My name is James, but my mom’s the only person that can call me that. To everyone else, I’m JD—a struggling artist, working my fingers to the bone for my shot with one of the big comic book companies. Oh, and I work nights, managing a dive called Judson’s Bar and Grill. I know, the dream life. Things were boring, disappointing, even. Until one faithful night, when everything changed. Why? Where do I start? First: An odd woman showed up in a booth while I was trying to close for the night. Rude, but on its own, not so weird. She was dressed in a kimono and had a sword in her lap. That part? Getting a little strange. Second: It turns out she’s a mistress at a magical academy and had been looking for me. Right? Please pick up on my sarcasm. Except, she proved it, and with just a few violent swings of her very real sword, ensured I both didn’t have a job any longer, and more or less had to follow her into a scary, glowing portal. Where did it take me? A surreal place called Zenith Academy, and a life I’d only ever dreamt of. There I’ll learn how to cultivate mana and wield magic-like powers. And that is just the beginning. The tower imbues cultivators with visual prompts and game-like stats, making my new life feel like something straight out of a choose your own adventure novel. But it’s not all for nothing. Evidently, they’ve been fighting a war for thousands of years, and I’ve just been drafted. <>

My first few weeks at Zenith Academy were hectic. I made friends, but also enemies, and got myself into a death duel. Our triumph from defeating the dungeon’s first floor boss was short lived, however, as a rather grim notification popped up. What did it say? A colossal beast and its swarm of bloodthirsty monsters was headed our way. That was the bad news. The good? We had time to prepare. I have my own party now, made up of a feisty earth girl, a naive but lovable moon elf, and a larger-than-life giantess. Who also happens to be a princess. We need to find a fifth member to round out the party, before it is too late. What do we do? Cultivate strength. Form alliances. And hope we’ve got what it takes to save Sklava City.