「Identifying…」
「Generating Status…」
「Assigning initial characteristics to Trailblazers…」
「Welcome to the Tower, Trailblazer.」
“What… happened?” Rael groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. A robotic voice echoed in his mind, pulling his attention. When he finally looked around, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“Ehhh?!”
He was floating in space. He could see the stars shining in the void.
'Where the hell am I?’
-
「Here's your Status」
『Name: Rael Kazehiro』
『Titles: Nebula, Trailblazer』
『Affiliation: None』
『Traits/characteristics: Enhanced Adaptation, Universal communication, Axis』
『Origin: Kytherra」
『Classification: Layer 1, Floor 1』
-
Rael's curiosity was piqued as he examined the floating text with confusion. Many terms were unfamiliar, yet he couldn’t deny the strange thrill of gaining these traits as a newly recognized Trailblazer.
「Greetings, Rael Kazehiro」
“Who are you?” Rael asked when he heard the voice again.
「I am The Tower. More precisely, The Guide. Whenever a Trailblazer is “born”, it passes through here. My job is to answer a few questions before transferring it」
“Oh. Then tell me more about the Tower.”
「The Tower is a structure designed to grant those who climb it the chance to ascend—whether for power, wealth, or their own goals」
'Ascend?’ Rael thought about the meaning of the word.
“And how do I get back to my world? I can't spend too much time in this place; I need to sort out certain things in my world.”
「After entering the Tower, you can return any time you wish, as long as you are not on a challenge floor. And don't worry about time in your world. The Tower has its own time flow, laws, and rules. So don't try to take the laws of your universe as the rule here」
“Hm, you talked about ascending; what exactly does that mean? And who guarantees the Trailblazers' safety if there are mighty beings here?”
This was one of Rael's biggest worries at the moment, and he was relieved to know that time didn't work the same way here as in his world, so he wouldn't have to worry about his grandmother and the case of the awakened humans for the time being.
「Ascension is difficult for mortals to comprehend. To those who have ascended, their past existence appears as fragile and insignificant as a piece of paper. Yet,
The Tower has its laws and regulating forces. Anyone who enters is subject to these rules, regardless of their external powers. The Tower's will limits even gods or cosmic entities within its walls」
Rael's skepticism was evident as he listened to these statements, but he decided to believe them for the time being.
“Good. What are these characteristics? Are they all obtained just by being a Trailblazer?”
「Enhanced Adaptation grants you the ability to overcome the volatile conditions of the Tower more easily. The Universal Communicator feature helps you understand several languages and makes communication between Trailblazers smoother. And finally, the Axis trait you possess seems to be a kind of artificial intelligence created to help you, but it's not a trait of the Trailblazers」
'Maybe it was the help Yato said he would give me if I agreed? I didn't trust him fully yet, but it was clear his influence reached further than I could comprehend.’
‘And What the hell would artificial intelligence be?’
“What are the criteria for entering the Tower? And how do you bring people here?”
「The Tower periodically opens portals to specific dimensions, planets, or locations to seek out individuals who wish to become Trailblazers. The Tower never forces a civilization or individual to enter the Tower; the choice will always be yours」
「Time's up, good luck on your journey, Trailblazer」
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“Wait, I haven't finished my questions yet-”
「Starting transfer」
The space began to distort, and Rael was “pulled”. He started screaming desperately as he felt his head spinning.
-
-
-
【1st Person】
“Oh, my head!” I felt dizzy, but the sensation disappeared faster than I had imagined. Perhaps it was due to my characteristics.
When my mind cleared, the sight before me was breathtaking.
“Beautiful...” It's hard to put into words, but it was surreal. The buildings' architecture looked like it was from a futuristic movie, but at the same time, some houses had older models, apart from the lush green vegetation on the buildings and houses.
All the buildings also seemed to be floating because when he looked into the abyss below, there seemed to be nothing supporting them.
“It's not surreal, it's supernatural! So that's what The Guide meant?” This place seemed like a new world; even the bright star in the sky was different.
Up ahead, I could see a gate.
