Time seemed to stand still as Faust gazed into the amethyst twilight. His focus sharpened abruptly when a star appeared to fall.

It began as a mere pinprick of light but rapidly grew larger and more defined.

His sharp vision allowed him to discern the object's true nature.

It wasn't a celestial body pulled by gravity; it was a black monolith, an obelisk-shaped structure engraved with weird patterns.

The monolith plummeted from the Sky, descending not far from where Faust stood.

"Agony, head in that direction."

Agony responded, altering its course toward the fallen monolith.

But swiftly, Faust eyes were drawn upwards once more.

The sky was alive with descending shapes. Countless black monoliths,, were falling across the globe.

They pierced the atmosphere and struck the Earth, embedding themselves in cityscapes, remote lands, and churning seas, each one landing upright in a straight position.

As they descended, the cryptic patterns etched into each monolith began to illuminate, emitting an array of colors unique to each structure.

A pulse of energy emanated from each monolith, sending concentric waves that rippled across the globe, with each obelisk acting as an epicenter.

Faust watched as the wave of energy approached. In an instinctive response, Agony reconfigured itself into a protective shield, enveloping him within a cocoon.

After a moment, as the pulse dissipated, Agony receded, returning to its prior form.

CLANK!

A soft clank drew Faust's gaze downward.

At his feet lay a puddle of liquid crystal. It quivered and vibrated. With a swift move, Agony extended and enveloped the liquid crystal.

Faust opened his mouth to question Agony's preemptive action, but his words never took form.

A voice devoid of gender, echoed across the entire globe, transcending barriers of language and geography.

"Greetings, Humans. We are your progenitors. It was by our hand that this planet was terraformed, the seeds of life carefully sown to grant you existence."

"You are but one of countless worlds cultivated by our project, and now, as your civilization grows, you should understand a universal truth—nothing in this universe is free."

"We have installed devices across the cosmos to detect when a civilization is ripe for harvest. Your puny civilization has, to our astonishment, triggered our automated systems prematurely."

"We speculated that perhaps a prodigious intellect had emerged among you, one who propelled your technological capabilities far beyond our projections, accelerating your developmental timeline by millennia. "

"However, our analysis has revealed the truth. It was the escalation of your own conflicts, triggering cataclysmic bursts of energy, that caught our attention. "

"Since your civilization is not worthy to be harvested, we decided to make things more interesting. We will start a Game."

"We will call this 'World's End Game'. The premise of this game is simple: destroy all the monoliths we have seeded upon your world before the world beyond them succeeds in obliterating your kind."

The omnipresent voice continued.

"In this game, there are three parties. First, there are we, your creators. Based on your civilization, you can call us Gods. We will observe and give rewards, blessings, or curses depending on your action."

"The second will Imagin, abstract being born from your own creations. We have reviewed all your culture, art, literature, myth, and beliefs. You give multiple names: anime, manga, novel, webtoon, and many others."

"Your creativity, manifested in countless stories, has surprised us. We enjoy it and hence decided to give your species a chance to survive."

"These Imagin can choose a champion among you, giving you their blessing. It's through these champions they can gain the strength to manifest into reality, becoming a real existence."

"And finally, there are the players…."

"You all should have received your SYSTEM. It will guide you on what you must do next."

"Now, engage in the struggle. Combat for your survival. Fight with all your might. SURVIVE... or face EXTINCTION!"

Faust's gaze locked onto the monolith, his mind racing.

'Turning Imagin into reality? Could they possibly resurrect a living being? Or is this the same as how I created the worm?"

'Then it's just a more advanced genetic engineering…'

Faust shifted his attention to Agony, who was still engrossed in assimilating the crystal.

With a scoff, he muttered, "Proclaiming themselves as Gods? They're likely just a more advanced civilization, possibly a Type II on the Kardashev scale."

His thoughts raced with possibilities as he addressed his companion, "Hey, Agony, enough with the crystal. It needs it to participate in this 'game'."

"They mentioned something about a 'system', what an odd name for a liquid crystal."

Agony emitted a low growl. "System? Oh, they must be referring to the signal emanating from the crystal."

"Don't worry, I can hijack it. I'll establish a link to you once I've finished consuming it."

"This crystal isn't good for your body anyway. It functions like a parasite, altering your biological structure."

