The first thing Lucas noticed as he stepped out of the elevator was the brightness all around him—it was still the middle of the day. Somehow, he’d unconsciously expected it to be night. Maybe it was the days spent inside the tower or the countless changes he’d gone through during the challenge, but he just assumed the world outside would be different, not exactly the same as when he left it.
But after taking a few steps away from the elevator, he realized something had changed. The area was just as crowded as ever, but the usual hum of chatter was gone, replaced by an eerie silence.
There was something else, too—everyone was staring at him. Lucas froze as a million thoughts raced through his mind, the biggest being: Could this be another trick from the tower?
Sure, he’d felt the elevator going down, but what if it had actually gone up? What if this was just another floor in disguise? As paranoia crept in, Lucas dropped into a fighting stance, already bracing himself for the possibility of the crowd charging him all at once. He was ready for a bloody battle.
Then, something completely unexpected happened. A distinct sound rose from the crowd. It wasn’t a spell being cast, or weapons being drawn—it was clapping. Someone was clapping. And within seconds, the entire crowd joined in.
Lucas stood there, more stunned than if a dragon had suddenly appeared, staring in disbelief as the cheers and applause grew louder. People were congratulating him from a distance, their voices carrying over the crowd.
That’s when he noticed something else: no one was getting close to him. In fact, they seemed to be deliberately keeping their distance. Scanning the faces around him, he spotted several that looked awestruck—or even outright scared.
And they weren’t just NPCs. Lucas recognized quite a few people from the "Earth Community," the ones who would casually greet him as he ran errands in the city. That meant this had nothing to do with the system—it was an actual spontaneous manifestation.
Before he could make sense of it, a familiar face emerged from the crowd, smiling broadly. However, their expression shifted to a strange look as their gaze landed on his clothes, with furrowed brows betraying a hint of unease.
It was John, the people’s mayor. Lucas didn’t know him all that well, but it was someone he had exchanged more than a few words with. At first, he’d been suspicious of how “nice” the guy seemed, but over time, John had proven himself to be a capable leader in Zoria. Lucas had heard plenty of people sing his praises, and eventually, he’d let go of his initial distrust, chalking it up to a personality clash.
Right now, though, Lucas was relieved to see him. Finally, someone who could explain what the hell was going on.
“Congratulations, Lucas!” John said, clapping him on the back. Then, after a pause, he added with a hint of hesitation, “I have to admit, based on the first time I met you, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“What are you talking about?” Lucas cut straight to the point. “And who are these people? Why are they... cheering?” He gestured at the crowd, glancing again at their amazed expressions.
John hesitated, then chuckled lightly, which only annoyed Lucas further. Clearing his throat, the mayor gestured behind Lucas. “I think you haven’t seen it yet. Look.”
Turning around, Lucas’s eyes landed on the elevator doors. As he glanced upward, he saw what John was pointing at: the scoreboards.
With everything that had happened towards the end of his stay at the Tower, Lucas had completely forgotten that his progress was being tracked. People had already seen his accomplishments before he’d even left the tower.
At the top of the board was his name, followed by a number:
Lucas Romano — 84,500
Andrea Price — 38,500
Aysha Daetris — 35,000
Nicholas Schultz — 33,456
For a moment, Lucas just stared. He hadn’t expected the scoreboard to display his total before his shopping spree at the Trade Center, but he was glad it did. It was a matter of pride, and he didn’t mind people seeing it.
What surprised him even more was the two names below his.
He was thrilled to see Aysha in the top three, and a little surprised he was seeing her last name for the first time, but he also felt puzzled by the second-place name. Andrea Price? Who the hell is that? Somehow, her name felt familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on where he’d heard it before. For a moment, he got so lost in thought that he almost forgot the crowd still had their eyes glued to him.
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Snapping out of it, he turned back to John—and noticed someone else standing beside him. The boy was short, probably no older than fourteen or fifteen, grinning from ear to ear. He was a redhead with freckles splashed across his face, and his weird haircut looked like someone had started shaving the sides but got bored halfway through.
Noticing Lucas’s gaze, John introduced him. “This is Tim. He’s your biggest fan.” The mayor’s smile widened slightly. “He’s been pestering me to introduce you ever since your name hit the top of the scoreboards.”
Lucas nodded at the boy, too stunned to respond after hearing he actually had a fan. But Tim didn’t seem to mind Lucas’s silence. He jumped right in, rattling off compliment after compliment, saying how amazing Lucas was and how much he wanted to be like him someday.
The mayor chuckled, poorly masking it with a fake cough. “Well,” John said after a moment, “I’ve got other matters to attend to, I only wanted to share my appreciation for your achievement, but Tim here will help you with anything you need.”
