Suddenly finding himself on an alien world, a reluctant soldier becomes Earth's ultimate champion in a secret war, in this portal fantasy adventure. Max Cromwell was only fifteen when his mother died of cancer. Angry and depressed, he spent the rest of his teenage years a rebellious troublemaker, neglecting school and playing video games. Having barely earned his high school diploma, he didn't even attempt applying to college. But after drifting through a series of uninspiring jobs, Max joins the military for a year of service. The discipline snaps him out of his inertia, the physical exertion increasing his strength and stamina, the focus quieting his restless mind. With his discharge approaching, he feels for the first time like he finally has a future ahead of him. That is, until the sky tears open during a training exercise, casting him through a portal to the world of Alpha Ludus . . . It seems Max is one of many people abducted from Earth to participate in the Cosmic Games, conducted by the Intergalactic Consortium of Civilized Beings. Humanity and three alien species have been recruited to wage war on behalf of ICCB members in a conflict over resources. The species that wins the game for their benefactors will return to their home planets, rewarded with the knowledge to guide them to peace and immortality. The other, losing species will be made extinct. Now Max must learn the ways of the intergalactic warrior: channeling mana, developing powerful abilities, and acquiring supernatural weapons. And with every victory against natural threats and alien enemies, he'll evolve into humanity's fiercest protector.