The first thing Elias felt was the cold.
Not the kind that bites at skin or seeps into bone.
This cold pressed inward — like the world itself was holding its breath.
He opened his eyes to stone.
Black marble stretched beneath him, carved with symbols that pulsed faintly in silver light. The air hummed. Thick. Metallic. Charged with something ancient.
He wasn't alone.
Dozens of others lay scattered across the massive circular chamber. Men and women. Young. Old. Some in casual clothes. A few in uniforms. One still clutching a steering wheel that no longer existed.
A cathedral ceiling arched overhead, impossibly high. Stained-glass windows depicted a radiant hero standing over a horned beast.
Elias slowly sat up.
"What…?"
Memory came in fragments.
Driving home.
Rain on the windshield.
A flash of white.
Then silence.
Footsteps echoed.
At the far end of the chamber, robed figures stood in formation. Gold-threaded white garments. Ornate staffs. Faces stern with something that looked dangerously close to expectation.
One stepped forward.
"Welcome, chosen heroes," the robed man declared, voice amplified by unseen magic. "You have been summoned to the Kingdom of Valerith."
Murmurs erupted.
"What is this?"
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"I was in my apartment—!"
The robed man raised his staff. Silence fell unnaturally fast, like the air itself obeyed him.
"Your world teeters on collapse," he continued. "The Demon Lord rises. Humanity stands on the brink of extinction. You have been brought here to become our champions."
Elias remained quiet.
He watched.
Observed.
The windows. The guards lining the walls. The doors behind the priests.
Too prepared.
Too rehearsed.
This wasn't desperation.
This was ritual.
A translucent screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
[System Initializing…]
[World Trial Activated]
[Candidate: Elias Morn]
[Class: Undetermined]
[Talent: ???]
World trial?
Before he could process the words, screams erupted around the chamber.
Status screens appeared before everyone.
Gasps.
Excitement.
Confusion.
"I got Sword Saint!"
"Archmage?! No way—!"
"Holy Knight!!"
The priests smiled more openly now.
Yes. Rehearsed.
Elias' screen flickered again.
[Talent Awakening…]
[Unique Talent Acquired: Devour]
The word pulsed dark crimson.
A chill ran down his spine.
Devour (Unique)
Consume fragments of defeated beings.
Chance to absorb Skills, Stats, or Talents.
Results are not guaranteed.
Side effects unknown.
Side effects unknown?
That wasn't comforting.
A second line appeared.
Warning: This talent may influence psychological stability.
The screen vanished before he could react.
Across the chamber, light exploded as several individuals were lifted slightly into the air, radiant energy reshaping them.
Blessings.
Enhancements.
Chosen heroes.
Elias felt nothing.
No warmth.
No glow.
Just that cold.
The priest's gaze shifted briefly in his direction — and for a fraction of a second, something unreadable passed across the man's face.
Concern?
Disappointment?
Or calculation?
"Rejoice," the priest announced. "You have been granted divine gifts. Train. Grow stronger. Become the blade that pierces darkness."
Applause erupted from balconies above.
Balconies.
Elias hadn't noticed them before.
Nobles watched from gilded seating.
This wasn't salvation.
It was spectacle.
A door at the chamber's side opened.
Knights entered, armored in silver and blue.
"Escort the heroes to orientation," one commanded.
People began moving.
Some excited.
Some terrified.
Some already arguing about leadership.
Elias stood slowly.
Devour.
He didn't like the name.
Didn't like the warning.
Didn't like that his class was still "Undetermined."
As he stepped forward, a faint whisper brushed the edge of his mind.
Hungry.
He froze.
It vanished instantly.
Probably stress.
Probably imagination.
Right?
He exhaled and walked toward the exit with the others.
But as he crossed the threshold of the summoning chamber, a final message flickered into existence — visible to him alone.
Hidden Objective Registered.
Ensure the survival of this world through balance — not domination.
Failure Condition: Catastrophic Collapse.
This is not about the Demon Lord.
The screen shattered like glass.
Elias did not react outwardly.
But inside, something shifted.
If this was a trial…
Then someone was watching.
And if someone was watching…
Then the rules mattered.
Behind him, the stained-glass hero stood triumphant over the demon.
But the demon's expression wasn't rage.
It was fear.
Elias noticed.
No one else did.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, he smiled slightly.
If this is a game…
I'll learn the rules before I play.
The cathedral doors closed behind them with a thunderous boom.
Far beneath the capital city, in darkness untouched by light, something ancient stirred.
And it laughed.