"Ding, link established with the Earth server; the last check dates back 66 million years."
"The server has reached the threshold for integration into Common Introduction Server No. 98621."
"Analyzing type of civilization."
"Technological civilization: shows an abnormally high level of development for its time of existence over the last 3,000 years."
"Civilization with an extremely high development potential. Classified as a potential rank A civilization, the highest."
"Searching for eligible exceptional individuals."
"The entirety of the 'human' race has been detected as eligible."
"Beings who have not completed the minimum biological development will not be included in the integration process."
"Eligible beings will be transported to Common Introduction Server No. 98621."
"Transfer initiated. The rest of the planet will be placed in stasis."
"Transfer complete; proceeding to the next life-planet."
-------
An incalculable number of beings lay asleep in the most improbable setting. All seemed to be floating in midair in the middle of the vacuum of space. Only the light of the stars broke the monotony of the darkness of this gathering.
The billions, or trillions, even quadrillions of beings currently in this space were all frozen in a sleeping state, as if cryogenically preserved.
Among them, like a drop of water in the ocean, were the members of human civilization: more than 6 billion of them, to be exact. They were thus one of the most represented races at this great gathering, surpassed only by races at far more advanced levels of development, whose reach often exceeded a solar system.
At the edge of this gathering, a new group of about 1 million individuals appeared. Similar to humans, they nonetheless displayed a few unique features, such as having four eyes and four arms. In addition, their height, around 3 meters, made them easy to distinguish if they were mixed into a group of humans.
Like all the other beings present, they had appeared asleep, showing no sign of consciousness.
Shortly after their arrival, a formless, planet-sized mass of energy emerged from the void, looming over the gathering of beings. A mechanical sound then resounded in the space that had until then been devoid of sound.
"All eligible life forms from Test Control Zone No. 98621 are present for the introduction. Begin system implantation."
"System initialization complete; begin the soul-potential stimulation phase."
"Operation complete. Synchronizing with Server No. 98621."
"Synchronization complete; awaken the life forms."
As if the previous voice were a divine utterance, all those present gradually awoke. Panic and surprise grew as the countless races regained consciousness and realized the environment they were in.
Yet not a single sound was emitted: the mass of energy seemed to be the only one capable of accomplishing that feat.
The surprise was doubled for those at the edges of each group who, in addition to waking up in the vacuum of space, found members of a different race at their sides.
Such was the case for Louis, who, upon waking, found himself amid short individuals with a single eye.
On the verge of a stroke, he became aware of his surroundings and began a slight panic attack. The sight of the void of space and the immense mass of energy above his head was too heavy a burden for his brain. Normally, he would have fainted, his brain triggering that to protect his mental health. But a strange energy prevented this natural reaction from occurring.
While he was completely at a loss about the situation he was in, a mechanical voice broke the unsettling silence that reigned. On hearing it, Louis mysteriously calmed down and accepted the situation, as if it were now the most normal of events.
"Congratulations to all beings present. You have been deemed eligible to take an active part in the evolution of your civilization to the next level."
"You will now all be transported to Server No. 98621. The results of your performance on the server will directly affect the level of evolution your civilization will receive."
"You will have a choice among several paths to reach the summit. A system has been assigned to each of you to accompany you in this task."
"Good luck, and may the best among you remain."
Once its ramblings ended, the quiet returned.
Louis was still trying to process the information the shapeless mass of energy had just provided when he noticed that the people beside him were slowly beginning to disappear. The panic, which had thus far subsided, rose instantly and exploded when he realized the phenomenon was affecting him as well.
Horrified, he began to run for no reason whatsoever, as if searching for a miraculous solution that would keep him from disappearing. Finding nothing to help him, his consciousness faded again as his body completely dissolved.
"Analyzing host by the system, assessing capabilities... assessing soul awakening..."
"Analysis complete; updating the system according to the host's characteristics."
...
"Update complete; forced awakening of the host initiated."
Louis, who had fallen unconscious again, slowly awoke, accompanied by a sense of déjà vu. Fortunately, he no longer woke in space but on solid ground. The feel of grass beneath his feet and wind in his hair made him sigh with relief.
Observing his surroundings, he realized he was currently in a plain surrounded by a forest whose trees were of outsized dimensions. Each of them stood several dozen meters tall. At the far end of the plain was a river teeming with life, the size of a large modern canal.
In the middle of the plain stood a statue carved from stone, 2 meters high, depicting a genderless human. Its two palms were turned upward. In its left hand burned a powerful flame, radiating a warmth that soothed the soul and brought clarity of mind to anyone nearby.
In its right hand flowed clear water that healed every illness of those who drank it. In the middle of its palm lay a seed that was gently beginning to sprout.
Barely 10 meters from it, Louis stared, dazed, at the mysterious statue, particularly intrigued by the fire that burned with no apparent fuel. His attention fully fixed on it, the sudden voice he heard made him jump back in surprise.
"Welcome to Server No. 98621, host. I am the personalized system that has been assigned to you. Before introducing you to the world into which you have just been transported, you must choose the path you wish to follow."
"You may choose among the following paths:
The Path of Power
The Path of the Divine
The Path of the Sovereign
Each of them represents a road to dominion. It is up to you to choose the one that will lead you to the top of this world and the next."
Overwhelmed by events, Louis sat down in the grass, the strength leaving his legs. He had subconsciously hoped that the events so far had been nothing but a nightmare, but the truth quickly caught up with him.
No, he was not dreaming.
He was now in his new reality.
And if he didn't adapt quickly, who knew what would happen to him in this unfamiliar new world?
He slowly lost control: the situation completely overwhelmed him, shattering all the limits and barriers of his subconscious. The first signs of madness appeared on his face. He was seized by uncontrollable tics, followed by the loss of control over his emotions and expressions. His body too began to be seized by spasms that grew ever more violent.
At that moment, the statue's flame began to blaze more intensely and grew to three times its original size.
A gentle, soothing warmth radiated over Louis, gradually dispelling the signs that had begun to appear. Five minutes later, Louis was sitting in the grass, completely calm, with a rational mind.
The flame, having fulfilled its role, shrank back to its original size.
Dazed at the thought that he had nearly gone mad, Louis cast another glance at the statue, this time with growing respect in his eyes. After a few seconds to gather himself, he turned his thoughts to the words his system had addressed to him.
He had a choice among three paths. And judging by their names, all were tied to power, whether personal or organizational. From that, he could determine that combat and death would soon become commonplace in his life.
Though the news might seem surprising, Louis accepted it calmly. After a moment meditating on the choices, he tried to ask the system a question to clarify his suppositions.
"System, can you introduce me to the different paths? What exactly do they consist of? What are their uses in this world?"
Fortunately, the cold, mechanical voice answered him instantly:
"Of course, host.
The Path of Power consists in ruling the world with your own strength. It is focused on strengthening the host by every possible means until becoming inevitable.
The Path of the Divine requires you to create a religion, a cult of which you are the principal god. The more living beings believe in you and the stronger their faith, the more powerful and unbounded your powers will be.
The Path of the Sovereign consists in creating the most powerful kingdom, building a nation capable of conquering everything under the heavens and beyond.
It is up to you to choose the path that will transform you into the being who stands at the summit."
Sitting in the grass, Louis spent a good hour weighing the pros and cons of each of the three paths. After many questions to the system and a thorough analysis of his strengths and desires, he had made his choice.
His voice trembling, he announced it:
"System, I choose the Path of the Sovereign."