Estimated Read Time: 11 min
This story is entirely fictional and has no relation to real events.
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January 1, 2024
(From the protagonist's perspective)
I still can't believe I'm going to die in such a cruel way. My body was losing an excessive amount of blood, and I was becoming senseless. In front of my eyes were my seven friends. Over the past year, they had become extremely close to me—but I never imagined that our friendship would be destroyed in a single moment. All of this was the cursed Tower's fault. If the Tower didn't exist, none of this would have happened.
For a Legendary Item, a father could kill his child, a brother his brother, a wife her husband. None of that had happened to us—yet. In my last moments, the beautiful moments of my life flashed before my eyes, making me not want to die. At the same time, rage towards the traitor was boundless. Perhaps this situation wouldn't have occurred if those two hadn't betrayed us. But what has happened has happened, and nothing more can be said.
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Bloodied, I lay among eight bodies inside a dungeon. Seven of them had already died long ago from poison. But I—the last one, Bappy—was still alive. That was far more painful than death itself. My entire body was paralyzed from the poison. I couldn't even move. All I could do was wait for death.
Everything began a year ago. A massive Tower appeared on Earth. Ten lakh people entered the Tower, either willingly or forcibly. They were all placed inside a vast Test Ground—its size was equivalent to the entire Earth. Initially, people couldn't believe such a vast space could exist inside the Tower, but they soon had no choice but to accept reality.
Within a month, one lakh people died in the Test Ground—a shocking blow for everyone. From the Tower came a voice in everyone's ears:
(To enter the first floor from the Test Ground, each person must kill 100 monsters. Killing monsters will reward various magical items and gold coins, which will strengthen them.)
One lakh people perished to monsters, leaving a deep impression of fear among the survivors. The deadliest monster in the Test Ground was the One-Horned Wolf. They weren't found everywhere, but when present, they appeared in packs. A single wolf could kill 100 people at once. Other monsters included Green Goblins, One-Tail Foxes, Skeletons, and lastly, Slimes. The Slimes, however, were weak. People weren't foolish—they realized that to escape the Tower, they had to kill the monsters.
As time passed, people gradually forgot the idea of leaving the Tower. The main reason was the magical items. Weapons and consumables imbued with magic sparked their greed. People no longer feared the monsters. No matter how powerful the monsters were, thousands of humans could defeat them if they attacked together. A kind of addictive thrill spread among people like alcohol. Eventually, many passed the Test Ground and entered the first stage.
The Test Ground contained several dungeons. A dungeon was essentially an underground prison. Inside the Tower, dungeons were filled with countless monsters. Over the year, humans had become stronger. Previously, a thousand people would hunt a one-horned wolf. Now, a hundred were sufficient.
One day, a group of a thousand entered a new dungeon—one that no one had dared enter before. Usually, clearing a dungeon required four to six thousand people because of the countless monsters and traps inside. But the most interesting part of the dungeon was its loot. No matter how many monsters were killed, the strongest items wouldn't appear without effort. Those who passed previous dungeons had obtained powerful magical items, giving them the ability to kill wolves with ease. Thus, people were willing to risk their lives just to enter a dungeon.
After fighting through numerous traps and thousands of skeletons, only thirty humans survived. The dungeon's special monster, the Skeleton Army, was immortal and had no intelligence. Their sheer numbers killed most humans. Every dungeon had a boss—but this one did not. Perhaps it was for the best; fifty people would never have been able to defeat a boss without rare items. Clearing a dungeon promised abundant rewards: gold coins and powerful magical items. When a Legendary Item appeared as a reward, everyone's mindset changed. No one spared anyone else.
In the end, only two remained: a boy who had killed half the humans with his Lightning Long Sword, and a girl who had killed the other half with her Poison Short Sword. The girl's heart was like ice, yet there was a hint of softness. She knew she had to be ruthless to save her family. Otherwise, in the Tower, weakness meant death, whether at the hands of monsters or humans. Perhaps that was why she had paralyzed her husband two years prior—so he would survive, grow stronger, and someday take revenge for her betrayal.
