As I stepped out of the Guild building, I was immediately engulfed by the lively atmosphere where adventurers, craftsmen, and merchants congregated.

This was where the heart of the Tower's community beat the strongest, a bustling marketplace.

Reflecting on my situation, I faced a unique challenge that went beyond the usual concerns of an adventurer.

My power, while unique in its own way, came with a distinct drawback beyond the pain and health it demanded—it incinerated my clothing, leaving me quite literally with nothing but ashes.

Wearing a set of clothes scavenged from one of the unfortunate soul that had fallen from my previous group, I pondered over a practical solution.

I needed a way to manage my wardrobe malfunctions caused by my pyromancer abilities.

The answer, it seemed, was straightforward yet essential—a spare pair of pants. This way, when I emerged from the Tower, I could quickly adapt from my battle-induced state of undress to a more socially acceptable appearance.

Inside the Tower, where the only eyes on me would be those of beasts, modesty was less of a concern.

The practicality of venturing through its levels unencumbered by clothing, given my unique situation, outweighed any discomfort with the idea.

Now, it wasn't hard for me to find a spare per of pants. I also had to think about essential for my adventure.

The essentials for any adventurer embarking on a journey into the Tower were fairly straightforward. Armor and weapons for protection and combat, food and water for sustenance, potions for healing and enhancement, and, for those with deeper pockets, magical utility items for various advantages. These items, while costly, could mean the difference between success and failure, life and death.

For someone in my unique situation, traditional gear wouldn't suffice. Normal armor and weapons were of no use to me; they'd simply disintegrate under the intense heat generated by my abilities.

The solution lay in enchanted equipment, items imbued with magical properties capable of withstanding or even complementing my pyromantic powers.

Enchanted equipment is no ordinary item. Beyond their resilience, these items possess a 'Binding' property, making them exceptionally valuable to adventurers.

Once an item is equipped, it undergoes a magical attunement to its wearer, rendering it ineffective for anyone else.

Once bound, the item becomes impervious to the wearer's abilities, as it is considered a part of the wearer themselves. This means that none of my pyromantic abilities would damage the enchanted gear, allowing me to fully harness my powers without the risk of incinerating my equipment.

These enchanted items can be discovered within the Tower, often as rewards for overcoming its myriad challenges, or crafted by artisans who specialize in working with monster parts obtained within its walls.

Each piece of enchanted gear serves a unique function, designed to aid adventurers on their perilous journey through the Tower. The specificity of 'Binding' ensures that these powerful artifacts remain personal, which also serves as a way to protect themselves from plunderers.

However, enchanted gear often remains in the hands of those who first claim it, serving as a bolster and aiding in their continued ascent through the Tower's levels.

For anyone else, acquiring these items secondhand could cost a small fortune, if they're even available for sale. Enchanted items command exorbitant prices, often beyond the reach of a novice adventurer.

Aware of these realities, I realized that aspiring to immediately arm myself with enchanted gear might be overly ambitious, especially given my current resources which necessitated a different approach.

Therefore, I opted for a more modest and immediate solution: securing a spare pair of pants.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

With the decision about clothing settled, my focus shifted to the next essentials on my list: food and potions. Given the inherent dangers of the Tower and the specific drawbacks of my abilities, health potions topped my list of necessities. Mana potions, on the other hand, were irrelevant to me. My skill, blessedly, didn't draw from my mana reserves—a small silver lining that spared me some expense, allowing me to allocate more resources towards other things.

However, what intrigued me the most was the potential for a potion similar to the one that had mitigated effects such as the hypothermia one.

Such a potion could be a game-changer, extending my ability's duration beyond the critical 100-second mark before reaching its dangerous threshold. With this in mind, I canvassed the marketplace, approaching every apothecary stall in search of this elusive elixir.

Time and again, my inquiries met with the same response: no such potion was available for sale. It seemed that crafting a potion with such specific effects was not a common practice, possibly due to the complexity or rarity of the required ingredients.

Determined, I approached one of the apothecaries with a proposal. "Would you consider crafting such a potion if I were able to supply the necessary materials?" I asked, hoping for a positive response.

The apothecary, a middle-aged man with a keen eye for business, stroked his chin thoughtfully before answering.

"Creating a potion with the effects you describe isn't a simple task." he explained.

"The materials needed are rare and, quite expensive. However." he paused, eyeing me curiously, "if you can procure these materials yourself, I'd be willing to craft the potion for you free of charge. This would also help me increase my apothecary skill proficiency if i where to make such rare potion"

His offer sparked a glimmer of hope within me. "Do you know what materials are needed?" I inquired, eager to embark on this new quest.

The apothecary shook his head. "I'm afraid the specifics elude me. Such a potion is beyond the usual requests I receive. You might find more information within the Tower itself or from adventurers who've ventured into its deeper levels. But the easiest way is to find a potion blueprint"

Intrigued by this new piece of information, I pressed on, "And how would one acquire such a blueprint?"

"The black merchant within the Tower sells these blueprints among other things. However, most adventurers overlook them, preferring to spend their precious points on more immediately useful items. To many, blueprints are seen as unnecessary, given the focus on survival and advancement."

Kaien took the old man's advice to heart, recognizing the practical wisdom in his words. Indeed, spending precious points on a potion blueprint from the black merchant, especially when those points could be used for immediate upgrades like a new weapon or armor, seemed imprudent at first glance. Yet, the very availability of such an option sparked a strategic consideration within me.

This blueprint could potentially provide a solution to one of my most pressing challenges, offering a way to extend the use of my abilities without the debilitating side effects.

It was a unique need that most adventurers likely didn't face, which perhaps explained the general disinterest in blueprints. For them, the immediate return on investment from weapons or other tangible upgrades was understandably more appealing.

Armed with fresh insights and a clear plan of action, I proceeded to finalize my preparations for the initial foray into the Tower.

The items on my shopping list were modest but essential: an extra pair of pants to address my unique wardrobe challenges, five lesser health potions for emergency healing, a selection of food to sustain me, and a water bottle to ensure hydration.

With these purchases, I felt a semblance of readiness, a basic level of preparation that would support my survival in the early stages of exploration.

Given that there were still several hours left before the Guild would finalize the sale of the items I had brought in, and considering that it was only early evening,

I saw an opportunity to begin my adventure sooner rather than later.

The first floor of the Tower beckoned—a perfect testing ground to gain firsthand experience and better understand the challenges and mechanics of this enigmatic structure.

With my preparation secured and a sense of cautious optimism, I made my way towards the Tower's entrance.

Just beyond this bustling marketplace, the entrance to the Tower awaited, marked by a swirling white vortex that seemed to pull the very air into its depths.

The imposing structure stood before me, its vastness and the promise of untold mysteries within its walls sending a thrill of anticipation through me.

This was the moment I had been preparing for, the beginning of a journey that would test my limits and potentially redefine my own existence.

The moment I crossed the threshold of the Tower, an unexpected sensation enveloped me. My surroundings began to twist and swirl, creating a disorienting vortex that made it difficult to maintain my bearings.

It was an uncomfortable, almost nauseating experience, unlike anything I had experienced before. For a few tense seconds, all I could perceive was a chaotic blur, a maelstrom of colors and shapes.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the tumultuous sensation subsided, allowing me to regain my senses and take stock of my new environment.

The transition from the outside world to the interior of the Tower was jarring, not least because of the abrupt disappearance of the doorway through which I had entered.

In its place stood a solid wall, constructed from bricks that bore the marks of age and moisture. It was a clear indication that retreat was not an option; the only way was forward.