I focused on the words, trying to feel the flow of Aether in them, to sense the intricate patterns—the runes—that governed this strange magic. But it was beyond my understanding, just like magic spells beyond the lowest tier. I doubted that even the Arcane Sage could figure out their meaning.

Congratulations, Earth is being integrated into the Atheos System!

And yet, such complicated runes were used to create just a piece of text.

"What the—" Jimmy started.

"Are you guys seeing this too?" Leah asked, her voice shaking. "Please tell me you're seeing this."

This is new, I thought grimly as more text began to appear. Even after ten years in a world of magic, I'd never seen anything quite like this. And I didn't like it. I didn't like that something this incomprehensible happened just when my happiness was within my grasp.

"Calm down, stay with me," I said, spreading my Mana Sense around us. I didn't feel any suspicious signatures like the one from the vampire within my range, which covered about two miles. What I noticed instead was that other people seemed just as confused as we were. The message wasn't just for us—it was reaching at least everyone in the area. Or—I thought with a chill—perhaps the entire population of Earth. If that was the case, it would explain the complexity of the runes in the message. How powerful must an entity be to simultaneously communicate with 8 billion human beings?

As I prepared for the worst, the message continued. This time, it was accompanied by a voice—one that read the first message in a tone both alluring and emotionless, neither male nor female, sending shivers down my spine.

Dear citizens of Earth, the so-called humanity, as well as the aliens who call this planet their home. I am pleased to inform you that your planet has awakened. Fear not—I shall ensure its ego is properly deleted before it manages to erase you all as part of its growing process. You don't understand what I speak of? You will soon enough when it sends its monsters and evolved beasts after you. But first, I shall grant you the power to resist. And also protect you from the Aether Shockwave that will make a complete mess of the surface (say goodbye to your dear civilization). On the bright side, after the first stage of the integration is completed, you'll join the multiverse connected by your humble servant (that's me! or us! whatever you prefer)!

"Brother, do you understand what's going on?" Leah said, anxiety clear in her voice.

Monsters and evolved beasts... just like Luminosa? I thought to myself. Is Earth transforming into a magical world? The implications are staggering. Damn, the world really doesn't want to give me a rest. I just hope this isn't connected to my return. What if I somehow triggered this event? No... that can't be right.

"Leah, remember how I said my story was so crazy you wouldn't believe it? Well, I think soon enough we'll see things that will make my experience seem downright ordinary." I gave her a sheepish smile. "Whatever's coming, stay close. I'll protect you."

"Thanks, bro." My sister gave me a confused look.

"Should I get a gun?" Jimmy asked, already changing into more practical clothes.

"I don't think guns will be very effective against whatever's coming, but I guess it's better than nothing." I paused. "Though you might want to grab a melee weapon too. Got a katana by any chance?"

"Brother, why would we have a katana at home?"

"So, do you have one?"

"Yes, actually, I do."

"That's my boy, Jimmy!" I laughed.

"Wait, what? How come I never knew about this?" Leah turned to her boyfriend with narrowed eyes.

"Because you never asked?" Jimmy said as he hurried upstairs.

This guy was always an anime fan, so a katana or two isn't surprising. Though this is his home now, isn't it? I thought with uncertainty.

"We're going to have a serious talk about this," Leah called after him. "I definitely noticed that suspicious 500-dollar charge on our card."

"Go easy on him. Maybe it's your birthday present? Your special day is coming up soon."

"Well, if that's the case, I might forgive him."

But our conversation was cut short as new text appeared before us.

Initiating planetary scan. Tutorial Zone assignments pending. Difficulty selection required. Note: Some options could be unavailable for certain individuals.

[Scan Error. Foreign contamination detected. Initiating vote: Grant system access to contaminated entity?]

[Secondary Core Votes]

Yes [3 out of 7]

No [4 out of 7]

[Awaiting Primary Core decision...]

Yes [1 out of 1]

Secondary Core decision override. Granting system access to contaminated entity under special conditions.

I wonder if others see this same message, I very much doubt it, I thought with a frown. Contaminated, huh? Well, that's disturbing. Is it talking about the powers given to me by the Goddess? Then again, I should have lost her blessing already. Or does it not consider my own powers as legitimate? That's twice as offensive. I worked so hard for it!

Choose your Tutorial Difficulty (pro tip: you get bonus System Points for real-world achievements... and for being lucky):

[EASY] - Not Available

The easiest difficulty. You will be given a simple task to complete and nine Revivals. In exchange, the rewards will provide no significant advantages. It's a choice for cowards or the cautious, but beware that it will make you less adapted for what's to come as a result. Even if you haven't accomplished anything in life, you'll be safe with this option.

