Flames and twisted abominations of nature covered the landscape as far as the eye could see. A city lay in ruins. No signs of life on the streets or in the tattered remnants of what used to be homes. Signs of the carnage that had once ensued were everywhere. Rubble from the battered buildings covered the streets and dried up and flaked blood was sprayed over the streets and walls. Yet there were no bodies. But all the gore told enough of the tale. Only one word was fit to describe this place.

Hell.

Outside of the city stood a colossal structure. Ten strong, round towers pierced the sky, connected by reinforced, chunky walls made of golden stone. In the middle of these towers stood a tower like no other, stretching up almost endlessly. Small windows were scattered generously around the walls in seemingly perfect symmetry.

A massive gate with massive wooden doors made up the entrance as if to protect those in need from the treacherous lands outside.

Unlike the rest of this barren world — which was overgrown with horrid Lovecraftian-like amalgamations that made a mockery out of Mother Nature’s creations — a lush forest surrounded the citadel. The structure gave onlookers a sense of being in front of something ancient, yet it showed no signs of collapsing any time soon.

Inside the tower, on the highest of floors that lay far above even the clouds, two figures were crossing over a dilapidated bridge; nothing but seemingly endless darkness beneath it.

At the end of the bridge, the goal the figures were desperately running towards, stood a beautifully ornamented wooden door that shone ever so brightly, almost as if to counter the endless feeling of despair that the darkness beneath filled one with.

“Ken! Come on! We’re almost there. Just a bit more!” One of the figures yelled — a youth with long black hair that almost reached down to his shoulders. The dirty and disheveled hair mostly hid the youth's gaunt and drained face, but the distress in his voice was clear. Round amber eyes, set far within their sockets, looked back behind him with worry as he tried pulling his companion along by the wrist.

His friend, another boy with equally messy brown hair and a tiny frame, could barely keep up and were limping forward, almost falling with each step.

Screeches echoed through the air and filled the boys' hearts with dread — their time was up.

“It's impossible. They're dead, and we're next.” The smaller boy — Ken — murmured.

The other boy grabbed a tighter hold of his friend's wrist as he kept dragging both of them towards the gate in front of them. There wasn’t much distance left between them and the gate — just a few hundred or so meters — but he knew Ken was right. They were injured and exhausted. The monsters around here could catch up to them in under a minute. There was no way that they would both make it. But like hell he was going to give up at this point because of that. Not after everything they had to pay to get this far.

Then, he felt someone pull his hand away. He looked back with shock as he lost grip of Ken's wrist.

“What are y--?!”

“Just run. Please,” Ken groaned as he doubled over. Tears and dried up blood covered his face.

“Please, Kim.”

The other boy — Kim — hesitated for a second, but he quickly made his decision. Turning away from Kim, his friend that he’d gone through so many things with this past year, he ran towards the gate for all that he was worth. He'd thought he had no more tears left — he couldn't remember the last time he cried — but now drops ran down his cheeks like never before, dropping to the ground as he ran. He tried his best to ignore the shrieks that sounded out behind him and the screaming that followed. He was moving faster than he ever thought he could, being in the state that he was in. But the sounds still got closer. Every second that meant that the howls were even nearer and it like — that any second now — something would be on him to shred him to bits. His vision had become blurry from all the tears, but he could see that the gate was close now. He was only a few meters away.

Then, he felt something pierce his back. As if stopped by time, everything around him slowed to a stop. The pain was secondary. First came the shock. Then came the realization that he'd failed. Everything had gone to waste. Everything. A split second passed.

And then the gate opened. A bright light beamed through from the other side. The light was so bright that it burned his eyes and blinded him, but he didn’t care. It was warm, overwhelming the sharp sensation in his back. His entire body was engulfed by that warmth, like an aura of safety. Of hope.

But he was still afraid. Afraid that this feeling would disappear. Afraid that they would all judge him. Afraid to die. For just a moment, he wanted to do nothing but relax.

And then it all turned black.

Fear gripped his heart again. For a second, he genuinely thought he'd died. But then he opened his eyes and saw a white ceiling. He closed his eyes and opened them again. The ceiling was still there. Tilting his head, he looked to his side. He was on a bed.

