Something illuminated my face.
Or at least… that's what it felt like.
Which made no sense at all.
My body was supposed to have disappeared completely.
I frowned and opened my eyes.
My figure was… translucent.
I blinked a few times, staring at my own hands—barely defined, as if made of diffused light.
"Ah… I see," I muttered with a bitter smile."
"Now I'm a goddamn ghost."
I looked up.
Floating in front of me was a screen glowing with a bluish light.
Sharp.
Artificial.
Unreal.
On it, the words read:
[Would you like to assign a name to your character?]
"What?!" I exclaimed. "Character? A name?!"
Then I remembered.
The System.
That damn System that ruled this world… as if everything were a video game.
At least, that's how my father had explained it.
I had never paid much attention.
I had never cared about video games.
Until now.
I stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking.
A memory surfaced from the depths of my mind.
An old story.
My mother used to read it to me when I was a kid…
The protagonist's name was… "Grandeux."
I exhaled slowly.
"From now on, I will be…" I murmured.
I raised my gaze.
"Grandeux Jay Sullivan."
The screen reacted instantly.
[Name selected]
[Creating character]
[Progress: 1%]
[…]
[50%]
[…]
[100%]
[Loading world…]
I appeared in an alley.
The air was thick with dust and grime. Above my head, several cables hung chaotically, swaying slightly. On both sides, overflowing dumpsters leaned against walls covered in reddish graffiti.
I frowned.
This… looked way too much like the slums where I used to live.
Suddenly, something stuck to my face.
"What the hell…?"
It was a sheet of paper.
I brushed it away in annoyance and looked at it.
A newspaper.
My eyes scanned the headlines:
"Level 50 Awakened defeat skeleton hordes in Mexico City."
"Child prodigy awarded for solving an impossible mathematical problem."
"U.S. Government announces strategic alliance with China, South Korea, and Japan to close portals and prevent future breaches."
My gaze stopped on the date.
January 19, 2025.
I exhaled slowly.
Although many everyday things from this era still felt foreign to me… I still remembered the key events.
The ones that would mark the beginning of the end.
That alliance…
was one of them.
At first, it worked.
For a while, humanity believed it had things under control.
But everything fell apart.
Some of its members betrayed humanity… and knelt before the gods.
…
I crumpled the newspaper between my fingers.
"Status Window!" I commanded.
The response was immediate.
[Status Window]
[Name: Grandeux Jay Sullivan]
[Vitality: 100%]
[Level: 01]
[Rank: None]
[Skills: 01]
[View more]
Without hesitation, I selected the option.
[Skill Blocked]
I let out a sigh.
"Well… at least I tried."
My eyes moved downward.
[Blessings: 01]
[Blessing of the Goddess of Stars and Cosmos, Thenna]
[Description: This blessing will allow you to prevail, no matter how many dangers you face.]
I remained silent for a few seconds.
Thenna…
So that was her name.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
"I guess this counts as… a stroke of good luck."
I sighed deeply once more.
"Alright…" I muttered to myself. "My first objective will be to eliminate the traitors of humanity."
My eyes hardened.
"But for that… I need to become stronger."
I paused briefly.
"I have to get into the Players Academy."
The plan was clear.
The problem… not so much.
I frowned.
"And where the hell is that damn academy?"
…
I stepped out of the alley.
The sunlight hit my face full force, forcing me to squint. I raised a hand to shield my eyes, feeling the heat pierce my skin.
For a few seconds, everything was white.
Until my eyes adjusted.
And then…
the world appeared before me.
The bustle enveloped me instantly.
The roar of cars.
The voices of pedestrians.
The echo of hurried footsteps on the sidewalks.
Distant barking.
And other sounds… animals, blending into the urban chaos.
Everything was so…
normal.
So absurdly normal.
I walked to the edge of the sidewalk.
I looked up.
At the top of a building covered in thousands of glass panels, a massive screen was playing a strange video. In it, a woman fought monsters with ease, moving with almost unreal precision… while drinking a black liquid from a bottle with a blue label.
I blinked.
"What the hell is 'Pepsinko'…?" I muttered.
Then I remembered.
The commercials.
My father used to mention them from time to time, though I had never paid much attention.
Now I understood.
"It's… interesting," I said quietly.
I looked away.
There were advertisements everywhere.
Screens.
Posters.
Lights.
But that wasn't all.
People.
People… living.
Some were laughing.
Parents walked hand in hand with their children, sharing simple moments.
Others ate at street stalls.
Some hurried along, probably heading to work.
…
It was a… normal world.
A world at peace.
I felt a knot in my chest.
Because I knew the truth.
In the future…
none of this existed.
The gods had turned Earth into their playground.
And of humanity…
only ruins remained.
Echoes.
Fragments of what we once were.
…
I approached a middle-aged man.
He had gray hair, wore simple clothes, and was sitting on a bench, focused on reading a newspaper.
"Excuse me, sir," I said. "Could you tell me how to get to the Players Academy?"
The man looked up.
He scanned me from head to toe without hiding it.
I forced a smile.
I couldn't blame him.
My appearance… left a lot to be desired: worn-out clothes, messy hair, and skin covered in dirt.
