The sun hadn't even risen when the countdown hit zero.
Rei stood at the edge of the crowd, hood up, hands stuffed into his jacket. Breath misted in the morning chill as hundreds—maybe thousands—of people gathered outside the Tower. Streamers, Dreamers, reporters, wannabes, cosplayers, actual Players. Most were too busy adjusting their gear or checking their phones to notice the sharp glint in Rei's eyes.
Then, as the digital clock struck [00:00:00], the Tower pulsed.
It was like the world exhaled.
A single message exploded into everyone's field of vision:
> [The Tower is now open]
[Class Selection initializing. Entry permitted.]
A wave of murmurs broke over the crowd. Phones shot into the air. People screamed into mics.
The Tower's obsidian gate groaned, parting slowly. Golden light spilled out—too perfect, too artificial. It wasn't warm. It was staged. Like the Tower was opening a curtain.
Rei didn't move. He simply watched.
"They're all thinking the same thing," he muttered under his breath.
Around him, a group of college students shoved toward the front, arguing about class tier lists.
"First one in gets first blood," one of them said, practically bouncing on his heels.
Rei smirked.
"Idiots."
A tall guy nearby had a GoPro strapped to his chest and was screaming into a mic.
"Let's go, team! I'm going full Magician spec—glass cannon build! Hit that like button and drop your class pick in chat!"
Rei's eyes flicked to the Tower again. Then to the interface now blinking in his vision:
[Class Selection Available]
Unlike in the dream, where Players were randomly assigned, this time there were six clear choices:
Swordsman. Archer. Magician. Healer. Craftsman. Alchemist.
Each had a full description. Stats. Starting gear. Passive traits.
People were agonizing over it, arguing, even polling their followers on social media.
Rei? He tapped [Swordsman] without hesitation.
[Class Selection Complete: Swordsman]
[World Decipher has interfaced with your base class.]
[Trait Acquired: Adaptive Blade (Passive)]
"...So even the base class bends when I touch it," Rei muttered, eyebrow raised.
[Adaptive Blade]
[Effect: When engaging enemies analyzed via [World Decipher], your equipped blade adapts in real time.]
[+10% bonus damage
+5% movement speed
Temporary elemental affinity based on enemy weakness]
It wasn't game-breaking. Not flashy. But useful. Personal. Tailored.
He smirked. "Thanks, Tower."
The light from the gate surged brighter. A few brave souls crossed first, cheering and filming themselves. The crowd roared as more followed.
Someone bumped Rei's shoulder.
A girl with dyed silver hair glanced at him sideways. She was maybe his age. Light armor, bow on her back, alert eyes.
"You look calm," she said. "Not your first game?"
Rei didn't look at her. "You could say I've been here before."
"Got any advice veteran?"
He finally turned to her. "Yeah."
The Tower's gate pulsed, welcoming.
"Don't die on the loading screen."
She blinked. He was already walking.
Inside, the world shifted.
Rei stepped through the gate—and into the First Floor.
It was exactly how he remembered it. And completely different.
A sprawling city spread out before him, bathed in early light. Stone streets. Wooden stalls. NPCs walking, talking, living. Flags of half-familiar empires fluttered from rooftops.
Foreign players shouted in English, Mandarin, Russian—every language, all at once. Questboards glowed. NPCs beckoned. A blacksmith waved a hammer in greeting.
It was the classic start to a fantasy game. Safe. Familiar.
Except… something was wrong.
Ahead, a group of Players approached a towering gate labeled [Floor 2]. One reached out.
> [Access Denied: Floor 1 Clearance Required.] <
They blinked.
Then read it again
The crowd fell silent for a heartbeat.
"...Clearance? What do you mean clearance?"
"There's no boss here, right?"
"Is this bugged?"
"Guys... this floor is a Safezone, right? It's just Bastion. It's always just Bastion"
"Wait, wait, wait– was there a quest i missed?"
"No. No, this–this isn't how it worked."
