On the endless pink grassland, a team of three demi-human players was locked in battle with a massive, LV.2 black tiger.

  Leading the charge was a rabbitkin girl—fierce and composed. Her long pink ears and wavy hair fluttered in sync with the red coat and silver light armor she wore, exuding a natural aura of authority.

  She wielded a greatsword with one hand, every strike swift and sharp, always attacking from blind spots, never wasting a move. Each motion flowed into the next with fluid precision, leaving the enemy with no chance to retaliate.

  Her two teammates weren’t idle either. The rhino brute took the front line, his skin tough as armor. He wore spirit-infused gray gauntlets, suppressing the tiger’s resistance with sheer physical might. Though his body was battered and bruised, he didn’t retreat an inch.

  Above them, the falcon boy soared low in the air. Whenever he spotted an opening, he’d dart in and stab with his thin sword, injecting a viridian toxin that coursed through the tiger’s body, gradually numbing its senses.

  The three of them moved as one. The tiger’s HP bar was already more than halfway down.

  Far off at the edge of the battlefield, Helier crouched in the grass, eyes glued to the scene. He munched on fruit after fruit, completely absorbed.

  What a cool fight! He wanted in on that kind of action too!

  “Mr. System, they’re amazing!”

  Though the comment might’ve been a bit rude, compared to that five-person group he met earlier, this trio was clearly a league above—entirely different tiers.

  “Mhm. Statistically speaking, during early game stages, beastmen and demi-humans usually come out on top when compared to beastfolk and humans. Their performance here is consistent with that,” the system replied with its usual calm. “But the girl leading them… she’s exceptional. Once the ranking feature is unlocked, she’ll definitely be up there. Probably top ten.”

  “Wow…” Helier sighed in admiration.

  “Oh, right. Mr. System, are those four the only playable races?”

  “There are far more than that, but you won’t see them just yet. From the beginning, the system sorted and separated players, scattering them across distant regions.”

  “Why?”

  “The reason lies in perception. Each race sees the world differently. For example, a red fruit in your eyes might appear as a green gem to others. If we let everyone mingle right away, chaos would break out due to these inconsistencies. That’s why early on, players with similar perception types are grouped together,” the system explained slowly and patiently.

  “Color and form are just different expressions of energy. By midgame, once players are skilled enough to discern properties beyond appearance, it’ll be time for the convergence of all races.”

  Helier nodded, somewhat dazed. So there was that kind of logic behind it. Now he was curious—what did the world look like through other races’ eyes? Maybe he could befriend some players from other species and ask them?

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He started imagining it, a grin of anticipation spreading across his face.

  The system saw right through him and sighed softly. Every player who joined this game had their own agenda. To achieve their goals, they’d do whatever it took—even use a naive, unsuspecting kid like Helier.

  Still, it chose not to voice that thought. It would be there to catch him if he fell anyway. No need to spoil the moment.

  Back on the battlefield, the tiger was already one paw in the grave. The paralysis poison had fully kicked in. Though it had a third of its HP left, its status bar was littered with debuffs. It could barely move.

  The rhino and falcon boy backed off. The rabbit girl gathered orange-red energy onto her blade, then hurled her greatsword into the sky.

  The sword morphed into an enormous red carrot and came crashing down like a meteor.

  Boom! One hit kill.

  When the dust cleared, she carried the sword on one shoulder and her loot in the other arm, returning without a change in expression.

  “You both did great. Ted, how’s your body holding up?” she asked the rhino brute, who had tanked all the damage.

  “Not bad. Nothing serious—”

  “Show me your status screen.”

  She cut him off, knowing this gentle giant would play tough.

  Ted hesitated, trying to push back, but one stern look from her shut him up. He obediently opened his status screen—HP was over half, but the most curious part was a buff icon flickering at the bottom, indicating a boost had just expired.

  “Ted, if I remember right, your natural regen is only two, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, basically nonexistent. Why?”

  She didn’t answer right away, just narrowed her red eyes slightly. His wounds had mostly closed. Then, as a gust of wind passed through, she perked up her ears and stared into the grass behind her teammates. The breeze rustled the weeds, but nothing seemed out of place.

  “Philio, did another player pass by just now? A human?”

  “Yup,” the falcon boy said casually. “No harm though.” He pointed at his right eye—its strange, crosshair-like iris glowing faintly.

  He’d spotted the boy while circling overhead. Honestly, it was hard not to notice him. On an all-pink field, the pale-skinned kid practically glowed.

  At first, he was cautious—it was another race, after all. Could’ve been a little thief scouting them out. But he soon realized the boy was just spectating, eyes sparkling with excitement. Before slipping away, he’d even tossed a Healing Bloom their way, which explained why the rhino’s wounds had healed so quickly.

  The rabbit girl twitched her ears again.

  “That so? Well, if the shadiest one here says he’s harmless, then I guess we’re good.”

  “Hey! Where’s the respect?”

  “We’re moving.”

  She chuckled softly. After confirming the stranger was gone, she turned and led the team away.

  ...

  Meanwhile, Helier had snuck across the field and reached the base of a mountain.

  “Mr. System, when does the first round of selection end?”

  “Tomorrow morning. So, less than half a day.”

  “Ah, am I in danger of getting eliminated then? Wait, how is the ranking calculated?”

  Helier scratched his head with an awkward smile. He’d totally forgotten this was a game. If he kept slacking off, he might not even make it past the first round. No idea if there’d be a losers’ bracket or anything.

  “Ranking is based on contribution points. There are many ways to earn them—combat, exploration, collection. But the two highest-value actions are acquiring Star Pigments and slaying Devourers,” the system explained. “Don’t worry. Your current score’s high enough. You’ll pass.”

  Helier clapped his hands in relief. No wonder everyone was out hunting Devourers. Still, even with the system’s assurance, he felt it’d be better to put in one final push—end this round on a high note!

  “I can tell you’re planning to boost your score. In that case, I’ve got a challenge for you. It’s difficult. Interested?” the system asked.

  “Yes!” Helier nodded without hesitation. The higher the difficulty, the bigger the thrill—and the more satisfying the win.

  He wanted to fight like those three just now. Stylish, confident, and cool!

  “Excellent. Love the attitude,” the system teased.

  The maple-leaf pin on his chest began to glow. A glowing trail of light appeared before his eyes, snaking up the mountain path.

  “Go. A trial awaits you there.”