"Alright, everyone, gather around! The Tower Trial begins now!"
The commanding voice thundered across the plaza.
Hundreds of young awakeners turned toward the raised platform where a tall, broad-shouldered man stood — his military coat fluttering in the morning wind. The crowd buzzed with a mix of excitement and nerves.
Most of the youths wore standard-issue gear provided by the government — lightweight armor, utility belts, and basic weapons. A few, clearly from wealthier families, stood out with polished, rune-etched armor gleaming under the sun. Their confidence bordered on arrogance.
The man's piercing gaze swept over them. When he finally spoke again, his tone was solemn.
"Each of you has trained, fought, and bled for this moment. I won't waste your time with a long speech… but remember this — the Tower is not a playground. It is a forge. Those who are weak will be broken; those who endure will be reborn as Pathfinders — the pillars of humanity's future."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. His eyes, hard as tempered steel, scanned the crowd.
"Twelve years ago," he began, launching into the familiar story.
Grimm sighed inwardly as the man continued, the so-called 'short' speech turning into the same repetitive history lesson every awakener had heard a hundred times.
How Pathfinders were the ones who rose when humanity fell into chaos…
How they carved a new path for a dying race…
The speech was inspiring, sure, but it was one he'd heard countless times. Every ceremony followed the same script — history, pride, duty. His gaze wandered instead aimlessly as he surveyed the crowd.
From the blank expressions and bored eyes around him, Grimm knew he wasn't alone in that sentiment.
At last, after what felt like an eternity, the man's speech reached its grand finale.
"Now," the man's voice snapped him back to reality, "step forward, one by one. Place your hand on the Tower's surface, and let it recognize your will!"
The crowd began to move.
Each young awakener stepped forward, touched the Tower, and vanished in a flash of white light — their bodies dissolving as the Tower pulled them into its domain. The air buzzed with excitement, tension, and the faint hum of energy.
Then it was Grimm's turn.
He took a slow breath, his pulse quick but steady.
This is it.
Excitement churned beneath his calm exterior as he pressed his palm against the Tower.
In an instant, a jolt of energy shot through him. His vision twisted, his body felt weightless, and his consciousness blurred.
Then —
---
[Synchronization Initiated…]
[Analyzing soul signature…]
[Error.]
[Unknown energy detected.]
---
Grimm's eyes snapped open.
The world had changed.
Gone was the plaza, the sunlight, the crowd. He was floating in an endless void — black, silent, infinite.
Where am I…?
Before he could even think further, more notifications appeared before his eyes, flashing red.
---
[Warning: The Tower is rejecting your presence.]
[Warning: Energy source incompatible.]
[Warning: You have alerted the Tower Guardian.]
---
A chill ran down his spine.
The Tower Guardian?
Then the void trembled — not from sound, but from pressure. Something ancient and vast stirred in the darkness, and the surroundings felt alive with dread.
---
[The Tower Guardian is displeased with your resistance.]
[The Tower Guardian is initiating Soul Erasure.]
---
Agony exploded through him.
"GAAAH!"
It wasn't pain of the body — it was deeper. As though invisible claws were tearing at his very essence. His soul screamed.
---
[Warning: Soul integrity decreasing rapidly.]
[87%... 64%... 39%...]
---
Grimm's breath came in gasps, his body convulsing, his consciousness flickering.
Is this… the end?
He had only just arrived in this world. He hadn't even begun his journey.
No… not yet.
---
[Soul Integrity: 11%...]
[Erasure Complete in 3… 2…]
---
Darkness began to swallow him whole — until, suddenly, warmth erupted from his chest.
A gentle warmth bloomed in his chest, spreading through the cracks in his fading soul. Golden light shimmered from within, soft yet impossibly vast.
---
[Warning: Unknown anomaly detected.]
[Soul resistance increasing exponentially.]
[Subject resisting annihilation.]
---
The notifications blurred as Grimm's mind drifted between pain and nothingness.
The agony that had once burned through his very soul slowly receded, replaced by a vast stillness — calm, deep, refreshing.
It was like floating in an ocean before dawn, where silence stretched forever.
Then, faintly, new lines of light shimmered before his eyes.
