Edward Thorne was halfway up the wall when the world ended.
Not in the dramatic sense, no explosions, no screaming skies. Just a quiet, absolute wrongness that pressed against his skull like a sudden change in altitude.
He clung to the rock face, fingers locked into a shallow crimp, boots braced against the artificial holds of the climbing gym. Below him, padded mats and steel supports blurred as his vision flickered.
A soundless pulse passed through the air.
Edward froze.
The wall didn't shake. Gravity didn't shift. But something fundamental, something assumed, snapped out of place.
A translucent blue panel materialized directly in front of his face.
He sucked in a sharp breath and nearly lost his grip.
SYSTEM ARRIVAL CONFIRMEDPLANETARY INTEGRATION: COMPLETEDESIGNATION: BATTLE ROYALE WORLD
Edward's first coherent thought was 'I'm hallucinating.'
His second was do not let go.
He forced himself to breathe slowly through his nose, the way his instructor had drilled into him during overhang climbs. Panic would get him injured long before any imaginary screen could.
The panel didn't disappear.
It hovered, perfectly stable, its edges sharp and unreal against the industrial lights of the gym.
Below him, someone shouted.
"What the hell is that?!"
Edward glanced down. Half the climbers had already dropped to the mats, staring into empty space, hands waving as if swatting invisible insects. One guy backed into a rack of brushes, knocking them over with a clatter.
Everywhere Edward looked, people were frozen mid-motion, eyes unfocused, pupils tracking something only they could see.
So it wasn't just him.
That realization steadied him more than it should have.
He descended carefully, every move deliberate. When his boots touched the mat, his knees almost buckled from the adrenaline dump finally catching up.
The blue panel expanded.
NOTICE TO ALL SAPIENT LIFETHE SYSTEM HAS BEEN INTRODUCEDCURRENT CIVILIZATION STATUS: TERMINATED
A ripple of noise swept the gym. Someone laughed, high and hysterical. Someone else started crying.
Edward swallowed.
Terminated.
That was… a strong word.
RATIONALE:STAGNATION DETECTEDENTERTAINMENT POTENTIAL: ACCEPTABLESURVIVABILITY PROJECTION: 17.3%
Seventeen percent.
Edward exhaled slowly, fingers curling into his palms. His mind, trained by years of spreadsheets and probability models, latched onto the number.
Low. Catastrophically low.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:ALL POPULATIONS WILL BE ENTERED INTO A FORCED COMPETITIVE SELECTION EVENT
A woman screamed.
Edward barely heard it.
EVENT TYPE:GLOBAL BATTLE ROYALE
There it was.
The words carried a weight that settled deep in his chest. This wasn't a test.
This was a filter.
Edward's thoughts snapped, suddenly, sharply, to his family.
His mother would be at work right now, balancing shipment schedules at the port. His father, retired, stubborn, probably arguing with the newsfeed over breakfast. His younger sister in class, half-listening to a lecture she didn't care about.
Were they seeing this too?
REASSURANCE NOTICE:ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BEGIN WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
That helped. A little.
INITIAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION:ABILITY POINTS: 1,000
Edward blinked.
Points.
He almost laughed. Of course there were points.
ABILITY ACQUISITION WILL BE RESTRICTED BY SOURCESOURCE DETERMINATION METHOD: RANDOMIZED SELECTION
A new panel unfolded beside the first, this one circular.
A wheel.
Segmented. Color-coded. Each slice labelled with names Edward recognized instantly, and others he only vaguely knew.
Anime. Books. Series. Worlds.
Some were highlighted in gold. Others burned red.
Edward's mouth went dry.
SOURCE WHEEL WILL DETERMINE COMPATIBLE POWER SETS FOR THIS EVENTNO RE-ROLLSNO EXCEPTIONS
Someone nearby shouted, "This is bullshit!"
Edward didn't disagree.
PURCHASING PHASE WILL COMMENCE AFTER SOURCE SELECTIONUNSPENT POINTS WILL BE LOST
That snapped his focus back.
Unspent points lost meant one thing: hesitation was punished.
WARNING:ABILITY CHOICES ARE PERMANENT
Edward closed his eyes briefly.
Think.
He was twenty-three. A finance student. Good with numbers, risk assessment, optimization. Not a fighter. Not a soldier.
But he was active. Strong. Rock climbing had taught him body awareness, grip strength, patience under pressure. He wasn't helpless.
And this, this was a system.
Systems had rules.
And rules could be exploited.
SOURCE SELECTION BEGINNING IN:10
A countdown appeared.
Edward's heart rate ticked up.
9
Around him, people were panicking openly now, shouting, arguing, sobbing. Some tried to run, only to slam into invisible barriers that shimmered faintly when struck.
8
Edward pulled his phone from his pocket on instinct.
No signal.
Of course.
7
He forced his shoulders down, grounding himself.
You can panic later, he told himself. Right now, you prepare.
6
The wheel began to spin.
Fast at first, colours blurring together.
5
Edward tracked the segments automatically. He recognized some: high-power universes, low survivability ones. Some were famous for broken abilities. Others… cursed.
4
The wheel slowed.
3
His stomach tightened.
