I forced my brain to stay in overdrive as I pieced together the clues I’ve got. I mean, yeah, I had the answer blinking in and out of existence just like a sign above McDonalds, however I was certain there was more to it than this.

If I learned anything from my reading and writing of fantasy novels, if you pay enough attention, you can read between the lines and find out stuff before it is explained to you later on. Why would that be helpful? Because, judging by the ‘message’ left for us, we have a long and painful road ahead of us.

'Welcome Earthlings to the game of Gods, played by mortals: Origin! Rejoice! After barely meeting the mark, a new deity has approved to use you as a ‘player’ in the game! According to the rules, your civilization has been awarded six months (human standard) of protection before the merger of servers will commence... Initializing the “beginner’s package”... Events will commence once at least 25% of your race has completed the tutorial. The six months’ time worth of protection will begin once the events have been fully completed! Tutorials have now became available! Your new God, Nema, is at ‘newbie deity rank’, therefore no civilization bonuses can be provided! Once your race advances through the game in its authority as the ‘player’, your God will also expand in influence and power, therefore being able to provide blessings upon its people. Work hard and enjoy the game! Your new God is watching over you!'

I frowned unconsciously and then stared at a smaller text right under this one.

[Current people awake: 611

Required in order to start the tutorial: minimum 1000]

Only this few people awake besides me!? I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried massaging it to prevent a possible headache. I need to piece this thing together before the tutorial can start. Why? Because it is very likely that I NEED to participate as soon as it is available. Why again? Because as experience – with other novels – has proven, the ones at the front are always the most powerful and can gain the early benefits that will help them become even stronger. Yes, there is the danger of the unknown and participating only after I have some information about it might be the safest bet. However, you cannot make an omelet without breaking some eggs.

“That’s why I need to figure these things out first. Let’s start with what I do know. First off, the darkness. Once it started, it put people to sleep but only temporarily, as confirmed by myself and the other hundreds being already awake. Then, there is that weird pressure I felt, strong enough to turn me into dust, yet to which no pain followed. That coupled with how strong all my five senses became, something must’ve been done to me. Not only myself, but probably, the entire world. Now, the question, why? The only logical answer is that we were either being tested or enhanced. According to that ‘introductory text’, we barely met the qualifications to participate. Not only that, but also that burning sensation when I inhaled and only a bit later, the feeling of being full on an anatomic level… There is only one explanation for it: another type of energy must’ve been added to our planet. Something similar to the ‘mana’ concept in games and novels. That would explain why we had to sleep as well, since we were lacking this energy before and ‘someone’ done ‘something’ in order for our body to withstand it. It’s similar to scuba divers, having to slowly reach back to the surface in order to re-adjust their bodies to the decreased pressure. Maybe we just couldn’t withstand being directly exposed to it.”

Nevertheless, this ‘answer’ brought forth even more questions. Since there’s mana there ought to be monsters as well... I panicked and ran to the roof of my building. I cursed once realizing that my conjecture might be true, once I sprinted up the stairs for 8 floors and didn’t even pant slightly. Me!? The guy that didn’t even took a walk outside in these 4 weeks?

Once on the roof, I started running from one point to the other, to each one of the four major cardinal directions.

“Nothing! There’s nothing unusual! No monsters trampling their way towards the city, no dungeons to budge the earth or in the sky and no portals of different colors either. It would’ve been a ‘game over’ situation rather fast with only 600 people awake across the globe to face that. Well, there’s over 800 now… Dammit! What else!?”

I frowned deeply and grasped for clues that might give me a head start, possibly keeping me alive in the long run. This was not a game, so I’m pretty sure there won’t be a respawn. Moreover, even if it would be one, I am not sure I would like to try dying…

I looked at the introduction and focused on the words again. ‘A game of Gods played by mortals: Origin’. This was pretty straightforward, as it implied many ‘players’ or civilizations fighting against each other in the name of their God. Our God ‘Nema’ chose us as his/her ‘playing’ race, therefore turning the switch on and causing the darkness that ‘enhanced’ us, preparing us for the use of new possible abilities? The six months of protection, probably refer to clashing with other civilizations and only once we’ve completed the tutorial and the events that follow it, will those six month start. There’s also the word ‘servers’, which obviously implies that there will be different rankings and confirms that there will be other worlds. That means that, as newbies to this game, we will first learn how this ‘game’ works in the tutorial, get stronger through the events so that the fields can be leveled and only then fight against other Gods and their races.

“Fuck… even thinking it instead of saying it out loud is on a whole other level of crazy. The problem is that our deity is a ‘newbie’. Which means he/her is probably useless until further down the road? Therefore, right now, I can only count on myself to get stronger. Shit! 902 people…”

Crazily reading through the words under the Moon in the sky, I latched onto every single letter, in hope for more details. The tutorial and the ”beginner’s package” will probably be an introduction to mana, how to use it and other type of ‘gear’ that will be useful in future fights. That means that this game is either a PVE, otherwise known as player vs environment, or PVP, which is player vs player.

For the first option civilizations will compete by defending their world or defeating monsters, based on an algorithm that will calculate points, create a ranking and therefore differentiate the winners from the losers. The PVP scenario is more frightening though. It implies throwing civilizations at each other’s throats until there is a clear winner, climbing the ranks, again, winners and losers.

“Both are freaking terrifying though... For the first, there is constant fighting against monsters or fantasy races that will slowly but certainly get stronger, while the other means constant war against other planets and Gods, with my side being a world that cannot come to a fucking common ground regarding a pandemic virus that would have wiped it out otherwise. Oh right… maybe now that we’ve been enhanced, the virus won’t be a problem anymore…”

Trying to distract myself, I sighed deeply and clenched my fists tightly. After all, there was a third scenario as well…

“Both PVP and PVE…”

In addition, there was a high chance that this was the case. After all, this wasn’t a game with a preset genre, but a game where Gods compete against each other with their civilizations. That means that 100%, there will be both monsters and invading races for the purpose of diverse ‘entertainment’.

I went back to my apartment, locked the door and sat back on the balcony on my armchair, face in my hands.

It’s not like I wasn’t scared. I was terrified! And this tutorial was certain to put me face-to-face with monsters for sure. I might even end up in a kill or be killed type situation against another human participating in the tutorial. After all, who knows how fucked up this ‘game’ will be and I already know how terrible and cruel human nature is.

Rising my head and staring at the horizon, I saw the number updating from over 900 to 1035. I shook my head and slapped my cheeks, in a pathetic attempt at sobering and encouraging myself. I was still quite shook, but I realized that my reality changed. I need to adapt to it, or die in the process…

“Fucking hell! Don’t protagonists in normal novels either go back in time or get sent in a new world by means of transmigration? How the hell did the entire planet and it’s natural satellite moved to another universe!? How does that even make sense, goddamit!”

I stood up once again from the armchair and started stretching my body to its new limits. A few pushups and sit-ups in order to warmup… and then, the expected message brought by a pleasant but cold and emotionless female voice ringed in my head.

‘Tutorial has become available! Would you like to start? Please confirm via vocal command, ‘Yes!’ to begin, or ‘No!’ to postpone.’

“Damned bastards… it doesn’t even give the option to refuse it, huh? Barely postpone it for later. Well then, why not! YES!”

‘Command accepted! Initializing tutorial! You have 30 seconds to find a suitable place to lie on. 30, 29, 28…”

“These fucktards! Are they going to make me pass out again!?”

Even while complaining, I could not fight against the urge to sleep, so I crashed into the armchair and felt my consciousness drifting…