Cyrus didn't sleep that night.
He lay in his dorm room bed staring at the ceiling, watching the shadows shift as the hours crawled by. His roommate had moved out months ago after getting into an elite program, so at least he had the space to himself. No one to see him like this. No one to ask questions he didn't want to answer.
The empty medicine bottle sat on his nightstand—a plastic reminder that he was on borrowed time.
His chest still ached. The medicine had suppressed the worst of the episode, but a dull pain lingered in the background, like his body was constantly reminding him it was trying to kill him.
When the morning light finally crept through his window, Cyrus got dressed. Black combat pants. A dark gray shirt. Boots that were worn but functional. He didn't have fancy gear like the candidates who came from money. Everything he owned, he'd earned or bought secondhand.
He grabbed his small backpack—empty except for the useless medicine bottle—and headed out.
The assembly point was the main courtyard. When Cyrus arrived, hundreds of candidates were already gathered in small groups, talking and laughing nervously. Some had families saying goodbye. Others stood alone.
Cyrus found a spot away from the crowd and waited. He could feel the stares. The whispers started almost instantly.
"That's the Classless guy."
"What's he doing here? I thought for sure he'd back out."
"He's going to die. Like, actually die. Why would the instructors even let him in?"
Cyrus ignored them. Let them talk. None of it mattered anymore.
Instructor Vance appeared at eight sharp, flanked by two other instructors. She raised a hand, and the courtyard fell silent.
"Candidates," her voice boomed, magically amplified. "Today is your first true test. You've spent a year training. You've awakened your classes. Now you'll prove whether you have what it takes to advance."
She started pacing, her expression hard.
"The trial is simple. You will be transported to a zone in the Realm of All Races. Your objective is to hunt and kill beasts. The minimum requirement is five F-rank beast cores. Anything less and you fail. Anything more improves your standing."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. F-rank beasts were the weakest monsters in the Realm, but they were still dangerous enough to kill an untrained human.
"However," Vance continued, "I must remind you that this is not a game. Every year, approximately twenty percent of candidates die during this trial. The Realm of All Races does not care about your dreams. It will kill you if you give it the chance."
The courtyard went dead silent.
"If anyone wishes to withdraw, raise your hand now. You will be removed from the program, but you'll live."
Hands started going up—first a few, then dozens. Cyrus watched as nearly a quarter of the candidates chose safety over glory. Mostly E-ranks and D-ranks. They knew their limits.
"Those with raised hands, move to the left," Vance ordered.
As they shuffled away, Vance's gaze swept over the remaining group. For a moment, her eyes landed on Cyrus. She looked surprised, her eyebrows twitching. He stared back with zero expression.
Her eyes narrowed before she moved on.
"The rest of you have chosen to participate," she said. "The trial lasts until sunset. If you're not back at the extraction point by then, you'll be left behind. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Instructor!" the crowd shouted. Cyrus stayed silent.
"Good. Five minutes until transportation."
A hand landed on Cyrus's shoulder. He turned to see a tall, built guy with a smug look. It was the student who'd ranked third, right behind Cyrus.
"Well, well," the guy sneered. "Didn't think you'd show up. Got a death wish?"
"Move your hand," Cyrus said quietly.
The guy's smirk widened. "What are you going to do? You're Classless. An F-rank beast is going to rip you apart."
"I won't ask again."
Something in Cyrus's eyes made the guy hesitate. He pulled his hand back, holding them up in mock surrender. "Fine. Just some friendly advice. No shame in knowing you're a dud."
Cyrus didn't bother responding. The air around them started to shimmer.
"Transportation beginning!" Vance's voice rang out. "Stand still!"
The world twisted. Colors bled together and Cyrus's stomach lurched. For a second, he couldn't feel the ground. Then, everything snapped back into focus.
His boots hit solid dirt. He blinked, his eyes adjusting.
The sky above was a strange purple. The air smelled wild. Massive trees with black bark and metallic leaves surrounded them.
The Realm of All Races.
A system notification appeared in his vision.
[Welcome to the Realm of All Races]
[Trial Zone: Darkwood Forest - F Rank]
[Objective: Obtain 5 F-Rank Beast Cores]
Then, another notification popped up. This one was flashing red.
[ERROR DETECTED]
[User: Cyrus - Status: CLASSLESS]
[Analyzing...]
Cyrus froze. What?
[Analysis Complete: Classification Error Confirmed]
[Cause: Unknown System Malfunction]
[Compensation Protocol Initiated]
[As recompense for system error, User: Cyrus will receive ONE (1) Gacha Pull from the Celestial Reward Pool]
A gacha pull?
An interface materialized—spinning lights and flashing colors. In the center was a single button: [PULL].
The other candidates were already heading into the forest in groups. None of them seemed to see the screen. This was private.
He had nothing to lose. Cyrus pressed the button.
The machine exploded into motion. Colors swirled into a blur. A sound like distant bells rang in his ears, getting louder and louder until it was all he could hear.
Then, everything stopped.
A single card floated in the air, glowing with a power that made his skin tingle.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[Ding! You have drawn a Transcendental Concept — Infinite Luck!]
[Rarity: ???-Tier]
[Integration beginning...]
The card shot forward and slammed into his chest.
Cyrus gasped. Power flooded him like lightning. The dull pain of his disease vanished instantly. His vision sharpened until he could see the veins on leaves a hundred yards away. He could hear the wind, the rustle of insects, the heartbeat of the forest.
Everything was more vivid. More alive.
[Integration complete. Status Updated.]