Confused, he sat up and gazed around him. He was in a room. And a very plain one at that. Except for the bed, there was only a closet, a drawer, and a TV here. The TV surprised him, but it didn't surprise him as much as what he saw outside the single-panel next to his bed did.

There was a tree there.

A normal tree. No horrifying eyes that seemed to burn your soul. No menacing ichor that made you want to puke from just looking at it. No writhing tentacle-branches stretching forward to gouge out your intestines. Just plain old bark and some green leaves. And behind the tree was a street. An empty street. No dead bodies. No rubble. Just an ordinary street just like he remembered it.

A long row of text suddenly appeared before him.

[Congratulations! Through hard work and a generous amount of luck, you have become the sole victor of the Citadel of Hope!]

[As your reward, you have been saved from your demolished world!]

[As you are the sole survivor of the Citadel of Hope, you are awarded all of the Authority of Hope exclusively. Congratulations!]

Staring dazedly at the massages that hovered in the air before him, it took a few seconds for his tired mind to catch up. But when it did, there was only one thought in his mind.

“…What?”

I’m Kim Hooper. Three years ago, I was just your ordinary 15-year-old. There wasn't that much that was special about me. I was average height, but not particularly athletically built. Above-average smarts, and a decently hard worker. But so were many others. I considered myself relatively handsome, but who knows what others thought. I've always had a laid-back personality. To a scary degree, some people have said. But I don't consider any of this to be unique.

Other than that, the only thing that I think is special about me is that I'm lucky. Luckier than most others. I'm still alive, after all.

Three years ago, the world changed. Out of nowhere, these things called dungeons and towers started appearing all over the globe. And with those, monsters came. At first, the monsters weren’t too dangerous, nor were they too numerous. They popped up here and there and caused havoc, sure, but most countries' militaries could suppress them. But the dungeons and towers were different. Entering them was far more dangerous as many of the monsters inside those couldn’t be killed by ordinary guns and were far too powerful for humans to fight. Because of this, the dungeons and towers were kept under check but mostly left alone.

But that was the greatest mistake we ever made. After a few months, some of the dungeons and towers that had been left alone started spewing out those monsters into the world. And they quickly became too much for us humans to handle. The monsters began spreading over the world, and wherever they spread, the world would mold and change with them. Only one year after the monsters first appeared and any semblance of governments had fallen. It was up to every person to survive by themselves. Far as I know, no place on the planet was unaffected.

Despite the circumstances, there were groups of humans that managed to hide, survive, and even fight back to a certain degree.

But that changed when the next phase of change happened. Roughly one and a half years after the first monsters emerged, the first Citadel appeared. The citadels were like the dungeons and towers, but much worse. The things that came out of the citadels were so much worse. Monsters the size of mountains. Monsters that moved faster than the speed of sound. And monsters that could blow up a small town with a flick of their hand. With the citadels came true hell on earth.

I don’t know how it was in the rest of the world, but I’d be surprised if there were even one hundred thousand people left in my country after two years had passed. My friends and family had died long ago and the only reason that I was still alive by then was because of the luck of landing with the right people and my own resourcefulness. Probably mostly luck though, to be honest.

By this time, everyone had given up. No one thought we’d last much longer.

But that was when an abnormal citadel appeared.

The Citadel of Hope.

Those who entered were promised a chance for survival. Those who were lucky enough to be still alive and close to it immediately flocked to it. There were probably a couple thousand who entered it, hoping for salvation. The mind-blowingly powerful monsters that existed in the outside world couldn’t enter the Citadel of Hope, so in a sense, salvation was what we found. But the inside of the citadel was also filled with monsters. Although generally not as dangerous as the ones outside, many people still died at their hands. Everybody thought that they’d be saved if they reached the top of the citadel, but that wasn’t an easy thing to do. Not only was the citadel massive, but it was also racked with traps and betrayal. When I first entered the citadel, I was in a group of almost four hundred. One year later, when I finally reached the last floor, I and my friend Ken were the only ones who were left.

That was one week ago.

