Audi's eyes fluttered open. His body ached, exhaustion weighing on every limb. The last thing he remembered was the battlefield—the towering Orz Zombie, the devastating blow, and then… Hel.

But now, he was somewhere else.

The fire raged around him, licking the walls and ceiling with blue and white flames, yet the heat never reached him. Instead, a bone-chilling cold seeped into his skin, making his breath come out in visible mist. He pushed himself up, confusion settling in.

"Why am I here?"

Across the room, Hel sat on a throne of scorched bone, the flickering cold fire reflecting in her unblinking gaze.

"You survived," she said, her voice as calm as ever. "Good."

Audi steadied himself, his instincts on high alert. "Where is this place?"

"My home," she answered simply. "A house that burns, yet never turns to ash."

His fingers curled into fists. "You said you'd assist me. Is this part of that?"

Hel stood, her towering form casting an imposing shadow against the cold flames. "I hold the Second Cursed Tablet." She lifted an aged stone tablet, dark etchings glowing faintly. "But if you want it, you'll have to prove yourself."

She stepped forward, gripping her massive Greatsword. "If you're able to beat me, I can assist you on Floor 80 and above. But know this—the next tablet lies between Floor 80 and Floor 1, where The Ten Plagues stand guard, ensuring the Zombie King is never released into this Tower."

Audi's eyes narrowed. "Ten Plagues? What are they?"

Hel smirked. "I will explain that… if you can also defeat me."

She paused, then added, "But before that, let me tell you something important—something about what it means to be undead in this world."

Hel tapped the hilt of her sword against the ground, and the cold flames pulsed. "Before the Tower of Greatness, there were no skills, no jobs. The gods never intended for the dead to wield power."

Audi clenched his fists. "Then how did they gain them?"

"The gods granted them out of necessity," Hel said. "There are different tiers. Tier 1 jobs are basic—Swordsman, Mage, and Archer. Tier 2 jobs are stronger, like Knight or Wizard. Tier 3 jobs go beyond that, reserved for powerful warriors or leaders. But Tier 4…" She exhaled, her expression unreadable. "That's something even rarer. Only gods can grant a Tier 4 job, and it is given only to one in a million."

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Her gaze locked onto him. "And you… you have one, don't you?"

Audi hesitated for a moment before saying, "Job Acquired: Deathbound Ascendant."

Hel's eyes widened slightly, the first genuine reaction she had shown. "A one-in-a-million class…" she muttered. "That explains why you carry the aura of the dead despite being human."

She straightened, gripping her weapon tighter. "Tier 4 classes are beyond the authority of kings and queens. Even in the Greatness Tower, only gods can bestow such power. They are not limited to the undead either—living beings can receive them… but only if the gods deem them worthy."

Audi processed her words, but one thing stood out. "Then what about you? What's your class?"

Hel's smirk returned, though there was something bitter in it. "I'm just a large zombie, a mere Gravekeeper. My current tier is Tier 2 for the Zombie Class. I was once more, but that time has long passed."

She rested her Greatsword on her shoulder. "Zombies are only one kind. There are also Vampires, Werewolves, Humans, Demi-Angels, and Demi-Demons. Before the war began, all of them lived together on Floor 40 of the Greatness Tower—including the undead from the Negative Floor."

She pointed her sword at him. "But that world is gone. And if you want to uncover the truth behind it… fight me!"

But before she made her first move, she added one last thing.

"Even if your job is Tier 4, if your skills and level are too low, you're still just a Tier 1 in terms of power."

Audi frowned. "Level?"

Hel tapped her chest, pointing toward a bone necklace hanging from his own neck. "Check your Bone Necklace—the numbers inscribed on it represent your level, based on how many floors you've conquered."

Audi lifted the necklace. There were 10 small numbers etched into the bone.

Hel continued, "You've only conquered 10 floors of the Greatness Tower, meaning your level is 10. However, in the Negative Floor, for every floor you clear, you gain two additional levels instead of one."

Audi's grip tightened. So conquering the Negative Floor could make him level up faster?

Hel's smirk widened as she raised her Greatsword. "But first, let's see if you even survive me."

Audi lifted the necklace, examining the numbers etched into the bone. He frowned as he counted them.

"Wait... so I'm 8 floors into the Greatness Tower and I've cleared 100 floors in the Negative Tower... That means—"

Hel nodded. "That's why your total is 10. The 8 floors from the Greatness Tower give you 8 levels, and the 100 floors from the Negative Tower give you 2 levels per floor, totaling 200 levels. But the rule is simple: only the first 10% of your Negative Floor levels count toward your total level."

Audi clenched his fist. "So I've conquered more than most, but my actual level is still just 10?"

Hel smirked. "That's right. No shortcuts. No skipping ahead. Even if you clear a hundred more floors in the Negative Tower, it won't change the fact that your growth is restricted."

The realization hit Audi hard. He wasn't as strong as he thought—his job, his potential, none of it mattered if his fundamentals were weak.

Hel pointed her blade at him. "So what will you do, Deathbound Ascendant?"

Audi took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"...I'll fight."

The cold flames flared, and the battle began.