red morning wasn’t what caught Leo’s eye the most. It was the giant message floating in the sky in bright black letters.

Partial Integration Started  

The Ascension Games will begin.

Wait until a winner is decided.  

Root for the earthlings who chose to fight, as their competition will be fierce.  

Hope for their win, but prepare for their loss.

There’s no place for the weak in the multiverse.

Chapter 2 - Choose.

Red.  

For several minutes, that was all I could see.  

A fast gush of wind traveled through my body as my hair went all over. The strange breezetugged at the curls, and my sweat slowly vanished—not because I wasn’t scared or nervous.  

Then, something that could only be described as the void came.  Years of watching movies and TV hadn’t prepared me for what it was, only a small idea of what we thought it had to be.

All the speed making my body travel through space was suddenly replaced by a shivering and silent cold. The pores of my skin opened, and everything around me seemed to dissipate. I tried to move my hands, but to no avail.  

This is worse than an elevator. My stupid brain muttered, and then panic started to settle. It was as if I was enveloped in a thin layer of some strange, fabric. The pinnacle of claustrophobia reached me when I least expected it, but before I could start to despair, I could see again.  

At least I could see anything that wasn’t the red color.  

I opened and closed my eyes frantically as the bright hue slowly faded away. My fingers moved, then my hand. I touched my face, searching for wounds but found nothing. Below me, the ground felt plain, and when I raised my feet, I noticed the floor was metallic. 

I finally saw my black leather shoes, then my hands. It was as if I was in a theater with the light totally focused on me. My body and the ground below were visible, but everything besides it was completely wrapped in utter darkness.

“What the hell,” I muttered instinctively, trying to make sense of the strange situation.  

Oddly enough, I got a reply.

Far, far away in the distance, I heard a clicking sound. A light had just been lit.  

Along with the bright hue, a figure appeared beneath it. It was a woman, an athletic one, wearing matching purple gym outfits. I couldn’t see her clearly since she was at least one hundred yards away from me, but I could hear her scream.  

“Where am I? Help!”  

I thought about replying, but before I could do it, I heard the clicking sound really close to me. I turned my face to the right, following the noise, and discovered pretty quickly the new person was at my side. Or at least I thought it was a person.  

Beside me, a bulking figure of at least seven feet tall loomed over me. Its skin was crimson as blood, and its body was ripped like that of a bodybuilder. The thing wore only leather pants, which gave me plenty of opportunities to see its goat hooves and knees bent in the wrong direction.  

Its torso was the most humanlike part of the creature; long arms with mighty biceps adorned its silhouette, but when I contemplated its face, my heart skipped several beats.  

The creature possessed a long beard adorning its red face, and when it opened its mouth, I saw a line of pointed yellow teeth. Its eyes were like those of a snake, and it had no ears at all, only two small holes on each side. Atop its head, two circular horns expanded from the extremities of its forehead and ended near its jawline.  

Its eyes seemed to be attracted to my examination. We locked eyes, and I finally felt sweat dripping from my forehead. My fight-or-flight instincts took over, and I looked at my surroundings with the corner of my eyes, ready to find an escape route without making any abrupt movements.  

The monster grunted, a deep noise rising from the depths of its throat. Its head twisted to the side as if pondering the best way to kill me.  

Now! I screamed to myself as I rushed to run toward the screaming girl. If I was going to defeat this creature, having someone to help would be the wisest choice.

The monster followed, but then I heard a loud crack, and my face was swollen with pain. I had just hit something.  

A similar but louder sound came from my side, and I noticed the demon had just crashed against an invisible wall, just like me.  

I shook my head, shoving the headache away, and contemplated the demon banging its own in a strange and seemingly ineffective way to massage its temples.  

I grinned from ear to ear. The absurdity of the situation was simply too much to take. This seven-feet-tall demon seemed so fucking frustrated that it couldn’t murder me that I had to laugh.  

The monster stared at me with murder all over its gaze.  

Then, it spoke.

“Kruz'shar tilen, vornik'dra!”  

“What?!” I asked involuntarily, feeling the walls of the invisible box around me.  

I’m in a small invisible box. Shit! Shit!  

Suddenly, a demon didn’t seem like that much of a problem. How stupid can the human brain be? I looked at my palms, already starting to sweat, as other lights began to be lit all around.  

That distracted me enough from my phobia.  

I saw humans of all shapes and forms appearing, but for each one of them, three demons followed suit. They were also very different from each other. It was quite easy to distinguish the females from the males since they followed some basics of human anatomy as well.  

