The first floor of the Mars Tower was a wasteland.
Crimson dunes stretched in every direction, broken by jagged obsidian spires that jutted from the ground like a dead god's teeth. Chris squinted against the gritty wind, one hand shielding his eyes. Every breath tasted like metal and ash. Every step felt heavier than the last. Mars did not welcome him—it tried to wear him down from the very first grain of dust.
He opened his system interface, the words pulsing faintly in his vision:
[Mars Tower – Floor 1]
Monsters Remaining: 4
Environment Type: Wasteland Combat Trial
Goal: Defeat all hostile entities to activate the floor seal
"Straightforward," he muttered. "But nothing here is ever simple."
His body was already feeling the weight of hunger. He hadn't eaten since yesterday. His upgraded [Thirstless Body] kept dehydration at bay, but the fatigue of starvation still gnawed at his muscles. His boots sank into soft dust that clung like ash, whispering promises of exhaustion with every step.
Chris drew his sword.
The blade shimmered faintly with lingering echoes from his last battle. His grip tightened instinctively. This wasn't Earth anymore. And this wasn't a test. Every wrong step here could be his last.
A hiss.
Low. Close.
Chris dropped into a crouch just as a flash of lava-red motion darted from beneath a fractured ridge.
The creature that emerged was small—deceptively so. But it unfurled like a spider, its limbs too long, too thin, plated in cracked bone and stretched sinew. Its eyeless face opened into a wheezing hole, its breath hot and sickly.
[Martian Spawn – Parry-Type]
Health: 340 / 340
Chris cursed under his breath. "Great. A counter-type."
He lunged, blade aimed for the torso.
But the creature twisted, catching the strike with a jerking elbow that redirected the blow harmlessly past its side. Chris barely recovered in time to leap backward.
It's fast. And it reads my movements like a book.
He circled. So did it.
Chris feinted a lunge to the left—the creature flinched, raising its claws for another parry—but he twisted the blade mid-motion and drove the hilt into its neck.
Stagger.
His chance.
Chris followed up with a flurry of three rapid slashes. Echo Pulse triggered on the final hit, sending a pulse through the creature's chest.
[Critical Hit!]
Health: 35 / 340
The monster shrieked, scrambling backward.
Too late.
Chris closed the distance with a sharp step and drove the sword down between its shoulder blades.
[Martian Spawn Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[You have obtained: Molten Bone Shard, Echo Dust, Rusted Parry Core]
[Potion Obtained: Lesser Fire Ward Elixir]
Chris let out a long breath as the body crumbled.
He looked at the potion, red and warm in its vial.
"Useful," he murmured, storing it in his Inventory. "So drops still work here."
Then, a new alert.
[Soul Consumption Upgrade – Active]
[You have consumed 445 Lesser Souls]
Soul Total: 446
— Strength: 23
— Vitality: 57
— Agility: 19
— Perception: 21
— Echo Affinity: 16
— Luck: ???
His focus had been on surviving Mars. He dumped most of his souls into Vitality before leaving Earth. But the real cost was showing now. Hunger. Fatigue. Isolation.
[Monsters Remaining: 3]
Chris sheathed his blade briefly, crouching low behind an obsidian ridge. He opened his Inventory, finding a glimmering, gelatinous item among the remains.
[Item: Singed Slab of Martian Flesh (Edible)]
Description: Edible once cooked. Nutritional. Unknown effects if consumed raw.
He smiled grimly. "At least something wants me to survive."
He pocketed it for later.
Then another system notification shimmered into view:
[Floor Status: Combat Trial Completed – 1/4 Enemies Defeated]
[New Rule: Once all enemies are defeated, you have two Earth hours to ascend or the floor resets at increased difficulty.]
Chris's eyes narrowed.
So the pressure never ends.
The Tower had always been cruel, but now it was cunning—forcing choices, pacing, and risk. If he wasted time recovering, he'd face worse odds on the same ground.
