I opened my eyes in a dark room, surrounded by silence and uncertainty. There was no sound, no movement—only an endless abyss of darkness. Despite the absence of any light source, I could strangely sense my surroundings. The air was cool and heavy; with every breath I took, I felt a weight pressing down on me.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of me. This being, glowing like a hologram, was neither male nor female—its form gave no indication of gender. It had a bright yet transparent body, as if it were suspended between reality and illusion. Slowly, it brought its hands together and then turned its palms upward, remaining motionless. This gesture seemed to suggest that it was expecting something from me.

At that moment, I felt a weight in my left hand. Lifting it, I saw that I was holding a blue orb in my palm. The orb emitted a faint glow, with wisps of mist rising from it. This was the reward I had received after clearing the last stage. The figure’s posture and demeanor made it clear—it wanted me to give it the orb.

“I guess I should place this in its hands,” I thought, stepping forward without hesitation. I carefully placed the blue orb in the figure’s palms. The moment the orb touched its hands, it began to glow brightly before completely vanishing.

Just then, another figure appeared to my right. Like the first, it had a holographic appearance—faceless, genderless, yet its stance carried a familiar expectation. This time, I didn’t feel anything in my hand, but a thought crossed my mind—the red orb I had stored in my backpack. It was the reward from the previous stage. Stepping closer, I reached into my bag, retrieved the red orb, and placed it in the figure’s hands. Like the blue one, it shimmered and disappeared.

Immediately after, a third figure emerged to my left. Identical to the others—faceless, translucent, and waiting. By now, I had understood the pattern. I took out the yellow orb, the reward from the first stage, and placed it in its hands. Once again, the orb glowed and vanished.

As the orbs disappeared, the ground beneath me trembled. A deep hum vibrated through the air, and I could hear a distant, resonating sound. Looking up, I saw a beam of light piercing through the darkness above. Descending within this light was a dagger, radiating a blue aura. It drifted down gently, releasing an immense energy into the space around it.

The dagger stopped just in front of me, within arm’s reach. I extended my hand and grasped the hilt firmly. The energy I felt in that moment was indescribable. The dagger was light yet sturdy, fitting perfectly in my grip. Its dark blue metal shimmered, casting delicate, dancing rays of light. The hilt bore finely etched patterns—interwoven waves that seemed to embody the soul of the weapon. Its sharp edges appeared capable of slicing through anything in a single stroke, yet there was an elegance to its design. The magical symbols engraved upon it made it clear—this was no ordinary weapon but an artifact of unparalleled power.

This dagger was more than just a weapon—it was a masterpiece. Holding it, I felt as though I had formed a connection with the sky, with the stars themselves. As the blue auras around the blade flickered and swayed, a surge of strength welled up inside me. The figures and orbs had long since vanished, but this dagger remained in my hand—the greatest reward I had received so far.

[HIDDEN QUEST: "PERSISTENT ROOKIE" COMPLETED!]

[REWARD: SHADOW-CUTTING DAGGER (SSS)]

[ACCESS TO THE TOWER SYSTEM UNLOCKED]

[FLOOR 0 CLEARED!]

[TRANSFERRING TO FLOOR 1...]

“Floor 0 cleared? You mean all those damn trials weren’t even part of the first floor?!”

My voice echoed in the dark room, but before I could finish my sentence, the ground beneath me shook violently. My vision blurred as though the tower itself was swallowing me whole. A blinding light engulfed me, and in an instant, everything disappeared.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely different place. Calling this "the first floor" felt like an insult. Before me stretched a lively town. The sky, despite being inside the tower, was vast and open blue, as if it were a real sky. The people—or rather, the hunters—were moving around with visible excitement, heading to and from different places.

To my right, a massive blacksmith’s workshop caught my eye. The ringing of hammers echoed as sparks flew from the anvils. The blacksmith’s face was covered in soot, but his hands moved skillfully. On the shelves, all kinds of swords, daggers, and armor were displayed. They were all eye-catching, but some of them seemed to vibrate with an almost magical presence.

To my left, there was a potion shop filled with colorful bottles. Outside the shop, a merchant holding a small vial filled with a bright purple liquid smiled as he explained something to a group of customers. The air was filled with a sweet yet sharp herbal scent, making me feel the potency of the potions just by breathing it in.

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A little further ahead stood an armor shop. The armor displayed at the entrance seemed to tell stories of their own. Some looked sturdy and heavy, while others were light, flexible, yet just as durable. The engravings on them made it clear that they were far from ordinary.

