Lucien stood alone in the store, his hands resting on the counter as he looked at the clock with anticipation.
The store was small, and only a few shelves held foodstuffs.
He stood at 6'3 ft. His white hair was short at the sides and brushed up at the top. His body was averagely built, but muscular enough to show that he was no stranger to physical labor.
The last tick of the clock made a slight smile appear on his lips. "Finally," he muttered, pulling the store's apron from his body and hanging it calmly on a hanger behind him.
"Lucien," a voice roared from behind a door that led to the main store. Lucen's face contorted as he heard the voice calling him. Coming out of the door was a chubby man of average height. His bald head shone brightly under the light that brightened the store.
"You didn't arrange the new stocks," he shouted as he stood before Lucien.
Lucien looked at him with a calm gaze, his golden eyes seeming to pierce his soul. "I am past my closing time. Why should I do it now?" He asked with furrowed brows.
The man glared at him with rage, veins popping on his head. "If you can't handle something so simple, you can resign," the man said, emphasizing the word "resign."
Lucien sighed in exhaustion when he heard the man's threat. "Again with this threat," he thought. He left the counter and walked towards the warehouse beside the door from which the man came out.
He walked into the warehouse and came out with a huge box pulled on a trolley. He stopped in front of a huge empty shelf and unpacked the box under the watchful gaze of his boss, whose arms remained folded.
The box held packets of noodles that were tightly and neatly arranged together. Lucien moved swiftly, placing them in the shelf with elegance.
When the last one was placed, Lucien stepped back, pushing a hair that covered his eyes back. "I am done now. Can I go?" He asked, his voice steady and calm.
The man looked at the shelf with a bitter smile before turning back to Lucen. "You need to be here by 7 am tomorrow," he said.
A loud gasp escaped Lucen's lips. "He is letting me leave at 11:47 and he expects me to get here at 7 am," he thought with exhaustion.
"You can't do it?" The man asked, his voice raised slightly.
Lucien groaned, but didn't respond. He grabbed his cloak from the counter and left the store, leaving the man smiling to himself.
He walked down the dimly lit street, his gaze flickering as he thought of how he needed to reach the store at 7 am the next day.
The street was still bustling with people who were coming from their various offices.
"Well, that would be left for tomorrow to solve," he said, his hand bringing a packet of noodles from his coat. "At least I got my overtime compensation," he said with a wide grin.
Working with his boss had made him realize something: if no one was going to pay for your help, you would take it yourself.
Soon, he reached his house, a small bungalow apartment, the only thing he inherited after his parents' death, alongside the pile of debt. Slowly, he approached the door. As his hand touched the knob, he vanished.
Soon after, a car crashed into the house. Looking closely, there was no one in the car either. It was as if the car had been moving on its own without a driver.
The next instant, Lucien was in a vast expanse of space. But it was not just him; other people were there, each one having the same look of confusion on their face.
'Did all of humanity get summoned here?' Lucien still joked even in something as serious as this.
It was not that he did not feel any tension. Contrary to that, his mind was in turmoil. But he chose to follow his father's words; the more frustrated you are, the more you should joke.
[Yes, this is all of humanity], A voice responded in his head.
His smile faltered. He turned around, looking for the person who spoke, but no one was close enough to say something so silently to him.
[Welcome to the Primordial Continent]
The words echoed through the space, easily reaching the ears of everyone present.
'It is the same as the voice I heard,' Lucien thought.
[All of humanity on Solun has been summoned to participate in the competition for Supreme Lord, alongside other races.]
The voice continued.
Murmurs spread among the humans. Even though most of them were unfamiliar with each other, they were in the same situation and had to talk together.
But the voice, not even putting their murmurs to ear, continued. [There are native Lords, but they will not attack any new Lord for 3 months. Now, I will take any questions from you.]
No one knew the source of the voice, but they still asked questions, but no reply came.
The smart ones among them could already guess it was because of the questions they asked.
Finally, another question came. "What about weaker people?" A girl asked.
[They will stay with their relatives on the continent, or they may choose to return to Solun, alone.] For the first time, the voice replied.
"How do we survive in the world then? We are just humans, but the world you are talking about seems to be magical." Another question.
[You will find out after you arrive on the continent.] The reply was short.
After no other question came for another 5 minutes, the voice came again.
[Since you are all done, I will now transfer you to the Primordial Continent.]
A burst of white light enveloped everyone,
[Remember, you humans of Soluna are not the only competitors]
The voice gave a final warning, before they all vanished.
In the same moment as they disappeared, the entire place began to crumble, cracks spiralling across it till it fragmented.
Lucien opened his eyes in a completely normal place, with bushes surrounding him and an altar before him.
But it was not only him. Along with his arrival, several others appeared on the continent.