Better to plan ahead.
A rumble.
He turned.
Three more Martian Spawns emerged from opposite sides of the wasteland. Each had slight mutations: one was lean and fast, with barbed claws; another bulky and shielded in stone armor; the last, covered in pulsating tendrils that flared with inner light.
[Martian Spawn – Agile-Type]
Health: 190 / 190
[Martian Spawn – Tank-Type]
Health: 460 / 460
[Martian Spawn – Beacon-Type]
Health: 220 / 220
Chris tensed, pressing his back to a spire. "So you brought friends."
His mind raced.
Beacon. That likely meant ranged support or status effects. He'd need to close distance fast. The Agile-Type would harass from the sides. And the Tank… it was there to draw out the fight.
He raised his blade again. Let Echo fill his lungs.
Focus.
Inner Monologue
I can't waste energy. I need to end this fast.
Attack the Beacon. Draw the Agile in. Bait the Tank.
Breathe, damn it. Just like Earth. Just like training.
Except this time, you die for real.
Chris exploded from cover, legs propelling him into the fray.
The Agile-Type lunged to intercept. Chris feinted high, then dropped low, driving his shoulder into the creature's gut and throwing it aside with a twist of momentum. He slid across the grit, blade slicing up toward the Beacon.
A blast of light surged from the creature's body. Chris closed his eyes, relying on Echo to feel the pulse—
—and ducked under it.
He rolled forward and slashed upward, bisecting one of its tendrils. The creature reeled.
A low growl to his left.
The Tank-Type barreled toward him like a bulldozer.
Chris dropped flat, rolling under its slam and twisting around just in time to drive his blade into the Beacon's core.
[Beacon-Type Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[You have obtained: Light Core Filament, Martian Thread, Glowing Meat Sliver]
The Agile-Type returned, claws flashing.
Chris spun, parried, and slashed in one motion—but the creature ducked and lashed out.
Pain lanced across his ribs.
He growled, swinging wide. The creature retreated just as the Tank charged again.
Chris darted aside. The two monsters collided, dazed for a moment.
That was all he needed.
He threw the Echo Pulse into the Tank-Type's head as it reeled, stunning it long enough for three clean strikes.
Then he turned to the Agile one. They circled again.
This time, Chris didn't feint.
He threw a stone into the dust at its left, forcing the creature to shift—
—and lunged from the right, blade burying deep.
[Agile-Type Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
The Tank-Type rose again, slower now. Chris fought on sheer adrenaline, ducking a heavy arm and delivering repeated slashes to its joints until it finally crumbled under its own weight.
[Tank-Type Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[You have obtained: Stonehide, Molten Bone Shard, Hardened Muscle Strand]
Silence fell.
Then the system spoke.
[Floor Cleared – 4/4 Monsters Defeated]
[Timer Started: 2 Hours to Ascend]
Chris dropped to one knee, panting.
He wasn't ready to move yet.
He scanned the terrain, found a wind-sheltered nook in the rocks, and set up a small camp using obsidian fragments and kindling from his Inventory.
From the drops, he prepped a small meal: seared Martian meat cooked over magical flame using a flint shard and a fire-enhancing elixir.
The smell was sharp, almost citrus-like.
He took a bite.
Tough. Gamey. But it soothed his stomach like a blessing.
He leaned back, watching the Martian sun dip toward the horizon.
Then checked his system one last time.
[Total Souls: 449]
[Available Stat Allocation: 3]
[Inventory: 68% Full]
[Items: Echo Dust, Rusted Parry Core, Fire Ward Elixir, Martian Meat, Light Core Filament…]
His thoughts swirled.
What lies on the next floor?
What truths did this Tower hide?
And how long could he survive?
But for now, Chris let his eyes drift shut, resting under an alien sky of blood-red dust and distant roars.
The Tower was alive.
And it had only just begun to show its teeth.
