The cave was a tomb of silence and shadow, a place where time seemed to hold its breath. For the boy, Baam, it was the only world he had ever known—a world defined by the darkness and the single, radiant light that was the girl, Rachel.
But now, that light was leaving.
"Where... where are you going?!" Baam gasped, his chest heaving as he scrambled over the jagged rocks. His tattered clothes caught on the stones, but he didn't feel the tears.
Ahead of him, bathed in an ethereal, golden glow, stood Rachel. She looked back, her eyes filled with a mixture of pity and steely determination.
"I'm going to climb the Tower," she said, her voice echoing strangely in the cavern. "I told you, Baam. If you climb this Tower, you'll be able to go outside. You can see a blue sky during the day and a starry sky during the night."
She turned away, looking up toward the light. "I'm gonna go up."
Baam lunged forward, his fingers scrabbling against the dirt. "Living in this dark world... I can't stand it anymore," she cried out, desperation cracking his voice. "I'm sorry, Baam... please forget about me."
"No!" Baam shouted, tackling her just as the light began to intensify. "Don't go, Rachel! If you go... I'll follow you until death!"
But the light was stronger than his grip. It washed over them, a blinding, physical force. Rachel slipped through his fingers like water, dissolving into the brilliance. The massive stone gates before them began to grind shut, sealing the way.
"No! Rachel!"
Darkness slammed back into place. Baam was alone.
Or so he thought.
The sensation of the stone floor beneath him changed. The air grew heavy, thick with an ancient pressure. When Baam opened his eyes, the cave was gone.
He was in a hall of impossible proportions. The walls were etched with murals of leviathans and warriors, stretching up into a darkness that swallowed the ceiling.
"My my," a silken voice purred from the shadows. "It seems I have a guest. It's been a while."
Baam scrambled back, clutching a rusted cleaver he had brought from the cave. From the gloom emerged a figure that defied logic—a tall, slender creature with the pale, smooth head of a rabbit, dressed in a sharp suit and holding a staff topped with two floating spheres.
"W... Who are you?!" Baam stammered.
"I welcome you to the Tower, child," the creature said, bowing theatrically. "My name is Headon. Guardian of the lowest floor of the Tower. What is your name?"
"N... named after my birth," Baam whispered, lowering the knife slightly. "Twenty-Fifth Baam."
"Baam... 'Night'," Headon mused. "A tasty name. Tell me, child, why have you entered this Tower?"
"I... I followed a girl here!" Baam looked around frantically. "Did you see a blonde girl pass by here?!"
Headon's porcelain face betrayed no emotion, but his voice dripped with intrigue. "A blonde girl... Yes. She went up. The answer is always at the top. If you wish to find her, head to the top. All of the universe's wisdom, glory, happiness, and money are placed at the top of this Tower."
Baam's eyes hardened. The fear evaporated, replaced by a singular, burning need. "If I can meet her... I don't care what dangers there are."
"Good," Headon said, tapping his staff. "That is a firm resolution. Then, shall we begin your test?"
"A test?"
Headon pointed his staff toward a colossal iron gate behind him. "Each floor holds a test. If you pass, you proceed. This represents the test of the First Floor."
He struck the ground with his staff. Tap.
Instantly, lights flared behind the iron bars of the gate. A low, guttural growl vibrated through the floor, shaking Baam's bones. From the darkness of the cage, a nightmare emerged. It was a serpent, an eel plated in white steel, possessing a mouth large enough to swallow a man whole. Its eyes glowed with a predatory blue luminescence.
"It is 'Ball'," Headon explained casually. "Behind that monster, there is a black ball about the size of a person. If a strong external force is applied, it will pop. The test is simple: go into the cage, avoid or defeat the monster, and pop the ball."
Baam stared at the monster. The White Steel Eel.
"For your information," Headon added, "it is breeding season. It hasn't eaten in a month. It is quite violent." He leaned down, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Are you afraid? It is unfortunate, but if you cannot pass this, you cannot go up. You will never meet her again."
Baam looked at the monster, then at the rabbit. "I want to see her."
Without hesitation, Baam stepped toward the cage.
Headon paused, surprised. "For you to pop that ball is nearly impossible. To attempt this now is suicide. Would it not be logical to forget her and live?"
Baam didn't stop. "I am going."
High above the floor, concealed in the shadows of the vaulted ceiling, two figures watched the suicide unfold.
"Just what are you trying to accomplish by getting to the bottom level?!" a panicked voice hissed. It belonged to a short, silver-haired man carrying a massive backpack. "Lady Yuri! Please!"
