When the light faded, SeTa found himself standing not in solitude, but in the middle of a massive circular chamber lit by celestial fire. Other Climbers—dozens of them—stood around him, dazed and ragged, each marked by their own trials on Floor 0. Some leaned on weapons, others wept openly. One boy clutched his shoulder, blood pouring from a still-healing wound. Another girl had a look of haunting fury, a sword too large strapped to her back.
No one had words. Only breaths. Only the quiet, shared truth: they had survived something impossible.
Then the sky cracked.
Above them, a golden interface shimmered into being. Unlike the personal system prompts they'd seen before, this was global—projected across the sky of the Tower's safe zone like a divine announcement.
> [UNIVERSAL TUTORIAL COMPLETE – FLOOR 0 END]
[Leaderboards Unlocked. Achievement Points Revealed.]
A pause.
> [ALL TIME TOP 100 - FLOOR ZERO LEADERBOARD]
One by one, names blazed across the heavens, their ranks and AP tallied beside them. The chamber erupted in gasps.
1. Gaia (High Elf) – 11,210 AP – Title: Goddess of Creation
2. Charybdas (Black Dragon) – 10,940 AP – Title: Greater Flame Sovereign
3. SeTa (??? – Human?) – 10,600 AP – Title: Inception's Echo
...
16. Veyra (Shadow Elf) – 6,210 AP – Title: Scourge of the Gate
SeTa blinked.
He hadn't expected to be ranked, intact he did not know the implications only time would tell.
Murmurs turned into cheers, then progressed into questions. Many stared at him. The quiet boy with the infinite Intelligence stat—whom nobody knew had just rewritten himself through a dream of collapse.
> [ACHIEVEMENT POINTS (AP): CURRENCY OF GROWTH AND DOMINION.] AP earned via Trials, Kills, Floor Clears, Quests, and Influence.] Spend AP in the Tower Store for Items, Guild Licenses, Commerce Rights, Territory Claims, and Divine Contracts.]
The words weren't suggestions. They were law. AP was now the foundation of civilization within the Tower.
And this chamber—no, this Floor 1 Safe Zone—was the beginning.
> [NOTE: After Floor 0, DEATH = EXPULSION to ORIGIN WORLD. Skills Retained. Climb Ended.]
Those who had died during the tutorial but survived through cognitive override or system buffers were rare. Their second chance ended now. No more do-overs.
> [SAFE ZONE RULES – Floor 1 Hub – NPC and System-Generated Quests Only.] [Administrators present: Climbers who chose governance over ascent.]
A glowing platform emerged near the center, and standing upon it was a being that defied form. A creature of blurred outline and shimmering color. Neither male nor female. Not even human.
It spoke in three voices.
"Welcome, Climbers. I am Ylun, Construct of Balance, Neutral Host of Tower Law. I will explain what must be understood."
Silence fell like gravity.
"The Top 100 have earned legacy status. You may return to your worlds for limited hours every ten Floors. Your stories will ripple across realms."
Ylun's form rippled with mirrored echoes of hundreds of races.
"Your Tower is one of many. Your struggle echoes beyond your comprehension. But understand this: every ten Floors, you will receive a personal questline. These Safe Zones will allow commerce, recruitment, rest, and... negotiation."
Some Climbers already began huddling—sharing names, forming parties. Others scanned the floating UI, browsing Tower Store basics. Guild Charters. Skill Seeds. Custom Class Paths. Economy licenses.
"And most vital of all," Ylun continued, "those who establish power now—guilds, chambers, merchant fleets, spiritual orders—will dominate not only with blade, but with belief. For upon ascension to godhood, your primary currency shall shift from AP... to Divinity. A resource earned only through followers and influence."
SeTa didn't blink. He didn't speak.
He had no allies yet. No guild.
But a glowing thread still pulsed from his heart, tugging at something unseen—a bond not of flesh or blood, but of fate. The Subordinate, still dormant, awaited.
Then the last message appeared:
> [Inception's Sigil Has Awakened. Look to the Sky.]
The heavens dimmed.
And from the clouds, a single, radiant glyph descended—a spiral blueprint inscribed within a fractal crown. The symbol of the God of Inception.
All eyes rose.
Except SeTa's.
His eyes were closed.
And in the quiet of his mind, for the first time since the tutorial began—
There were no voices.
Just silence.
The system now spoke only when prompted or for general announcements. No guidance. No whispers. Only hard truth and personal will.
> [SYSTEM NEUTRALIZED – FACILITATOR ONLY – Player must self-direct.]
SeTa exhaled. Then opened his eyes.
"Floor 1," he whispered.
"Let's begin."