(Welcome, Floor 0)
“Floor 0? Shouldn't you start on floor 1?”
【This floor seems to be a safe one】
I almost jumped when I heard the sudden voice in my head.
“Man, you scared me.” I thought it was The Guide, but the voice didn't sound so robotic. “You must be Axis, right?”
【Correct. A pleasure to meet you, Rael】
“Nice to meet you. So, what can you do?”
【My ability depends not only on me but also on the Hosts because I evolve with them. But among my current capabilities, I can do probability calculations for decision-making, data analysis, mapping, forecasting, parallel calculation, verification-】
“...”
I didn't understand much of what Axis was saying...
-
After several minutes of Axis trying to explain himself and his capabilities, I finally understood somehow.
Nothing was as technological as this on my home planet (Kytherra). According to Axis, my world is still in its infancy regarding technology, and this is due to the awakened humans and a few other factors.
Axis is a super artificial intelligence designed to help specific individuals. I asked who these individuals were, and there are only two at the moment.
Apart from me, there's a girl called Sakura Kanami.
'Speaking of which, she has also accepted Yato's deal. I wonder if she's already in the Tower.'
I started walking while thinking. After passing through the gates, I could see the whole place more clearly and the people walking around.
I saw creatures with crystalline skin that shimmered in the light, beings with multiple eyes and flowing robes, and humanoid figures with animalistic features. The diversity was overwhelming yet fascinating.
“Hey, you're new here, right?”
A middle-aged man wearing armor suddenly stopped me just after I passed through the gates.
“Yeah, any problems?” I asked with a confused expression.
“No, new Trailblazers can get lost, so you'd better get a map and an essential guide. Here you go.”
“Oh, thanks.” I took the map and the essential guide. I already knew where to go.
【Scanning】
【Saved map】
【Assimilating information from the essential guide】
【Done】
“No need to thank me; all newbies get one.” The man replied with a smile.
"Are you a guard? Sorry, just curious.”
The Guide's statement that the Tower was a place where even powerful beings had to follow the rules piqued my curiosity. What is the need for a guard?
“Hahaha, don't worry, it's a common question. Yes, I am a guard at this post. I already know what you're thinking: why do they need a guard? This floor 0 is safe, and safe floors don't allow aggression between Trailblazers. However, threats aren't just about Trailblazers.”
“What do you mean?” I asked with a confused expression.
“Safe floors are areas conquered and designated as havens for Trailblazers. However, they can still be reclaimed under certain circumstances.”
“Taken back by whom? If external threats are still subject to the rules of the Tower, then is there any need to worry about them?” I asked somewhat skeptically.
“You're right about that. External threats are still subject to the Tower's rules. But what about threats from inside the Tower?”
“Threats from inside the Tower?”
“Exactly. Periodically, monsters can appear within certain floors of the Tower. These monsters can try to claim these safe posts, which is why it's necessary for there to be guards.”
'So it's not as safe as I thought, huh.'
I thanked the man and continued walking.
I could see how busy they were as I passed through the streets. There were even traders selling seemingly random things.
'A currency system? Could there be something like that here?'
【Indeed. Trailblazers utilize a currency known as Lumen, earned primarily through climbing the Tower or via alternative means.】
As Axis had assimilated the information from the essential guide, he gave me the answer.
-
After a few more minutes of walking, I finally reached my destination. Looking up, I could see the monumental building stretching into the sky.
'So this is the Tower?
【Not exactly. What you see is merely a representation. Technically, you’ve already entered the Tower, and this structure serves as a transport mechanism between its floors】
“Well done, Axis. Time to climb!”
‘Even though Floor 0 felt peaceful, the sight of the towering structure ahead sent a chill down my spine. Somewhere above, challenges awaited that could crush someone like me. But I had no choice—I had to move forward.’
【Don’t worry, Rael. Most Trailblazers don’t die in the first week. The statistics are promising】
“...”
-
-
-
“Ah, Axis, how do you think I'll do?”
【I imagine you'll do well, Miss Kanami】
“Axis, I told you not to call me that. It's Captain.”
【Sure, Captain】