One year after the System's Advent.

Contrary to what I had feared, my life had actually changed for the better. After fighting monsters again and again, I was surprised to find myself addicted to the thrill. It wasn’t easy getting to level 10 with mostly raising Survivability, and I wasn’t anywhere close to being the most powerful. But I found my place in the new society, where hunting monsters and closing the Rifts was a viable career choice.

Now that I had reached level 10, I finally had a development path in mind—a "character build" I could commit to. I checked my stats and smiled.

Status

Level: 10

Race: Human

Health Points: 2295/2295

Aura Points: 525/525

Mana Points: 160/160

Might: 37

Finesse: 34

Survivability: 211

Arcane: 4

Psionic: 14

Free Points: 0

Active Skills: Blood Weapon (Uncommon)

Passive Skills: Tenacity (Rare)

Achievements: 5 Common, 3 Uncommon, 1 Rare

One type of User that was in short supply in this new world? A tank, a guardian, a sentinel if you wish. Because honestly, who would want to get hit, even with the system’s protection? The vast majority of people opted for magic or ranged abilities, keeping monsters at a distance. But I kind of enjoyed close combat, and to my surprise, my pain tolerance was higher than most. I had dentist visits to thank for that. Merciless bastards.

Turns out, I had a knack for taking a beating and coming out on top. And in this chaotic new reality, that made all the difference. And now with my Rare Passive Skill that increased my Might and Finesse the lower my Health got, I could not only take a punch but also give one.

Second Trial Commence.

I read the rules carefully. This time, we had to defeat ten monsters to complete the challenge. Their strength would be similar to our own, and they would come one by one every minute. If you're not quick enough when dealing with each opponent, you could be in trouble.

Interesting. I grinned, gripping my weapon—a simple stick, now enhanced to [Stick+2], making it almost twice as strong. Sure, I could have afforded something better by now, but I had grown attached to it. It synergized perfectly with my only Active Skill and had the interesting property of a lesser chance of failing an enhancement.

With a quick thought, I activated the Skill. My own blood flowed, coating the stick and transforming it into a dark red spear. Bring it on, I thought, the familiar rush of adrenaline filling me as I prepared for the second Trial.

***

Five years after the System's Advent.

Five years had passed since the First Trial. People no longer leveled up as quickly as they used to. The higher you climbed, the more dangerous the monsters became, and the more brutal the Trials required to gain more decent Achievements. The once steady stream of hopefuls had dwindled, and now, very few people even reached the higher ranks.

As for me? I barely knew anyone who could surpass my power. My build, once unconventional, was giving me an increasing edge over others. The tank role wasn’t glamorous, but it had become indispensable. I could withstand more damage than most people could even imagine, and my Blood Weapon ability made me an unstoppable force in close combat. It was like my old dentist visits had prepared me for this absurd level of pain tolerance.

I had received one more active and one more passive Skill at level 25, and now I stood just a step away from level 50. It should have been exciting, but instead, I felt a growing anxiety. The fifth Trial loomed, and deep down, I had doubts that my current level would be enough to breeze through it like the last one. The Trials were becoming harder, more dangerous, and fewer people dared to take them on anymore.

After the first Trial, the rest were optional. There was no shame in not attempting them, especially since it only took a small percentage of successful completions to count as a pass for humanity. But those who not only continued beyond the first Trial, but kept at it until now, were either hungry for more power or preparing themselves for the final Trial—the one that would determine the fate of our world. We all knew what that meant: freedom within the System or Hell.

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The world had changed so much since the system’s arrival that many now referred to it as an apocalypse. The integration had shattered society, and despair was widespread. Almost a third of humanity had died in the last five years, consumed by the Trials or the chaos that followed. Yet, for some of us, this apocalypse was an opportunity, a chance to be reborn amidst the rubble.

I had been one of the few to thrive in the chaos. Maybe it was something buried deep within me—an innate inclination for violence, awakened when I faced death head-on. Or maybe something broke inside me after I killed those two goblins, who looked too much like green-skinned children. Whatever the cause, I had found my place in this new world.

Those who once laughed at my Survivability build were either dead, or asked me for advice. In fact, most people respected me, and even more feared me. My focus on defense had paid off, allowing me to withstand hits that would have killed others. With every fight, every Rift, I became stronger, and now, reaching level 50 felt like a gateway to something new. It was the point where my Skill choices would start to truly shine.

As I read the notification regarding the upcoming Trial, I realized something—it wouldn’t be on Earth this time. For the first time, a Rift would open specifically for my personal completion. It wouldn’t be my first Rift, and hopefully not my last, but something told me this would be the hardest one so far. My gut twisted with unease, but there was no turning back now.