2
The pointer clicked.
Once.
Twice.
1
The wheel stopped.
Edward stared.
SOURCE CONFIRMED[JUJUTSU KAISEN] UNIVERSE
The text resolved a second later.
A setting Edward knew.
Not the strongest.
Not the weakest.
But versatile.
Adaptable.
His pulse steadied.
He could work with this.
PURCHASING PHASE INITIATED
The wheel vanished, replaced by a cascading menu of abilities. Each listed with a cost. Each tagged with rarity, growth potential, synergy warnings.
Edward's eyes flew.
This was… a lot.
Edward's eyes narrowed as the purchasing menu fully materialized. The system had already informed him of the source universe: Jujutsu Kaisen. He blinked.
He knew the series well enough from casual readings and anime clips. He'd never imagined being able to pick powers like this, not in a system, not in reality, certainly not in a moment where survival counted.
The menu was structured into three main categories.
Cursed Techniques: These were innate abilities, tied to a user's energy and personality. Some were extremely rare; some were situational; some came with steep risks. A few examples glowed softly on the panel:
Ten Shadows Technique (850 points): Summon and control shikigami to fight, defend, or scout. Requires skill in manipulation, but versatile and powerful in many situations.
Cursed Speech (650 points): Infuse words with cursed energy to compel action or cause damage. Effective but dangerous; misuse can backfire.
Energy Projection (700 points): Manipulate cursed energy to form enhanced attacks or defensive constructs.
Limitless (1500 points): Manipulate space itself at a molecular level, allowing incredible control over range, speed, and distance. Mastery requires precision and mental focus. (Six Eyes required)
Curse Manipulation (800 points): Control and alter other curses. Extremely versatile, but weak control can backfire.
Edward leaned forward, scanning carefully. His climbing instincts spoke first: mobility mattered. Domain Expansion was tempting, but managing it in a first trial without experience would be suicidal. Projection Sorcery had precision, control, and room to experiment. That would suit him better.
Cursed Tools: These were weapons imbued with special curses, ready to be wielded. The menu displayed several options, each floating in a small holographic showcase:
Playful Cloud (350 points): A multi-use blade that could extend or retract at will, slicing with cursed energy.
Idle Death (400 points): A spear that seemed ordinary but could nullify protective barriers or defences.
The Black Rope (400 points): Capable of restraining curses or binding opponents instantly.
Box of Tricks(300 points): A chest that unleashed random minor curses when opened.
Edward felt a pang of excitement. Tools weren't tied to innate energy levels, meaning he could use them effectively even without years of training. Good. Practical.
Passive Enhancements: Less flashy, but equally crucial.
Six eyes (10,000 points): Eyes capable of perceiving cursed energy down to the atomic level, allowing for perfect cursed energy manipulation. Allows the user to see the soul.
Cursed Energy (1- 1000 points): Amount of cursed energy you possess
Cursed Energy Manipulation (1- 1000 points): Increased efficiency, allowing you to use techniques with less fatigue.
Reinforced Body (1-1000 points): Improved reflexes, joint durability, and stamina.
Cursed Awareness (150 points): Sense nearby energy, identifying threats or weaknesses before attacks landed.
Edward's pulse steadied. He had no illusions about this. He wasn't a prodigy. He wasn't Yuuji Itadori or Megumi Fushiguro. But he had thoughtfulness, observation, patience and a knack for adaptation.
Edward selected his first ability: Ten Shadows Technique, committing the bulk of his points. The moment it registered, a subtle shift coursed through him, a skeletal energy stirring beneath his skin as if invisible puppets had taken root along his limbs. Control and precision settled into him, raw and demanding, but instinctively familiar.
REMAINING POINTS: 150
Next, he unlocked Cursed Energy, using just enough points to awaken the flow through his body. The sensation was immediate, a tingling, pervasive awareness of the space around him, of energy vibrating and coiling in everything nearby. It was a foundation, simple but essential.
REMAINING POINTS: 50
Finally, he spent the last of his points improving his manipulation. It wasn't much, far from the finesse of a true practitioner, but it gave him enough control to act without completely fumbling.
REMAINING POINTS: 0
That was it. Nothing flashy beyond that. Nothing else.
Edward paused, envisioning the scenario ahead: a group of competitors advancing, cursed energy signatures unfamiliar and erratic. The Ten Shadows Technique could summon Shikigami allies for attack or defence. His awakened cursed energy would allow him to sense danger and respond faster. And his improved manipulation, limited as it was, would give him a small edge in controlling his Shikigami and cursed energy.
It wasn't overwhelming. It wasn't unbeatable. But it was enough.
The confirmation panel appeared. The menu vanished. The system had sealed his choices.
Edward exhaled, leaning back slightly. The room, or what remained of it, was silent except for distant shouts, panicked scrambling, and the low hum of the system preparing the next phase.
This was it. The first step. He didn't know what trials awaited, how the rules might twist, or who he'd face. But with a careful plan and a steady head, Edward Thorne felt, for the first time since the system arrived, like he might survive this new, impossible world.
He flexed his hands, feeling the skeletal energy twitching beneath his skin, and whispered under his breath, "Time to see if this is enough."