1 Chapter 1: Batch 2375

"Is this... The end of the world?"

That was the only thought that consumed Kim Seojin's mind as he witnessed the world fall apart before his eyes.

It all began on one insignificant night in the year 2075.

A single crack appeared in the sky. It was a hairline fracture that seemed insignificant at first. 

As time passed, the cracks multiplied, spreading like a web until the entire sky was covered by them. Humans couldn't do anything to stop them. 

Emerging from these cracks were unknown monsters that were as large as skyscrapers. 

This strange phenomenon wasn't limited to Korea alone. The entire world faced this tragedy. 

Simultaneously, a global shutdown occurred, plunging the earth into darkness. The internet ceased to function, and even the electricity grid failed, leaving humanity in a state of helplessness.

It was the dawn of an Apocalypse, and all Kim Seojin could do was watch it begin. 

As the power outage enveloped every city, darkness consumed the earth. 

This darkness didn't last long, as soon thereafter, flaming red meteors rained down from the sky, causing panic and chaos to ensue within the city.

Frantically, people scrambled towards their vehicles, desperately attempting to flee. Many were convinced that this was an attack by enemy nations. 

The sheer unpredictability of the meteors made it impossible for anyone to navigate their paths, and even the scientific community struggled to respond amidst the global shutdown. 

It was as if this was a crude joke played by the gods. Humans could only watch, but not respond to their own fate. 

In this dark hour, uncertainty and fear gripped the hearts of all, as the world stood on the edge of an unimaginable disaster.

One of those meteors came straight to Kim Seojin who stood near the window in a hospital room. 

There was no escape. There was no running away from it. It was truly the end of this world. 

Soon, the meteor crashed on the hospital, taking thousands of lives. 

....

"Hey idiot, wake up. How long are you going to sleep?"

"To think that someone would waste a slot on this guy who is sleeping even in this condition."

"Hey kid, if you don't want to die, you should really wake up."

"Is he really thinking that this is his bedroom?"

"Is he on vacation?"

Kim Seojin's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. 

He couldn't understand how he was still alive. He was certain that he had been hit by meteorite. Then what was happening now?

His head was throbbing with pain as he struggled to sit up. This was clearly not a dream.  No, it was too real to be a dream. 

As his vision cleared, he realized he was surrounded by lush greenery. The sky also appeared clear, a far cry from the night of the apocalypse. 

There were many people around him, and all of them were looking at him like he was an idiot. 

Their clothes also appeared strange. He had never seen these kinds of clothes on earth. 

"Where... am I?" 

He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body.

"Finally awake, huh?" a gruff voice called out, followed by a sarcastic chuckle. "Did your sponsor not teach you anything?"

Kim Seojin turned his head towards the source and saw a man, rugged and weathered, standing in front of him. 

The man's eyes held a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"My Sponsor?" 

"Hey Lee Junho, why are you wasting time on that idiot? If the ones who sent him didn't tell him anything, why bother?"

"He would only be a dead weight."

"It's better if he is eliminated at the start. As you know, the more people pick a class, the harder this will become."

The man called Lee Junho sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against a tree. 

"Are you still thinking about those small things?"

"What do you mean by small things? Isn't it better if the Tutorial was easier? It's his fault for not knowing anything."

"You are right that the tutorial will get harder with more people. But isn't it also true that if he gets a rare class, he will be able to help us?"

"Rare class? Haha, you think a rare class falls from a tree?"

"In the last three hundred years, only around a thousand people have managed to get a rare class or higher."

Lee Junho rolled his eyes. "You should worry about yourself."

He turned to Kim Seojin. 

"And you... You are truly a fool to come here without knowing anything."

[Welcome Sacrifices...]

A voice appeared in everyone's ears at the same time.

"Looks like it's already beginning. Hey kid, remember. Pick the best class card that you can. And try to survive the tutorial."

As soon as Lee Junho finished speaking, he disappeared. 

One after another, the others in the place also started disappearing. And finally, it was Kim Seojin's number.

[Error]

[Sacrifice Selected: 1000]

[Sacrifice Present: 1001]

[Error Detected. Erasing one sacrifice]

"Arghhh!" 

In an unknown room, a young man was about to select a class when he suddenly felt a sharp pain like never before. 

He could only let out an agonizing scream before his body disintegrated completely. 

[Correction made]

[Number of Sacrifices present: 1000]

Finally, a light appeared on Kim Seojin as well and he felt his surroundings change. 

He found himself in a small room, surrounded by unfamiliar symbols glowing on the walls.

[You have been selected by the humans as their representative for the next Awakening Batch]

The mysterious voice appeared again. 

[Awakening Batch Year: 2375]

[Please select a class card available to you]

[Time Remaining: Sixty Second] 

[Once time passes, those who haven't selected a class will be erased]

[Please remember, your class can either make you, or destroy you]

In the blink of an eye, thousands of cards appeared before him, creating a tower around him with him in the center.