"Uh… sure," he finally replied. "Just head to Pamela Hank Station. It's a couple of blocks from here."
I nodded.
"Thank you for the help, sir."
I turned around, ready to leave.
"Wait, kid!" he called.
I stopped.
"Are you a player?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Ah… yes, sir," I answered awkwardly. "Yes, I am."
The man nodded slowly.
"Then listen carefully," he said. "Have you registered as an Awakened Citizen yet?"
I frowned.
"Awakened Citizen…?"
"Yes," he continued. "First you need to go to a branch of the National Association of Awakened Players. Register there… and then you can enter the academy."
I processed the information in silence.
So there was an order to all of this.
"I understand…" I nodded. "Thanks again for your help."
"No problem, kid."
I hesitated for a second before speaking again.
"Hey… could you tell me where the nearest branch is?"
The man let out a deep sigh.
…
Three hours later…
The kind old man hadn't just given me directions.
He had also given me money.
Enough to get to the branch… and for something more important.
To shower.
To change my clothes.
Now, at least, I looked like a decent person instead of a homeless man.
I remembered his words:
"A man should always take care of his personal hygiene, no matter what."
…
I entered the branch.
The place was packed.
Dozens of people occupied the benches—some in silence, others talking quietly. The atmosphere was tense, filled with anticipation.
According to what the old man had told me, I had to take a number and wait.
So I did.
I sat down.
I waited.
Minutes that felt like hours.
…
Until finally—
"Number 47," a voice announced over the speakers.
I stood up immediately.
I walked to the assigned counter, where a young woman with brown hair was waiting.
She had noticeable dark circles under her eyes, but her voice was overly polite, almost robotic.
Still, she gave me a brief smile.
"How can I help you, young man?" she asked.
"Yes… uh… I'm here to register as an Awakened Player," I replied.
"Your name, please."
"Grandeux Jay Sullivan."
She repeated the name as she typed it into the computer.
"Okay… 'Grandeux Jay Sullivan'…"
Suddenly, her expression changed.
She frowned slightly, staring at the screen in confusion.
Then she looked at me.
With suspicion.
Ding!
A short sound broke the silence.
Beside her, a small machine emitted a green light.
…
The young woman blinked, regaining her composure.
"Place your fingerprint here… and here," she instructed. "I also need you to sign these documents."
"Alright," I answered.
I followed the instructions without asking questions.
"Very well, Mr. Sullivan, please wait here a moment," she added.
…
A few minutes passed.
"Alright, Mr. Sullivan," she finally announced. "Here is your ID card… and the documents certifying you as an Awakened Citizen."
I took the papers.
"Ah… thank you… Miss…?" I hesitated.
"Thea. Thea Cyrus," she replied.
I nodded slightly.
"Thank you, Miss Cyrus."
I turned to leave.
But before going, I took one last look.
Thea was smiling at me.
And this time…
it wasn't a forced smile.
It was genuine.
The old man had advised me not to rush.
The registration process took time, and it would be impossible to reach the academy that same day.
So I listened to him.
I checked into a nearby hotel… and the next morning, I took a vehicle called a taxi to my destination.
…
The taxi dropped me off at the entrance.
I looked up.
The academy's doors were enormous—solid iron, imposing.
I took a few steps forward.
"Halt!" an unfamiliar voice rang out.
I stopped abruptly.
"Identify yourself," the same voice ordered, this time through a speaker.
I pulled out my document.
"I'm an Awakened Citizen. I'm here to enroll in the academy."
A camera descended slowly and focused on me.
The silence grew heavy.
"Wait a moment…" the voice said.
A few seconds later…
"Verification complete. You may enter."
The doors opened automatically with a soft mechanical hum.
…
The interior was… impressive.
Spacious buildings with huge windows that reflected the sunlight.
Students everywhere, talking, laughing, moving from place to place.
The main courtyard was perfectly
maintained: green areas, training zones, sports facilities…
Everything was designed to train players.
And not just any players.
Elite players.
I almost got lost.
If it hadn't been for the help of a female student, I probably would have wandered for hours.
"Thanks for the help," I told her.
"No problem," she replied casually.
She had reddish hair and a relaxed attitude.
She was the one who guided me to the main hall.
When I entered, I saw dozens of young people like me.
Newly awakened.
All gathered in front of a stage.
On it, several people were talking among themselves. Judging by their posture and demeanor, it was easy to assume they were part of the academy's administration.
Then…
a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant black suit stepped up to the microphone.
The murmur in the hall died down.
I pushed my way through the crowd, never taking my eyes off him.
"Now that I think about it…" I muttered. "That guy looks familiar…"
"Ah… it's the old man!" I blurted out without thinking.
I raised my hand enthusiastically.
"Hey! Old man!" I shouted.
…
Silence fell like a bucket of cold water.
Dozens of eyes locked onto me.
The man on the stage as well.
I blinked.
"Did he just call Director Cyrus 'old man'…?" someone whispered in the crowd.
"He's dead…"
"He's going to get in trouble…"
I felt the tension rising around me.
I swallowed hard.
"Shit… I think I fucked up," I muttered to myself.
On the stage, Director Cyrus brought a hand to his face.
He sighed.
And his expression…
was pure secondhand embarrassment.