Rei watched from a distance as panic began to set in. Newcomers fumbled with menus. Veteran Dreamers looked at each other–visibly rattled. No one moved forward.
He leaned against a post, arms crossed, and watched them scramble.
"Now you realize," he whispered.
Floor 1 wasn't supposed to require clearing. It had no mobs. No boss. Just quests and starter tutorials. It was meant to be the intro level—the hand-holding zone.
But now?
The Tower wanted something different.
And it wasn't telling them what.
-----
That night, the panic reached the surface.
Rei sat in the living room, half-eating kimchi stew while the TV blared breaking news.
> [BREAKING]: "Experts baffled. Players unable to progress past Floor 1. No combat zone detected. No monsters present. What does 'Clear' mean?"
> [Interview]: "It's like the rules have changed! We've got streamers trying to speedrun tutorial quests hoping that's it, but nothing works!"
> [Panel Discussion]: "Are we being tested? Is the Tower waiting for something?"
Tae Ri stared at the screen with a bowl of rice in her lap. "...This is creepy."
Their mom nodded absently. "Don't they know what to do?"
"Nope," Rei said flatly. "They're all improvising."
He finished his food quietly and returned to his room.
The online chaos had worsened.
> [@RPG_Savant]: "Still stuck on Floor 1. Cleared every quest. Nothing."
>[ForumPost - DreamersOnly]: "SHIVER WHERE ARE YOU? We need him. He always figured this stuff out!"
>[Post from @WheresTheGOAT]: "Shiver knew the Tower better than its creators. He'd definitely know what's wrong with Floor 1."
>[u/ThatMageGuy]: "If i see anyone claiming they were Shiver, Im throwing hands."
Rei put his phone down.
They were looking for him.
But they didn't know he was already here.
-----
The next morning, Rei changed clothes, packed his bag, and walked to the convenience store.
His boss blinked at him. "You're quitting?"
"Something came up," Rei said. "Tower-related."
The man paused. "...You're a Player?"
Rei nodded once. "Yeah."
"Well," the boss sighed, scratching his head. "Try not to die."
Rei smiled faintly. "I'll do my best."
-----
He arrived at the Tower entrance at 6:45 AM.
Most people were still asleep. Only a few stragglers lingered near quest NPCs or chatted in early guild huddles.
Rei passed them all.
As he entered Floor 1 again, something shifted.
[World Decipher: Activated]
[Spatial Layer Overlap Detected – Floor 1 Corruption Spread 28%]
[Hidden Instance Active – Tracking: Rooted One]
His vision flickered.
In the same streets others saw as normal, Rei saw the truth.
Flickering shadows crawled along alleyways like smoke with teeth. NPCs glitched—repeating lines, blinking too fast, walking into walls. Whole chunks of buildings warped subtly, wrong angles, impossible doorways.
Rei moved calmly through it all.
"To them, this is just a city," he muttered. "To me... it's a countdown."
He passed by a blacksmith looping a single line—"Forge is hot! Forge is hot! Forge is hot!"—without pause.
[ERROR: Dialogue Loop Detected – NPC Stability: 63%]
Rei's hand hovered near the hilt on his back.
It wasn't glowing. Not enchanted. Just steel.
But it didn't need to be anything else.
He stepped into an alley that looked empty—until [World Decipher] revealed the outline of something not-quite-there. A shadow embedded in the wall. Twisting. Watching.
The moment he stepped forward, the air changed. Like something held its breath.
Rei smirked.
"So this is what they call a Safezone now?"
He drew the blade. Smooth. Silent.
"Let's see how safe it really is."
[Hidden Scenario Active – The Rot Beneath Bastion]
[Objective: Locate and eliminate the 'Rooted One' before corruption spreads beyond Floor 1.]
[Time Remaining: 54:03:12]
He analyzed the surroundings.
"What's worse than a broken Safezone?"
Rei cracked his neck.
"A Player who knows it's broken."