Location: New Boston-5, Earth
Time: 7:02 PM (Suspiciously stuck, like a bad alarm clock)
Everett stared at the glowing
[š° Click to Draw Your Starter Class!] button.
It shimmered with the enthusiasm of a pop-up ad and the malevolence of a cursed gumball machine.
> "I've played enough gacha games to know this exact shade of regret."
His internal voice was already bracing for impact. He'd once spent three weeks grinding a mobile RPG just to pull a five-star anime swordsman who turned out to be allergic to swords. And plot relevance. That betrayal still haunted him.
> "Let's be real. The chances of me getting something useful are right between 'snowball in the sun' and 'Internet at my grandma's house.'"
He glanced up at the ceiling. Or sky. Or whatever counted as "above" in this broken game-glitch version of Earth.
> "Alright, God, Universe, Eldritch Game Adminsā¦ If you're listeningāI don't need anything OP. Just don't make me the tutorial guy. Or a cursed vending machine. Or someone's support character. Give me something with a little dignity. Please."
He narrowed his eyes. "Either this is fateā¦ or a scam."
And like every idiot before him.
He clicked it anyway.
The screen shattered into light, swirling upward and forming a massive wheel in the sky, spinning with chaotic elegance. It roared to life with a chorus that sounded like someone autotuned the Big Bang.
> "BEGIN CLASS LOTTERY."
Names flashed by in a blur. Everett could barely read them ā but he caught a few.
---
š Glimpses from the Cosmic Wheel:
Rimuru's Daughter
Chronomancer of Forgotten Minutes
Dumpsterfire Warlock
Hero's Disappointment
Intern of Destiny
Certified Bird Whisperer
Plot Device
Barista of the Arcane
Madara Actor
Technically a Dragon
Reincarnated into a Roomba
???
???
Main Character's Therapist
Everett tilted his head. "Why does the system sound like it was coded by anime nerds on energy drinks?"
---
š Meanwhile, Around the Worldā¦
White House Omega, United States of Cascadia
President Gloria Cheng watched the sky wheel spin above the capital dome. The readout in front of her blinked:
> [Class Acquired: Tactical Swordsman of Unconvincing Bravado]
She stared at the sword that appeared in her hand. "I'm a world leader. Why does this sword say '+2 to Drama'?"
She squinted. "I'm a world leader. Why am I getting a cosplay build?"
---
Sacred Hill, Varanasi, India
Guruji Dev Gopalan opened his eyes and saw his class wheel freeze.
> [Class Acquired: Oracle of Unfinished Prophecies]
He smiled. "Yes. Finally, one I can speak ofā¦ but never explain."
A disciple whispered, "Is that... good?"
Guruji replied, "Only if you like cliffhangers."
---
Casino District, Macao
Rico Del Toro sighed as his screen displayed:
> [Class Acquired: Gambler of Infinite Losses]
He lit a cigarette with a sigh. "Called it."
---
Tokyo Mega Zone, Japan
Kaori Tamura stood in the center of the neon-drenched superstructure once known as Shibuya. Now rebuilt vertically and aggressively commercialized, Tokyo Mega Zone buzzed with confused citizens and collapsing vending drones.
Above her, the cosmic wheel spun, casting kaleidoscopic lights across chrome billboards and floating trains.
Her tablet vibrated.
[Class Acquired: Magical Overachiever of Unreasonable Expectations]
A wand materialized in Kaori's hand. Pink sparkles exploded around her, accompanied by a soundtrack she absolutely did not authorize.
"ā¦Nope," she muttered, trying to exit the interface like a pop-up.
Suddenly, a floating raccoon in a sequin cape descended with great ceremony.
It spoke with an overly dramatic tone and suspiciously American accent:
"Kaori Tamura! Chosen Honor Student of the Multiverse! Your first exam begins immediately. Extra credit if you survive."
Kaori stared.
"ā¦I knew joining the gifted program would be the death of me."
āØ Back to Everett Miracleā¦
The wheel slowed. Slowed. Stopped.
A golden beam of light struck Everett square in the forehead.
A dramatic anime voice echoed from the heavens:
> "Congratulations, Everett Miracle! You class is ā¦ Cube of Becoming!"
A small glowing cube floated in front of him, humming softly. It pulsed with what might've been wisdomā¦ or gas.
