Water pattered lightly against skin.
Sho stood under the shower, arms resting against the tiled wall, letting the hot water run down his back.
drip drip drip
Images flashed through his mind—shattered buildings… crowds murmuring in panic… people stumbling like they'd just woken up in another world.
> "Was I the only one? The only... player?"
Suddenly—
[ SYSTEM PANEL APPEARED ]
> "Actually… no."
"UWAAAHH!!"
Sho jumped back, nearly slipping on the wet floor. His cheeks flushed red as the transparent panel hovered right in front of him.
"Heyy!!! System! Not while I'm—!! GIVE ME SOME PRIVACY!!"
He slapped the panel like an annoyed big brother scolding a nosy sibling.
[ SYSTEM LAUGHED: HAHAHAHAHA ]
"TSK! STUPID SYSTEM…"
He muttered, turning away as the panel disappeared.
Later… at the table
Sho chomped on a half-burned sandwich and a cold canned coffee.
"Yo. System."
> "What now?!"
"'Bout earlier. You said I wasn't the only player?"
> "Yeah. The Tower selects players from different parts of the world. Not just one."
"Sometimes promising ones… sometimes trash."
"When a player dies, 1 or 2 are randomly chosen to awaken as new players. The Tower's rules are weird like that."
Sho narrowed his eyes.
"…So I was picked up… randomly?"
> "Maybe. Or maybe the Tower saw something in you. Doesn't matter now. You're in."
"Hmph…"
Sho paused. Something inside his chest tightened—not fear, not sadness, but the kind of fire that sparks when you're cornered and decide to punch fate back.
After eating...
Sho headed up to the rooftop of his apartment. The wind brushed against his damp hair. His eyes locked onto the enormous silhouette in the distance—the Tower.
> That black monolith piercing the skies…
He stood there, staring, fists clenched.
"I'll accept the challenge…"
"I'll end it. No one's gonna ruin my life again."
His lips curled up—smirking like a villain that chose chaos over fate.
"…Let this new life be interesting."
Next morning…
Sho rubbed his eyes, yawning as he stumbled around his room.
stretch
glance
Take shower
Eats..
He passed by his mirror—
"…Huh?"
He squinted. Leaned closer.
"…Am I… getting fit?"
He blinked twice. Looked down at his stomach. Then laughed, waving a hand.
"HAHAHAHA! Nah, that's just lighting. No way I'm losing fat that fast."
But truth was… his cheekbones were more visible. The shirt didn't cling to his belly like before. His arms weren't as round.
He just didn't see it yet.
At the Tower gate...
Crowds of people buzzed with energy. Some wore gear, others casual clothes. All walking toward the massive gate like pilgrims.
"Are they all players…?" Sho muttered.
He eyed the guards—metallic suits, visors glowing, huge rifles strapped to their backs.
Yet… none of them stopped anyone from entering.
"Hmm…"
He casually walked past the guards.
As he passed through the blue portal..
He entered.
[ WELCOME PLAYER ]
> FIRST FLOOR: FARMOOR
Sho landed with a flash of blue light, his feet pressing into the cobbled ground.
"This time, I got sent to the right place."
"Ughh... finally," he stretched. "Nice flight. And hey—Nice town huh. Not that cursed random spawn where level ones go to die."
"Hey, system are you there?.
[SYSTEM POP-UP]
Ding!
"YO~! Good morning! What do you want now?"
Sho raised an eyebrow.
"!. Nothing haha , I have just something to ask?"
He squinted at the crowd around him. "Are... are all these people players?"
"Hmm, not basically all, but yes. Some are, some aren't. The tower's population is a mix—there's this thing called 'Residents.'"
"Residents?" Sho blinked. "So... NPCs?"
"Exactly! Residents are like the locals inside the tower. They act, talk, and live just like real people. You can't really tell them apart unless you ask. They won't know you're a Player unless you do something that triggers their curiosity—like opening a rare quest."
Sho rubbed his chin. "So they think I'm from faraway lands or something?"
"Bingo. The official excuse is that Players came through gates from distant places. But... there are special ones."
"Special ones?"
"Yeah... Unique Residents. Unlike normal ones, they do know you're a Player. Some were designed to test, trick, or guide you... or maybe worse."
The Unique Residents may behave unpredictably. Some remember things they shouldn't, speak in strange riddles, or appear in weird places.
Sho shivered. "That's unsettling..."
He turned and scanned the town, looking for direction. "Hey system, how do I travel to different places? I can't just stand here forever."
"Walking, mounts, or movement-type skills, duh~ There's no fast travel on outer zones. Only big cities have Return Gates."
Sho squinted. "So why was I teleported to that forest last time?"
"Ehhh... let's just say the system hiccuped."
System disconnected
"Bye~!"
"…She just left again." Sho groaned. "Tsk."
Sho checked his map.
"Hmm, center of the town... That forest area again? Nah, it's low EXP now. Time to find a better spot."
Suddenly—
BUMP.
"Oh—my bad, didn't see ya there," a tall guy said, smirking.
Sho looked up. Villain eyes. Sharp grin. Hyena-like.
A group of four men and one woman stood behind him, laughing.
"HAHAHA, this weakling got them confused eyes. Thinks he can walk in with us lions?"
"Yeah, weak should run back to the mud—HAHA!"
Sho ignored them and walked off.
But inside, his fists clenched. "Safe zone. Tch. Lucky."
---
As he kept walking—
"Hey, you! Are you a Player?" a friendly voice called.
Sho turned to see a guy waving at him from a wooden carriage.
"Yeah," Sho replied.
"Hop in, we're heading to the forest!" the guy grinned.
Sho jumped on the carriage and sat beside them.
(They begin the conversation as the carriage rides through grassy paths.)
"Name's Jin. That's Arnel, Misty, and the quiet one's Lex. We're level 11 now, just started this week."
"You?"
"Uh, level 5," Sho replied casually.
Misty, the only girl, looked at him with curiosity. "Is this your first time going to the Farwoods?"
"Yup," Sho nodded. "Figured I'd grind a bit now that I'm back."(Sho lied— cuz he didn't want anyone asking him more questions.)
They chat along the way, Sho learns they're a solid party who leveled fast through shared EXP. He mentally notes: "Party gets shared EXP, huh. Makes sense they grew faster. But item drops and quest rewards go by contribution... ugh. If not for that dumb system spawn, I'd be at their level by now."
"You okay?" Lex asked.
"Yeah, hehe. Just thinking about strategy."
They arrived at the forest's outer edge. The resident driver nodded and turned the carriage around.
The team hopped off, weapons drawn.
As they enter the forest.
Walked for a while...
They begin attacking monsters together—Sho tags behind, but isn't officially in the party since the slots are full and he didn't ask.
Deeper into the forest...
Sho's steps slow down.
His instincts flare.
The hairs on his arms rise. A chill snakes down his spine.
Something's watching.
Something… old.
Something not part of the quest.
[ END OF CHAPTER ]