Standing at the top of the skyscraper I had chosen as the starting point for the Trial, I watched as a swirling portal appeared before me. The Rift shimmered with otherworldly energy, calling me forward.

With a deep breath, I gripped my weapon, so familiar and so reliable [Stick+5], and activated the Blood Weapon Skill. The time for hesitation had long passed. I stepped into the portal, ready for anything.

Seven years after the System's Advent.

Seven years had passed since the First Trial. For most, leveling up became increasingly difficult with each passing level. The Trials and Rifts grew deadlier, and the monsters evolved to match. But for me, things were different. Each new Skill I unlocked seemed to slot into place, perfectly complementing the ones before it. Synergy, they called it. And as my abilities aligned, I found myself excelling in ways I hadn't anticipated. Challenges that had once pushed me to the brink now felt like mere exercises in endurance.

By the time I hit level 75, I had surpassed the limits of those around me. As far as I knew, I was the first human to reach such a level. My third Active Skill, combined with my already formidable passive and active abilities, turned me into something more than just a fighter—I had become a walking fortress, an embodiment of relentless survival. Despite this, I held off from making my final Skill choices until after I completed the next Trial. Better to wait until I fully understood what the challenges ahead would demand.

Standing in what remained of New York’s Time Square, the place felt more like a graveyard than a city. Half-destroyed buildings, shattered streets, and the distant cries of monsters lurking in the ruins painted a haunting image of what Earth had become. It had once been a bustling metropolis, but now, it was just another battlefield. A perfect setting for what lay ahead.

This time, though, things were different. The portal that appeared wasn’t just for me. For the first time in years, I wouldn’t be going into a Rift alone. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Fighting alongside others was something I had little experience with for the last few years, and the thought of relying on anyone else didn’t sit well with me. As long as they didn’t slow me down, though, I could tolerate it.

I had come a long way since the early days of the System. I was recognized by both the people and the System itself as one of the most powerful humans left. Some respected me, others feared me, but all knew what I had become—a living weapon.

Over the past few years, I had fully immersed myself in the Trials. Clearing Rifts, fighting monsters, and even clashing with sapient beings from other worlds had become routine. The Rifts weren't just filled with beasts and mindless monsters anymore. Some contained humanoids, and I’d heard whispers that some of them might even be sapient races from other dimensions. It had all started to make sense—this wasn’t just about survival. This was a war between worlds, each one controlled by its own System. And we were just soldiers.

But I didn't care. At least not in the beginning. I fought for the thrill of it, for the feeling of power. But over time, something shifted inside me. I found a new purpose: to bring peace to Earth. To ensure that humanity had a future, one where we didn’t have to live in constant fear of the Rift Outbreaks.

That became my goal—securing safety for our world by any means necessary. And until that goal was realized, I would continue to throw myself into battle, honing my Skills, becoming what I had always wanted to be—a human war machine.

Ten years after the System's Advent.

Now was the time for the last hurdle. The last Trial was just around the corner. The last two Trials were anticlimactic. The seventh one made me sweat a bit, but after both of my first Skills advanced to the Epic Grade, most fights became a breeze. The fate of humanity was at stake, and yet a part of me hoped that the Trial would pose at least some challenge to me. Which would mean that for everyone else it would be deadly.

After I read the description and accepted the invitation, I was teleported to the Trial's location. With only a select few eligible for the challenge, the System gathered us all together. I found myself in a forest clearing, with the towering Mount Everest looming in the background. Before long, the others who had answered the call began to arrive. I counted exactly two dozen of us, including myself. I recognized almost every face—most were leaders of newly formed countries or powerful guilds, with only a few loners like me. Most of them I never met in person. Yet, despite the varied backgrounds, no one doubted my strength. I was the one the System had dubbed the Champion of Earth after the seventh Trial, and no one had managed to take that title from me since.

As the new Rift opened before me, I was struck by its immense size, radiating both danger and promise. I took a step forward, aware that others were counting on me to lead the way. Some of them were familiar, while others were complete strangers, but we all shared a common fate. We were the last hope of our people, and this Trial would decide whether we would rise as saviors or fall as failures.

For my part, I couldn’t help but consider what lay ahead once this was all over. Maybe getting a girlfriend and buying a house would be good first steps. It felt strange to think about a normal life while standing on the brink of such uncertainty, yet a part of me longed for that simplicity. As I shook those thoughts away, I took a step toward the unknown.

Toward the Final Trial.