The Citadel of Hope kept its promise. It helped me survive.

Although the way to do that was apparently to send me to an entirely different world.

When I first woke up in this world, I was in an empty apartment. The only things in it were a few pieces of boring furniture, a TV, a computer, and food. Since then, I’ve been spending my time trying to get a handle of the situation.

This world is similar to mine, but there are some huge differences. In my world, the monsters first appeared in the year 2016. By 2019, humanity was as good as extinct. In this world, the monsters first appeared in 1962. But unlike my world, the people here managed to fight back.

This was mainly due to one factor; the people they call heroes.

In this world, magic is a thing. However that works, the people of this world can grow a lot stronger than anyone could even dream of in my world. When the monsters first emerged, some of these people rose up to fight against this threat and to subjugate the dungeons and towers that popped up around the globe. These people came to be called heroes, and not much time passed before the role of a hero became an occupation. The heroes in this world are celebrities and from what I can tell, about every kid dreams of becoming one. They're like the astronauts or football-stars of my world. Only cooler. But for most people, it's nothing more than a dream. Not only do almost all heroes have to go to specialized ‘hero’ schools from a young age, but they also all need to have a Talent. From what I’ve gathered, a Talent is essentially a superpower you’re born with — although they don’t seem to be as absurd and powerful as some of the superpowers that existed in fiction back in my world were.

This is about all the information I managed to gather and verify — mostly from what I think is this world's Wikipedia — during the last week.

Now, all of this pretty overwhelming, and I'm still confused about a lot of stuff. But what confounded me the most right now was the piece of paper that I was currently holding in my hand.

‘Lemorth Institute of Monster Subjugation acceptance letter.’

Lemorth Institute of Monster Subjugation. Better known as Lemorth Hero Academy. I’d looked it up after I received this letter. Supposedly, it’s one of the most famous hero schools in the world, located on an artificial island on the ocean west of Brittany. And for some reason, I was accepted into it.

“Could you explain this to me one more time? What exactly is this?” I asked out loud.

[Kim Hooper has been accepted into the Lemorth Institute of Monster Subjugation]

Text appeared before me in the air, just like it had before several times this week. This was the ‘Authority of Hope’, which also saved me from my old world. When I first got here, I wasn’t really in a state where I could think things through logically, so it wasn’t until recently that I seriously started trying to understand my situation.

“Yeah, I understood that part. What I was wondering was — why?”

[Kim Hooper was accepted into the Lemorth Institute of Monster Subjugation by passing the entrance exam]

“You see, that’s the part I don’t understand. When did I pass this entrance exam? I have no memory of that what-so-ever.”

[Kim Hooper’s vessel did not fit the correct parameters for transfer until recently]

[The nurturing and growth of the vessel was therefore delegated to the Authority until all parameters were fulfilled]

[The entrance exam was conducted under the Authority's supervision of the vessel]

“…The vessel? Is the vessel my body?"

[Correct]

"Does that mean that up until now, you’ve been controlling this body?”

[Correct]

I let out a relieved sigh. “Thank god — that bastard. I was afraid this was the body of an alternate me from another dimension or some shit like that.

Thinking over what the Authority had said, I paused.

“Wait, does that mean that you created this body, too?"

[Correct]

"So you created a human body eighteen years ago, and you've been controlling it up till now?”

[Correct]

A short and concise answer, as always. The Authority didn’t seem to have much of a personality. I’d asked it before who it was, but it only ever answered with ‘The Authority of Hope.’

“Do you mean literally? Or did you, like, insert the body into some woman’s womb or something freaky like that? Please say that you didn’t…”

[The vessel had to fulfill the correct parameters for the transfer of Kim Hooper to succeed]

[A natural human birth inferred too many variables. The vessel was created by the Authority]

“And you somehow managed to get this orphaned body accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the world?”

[Correct]

“..…How?”

[When necessary, the vessel’s physical attributes were adjusted to adapt to the situation]

“Physical attributes?”

