Extract from the -{ Tome of Light }- the divine scripture of the Church of Light.

"As the cosmos trembles in anticipation, embrace the prophecy that foretells my divine apotheosis. Through my transcendent light, I shall remake existence itself, fulfilling the ancient prophecy that crowns me as the supreme and solitary creator." (The Prophecy of the One - 5:9)

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Asher's muscles strained as he hoisted the lifeless boar, its coarse bristles scratching against his calloused hands. With a wet squelch, he pulled his sword free, dark blood glistening on the metal. His eyes scanned the dense foliage, searching for a suitable spot to make camp and process his kill.

Winston's melodious voice broke the forest's hushed whispers. "Master Asher," he called, his perpetual smile gleaming in the dappled sunlight. "There's an ideal clearing nearby. A babbling stream runs alongside it—perfect for our needs."

Asher's brow furrowed, a mix of curiosity and suspicion in his voice. "How do you know that?"

Winston tapped his temple, his grin widening mysteriously. "New data from the tower, my good sir. Shall we?"

As they trekked through the underbrush, the sound of snapping twigs under their feet punctuating their journey, Asher's mind whirled. Throughout their hunt, Winston hadn't lifted a finger to help. Was the homunculus even capable of combat? Curiosity gnawed at him, and almost unconsciously, once they reached the clearing he started to butcher the beast, Asher activated his skill.

The information hit him like a physical blow:

[ Winston (tier 3) A humanoid homunculus created as a vessel for the natural-born spirit of the tower. Being alive and unalive at the same time, this being is the culmination of the greatest creation of the mastersmith Norgrim Starforge. Having the capability to grow stronger like all living beings, he can be deadly if underestimated. Bearing a few secrets and scars that are best left hidden.

Current status: he is looking forward to serving his new master. ]

Asher's knife slipped, nearly nicking his finger as he processed the boar. Third realm of awakening? His eyes darted to Winston, who now lounged against a nearby tree, that infernal smile still plastered on his face.

"Dear master," Winston purred, his eyes locked on Asher's. "If you want more information about me, you need only ask."

Asher schooled his features, fighting to maintain his stoic facade. "You can sense my skill?"

Winston's smile turned predatory, a glint of something dangerous in his eyes. "Indeed. Anyone worth their salt can sense if a being weaker than them uses a technique to probe them."

"How so?" Asher's voice remained steady, but his heart raced, pounding against his ribcage.

Winston's fingers danced through the air, as if plucking invisible strings. "The more advanced you become, the more sensitive you are to the presence and flow of energies. It's like... feeling ripples in a pond you didn't disturb yourself."

Asher nodded curtly, returning his focus to the boar. His mind raced. 'I can't use the skill carelessly anymore. I'm out of my depth here.'

The afternoon wore on, the forest alive with the rustle of leaves and distant animal calls. As Asher worked, the two horrors returned, dragging their own impressive haul. Their once-diminutive forms had grown significantly, and Asher knew their appetites had increased to match.

"Fascinating," Winston murmured, crouching beside Asher. His eyes gleamed with genuine interest as he watched Asher's practiced movements. "The art of preparing a carcass—there's a certain elegance to it, isn't there? Would you mind explaining your technique?"

Asher found himself warming to Winston's enthusiasm. As he demonstrated each cut, each careful separation of meat from bone, he felt a spark of pride. He'd tried to teach the little ones, but they'd shown more interest in devouring than learning. Winston, however, hung on his every word.

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The aroma of roasting meat soon filled the air. Asher had spitted several boars whole, while expertly carved steaks sizzled on hot stones. The horrors tore into their portions with gleeful abandon, while Winston sampled each offering with the air of a connoisseur.

As night fell, they gathered around the crackling fire. The horrors, sated and drowsy, curled up nearby. Winston sat across from Asher, his graceful hands tending the flames with an almost hypnotic rhythm.

Asher seized the moment, his voice low and intense. "Tell me about the tower."

Winston's eyes glittered in the firelight, his smile widening. "Ah, the tower. A marvel beyond compare." His voice took on a reverent tone as he began to explain. "The tower is composed of 10 major floors. To conquer each floor, one must complete a set of 9 minor dungeons spread around on the floor and one major dungeon. Each of the nine progressing minor dungeons is stronger and more difficult than the last, with the final major dungeon being at the ceiling of the power level allowed on that floor, even surpassing it a bit, leaking into the next ceiling of the floor above."

Asher leaned forward, his interest piqued. "And to progress?"

"To go to the next floor, a person must first completely conquer the previous one," Winston explained. "But that's not all. During the creation of the tower, Master Norgrim was inspired by the structure of the Myrid realm. He made the first five floors of the tower such that they can host their own ecosystems and civilizations."

"Civilizations?" Asher's eyebrows rose in surprise.

