“Welcome, Players.”

A gentle voice echoed in the space, drawing the attention of the hundreds of humans gathered in a strange area that seemed to stretch on endlessly.

The sky was all sorts of colors, as if it was painted with the constant strokes of a rainbow. As for the ground the humans trampled on, it was pure white… making the whole sight akin to an intrusion of ants dancing in a clear glass of milk.

All eyes turned to the very front of the space, transfixing their gazes on the figure that stood on an elevated platform that served as the stage.

“You may call me Administrator M… welcome to the Tutorial.”

The man had long white hair, with ebony skin and bright amber eyes. He wore a gentle smile on his face, perfectly complementing the pure white tuxedo he had on. It almost seemed like his outfit was an extension of the ground itself.

“I know some of you might be confused right now, but do not fret… all will be explained in a moment.”

Silence pervaded the room.

No one uttered a single word despite many people’s lips moving, and their faces showing a spectrum of emotions—from sheer wonder to utter horror.

“You were all sent a letter… an invitation to a new world called T’erah, and you all accepted it,”Administrator M continued after a brief pause.

“This place is like a corridor connecting Earth, the world you are from, to T’erah. In order to reach the new world, and have your promised new life, you must pass the Tutorial first. Do not worry, the Tutorial is not fatal, and if you work hard enough, it is possible for all of you to pass.”

Slowly, the horrified and scared expressions began to diminish.

People grew calmer.

“The Tutorial is divided into 5 Stages, and there are rules applicable to each Stage. However, as a general rule, note that you are to ensure your Tokens are kept with you at all times. The loss of your token signifies your disqualification from the Tutorial, and some of you might be wondering what that entails, but don’t worry too much…”

Yet another moment of silence, as eager faces watched the Administrator, waiting for an answer.

“Those who do not qualify or pass the Tutorials will be returned to Earth, however their memories of the T’erah and all things associated with it will be erased forever. There will also be no second invitation, so this is your only chance.” Administrator M said calmly. “That said, for those who possess extra Tokens, you will obtain a bonus reward depending on how many extra Tokens are in your possession at the end of the Tutorial. You can sell these Tokens to buy things from the Shop, or you can keep the Tokens for a reward at the end of the Tutorial. Please note that the Token bound to a Player can not be sold.”

Everyone nodded, absorbing all the information as they listened to Administrator M go on about the other minor details regarding the Tutorial—specifically the Shop, as well as the System Interface that accompanied it.

The ‘Players’ in the room, numbered hundreds, eventually got a grasp of the explanation being given, and were soon acclimating to their altered reality.

But… there was someone who remained slightly puzzled even after hearing everything.

‘System...’ He said in his mind.

Instantly, a golden screen appeared to him, showing him specific details.

[STATUS WINDOW]

- Name: William (Lvl: 1)

- Class: {Locked}

- Integrity: 1

- Physique: 1

- Aptitude: 1

- S Points: 0

- Privileges: NIL

[Skill Information]

{Locked}

[End Of Information]

After looking through his Status Information, he was even more confused.

‘What’s happening here? What happened to my Class and Skills?’ He wondered silently, ensuring his bewildered state wasn’t obvious to those around him.

Players were already checking their Status Windows, and they all seemed to be either nodding or showing other signs of affirmation, further confirming that everything they saw corresponded with what the Administrator said.

William’s Status was different, though.

‘Based on his explanation, I should have the [Pawn] Class, same as everyone else, and I should have one random Skill in my arsenal.’

But not only was his Class locked, for some unknown reason, but so was his Skill information.

None of this, however, was as surprising as the overarching problem that Will was yet to decipher.

‘I was never sent an invitation letter to this world, and as for my Token, I have no idea what that is or where it’s supposed to be.’

This was all information that Administrator M glossed over, with the assumption that everyone in the room already knew about them since they all received a letter of invitation. However, Will seemed to be the odd one out.

‘Last thing I remember was being kicked out of my house by the landlord, and the next thing… I find myself here.’ He sighed. ‘It’s taken a lot of willpower just to remain calm, but I don’t want to stand out just yet.’

So far, he had calmly listened to the words of Administrator M, and he pretty much understood the gist of the matter.

The Players were competing against each other in the Tutorial, and if they succeeded in passing all the Stages, they would be rewarded with the chance at a better life in a fantastical world where they would be able to keep whatever rewards they obtained from the Tutorial.

It sounded like a sweet deal, especially considering the kind of people gathered in the vast space.

‘Judging by their clothing, most of them seem to be in dire straits: in essence, they’re either impoverished, like me, or have somehow hit a low point in life… the kind of people that would find the allure of a magical new world to be irresistible.’

Will processed all of the information and smiled quietly.

Then, he frowned.

‘So this is how you were also taken, Kevin…’

Kevin, William’s twin brother, had been missing for several years now, but before he mysteriously disappeared, he mentioned the prospects of another world, gushing about the new opportunities he could see there, and he specifically mentioned the name ‘T’erah’.

‘Now I see why no one was able to find him…’ Will reasoned. ‘He was here all along.’

All of this was a lot to take in, but considering it was his new reality, Will instantly acclimated his mind to the nature of this new world, and the Tutorial he was about to face.

Ultimately, it was a game.

‘I’m pretty good at games…’ His smile returned.

“With my explanations complete, I assume no one has any questions,” Administrator M said, leaving no room for any questions to be asked, even if someone had them.

“Well, then… let the Tutorial begin!”

A bright light enveloped the space, and Will felt his eyelids forcefully shutting tight.

In an instant, he felt a strange feeling—as if he was shifted from a cool and serene atmosphere, to a humid one that buzzed with so much noise and chaos.

Once he opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely different place.

‘So this is Stage 1…’ Once again, Will’s lips curled upward as he inhaled the tropical air all around him.

‘Okay, let’s get started.’