I opened the door first, stepping into the circular room without looking back.

  Elk was the first to catch up, his long legs and speed stat—which I was beginning to suspect were higher than mine—closing the distance quickly.

  “Hey, mate. Everything okay?” he asked, gripping my shoulder firmly.

  I stopped and looked back, a sigh escaping my lips before I could stop it.

  “I’m fine. I just want to get this over with. I’m tired of this damn tutorial. I hate these things in games, and it’s not much better here.”

  Elk looked puzzled, but he smiled anyway.

  “Let’s wait for the others, then. If you rush in there, the only thing you’ll end is your life.” He patted my shoulder and turned toward the safe room’s exit.

  It didn’t take long for Mary and Tress to appear. Mary’s earlier cheerfulness had vanished, replaced by an almost maddening worry. Tress, on the other hand, remained impassive. If my abrupt departure had bothered her, she wasn’t showing it.

  Soon, we were walking in a line toward the boss room.

  As we ascended the staircase, torches lit up on either side, creating an image that was probably stunning from all their camera angles. I could already imagine the footage being edited into a triumphal entry for the audience.

  In reality, though, the cold corridor held none of that epicness—just silent apprehension.

  When the rectangular door appeared in the distance, glowing faintly, I stopped.

  “The thing in there is probably a big monster if Tress’ predictions are right, so let’s spread out. Elk, test the monster’s intelligence with illusions and try to make a surprise attack. Tress, fire every arrow you’ve got—”

  “I only have fifteen, but they regenerate over time,” she interrupted, raising one hand.

  “Great, keep them coming. Mary, you’ll be the shield protecting our ranged attacks. Once Tress is done with her arrows, she’ll join me in creating openings. Mary, if you see an opportunity, join us as well.”

  They all nodded in agreement. No one challenged the fact that I had just assumed leadership. They’d expected it before, and none of them seemed willing to take the role, so the best thing I could do was step up.

  Besides, I liked being in charge.

  “All right, let’s do it,” I said with a reassuring smile, then turned to the door.

  I pushed against it, and it opened without resistance.

  Welcome to the Proving Ground’s final floor. It’s time to show if you have what it takes to become a Forerunner!

  Gather your weapons and your allies and fight!

  The familiar femine voice echoed through a dark room. Then, just like in the briefing area we’d arrived in earlier, lights flickered on above us.

  LED squares illuminated the space, casting strange patterns of light and shadow across the arena. The room was a perfect square, its floor blindingly white. At each corner, pristine columns resembling Greek architecture gave the place an odd, timeless quality.

  Everything here felt out of place. Ancient architecture mixed with modern lights, and the stark, almost sterile floor looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie.

  The walls were made of the same pale material, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between them and the floor—if not for the columns providing some orientation.

  The challenge will begin! Make your people proud and entertain us.

  And don’t forget:

  There’s no place for the weak in the Multiverse!

  When she spoke again, I realized it was the same announcer from the briefing room. How many people had already heard her voice in this same room today? How many had survived?

  From the competitors’ side, we have:

  Mary Reed, from Earth! Tress Evergreen, from Jouintr! Elk’Marir, from Trass, and his good friend Zach Walker, from Earth!

  I noticed the difference in how she introduced Elk and me compared to the others, but I ignored it. My focus was entirely on the enemy, which still hadn’t appeared.

  Where are you? Where are you? I summoned my dagger and wand, gripping them tightly in my hands, prepared for a surprise attack from the sides or the back. But the monster didn’t take long to show itself.

  Their challenge today will be:

  The Goblin Abomination!

  The voice echoed through the air, then fell silent, as if leaving room for a crowd to cheer. But the room remained eerily quiet.

  A few steps ahead, I noticed the ground shifting, the white floor replaced by a black square. Mechanisms whirred beneath the surface, but I stayed in place, not daring to move closer.

  After a few seconds, the silhouette of the creature began to emerge from the edge of the hole. Instantly, what Tress had said earlier made perfect sense.

