Alessio Leone's Perspective
Titles.
In the Black Tower, they were unlike anything else.
There were weapons, armor, skills — but nothing quite like the peculiarities of a title.
The first reason was simple: they were public.
Always displayed beside a player's nickname, visible to everyone, like a permanent mark.
They couldn't be hidden. They couldn't be erased.
If a player named Fire Tongue received the title of King, his name would become King Fire Tongue.
And no matter how hard he tried to stay discreet afterward, that single word, that mark, would forever reveal who he was and what he had done.
Of course, titles had a distinct marking — a special graphic display that made it clear they weren't part of the name itself but rather a conquest.
A seal proving it wasn't just a nickname, but recognition from the Tower itself.
And there was more.
If, by chance, a player stacked several titles, their nickname could become absurdly long.
King, Destroyer, Guardian, Hero of the First Night… all lined up like medals on display.
But that didn't happen often.
In fact, it was extremely rare.
Because titles were meant to be rare.
If they were handed out carelessly, they would lose all meaning.
But within the Tower's logic, a title changed everything.
It wasn't just status.
It wasn't just aesthetics.
It was power.
Yes, a title could alter how other players saw you, open doors otherwise closed, grant hidden advantages both small and great.
And above all, it was a constant reminder: the bearer had achieved something others couldn't.
But Alessio wasn't talking about symbolic power.
He meant real power — stats. Vitality, Strength, Agility, Intelligence.
Things that changed the player themselves.
And even knowing all of this, Alessio was still taken aback by the reward that appeared before his eyes.
The interface was the same simple screen that showed up when someone leveled up.
But this time, it looked far grander, filled with extra details, golden lines and symbols highlighting the importance of what was being shown.
The title.
"The First Pioneers."
Alessio blinked.
The name sounded almost like a joke compared to what he remembered from his past life.
He recalled it clearly: the original title had been "The First Pioneer."
Granted to a player who had cleared this very dungeon at level 4, carried by his companions.
An individual title.
But now… there was a subtle change.
Singular had become plural.
And yet, the result was exactly what he expected.
Bonus: Upon entering a dungeon, your Vitality and Intelligence increase by 10%.
For Alessio, that was perfect.
A direct, solid benefit — more endurance and more hidden mana.
Two of the most vital things for someone walking the path of a strategic Tank.
The kind of advantage that, accumulated over time, could completely tip the scales of a fight.
But unexpectedly, there was more.
Something Alessio didn't recall existing in his past life.
Team Bonus: If all five players bearing the title The First Pioneers enter a dungeon together, each receives a 10% increase to all stats.
He stared in silence, absorbing the words.
It was… absurd.
Simply absurd.
A bonus that didn't just strengthen one player, but raised an entire group to a higher level.
This title had likely never existed in his past life.
Back then, only one player had achieved the feat — alone, at level 4.
No group.
No synergy.
No chance for the system to grant such a reward.
But now… five names were engraved in the same title.
Five players who had marked history together.
Alessio's thoughts were simple.
He needed to recruit those girls.
Of course, he had already planned on it from the moment he saw Eleanor.
She wasn't just a good healer — she was the healer.
One of the five greatest in the Tower's future.
And by a twist of fate, she had started her journey in the same city as him.
Missing this opportunity would mean throwing away one of the greatest advantages of his reincarnation.
It would be wasting a trump card that would never appear again.
And naturally, he didn't mind bringing her friends along.
In fact, it only made the plan more appealing.
Hana, the archer, had already shown exceptional talent.
With the right training, the right guidance, Alessio could already picture it: a little monster inside the Black Tower.
A machine of precision and speed, capable of turning the tide of any battle.
As for the redhead… Cassandra.
She hadn't displayed dazzling talent like the others yet, but her spells were stable.
Stable in an impressive way — even more than Matteo's, and he already carried the reputation of a real-life genius engineer.
That said a lot.
And to Alessio, stability was just as valuable as explosive power.
Especially paired with her personality — predatory, aggressive, almost cruel.
Players didn't know it yet, but they would soon learn: personality and desires would shape destinies in the Tower just as much as attributes or skills.
Someone who wanted to crush their enemies would have a very different future from someone who only wanted to play in easy dungeons.
Even so, despite his clear intentions, Alessio wasn't deluded.
It wouldn't be easy.
These girls were veterans of other online games.
They had old teammates, friendships forged through years of battles, alliances built in countless digital wars.
In another game, that wouldn't be a problem.
But in the Black Tower, it was different.
In just a few days, the entire global gaming community would be here.
And those girls would receive thousands of invitations, alliances, and offers from people they had known far longer than him.
If he tried to be too aggressive now, he'd only burn bridges.
He had to be calculated. Patient. Strategic.
But now… this title changed everything.
It didn't just make recruiting them necessary.
It gave the perfect reason for it to happen.