[Kim Hooper]

[Strength: 1.91]

[Stamina: 2.03]

[Speed: 2.14]

[Endurance: 1.88]

[Perception: 2.65]

[Magic Force: 0.37]

[Kim Hooper’s physical attributes have been assessed and abstracted for easier understanding]

[A value of 2 correlates with the average capability of a non-powered eighteen-year-old male ]

I looked over the text carefully. If those were my so-called "attributes", that meant that I was pretty decent, right? At least I wasn't bad. Well, except for one thing.

“What’s magic force?”

[The capacity to store and use magic power]

“How come mine’s so low?”

[Kim Hooper’s original body did not possess the capability to use magic]

[For the vessel to not misalign with Kim Hooper’s parameters, the alteration of the vessel’s attributes had to be kept to the minimum]

“What would have happened if it didn’t fit the parameters?”

[A transfer to an unfit vessel would have resulted in bodily disfigurations and a high likelihood of death.]

“…Right. Good choice then.”

I looked over the attributes again.

“But from this, it looks like I’m just average. And if you count the magic force, I assume I'm way below average. Wouldn’t other students at this kind of place have much higher values at my age?”

[Correct. The average value for other students will likely be above 4 for their preeminent attributes]

“4? There’s no way I have any chance at this school then. How did you pass the exam like that? Did you double some of the attributes?

[Correct]

Seriously.

“Then, can’t you just change my attributes now too?”

[No. Now that Kim Hooper inhabits the vessel no significant changes can be made without risking severe repercussions]

“Then how did you expect me to even survive in a school like this?”

[The Authority will help Kim Hooper grow]

“Why? For that matter, why’d you even save me in the first place? What do you gain from this?`”

[Kim Hooper’s world fell. This world has not]

[Kim Hooper possesses the Authority of Hope]

[Kim Hooper must help save this world]

“Why would they need me? These guys seem to be doing fine on their own. It’s been almost sixty years, and they don’t even have citadels here yet.”

[Kim Hooper possesses the Authority of Hope]

[Kim Hooper must help save this world]

“So, just because I have the Authority of Hope I have to help save the world?”

[Correct]

I sighed. "You're expecting a lot from me for a really flimsy reason. It's not like I don't want to help. But something like this feels like a bit much, honestly." Shaking my head, I eyed the acceptance letter for a moment before putting it down on the table next to me. It was the only piece of real furniture in this entire apartment, barring the bed and the chair I was sitting on. The single TV-screen in the bedroom was just placed on the floor.

"I just survived that damn hell. I'd rather avoid having to be in a situation like that again. But I guess that means I have to do something if I don't want to risk ending up in the same situation again." I frowned. "...Or is that just a messed up way of thinking about it?"

No floating piece of text appeared as an answer.

"Fine. Whatever. If shit goes south I can always run away later. It's not like I have anything better to do. Or know what else I can do either, for that matter."

After thinking about it for a while, I realized something that I hadn't asked yet.

"Hey, how will you help me grow? I don't see what I can do right now, considering my attributes and lack of a Talent."

[Incorrect. Kim Hooper possesses the Authority of Hope]

[The Authority of Hope transcends a Talent]

[With it, Kim Hooper will grow]

“So The Authority of Hope is like a Talent, but better?"

[Incorrect. The Authority of Hope is not a Talent. The Authority of Hope transcends a Talent]

"But what does it do? Does it give me super strength? Or the ability to fly? Does it let me shoot lasers out of my eyes? Will it make me the most powerful man alive?”

[The Authority of Hope will help Kim Hooper grow]

[The Authority of Hope does not have a set of determined traits]

[Kim Hooper’s growth will depend on Kim Hooper]

“Then, how can you help me grow?”

[The Authority of Hope can help consolidate and focus on developing Kim Hooper’s natural talents]

"And what are my natural talents?”

[Unknown]

[What are Kim Hooper’s natural talents?]

“...You’re asking me?!”

[Correct]

“How am I supposed to know?”

[You are Kim Hooper]

Closing my eyes, I gently rubbed my temples and let out another deep sigh before opening my eyes again. It felt like I might develop a headache.

“Okay. What do you mean with natural talents?”

[What is Kim Hooper good at?]

“Seriously? Why not just say that to start with.”

