To save Earth from extinction, a young warrior must evolve beyond his own humanity into something more powerful-and frightening-in this portal fantasy.

When Max Cromwell joined the military for a year of service, he didn't think he'd become a soldier on an alien world. But then the Zoos Collective kidnapped him along with other humans to be their army in the Cosmic Games, a conflict between the four godlike civilizations of the Intergalactic Consortium of Civilized Beings, who "recruit" lesser species to fight their battles over resources.

Trapped on the planet Alpha Ludus, Max and his people have been struggling to survive in this strange extraterrestrial landscape full of monstrous predatory beings, while simultaneously learning to cultivate mana and develop supernatural abilities. But unlike his fellow humans, Max wields extraordinary powers no one else has been able to channel, and he's come into possession of an otherworldly weapon: a sentient gun known as the Maverick.

Soulbound to the spirit of the firearm, Max is even deadlier and more dangerous than he was before. Consumed with the responsibility of saving the human race, he slaughters enemies without mercy, risking his life to acquire ever more destructive mana. Now the humans have been forced into a Deathmatch with the Ishkarassi, vicious reptilian warriors bred for combat. No matter how much Max trains his people, they're no match for their merciless foes.

Influenced by the Maverick, Max wages war singlehandedly, getting stronger and more powerful with every victory, sacrificing those he swore to protect. And his prowess hasn't gone unnoticed by the Consortium. He's becoming even greater than they imagined, his willful defiance threatening not only the Cosmic Games but the very fate of the universe . . .