> Class Acquired: Cube of Becoming
You are now a semi-sentient progression object. Your abilities will evolve based on plot relevance, emotional arcs, and possibly how entertaining you are.
Starting Ability: [Mystery Slot ā Locked Until Something Weird Happens]
> [Quest RECEIVED:
Discover Your Class Functionality
Time limit: 24 hours
Success reward: *#@ā¹*#@
Failure penalty: None]
[Quest RECEIVED:
Don't Die in the First 24 Hours
Success reward: *@ā¹ā¹#@&
Failure penalty: Death]
Everett blinked. " ..... I'm a box? "
Everett looked up at the cube. "I swear, if you make me do a tutorial..."
The cube spun once in what might have been defiance. Or joy. Or indigestion.
----
ā³ SYSTEM MESSAGE
> [PHASE 2 INITIATED]
Challenge I ā Voluntary Participation Enabled
> "All beings who wish to participate in Phase 2: Challenge I may now accept the invitation.
Survivors of this challenge may receive generous rewards, early mystery slot unlock, and accelerated evolution of class functionality.
You have 15 minutes to decide."
The message hovered in the airāsilver text on transparent glass, hanging like a divine billboard no one could turn off.
---
Everett stared at the cube.
It was still there.
Still humming.
Still lookingā¦ smug.
"Generous rewards, huh?
Sounds like a trap.
Smells like one too."
He looked around. The world was changing fast.
There was no denying it now.
A woman floated above the street in a business suit, screaming joyfully and hurling pink plasma from her fingertips.
Two teenagers with glowing spears leapt over cars like it was a parkour competition hosted by the end of the world.
A man in his 40s conjuredā¦ a coffee machine? Which then turned into a wolf?
Everett blinked.
"Yup. That's either magicā¦ or Seattle on a Wednesday."
Panic spread like bacteria in summer heat.
Drones zipped through the air, broadcasting contradictory news reports.
Some people cheered like they'd won the lottery.
Others were sobbing or on their knees, praying.
Everett noticed some had weapons now.
Swords. Guns. Laser bows.
One had a baguette with spikes.
Thisā¦ was real.
---
"This can't be fake. No game can render global chaos this perfectly."
He stared again at his own Class Cube.
It pulsed lightly in front of him.
"Cube of Becoming," huh?
So far, it hadn't become much.
He wondered:
Could I throw it like a grenade?
Would it bounce off someone's head and unlock a hidden superform?
Do I shake it? Sit on it? Feed it a motivational quote?
Truth wasā¦ Everett had no idea.
He wasn't strong.
He wasn't chosen.
He wasn't a high-school prodigy or a hacker or a sword-wielding isekai protagonist.
He was justā¦ Everett Miracle.
Barely graduated.
Never quite special.
Made it through high school because his history teacher pitied his "tragic little orphan eyes."
He touched the cube. It buzzed, then insulted him in Morse code. (Probably.)
> "Yeah. Definitely cursed."
---
The system message flickered again.
> [Time Remaining: 00:13:24]
---
And now the real question:
> "Do I accept the Phase 2 challenge?"
If he wentā¦ he might gain something.
He might die.
Or be turned into a frog.
Or worseā¦ a tutorial NPC.
But if he didn'tā¦
He'd be just another background character.
Another cautious human waiting for the government to figure things out.
"No job. No fame. No future. Just a decent jump shot and a tragic backstory."
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
A blinking emergency alert.
---
š” Government Notification ā United Nations Conference of the Enlightened
> URGENT MESSAGE
Citizens are advised NOT to interact with system entities.
Avoid engagement with floating symbols, weapons, or offers of "Challenges."
Remain indoors. Await verified instructions from global science panels.
Trust in the Unified Human Leadership Council.
Everett read it twice. Then again.
Then laughed, bitter and low.
"I read a manga once.
The MC listened to the government.
Didn't take the challenge.
The world collapsed.
They had to send him back in time just so he'd say yes."
He stared at the cube.
It pulsed gently, like it was listening. Maybe evenā¦ waiting.
> "If I say yesā¦ I might die."
> "If I say noā¦ I'll probably live a little longerā¦
but I'll still be the same lost guy.
Sitting in the background of someone else's story."
Another second passed.
Then another.
Everett smiled again, small and sad.
> "Screw it."
> "Let's become something."
He said yes.
---
š„ [Phase 2: Challenge I ā Participant Confirmed: Everett Miracle]