2026-08-12 16:25:25Chapter 6
The three of them charged. Owen gripped his crowbar tightly. The first zombie reached him. He swung. Crack! The crowbar smashed into its jaw, sending broken teeth flying as the creature spun sideways. Before it could recover— Owen stepped forward. Another swing. The second zombie's skull caved in. The third roared and lunged. Owen ducked beneath its arms and drove the crowbar upward. Crunch. Its body collapsed at his feet. Silence. Owen stood there breathing heavily. Not because he was exhausted. But because... The little boy had almost died. He looked toward him. Kai stood frozen. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Then he suddenly ran toward Owen. Before Owen could react, the boy's tiny arms wrapped around his waist. Owen's body stiffened. After a moment, he sighed and gently ruffled Kai's hair. "It's okay." --- A few minutes later, they sat inside the same car. A loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter lay between them. Neither of them spoke. The only sound was the quiet chewing. After swallowing the last bite, Owen looked at him. "So..." "What's your name?" The little boy looked up. "Kai." Owen nodded. "I'm Owen." Kai gave a small hum before taking another bite. Just then— A familiar blue screen appeared before Owen's eyes. --- Warning Tier 3 Rift Danger Level: High The rift must be closed within the next 60 minutes. Time Remaining: 00:59:29 --- Another screen appeared immediately afterward. --- Crucial Decision Would the host like to actively participate in closing the rift? Yes / No --- Owen remained silent. Then he glanced at Kai. The boy was staring blankly into the air. His eyes were clearly focused on something invisible. He could see it too. "You got the notification?" Kai nodded. "Yep." "I pressed yes." "What?" Owen's eyes widened. "You... what?" Kai blinked. "That big thing in the sky is scary." He looked outside the window. "I thought if I pressed yes... it'd disappear." Owen pinched the bridge of his nose. "You don't understand." He pointed toward the glowing rift hanging high above the city. "Saying yes means you'll have to enter that thing." "You'll have to fight monsters." "Can you do that?" Kai's face instantly turned pale. "W-What?" "I don't want to fight monsters." "I'm just a kid..." "I thought pressing yes would make it go away." His voice trembled. Owen sighed. Of course. Kai couldn't have known. Owen looked back at the floating screen. There was no way... No way he was letting Kai enter that rift alone. His finger moved. Yes. The moment he confirmed his choice, another message appeared. --- Initiating categorization: 10%...20%...30%... ... ... The host cannot be assigned a category by the Universal Trial System. The Origin System will assign a unique category instead. Assigning... ... ... Category Obtained: Origin Wielder --- Owen stared at the glowing words. "...Origin Wielder?" --- Origin Wielder: While everyone else is assigned to a single category—Combat, Magic, Support, Summoning, Production, or Utility—you can unlock and use any category, provided you meet its requirements. Choose one category and class to unlock for free: Category – Classes Combat: Warrior, Knight, Assassin... Magic: Mage, Warlock, Druid... Support: Healer, Priest, Alchemist... Summoning: Summoner, Beast Tamer, Spirit Caller... Production: Blacksmith, Runesmith, Architect... Utility: Scout, Tracker, Merchant... --- Owen's eyes skimmed across the glowing list before dismissing it for the moment. He turned toward the little boy. "Erm... Kai, did you get to pick a category and class?" Kai shook his head. "No. My category was assigned automatically." "It was?" "Yeah." A translucent green screen hovered before him. "I got the Summoning Category. It only gave me three choices." He read them aloud. "Summoner... Beast Tamer... and Spirit Caller." Owen nodded slowly. "So, which one are you going with?" Kai stared at the screen for a few seconds before tapping one of the options. "Spirit Caller." A faint glow burst from the screen, wrapping around his small body before fading away. Class Selected: Spirit Caller. Congratulations! You have formed your first spirit contract. Kai's eyes widened. "Ooh..." "What is it?" Owen asked. Kai looked up, unable to hide the excitement on his face. "It says I was assigned a Lightning Spirit." A grin spread across Owen's face. "Not bad." Owen shifted his attention back to the glowing blue screen floating before him. He had to choose a category first. That decision would determine the class he awakened. Combat... Not every class fought on the front lines. Assassins relied on speed rather than brute force, while Archers and Gunslingers attacked from a distance. Magic. Devastating at long range... but what if a monster slipped past his spells and got