And with that, he left Lucas alone with his biggest fan.
…
Lucas had a lot of questions for the mayor, especially about what had happened while he was stuck in the Tower. But the man barely lingered, introducing that parrot of a kid, Tim, before making his escape. Almost suspiciously quick, Lucas thought. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think John had just handed off a burden to him—and he wasn’t thrilled about being the fool stuck with it.
Lucas tried to get a word in, but the boy just wouldn’t shut up. Tim fired off question after question without waiting for answers, then quickly pivoted to a new topic. As Lucas left the building, eager to escape the unsettling stares of the crowd, Tim followed him like a shadow, as if tagging along was the most natural thing in the world.
“Enough!” Lucas barked after a while, his voice sharp enough to cut through the boy’s endless chatter. Nearby passersby turned to look, but as soon as they recognized him, they hurriedly averted their eyes, almost as if afraid.
That reaction only deepened Lucas’s confusion. It wasn’t just NPCs; everyone seemed to know who he was. If it were just a system’s thing, that would explain the NPCs, but what about the others? He’d made a point of keeping a low profile. So how did they know him?
Tim fell silent for a moment, stunned by Lucas’s outburst. But before Lucas could enjoy the quiet, his eyes locked onto something disturbing, and he froze mid-step.
“I’m sorry, sir. I just get very excited with things and end up talking too much, at least it’s what my mother always said, and now I get to meet you and—” the boy paused, realizing Lucas’ attention was somewhere else. “What is it, sir?”
“What the hell is that?” Lucas muttered without turning his eyes, pointing at a painting on display outside a shop. The image was unmistakable: his own likeness, clad in his old gear, sword raised triumphantly while a dragon cowered before him.
“Oh, that one’s great!” Tim chirped, his grin returning in full force. “After you smashed the Tower’s record, rumors started flying and a few people mentioned your many feats!”
Many feats? Is fighting a dragon among them? Lucas wondered, puzzled, but decided not to ask. The whole world seemed to have gone nuts while he was away, and he had no time for it.
“Listen, do you know where I can find Aysha? I need to talk to her about a few things,” Lucas finally said to the boy after he left him an opening.
The boy gave him a weird look in turn.
“She’s still at the Challenge, sir. Andrea too.”
That made Lucas pause. He had assumed Aysha had already left the Tower, given her impressive score. But if she was still inside, it meant she had chosen to enter the deadly fourth floor—a decision that made him worry for her. He knew better than anyone just how difficult that floor was.
The realization that she was still inside also meant she could still surpass him. His thoughts then shifted to Andrea, a complete unknown.
After going through hell to get where he was on the scoreboards, Lucas hadn’t even considered that someone could actually surpass him. He nearly died many times inside that Tower, and he wouldn’t pretend to be oblivious regarding what a great performance he’d had. But the fact that there were still two people there who could challenge him made him somewhat uneasy.
He wasn’t concerned about status or fame; he couldn’t care less about those things. Yes, he was proud of what he had accomplished and had no intention of hiding it, but that didn’t mean he lived for recognition.
What he was actually concerned about was what Faruk had told him: There would be a struggle for power in this world soon. That was one of the reasons he had worked so hard to keep going, even against all odds. He needed to be powerful enough to protect himself, amongst other things, but if it turned out that he wasn’t even the best talent in that somewhat small city, then…
“You shouldn’t worry, sir,” Tim said, as if reading his thoughts. “They’re far behind. With the points you’ve got, catching up will be tough.”
Lucas thought about his words for a moment and realized the boy was right. If he wasn’t mistaken, their points suggested that they had only finished the third floor, and he knew all too well how much of a leap from the third to the fourth there was.
It wasn’t guaranteed that they could beat it. On top of that, Lucas had delivered an exceptional performance on the fourth floor, taking down not only both geniuses but also nearly half of the challengers. He truly had nothing to worry about. And even if one of them managed to surpass him, it wouldn’t be the end of the world—it would simply mean he’d have to push himself even harder in the future.
Still, a lingering unease gnawed at him. “Who’s this Andrea?” he asked.
He wasn’t particularly concerned about Aysha surpassing him. She was a friend, after all, and he’d genuinely be happy for her success, despite the frustration about losing. But Andrea? That was a different matter.
Tim hesitated, then scratched his head. “She’s... odd. People have drawn a few pictures of her. Kind of hard to miss—she’s got that hippie look; Like someone you’d see in old TV shows.”
Lucas didn’t need more than that. He’d seen her before—just before he entered the Challenge. He’d written her off back then, wondering how she’d even survived with all those flashy rings on her fingers. That left only one question: What is her secret?