As I walked into the waiting room, I was greeted with a large auditorium. Hundreds of people that would be my rivals in this endeavor were standing around as we all waited for the exam to begin, which should be in half an hour.

Now alone, my four fellow graduates from the program and I split up and went to different areas of the room. I decided to go to a relatively empty area near the walls. I leaned against it and focussed as I waited for the exam to begin.

There were a wide variety of people here. Adults. Children. Men. Women. More ethnicities than I could possibly define. The singular thing we all had in common was that we were human. A majority of them were keeping to themselves like I was. However there were a few making small talk amongst themselves. Either they were friends with those people, or they were trying to find potential allies to work together with in case the exam permitted it.

I had no need to look for allies. My four companions from the program would be all the help I needed if it was necessary. We had no reason to question each other’s motives. The program had drilled into us our sole mission.

Enter Genesis. Defeat the goddess. Obtain the wish.

I closed my eyes and thought back on it all. These past ten years of the program. A top secret government project to make potential applicants like me for Genesis. We were each trained to our absolute limits, both physically and mentally. Combat training to teach us dozens of ways to kill a person both with and without a weapon. Mental training to develop our strategic thinking by playing various games. Perform well and you lived in relative comfort. Do poorly and you went hungry. Continue to do poorly and you were never seen again. Until you graduated, you were simply referred to by your ID number. In a way, it really wasn’t all that different from graduates being called by our numbers.

After ten years of that training I was now here at the starting line. Every graduate before us was either already inside Genesis or dead. And I had no intention of being the latter of the two. On top of our training, the people in charge of the program made sure we never forgot the wish we were supposed to make once we defeated the goddess.

To make our country the most powerful one in the entire world. Militarily. Economically. It would be the undeniable supreme powerhouse of the entire world to the point that no other nation on Earth could oppose us.

That one wish was the whole reason behind the past ten years of my life.

“Hey there.”

I opened my eyes and was greeted by a girl who seemed to be about my age, perhaps a little younger. She flashed me an innocent smile. “Looks like you’re all alone. Wanna team up with me? I bet together we can ace whatever exam they give us.”

“No thanks.” I replied as I closed my eyes once again.

“Come on. Don’t be like that.” the girl urged. “We’ll make a great team, I just know it.”

“And how would you know that?” I asked. Before she could continue, I answered for her. “You don’t. You simply want to use me to potentially get ahead in the exam, a sign that you don’t feel confident you can pass on your own. Therefore, there’s no merit to me teaming up with you.”

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A long moment passed as the girl stood there, unable to make out a complete sentence. “What… I…” After a pause, she shouted in a frustrated voice. “Fine then! Your loss, jerk!”

As I heard her footsteps walking away, I opened one of my eyes and caught sight of her walking away, likely trying to find someone else to leech off of. I went back to focusing on the task ahead.

The minutes continued to tick away. Before long, our half hour of waiting was finally over. The doors at the far end of the room opened up and three figures walked out onto the stage while everyone else fell silent.

The one at the front of the group was a woman whose black hair was tied into a neat bun in the back. All three of them were wearing unzipped black coats. Her piercing onyx eyes gazed out at those of us in the crowd, possibly trying to size us all up. Finally, she spoke to us.

“I am Amane, one of the Admins of Genesis. In a few minutes, you will undergo the trial examination to see if you are worthy of entering Genesis. Pass and you will be permitted entry. Fail, and you’ll be free to try again next time. Assuming you survive in the first place that is.”

Everyone steeled their resolve upon hearing this. It was a stern reminder that although this was a “game” in a sense, their lives were still on the line. One moment’s hesitation could bring about their swift demise. However, I remained unmoved, and I assumed the same was true for my four companions. We had all been risking our lives long before today.

“I will now explain the exam to you all.” Amane continued. “Put simply, all of you will be participating in a foot race. At the start of the exam, each of you will be teleported to different starting locations. From there, you will make your way to the goal. During this time, you may end up encountering other examinees along the way. You are allowed to hinder them by whatever means you wish, including killing them.” A wave of unease flowed around the room as those with weaker constitutions seemed worried about this particular rule, but Amane paid them no mind as she continued. “The only way to exit the field is to make it to the goal. However, as there are only twelve Player slots available this month, the first twelve people to finish will be the ones who pass.”

In other words, sitting around and waiting for the exam to end wasn’t an option, not that I had any intention of backing down at this point. However, those who had only wanted to come here for their fifteen seconds of fame were now backed into a corner. They had no choice but to complete the race, even if it meant risking their lives.

“Next, I will explain about the terminals you were given.” Amane explained as she pulled out the same device I and everyone else had received upon registration. “They will act as a map for you. As you progress through the course, the map data of areas you have visited will be filled in automatically. Additionally, it will show the number of examinees who have completed the course. Simply press the button on the terminal to bring up the map, and press it again to close it.”

I took the terminal out of my pocket. A real-time record of how many had passed so far would come in handy. And if we were being given a map, then this course clearly wasn’t a straight shot to the end. I would have to be careful about how I proceeded.

“I should also mention that there are traps scattered about the course. They are designed to kill you, so be wary of them. Additionally, there are treasure chests scattered around as well. They contain things you may find helpful for surviving the game.” Amane told them. “That is all. In ten seconds, the game will begin and you will all be teleported to random starting positions on the map. Good luck.”

A mixed wave of reactions went through the crowd. Some panicked at how sudden the game was beginning right after the explanation. Others cheered with anticipation to get the game started. I simply stared at the counting down clock on the monitor. As it neared zero, I caught glances of the four fellow program graduates. We each shared a silent nod.

And with that the timer hit zero and I felt my vision go white as a bright light engulfed me along with everyone else there.