I was uncertain how long I had traveled through the bluish-white light, which I believed was some sort of portal or wormhole. My sense of time—my sense of everything—was diminished. When I finally emerged on the other side, I felt different in some way, not least because I was completely naked. However, that wasn’t even the most terrifying part. I was now falling through the air toward Earth.

  No, not Earth, but another world with a small blue sun and a completely different landscape. I saw imposing mountains, winding rivers, and a few small lakes dotting the horizon. However, the ground directly beneath me had an oddly patterned surface. Was I falling toward a city? No. As I got closer and could see finer details, I realized I was hurtling toward a sprawling maze. A putrid odor wafted up from below.

  I seemed to have taken a detour on my way to Heaven.

  Disbelief washed over me. I had escaped the destruction of Earth to die like this? I wasn’t the only one experiencing this terror. Screams alerted me that thousands of others were falling with me. It was a veritable rain of naked, screaming people.

  As I wondered if I should start praying to my maker, my fellow human bombs and I were abruptly stopped in midair by an unseen force.

  We caught our breaths and looked at each other. That's when I noticed that all my fellow selected were young adults. A surge of anger washed over me. Where were the middle-aged and elderly people? Where were the children? Had they left all the kids back on Earth to die? What kind of supreme being would choose to save me over an innocent child? Over Sarah?

  I wished that the being or beings responsible for this apocalypse would appear before me now so that I could rip out their throats.

  At that moment, a voice from an unseen source spoke to us all.

  “Greetings, Aspirants. Welcome to the world of Nethis. I am the Overseer, and I will be conducting your Trials.”

  Consternation spread among the survivors on Earth. Were we to be treated like criminals? For what? Simply being born in a different world? I was too outraged by the injustice of it all to share in the fear felt by my fellow selected.

  The Overseer continued.

  “Your former home has been invaded by the Demon Horde and is now lost. The Celestial Order deemed the planet too insignificant to save, primarily due to the mismanagement of its resources by its preeminent species … your kind.”

  “Please,” someone begged, “forgive us. We didn't know what we were doing.”

  But I was still too angry to feel any shame. Its name is Earth, you bastard! I silently screamed at the Overseer. At least have the grace to say the name of the world you allowed to get destroyed!

  "The Celestial Order has generously decided to evacuate a selected portion of your population to compete for a chance at refuge in Paradise, where those displaced from many destroyed worlds live safely and comfortably. Because Paradise is overcrowded and space is limited, only the most worthy individuals will be granted passage there. This is the purpose of these Trials."

  “What have you assholes done with the children?” I asked, surprising myself by speaking out loud. Did I mention that I’m an introvert? However, I felt I couldn’t move forward without knowing the fate of Earth’s children. I didn’t have any of my own, but I did have a niece whom I cared about.

  “Yes!” a young woman shouted. “I left my baby behind. “What became of her?”

  That started a cacophony of voices from others wanting to know the fate of their loved ones.

  “Enough!”

  The Overseer's voice was so loud it actually rattled my teeth. I'm surprised my eardrums didn't burst.

  “I normally do not answer questions from competitors, at least not this early in the Trials, but I will make an exception since I see the question weighs heavily on your minds. Guardians from the Celestial Order are on your planet now, delivering quick and painless mercy killings to the most vulnerable members of your population before the demons reach them. This will spare them the horror of what's to come. Those who reach Paradise will also be granted a chance to breed and restore a small portion of your population, subject to certain restrictions.”

  Understandably, this news caused quite a stir among the selected.

  “Why don't the Guardians fight against the demons?” one man, quivering with rage, asked, speaking for me and all the others.

  But the Overseer was done answering our questions and continued as if he had not even heard the man.

  “Your first Trial, Escape the Labyrinth, is about to begin. The Labyrinth is a vast maze of passages filled with monsters, traps, and other deadly perils—but also bountiful rewards for those who survive. Your objective is simple: find your way out of the Labyrinth within thirty days … or die.”

  We began our descent—not slowly, but not so quickly that I feared we would hit the ground with a splat. I noticed we started drifting apart as well. Our movement was not only downward but also lateral.

  “Use your time now to study the layout of the Labyrinth and plan your escape. Once you are on the ground, you are on your own. Good luck.”

  The final "good luck," spoken in an almost cheerful tone, made me grit my teeth. Did he think we were buying a lottery ticket instead of fighting for our lives? Despite my anger, I forced myself to relax and let go of my emotions. I couldn't afford to let feelings cloud my judgment during such a critical time. So, I took the Overseer's advice and studied the Labyrinth.

  It was truly vast. I might have even believed it was endless if I hadn’t already glimpsed the mountains and lakes in the distance. The maze consisted of narrow passages carved out of dark rock. The passages turned at right angles to one another in seemingly random patterns. However, it was not just passages; there were also larger open areas and long, straight avenues. My goal was to reach these avenues, as I presumed they would allow me to bypass large sections of the maze or might even lead me to its end.