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(From the protagonist's perspective)
My body was still paralyzed. It was all due to my weakness. Even though I had items, I could never use them. Everyone else used theirs flawlessly, while I had nothing—only a broken dagger that kept me alive. Perhaps I survived because Megha was with me; I never felt the need for other items. Yet I couldn't believe Megha would betray me like this. She never loved me, yet she agreed to marry me. Perhaps my old buddy became her new target, and she killed me for it. I couldn't believe I had loved such a woman for so long. Maybe I was at no fault. No woman wanted a weak man.
All these thoughts filled my head—then my left-hand ring began to glow. It wasn't my wedding ring; it was obtained after killing my first slime. I had yet to understand its power. From the day I got it, I couldn't use any other magical item. Any magical item I touched instantly lost its power.
Suddenly, a voice spoke:
"Welcome, Master."
I realized it came from the ring, projecting a 3D hologram before my eyes. Though I couldn't move, I could clearly see it.
Before I could even think, it spoke again:
"Congratulations, Master. You have unlocked 1% of The Ring of Beelzebub. Its ability has been unlocked. The skill 'Gluttony' is now available. You can use your skill."
Immediately after the announcement, black water flowed from my body, spreading across the dungeon room. Slowly, all magical items and the dead Skeleton Army dissolved into the black water. Once complete, the water entered my body. It was incredible—I could now move. Megha's Poison Short Sword had been deadly, but I hadn't expected to recover so easily. The new 'Gluttony' skill was extremely powerful. My wounds had vanished, and I felt stronger than ever, though it was just a minor thought.
"Master, we are currently inside the Tower of Sloth. Since you now possess the Ring of Beelzebub, you cannot use any items in this Tower."
Another 3D projection appeared before me, animated with emoji-like expressions. I was amazed—it was rare for an item to communicate like this. Perhaps it was a God-Level Item.
"Master, even if you ascend this Tower, you will gain no benefit. You cannot defeat the final boss."
I finally spoke:
"What? I don't understand. First, tell me—how can an item speak?"
"My name is 'The Ring of Beelzebub.' I do not originate from this Tower. How I came here is unknown even to me. But I can say this: neither of us truly belong here."
"Are there other towers like this? Will they appear on Earth and kill millions again?" I asked excitedly.
"Calm down, Master. There's no need to be so excited. This Tower wasn't supposed to appear in this small world, but now that it has, there's little we can do. Only a small portion of my memories is accessible, which could answer your questions."
"So you mean I cannot use items in this Tower?"
"Correct, Master. Any non-God-Level item will lose its magic if you touch it. You will appear weak here."
"I cannot use any items at all?"
"Yes, Master. Only 1% of my power has been unlocked. Even touching a normal B-Class item could kill you."
I realized that since obtaining the ring, I had become weak. My wife had betrayed me, and now I was at the mercy of this dungeon.
The projection finally spoke again:
"Master, there is only one way. I can teleport you out of this dungeon. However, I cannot choose your destination. You might end up on the moon of your world."
"That would be better. I don't want to die here," I replied.
"There is a risk," it said.
"I don't care about the risk. I just want to leave."
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Suddenly, the dungeon room lit up with black light. Moments later, I disappeared.
Where had I gone?
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Far away, in an unknown place, something bright fell from the sky onto a mountain. The dense forest around it was scorched, leaving a crater. Inside lay a ten-year-old boy, naked, burned by the fall, with only a ring on his left hand. After a few moments, the brightness faded. The boy was saved by a nearby couple, who had no children of their own. They took him in and named him Alex.
Alex grew up with them, unaware of his past. One day, he saw a towering, sky-touching structure unlike any Tower he had ever seen—the Tower of Gluttony.
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To Be Continued
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Alex's adventure begins here. Stay tuned till the end.
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