The first floor of the Mars Tower was a wasteland.
Crimson dunes stretched in every direction, broken by jagged obsidian spires that jutted from the ground like a dead god's teeth. Chris squinted against the gritty wind, one hand shielding his eyes. Every breath tasted like metal and ash. Every step felt heavier than the last. Mars did not welcome him—it tried to wear him down from the very first grain of dust.
He opened his system interface, the words pulsing faintly in his vision:
[Mars Tower – Floor 1]
Monsters Remaining: 4
Environment Type: Wasteland Combat Trial
Goal: Defeat all hostile entities to activate the floor seal
"Straightforward," he muttered. "But nothing here is ever simple."
His body was already feeling the weight of hunger. He hadn't eaten since yesterday. His upgraded [Thirstless Body] kept dehydration at bay, but the fatigue of starvation still gnawed at his muscles. His boots sank into soft dust that clung like ash, whispering promises of exhaustion with every step.
Chris drew his sword.
The blade shimmered faintly with lingering echoes from his last battle. His grip tightened instinctively. This wasn't Earth anymore. And this wasn't a test. Every wrong step here could be his last.
A hiss.
Low. Close.
Chris dropped into a crouch just as a flash of lava-red motion darted from beneath a fractured ridge.
The creature that emerged was small—deceptively so. But it unfurled like a spider, its limbs too long, too thin, plated in cracked bone and stretched sinew. Its eyeless face opened into a wheezing hole, its breath hot and sickly.
[Martian Spawn – Parry-Type]
Health: 340 / 340
Chris cursed under his breath. "Great. A counter-type."
He lunged, blade aimed for the torso.
But the creature twisted, catching the strike with a jerking elbow that redirected the blow harmlessly past its side. Chris barely recovered in time to leap backward.
It's fast. And it reads my movements like a book.
He circled. So did it.
Chris feinted a lunge to the left—the creature flinched, raising its claws for another parry—but he twisted the blade mid-motion and drove the hilt into its neck.
Stagger.
His chance.
Chris followed up with a flurry of three rapid slashes. Echo Pulse triggered on the final hit, sending a pulse through the creature's chest.
[Critical Hit!]
Health: 35 / 340
The monster shrieked, scrambling backward.
Too late.
Chris closed the distance with a sharp step and drove the sword down between its shoulder blades.
[Martian Spawn Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[You have obtained: Molten Bone Shard, Echo Dust, Rusted Parry Core]
[Potion Obtained: Lesser Fire Ward Elixir]
Chris let out a long breath as the body crumbled.
He looked at the potion, red and warm in its vial.
"Useful," he murmured, storing it in his Inventory. "So drops still work here."
Then, a new alert.
[Soul Consumption Upgrade – Active]
[You have consumed 445 Lesser Souls]
Soul Total: 446
— Strength: 23
— Vitality: 57
— Agility: 19
— Perception: 21
— Echo Affinity: 16
— Luck: ???
His focus had been on surviving Mars. He dumped most of his souls into Vitality before leaving Earth. But the real cost was showing now. Hunger. Fatigue. Isolation.
[Monsters Remaining: 3]
Chris sheathed his blade briefly, crouching low behind an obsidian ridge. He opened his Inventory, finding a glimmering, gelatinous item among the remains.
[Item: Singed Slab of Martian Flesh (Edible)]
Description: Edible once cooked. Nutritional. Unknown effects if consumed raw.
He smiled grimly. "At least something wants me to survive."
He pocketed it for later.
Then another system notification shimmered into view:
[Floor Status: Combat Trial Completed – 1/4 Enemies Defeated]
[New Rule: Once all enemies are defeated, you have two Earth hours to ascend or the floor resets at increased difficulty.]
Chris's eyes narrowed.
So the pressure never ends.
The Tower had always been cruel, but now it was cunning—forcing choices, pacing, and risk. If he wasted time recovering, he'd face worse odds on the same ground.