  My descent slowed as I approached the ground, and I finally landed softly in a small cul-de-sac that measured about four square meters, with only one passage leading out. The floor was made of hard-packed dirt. I realized I was shaking so much from everything I had just experienced that I could barely stand, so I leaned against the nearest wall. I would have sat down, but I didn’t want to get my balls dirty.

  A voice spoke in my mind—no, not in my mind, but in my inner ear. The words, carrying a distinctly feminine tone, pulsed in rhythm with a glowing crystal embedded in the wall above my head.

  Welcome to the Labyrinth, Aspirant. I am the Voice of the Labyrinth. You are currently in a starting area where no monster can enter to harm you. However, be aware that fellow Aspirants may pose a threat. You can stay here for as long as you wish, but food and water will not be provided beyond what is already in your supply bag. You will need to leave this area to find more.

  On the stone bench in your starting area, you will find a grimoire and other items to help you survive.

  Sure enough, a stone slab about three meters long and a meter wide abutted the wall directly opposite me. On it were a wooden club, a brown burlap bag with a shoulder strap, three rolls of paper, and a large book bound in bleach-white leather, which I presumed was the grimoire.

  No clothes, though, unless they were in the bag.

  The grimoire will introduce you to the magic system used by the Celestial Order and many other worlds in the Omniverse. This system enables you to easily learn structured spells and other magic abilities, which you can then store in your book. Binding the grimoire to your soul will not prevent you from using unstructured spells; however, mastering such spells often requires years of study. Additionally, unstructured spells are not necessarily more powerful than structured spells, which have been refined over eons by the Celestial Order’s spellsmiths to be efficient and effective.

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  Interesting, I thought. I’ll be able to use magic.

  Open the grimoire to bind it to your soul. The grimoire is more than just a repository for spells; it is a semi-sentient being that will provide you with knowledge about the Celestial Order’s magic system, class system, your progress in your chosen class, and much more. Additionally, it includes some general spells that are not class-based and can be used immediately.

  Intrigued, I pushed myself away from the wall and stumbled over to the stone slab to examine the grimoire more closely. It was beautifully embossed with an all-seeing eye and various arcane symbols. At least, I assumed they were arcane symbols, as I had no expertise in that area. While the thought of being able to cast spells excited me, I didn’t open the book just yet; the Voice of the Labyrinth had not finished speaking to me.

  Also on the bench are three class scrolls. They are similar to the spell scrolls you will find during your Trials. Most magic is class-based, so you cannot cast most spells or magical abilities without choosing a class first. You must bind your grimoire before you can read a class scroll. Each class scroll also contains your first class spell or ability.

  That’s all for now.

  I was on my own now. I was somewhat disappointed that I had not been grouped with other people. I knew I was an introvert, but I felt a powerful need for company in times like these. I wasted no time and opened the grimoire. Immediately, I felt a surge of something—electricity, magic?—pass from the book into my very core. It then snaked up my spinal column to tickle my brain. Words then appeared on the front page of the grimoire.

  Eric Peters of Earth

  Unclassed

  Rank 0

  20/20 Mana

  I wondered how the grimoire could be written in English, but then I realized that the words were not in English at all; they were in some alien language that I could nonetheless understand. I further realized that the Overseer and the Voice of the Labyrinth had been speaking to me in this language the entire time. It seemed that the ability to translate this language had been implanted in us during our passage to Nethis. I laughed bitterly; I had always wanted to learn a second language, and it took the end of the world for my wish to finally come true.

  I turned the page, and new writing appeared before me.

  Eric’s Attributes:

  Strength: 4/10 (+0)

  Constitution: 9/10 (+0)

  Dexterity: 7/10 (+0)

  Perception: 9/10 (+0)

  Intelligence: 9/10 (+0)

  Spirit: 10/10 (+0)

  Your attributes are a numerical representation of your physical, mental, and spiritual capabilities as determined by the system. The first number represents your current base capabilities compared to the maximum value you can attain through exercise, exertion, and other natural means. The second value in parentheses represents modifications made through the magic system. Note that these attributes are specific to you and do not compare proportionally to the attributes of others.

  I first realized how low my strength score was, which was not surprising since I had spent the past few years working various desk jobs. However, I was surprised to see how high my scores were in perception, intelligence, and spirit. To better understand what each attribute represented, I read their descriptions carefully.

  Strength is a measure of your physical power. The higher your strength, the more you can lift and the more damage you can inflict with your strikes. Most people can easily increase their strength above base levels through exercise, exertion, and diet, as long as it is not already at its maximum value.

