Chris's first sensation was a gentle hum, a sound that seemed to vibrate in his bones rather than his ears. His eyelids, heavy as lead, fluttered open. He wasn't in his familiar, slightly messy bedroom. Not even close.
He was lying on something cool and smooth, like polished stone, but it wasn't cold. Above him, the "sky" was a swirling canvas of colors he couldn't name – soft purples, deep blues, and streaks of shimmering gold, all moving slowly like a galaxy breathing. The air itself felt thick, yet pure, carrying a faint, sweet scent, like ozone after a storm mixed with something ancient and unknown. He sat up, his head a little fuzzy, and looked around.
The chamber was immense, so vast that its walls were lost in a soft, glowing mist. Strange, tall pillars, seemingly carved from solidified light, rose into the ethereal expanse, their surfaces pulsing with a gentle, internal luminescence.
There were no doors, no windows, just an endless, beautiful, and utterly alien space. It felt less like a room and more like the inside of a dream, or perhaps a god's private sanctuary.
"What the hell?"
"How did I get here?"
Before he could fully spiral into confusion, a dazzling blue light flashed directly in front of him.
Chris flinched, shielding his eyes. When he looked again, a semi-transparent screen, like something from a futuristic movie, hovered in the air. Crisp, white letters glowed upon it, sharp and clear.
[DING!]
"Welcome, Player #8,734,921,005, to the Gods & Beasts Game!"
Chris eyes blinked blankly and when he finally came to, confusion ran through his brain like lightning!
"Player? Game?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
The holographic interface suddenly shimmered, and new information scrolled into view, looking like a character creation screen mixed with a terms of service agreement from hell.
Current Player Count: 10,393,527,628 (Ten Billion) Souls.
Your Designation: Beast King.
Ten billion? His mind reeled. Ten billion people, or souls, or whatever they were calling them, had been pulled into this… "game"? And him? A "Beast King"? What did that even mean? He thought of snarling monsters, of primal rage. It didn't sound like a good thing.
The screen continued, its information stark and brutal.
[FACTIONS]
Chosen Heroes: Blessed by benevolent Gods.
Beast Kings: Monstrous Rulers, beings of primal power. Evolve through conquest.
A cold dread washed over Chris. He was on the "monstrous rulers" side. This wasn't a choice at all.
He felt a strange, faint thrumming deep within his chest, a raw, unfamiliar energy that wasn't there before.
Before he could focus on it, another notification came through.
[IMPORTANT GAME RULES - READ CAREFULLY!]
[TRUE DEATH: This is not a simulation. Annihilation in the Gods & Beasts Game means complete and utter erasure from all existence. No respawns. No second chances. Your soul will cease to be.]
[VICTORY CONDITIONS (Beast King):
Establish a dominant empire that overshadows all rivals.
Destroy a God-backed Heroic Kingdom, proving your supremacy.]
[POST-VICTORY OPTIONS:
Return to your original world (Earth).
Remain in this new world, your empire intact.
Ascend to the "Divine Realm" – a place of ultimate power and godhood.]
As the read through the instructions, his eyes bagan to widen every passing sentence and in the end, he couldn't help but started panting as cold sweat dripped from his head.
True Death. The words echoed in his mind, chilling him to the core.
This wasn't just some advanced VR; his life was on the line.
Moreover, what does he know about conquest and defeating kingdoms?
"Kaput! I'm dead. There's no doubt about it!"
"You could have sent truck-kun but you rather had to go this roundabout way to kill me ehn?"
Chris couldn't help but curse out loud.
More information flooded the screen, relentless.
[INITIAL PHASE: GENESIS GRACE]
Duration: Seven (7) Standard Days.
Effect: During this period, Chosen Heroes cannot instinctively sense the aura of Beast Kings. Use this time wisely to establish a foothold. After the Grace period ends, you will be detectable. The Hunt will begin.
Only seven days of relative safety. Seven days to prepare for… what? Being hunted by heroes?
[BEAST KING IMPERATIVE - YOUR PATH TO SURVIVAL & POWER]
BUILD YOUR EMPIRE: Start from nothing. Gather resources, claim territory, and grow your domain.
FEND OFF HEROES: They will come for you. Be ready.
RIVAL BEAST KINGS: You are not the only Beast King. Other monstrous rulers will compete for power and resources. Conquer them or be conquered.
FACE DIVINE TRIALS: The Gods will not ignore powerful Beast Kings. Expect challenges directly from the divine.
Each imperative felt like another ton of bricks piled onto his shoulders. Build an empire? He could barely build a decent sandcastle! Fend off heroes and other Beast Kings? He had lived with cockroaches for years cause he couldn't deny them off. Face divine trials? This was insane!
Chris was still trying to process the sheer, overwhelming horror of his situation, the reality of being torn from his life and thrust into this deadly game, when the interface flashed again, this time with an urgent, pulsating red border.
A new sound, a rhythmic, insistent
[SELECT YOUR PRIMAL BEAST ESSENCE WITHIN 10:00 MINUTES!]
[FAILURE TO INTEGRATE AN ESSENCE WITH YOUR SOUL BEFORE THE TIMER EXPIRES WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE SOUL DESTRUCTION (TRUE DEATH).]
TIMER: 09:59… 09:58…
His heart hammered against his ribs. Ten minutes to choose something called a "Primal Beast Essence" and "integrate his soul" with it, or he would die for real.
He didn't even know what a Primal Beast Essence was!
It was too much. The grand, ethereal chamber, the ten billion players, the True Death, the impossible tasks, and now this life-or-death countdown. His mind was a whirlwind of terror and disbelief.
He remembered Earth, his family, his friends, his simple, ordinary life – all snatched away. He was just a regular guy. How could he possibly survive this?
As the wave of despair threatened to drown him, something inside him flickered.
A strange sensation, like a new sense opening up, a lens clicking into place over his vision.
The swirling colors of the chamber seemed to sharpen. The holographic interface itself suddenly looked… different. More detailed.
[DING!]
[Task Completed (Enter A Divine Realm)]
[{All-Seeing Eyes System} has awakened}"
[Effect: Allows the user to perceive detailed attributes and hidden information about objects, creatures, energies, and phenomena.]
Chris blinked. All-Seeing Eye? He looked at the holographic game interface again. Before, it was just a screen with words. Now, as he focused, faint, new lines of text seemed to superimpose themselves over it, visible only to him.
[Holographic System Interface (Tier: God-Level Construct)]
Description: A manifestation of the Gods & Beasts Game's core system. Provides information and facilitates player interaction.
Energy Signature: Beyond current comprehension.
Vulnerabilities: None detectable by [All-Seeing Eye - Rank: F (Initial Activation)].
Chris raised an eyebrow, stunned. He could see more. He could understand things on a deeper level. It wasn't much, but it was something.
The timer on the Primal Beast Essence selection continued its relentless countdown in his mind: 09:45… 09:44…