close? Support? He dismissed that immediately. He wasn't about to entrust his life to someone else in a trial where one mistake meant death. Summoning. It wasn't much different from magic. Sure, summoned beasts could fight for him, but if something fast or clever got past them... He imagined a monster lunging straight at him while his summon was occupied elsewhere. No thanks. Production? Utility? Those were for later. After he survived. After he got strong enough that he didn't have to bleed for every scrap of food and medicine. Right now, survival meant killing faster than the thing trying to kill him. "Maybe another time," he muttered. His finger hovered for a moment before tapping Combat. --- Combat Category Available Classes: Warrior – Frontline fighter with high Strength and Endurance. Knight – Defensive tank specializing in shields and taunt skills. Assassin – High Agility, stealth, and deadly critical strikes. Archer – Expert in bows and long-range combat. Gunslinger – Master of firearms and ammunition. Monk – Hand-to-hand combat enhanced with ki. Paladin – Holy warrior capable of both defense and healing. --- Owen's eyes scanned each description. "Front line?" He shook his head. "That's the last place I want to be inside a rift." His gaze moved lower. "Knight... too defensive." Then Gunslinger. He frowned. "What if I run out of bullets at the worst possible moment?" His eyes settled on one class. Assassin. Fast. Lethal. Strike first before the enemy even realized he was there. The Assassin class felt like the safest option. If he could kill enemies before they reached him, he wouldn't need to rely on heavy armor or brute strength. Without another thought, he selected it. --- Hidden Category Assigned – Origin Wielder Category Selected: Combat Class Selected: Assassin – High Agility, stealth, and critical hits. --- Strength: 25/50 Agility: 50/50 Stamina: 27/50 Endurance: 35/50 Owen's body suddenly felt lighter. His muscles tightened, and the world seemed to slow for a brief instant. Assassins are not frontline fighters. They specialize in eliminating enemies through speed, precision, and surprise. Their lethality should never be underestimated. Curious, he tapped on Gunslinger. Another notification appeared. To unlock Gunslinger class: 400 Tier One Energy Orbs or 200 Tier Two Energy Orbs required. Owen blinked. "So I can unlock other classes..." His heartbeat quickened. If this was true... Then unlike everyone else, he wasn't locked into a single path. His eyebrows shot up. "So expensive." He'd killed a lot of zombies so far and gotten only a few stat points. At this rate, it would take him months just to buy one more class. Unless monsters inside the rifts dropped Energy Orbs. His eyes drifted back to the swirling wound in the sky. High risk. High reward. That was the main purpose of the Trial, wasn't it? "Owen." Kai's voice pulled him away from the screen. "Have you picked your category yet?" Owen looked over and smiled. "Yeah." He hesitated for a second. "Kai... does your system mention a hidden category called Origin Wielder?" Kai frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head. "No. Mine analyzed me first, then assigned me to the Summoning category. After that, I had to choose a class." "So it assigned your category automatically?" "Yeah." Owen nodded slowly. "But you could still see the other categories, right? Combat, Magic, Support..." "I could." "Okay." Silence settled between them. Only the distant cries echoing through the ruined streets broke the quiet. Then, as if responding to everyone's progress, another system notification appeared before every participant. --- All participants who agreed to close the rifts have now been assigned a category and class. Proceed to the rift in your city. Important: Never enter a rift with fewer than twenty participants. Doing so will almost certainly result in your deaths. Those who survive and successfully close a rift will officially begin their journey toward immortality. You will become an Awakened. Good luck. --- Owen let out a slow breath. "I guess it's time." He turned toward Kai. "Ready?" Kai swallowed before giving a small nod. "As ready as I'll ever be." They climbed out of the abandoned car. A cold breeze swept across the empty street. In the distance, hanging above the heart of Seattle like a wound torn into the sky, the colossal rift churned with dark, violent energy. Lightning flickered inside it. For half a second, Owen thought he saw shapes moving in the darkness. Too big. Too many. His instincts whispered one word in his mind. Run. He ignored it. Somewhere beyond that swirling darkness waited monsters powerful enough to wipe out entire cities. That was their destination. And in just a few minutes, they would enter a place from which many would never return.
