This is the tale of a background character. Part-time supervillain, rare hero, but mostly the guy that sits in the chair while the REAL heroes fight supervillains and monsters in a world gone power-mad. Book 1: our not-hero discovers that most of his life has been lived in a veil of mediocrity, pretty fiction, and rumors that bear the force of facts. He decides to attend the Kellar academy, where a portion of the student body are known as alphas, nearly magical superheroes and protectors of humanity. Technically, he is one as well, but something inside him is broken, and despite his great potential he is forced to learn ancient and arcane methods of obtaining the power that other Alphas take for granted. Please note, bad things happen in this book in the war for the future of humanity. People die and are sometimes eaten, including underdeveloped people. the book is littered with wholly implausible pseudoscience, semi-scientific ideology, and judgment calls that may or may not follow traditional morality. If you are triggered easily, you might not enjoy these books. This is not haremlit although harems and nontraditional relationships do happen among the female-dominated power elite (side characters). No Yaoi/Yuri or gratuitous sex. This book takes place in the same universe as 'At any price', albeit much, MUCH earlier. You do not need to read 'At any price' to enjoy this book, although some of the same topics, such as power advancement, might be explained in greater detail. While this story is not litrpg as such, it explains the foundation and existence of a system in this universe. This story is pre-diaspora and prior to the genetic re-engineering of humanity. Reviews: "It is technically well written.  But the sexist vibe is distracting.  Manipulative women are a theme, the MC says he will never date a women with superpowers, and there are a lot of very very...male gazy chapters." - an 'overly concerned' reader. "Because the protagonist noticed that a woman is attractive, I am just going to assume he's a villainous character."- Another concerned reader. "I never bothered to read this, but I made sure to click on the most recent chapter and give it a .5 star rating." -Anonymous troll.