“Welcome to your new world!” boomed a voice from everywhere.

The young man opened his eyes and was met with an otherworldly sight; a mass of people surrounded him, hundreds, if not thousands of humans stretching out as far as the eye could see—beyond them, above as below, was an infinite sea of black.

Where… where am I?

The dark void of space was pin-pricked by the light of countless stars in every direction, the soft lights highlighted by what looked almost like galaxies far off in the distance. Unlike the galaxies he knew of, however, these great sheets of light danced languidly, the movement so slow as to be almost imperceptible.

He, along with every other human present, appeared to be standing in space itself. Despite the feeling of something solid beneath his feet, his head spun as vertigo and confusion threatened to overwhelm him.

“You are the chosen of your former world!” the omnipresent voice continued. “You are the blessed few; those who would not be missed; those with no ties keeping you tethered to your former lives! In this world, I am known as the Creator, for that is what I am. Be grateful that I have chosen you, for along with my blessing, comes the chance to ascend!”

I… I have nothing and nobody holding me back in my previous life? Who… who am I?

The thought hit him—tragic yet oddly freeing.

He stared at the surrounding people in the silence that followed the voice’s declaration, trying to fixate on an external point to calm his spinning mind. He tried to recall his previous life, but despite a perfect memory of almost everything about the world he had come from, he remembered nothing of himself.

“I alone have created this world for you. I have blocked the memories of who you were; removed the insurmountable weight of the very events that shaped you. Unlike some of the other ascended, I have created a safe environment for you to grow.”

The words of the Creator hit him like a truck.

The events that shaped me are an insurmountable weight? Ascended…? Is this person a god?

The voice paused, so he tried to open his mouth, intending to ask a question, but his body wouldn’t obey. The more he tried to speak, the more he felt a pressure push down on him, physically forcing him to the ground.

The voice of the Creator resumed.

“Well, perhaps calling it safe would be a lie. I have created a safer environment. In some situations, especially during the early levels, your death will not be permanent. You will respawn, given another chance to rise above the challenge that dealt you a killing blow. True growth cannot occur without some adversity, however. You’ll eventually face things that may end your existence. If the possibility of death strikes fear into your heart, you need not take part in the battles to come. If you so choose, you may spend the rest of your existence in safety.”

We can sometimes respawn? Like in a game?

He subconsciously squeezed his thigh, lost in introspection. He considered what he wanted to do.

Do I want a life filled with safety, or a life filled with adversity?

The answer came to him almost immediately.

I won’t be content sitting and staying the same. I want more. I want to ascend.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“For those of you with ambition—those that crave greatness and power—I have created a system for you to gain that and much, much more. Not all of you will be able to grasp divinity by reaching the pinnacle, but the only way for you to do so is to overcome the challenges of this world.”

Divinity? He speaks as if we can attain the power of gods—a power he possesses. Can I truly gain that much power? What would I do with the ability to alter worlds?

Unable to locate the source of the voice, he looked around and took in his fellow humans. People from all walks of life stood in the gathering; there were young adults to the white-haired elderly, males and females, and people of varying ethnicity and skin color present. All stood ten meters from the next person, and each wore the same thing as him: a white baggy tunic, loose pants, and moccasins made of burlap material. A few trembled or knelt as they tried to speak, experiencing the same pressure he had earlier.

Hang on, how do I know what nationality is, yet remember nothing of myself? I know what pants are, so why can’t I remember the simplest detail of my life?

His brain reeled as he tried to recall, well, anything, but once more, nothing came.

His attempt to brute-force remembrance was interrupted by the sound of something fumbling, followed by what sounded like the same speaker from earlier, but in a much more conversational tone.

As the voice started up, a projection appeared in the sky.

“Wow! That wasn't so bad! I’ve been so nervous about today, but this is actually quite exhilarating! Do you think that’s enough tension? How much longer should I pause before—”

The projection of the Creator had its head to the side, talking to someone unseen. The man appeared to be in his twenties, with strong features, a muscular body, and neatly cut brown hair.

“Master!” a feminine voice hissed. “Your voice is still broadcasting through the construct, you half-cored dolt!”

“… shit! How do I turn it off? And did you really have to insult me, you half-hearted charlatan of a student? It’s my first time, I’m doing the best I—”

“Master! You’re STILL broadcasting! Continue with the instructions!”

The Creator walked out of sight, his body leaving the area that was projecting him. Muttered swearing came from the so-called god, and he fumbled something out-of-view of the projection.

The Creator cleared his throat and began speaking in his booming voice again.

“Er… I have… this world is…” He cleared his throat. “Ahem! What I mean to say is, the System of this world has been designed to mimic the video games that your world was so fond of. You will be given the title of adventurer, and receive powers based on your ideals and the events that shaped you in your lives on Earth. You will be granted both a class and abilities, as chosen by the System, that align as closely as possible with the potential of your souls.”

Powers? Classes? Abilities?

A twinge of excitement flourished within.

Wait, did he say souls? Do souls exist? If this is a god, I’m pretty sure every religion on Earth was way off.

“If you want to advance, you will have to rely on your fellow adventurers. This world is designed to be conquered by parties of five. Given the possibility that a group may not be able to find a fifth or even fourth member, rather than force you to sit out, smaller groups will receive suitably increased rewards. The risk involved, however, does not make this advisable unless left absent choice. You will have to climb the tower that is this world, defeating floors and trials in order to advance. Your initial goal is to reach level ten on the first floor; this will prove you worthy of ascending to the second.”

So, not only is it a game—it’s a team game. I’ll have to find a party, ideally one with abilities that complement each other’s strengths and flaws. If it’s anything like the games I know, it shouldn’t be too hard to reach level ten with a solid group…

“You’ll soon be sent to the town of Valbrand, where your adventure will begin. Before that, however, the class testing will need to be done. In that regard, I have one piece of advice to give all of you: listen to your intuition. I believe that should be everything you need to know for now.”

“That is everything, right?” the Creator tried to whisper.

The feminine voice sighed, long and loud. “Yes, that should be everything.”

The Creator cleared his throat again. “Without further ado, then, I bid you farewell, and good luck on your adventure!”

The young man’s vision blurred, and as the forms of the humans surrounding him began to crumple, darkness engulfed him.