Better to plan ahead.
A rumble.
He turned.
Three more Martian Spawns emerged from opposite sides of the wasteland. Each had slight mutations: one was lean and fast, with barbed claws; another bulky and shielded in stone armor; the last, covered in pulsating tendrils that flared with inner light.
[Martian Spawn – Agile-Type]
Health: 190 / 190
[Martian Spawn – Tank-Type]
Health: 460 / 460
[Martian Spawn – Beacon-Type]
Health: 220 / 220
Chris tensed, pressing his back to a spire. "So you brought friends."
His mind raced.
Beacon. That likely meant ranged support or status effects. He'd need to close distance fast. The Agile-Type would harass from the sides. And the Tank… it was there to draw out the fight.
He raised his blade again. Let Echo fill his lungs.
Focus.
Inner Monologue
I can't waste energy. I need to end this fast.
Attack the Beacon. Draw the Agile in. Bait the Tank.
Breathe, damn it. Just like Earth. Just like training.
Except this time, you die for real.
Chris exploded from cover, legs propelling him into the fray.
The Agile-Type lunged to intercept. Chris feinted high, then dropped low, driving his shoulder into the creature's gut and throwing it aside with a twist of momentum. He slid across the grit, blade slicing up toward the Beacon.
A blast of light surged from the creature's body. Chris closed his eyes, relying on Echo to feel the pulse—
—and ducked under it.
He rolled forward and slashed upward, bisecting one of its tendrils. The creature reeled.
A low growl to his left.
The Tank-Type barreled toward him like a bulldozer.
Chris dropped flat, rolling under its slam and twisting around just in time to drive his blade into the Beacon's core.
[Beacon-Type Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[You have obtained: Light Core Filament, Martian Thread, Glowing Meat Sliver]
The Agile-Type returned, claws flashing.
Chris spun, parried, and slashed in one motion—but the creature ducked and lashed out.
Pain lanced across his ribs.
He growled, swinging wide. The creature retreated just as the Tank charged again.
Chris darted aside. The two monsters collided, dazed for a moment.
That was all he needed.
He threw the Echo Pulse into the Tank-Type's head as it reeled, stunning it long enough for three clean strikes.
Then he turned to the Agile one. They circled again.
This time, Chris didn't feint.
He threw a stone into the dust at its left, forcing the creature to shift—
—and lunged from the right, blade burying deep.
[Agile-Type Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
The Tank-Type rose again, slower now. Chris fought on sheer adrenaline, ducking a heavy arm and delivering repeated slashes to its joints until it finally crumbled under its own weight.
[Tank-Type Defeated]
+1 Lesser Soul
[You have obtained: Stonehide, Molten Bone Shard, Hardened Muscle Strand]
Silence fell.
Then the system spoke.
[Floor Cleared – 4/4 Monsters Defeated]
[Timer Started: 2 Hours to Ascend]
Chris dropped to one knee, panting.
He wasn't ready to move yet.
He scanned the terrain, found a wind-sheltered nook in the rocks, and set up a small camp using obsidian fragments and kindling from his Inventory.
From the drops, he prepped a small meal: seared Martian meat cooked over magical flame using a flint shard and a fire-enhancing elixir.
The smell was sharp, almost citrus-like.
He took a bite.
Tough. Gamey. But it soothed his stomach like a blessing.
He leaned back, watching the Martian sun dip toward the horizon.
Then checked his system one last time.
[Total Souls: 449]
[Available Stat Allocation: 3]
[Inventory: 68% Full]
[Items: Echo Dust, Rusted Parry Core, Fire Ward Elixir, Martian Meat, Light Core Filament…]
His thoughts swirled.
What lies on the next floor?
What truths did this Tower hide?
And how long could he survive?
But for now, Chris let his eyes drift shut, resting under an alien sky of blood-red dust and distant roars.
The Tower was alive.
And it had only just begun to show its teeth.