Faust contemplated this with a hint of skepticism. "A parasite? I doubt it's that simple. Agony, isolate a segment of the crystal."

" I need to do thorough research on it later."

Memories then flickered through his mind as he observed Agony.

"This looks like the Kraken's crystal, so it should be similar. It's fundamentally an organic nanomachine designed to modify human DNA."

As the ship sailed closer to the monolith's impact point, Faust peered into the depths of the sea.

"It seems this one has dropped to the ocean floor."

Turning his attention back to Agony, he decided to wait patiently until it finished consuming the crystal.

Time passed on, and finally, with a huge barf, Agony finished.

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Faust sensed an immediate change; the energy within Agony was now more saturated, nearly doubling in intensity.

"I should find more of these core," Faust contemplated

Agony then began to split itself from the weave of Faust's clothes.

It transformed, reshaping into a creature.

The creature's fur was as black as a moonless night. Its eyes are stark white and piercing. The jaw was a masterful work of art and terror, broad and lined with needle-like teeth.

Atop its head, two small horns spiraled, glinting with a dark sheen.

Behind its back, wings unfolded. It looked like a bat that fluttered in the air. The dog was small as it could comfortably perch on Faust's shoulder.

Faust's brow furrowed. "What happened to you?"

Agony's voice had undergone a transformation as remarkable as its body — smooth and articulate.

"I have assimilated enough energy to create a separate body from yours. My core still resides with you, but this avatar grants us more flexibility."

Faust eyed the creature perched on his shoulder. "Just what kind of creature are you… So you can move by yourself now?"

Agony nodded, its wings fluttering softly with the motion. "To an extent. For now, my range is limited to a radius of ten meters from you. "

Faust pondered. "Any additional capabilities?"

Agony replied. "I can transform into anything you want within the constraints of the energy I have."

"This means the more energy I accumulate, the more mass I have for transformations."

Faust nodded. "Excellent. Now, let's re-establish my link to the system."

Agony hesitated. "Reconnecting you will notify all those 'gods' of your existence."

Faust's gaze was steady. "Can you hide my information? Just make me another survivor."

"I can. Give me a moment." There was a brief pause before Faust felt a tug in his consciousness.

A virtual interface flickered to life before his eyes, overlaying his vision.

__________________________

Name : Faust Mchollen

Profession: none

Level :1

Exp:0/100%

Str:5

Agi:5

Int:5

_________________________

Faust examined the new interface. "Can you manipulate the stats as you wish?"

Agony affirmed, "Yes." A display materialized, demonstrating a manipulation of the stats, changing the 'int' value to 10.

"Interesting," Faust mused.

At that moment, a notification flickered on his screen:

[Attention to all distant players: Please proceed to the nearest monolith and make physical contact to commence your tutorial.]

Faust's eyes narrowed. "Agony, we're heading to the monolith. And remember, stay dormant unless I told otherwise."

Agony gives a subtle nod.

The makeshift boat swiftly retracted, seamlessly integrating back into Faust's attire.

They then descended into the sea, Agony transforming a portion of itself into a mask that covered Faust's nose and mouth, enabling him to breathe as he swam deeper.

The closer Faust got, the more the monolith revealed its form—a ten-meter-tall pillar inscribed with weird glyphs that pulsed subtly.

Without hesitation, Faust extended his hand to touch the structure. As he made contact, a surge of energy cascaded over him.

"Faust, I'm detecting a dimensional shift. Should we proceed?" Agony inquired.

"Yes, they're likely transporting us to another location," Faust replied with a firm tone.

The engulfing energy intensified, resonating with the fabric of their very being than they both disappeared.

As Faust's sight returned, he found himself transported to what seemed to be a village.

Around him, about thirty survivors were gathered, and most of their faces were smeared with dirt. Everyone bring a backpack that looks bulged with stuff.

Their clothes are padded with scavenged material reinforced with duct tape.

Some huddled in trios, whispering strategies or sharing silent nods. Others stood in pairs, leaning in close, their murmurs blending into the background.

Only a few, like Faust, were alone.

A young man leaned against a dilapidated wall. His hands, calloused, fiddled with a lighter — a flame flickering to life and dying in beats.

One man had a bandana pulled tight across his forehead, with a dark spot upon it. His eyes flicked from face to face, missing nothing. His stance was wide and balanced.