  Constitution measures your physical resilience. A higher constitution makes it harder to pierce your skin and break your bones, and it also affects how quickly you heal from physical damage. In humans, constitution is typically close to its maximum value and can only be increased slightly through exercise, exertion, and diet.

  Dexterity is a measure of your physical speed and precision. The higher your dexterity, the faster you can run and strike. Working in conjunction with perception, dexterity also impacts precision, enabling you to accurately hit targets. Natural dexterity can be improved through physical training and exertion, but only up to a certain point.

  Perception reflects how well you are aware of the world around you. The higher your perception, the sharper your senses. Like dexterity, perception influences precision, allowing you to hit targets more effectively. It is difficult for most people to significantly raise their natural perception without extensive training.

  Intelligence gauges how quickly you think and how well you can store and access knowledge. A higher intelligence allows for more complex spellcasting and enhances the effectiveness of spells and magical abilities. Intelligence can only be raised slightly above its natural level without experience and intensive mental training.

  Spirit represents your spiritual strength. A higher spirit increases the depth of your mana pool and the speed at which it regenerates. Spirit is linked to the strength of your life force and is challenging to enhance naturally without concentrated meditation and introspection.

  I paused to reflect on what I had just learned. The attributes were mostly as I expected, except for their relation to magic. I wondered how high I could elevate my attributes through magical means. Could I become strong enough to lift a mountain? Could my intellect rival that of a supercomputer if I invested enough points in intelligence? How exactly could I increase my attributes using magic? I guessed that this was a function of the class system.

  I turned to the next page, which was blank except for a single line of text.

  You must choose a class before you can monitor your progression.

  I glanced at the scrolls on the bench but wasn't quite ready to read them yet. Eager to discover the general spells I could cast, I skipped a few pages ahead to the spell repository. There, I found only three spells, none of which were particularly exciting.

  Unmanifest Grimoire

  Cast this spell to dematerialize your grimoire and store it in your soul. Your grimoire will return to your soul if lost. Cost: 5 mana.

  Manifest Grimoire

  Cast this spell to materialize your grimoire from your soul so that you can interact with it. Cost: 5 mana.

  Inspect

  Cast this spell to view information about the object you are looking at. This only works for objects that are categorized by the magic system. Cost: 1 mana.

  And that was it. I would have to choose a class to learn any additional spells. Each spell came with knowledge of how to cast it. Apparently, all I had to do was select the spell in my mind. I decided to test it out by casting Inspect on my grimoire.

  This is the grimoire of Eric Peters of Earth, a Rank 0 Aspirant.

  You have 19 of 20 mana remaining.

  It was that easy. I then went on to Inspect every item in my safe area, but all I discovered was that the burlap sack was just an ordinary burlap sack, and the wooden club was just an ordinary wooden club. They had no magical properties.

  I picked up the first-class scroll. It was a rolled piece of thick paper sealed with wax. The Celestial Order didn’t seem very technologically advanced, or perhaps that was just their way of doing things for the Trials. Fortunately, I didn’t need to break the seal to see what was inside, as a description was written on the outside in small lettering.

  Class Scroll for Warrior

  The warrior is a basic class that specializes in melee weapons. It can use magic to empower its attacks and defenses. At higher levels, it can evolve into more specialized classes. The warrior’s primary attributes are strength and constitution, but it can also benefit from other attributes. Open to learn.

  I looked at the next two class scrolls.

  Class Scroll for Hunter

  The hunter is a basic class that specializes in ranged weapons. It can use magic to empower its attacks and defenses. At higher levels, it can evolve into more specialized classes. The hunter’s primary attributes are dexterity and perception, but it can also benefit from other attributes. Open to learn.

  Class Scroll for Spellcaster

  The spellcaster is a basic class that specializes in magical fighting. At higher levels, it can evolve into more specialized classes. The spellcaster’s primary attributes are intelligence and spirit, but it can also benefit from other attributes. Open to learn.

  I set the scrolls aside for now, as I needed to carefully consider each class before making a selection. What I needed most at this moment was rest; I was exhausted and emotionally drained. I cast Unmanifest Grimoire and placed the club on the ground, leaning it against the wall to keep it clean. Finally, I opened the bag to inspect its contents. It didn’t hold much—just a waterskin and ten hard biscuits. I was disappointed to find no clothes, but at least the weather was warm. There was still plenty of space in the bag for additional items.

  I ate half a biscuit, but my stomach protested when I tried to eat more. It wasn't that the biscuit was bad; it was just tasteless. I washed it down with a few sips of water, then put the waterskin and the class scrolls into my bag, which I set on the ground. With the bench cleared, I hopped up onto it and lay on my back with my hands folded across my chest. It was time to consider everything I had learned, but I wanted to do it in a relaxed state.

  I closed my eyes to help me think. I didn’t remember much after that.