Bang! Bang!
At the front of the lecture hall, an elderly tutor with graying hair and a stern expression slammed a ruler-like staff against the desk. The sharp sound echoed through the vast stone chamber, silencing the noisy apprentices. Only the crackle of torches remained.
His gaze swept across the students below, his voice slow and commanding:
"You are about to graduate. For those who fail to enter the Sanctum of Arcana for advanced study, despair not. The world does not offer only a single path. The gates of the Infinite Tower stand ever open—another road to greatness. But heed my warning: do not step through unprepared. Those who enter rashly will pay with both life and soul."
The hall erupted instantly.
"I'll sign up no matter what!"
"Damn it, I'd rather die than go to that cursed place!"
"They say even your ashes won't remain if you fail…"
Excitement and dread tangled together in the voices of the youths.
The tutor—Sir Spike—raised his hand for silence. His tone was steady and resolute:
"To go, or not to go, that choice is yours alone. Will you live a life of mediocrity in some small city, or step onto the road of peril and glory? A tutor can only give counsel and hope. Remember this: whichever path you choose, may you carve your name into the flood of destiny."
With that, he folded the ruler under his arm and strode out through the stone doors, leaving the echo of his words behind.
For a heartbeat, the hall was still. Then voices rose again in a storm of emotion. Apprentices who had failed the Sanctum's exams slumped in despair, or clenched their fists with iron resolve, or sat lost in confusion. Those accepted into the Sanctum, meanwhile, wore pride like armor—mocking, whispering, boasting of the glory ahead.
All but one.
At the very back row sat a plain-faced boy, silent and still. His eyes were cold, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
His name was—Leon.
Yet the real Leon had long since perished.
The boy sitting there now carried a soul from another world—Earth.
In his past life, he had been nothing more than an ordinary shut-in, wasting his days on games and web novels. The moment of his crossing came suddenly: one late night, while grinding away at a game, drowsiness overtook him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself inhabiting this foreign shell of flesh.
The body's original owner, however, had been a wastrel—a useless delinquent who neglected his studies, spent nights haunting taverns, and eventually provoked the wrong people. Beaten to death in a filthy alley, he left behind a vacant vessel. And so Leon, the outsider, slipped in to claim it.
"What a damned opening act," Leon muttered inwardly.
During his first month in this world, he thought he had been lucky. Perhaps it was a parallel version of Earth, and with his encyclopedic memory of countless web novels, he might even scrape a living by rewriting "stories" from his old life. But reality struck like a hammer. Here, technology was nothing but dust. True power belonged to the cultivators.
Legends spoke of immortals who could, with a single step, cross the endless seas of stars.
"I was all set to live out a peaceful, boring life—and you're telling me this is a cultivation world?" Leon's heart was full of bitter resignation.
What broke him further was the cruel truth: he had no system, no cheat, no hidden golden finger. He had waited a month, praying for some miraculous boon, and not a single opportunity had fallen into his lap.
"All right… then maybe I'm a hidden prodigy?" He had even dared to dream that perhaps he was a once-in-a-millennium genius, destined to comprehend any technique at a glance. But once again, reality crushed him.
In this world, talent meant far less than resources. With enough spirit stones and elixirs, even a pig could ascend into immortality. But on this barren planet, spiritual energy was scarce, true resources rarer still.
"Even pigs can become immortals… and I can't even measure up to a pig." Leon sneered at himself, lifting his gaze toward the heavens.
There, piercing the sky, stood the fabled Infinite Tower. Its peak vanished into the clouds, as if it stretched beyond the world itself, without end.
Perhaps… that was his only chance.
On this continent, cultivation resources were the key to the path of power. Only by entering the Academy could one gain access to the kingdom's official allotment of training materials—spirit herbs, spirit stones, and body-tempering arrays. Limited, yes, but steady and reliable, enough to ensure progress.
But for those who sought endless resources and boundless opportunities, there was only one path left—
to step into the Infinite Tower.
Those admitted to the Academy were no longer ordinary youths. Their bodies, forged in resources, grew as strong as steel. Under the direct guidance of seasoned mentors, they possessed at least a shred of capital for survival.
Those who failed to enter the Academy, however, had only a single desperate option: to gamble their lives in the Infinite Tower. Inside, death was almost inevitable. While it did not mean the complete destruction of the body, the price was brutal—each death stripped away twenty years of lifespan. The higher the world climbed within the Tower, the harsher the cost. Even with a century of life, one could barely endure four attempts before all hope was gone.
For those with deep cultivation and longevity, more trials were possible. But for most mortals, entering the Infinite Tower was no different from dancing upon a blade.
And for Leon, this road was even more treacherous. He was, after all, a so-called good-for-nothing with no foundation to rely on. Yet he had no choice but to wager everything—because he still had two younger brothers and two younger sisters. His parents had already entered the Tower in the past, losing two lifespans each. Now, with barely a decade left between them, they could only survive through meager labor to keep the family afloat.