The muscular woman next to him carried a backpack patched with pieces of other bags. Her eyes were sharp, darting to the slightest movement, her mouth set in a firm line.

A few paces away, an older man sat on a crate, his gray beard unkempt and dirty. The remnants of a suit hung from his frame, the tie long discarded, the shirt open and sleeveless.

He cleaned a gun carefully.

Faust observed as the groups eyed each other cautiously. A young man with scarred arms and a makeshift spear scanned the crowd, his eyes pausing just a moment longer on those who stood alone.

A young woman beside him sits on the ground with tattered clothes, gripping a weathered book to her chest, her eyes glinting with a mix of fear and determination.

In one corner, a trio of survivors was hunched over a, their fingers tracing on a paper that looked like a map, their brows furrowed in concentration.

Another duo was checking their equipment, ensuring that every knife was sharp and every firearm was loaded.

Suddenly, in a puff of smoky air that smelled faintly of sulfur, a creature materialized before them.

It was a chibi goblin, no taller than a common garden gnome, with skin the color of a ripe cherry.

Delicate wings, veined like those of a dragonfly, fluttered on its back, and two small horns curled from its forehead.

"Hello, everyone," it greeted them with a deep voice.

"My name is Impish, and I will be your guide for the duration of this quest."

"The rules are straightforward: you must defend this village for three days. Each morning until noon, you have the opportunity to fortify your defenses."

"When the sun sets, be prepared for a relentless invasion that will not stop until dawn."

"After each day, you will get two types of rewards."

"The group reward can be used to purchase items to bolster the village's defenses. This will be decided by a majority vote."

"As for individual rewards, the more enemies you slay, the more points you'll earn. These points can then be used to buy items from your personal shop."

"Each day, there will be a selection of 10 different items available, unique to each of you, which will reset the following day. Do you have any questions?"

The old man raised his hand. His eyes narrowed. "What is the reward for those who survive through to the end?"

Impish's response, Its eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

"Every survivor will be granted the opportunity to select a profession card from three options. The greater your contribution points, the rarer the profession card you'll get."

A rugged man from one of the trios raised a hand, his brow furrowed. "How about Food and water?"

Impish scoffed, its voice taking on a mocking tone. "Are you children?" it taunted, gesturing broadly at the forest around the village. "Hunt for yourselves."

Then, a stern voice cut through from a pair standing off to the side.

"What if conflicts arise among us, and someone is killed?"

Impish chuckled. "A good question. The one who does the killing will receive the points and items belonging to the victim."

"They will also receive a special token—a 'refresh chance.'"

A murmur rippled through the group as they exchanged wary glances, the atmosphere growing tense.

Impish, seemingly delighted by the unease, explained further, "A 'refresh chance' allows you to refresh your profession card options."

The man with the bandana interjected. "You mention cards? Does that mean we don't receive the profession directly?"

Impish replied. "Of course not, you'll need to collect certain materials."

"These will be infused into the card, which then activates and combines all the ingredients, transforming them into a potion. Drink that, and you will awaken to your profession."

A ripple of concern passed through the group. "Wait," someone called out, a note of alarm in their voice. "Doesn't that mean the card can be stolen?"

"Of course..." Impish smiled. "Do you think you deserve an SSS-class job if you can't even protect it? So, any other questions?"

While the others bombarded the imp with more questions, Faust was busy with his thoughts, his brow creasing with contemplation.

'What a deadly game.'

'For survival, cooperation is necessary, but with so many benefits laid out for killing each other, trust will be a rare commodity.'

'Instead of banding together, we will be eyeing each other with suspicion.'

He cast a sidelong glance at the imp, noting the sly twist of its mouth. 'Whoever designed this game has a good grasp of human nature.'

'Their goal should be to make this game enjoyable for them to watch – pitting hope against fear, unity against division, survival against betrayal.'

The young man with a spear stepped forward. "What happens if everyone dies?"

The imp threw its head back and chuckled. "Then it's game over, hahaha," it jeered mockingly. "It simply means you weren't worthy."

Undeterred by the imp's laughter, the young man pressed on. "This village has a dozen buildings, and I can see other facilities too. How exactly is our performance calculated?"

The imp rolled its eyes. "You don't even understand that? How stupid."

"Think of the whole village as having 100 points. Whenever a building gets chipped, destroyed, or damaged in any way, you lose points. The more severe the damage, the more points you lose."