Alessio Leone's Perspective
Being able to rest until full recovery for every party member before leaving a dungeon was a rare luxury inside the Black Tower.
What would happen as soon as Alessio, Matteo, and the girls finally stepped through the portal that had formed behind the old boss's throne was something he wasn't eager to test.
Unfortunately, he knew it was inevitable. He couldn't stay in this dungeon forever.
Still, even if what was about to happen made him uneasy, his anxiety had already begun to take over his thoughts.
Hana had arrived at the fourteenth minute.
Cassandra didn't take long either, showing up at the twentieth.
But now nearly thirty minutes had passed since the servers opened, and there was still no sign of Eleanor.
Anxiety tightened in his chest.
The plans Alessio had for today were anything but simple, and her delay could make things even more complicated.
For a moment, he considered simply gathering Matteo and the girls already present, explaining his plans, giving the necessary advice, and leaving a note for Eleanor—entrusted to one of the girls—before leaving the dungeon alone to pursue his goals.
He also knew that such a rushed move might be seen as rude, leaving a bad impression on the girls and on Eleanor herself—someone who was at the very top of his recruitment list.
But wasting more time in this dungeon, just waiting… even if it earned him a good impression, the losses would far outweigh the gains.
It was as if every extra minute spent inside pushed the scales against him.
Fortunately, just as Alessio was about to put that plan into action, Eleanor's character—Lumina—appeared inside the dungeon.
Late, but still on time.
Even without the items that had defined her character in his past life, Alessio had to admit: there was something about her appearance that just felt… fitting for her class.A gentleness etched into her features.A face that radiated calm and trust.Exactly what one expected from a cleric.
Even he couldn't bring himself to blame her for being late.
"I'm so sorry for being late, everyone…" Eleanor—or rather, Lumina—said, her voice heavy with apology.
Before Alessio could answer, Matteo stepped forward.
"No worries, no rush. We were just chatting while waiting for you. Ale… Aslan has a big plan for us," he said with a confident look, trying to ease the tension.
The engineer had always had a knack for softening situations.
Alessio nodded, seizing the moment.The time had come.
"First… as you all already know, my real name is Alessio." His voice was firm, carrying across the room. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
He paused briefly, meeting each girl's eyes in turn.Hana, hanging on to every word.Cassandra, relaxed in posture but curious in her gaze.And Eleanor, still gentle, waiting quietly.
"And it's precisely about real names that I want to talk to you first," he continued.
What followed wasn't really a conversation.It was a lecture.
For twenty minutes, Alessio spoke.He explained the risks, the importance of keeping real identities secret, how a single slip could cost them dearly once the game became as popular as he knew it would.
The Black Tower wasn't just a pastime.It was a second life.And in a second life, information was one of the most valuable currencies.
Interruptions were rare.Matteo chimed in once or twice with a technical comment.The girls said almost nothing.Hana listened with bright, attentive eyes, as if he were revealing a treasure map.Cassandra let out occasional sounds of surprise.And Eleanor, calmer than the others, simply listened, her face serene but focused.
When he finally finished, he felt the weight of time.Twenty minutes.Some might call it a waste.But he was absolutely sure every word would matter in the future.
Beyond the warnings about real names, he had also shared precious guidance—information that would allow them to evolve their classes in specific ways, aligned with what he believed best for each one of them.
Hana, Cassandra, Eleanor, even Matteo… each now had a reference point to grow inside the Tower.
And at last, he added the final piece:
"Today, I need to carry out a solo mission," he stated plainly. "But tomorrow, we'll meet at a set location. We'll keep leveling and clearing dungeons together."
The plan was clear.Simple. Direct.
The girls agreed.Willing, receptive.Especially Hana.
In her eyes, Alessio saw something unexpected:not just acceptance, but genuine enthusiasm.An intense spark that revealed the strength of her motivation.
A newfound motivation—one Alessio didn't yet understand.
But it wasn't something he'd complain about.
With everything settled, Alessio took the lead.One step, then another, until the portal's shimmering surface swallowed his silhouette.
Matteo and the girls followed.
The world shifted in an instant.The transition was brief, almost imperceptible, but the impact came right after.
Two effects, as always, when a group cleared a dungeon for the first time.
The first: the wave of experience.
All the experience earned in combat inside the dungeon surged at once upon completion.
That was the rule.
A single message appeared before Alessio's eyes.Level 5.
His stats finally increased again: +1 Strength and +1 Vitality.
The confirmation blinked before him.Exactly as expected.Matteo would likely hit the same level.As for the girls, given the total fights, they should now be at Level 4—or at least right on the cusp.
Nothing surprising.Nothing that disrupted his calculations.
But that wasn't what truly unsettled him.
It wasn't what made him reluctant to leave the dungeon.
The second effect came next.
A flash swept across the virtual sky.A metallic sound echoed like a distant gong, drawing the attention of every connected player.
And then, the message.
Written in golden letters in the air, visible to every active player in the Black Tower:
"Congratulations to the players Aslan, Engineer Matteo, Lumina, SilentArrow, and EmberFlare for conquering the first dungeon of the Black Tower's Awakening. All players receive +100 reputation points across the entire world."
The words floated for long seconds.A global announcement.Unavoidable.