Earth-71342 – 12th October, 2025
In the last week the world had changed with the arrival of the eternally eclipsed sky—darkness pierced through by colossal chains that vanished into the void. No matter where one stood, no matter the time of day, even if one soared higher than the clouds, that same suffocating sight was all that could be seen. From cities buried under neon glare to satellites once circling proudly in orbit, everything now hung beneath an unnavigable blackout.
The stars were gone. Blotted out, smothered, vanished into an invisible abyss where no naked eye could pierce. At first, terror gripped all who witnessed the apocalyptic event. Thousands fell dead on the spot, bodies dissolving into nothing as thin golden panels appeared before them—no warning, no explanation.
Videos flooded the internet within hours. Some named it Heaven's Judgment, divine punishment for mankind's sins. Millions prayed on their knees, crying for forgiveness and mercy, while others rioted in despair. Extremists proclaimed the end had come and looted without restraint. For days, chaos bled through every nation until governments rallied their militaries to enforce order.
Curfews became routine. Armored patrols replaced neighborhood police. The world adjusted, teetering on the edge of panic. Leaders met in closed chambers, demanding answers that never came. Still, society dragged forward. Students studied under artificial light in bunkered schools. Nurses, engineers, technicians, police, and teachers—everyone deemed the backbone of civilization—were ordered to continue their duties. Researchers, historians, and even occultists were pressed into service, their once-dismissed myths suddenly scrutinized for fragments of truth.
And for a moment, that fragile illusion of control held.
Until now.
The morning of October 12th, the false calm cracked.
Across the planet, every man, woman, and child froze as shimmering golden panels blinked alive before their eyes. Not just the chosen in the Tower, but everyone.
[To celebrate the survival of your world's participants through the First Week of the Tower, a privilege has been bestowed upon Planet Earth-71342.]
[From this day onward, you may watch the Tower's trials unfold in real time. A Live View has been granted to all inhabitants of your world. Cherish this gift.
The panels lingered, then shifted. A glowing icon appeared at the edge of everyone's vision. When minds focused on it, the screen unfurled—a search bar across the top, a grid of empty squares filling below. Each frame bore a faint counter, numbers ticking down from two hours.
Families gasped as a new section lit up along the side: [Family Members].
Those who had lost fathers, mothers, children, lovers—anyone taken into the Tower—saw their names burn across the panel. And when they pressed upon them, another screen blossomed open.
Not a clear picture—blurred, hazy, as though filmed from some distant corner—but still unmistakable. Their loved ones.
Some sat slumped in caves, resting against stone walls. Others stood bloodied, fists hammering bronze doors with inhuman determination. A faint, shaky third-person view—yet enough to prove the impossible.
Alive.
Alive.
Alive.
In a private villa lit by crimson lanterns, a Chinese mafia boss sank into his chair. Tattoos rippled across his trembling arms as he stared at the image of a boy—his boy—seated against jagged stone, chest heaving, alive.
Tears welled in his narrow eyes. His thick voice broke into a sob. "My baby's alive… I knew you were alive… My son!"
He leaned forward, fingers shaking as he noticed a new tab pulsing at the edge of the panel: [Message]. He slammed it without hesitation.
A cold reply appeared.
[Chat unavailable. Please wait until the countdown concludes.]
The mafia boss let out a strangled laugh, half despair, half joy. He pressed his forehead into his hands, shaking.
"Two hours…" he muttered, voice raw. "Just two hours. Then Daddy will speak to you. Just hold on, baby. Hold on…"
—
Achoo!
Liang Xiu sneezed as he scooted his chair from Bai Lian while rubbing his nose. "Do you wear peach perfume?" he asked, nostrils twitching as though it were allergies.
"No, I don't wear peach perfume," Bai Lian said flatly. Her violet eyes shifted to the golden panel that had appeared before them. "My father always said if you're sneezing, it means someone's talking about you."
She scratched at her arm, the skin still scarred with old claw marks. A twisted yet genuinely happy smile spread across her face as she looked at the table full of her new friends.
See? I told them I could make friends and be normal. If those doctors had just listened to me, I would've become friends with everyone in the whole world by now.
"What's this now? Congratulations…?" She spoke, looking at the panel that appeared, and began reading the notification aloud.
Liang Xiu leaned against the table, too lazy to check his own panel, his gaze fixed instead on the entrance.
"…for surviving your first week in the Tower's Testing Sector. Starting today, three new features will be made available to you and all denizens of the Tower."
The words were echoed by a man striding out of a tunnel, head cleanly shaven, a few golden teeth flashing when he grinned.
He looked up from his panel and swept his gaze over the surreal garden. A police officer not changed out of his uniform sat opposite two teenagers; his bulky figure caught his attention first as he was already frozen in awe with the panel that appeared, his fingers tapping frantically as he opened the new features. To the front left sat a white-haired woman.
"What happened to that girl? She looks insane; best not poke her."