I shook my head. What am I good at?

"Right. I'm observant. You got that right with my perception. It's saved my life more times than I can count. I'd say I'm pretty fast and agile too."

[Understood]

The Authority of Hope then went quiet.

“…Hello?”

No answer.

“Hey, Authority of Hope? You still there?”

The air before me was as empty as before.

“I swear, times like these are when I start doubting my sanity,” I mumbled.

Drumming my fingers on the table, I looked back down at the acceptance letter. The entrance ceremony was in one week. A ticket for the flight was included, so I wouldn’t have a problem getting there. And according to the letter, there were dorms for the students on the island, so I didn't have to bother with that either.

Wonder if the dorms are larger or smaller than this place. It didn't matter that much to me. They could give me a cave, far as I was concerned. As long as it was safe. But considering how prestigious this place sounds, the living situations for its students are bound to be at least decent.

I looked around my plain apartment. I was curious as to how the Authority of Hope even got this place, and how it managed to live in this world for eighteen years. How'd it survive as a baby, for example? But judging from its personality — or lack of one — it might be hard to get any clear answers regarding that.

I picked up a smartwatch-like object that lay on the table. It came with the acceptance letter and was apparently issued to every student. I wasn’t sure what features it had, but I was keen to find out. This world seemed to be further ahead in technology than my world was. I assume that it was because of magic.

As I was about to take up and start playing with the watch, text showed up in front of me again.

[Partial consolidation of Kim Hooper’s natural talents finished]

[Talent: The Watching Eye

Amongst all of the gods, Heimdall’s sight and hearing were unrivaled. Often referred to as “The One Who Watches,” he could hear as the grass sprouted and see past the horizon. Stern and resolute as he stood watch over the nine worlds, he was one whose gaze you did not want aimed at you. A part of his power now resides within you, enhancing your senses.

-Senses related to the perception attribute are slightly enhanced.

-For a short duration every day, you can focus your senses and pierce through the world with your sight. Overuse will cause backlash.]

Staring at the wall of text, it took me a moment to realize that my mouth was open. Reading it over a few more times, interpreting what it meant, I eventually closed the window down and looked around the apartment for a moment. My eyes locking on the window in the bedroom next-door, I rose from my chair and walked over to it. Gazing out over the street, I saw a couple walking down the street as they talked. I tried listening to their words. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I could hear that they were talking. There were several meters and a thick pane of glass between me and them. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to hear that before.

"This is just a slight increase?" I whispered to myself.

I tried to ‘focus my senses’ as the description had said and — despite not really having any idea what that meant — I could feel a change. It was like I’d always known how to do this. The leaves and branches that had covered part of my view suddenly disappeared from sight and I saw the entire street clearly. When I focused on one of the buildings across the street, the wall of the building turned invisible — giving me a clear view of an empty apartment inside. I focused on the next room, and another set of walls vanished from my sight. Exhilarated with my newfound power, I started to look through wall after wall to test its limits. When I accidentally looked in on a man wiping himself on the toilet I realized what I was doing and quickly stopped peeping into people's apartments. Instead, I looked around more on the street and tried to see how far I could use this.

After about a minute had passed of me playing with my new ability, I felt a small pain starting to grow at the back of my eyes. Taking that as a cue, I stopped what I was doing. That must be the backlash it mentioned.

“Hey, Hope.”

No answer.

“Hey, Authority of Hope.”

[Yes]

“From now on, I’m just going to refer to you as Hope. Understood?”

[Understood]

“So, Hope. You created this Talent, right?”

[Correct]

“I thought you said that you couldn’t alter my attributes much?”

[Kim Hooper's current perception is 3.19. Any further increases of Kim Hooper’s attributes in the current state will likely lead to severe repercussions]

[The Talent ‘The Watching Eye’ will allow the Authority of Hope to help Kim Hooper increase his perception]

“I see… Does that mean that you can’t create any more Talents right now?”

[Correct]

“But you will be able to create more in the future, right?”

[Depending on Kim Hooper’s growth, correct]

“Great. Then let’s start growing! How can you help me grow?”

[Physical exercise is recommended]

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”