Inside the tower…

On a battlefield where any wrong move might spell death, there was someone completely unfazed—maybe even bored—amidst all the swords and spells flying around.

Dressed in colorful clothes, a slender figure moved with short, precise steps. Her curly hair bounced as she sidestepped—just in time for an arrow aimed straight at her head to whizz past. Her expression didn’t change one bit.

If you’d told Andrea four months ago that she’d find herself in a life-or-death battle, she would’ve laughed in your face. The idea was so far removed from her reality. She was a pacifist, after all.

Sure, her life had never been what you’d call normal. Being the daughter of a witch and a psychic father doesn’t exactly set you up for an ordinary existence. But violence? That was something she’d sworn off ages ago.

As a spiritual guide for the rich and famous, she preached the power of peace—not as some passive ideal, but as an active force for transformation. Her books were filled with those very words.

But all that went out the window when the comet came.

She was in the middle of a lecture when the news broke, and despite all her talk about finding inner peace and oneness with the universe, she had to admit—she freaked out. The thought of dying so suddenly shook her, she wasn’t ready to die yet.

The truth was, she’d known about the comet before the rest of the world did. Her inherited abilities had seen to that. For weeks leading up to the announcement, she’d been waking up drenched in sweat, haunted by dreams of the comet’s approach. She’d dreamed of a choice, of some moment where everything would change. And, well, it did.

The planet, Ponos, was just one part of the madness. Her bloodline and the powers that came with it? That was the other.

The gift she’d inherited from her parents—this strange, nameless thing she never truly understood—finally got a name:

Bloodline of the Oracle’s Thread.

At first, when she arrived in this new world, she thought her bloodline wasn’t anything special. She struggled just to survive in the forest, barely making it to the city thanks to the group of strangers she’d stuck with since day one.

Even then, hitting level 10 was a nightmare. Andrea didn’t have the stomach—or the inclination—to kill the beasts that roamed the land. But after what she saw in the forest, after losing people on the journey to Zoria, she realized her old values didn’t mean much here.

With a lot of help, she reached level 10. She made it through the tutorial. And then came another surprise: a class unlike anyone else she knew and, more importantly, a skill that allowed her to glimpse an instant into the future.

That’s when everything started to change.

…

Before Lucas could think more about the mysterious girl, Tim, predictably, broke the silence.

“Sir, if I may—why are you wearing those clothes?”

“Huh?” Lucas blinked, confused, then glanced down at the eyesore of an outfit he’d just equipped.

“I mean, everyone I saw coming out of the tower was decked out in shiny new armor, but you... well, you look different from all the paintings.”

For an awkward moment, Lucas considered how to respond. If he said the gear was better than his old set, would the kid believe him? To an outsider, it just looked like worn-out, ugly clothes. Even Lucas had a hard time reconciling their amazing stats with how awful they looked.

“Ahem—just because I’m at the top of the scoreboard doesn’t mean I have to dress fancy. I like these clothes,” Lucas lied, hoping it sounded convincing.

Tim looked puzzled for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

“I understand!” he said, sounding more enthusiastic than Lucas thought possible.

Lucas didn’t dare ask what the boy had understood, so he just left it at that.

It wasn’t until now that Lucas remembered he’d swapped gear before leaving the tower. Suddenly, the disgusted looks people had been throwing his way made a lot more sense. Frankly, he couldn’t even blame them.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

His thoughts drifted back to the scoreboards. He hadn’t dwelled on it much, distracted as he’d been by Aysha and the unknown Andrea breaking into the top three. But Nicholas—who’d been clinging to first place with such pride—was now in fourth.

Lucas couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face.

“Say, Tim, how’s Nicholas lately? You know, the guy who was first on the scoreboard before me.”

Tim thought for a bit before answering. “I haven’t seen him much. He’s always outside of town, busy doing missions. People say he’s working really hard to level up.”

Lucas smirked. Nicholas used to be so confident about being the strongest non-NPC in Zoria, but reality seemed to have caught up to him. Sure, his level might still be higher—for now—but how long could that last?

“Actually, he was the first one to tell stories about you!”

“Was he?” Lucas asked, intrigued. He’d barely interacted with Nicholas, and those few encounters were far from pleasant. Now, he was genuinely curious.

“Yeah! Someone asked him if he knew you, and he looked upset at first. But then he smiled and said, ‘Even the shadows are afraid of him, and dragons cry at his sight.’ I bet it was his testimony that inspired that painting with the dragon!” Tim said enthusiastically.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. Was Nicholas mocking him? That line about shadows and dragons crying—it had to be a jab at his appearance, right? But as Lucas glanced at the paintings on display around town, he couldn’t help but think Nicholas’s words had completely backfired. People had clearly taken them very literally.

