Raven slowly regained consciousness. He felt dizzy and nauseous, but he quickly grew accustomed to such sensations. He rose very slowly, clutching the abdomen that the bald man had cut. He touched his stomach cautiously, his mind still recalling the pain of the injury, but even after touching it, there was no pain at all. He was surprised when he looked down and found no trace of blood; the pain had completely vanished.
He lifted his robe to his astonishment. There was no wound, not even a trace of the injury. "What's going on...?" He was completely stunned, and perhaps due to his poor concentration, he hadn't noticed the strange clothes he was wearing.
He stopped examining himself and looked around. He noticed that the buildings had completely disappeared; he was standing in the middle of a vast forest. The large trees surrounding him were twisted and tangled, devoid of any leaves, their gray bark lifeless. Its branches zigzagged and menacingly extended toward a mass of blood-red light that blanketed the sky of this world. Upon closer inspection, this terrifying light was revealed to be a crimson moon suspended in the heavens, casting an ominous, bloody glow upon the forest and leaving behind long shadows that moved menacingly across the forest floor.
A faint whistling sound swept through the trees, carrying with it a suffocating, decaying odor. Raven's body trembled, his senses on high alert as he scanned his surroundings for any sign of danger. Wherever he looked, the forest seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction, its depths shrouded in impenetrable darkness. Before he could fully grasp what was happening around him, he heard a voice inside his head:
[The owner's language has been identified. An easier method of communication will be sought.]
[Information being gathered from the owner.] [Gathering complete.]
[The system has been created from the owner's memories to facilitate communication.]
Ding! Suddenly, he heard a ringing sound, then a golden screen appeared before him.
Name: Raven Drakharn (Unawake)
Title: None
Level: 1 (0%)
Health: 100%
Race: Human
Specialization: None
Skills: None
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Main Quest: Destroy the Chaos Monster Egg]
[Details: Destroy the Chaos Monster Egg and kill its occult to complete the Tower Test]
[Question Success: Test Completed]
[Failure: Death]
"Am I inside the World Tower? Is that the sound of the World...?!" Raven was completely shocked. The last thing he remembered was fainting, and he didn't have the tattoo to enter the Tower, nor did he mention any A person entered the tower without a tattoo. It was also common knowledge that anyone chosen by the tower would receive the World Voice, which would guide them through the Tower's test. The form of assistance from the World Voice varied from person to person; it might be a weapon, a spirit monster, mere memories, or even a system. This voice and screen would disappear completely upon completion of the test, meaning this system existed only during the awakening test and would vanish forever afterward.
It took him some time to process what was happening. He was initially confused, but now everything was clear. He regained his composure and carefully assessed everything.
"So what I need to do is destroy this egg, which I don't even know where it is!" Raven sighed as he examined his body. He carried a sword and wore a small, brutally torn, blood-stained suit of armor covering his chest. "It's impossible for the owner of this body to survive." Raven removed it, as it served no purpose other than to restrict his movement. He was left with some tattered clothing and a medium-length sword strapped to his waist.
It was common knowledge on Earth that when the World Tower chose its chosen individuals for the challenge... The tower transports only their souls, leaving their bodies on Earth to be reborn within the tower in a container of the tower's choosing. This test takes place within small, historical worlds that have long since vanished inside the tower. These worlds may be inhabited by native people, monsters, or they may be ruined realms where entry leads to death. Fortunately, he hadn't entered any of those ruined worlds.
Raven began moving cautiously through the forest for a long time, not stopping but continuing to deepen his path. With each step, he felt uneasy due to the oppressive silence of this vast forest, broken only by the sound of his footsteps and the whistling wind.
As he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Despite this feeling, he continued forward. With each passing moment, the forest seemed to grow darker and quieter. Raven swallowed his fear and continued to advance cautiously.
...
It wasn't long before the eerie silence was shattered by strange sounds echoing Its echo reverberated through the trees. He became tense, his body on high alert. He looked toward the sound, his sword gripping his hand, ready for any approaching clash.
Suddenly, a pack of zombie-like wolves emerged from the trees. Rotten flesh hung grotesquely from their decaying bodies. Their eyes glowed green as they bared yellow teeth, and hunger gleamed in their gaze as they watched their prey unfold before them.
Raven's nerves shot up, his muscles tightening as he prepared to flee. In this place, he had no information about the monsters or their strength, so he was extremely cautious. Escape was his best option at the moment. As he turned to flee, another pack emerged from behind him. These monsters gave him no chance to escape, surrounding him in a circle. With a growl, the wolves charged forward, their movements jerky and disjointed as they neared Raven, losing parts of their decaying bodies.
