Chapter Seven
Kisame carefully reviewed the available quests.
After a brief pause, he made his choice.
Sub Quest Accepted: Knowledge Is Power
The system confirmed it instantly.
A small timer appeared at the corner of his vision.
The countdown will begin upon entering the Library.
Kisame glanced toward Ali. His cousin was still focused on his own system, eyes fixed on the floating blue screen.
"Hey, Ali," Kisame called.
Ali looked up. "Yeah?"
"Did you accept your quest?"
"I'm choosing now," Ali replied.
"Pick whatever you want," Kisame said calmly. "I won't stop you. Just—be careful."
Ali nodded. "Sure."
A second later, he tapped his screen.
"What did you choose?" Kisame asked.
"I picked one that says Master a skill within four hours," Ali replied.
Kisame frowned slightly. "You're sure you can do that?"
Ali exhaled slowly. "I already accepted it. No backing out now."
Kisame hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Let's separate for three days. Improve ourselves. We survive the second trial together."
Ali gave a weak smile. "Yeah… together."
The system activated.
Light engulfed them.
In the next instant, they vanished—teleported to different locations.
Kisame selected Library.
The world warped.
When his vision cleared, he found himself standing inside a massive hall.
The Library.
The scent of old wood filled the air. The shelves, walls, and floors were all made from a strange material—wood, yet unlike anything on Earth. It felt ancient… alive, as if it had absorbed knowledge for centuries.
There were windows, but nothing could be seen beyond them. No sky. No landscape. Yet a soft, steady light poured in, illuminating the space evenly.
Bookshelves stretched endlessly in every direction.
Some books floated gently through the air, rearranging themselves as if guided by invisible hands. A faint magical presence lingered, brushing against Kisame's skin.
The timer started.
Kisame didn't waste a second.
He sat at the nearest table and grabbed three books at random.
Book One: The Difference Between Gods
This book detailed the hierarchy of gods and their unique authorities.
According to its contents, gods were divided into four categories, ranked from strongest to weakest:
Primordíoi
Archóntes Theoi
Olympíades
Daímones
The book explained the first three categories in detail—listing their powers, domains, and examples of gods belonging to each rank.
However…
There was nothing about the fourth category.
No description.No names.Only silence.
Kisame finished the book with one hour and twenty-four minutes remaining.
His eyes widened slightly.
So much information…
He had always been a quick learner, but this knowledge felt dangerous—like something that could permanently change the way he viewed the world.
He picked up the second book.
Book Two: The Anomaly
Kisame's expression hardened as he read.
This book explained the origin of the trials.
The Anomaly was a being born from greed, ambition, and overwhelming desire.
Such a person was offered a deal—to become a god.
The price?
Their planet.
To turn it into hell.
They would not become a god instantly. Instead, they were required to initiate trials, force humanity into entertainment for the gods, and—if necessary—kill even those they loved.
For twenty years, the trials would continue.
During that time, the people of the planet had one chance.
Stop the Anomaly.
If the Anomaly succeeded, it would gain absolute authority over the planet—able to do anything it desired.
The book listed multiple worlds that had faced an Anomaly.
Some succeeded.
Most failed.
When Kisame closed the book, his hands trembled slightly.
So this was the cause of everything.
Anger burned in his chest.
But beneath it… something else formed.
Responsibility.
He picked up the final book.
Book Three: How to Stop the Anomaly
The answer was simple.
And terrifying.
The Anomaly could be stopped only by killing it.
But on large, heavily populated worlds, finding the Anomaly was nearly impossible.
However—
There existed Five Spirit Curses of the Anomaly.
Each curse guarded an item necessary to locate the Anomaly.
The longer it took to find them…
The stronger the Anomaly became.
Kisame closed the book slowly.
This wasn't just survival anymore.
This was a war for the planet.
And he had just learned the rules.
The quest completed.
He received EXP, gold coins for the shop, and additional rewards.
Only then did he realize something else.
He was hungry.
And thirsty.
Consumed by knowledge, he hadn't noticed the strain on his body.
The system teleported him back to the school.
As Kisame walked toward the water station, he noticed most people were still sitting under trees or against walls, their faces empty. Shock and disbelief still clung to them after the First Trial.
Someone stopped him.
"How did you recover so quickly?" the stranger asked. "Aren't you scared after what happened?"
Kisame looked at him with tired eyes. He was affected too—just better at hiding it.
"You keep going," Kisame said quietly. "Even when you're exhausted. Mentally broken. If you want to survive."
He paused.
"In the game of life, death always wins. Your actions only decide how long you last. So stop sitting around and take action that guarantees your survival for the next trial."
The words stunned the stranger into silence.
Kisame moved on.
He drank water, then headed to the school canteen. Many people were inside—the safe zones clearly extended into the building.
A group controlled the food, rationing it carefully.
When Kisame received his portion, he sat in a corner and ate.
Ali wasn't there.
Kisame felt a brief wave of worry—but trusted him.
He opened his Sub Quests again.
The previous quest was gone.
A new one had appeared.
Sub Quest: Master Skills
Objective: Learn three skills in the Training Ground within one day.
Rewards: EXP, Gold Coins, +1 to all attributes.
Failure: Extreme Punishment.
Accept / Reject
Kisame stared at the screen for several seconds.
Then—
He accepted.
The world began to shift.