[NORMAL] - Not Available

Recommended for most participants. A balanced experience for those who aren't seasoned fighters or particularly strategic. No offense intended; most of you are in this category. A normal difficulty for normal people. If you wish to maximize your survival chances in the coming apocalypse, choose wisely and don't try to bite off more than you can chew. Attempting a higher difficulty could put you ahead of other humans before the battle even begins, but normal all but guarantees survival, and later you can always find someone to rely on. Comes with three Revivals and a fairly easy mission.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

[HARD] - Not Available

Want to play with fire? This difficulty is lethal for the unprepared, but the rewards might just be worth dancing with death. Perfect for high achievers, martial artists, or those blessed with sharp minds—and yes, brainpower matters since it determines your magical potential. Survival isn't guaranteed, but it's manageable if you come ready. You have one Revival, so one chance to cheat death, but only one. Make it through, and you'll emerge as someone powerful enough to stand between your loved ones and whatever nightmares this new world throws at them.

[NIGHTMARE] - Not Available

Here's where things get serious. Your trials will be brutal, your challenges daunting—but the System provides tools for those daring enough to grasp them. And rich enough to buy them. Where others face a wolf, you'll face an alpha—but with the right skills unlocked, even an alpha can fall. Every resource, every System feature must be leveraged to survive. The environment becomes your weapon if you're clever enough to use it.

And of course, you have to accumulate enough System Points from your real-life achievements to even consider this—are you world-famous, have you saved thousands of lives, or are you a renowned scientist? No? Well, then all you can do is pray that you're lucky enough to win our System Lottery.

Success requires mastering abilities under the constant threat of death. Those who clear Nightmare emerge transformed, not just by rewards, but by pushing the System to its limits under extreme pressure. The question isn't whether the tools for success exist—it's whether you can master them fast enough to stay alive.

[MADNESS] - Not Available

Now we're talking insanity. To consider this, you need a few screws loose—and that's a compliment. The System provides everything needed to survive, but you'll have to master abilities others haven't even discovered yet while dodging death at every turn.

You'll start at rock bottom and climb through sheer tenacity. Exploit every mechanic, unlock hidden potentials, and push boundaries that others won't dare approach. Face challenges that would make veterans weep, with nothing but your wits and the System's tools.

And yeah, you need a whole bunch of starting System Points to have a chance. And some powerful Archetype to boot. Even if you're a billionaire, CEO, Nobel Prize winner, or have cured cancer, it might not be enough. In Madness, luck is the real currency.

The surprising thing? More users choose this than you'd think. The unsurprising thing? Most of them don't live to regret it. This isn't about survival—it's about evolution through extinction. And if you emerge victorious? You'll be set on the road to becoming a legend.

[IMPOSSIBLE] - Available

Well, well, well. Look who it is. Wondering why this is your only option? Let's just say the System doesn't take kindly to... irregularities. You're an anomaly, friend, and this is your punishment—or your test. Why impossible? That's for you to find out. Here's a hint: it's not called 'Very Super Mega Hard' for a reason. Good luck. You're going to need all of it.

"Puck, you gotta be kidding me!" I couldn't help but exclaim. "So you're singling me out, huh? Damn."

Warning: Failure to select a difficulty within [263 seconds] will result in random assignment from available options. Your planet is having a serious case of sudden Aether Overflow, and it's close to its limit.

As I mulled over whatever what that crap meant, Leah disappeared upstairs for a quick change. Her pink pajamas were hardly appropriate for whatever was coming. She returned wearing ripped jean shorts and a tight-fitting compression top—practical workout clothes that showed off her athletic build. I guess ten years of martial arts training had changed more than just her skills. It was almost funny how my sudden return hadn't been enough for her to dress up, but the threat of an apocalypse got her out of those unicorn-patterned PJs in record time.

By this time, Jimmy had also returned, decked out in full military camo. He carried a loaded backpack, an AR assault rifle in his hands, and an authentic katana strapped to his back.

"This seems completely insane. I don't even know what to think," Leah shook her head. "And I'm not even talking about your katana, Jimmy..."

[169 seconds]

"If this isn't some global hallucination, we need to pick our difficulty carefully," Jimmy said. "Based on what's happening online, this is real. Everyone's messaging me—friends, my family—asking if I see it too. The urgent news is all over the place. The whole world's in panic, and we have minutes to make a choice that'll determine our lives."

