PROLOGUE
Akinlawon Moyosore had no time to think. Looking back, he wished he had told his dad to have a nice day or kissed his mom goodbye before leaving for the University of Lagos. But now, all of that seemed insignificant as he found himself running for his life from a creature. It would be better to start at the beginning, when the system hit.
INITIATING SYSTEM
These words appeared before Moyo’s eyes, glowing brightly on the road. He looked around in confusion and realized he wasn’t the only one seeing the message. Everyone on the road had paused, muttering to themselves in confusion. Then, a loud gong noise pierced the air, causing Moyo to wince. Some strange compulsion made him look up, and he noticed that everyone else did too.
In the sky above, a radiant figure glowed with an indescribable brightness and beauty. Its golden eyes gleamed in the morning sun, but its smile held no benevolence. It looked down at them like ants beneath its feet, sending a shiver down Moyo’s spine.
“Hear me, humans of planet Earth! Rejoice, for the supreme beings have chosen your universe to be brought into the archailect!” it proclaimed.
Archailect? Supreme beings? What the hell was happening?
The being continued, its chilling smile never fading.
“Your world has been added to the collective. As of this moment, you have one month of immunity, during which other races cannot descend into your world. Your world is no longer yours, and even now, your leaders are futilely gathering their powers against my fellow representatives who are speaking to their people around the planet. Your weapons will no longer function, and the rules of your universe are warping and becoming unstable. Your world is being merged with the governing energy of the archailect, known as aether. During this month, the creatures of the abyss will overrun your world. You will be allowed to prove your worth before the supreme beings. Struggle, adapt, and show us the willpower of the people of Earth!” it finished, chuckling ominously, before growing brighter and vanishing in a flash.
The street fell into an eerie silence, and then chaos erupted. People in Lagos ran in a panicked frenzy, and another gong sound echoed through the air as Moyo began running back home.
“WORLD REBOOT IN 5 SECONDS.”
Sweat dripped down Moyo’s face as he sprinted home with all his might.
4
He had no idea what was happening, but he had to find his parents. He prayed they were home.
3
Panting, he fought his way through the madness on the streets, enduring blows and pushing through the pain.
2
He dashed into his street, his house looming ahead. His mom waved frantically at him.
1
He was mere steps from his door when a sudden concussive wave struck, obliterating the house with his parents inside. Wooden splinters mixed with shards of metal tore through Moyo’s body. Pain coursed through him, pure and agonizing.
His brain struggled to process the overwhelming sensory input. In that frozen moment, the only thought in his mind was the desperate plea not to die, repeating like a broken record.
As he collapsed to the ground, on the verge of passing out, a notification flashed in his mind.
“Congratulations! You’ve unlocked the skill ‘Son of Agony!’”
With that, Moyo succumbed to unconsciousness. His brain, overwhelmed and unable to function, shut down. In a distant world, at the edge of the archailect where the collective fought against an impending invasion, a powerful being took notice.
“Interesting,” it murmured, flicking its fingers and making a decision that would haunt Moyo for the rest of his new life...
