The year was 2025.
It was an ordinary day—just like any other.
Across the world, life moved as it always had.
Students sat in classrooms, half-listening to lectures, their minds drifting between dreams and distractions. Office workers typed endlessly on their keyboards, buried under deadlines. Farmers worked under the open sky, tending to their crops as they had for generations. Trees swayed gently in the breeze, heavy with fruit, while birds chirped freely above the land.
The sounds of civilization filled the air—cars rushing through streets, buses honking, trains roaring along their tracks, and airplanes cutting across the sky.
Everything was normal.
Everyone was immersed in their daily lives.
And then—
For a brief moment…
Everything paused.
Not completely.
But enough for everyone to feel it.
A strange vibration.
A distortion in reality.
It was as if time itself had hesitated… just for a second.
People froze mid-step. Conversations stopped. Movements slowed. Hearts skipped.
And then—
A message appeared.
Right in front of their eyes.
Clear. Impossible. Undeniable.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
From this moment onward, upon reaching the age of 18, all beings will receive this notification.
Do you wish to become a God?
[YES] [NO]
Silence followed.
Then chaos.
"What is this?"
"Is this real?"
"A prank?"
"A dream?"
Fear spread. Confusion grew. Some laughed nervously. Others panicked. Many simply stared, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
But the message did not disappear.
It waited.
For a choice.
And one by one—
People chose.
Most selected YES.
Some selected NO.
Yet, regardless of the choice—
Something awakened.
Those who chose NO felt a calm presence settle within themselves. Their bodies stabilized, their minds cleared. They felt grounded, as if they had chosen a path that kept them connected to the world. Their lives would continue—cooks, farmers, workers, craftsmen—the foundation of civilization.
Their path was steady.
Their trials would be easier.
But those who chose YES—
Felt something entirely different.
A surge.
A burning force rising from within.
Their bodies trembled as power awakened deep inside them.
Some felt strength flood their muscles.
Some sensed energy swirling through their veins.
Some felt a strange connection to something beyond themselves—
Fire.
Water.
Wind.
Earth.
Others felt something even more unsettling—
A calling.
A path waiting to be walked.
Warriors.
Alchemists.
Beast Tamers.
Elemental Users.
And countless other possibilities.
And then—
The sky changed.
Across the entire world.
A massive structure appeared.
Towering beyond imagination.
Reaching toward the heavens.
Radiating an overwhelming presence that pressed down on everything below.
The Trial Tower.
50 Floors.
Before anyone could react—
Light engulfed everything.
Blinding.
Absolute.
And in the next instant—
They were gone.
When their vision returned—
They were no longer on Earth.
They stood inside a vast, unfamiliar space.
Cold.
Silent.
Endless.
People looked around, their breaths uneven, their eyes filled with shock.
And then—
Another message appeared.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Level: 0
HP: 100
Power: 5
Magical Power: 5
Luck: 1
Points: 0
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because deep down—
Everyone understood.
This was real.
A voice echoed through the space.
Cold.
Absolute.
Unquestionable.
"The first phase begins."
"From Level 0 to Level 10—your path will be determined."
"Survive."
"Grow."
"Awaken."
And just like that—
The age of ordinary humanity ended.
A new era had begun.
Some would rise.
Some would fall.
And among them—
Someone would walk a path unlike any other.
A path that would lead…
To Godhood.