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Into the first rift
As realization dawned on the group, faces went pale."No."First Lieutenant Becky spun around and sprinted toward the front lines."First Lieutenant, get back in your line!" Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey shouted.Becky didn't slow down."Sir, you have to listen to me. Right now."Jeffrey's brows pulled together."What is it?""Sir, remember the system's warning? It said not to enter with fewer than twenty people in a group.""Isn't that why we have them going in groups of thirty?" he snapped.What a short-tempered man. How did he become a Lieutenant Colonel?Owen kept the thought to himself.By now, the line had stopped moving. Everyone nearby was watching Becky."Sir, don't you understand?" Becky pointed toward the rift. "Everyone in a group is supposed to hold hands before entering. Otherwise, they'll be sent to random locations inside the rift."She swallowed."And that's instant death."A wave of gasps swept through the crowd."My sister already went in!""Does that mean she's going
something was wrong
Somehow, it felt as if every zombie had disappeared. The silence was almost unnatural. Owen looked around, his fingers tightening around the crowbar still in his hand. Just moments ago, the streets had been filled with snarls, screams, and the sounds of people fighting for their lives. Now, nothing. It was as if the zombies could feel the weight of the rift hanging above them. Soon, they reached a wide-open field. The place was crowded. Hundreds of people had gathered there, civilians packed together while soldiers moved through the crowd, shouting instructions and trying to keep everyone organized. The noise was overwhelming. People were asking questions. Some were crying. Others were desperately looking around, wondering what they were supposed to do next. "Where are the weapons?" "Are we supposed to fight those things with our bare hands?" "I don't even know how to use a weapon!" Owen glanced around. The soldiers at the front were trying to coordinate everyone, but
Origin wielder
Chapter 6The three of them charged.Owen gripped his crowbar tightly.The first zombie reached him.He swung.Crack!The crowbar smashed into its jaw, sending broken teeth flying as the creature spun sideways.Before it could recover—Owen stepped forward.Another swing.The second zombie's skull caved in.The third roared and lunged.Owen ducked beneath its arms and drove the crowbar upward.Crunch.Its body collapsed at his feet.Silence.Owen stood there breathing heavily.Not because he was exhausted.But because...The little boy had almost died.He looked toward him.Kai stood frozen.Tears streamed down his cheeks.Then he suddenly ran toward Owen.Before Owen could react, the boy's tiny arms wrapped around his waist.Owen's body stiffened.After a moment, he sighed and gently ruffled Kai's hair."It's okay."---A few minutes later, they sat inside the same car.A loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter lay between them.Neither of them spoke.The only sound was the quiet ch
To rescue a little kid
Chapter 5The streets weren't the only places drowning in chaos.Across the world, government buildings buzzed with frantic activity. Officials rushed through hallways carrying stacks of documents while military officers barked orders over ringing phones. Giant monitors filled with maps, satellite feeds, and emergency reports covered the walls.The first priority was restoring communication.Teams worked around the clock to bring phone signals and internet services back online. As networks gradually stabilized, an emergency broadcast was pushed through every available television station, radio frequency, and mobile device.Everyone received the same message.Stay indoors. Avoid unnecessary travel. Wait for further instructions.Not long after, the President of the United Nations appeared on screen.His usually calm expression was heavy with exhaustion."Following the emergence of the Universal Trial System—which, from every report we have received, has appeared before every human bein
The price of hesitation
Chapter 4Owen swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. That roar... It wasn't the shriek of a zombie or the howl of a wild animal. It was deep enough to shake the air itself, echoing across the city like distant thunder. His eyes drifted toward the glowing rift hanging in the sky. A chill crawled up his spine. Whatever was behind that thing, it was huge. Owen tightened his grip around the crowbar until his knuckles turned white. Rifts. If his memories from all those novels were worth anything, they were gateways. Leave one open long enough, and zombies would become the least of humanity's problems. The real monsters would start pouring out. He rubbed a hand down his face, forcing himself to breathe. Panicking wouldn't help. Then another thought crossed his mind. "I killed a zombie..." Shouldn't he have gotten something for it? Owen focused on the Origin System. A translucent blue screen shimmered into existence before his eyes. Lines of text scrolled upward as he ment
A corrupted trial
Chapter 3Beyond the skies. Beyond the heavens. Beyond the reach of mortal eyes. Silence ruled the Observation Tower. Darkness swallowed the vast chamber, broken only by the emerald glow of countless holographic screens suspended in the air. Streams of glowing symbols flowed across them like rivers of light, painting the room in shifting shades of green. Azaria stood alone before the largest display. Her long purple gown hugged her figure, the high slit revealing one toned leg whenever she shifted her weight. Golden bracelets rested around her wrists, their polished surfaces reflecting the green light. Her silver hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. The streams of data moved with perfect rhythm. Until— BEEP! A crimson light flashed at the top of the central screen. Once. Twice. Again. Azaria's breath caught. "...No." The whisper escaped before she realized she'd spoken. The red light continued to pulse. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Her eyes widened as more crimson warni
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