It seemed like the bastard at my side wasn’t the only murderous one among them. More than one tried to jump on their neighbors, but a good number remained quietly in their cubicles.  

While humans were screaming, desperate with the strange situation, most of the demons—after realizing they were locked—crossed their arms and sat on the ground to wait for whatever was about to happen.  

When the light on my other side clicked on, I was surprised again. I was by no means a small man by Earth measures, but this ‘Partial Integration’ was making me feel like one.  

Another seven-feet-tall humanoid appeared to my left. Their long hair was as dark as night and shimmered with the light above, their skin pale, and they wore shiny light armor.  

Their big yellow eyes were humanlike, except they looked a little bigger than most humans. The nose was pointy, and the lips were thin and colored a deep purple. It was hard to say if they were male or female, but their pointed ears definitely made me sure they weren’t human.

“Lira, falen,” a feminine voice escaped her lips as she looked at me with a smirk stamped on her face.  

“You’re an elf,” I muttered.  

The strange elf-like being raised one eyebrow and leaned toward me.  

"Ilva? Niri felna lir."  

“No shit,” I replied, having no idea what the hell she was trying to say, but glad one of my neighbors wasn’t a frenzied murderous being.  

It took more time for the room to be filled with elves, demons, and humans. The place seemed to have no end, and after a couple of minutes, I couldn’t see the lines anymore. The only way I knew people were still arriving was the far but constant clicking sounds of the lights being turned on.  

After several minutes, the sounds stopped. By now, my heart was about to exit my mouth. I couldn’t control the urge to look at my surroundings over and over. Soon, this will be over. It can’t take longer.

My eyes found the giant demon at my side again, and I saw him looking at me with a grin from ear to ear. As our eyes locked, he started laughing as if understanding what was going on with me and thinking it was the funniest joke he had ever seen.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as I lingered in that stare. I didn’t give my body permission to turn away. I wasn’t going to be seen as weak. I learned pretty quickly in my life that this is exactly what bullies are searching for: people who bend to their forced authority.  

“You better be ready when we leave these boxes.” I knew very well he couldn’t understand a word that came out of my mouth, but I saw him raise one of his fat eyebrows.  

His smile shortened, and his guttural voice emerged again.  

"Thrak'shar tilen, dor'vaxis!"  

I heard a knocking on my other side and found the elf woman leaning toward me. I looked back at the demon, but he was with his arms crossed, gazing at the horizon.  

“Pussy,” I muttered, gazing back at the elf.  

She smiled and waved one hand forward and then back, breathing in the same pattern. She wants me to do the same.  

I had nothing to lose. Honestly, breathing techniques always helped me, but it was hard to think about them when your brain is screaming for you to exit the tight space.  

I inhaled and exhaled at her rhythm, holding my breath when she held hers, until my heart was finally beating in a more steady way.

“Thank you.” I let the last breath escape my lungs as I watched her expression turn into a grin again.

She nodded, seemingly understanding the meaning of my words. Her gaze traveled to the far horizon, and I followed it. In the distance, the darkness seemed to take on a new shape.  

Floating above the last line of beings, a red dot soared in the void. It wavered in all directions, shining more brightly with each passing second. Two hands emerged from the portal and started pulling it up and down. The circle opened until it had at least seven feet in diameter. The most gorgeous woman I had ever seen exited the portal in a hush.  

She wore a black tube dress that accentuated all her curves. She looked almost obscene with her long yellow curls falling close to her waist. I heard more than one gasp from the crowd but wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that she looked like an succubus or the fact that she had two pairs of arms and two pairs of eyes on her face.  

It was like looking at a video game character that went through the hands of a very horny modder. She looked absurd, but I had just been threatened by a demon and calmed down by an elf. Who was I to say something was absurd?  

She cleared her throat, and when she spoke, her voice reached all our ears.  

“Alright, alright, alright!” she started in an uppity tone. “My name is Ilyshiara, and I’ll be the hostess of this year’s Ascension Games. We’re more than glad that you all volunteered for our program. The transmission will start soon enough, but we have time for a quick briefing. Who is eager to see a presentation?”  

When no one replied and the crowd started to erupt in mutterings, she cleared her throat again.  

“Not the best crowd, I see. Right, I’ll just show it to you.”

Just beside Ilyshiara, a giant screen appeared. The demons and elves seemed particularly interested in that, as they started to gasp and point fingers as the images began to appear.