  From the black void, a three-headed goblin erupted.

  The monstrosity stood at least eight feet tall, and for a moment, I didn’t think it would fit through the hole. But it did. Its massive frame was heavily armored, with black plates covering its torso, connecting the three necks to its legs and feet.

  The sheer size of the creature was enough to rattle anyone. But then there were its four arms, each wielding a short sword, or are they big knives? Its three mouths fumed with hatred, and its eyes bored into us, as if peering straight into our souls.

  It didn’t just want to defeat us—it wanted to annihilate us.

  My heart pounded against my chest. My instincts screamed at me to move forward, to strike, to beat the monster until nothing else existed. But my sense of self-preservation held firm, and we had a solid plan for dealing with a single, powerful creature.

  Fight!

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The announcer’s command reverberated through the room, and the abomination charged at us in a full sprint. Mary instinctively stepped back.

  “Hold your position,” I told her, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her. I stood just behind her, with Elk and Tress a few paces further back.

  An illusion of Elk darted past me, heading straight for the creature. But the abomination ignored it, charging forward as if it knew the illusion wasn’t real.

  Shit, I cursed internally. A good portion of our plan relied on exploiting the openings illusions created against unintelligent enemies. This one wasn’t falling for it.

  Arrows and fireballs streaked through the air toward the giant goblin. It dodged some and was hit by others, but none struck its faces or the gaps in its armor.

  Armor plates! The realization struck me, and I quickly conjured a lightning bolt atop my wand. In the next second, the bolt shot forward at high speed toward the monster.

  The creature was faster. It slid across the ground, using two of its arms for support while the other two helped raise them up mid-slide.

  The abomination moved like a superhuman ripped straight from a comic book. I released another lightning bolt, but this one sailed past the left side of its left head just as it crashed into Mary’s shield.

  She whimpered as the monster pressed its enormous shoulder against the shield. She nearly lost her footing, but I caught her in time.

  The initial shock faded, and she pushed back against the creature. It stumbled a step backward, already raising all four of its arms. Mary peeked over the shield, then quickly ducked as the creature began its relentless assault.

  The clang of metal on wood echoed as it hammered the shield over and over again.

  “Hold on!” I shouted through gritted teeth, stepping to the side. Elk and Tress were doing the same, each flanking to a different side.

  I unleashed a third lightning bolt, and this time it struck the creature’s chest plate. The monster froze instantly, its muscles convulsing as the electric shock coursed through its body.

  Tress acted fast, loosing an arrow. The projectile pierced one ear of its left head and exited through the other side. That head fell limp, but the creature, though trembling violently, remained standing in the center of the arena.

  We needed to end this while it was vulnerable. Thinking the same, Elk sent a fire serpent toward the creature’s necks, and I rushed forward with my dagger.

  Just as I closed the gap, the creature’s two remaining heads turned toward me, their eyes glinting with a frenetic energy I’d seen in dying goblins—but this one wasn’t dying. It was alive and furious.

  Its arms swung down with terrifying speed. If not for the fire serpent wrapping around its body in that instant, I’d have been fatally struck.

  As the serpent tightened its grip, I stepped back to reassess.

  Tress released another arrow, and it struck the creature’s torso, piercing its armor near where the heart should be. But the monster didn’t falter. If anything, it seemed unfazed.

  It’s going to break free, I realized, watching as Elk’s magic began to weaken while the creature only grew stronger.

  “The heads!” I shouted, hoping the others would understand.

  I charged again, determined to land a decisive blow. Leaping forward as its arms broke free from the serpent’s grip, I aimed for the left eye of the middle head. But the creature’s sudden movement threw off my aim, and the dagger lodged in its cheek instead.

  I tried to twist the blade, hoping to reach its brain, but the monster’s massive arms swatted me away, sending me sprawling onto the ground.

  The creature advanced on me, but Mary intercepted it, slamming her shield into its chest. She pushed with all her might, but her efforts only seemed to anger it further.

