"In this world, everyone has the right to become a king."
"Welcome to the playground. The world is a chessboard - whether you are a pawn or a king, walk your own path."
Planet Mahi
Rishi was lying in his room when suddenly a notification appeared in his mind.
"Be ready, player. You have been given the chance to evolve and enter the chess game in two days."
He slowly opened his eyes and murmured,
"Finally… it's happening."
....
Two Years Earlier, Planet Mahi
A fourteen-year-old boy walked alone along a road outside the town, lost in thoughts about human nature.
When he saw people wielding supernatural powers, strange creatures appearing out of nowhere, and people losing their lives as if it were a common thing… yet people were still more troubled by the bullying of the powerful.
Instead of using their powers against those creatures, they used them against the weak just to prove their status.
Maybe the people of the past were right about one thing—the gods truly exist, or at least once existed, and they created the world and everything in it.
But I think there is one exception… humans.
Perhaps demons and asuras created humans, because humans share the same nature of destruction and the urge to ruin everything.
He sighed at his own thoughts and raised his head, gazing at the clear sky.
At that moment, he noticed a shining blue light in the sky.
It was about a foot long and moved like a meteor.
Suddenly it stopped… and then shot straight toward him.
He tried to dodge, but failed.
The light struck his body.
Yet it did not injure him.
Instead, it dissolved and was absorbed into him.
He quickly stood up and checked himself.
He was completely fine.
.....
Planet Sarovar
At the same time, a girl sat quietly beside a lake.
"Maybe people are right about heaven and hell."
"But looking at the greed humans carry within them, I'm sure ninety percent of them will end up in hell."
"They build their lives on lies and false hopes."
Suddenly she stood up and spoke to herself,
"Even so, I will gain power and become strong at any cost… even if I have to go to hell."
At that moment, the same blue light descended from the sky.
And just like the boy on Planet Mahi…
It was absorbed into her body.
...
After turning sixteen, everyone receives a chance to evolve and step onto the path of power.
There is an old saying that in the distant past humans once possessed great powers. However, they used those powers only for destruction. Because of this, the gods sealed those powers deep inside human beings so that no one could find them again.
For a long time, humans were not supposed to possess supernatural abilities.
But suddenly, a mysterious event occurred and humanity regained access to those hidden powers.
Now all Rishi needed to do was go to the altar for evaluation and take the test.
He remained silent for a while, thinking.
"I'm weak… so I must become strong."
Rishi himself had turned sixteen just last month, in June.
Now it was July, and there were only two days left before the test to become an Evolver.
.....
A major event had occurred one hundred years ago when something known as the Chatterbox appeared.
The Chatterbox was somewhat like a system interface from a game, yet completely different. One thing was certain—it was a massive and mysterious form of magic.
it occasionally asked questions—hence the name Chatterbox.
Answering them was completely optional.
But if someone asked it a question, it would never respond.
It simply reminded people of its mysterious presence.
The Chatterbox brought both danger and opportunity.
Animals began evolving. Some lost control and transformed into terrifying beasts that attacked humans.
Yet even that was not the worst part.
These creatures were far stronger than ordinary animals, some even stronger than battle tanks.
Humanity and the armies fought desperately against them.
Eventually, the situation stabilized and peace returned behind fortified walls.
But the cost was enormous.
Half of the human population had died.
Humanity survived only by evolving.
This evolution allowed people to become stronger and awaken supernatural abilities.
Yet even that was not the most astonishing event.
The most unbelievable thing happened when the Saptarishi(Big dipper) constellation turned red, and cracks appeared in the dimensions themselves.
Through those cracks, six new worlds appeared and began merging with Planet Mahi.
For now, barriers separated these worlds, preventing direct contact between their inhabitants.
Otherwise, wars would have been inevitable.
However, all seven worlds shared one place - the Playground.
The Playground was a common battleground where people from all seven worlds could teleport.
It was filled with powerful beasts and deadly dangers.
No sane person would willingly go there.
But where danger exists, resources also exist—and human greed is greater than fear.
So people began entering the Playground despite the risks.
....
Two days later,
Rishi was standing inside a temple like structure building, that was alter, the whole temple.
There were countless alters in world and they would appear at the time of test and then disappear like they never exist and one has appeared in their orphan. In the temple there were only sleeping pods everywhere, looking very luxurious. It was really different that he had thought. He simply lie down on one and closed his eyes comfortably, he has never felt this good before and how, he was a poor orphan. Even he failed, coming here would not be meaningless.
Suddenly, a notification appeared in his mind.
"Welcome, participant. You are about to start your journey to become a player. Are you ready?"
Rishi answered, "Yes."
"Before you start, give me some answers," the chatterbox said.
"What makes someone powerful?"
Rishi did not think for even a second and answered, "It is knowledge and experience. Seek knowledge and put it to use, not just store it. The second is experience—the experience you gain and how you handle it. Many individuals lose control when they experience power or wealth. The power that should help others becomes the reason for their downfall."
"What is power then?"
Rishi answered, "Power lies in balance. It is good to be knowledgeable, but you must know when to remain unknown. Stay in the middle. It is bad to remain ignorant, but it is equally bad to know everything."
"Then what do you think about the power of body and muscles? Don't you want to be strong? And what would you do if you faced someone stronger than you?"
"Yes, I want to be powerful—in body, mind, and spirit. Muscle power is temporary and can be shaken by a strong will. As for your last question, if I face a stronger opponent, I will use my intelligence and whatever resources I have. Or I will retreat if victory cannot be achieved, so that I can remain alive for the future."
A chuckling voice was heard.
"That's a political answer."
"Last question. What do you think 'Maya' is?"
This time Rishi chuckled.
"It's a tricky question—both hard and simple. A newborn comes into the world and lives a simple life, yet he is living in Maya. A knowledgeable person trying to escape it is also trapped in the cage of Maya. I think if you can stabilize your mind to zero, there might be a chance to get rid of it. Again, it comes back to balance. But this is only my guess. I am not fully sure."
The voice spoke again.
"Talking big is useless. Prove yourself."
"You have twenty one days while in real world it would be three days."
With that, Rishi lost his consciousness.
The last words he remembered were,
"The test for your path begins now."
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Note- Maya means Magic and illusion.