Looks like they don’t have TVs in their world.  

First, several landscapes started to be shown. All seemed to be very recognizable to me. There were rivers, oceans, forests, and cities. Some seemed more Earth-like, while others were nothing short of alien. Giant, almost transparent trees adorned some of the forests, while other cities seemed to be built inside volcanoes with lava surprisingly not burning the houses. 

Welcome to the Partial System Integration.  

You are one of the few who decided to fight for yourself and your world.  

Your homes are now part of the Intergalactic Syndicate, and we’ll slowly integrate your culture into ours. This will not be an easy process, however. Unfortunately, several of your kin will perish.  

The landscapes were replaced by images of war, natural disasters, and sickness spreading, and then they showed planets being reshaped while strange and gargantuan machines removed something from deep inside their cores.  

Resources are scarce throughout the multiverse, but fret not! Your worlds were chosen because they are rich and ready to help make all worlds more sustainable.  

That’s where you come in.  

There’s no place for everybody.  

The images started to portray strange species fighting. One orc-like monster dismembered a giant octopus, while a lion humanoid impaled a unicorn. All these creatures killing each other rushed to the distance after defeating their enemies, climbing stairs that seemed to appear out of thin air.  

The fate of the people who remain on your planets have yet to be decided. Some will be reallocated to a new world or spatial station, while others will—unfortunately—die in severe pain. You, on the other hand, don’t depend on destiny!  

They showed the orc-like creature fighting a giant snake and defeating it with what seemed to be a giant fireball. The reptile shrieked in pain and then collapsed to the ground as the words “#1 Tower Champion” appeared above the orc’s head.  

Next, the images showed other orc-like creatures eating a lavish banquet and then sleeping on comfortable yet strange stray beds. It all looked like a very expensive yet corny company internal advertisement.  

If you succeed at the games we prepared for you and conquer the towers, the people you love and several others will benefit from it. The hard truth is that most of you will die before the seventh tower is conquered, but it’s your choice to make this death worth it or not.  

We’ll grant you power to face adversity and will watch as you thrive in the challenges we so meticulously crafted to bring the most out of you and to entertain our watchers.  

The image changed to several different species watching on TVs, tablets, and floating screens as the orc from before climbed the tower and defeated the giant snakes. Their eyes were mesmerized by the images. Some of them cheered while others cursed and stomped their feet on the ground with anger.  

The individual or group that conquer three out of the seven towers first will be the winner of the Partial Integration, and a champion will be decided among the survivors.  

Climb the tower and entertain the viewers.  

Remember: There’s no place for the weak in the multiverse.  

“Very good, isn’t it?” the woman soaring in the sky asked, her tone one of real surprise.  

“Get me out of here!” A human voice came from the distance.  

“I want to go home!” Another one followed.  

Other elves and demons also joined the outcry. My mind warned me that such a decision was most likely not that wise.  

Ilyshiara sighed deeply and let her shoulders fall. She followed it with the click of one of her fingers.

Red light erupted from the dark sky. The lightning branched in several directions. One of them fell very close to me. I didn’t see it striking the guy who was screaming, but I heard his body liquefying with a disgusting and unnatural sound.  

More gasps erupted from the crowd, and with it, Ilyshiara screamed in a deep and uncharacteristic tone.  

“Enough!” Her voice traveled through the infinite room, and a wave of calm fell over me. It was like dew falling over my head early in the morning. My eyes became heavy and I wanted to sit on the ground. “That’s better,” she only muttered, but it sounded as if she was in the box right next to me.

“I have a couple of fun facts!” She returned to her uppity tone, simply ignoring that she had just killed several people. “Only 20% of humans pressed yes, while 30% of the Myriads did and an impressive 50% of the Arahaktar! That’s our record for both the lowest and highest participation yet. Congratulations, my red friends. Humans, you’re going to have to work extra hard to prove yourselves.”

She sounded like a reassuring teacher, and that left me with a sour taste. I had indeed volunteered and was glad I could actually fight for the ones I loved, but it didn’t change the fact that I hated being patronized.  

“Another interesting fact! This is the Ascension Games with the most gods signed on as sponsors! Besides the normal sponsors from all over the multiverse, more deities will be available to take you under their wings—some literally,” she chuckled, “so go ahead and do whatever it takes to stand out! The proving grounds will start in a moment. Pick from the options and prepare to fight!”