---
[The Tower Guardian is speechless at the sudden anomaly.]
[The Tower Guardian is retreating.]
[Soul Reconstruction in Progress…]
[Soul Integrity: 27% → 80% → 100%.]
[Soul Strength increasing.]
---
A shaky breath escaped his lips. Grimm clutched his chest as warmth began to flow through him.
The tearing pain was gone, replaced by a soothing current that washed through every corner of his being.
He let out a rough exhale, trembling. "It's… over?"
His body relaxed. For a brief, fragile moment, peace returned to the void.
But before he could even begin to calm down, another sharp notification tone echoed in his mind.
---
[Warning: Host body overflowing with energy.]
[Warning: Energy influx exceeding safe threshold.]
[Body Reconstruction Initiated.]
---
"Again…?" Grimm barely managed to mutter before the pain struck.
This time it wasn't his soul that screamed — it was his body.
His very flesh felt like it was melting, reforming, breaking apart only to be rebuilt again. His bones shattered into dust, then reformed stronger, denser. His veins pulsed with molten fire as new energy surged through him.
The void trembled with his screams.
Seconds felt like an eternity.
Then —
---
[Reconstruction Complete.]
[Congratulations! You have awakened your Innate Talent.]
[Talent Rank: EX.]
[Talent Name: Infinite Boost.]
---
The pain faded, leaving only stunned silence.
Grimm floated there, panting. His mind, still reeling, struggled to process what he'd just heard.
"…EX rank?" he muttered, voice barely audible.
A trembling hand reached forward as a translucent blue panel expanded before him. His heart pounded as he tapped on the glowing text.
A new window unfolded.
---
[Infinite Boost]
— Talent Rank: EX
Description: A mythical talent that defies all known limits. Every skill, ability, or power the user acquires will evolve infinitely — refining itself toward perfection. The more it is used, the stronger it becomes.
---
For a moment, Grimm could only stare, mouth slightly open.
Then he exhaled shakily, half in disbelief, half in awe.
"A talent that… never stops growing?"
He had read about legendary S-rank awakenings in Tower reports — talents so powerful they could reshape the world. But EX rank? He had never even heard of such a classification.
Had the Tower truly made a mistake?
Before he could think further, a new string of messages appeared.
---
[Transferring host to Newbie Village…]
---
A beam of light engulfed him, warm and blinding.
The void shattered like glass.
When Grimm opened his eyes, he was standing in a small wooden cabin.
The faint scent of pine filled the air. Shafts of sunlight filtered through a dusty window, casting golden streaks across the floor. Outside, he could hear faint rustling — wind brushing against leaves.
He blinked, dazed.
His body felt… new. Whole. Stronger than before.
His hands trembled as he raised them. They looked the same, yet different — steadier, sharper somehow.
He took a deep breath.
For a brief moment, he wondered if it had all been an illusion. The agony, the void, the Guardian…
But the shimmering blue system panel floating before his eyes said otherwise.
It was all real.
Grimm's lips quivered. A low chuckle escaped him — then another.
And then, he laughed — loud, unrestrained, echoing through the quiet cabin.
"Haha… haha… Hahahahahaha!"
The laughter was raw — the kind born not from joy, but from relief and madness intertwined.
He had survived something that should have erased him completely.
And he hadn't just survived — he had gained.
When the laughter finally died down, he exhaled, voice trembling with excitement.
"Infinite Boost," he whispered. "I've never even heard of EX rank before… but this—this feels right."
He reached toward the floating text, the faint smile returning to his face.
Just as his fingertip was about to touch it, another panel abruptly materialized before him.
---
[Two of your abilities has been detected.]
[Would you like to enhance this talent using Infinite Boost?]
[Yes / No]
---
Grimm froze.
Then slowly, a grin spread across his face — the kind of grin only someone who had just glimpsed endless potential could make.
"Enhance?" he murmured. "Of course… Yes."
He tapped the glowing word without hesitation.
Light burst from the panel, filling the room with brilliant radiance.
---
[Enhancing abilities…]
[E-Rank 'Gluttony' has evolved into: S-Rank 'Devour'.]
[F-Rank 'Analyze' has evolved into: SS-Rank 'Omnivision']