The girl froze at his words, her expression twisting. Her head swayed towards the voice as her hair, shock-white and tied by string hair bands into thick twin tails, swayed as well. Wild bangs covered her face, with one strand dyed red. Multiple long nail scars ran jagged down along her arms, her leg, and her neck like claw marks carved into pale skin.
The pavilion they were seated under began to rotate on its own until an empty chair aligned with the stone path, and when it stopped, clothes, slips, and food materialized on it.
She scowled. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you with the hospital? Did they send you to come for me? Huh?! Huh!? Who are you!?" Her voice rose in a shrill cry, making both opposite to her tense at the mention of hospitals.
[The Final Existence informs you that you will not be sent away, and neither of the two before you are affiliated with your asylum. These are meant to be your newest companions—friends or allies—for the next trial.
"Another friend? I'm so lucky today!!!" She beamed, her hand pushing through the sky, "I didn't know you were my friend. Friend… Hahaha… I have three new friends now."
I knew it; she was batshit crazy. The cleanly shaven man thought, his eyes moving off Bai Lian.
Then—
His eyes widened. "Little boss? Is that really you!?"
Liang Xiu turned his head, brow raised, then blinked in recognition. "…Uncle Chen Hao?"
Chen Hao beamed. "Hah! You were abducted too?"
"Yeah," Liang Xiu replied.
Chen Hao chuckled, spreading his hands. "But did you see that woman at the start of this mess? Breasts the size of mountains—I thought I'd died and gone to heaven."
He muttered as he walked closer. "Turns out reality was nothing but hell. I was stuck punching a bronze gate for days. And you—" his grin widened as he rubbed the back of his head—"look like you upgraded to another girl while your uncle was starving in a cave."
"I'm an upgrade?" Bai Lian asked suddenly, eyes bright, studying the man who seemed to know her new friend Liang Xiu.
"Depends on Little Wei over there," Chen Hao said carefully. "I don't want to dig my own grave if he's still with his young lady and I've gone and offended her. But hey, Little Boss, did you read the message? You'd better end this quickly if it isn't serious, or young lady Yueqin might not like what she's seeing."
Liang Xiu's jaw tightened. "…Don't worry. Our relationship isn't like that—"
"For now," Bai Lian cut in, poking his chest. "You said if I do well in the next trial, we'll be best friends."
"I did say that, didn't I?" Liang Xiu smirked. "But there's no way she'll be able to find my page and misunderstand—"
The panel before him flashed.
(Player: 17805) Fang Yuren: I'll give you one Kill Essence for the Player ID of that white-haired girl. I think she's one of my friends. Tell her this is her brother, Zhang Rui—she'll know who I am.
"Little boss, what's that look? Did you just jinx yourself~?" Chen Hao teased, seeing Liang Xiu's expression change suddenly. He chuckled, aware of this lady Yueqin's supernaturally perceptive nature.
Liang Xiu's smile froze. His eyes narrowed as he reread the message again.
White-haired girl? Brother Zhang Rui?
Slowly, he turned his head toward Bai Lian—who was busy rearranging blueberries on her plate like they were tiny soldiers marching toward war.
So… people outside could see them now. And someone was already looking for her.
"Liang Xiu?" She asked innocently, blinking at him with those disturbingly bright violet eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said, even though the muscle in his jaw twitched. "Just someone trying to be clever."
He tapped the message window, opening the chat.
(Player: 17805) Fang Yuren: I'll give you one Kill Essence for the Player ID of that white-haired girl. I think she's one of my friends. Tell her this is her brother, Zhang Rui—she'll know who I am.
Liang Xiu typed back:
(Player 16704) Liang Xiu: What's a Kill Essence?
The reply came instantly, like Fang Yuren had been waiting.
(Player: 17805) Fang Yuren: It's an item that can enhance your physical body or strengthen your weapons. Officially, it's called a Kill Essence Coin, but I shortened it earlier to save time. I'll send you one right now if you confirm that girl is who I think she is—and tell her I'm trying to contact her.
So he wants something, Liang Xiu thought. He wants her—and he wants her fast.
He glanced back at Bai Lian. Her elbow was propped on the table, chin resting in her palm as she stared curiously at him, fork still in her hand. She didn't look suspicious. If anything, she looked… excited.
"Is it a friend?" she asked with a soft smile.
Liang Xiu didn't answer right away. Instead, he typed:
Send the Kill Essence first. Then I'll tell her about you wanting her Player ID.
A moment later, a small dark red coin blinked into existence beside his panel, floating in the air before dropping neatly into his palm. It was warm.
Bai Lian tilted her head. "Ohhh… that's new. What's that? Candy?"
Liang Xiu didn't respond—his eyes were still on the message window.
Fang Yuren: Deal. Now tell her I want to reconnect with her.
Liang Xiu stared at the message.
Then, with a faint smirk, he typed:
Before I hand her over—tell me exactly what you want with her.