Tower Realm – Floor 9
[Trial Gate: Chains and Echoes – Initiated]
A chill wind greeted Ha-Joon as he stepped onto the ninth floor. But unlike the frozen wasteland of Floor 6, this chill didn't seep into his skin—it burrowed into his heart.
He stood in a vast stone hall, filled with massive pillars carved from obsidian. Faint, rhythmic clinking echoed around him, like chains swaying in a breeze that did not exist.
A system message flickered into view.
> [Trial of Chains and Echoes]
Objective: Break free from soul bindings—defeat the weight of alternate paths
Condition: If bound, movement, power, and memory will be restricted
Reward: Willpower Enhancement, Unknown Relic
Warning: Do not lose sight of your chosen path
Ha-Joon took one step forward—
CLANG.
Heavy chains burst from the floor and latched around his wrists, ankles, and chest.
They weren't made of metal.
They were made of possibilities.
---
Suddenly, the world around him twisted.
The tower disappeared.
The dark hall faded.
And he stood inside a small, peaceful bakery.
Sunlight drifted through the windows. Outside, people strolled in autumn jackets. Laughter and warmth surrounded him.
He looked down.
He was wearing an apron.
The smell of bread and cinnamon clung to the air.
And standing behind the counter…
> "Joonie, can you help me serve this table?"
His sister, Ha-Rin, smiled brightly.
No fear. No grief. No missing posters.
As if he'd never vanished.
As if… none of the tower had ever happened.
---
He froze.
It felt too real.
The weight of the chains pulled at his limbs.
Not physically—but in the deepest part of his soul.
---
> "You could have had this life," a voice whispered.
"Peace. Family. Simplicity."
"You don't need power. Just stay."
The chain around his chest tightened.
His legs began to shake.
The illusion was trying to rewrite him.
To overwrite his will.
---
Ha-Joon's hands trembled.
He stared at his sister's smile. The soft glow of sunlight. The warmth of the air. His throat tightened.
Then, slowly, he reached up—
—and touched his own eyes.
He couldn't see them, but he could feel the warmth radiating from his irises.
Crimson.
A color born not from blood, but from eternity.
He closed his eyes.
> "That life was never mine," he whispered.
"I didn't come this far to pretend."
---
Suddenly, the bakery cracked.
Like a mirror struck by a hammer.
The sunlight dimmed.
The warmth faded.
And one by one, the chains shattered.
Ha-Joon stood taller.
> [Soul Anchor: Resisted False Fate]
[Mind Fortification: Echo Suppression Activated]
---
But the trial wasn't done.
The scene shifted again.
This time… it was a battlefield.
Ha-Joon stood in armor, stained with blood. Countless soldiers behind him. A throne before him.
And people chanting:
> "King Ha-Joon! Savior of Worlds!"
A golden crown floated above his head.
The chain reappeared—this time heavier, burning with pride and glory.
> "You can rule. You can command. Everyone will bow to you. You've earned it."
But Ha-Joon didn't even blink.
"Not interested."
He stepped forward—
and crushed the crown beneath his heel.
---
> [Trial Cleared – All False Echoes Rejected]
• Trait Gained: Unshakable Path
• Stat Boost: +2 Willpower, +1 Constitution
• Item Received: Unknown Relic (Sealed)
• Title Unlocked: The One Who Chose Reality
The trial world shattered like glass around him.
He landed back in the tower, chains broken at his feet.
His hands were steady.
His eyes—burning red with quiet power.
He looked up at the next staircase.
"Almost there."
---
Earth – Late Evening
A breeze passed through Suwon.
Ha-Rin lit a candle by the window.
Her mother quietly set the dinner table.
Her father watched the street from the rooftop, as he did every night now.
They didn't say much anymore.
But none of them gave up.
Not really.
Even without proof—
They believed.
---
Back in the Tower Realm
Ha-Joon stood alone at the gate of Floor 10.
The final trial of this section.
The stone shimmered beneath his feet.
And the system, almost hesitantly, offered the next words:
> [Next Trial: Gate of Return Awaits]
Warning: Entry into this floor will begin irreversible convergence.
Ha-Joon didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward.
His time in the tower was not over—
But the next door…
Would finally lead him back to his world.
Back to the family he left behind.
Back to the place where his story truly began.
Only now—
He was not the same.
---