Alex gasped violently as he jolted awake on the cold stone floor. He felt around his neck—everything seemed in order.
What just happened...?
Did I... die...?
He stood and checked his arms and legs. No wounds, no bruises, nothing. His hands trembled as he remembered the monster that had crawled out of the hooded man's mouth.
That never happened in the novel…
In the story, the protagonist was dropped onto the first floor, where he fought a towering beast and unlocked his Tower-granted power. But that wasn't what Alex had seen.
Alex surveyed his surroundings. He seemed to be in the same place where he had landed when he first entered this world. He stared at the stairs, cold and calculating. Going back up meant certain death. Yet the only way forward was up.
One by one, Alex carefully climbed the dimly lit stairs of the tower. Soon, he arrived at the same wooden door he had faced before. He hesitated for a moment, then placed his hand on the handle.
The door squeaked as it slowly opened, revealing a hooded man sitting at a table. Alex paused, then stepped cautiously forward.
"Sit, sit. I won't bite," the man said, motioning toward the creaky wooden chair.
I need to stay alert… I need to be careful this time…
Alex lowered himself into the chair, keeping his eyes trained on the hooded man's every movement. The man noticed and asked if he was alright.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just so dark in here," Alex replied.
"Well, we've been low on supplies," the man said. "I don't have the strength to walk all the way up to Lumoria and back. I'm not as nimble as I used to be."
Alex scanned the room. The dim candlelight revealed little. He sat up straight, crossing his arms.
"I need to know where I am. What is this place? How do I escape?"
The hooded man leaned forward. The weak candlelight illuminated his face—skinned on one side, an empty eye socket staring back at Alex.
"This place has no name, no purpose. It just exists. There is no world outside the tower. Only darkness. No one has dared escape," the man said. "Legends speak of a great beast beyond the tower. If it catches you… you would be erased from existence. Every memory, every trace of you, gone as if you never were."
This place really is like the novel…
But if the novel is coming to life… where's the giant monster that's supposed to be here?
"How do I climb the tower?" Alex asked.
The man pointed toward a wooden door. "Right there."
Alex rose and approached the door.
"But be warned," the man said. "Every floor you climb, you must defeat a great beast to move forward."
Alex turned to him. "So… where is the monster for this floor?"
The man's cloak fell away, and his head began to swell unnaturally, like a balloon inflating. The shape quivered… then suddenly, it exploded in a blinding shockwave. Alex was thrown backward, hitting the floor hard, wind knocked out of him. Dust and debris swirled, leaving the man's form shattered on the ground.
Alex struggled to sit up, heart pounding, as the remnants of the figure began to twist and reassemble unnervingly. Limbs emerged, followed by a fully formed humanoid figure.
In an instant, it closed the distance between them. Alex froze. The figure said nothing, grabbing Alex's arm and slamming him into the table, shattering it. He tried to catch his breath, but the creature had already seized his leg and flung him into the air.
It leapt high above him, then slammed him to the ground. Alex coughed violently, struggling to breathe, pain coursing through his body. He had been broken, battered, pushed to his limits.
Then, a blue window appeared before his eyes.
Through blurred vision, Alex tilted his head to read. Another window appeared:
A few seconds later, another window replaced it:
CHARACTER PROFILE
Alex Morales (Age 16)
Level: 1
Title: The One Who Cheated Death
STATS:
Strength
Stamina
Intelligence
Speed
SKILLS:
Regressor (Round 2) (Legendary)
Prophet
Regressor…?
The window closed and a new one appeared:
Full Heal
Hero's Sword
Health Potion
25 Stat Points
This… is like a game…
The words Full Heal glowed, and Alex felt his injuries vanish. He opened the character profile to the stats section.
If this is like a game… I can use 25 stat points to get strong enough to beat this guy…
15 points to Strength
10 points to Speed
STRENGTH
SPEED
Alex closed the character profile and glared at the creature advancing toward him. His fists clenched, heart pounding.
The figure lunged with unnatural speed. Alex barely had time to react. He sidestepped and jabbed, hitting its chest. The force of the blow made the creature stagger, but it didn't slow down.
Focus… anticipate…
The Nomu lunged again. Alex ducked low, rolling under its swing, and kicked out, striking its midsection. The creature let out a guttural sound, stumbling back. Alex followed up, throwing a rapid series of punches. Each hit connected with bone-crunching impact, his movements precise, fueled by desperation and adrenaline.
The Nomu recovered quickly, swinging wildly. Alex dodged, his reflexes sharper now, his speed enhanced by the stat points he'd invested. He leaped off the ground, kicking the Nomu backward and creating space between them.
The creature charged again, faster this time. Alex ducked under its arm, pivoting, and struck the side of its head. The Nomu stumbled, nearly losing balance. Alex pressed the attack, using the environment to his advantage—slamming it into the broken table, forcing it to crash to the floor.
Sweat dripped down his face. Every strike counted. Every dodge mattered. The Nomu roared, swinging blindly, and Alex exploited its openings, landing a series of rapid blows—punch after punch, each one sharper than the last.
Finally, with a powerful uppercut, Alex sent the creature sprawling across the room. It hit the wall with a heavy thud, unable to rise.
Alex took a deep breath, adrenaline still coursing through him. He dashed to the door, yanking it open, and stared at the stairs ahead.
I can get stronger…
And with renewed determination, Alex began to climb.