Two of the four new volunteers were already starting to burn, while the other two had reached the safe blocks. Among the two burning, one was lagging far behind, her speed slowing with each step as her face contorted in pain.

She won’t make it.

She tried to push forward, but after a few steps, Lin dashed toward her, moving past the man who was still rushing toward his block and reaching her in seconds despite the burning sensation on his own skin. Scooping her up, he turned and sprinted forward, reaching his safe block at the same time as the man he had passed, who quickly jumped onto his foot.

After a few more seconds, the bell rang again, and the four around Lin dashed toward the bald man, while another four broke off from the main group and sprinted toward them, leaving only one person behind. Lin turned to survey the progress, noting that a few had already reached the goal, their figures barely visible behind the holographic screen ahead.

The rest of the process went just as he’d predicted, each person using the three designated "stepping stones" as milestones to reach the goal—Lin at 35%, the bald man at 70%, and the duo up front at around 85%. One by one, using the stepping stones to rest, they all made it to the endpoint.

It was a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion, but to everyone involved, it was a huge relief.

Lin, being the last to arrive, passed through the hologram with cautious steps. Not what I was expecting, he thought, glancing around. It was a small, enclosed space, indicating the end of the cave, but the main issue was the apparent lack of a doorway or anything that suggested a continuation of the path. The grey, sloped wall stood before them.

“Now what?” someone asked aloud, and they all exchanged uncertain glances. They had expected to be received by someone at the end, but with no one here, there wasn’t anything they could do.

Even knowing this fact, perhaps predictably—and just as he intended—their attention collectively turned to one person: the one they silently acknowledged as the reason they were all still alive. Feeling their expectant gazes, Lin merely shrugged.

“No idea,” he muttered, though his eyes continued to scan the room, calculating, memorizing, and absorbing every detail around him.

Despite his unenthusiastic reply, none of them looked disappointed. The hope in their eyes didn’t fade; instead, a collective thought seemed to surface among them:

As long as he’s here, we’ll be fine…

After standing around and waiting for a few more minutes, burning through the final moments left for the trial to officially end, something strange suddenly occurred.

“Huh?”

Their eyes widened in shock—a phenomenon beyond comprehension unfolding before them. If everything until now could be explained by advanced technology, the bluish-transparent screens floating in front of them felt oddly supernatural.

[Congratulations! You have completed the trial!]

[Your Soulex has been awakened!]

[God System has been obtained!]

[Elements of the God System]

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

[Echo] (sealed)

[Pulse] (sealed)

[Form] (sealed)

[Veil] (sealed)

[Bind] (sealed)

“Eh, a system?” one of them muttered loudly, their voice tinged with confusion, though a hint of excitement crept in.

What the hell is this? A frown formed on Lin’s face as he stared at the screen, his reality slowly crumbling.

The screens floated in front of them, and each person could see the others' screens. Still confused, Lin turned to eye the man in glasses, and as everyone else followed his gaze, one of them finally decided to ask.

“You’ve seen this before?” the golden-haired student asked, curiosity laced in his tone. However, from the mixed expressions that followed, it was clear a few of them somewhat understood what he was talking about.

“A-ah, sorry. I got a little carried away,” the spectacled man replied with a wry smile.

“Have you seen this before?” Lin’s voice suddenly cut in, repeating the question as if reminding the man that he hadn’t answered.

The man flinched slightly, clearing his throat as he gave a nod. “Y-yeah, not the exact thing, but I’ve read about something similar in novels and stuff,” he explained, his tone growing less confident with each word, as if embarrassed to share.

Lin’s expression, however, remained unreadable. The man, noticing Lin’s lack of reaction, hastily added, “Honestly, with everything around here, we might not even be on Earth anymore.”

Lin’s eyes narrowed suddenly at this.

“O-of course, I could be wrong! So, please, don’t take me too seriously!” the man added, noticing the darkening expressions of those around him.

And as if waiting for that exact moment, an unfamiliar voice reverberated around them.

“No, you’re correct,” a soothing voice said, drawing everyone’s attention. Across from them, instead of the rocky end of the cave, a woman stood there, surrounded by a soft, white aura that gave her an almost divine presence.

Her skin was pale white, her long, white hair glowing faintly, and her eyes a light shade of red. She wore a long, white dress that covered her feet, and as she took a step forward, everyone instinctively knew they were looking at someone—or something—not human.

“Huh!?”

A few surprised gasps broke the silence as everyone looked around. In an instant, the scenery changed, and they found themselves standing in a vast white room that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions.

“W-who are you?” one of them asked, refocusing on the woman. Her expression remained unchanged—neither happy nor sad—yet for some reason, her presence gave them a strangely soothing, comforting feeling.

“I’m the one who brought you here,” she said calmly, her tone soft.

The group’s reactions were varied, most of them seemingly confused as they waited for her to elaborate. However, not all of them were too keen on waiting. Like a detective who’d just received the confession he sought, Lin stepped forward, stretching as he spoke.

“I see,” he said, glancing away from the woman.

His eyes met with the bald man’s, conveying a very simple message, and the bald man, though seeming reluctant, quickly steeled himself, nodding in return. If this was the person responsible for bringing them here and subjecting them to that entire ordeal, then there was only one thing to do.

Asking pointless questions isn’t one of them.

“I don’t think you want to do that,” the woman suddenly spoke up, seeming to sense his intentions.

But as if oblivious to her words, Lin gave a small smile, replying, “Do what?”

His tone was calm, as always, but a hint of bloodlust flickered in his eyes, which seemed to have lost some of their color, devoid of any life.

Sensing this, a few individuals around him took a small step back, bracing themselves for what might happen. The more confident ones, however, seemed to weigh their options as they slowly moved toward the woman’s side, widening their group to prepare to flank her if it came down to it.

“You’re planning to fight me, aren’t you?” the woman finally answered his question.

“Are you suggesting you’d surrender willingly?” Lin retorted, his strong tone indicating it was the only alternative he was willing to consider.

The woman, however, remained silent.

“...”

She simply watched him, as if waiting for him to act, showing not the slightest hint of caution in her stance. Despite the warning signs flashing in his mind, Lin suppressed his instincts, forcing himself to think more logically. No matter how strong one person might be, taking on multiple opponents unarmed wasn’t realistic. But then again…

Maybe this is all just a dream, Lin thought, wrestling with the same disbelief and confusion as everyone else—a sign that he wasn’t in control. That he should step back and rethink his choices.

Against his better judgment, however, Lin took a step forward and muttered,

“Looks like we don’t have a choice.”

We’ll just have to contain her.