The beginning

"What in the world is this place?" Anfim muttered, his voice tinged with both cold resolve and mild confusion. He peered down into the roughly 30-meter-deep hole, contemplating the mission he had willingly accepted.

Anfim's task was to explore an enigmatic object that had plummeted from the heavens. The interior of the object was constructed from an unfamiliar, nearly impervious metal that defied the efforts of Anfim's Adamant tools. It bathed everything in a soothing and relaxing shade of light green.

Without much hesitation, Anfim secured his grappling iron and began his descent. The walls of the hole offered no resistance; they felt as smooth as unbreakable ice.

As he descended, Anfim's keen eyes detected peculiar symbols adorning the walls. They appeared to be a blend of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and Arabic letters.

"These symbols are eerie yet oddly beautiful. I've never encountered anything like them before. It's strange...why do I feel like I understand their meaning? It's as if my subconscious is feeding me cryptic information: 'World...change...unknown...Pillars...Sins...different worlds...ascension.'"

Anfim had descended about 10 meters when the entire space abruptly shook, causing him to lose his grip. Despite being the formidable mercenary who struck fear into the hearts of those who heard his name, surviving a 20-meter fall without any equipment was improbable.

He scanned his surroundings and calmly remarked, "I suppose my enemies can finally rest easy now." A smirk played across his lips as he continued, "What am I saying? The enemies I had are already resting peacefully-"

His sentence remained unfinished as his body exploded before reaching the ground.

"What just happened? Didn't I die? I don't recall even hitting the ground," Anfim wondered aloud.

He suddenly found himself in a place where nothing but darkness surrounded him. Then, a peculiar message materialized in front of him.

[You have 5 unread messages]

"What the heck is this?" Anfim exclaimed as he attempted to interact with the text.

[You have entered a spatial rift!]

[You can't withstand the pressure]

[You died]

[Due to entering the spatial rift, you have the opportunity to undertake a test to obtain an entry card for the World of Unknown]

[You have been granted an energy body for the time being. If you pass the test, you will be resurrected]

"Quite a bit of information to digest...another world, well, I've witnessed so much in my life that I'm hardly surprised. As long as I can do as I please, I don't really care which world I inhabit," Anfim contemplated, stroking his chin with his right hand and fiddling with his energy balls with his left.

A sudden message appeared, and Anfim was teleported.

[You have 5 minutes to prepare for the Trial]

[To clear this trial, you must be the sole survivor]

"I must be the only one alive? I wonder what this trial entails. Perhaps I'll be summoned into an arena and simply have to dispatch everyone there. That'd be rather enjoyable; my body is already itching for a fight," Anfim mused.

He found himself in a cramped waiting room, furnished with only a chair and a large mirror. As he stared at his reflection, he contemplated the challenges that awaited him in the upcoming trial, formulating various strategies for potential environments.

In the mirror, he saw his short black hair and his handsome face, marred by a prominent scar on his left cheek, resembling a crescent moon. It was a lasting reminder of the only individual who had not only wounded him physically but also left a deep mental scar.

Anfim noticed his thoughts veering in an unwanted direction and promptly refocused his mind.

As the timer reached 1:00 minute, he stood up, stretching his muscular yet lean body, more akin to that of a swimmer than a bodybuilder. Standing at a towering height of 189 centimeters, he wore a black jacket and gray sweatpants.

He concluded his stretching routine just as the timer reached 0.

[The trial is beginning]

[You have been transported to the Misty Azure Forest]