As soon as her words reached my ears, the world turned red again. It was as if my invisible box had been thrown into the sky and then fell again, but I felt no pain or impact.  

I looked to my sides, and when my vision finally adjusted, I had a small desk before me. I stood in a large corridor with several lamps on each side. It looked like a medieval dungeon beneath a castle, and none of my previous neighbors were by my side.  

Above the small desk, a single word floated with a countdown beneath it.  

Choose

Time remaining: 10 seconds. 

Above the small table, fiveinsignias the size of my hand lay. One of them had two axes crossed with the words ‘warrior’ beneath it, the second was a scepter with ‘mage,’ the third was a single dagger with ‘rogue,’ the fourth was a staff with twisted snakes with ‘healer’ and the last one was a bow with the obvious ‘archer’ beneath it. 

Is this like an RPG? I looked at the names and insignias. What to choose?  

I normally play video games as a mage, but this isn’t a fucking video game. Archer can be safe, but I would be weak in close combat and I have no idea what enemies will be around. Warrior seems safe enough, while Rogue…  

Choose

Time remaining: 5 seconds

Choose, choose… What do I choose? 

My mind immedietly noticed that something had been left out.

Wait, there’s nothing saying I can only choose one!  

I moved both of my hands and grabbed two insignias.

Chapter 3 - [Smartass].

The objects felt heavy. The countdown was still at three, but nothing happened. I had so much going on in my head, but the adrenaline from the last few minutes prevented me from thinking about anything except the present.  

When zero appeared before my eyes, a part of me expected a red lightning bolt to descend from the sky and transform me into one of those slime things kids enjoyed playing with.

Except it didn’t happen.  

The insignias vanished from my hands as if they were made of ash. The table followed suit, and I waited in silence, hearing only my breath.  

Ding!  

The sound made me jump, and I almost fell on my ass.  

Congratulations! You earned a new title!  

[Smartass]: You’re good at text comprehension! You should be thankful you didn’t decide to pick three classes or you’d be fried by now. You were the first and only to pick two classes in the #966 Ascension Games!  

Effects: 

Passive: Magic, Mana, Speed, Strength upgraded 3 levels instantly.

Passive: Using an attack from a basic class after using one from the other will cause a critical strike with 50% more damage.

The words appeared inside a blue box before my eyes, and I read them several times, slowly comprehending all of it. I could be dead if I had been too greedy. It was the first thing that came to mind, but I was quick to shove it aside. It worked; I have two classes and a powerful effect. Being called a smartass by the system was a minor thing compared to the real accomplishment.

Another message popped before my eyes as I stood there, basking in being alive and apparently special now.

Rhia Sullivan just earned the [Goblin Slayer] title - Be the first to kill a goblin inside the proving grounds.

The message made it clear that my accomplishment had just appeared for everyone else. That could be dangerous. On the other hand, I knew I was probably going to face an enemy very soon.

I just need to discover how to actually use the classes.

The proving grounds didn’t give me the time to explore my new powers, however. From the end of the corridor, I heard stomping steps dashing toward me.

“How am I supposed to fight a monster with no weapons?” I asked out loud, closing my fists and preparing to fight whatever creature was about to appear on the horizon. 

Something struggled against my closed fists—an invisible force desperately trying to open my palm.

I stopped fighting it after just a few seconds and watched in awe as a dagger appeared in my right hand and a wand in my left. When I looked at the first object, new boxes appeared.

Beginner’s Rogue Dagger: A reliable yet simple double-edged dagger.

A similar description appeared when I gazed upon the second weapon.

Beginner’s Magic Wand: A reliable yet simple magic wand.

The wand seemed to be removed from a Harry Potter movie. It was made of crooked wood and fit perfectly in my closed hand. Close to its point, a small crystal shone with a dim blue light.

The dagger had a black hilt and a ten-inch blade that glimmered with the lamp lights. Nothing about it screamed power, but I had survived enough fights to know this dagger could cut and thrust easily. A small shudder ran through my spine as I recalled the last time I had suffered under someones blade.

You are being watched. 

You are being watched.

You are being watched.

I quickly found out I could shove the messages away with a turn of the eye as they kept coming and coming, spamming me with what seemed like endless lines of junk right now. I couldn’t see any cameras around, but I wasn’t really looking either. All my attention was devoted to the thing coming in my direction.

Soon its silhouette appeared in the distance.

