It was a clear, sunny day as usual, and the town was a crowded hive with people wandering back and forth like ants. The streets were lined with shops where merchants shouted for customers, offering pairs of shoes for only twenty-five pearls. The air was thick with the clamor of trade.
In the center of this throng stood a man dressed in neat black pants and a milky-white tucked-in shirt.
He held a thick book that resembled a black dictionary decorated with golden dots.
It remained closed in his hands as he sang a melody. His voice was steady and calm, possessing the grace of a true musician.
"We are alive after the blink,
so praise the god for it
He can be cursed,
but will protect us from it.
We only have three days; live happily.
The darkness is cloaking us,
but don't worry, our savior will eat it…".
Suddenly, his song halted as police arrived to arrest him. No one in town believed his words; they considered him a madman filled with "weird" thoughts.
Someone in the crowd had complained that he was creating a public nuisance. He surrendered calmly to the officers and went with them without saying a word back.
"Oh… peace is restored," someone in the crowd murmured.
A young boy who watched the scene asked his grandpa why they had arrested him.
"Everyone says he is a madman who blabbers random things," the old man replied. "He opposes our ethics, claiming there is only one god at the center of everything, and that one day a curse will destroy our planet".
"So do you believe that, grandpa?" the boy asked.
The old man smiled and replied, "I only believe the things I see". Their conversation ended as they disappeared into the crowd.
Another landmark of the town was the temple of the King of the Wind. He was viewed as a demi-god figure, and many such small temples were scattered throughout the town. Temples for the true gods were located only in the big cities. Many people arrived there seeking blessings, creating a queue that looked like a long, moving train.
Suddenly, the sunlight started to dim. Everyone looked at the sky, puzzled.
"What is happening? Is there a solar eclipse today?" a man asked.
"No, that already happened!" a guy replied.
Everything fell into darkness, as if the sun had exploded. That noisy town suddenly turned into a ghost town. People were there, but there was no sound; everything simply froze.
"Tha—that madman…! I think he was right," a voice rose from the crowd.
"So… the curse? Is it real?" another voice replied.
"I guess… so".
*BOOM.*
The planet turned into dust within the blink of an eye.
Betasphere is the key realm of the universe, the place where its highest governing figures reside. Among them stands the Knight—the strongest being in the entire universe and its appointed king. He is responsible for maintaining peace and defending the universe from external threats. Serving under him are the Guardians, subordinates who assist in protecting the universe.
In the Betasphere of the A1 universe, a selection was happening to find a new Knight. This selection usually occurs once every five years. And this time there was also an another thing that is the current A1 knight is in his death bed, he got some unknown illness and fighting for his life.
Steve, a middle-aged man with a solid build, had always dreamed of becoming a Knight. Naturally, he showed up for the selection. He disliked crowds, so he sat on a less crowded bench. The people around him sat in silence, their faces tight with tension.
When Steve looked straight ahead, he noticed a man with a katana hanging at his left side, smiling as he walked toward Steve's bench. "There is no space there, can I sit here?" he asked gently.
"Yes, of course," Steve answered, moving aside to give him space.
"Thanks. My name is John… John King. Nice to meet you," the man said, offering his hand.
"My name is Steve," he replied with a handshake.
"Oh… Steve… are you from Minecraft? Ha… ha…" John said mockingly, laughing at his own joke.
Steve felt quite annoyed and sat there silently.
Seeing this, John realized his choice of words had angered his neighbor.
"Sorry… I guess you got annoyed," John said, slightly lowering his head. "I'm just trying to make the scene cool. Everyone is so tense right now".
"Ahh… leave it," Steve replied with a smile.
John smiled back and asked, "So, where are you from?".
"I am from Earth Zero. What about you?".
"Me… I am from 1160 Earth," John replied proudly.
There was a tree nearby, and on it, a dusty black speaker. Suddenly, it turned on. They heard the voice of a man.
"Hello everyone. This is Saint, the man conducting these tests. Your first test is a written exam. It will be conducted in the building in front of you, so go and find your room number on the notice board. All the best!".
The announcement stopped. They looked ahead at the building, an old-style structure with one floor and a roof made of forged sheets.
"Come on, let's go," John said eagerly, and Steve followed. They walked toward the exam hall with the other participants. The noticeboard had a brown cardboard frame. In the middle was a red silk cloth filled with cotton. Their names were written on A4 paper and pinned to the cloth. They found their names easily since they were in alphabetical order.
John and Steve were in different rooms, so they split up. Steve's room was large, containing about twenty chairs and desks. Steve noticed they were recently polished, shining like mirrors. Using the number printed on his chair, he found his seat and waited. Shortly after, a man with long hair and green eyes appeared at the door, dressed neatly like an office employee.
He stood in front of the group and spoke in a solid voice,
"Hello everyone. I am the invigilator for this exam". He gave a thumbs up and added, "I wish you all the best".
Despite his wishes, there were no question papers yet. Steve wondered what he was supposed to write and looked at the invigilator, confused.
The man noticed and smiled. "Oh… you didn't get the papers yet. Wait a minute; they will arrive soon!".
A short man soon arrived with a brown paper packet and handed it over. The invigilator opened it with a small pocket knife and distributed the papers. Steve's heart raced as he received his.
The written test was the simplest part, as ninety percent usually passed. It required only basic knowledge of the universe and multiverse. Still, Steve had prepared well because he wanted to be the perfect candidate. He took his pen, opened it, and began to write.