At the center of the town was a plaza. Right in the middle of it stood a glowing stone monument. Symbols were engraved into the stone in an unknown language, yet it radiated such a powerful aura that I couldn’t take my eyes off it. Hunters gathered around, talking amongst themselves or adding notes to their maps. Some were mocking newcomers, while others were carefully sizing each other up to form teams.

As my gaze remained fixed on the monument, I continued scanning my surroundings. No matter how much I looked, everything kept feeling stranger. This town truly seemed like a gateway to another world.

A bit further into the plaza, a street filled with shops caught my eye. Each one specialized in something different. At the entrance of one store, a glowing sign read: "Rare Creature Eggs and Taming Items." Inside, I saw exotic creatures in cages; some glowed with magical energy, while others were resting silently. Further down, a library stood out. The sign above its entrance read "Spell Books and Lost Techniques," making me want to step inside and explore, but I couldn’t bring myself to move just yet.

At the end of the street, a small stall caught my attention. A vendor was holding up a glowing ring, shouting:

"Poison Resistance! Fire Protection! Do you want to defend yourself? Come and try one!"

When I lifted my head toward the sky, I experienced the real shock. The sky wasn’t just a clear blue; creatures resembling birds, but with faintly glowing blue auras on their wings, were soaring above. Some glided effortlessly without flapping their wings, while others seemed to be scanning the ground, searching for something. Like everything else in the tower, they were completely supernatural.

As I kept observing, a man carrying an enormous sword in the distance caught my attention. His weapon was so massive that I couldn’t comprehend how he was even carrying it. It hung over his shoulder, yet he walked as if it were weightless. People's eyes were drawn to him—he was clearly someone significant.

But the strangest sight was a small girl sitting atop a tiger, carrying a massive bow in her hands. The tiger’s bright orange fur was patterned with bold black stripes, and its movements carried an air of nobility. The girl, as if this entire scene was completely ordinary, calmly watched her surroundings. As I looked at her, I suddenly realized she was staring back at me. For a brief moment, our eyes met, and she gave a faint smile.

As she passed by, I noticed a group of people wearing heavy cloaks, each holding a staff. The tips of their staffs shimmered as if they were breathing. They spoke in low voices, and as they moved, people around them stepped aside with quiet respect. Their presence alone was enough to prove they weren’t ordinary hunters.

"What the hell is this place? We’re really inside the tower, right?" I mumbled to myself. But it didn’t take long to understand that this was no ordinary floor. With so much magic, power, and diversity around, I felt more and more like an outsider. Yet, deep within, I felt a growing excitement—one that matched the endless possibilities this place seemed to offer.

First things first, I needed to check my newly acquired tower system. From now on, I wouldn’t have to carry my tower coins in a physical pouch like before; I could store them in my system like every other hunter.

I reached into my pouch, took out a few tower coins, and imagined transferring them into the system. Just as I expected, the coins vanished from my hand, and the system imprinted the new balance directly into my mind. To test it further, I imagined withdrawing a coin, and it reappeared in my hand instantly. At the same time, I sensed that my tower balance had decreased by one.

I then sent the coin back into the system, watching as it disappeared from my palm once again.

Now, I decided to examine the other system abilities granted to me by the Tower System. Since discussing such things outside the tower resulted in instant death by the tower’s judgment, I had never had access to this kind of information before.

As I imagined opening the system window, several tabs appeared before me:

[Community]

[Personal]

[Inventory]

I decided to check the community section first.

When I clicked on the community tab, a series of messages and announcements appeared before me. This was a place where people shared information, searched for groups, and conducted trade. Some users were trying to sell valuable items, while others were seeking to form alliances with fellow hunters to grow stronger. Other announcements belonged to those recruiting new members for their clans.

Messages scrolled rapidly, with everyone focused on their own business.

In one corner, a group of hunters seeking to grow stronger was looking for new members. The headline of their post read, "Join us, secure a permanent and powerful place!" Next to it, another post sought individuals with specific abilities, stating, "Only those with this type of ability may apply."

Some posts were purely for trade. A merchant was shouting, "Selling enchanted gloves! Huge discount!" Another was looking for rare materials used in crafting poisoned arrows, waiting for interested parties to respond. This place was more than just about power—it was about having the right resources, and people here were engaged in all kinds of commerce to ensure their survival.

My eyes focused on a group gathered in a quiet corner. They were hunters standing close to one another, speaking in hushed voices. Each of them seemed to be planning their next move. From what I could observe, everyone in the tower was trying to carve their own path, but no matter how independent they appeared, they all understood one thing: only the strong could survive in this place.

As I navigated through the community tab, I felt an ever-growing sense of anticipation. Everything happening here seemed to be just the beginning of something much bigger.