“HAHAHAHA!” Lucas burst out laughing, catching Tim completely off guard. His laughter was so loud that it drew a few nasty glares from a nearby shop owner.

No wonder Nicholas didn’t hang around Zoria much anymore, he was being haunted by my face. Lucas couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

“Thanks for the info, Tim. But I’ve got to get going now,” Lucas said, wiping his tears and recovering his composure as he turned to leave.

“Wait, sir!” Tim called out, making Lucas pause and glance back.

Lucas was ready to shut him down, but something about the boy’s sudden shyness piqued his curiosity.

“What is it?”

Tim hesitated, then finally blurted out, “Could you... tell me how you became strong? I want to be strong too!”

For a moment, Lucas was caught off guard. Tim, who’d been acting like an annoying kid all this time, now spoke with genuine passion in his voice. Intrigued, Lucas decided to use Identify on him.

Human – Lvl 9

Lucas blinked in surprise. Level 9? That was impressive for someone so young, especially given Tim’s somewhat fragile appearance. For the first time, Lucas thought there might be more to the kid than he’d assumed.

“Your level is already pretty high for your age. You’re plenty strong,” Lucas said, trying to reassure him.

But Tim shook his head. “It doesn’t matter how old I am. I’m weak. In this world, age isn’t important. Levels are all that count.” He paused, then added, “I need to be strong to protect my mother and sister!”

Lucas fell silent. The kid’s determination was surprising, even inspiring in a way. The shift to this new world had clearly forced people—no matter their age—to adapt in ways they never would’ve imagined. After a moment, Lucas decided to take the question seriously.

“If you really want to get strong, remember this: levels aren’t everything. You need to learn how to fight properly. You can’t just rely on skills.” Tim listened intently as Lucas continued. “But to do that, you’ll need money. Everything in this world costs something. So, your first step should be making some money. Just remember, that’s only the start. You’ve got to push yourself if you want to stand out.”

“I understand! Thank you, sir!”

“Don’t call me sir. My name’s Lucas,” he said, waving off the boy’s enthusiasm as he turned to leave.

…

Lucas had been hoping to talk to Aysha about what happened in the Tower, but since she hadn’t come out yet, there was no point waiting. It could be days before she showed up.

Instead, his mind shifted to the quest he’d posted before entering the challenge—the one that would get him the rare mushroom he needed to deal with George Hastings, the owner of the Alchemy Emporium and the son of Zoria’s real mayor.

Back then, Lucas had carefully planned the whole thing. Killing George outright wasn’t an option. The man was always surrounded by bodyguards of unknown levels, and his father’s influence would ensure swift retaliation. Even a stealth assassination would draw too much attention, especially with Lucas planning to open his own alchemy shop soon after.

In the library, Lucas had found his solution: a rare fungus called Saxispiralis Animi. Once ingested, the fungus would work its way into the brain, slowly deteriorating the host’s mind. Within weeks, George would either be dead or reduced to a vegetative state—either way, he’d no longer be a threat. And since the fungi was nearly impossible to detect, the whole ordeal would likely be dismissed as an unknown disease.

Of course, if something happened to the mayor’s son, an investigation would likely follow, but Lucas had already prepared countermeasures, including a scapegoat: George’ private healer.

However, when Lucas arrived at the hotel where he’d left instructions to deliver the package once the quest was completed, the receptionist informed him that there was nothing for him.

Sighing, Lucas resigned himself to the news and considered his next move. It had already been three days, according to Tim, since he’d entered the Tower, and still, no one had brought him the fungi, even after he raised the reward.

Not much I can do, Lucas thought after a moment. He could raise the reward again, but there was no guarantee anyone would manage to complete the quest. The book did say that mushroom was hard to find. If nothing comes up in a week or two, I’ll just have to think of another alternative.

Things had shifted since he completed the Challenge. He was far more powerful now, and while George’s bodyguards had seemed untouchable before, that might no longer be the case. Still, there was the issue of the mayor to contend with.

Even though he was "just" the mayor, Lucas suspected the man was formidable in his own right, especially after spending time in other worlds inside the Tower. In this place, nothing was handed over freely—it all had to be taken. If the mayor had managed to seize and maintain control of the city, then either he was very powerful himself or had been at some point.

Still, Lucas wasn’t about to rely on speculation alone. He needed to see the man—the father of the person he was planning to deal with—for himself. The only problem? The mayor was notoriously reclusive.

Feeling a slight headache coming on as he mulled over all he still needed to do, Lucas decided his first stop should be Hilda’s. He missed the company of his alchemy teacher and was curious about how her nephew was recovering after years of poisoning thanks to George Hastings. It was time to properly return to the real world.