  The monster crouched suddenly and swiped with two of its arms beneath her shield. Mary screamed and fell onto her back, her feet and ankles slashed by its blades.

  Rage surged through me as I saw her collapse. With a lightning bolt ready in one hand and my dagger in the other, I dashed toward the creature.

  I deflected one blow and dodged another, adrenaline sharpening my reflexes. When the third blade came for me, I slashed downward with my dagger, severing the monster’s wrist. Its weapon clattered to the ground.

  Before I could savor the small victory, its fourth hand struck me.

  The knife drove deep into my shoulder, perilously close to my neck and collarbone. Pain exploded through my body as the creature’s heavy weight bore down on me.

  Gritting my teeth, I released the lightning bolt. The shock was as powerful as before, and despite its battle-fueled rage, the monster froze, gurgling in agony.

  Seizing the moment, I stabbed my dagger deep into the neck of its middle head. I readied myself to strike again, but the remaining head roared—a guttural, earth-shaking sound that echoed through the arena.

  It’s the frenzy times two? I asked myself, already searching for a way to escape.

  [Lightning Momentum]!

  I focused on the skill, feeling a tingling sensation in the soles of my feet. In the next second, a strong burst propelled me backward. I slid across the flat ground just as the creature struck awkwardly, missing its mark.

  I found myself at the edge of the room. Ahead of me were Elk, Tress, and a fallen Mary. Blood was everywhere—more than I could ever remember seeing on a battlefield.

  Heaving myself up as fast as I could, I saw the abomination already charging toward Elk. The devilman hurled fireballs at the creature but faltered, fear taking over as he turned to flee.

  Rushing to intercept Elk, I saw Tress release an arrow that struck the back of one of the creature's limp heads. She dropped her bow, unsheathed her sword, and dashed forward to help.

  Realizing I wouldn’t reach them in time, I activated [Lightning Momentum] again, this time angling it toward the monster instead of the sky.

  The explosion beneath my feet was stronger than before, sending me hurtling through the air. I had almost no control during the flight, but it was clear I was going to collide with the abomination.

  I soared past Elk, and the next thing I saw was a chaotic blur of blood-red, black armor, and leathery green flesh. We tumbled across the ground for what felt like an eternity.

  The monster stabbed me several times in the back, and I retaliated with my own blade, landing strike after strike.

  When we finally stopped, I was on top of the creature. Two of its arms were raised to strike while the other two clawed at me, trying to shove me off.

  I ignored them all.

  I plunged my dagger into its remaining face. The blade sank just beneath its left eye.

  The monster’s knives drove into my chest. I didn’t feel the pain.

  I yanked the blade free, something stirring deep inside me. Was it weakness from the blood loss? I didn’t care.

  I stabbed it again, this time directly into its eye. The blade pierced through, and I heard the sickening pop as the eye burst.

  I laughed, the sound bursting out uncontrollably.

  Again.

  And again, into the other eye.

  Die. Die, motherfucker. Die.

  I didn’t know how long I kept stabbing. When I finally stopped, I barely recognized the monster’s face—or what remained of it. My body was soaked in blood, and I suspected most of it wasn’t mine.

  Ding! Congratulations! You have slain Boss Goblin Abomination F5.

  Ding! Congratulations! Your soul core has been upgraded.

  Calculating…

  Strength upgraded.

  Constitution upgraded.

  New Stats:

  Subject: Zach Walker

  Race: Human (Earth)

  Class: Mage, Rogue

  Merged Class: Undergoing calculations

  General Rank: F5

  Constitution: F4

  Magic: F4

  Mana: F4

  Speed: F3

  Strength: F3

  Ding! Congratulations!

  Proving Grounds completed!

  Preparing wait room. Healing enabled. Wait for the end of the tutorial with your allies and watch tonight’s show.

  Ding! Congratulations, Zach Walker.

  You were chosen by a Deity.

  You are now under the sponsorship and patronage of Lyrathos, the Kindly Reaper.