Beside him stood a woman who commanded attention even in the dark. She had long, flowing black hair, crimson eyes that burned with mischief, and an aura of raw power. This was Princess Yuri Zahard.
"Evan, look!" Yuri pointed down. "An Irregular has entered the base floor! He opened the door himself!"
Evan, the silver-haired Guide, paled. "If that's true, it's huge news. But... look at him."
Yuri squinted. Below, the boy looked frail. Small frame, messy hair, holding a kitchen knife. "He looks... completely normal."
"Exactly," Evan said. "Usually, Irregulars bring chaos. Power beyond imagination. But this kid? He's ordinary. And he's about to walk into the White Steel Eel's cage. That test is difficulty level 20 or higher! Headon is doing this on purpose. He wants the kid to die."
Yuri's eyes narrowed. "I'm curious about him."
"We don't need chaos in the Tower! Nobody likes an Irregular!" Evan argued.
"Whatever!" Yuri grinned, adjusting her tie. "It just got fun! I'll be right back!"
"M'lady!! Nooo!"
Yuri didn't listen. She vaulted over the ledge, plummeting hundreds of feet toward the stone floor. She landed with the grace of a meteor—directly on top of the boy's face.
BAM!
Dust settled. Baam lay on the floor, dazed, a boot print on his cheek.
"Stoop!!" Yuri yelled, striking a pose before realizing she had crushed her target. She looked down at Baam, who was blinking up at her in confusion.
"Who?" Baam asked.
Yuri leaned in, inspecting him. "Hey, Newbie. Are you trying to die as soon as you enter?"
Baam stared at her. To him, her words were gibberish. The languages of the Tower were unknown to him. He tilted his head.
"Oy, look," Yuri snapped. "Why aren't you responding? Don't you understand what I'm saying?"
Evan, having taken the stairs (and breathing heavily), caught up. "Lady Yuri! You can't just jump... oh, right. He doesn't have a Pocket."
"Headon!" Yuri shouted at the rabbit, who was watching with amusement. "You didn't even give him a Pocket? Maybe you want him to fail on purpose?"
"I couldn't possibly~" Headon sang. "Even I make mistakes."
"Evan, give him a spare," Yuri commanded.
Sighing, the Guide rummaged in his pockets and tossed a small, metallic sphere to Baam. "Take it. It's an A-grade Pocket. High quality."
Baam caught the marble. "Invisible Mode," Evan commanded.
Zip. The marble vanished from Baam's hand, suspended invisibly in the air around him.
"Can you understand me now?" Evan asked.
"I... I can understand you now," Baam said, his eyes widening.
"Good," Yuri cut in. "I am Yuri Zahard, a Princess of this Tower. This is Evan. Listen, kid. That test? It's rigged. That monster is too strong for a needle, let alone that rusty cleaver. But... you seem determined to go up."
"I have to," Baam said quietly. "There is a person I must find."
Yuri looked at him. There was no fear in his golden eyes, only a terrifyingly pure obsession. "A kid chasing skirts already? Fine. I like your face. I'll help you."
"Lady Yuri, you mustn't!" Evan shrieked.
Yuri ignored him and held out her hand. The air shivered. "Arms Inventory: Visible Mode."
A spectral array of weapons appeared in the air behind her, glowing with power. She reached for a long, black needle that hummed with a dark energy.
"Take it," she said, tossing the weapon to Baam. "It's the Black March."
Evan looked like he was about to faint. "The Black March?! That's one of the 13 Month Series! It was bestowed by King Zahard! If he finds out you lent it to an Irregular, it's execution!"
"Shut up, Evan!" Yuri snapped. She looked back at Baam. "It's a legendary weapon. Normally, it wouldn't even let a weakling hold it, but I'm asking it to behave. It will pierce that monster's hide. But remember... the weapon doesn't make the warrior. It depends on the user."
Baam gripped the cold, black steel. It felt heavy, alive. "Thank you," he said, bowing deeply. "I promise... I will return it to you."
He turned back to the cage. The White Steel Eel sensed the movement. It roared, a sound of grinding metal and fury. The massive bars of the cage cast long shadows over the small boy.
"Lady Yuri," Evan whispered, watching Baam's back. "Why are you helping him to such an extent?"
Yuri watched Baam step into the darkness of the cage, the Black March held tightly in his hand. Her red eyes softened, just a fraction.
"I just... took a liking to the boy."
Baam stepped through the gate. The darkness swallowed him. The test had begun.