The movements of these monsters Stumbling and rather slow, when Raven's sword struck one of them, it sliced through easily. The flesh was rotten and decaying, and its bones were brittle. Then the forest erupted in chaos as Raven confronted these wolves. His sword flashed in the red moonlight as he fought the repulsive creatures. Despite their strange and frightening appearance, these wolves proved to be quite weak, even against someone as unawake as him.
With each stroke of his sword, he sliced them through with ease, leaving them on the forest floor in a pile of rotting flesh and broken bones. The air was thick with the stench of decay and carrion.
While fighting, his senses were sharp, and he never let his guard down. After all, this was the World Tower; letting your guard down could mean your demise.
When the last of the zombie wolves fell beneath his sword, he stood panting amidst the carnage, his heart pounding with exhaustion. Despite the danger he faced, a surge of exhilaration coursed through his veins.
"But does it have to be this disgusting...?"
Raven was fighting off nausea when he heard a strange sound.
Ding!
[You killed a pack of zombie wolves. Your power will increase slightly.]
Ding!
[Your level has increased.]
"W-What is this...? Killing increases my power, and my level has increased too? It's like a video game."
Raven was both confused and excited. This system he had acquired was a great help from the Tower; he felt he had gained strength, even if only slightly.
...
He continued to move cautiously through the dense trees of the forest, scanning his surroundings for anything distinctive, anything that might help him determine his current location. As he progressed, he knew that terrifying and powerful monsters lurk in the darkness, so he advanced with extreme caution, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, his eyes caught sight of a faint blue light, so distant that he couldn't discern its nature. He decided to approach it cautiously, and after walking for some time, he reached the source of the light. He noticed a small, treeless area that stretched across a wide expanse, filled with a type of beautiful blue flower that illuminated the area. As he cautiously approached the patch of land, the unusual and beautiful sight piqued his curiosity, for he had never seen anything so beautiful before, having spent his entire life in a desolate and wasteland.
In the middle of the treeless expanse stood a small hill, about 100 meters high and pointed at the top. Surrounding it were beautiful blue flowers that spread across a 500-meter-wide area in a circular pattern. As he walked around the hill, taking in his surroundings, he discovered a small crack in the wall through which a blue light emanated. When he stood before the crack, which was barely wide enough for him to enter comfortably, a wave of warm air and a pleasant fragrance wafted from within, a stark contrast to the cold, musty, and deathly atmosphere outside. He thought that someone must be living deep inside the crack, so he hesitated to enter, but his curiosity was piqued, perhaps driven by a thirst for exploration after being confined within the area of exile.
With a mixture of fear and excitement, he made his decision. "I will enter cautiously," he said, stepping towards the crack in the wall, his heart pounding with anticipation.
As he entered the narrow tunnel, the walls pressed against him from all sides, but he wasn't bothered because he was moving relatively well and because his focus was on the beauty of the place. He couldn't help but marvel at the strange, glowing flowers that illuminated his path. "Amazing," he murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper. "I've never seen anything like this before." Inside the crevice, the flowers were very small and seemed not to have grown yet.
He was fascinated by these flowers. "Perhaps I'll take some; they might be useful." He continued forward, and although the crevice was small, it widened slightly, allowing him to walk and move his body and hands comfortably. Everything was quiet, and he felt a sense of comfort in such a safe place. He even planned to make it his refuge. That was until he heard some distant, indistinct voices. Then he moved forward quickly, remaining cautious. "Someone lives inside this cave!"
But as he moved forward, the distant voices grew louder and nearer. Their words were indistinct from the distance, but unsettling nonetheless. Some of the voices grew louder, clearly screams. Raven's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to know where they were coming from, so he continued cautiously. With each step, the voices became clearer, their tones filled with despair and pain. Then, amidst the cacophony, he heard it—a chilling scream that pierced the darkness like a knife.
His body went numb as he listened to the agonizing cries for help, the intensity of the scream sending shivers down his spine. "My God, what's going on here...?" he whispered softly, his voice dry with tension, even though he was cold-blooded. A laugh amidst the sounds made his heart clench, but it was barely audible. "Who's the madman laughing in the middle of this heart-wrenching scream?"
Despite the overwhelming tension and anxiety that gripped him, he pressed on, determined to uncover the source of the screams. With each passing moment, the voices grew louder, their words becoming clearer as he drew closer.
Then, as suddenly as they had begun, the screams ceased, leaving only an eerie silence. Raven stopped, his heart pounding in his chest, bracing himself for what lay ahead. He had reached the end of the tunnel, a vast and spacious chamber beneath the hill.