The sky ignited, painting the world in shifting auroras—and heralding the end of everything humanity thought it knew. When portals began spewing monsters into cities, Ethan Scott realized that his usual coping mechanisms of sarcasm and avoidance wouldn’t cut it anymore. But survival isn’t the end goal—it’s just the beginning. As mana flows through the Earth, reshaping reality, the only path forward is through the Trials: brutal tests designed to push humanity beyond its limits. Only those who endure will ascend. Ethan isn’t a hero—he’s just trying to keep up. But as alliances form and fracture, monsters evolve, and the Trials force him to confront who he really is, he might just learn that hardship doesn’t just break us—it makes us sharper. In a world where strength is forged through struggle, Ascendant Trials is a story of survival, growth, and the relentless pursuit of becoming more.