I knew better than anyone how serious things were—the Aether density had skyrocketed since my last check. It was now twice as high as the Demon Lands of Luminosa and four times that of the Human Lands. At this rate, it would soon match the density of the Demon Queen's Castle—something completely insane. Normal humans couldn't survive such high concentrations of Aether.

"If we choose the same difficulty, we might end up in the same place," Leah said, thinking it through. "I'm considering Normal or Hard. Easy seems like a short-term solution, though I'm not sure how challenging Hard really is. It says we need to be physically fit, and trust me, brother—after you disappeared, I made sure I could handle myself."

"This little demon was never weak," Jimmy laughed. "And now she's a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu."

"What? A black belt? Really?" That caught me off guard.

"Yes, brother. Want me to show you a trick or two?"

"Wow, you're dangerous now." I glanced at our time window.

[81 seconds]

"What do you mean, brother?"

"Well... it seems the System doesn't think Normal or Hard is enough for me."

"What? Is it forcing you into a higher difficulty? Does it want you dead? Or—" Leah's eyes widened, "—does it think you're meant for greatness? To become humanity's hope? If that's the case, I'll choose Nightmare with you, even Madness. Maybe we'll end up together."

"Don't be ridiculous, baby," Jimmy cut in. "Madness?"

"That sounds like a cakewalk to me." I grinned. "You know what the System thinks? That for me, nothing is Impossible. And you know what? It could be just damn right. As for you guys, stick with Normal; no reason to risk it."

I laughed, even as we all felt the earth tremor. The planet itself was roaring, as if it had a bad case of diarrhea from a cheap Chinese restaurant. The real source of Aether had always come from a planet's core, and now I felt a powerful wave about to be unleashed—a wave that would make the current density seem like a gentle breeze.

They probably couldn't feel it yet, but the Aether had already started affecting every living body with its density. You see, while Aether was an invisible and usually peaceful source of power, when its density reached high enough levels, normal humans couldn't survive—especially those not blessed by the Goddess. Their bodies would start breaking down at the cellular level, organs failing one by one. I'd seen it happen in Luminosa's most Aether-dense regions. But it seemed this so-called System decided to take everything into its own hands, probably planning to modify human bodies to handle the change. I could only hope it would transport us to the Tutorial, whatever that meant, before the Aether shockwave turned most of humanity into a broken mess.

The tremors grew stronger. Books fell from shelves, and somewhere in the kitchen, I heard dishes shattering.

[29 seconds]

"I was so glad to see you again, Leah. You too, Jimmy. Please survive." I looked at them intently, memorizing their faces. After missing them for ten years, these few minutes weren't nearly enough. "And you don't need the Hard difficulty; Normal is more than enough. Just make sure to get out alive, and then you'll be under my care. I swear that no one will dare to hurt even a hair on your heads as long as I'm alive."

"Brother, what are you—" Leah started, reaching for me.

"Oh guys," I grinned, cutting her off, trying to mask my growing concern with bravado. "In the last ten years, I experienced a lot of crazy stuff. But perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Now it's my time to show you who's boss. Plus, the System clearly knows talent when it sees it."

The air grew thick, almost syrupy with Aether. I could feel the wave building beneath our feet, rushing up from the planet's core like a tsunami of pure energy.

"Leah, Jimmy... until we meet again."

And then a very familiar feeling of summoning hit me, just a second before the wave from the planet's core reached us. The sensation was similar to my first summoning to Luminosa, but different. More... artificial. Clinical. Instead of the warm embrace of the Goddess's power, this felt mechanical, precise.

But this time, the travel didn't take longer than ten seconds before I found myself completely contained. What the hell was going on? No, I wasn't traveling through the Void to some distant destination. There was no sensation of being reduced to a singular point, no endless darkness.

Instead, I found myself in what could only be described as a prison—though 'prison' might be the wrong word. I stood in a perfect cube of pure, pristine white. No seams, no edges, no signs of construction. The walls, floor, and ceiling were indistinguishable from each other, creating a sense of disorientation. The space hummed with power, but unlike Luminosa's elaborate magical constructs, this felt... sterile. Clinical. Like being inside a computer program.

There were no visible runes or markings, but I could feel the magic permeating the space. The whole cube was one giant scanning device, studying every particle of my being.

The System wanted to understand what exactly I was. Well, good luck with that—I wasn't sure myself anymore.