Winston nodded, his smile never faltering. "Indeed. The races chosen were those facing extinction or oppression during that time. The tower became their sanctuary, and they happily moved in to start a new era for themselves."

Asher's brow furrowed, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "Isn't that a bad idea? I mean, if they're living in this isolated place, wouldn't the resources eventually exhaust, and overpopulation cause their extinction once more?"

Winston's laughter was like silver bells. "Brilliant observation, Master Asher. However, the tower has no such problems. After all, the tower is partly created from the power of creation itself—the source of the Myrid realm we're currently on."

He leaned forward, his voice taking on an almost conspiratorial tone. "As I stated previously, the tower has its own ecosystem. The power of creation within maintains everything naturally. For example, let's take a gnome. They love to dig around the earth and are expert blacksmiths, second only to the famous dwarfs. The earth dug by them is slowly regenerated by the power of creation and reformed. Meanwhile, the metals taken and utilized are either recycled naturally or, in the other scenario, the metal being used as weapons and such is recycled within the bellies of the beasts. As for the one wielding them, I suppose no further explanation is needed."

Asher nodded slowly, processing the information. "I see. But what about overpopulation?"

"That's not a cause for concern," Winston assured him. "Other than the intelligent species, there are also powerful beasts that thrive in the tower. A cycle of beast tides caused by the overpopulation of the beasts in areas, or famines in areas with an overpopulation of intelligent species, makes it so that the population in the tower is always in some kind of balance. Besides that, the rival races contesting for better areas and treasures also keep the death rate quite significant."

Asher felt a chill despite the warmth of the fire. It was natural, yes, but hearing it described so clinically...

"The races," he said, pushing the discomfort aside. "You mentioned they were divided among the floors?"

Winston nodded, his smile never wavering. "By bloodline potential. The inherently stronger races occupy higher floors. It prevents complete oppression of the weaker species and aligns with the tower's progressive nature."

"And on this floor?"

"Weaker beast kin, if memory serves. But I'm not clear about what has become of them now, as my authority over the tower is directly related to your progress with the tower's inheritance."

Asher leaned back, processing the information. "These power ceilings you mentioned... tell me more."

Winston's eyes gleamed. He launched into a detailed explanation, his voice taking on the cadence of a learned scholar. "The power hierarchy within the tower is similar to the one adopted in the Myriad realms. To explain it properly, I must tell you a little about the general history of the realms."

He spoke of ages lost to time, of cultivation systems, born before the "creation system" came to light. Of realms and hierarchies, initiates, and divine beings.

"According to the history compiled by the ancient clans and the Church of Light, before the current era named 'After Light,' there was an era that is called 'Lost from Light.' In that era, no such thing as the creation system existed, and the realms were not separated as they are currently."

Winston's fingers traced patterns in the air as he continued. "During that time, beings of intelligence created the cultivation system to harness the power around them and bend it to their will. The methods developed by different species were different. However, there was one terminology generally used to quantify the progress of all beings. This is the power hierarchy that is even used today, though the major realms have been further subdivided into minor realms and are a lot more detailed."

Asher listened intently, his mind racing with the implications. Winston went on, to explain how the creation system brought about a secondary system—the tier system—used to quantify progress.

"In the end, since the old system was more vastly spread, to this day it is used," Winston explained. "It starts from the awakening or the first realm all the way up to the ninth realm. Rumors state there is a realm beyond that as well, the tenth realm, however, that realm is only for the divine beings. Beings in the first realm of awakening are referred to as initiates, just like you are master Asher. All the other realms also have their own titles signifying the accomplishment of the one who reaches it."

Winston's voice took on a tone of reverence as he continued. "The power ceilings within the tower are such that the ceiling of the first floor is the peak of the first realm, with the weakest dungeon being guarded by a peak mortal being on the verge of awakening. The following floors have similar ceilings—peak of second, third, fourth, and fifth realm up to the peak of the ninth realm."

Asher's eyes widened. "And beyond the fifth floor?"

"The following floors only consist of one dungeon each with ten gates and have no living beings on the floors themselves," Winston explained. "Even this pattern is up to the eighth floor. The exact detail of the ninth floor is unclear even to me, as the realm of power represented by that floor is beyond even my creator, Master Norgrim, who reached the peak of the eighth realm during his life."

A note of mystery crept into Winston's voice. "As for how Master Norgrim managed to make this floor a reality, that is also a mystery to me. All I can remember from the memories stored in me is that another being helped in the completion of this floor specifically."

The fire popped and hissed, casting long shadows across their faces. Asher stared into the flames, feeling the weight of the knowledge he'd gained. The tower was far more than he'd imagined—a world unto itself, filled with wonders and dangers beyond his wildest dreams.

He glanced at Winston, the homunculus's serene smile unchanged despite the gravity of their conversation. How much more did this strange being know? And how much could Asher trust him?