Though Leon had been in this world for only two months, the love his parents showed him was no illusion. Even when they scolded him harshly, their actions were proof of their devotion to the family. And Leon knew he could not waste this life as the body's former owner had. No matter how perilous the path ahead, he had to carve out a future.
In the lecture hall, students gathered in clusters—some whispering strategies, others offering encouragement. Only Leon sat alone at the very back, silent as stone. No one cared to befriend him. The original Leon had been a wastrel, the kind of cautionary tale nobles and commoners alike used to warn their children.
Suddenly, a hearty voice rose beside him.
"Leon, are you… really planning to enter the Infinite Tower?"
The speaker was a round-faced boy with a ruddy complexion, named Jim. According to Leon's inherited memories, Jim was the son of a wealthy merchant guild leader—an heir with a comfortable life, though his cultivation talent was only average. Once, when Jim had clashed with ruffians outside the school, it was Leon who stepped in to help him. Since then, the two had become rare friends.
Leon turned his head, replying with calm indifference.
"I haven't decided yet. Maybe I will… After all, unlike you, I don't get to live carefree for the rest of my life."
Jim scratched the back of his head, then said earnestly,
"Why don't you come work at my family's guild instead? I'll beg my father to give you a proper position. That way, you won't have to risk your life—or your lifespan—in the Infinite Tower."
Leon stared at him, then suddenly chuckled.
"What, you planning to keep me as your pet? Someone like me, a good-for-nothing that everyone despises—your father would actually agree to that?"
Jim puffed out his chest, full of pride.
"Of course! The guild will be mine sooner or later. If I say someone stays, who would dare object?"
Looking at that smug face, Leon's fist itched; he almost wanted to sock him. But in the end, he only waved a hand, his voice laced with quiet resolve.
"Forget it. I want to stand on my own. If one day I really can't survive… then I'll come find you."
By the time his words trailed off, a flicker of fire was already burning deep within his eyes—unyielding, unshakable.
The Infinite Tower. The place of both glory and despair. Perhaps that was where his destiny would truly begin.
Seeing Leon's determination, Jim could only sigh and drop the matter. With uncharacteristic solemnity, he said:
"Fine. But if you ever turn back, I'll make sure there's always a place for you in the guild."
Leon only waved again, his face unreadable.
"Sure. We'll talk about it then. For now, I'm heading home."
With that, he pushed open the heavy wooden door and left the lecture hall.
By the time Leon returned home, the sun had already set. Both of his parents were there; today they had found no day-labor to take on. Having never stepped even into the most basic Body Tempering Realm, their frail strength was of little use to workshops or mines, and few employers would hire such weak hands.
His father's name was Troy, his mother's, Halley. Second sister Tasha, third brother Wade, fourth brother Bobby, and youngest sister Alice.
In the kitchen, Halley was busy preparing a simple supper, with Tasha helping at her side. The other three children remained in their rooms, poring over the Academy's introductory scrolls. Troy sat on the rough wooden sofa in the living room. When he heard the door creak open, he merely called out in a flat tone:
"You're back?"
"Mm," Leon answered softly, before turning away toward his room.
This four-room house had been purchased years ago, when his parents first ventured into the Infinite Tower and—by sheer luck—returned with enough resources to exchange for a home. That brief stroke of fortune remained the only brilliance of their entire lives.
Not long after, his mother's voice drifted from the kitchen.
"Leon, dinner's ready!"
He stepped out and joined the table. His parents and four younger siblings were already seated, all eyes falling upon him with mixed expressions.
After only a few bites, his father Troy finally spoke. His voice seemed calm, yet beneath it trembled something heavy and unspoken.
"How far along is your preparation? …Have you truly decided to enter?"
Leon lifted his gaze. His mother's eyes brimmed with worry, his siblings sat tense and silent, and though his father tried to appear steady, the hand that held his chopsticks quivered ever so slightly. No matter how stoic, what parent wished to see their child walk into danger?
Leon smiled faintly, his tone firm.
"I've already made my decision. Tomorrow, I'll sign up. As the eldest son, it's my duty to bear the weight of this family."
Halley's lips trembled as though she wished to speak, but in the end, she only sighed.
"Promise me you won't be reckless. I don't need glory—I only need you to come back alive."
"Leon, you can do it!"
Tasha raised her small fist first, her voice childish yet unshaken. Wade, Bobby, and Alice soon followed, each sending him looks of determination and faith.
Leon chuckled and nodded.
"I will."
That night, after the meal, he returned to his room. Lighting a dim magic-crystal lamp, he sat quietly on the edge of his bed, and set a crude hourglass to end just before dawn.
Tomorrow at first light, he would set off alone for the Infinite Tower.
He did not want his family to see him off. He could not bear their eyes—eyes full of worry, sorrow, and guilt.
Better to leave in silence than drown in farewell.