It was small and it moved fast. The creature was close to five feet tall and ran in a somewhat gangly way. If it were in another situation, I’d probably laugh at the absurdity of it. It looked like I was being attacked by a gremlin straight out of an '80s movie, but the sword it carried gave off a glint from the light in the hallway and appeared sharp enough to make me take it seriously.

The monster’s skin was similar to leather, but it was gray as a rainy-day sky. It moved barefoot with simple clothes covering its legs and torso. Its ears were pointy like those of an elf, and its eyes were big, red, and filled with hate.

I had seen that burning murderous determination not long ago in that demon’s gaze. Just like before, I wasn’t going to budge.

I moved the wand toward the creature just like the mages did in the movies, but nothing happened. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to work, but I had to test it anyway. I kept the wand in my left hand and decided to move.

The goblin was smaller than me, but since I didn’t know how to use magic, it had the upper hand in reach with its bigger sword against my small dagger. I had to shorten the distance and make the first move.

Normally, the first to strike in a street fight was the one who won, and I doubted it was different with monsters. As soon as I started running toward it, the goblin showed surprise with its hairless eyebrows moving up. As if the acknowledgment of its surprise was a major offense, the goblin raised its sword and screamed in an incomprehensible language.

As soon as the sword rose, I knew it was too short to reach me in time. I would only need to guess the right angle it was going to strike. Reflex, not strength, was the most important aspect of a knife fight.

When we were just a few feet from each other, I caught a glimpse of the creature’s shoulder moving to my left. It’ll try to hit my right thigh.

I couldn’t stop the movement. I had to trust my instincts.

The blade came down, and I moved to the right. The sword hit the stone ground with a loud clang just as I stepped to the side, already descending the dagger toward the creature’s neck.

It struck true. I felt the dagger enter deep inside it. The creature gurgled, the sword falling to the ground. Its knees bent, and it looked at me with the corner of its eyes.

It’s dead.

The creature’s eyes reddened, blood veins popping as it screamed loudly. Its tiny hands moved toward my arms. The creature’s mouth gaped, and its crooked teeth were all wet with saliva. The monster seemed to enter a fit of rage, and all the strength I was forcing into the dagger wasn’t enough to stop it.

I heard flesh and muscle being torn apart, but the monster kept going. Its jaw snapped several times as its nails dug deep into my skin, marring my white work shirt with blood.

The only thing separating the small bastard from my throat was the wand I held firmly against its chest and the dagger against its neck. Turns out, whatever was fueling that bloodlust was more than my arms could take. Being strong wasn’t something I was known for.

Never giving up. That was something people always described as one of my biggest traits.

I gritted my teeth, pushing against my weapons. “Back off!” I grunted, feeling the adrenaline pushing my strength to the limit. “Just die!”

The words seemed to ignite something inside me, and a rush of energy traveled from my heart to my left hand and then to my magical wand. A strong light erupted from it, and then the monster was thrown away. A thunder exploded inside the tunnel, and the smell of burnt meat filled my nostrils.

Holy shit!

I had just thrown lightning at that creature.

The goblin crashed against one of the side walls and fell to the ground, its body limp and its eyes wide open. It was as dead as anyone could be.

Ding!

Congratulations! You defeated a Gray Goblin Level F9.

Congratulations! You passed the first challenge of the proving grounds!

Congratulations! Your Soul Core upgraded.

Calculating…

Speed upgraded.

Magic upgraded.

New stats:

Subject: Zach Walker.

Race: Human (Earth)

Class: Mage, Rogue.

Merged Class: Undergoing calculations.

General Rank: F9

Constitution F9

Magic F6

Mana F7

Speed F6

Strength F7

I had no way to know if the numbers were good or not, but I felt they were. A boost of three levels in three different attributes didn’t seem bad at all, and the numbers seemed to go from nine to one, or maybe zero, so there was a limited amount of progress to achieve. Was it the end of Rank A or Rank S? Some video games even had SSS as a rank. That, however, was a question for the future. The message that appeared for me after the upgrades was way more important.

You are in a personalized area of the proving grounds. Outside, the other seven towers await you. 

This test has three floors filled with challenges, the last one being a boss.

There are only two hundred bosses on each proving ground and one thousand competitors. 

The first two hundred people or parties that defeat them will continue in the challenge.

If only two hundred players remain (counting the winners), the challenge will be suspended and the victors will be sent to the outside world. You can decide for yourselves if you’re going to join forces to fight or eliminate the competition.

Remember: There’s no place for the weak in the multiverse.