After the Assimilation System inadvertently outed Thaden as a Contender, as well as confirming that he was at the top of most of the Rankings, the Lifewarden has to leave the town of Ashcleft as soon as possible. Why? Because with his Level being over 21, he can now be attacked by other Contenders with a lower Level than him; they are eager to bring him down so that they’ll have a chance at the top spot, which will guarantee that their families back home on Earth will be safe. With the completely unfair Contender versus Contender system in place, he can’t defend himself even if he had that capability, as any damage he might inflict upon them is immediately negated. Fortunately, Thaden escapes those who wish him harm, but as he travels further from Ashcleft, he realizes that he doesn’t exactly have a plan on how to proceed now that his status has been revealed. Venturing into the wider world of Tarth has its own problems, though the danger to him is largely in the form of other Contenders learning his identity, and not the monsters that roam across the landscape or the dungeons that might challenge him. Despite those dangers, the Lifewarden decides to begin accumulating more of the resources needed to Level-up; but when he unwittingly stumbles upon a challenge that the Assimilation System has designed, Thaden is completely unprepared for the consequences of his actions. But in reality, it’s the world of Tarth that is completely unprepared for him….