[System Tower Version 61-3: Online]

[No Administrator detected. Running autopilot protocols.]

[Manaevma harvesting commencing.]

[Malrite transference with Worldspires on standby]

[Preparing soul harvest of nearby recently deceased inhabitants to fill the cultural database.]

[Soul acquired: Charles Hill (Grade: Common).]

[Commencing soul dissection 1/100.]

[Soul dissection completed.]

[Soul acquired: Yvonne Robinson (Grade: CoMm0n).]

[Commencing soul dissection 3/100.]

[Soul dissection completed.]

[Soul acquired: Linda Castro (Grade: CodMiN!m0n).]

[Commencing soul dissection 13/100.]

[Soul dissection completed.]

[Soul acquired: James Wise (Grade: AdM1N!StrAt0r).]

[Commencing soul dissection 35/100.]

[ERROR: Cannot dissect an object of (Grade: Administrator).]

[Stopping soul dissection.]

[Analyzing Admin Tier of James Wise.]

[ERROR: No Admin Tier detected.]

[Assigning Admin Tier 0.]

[Running Administrator Tier 0 guidance protocols.]

[Moving Administrator James Wise from soul harvester to emergency soul core.]

[Continuing soul harvest of nearby recently deceased inhabitants to complete the cultural database.]

[Detecting if Administrator James Wise is connected to the System.]

[No connection found.]

[Establishing connection.]

[Connection established.]

[All prerequisites met. Awakening soul core of Administrator James Wise.]

[System Tower Version 61-3 Welcomes Administrator James Wise. Please choose the starting modifiers for this Tower.]

What?

The lights in the room turned on, and James found himself blinded by the light. Is that a voice? Why is everything so bright? Everything feels off.

[Administrator James Wise is exhibiting signs of confusion. Running diagnostics to evaluate Administrator suitability. Administrator James Wise, please answer the following questions.]

There it is again. A voice. Hearing his name a second time helped him to clear the fog in his mind, but much of what the voice was saying still eluded him, he tried to squint against the light to make out his surroundings, but he still couldn't make anything out.

[Administrator James Wise, do you know your name?]

"What? Of course I do. You just called me James! Who are you, and where am I?" James tried to move around. He didn't feel anything restraining him, but he also didn't feel like he was laying down on something, or standing up. It's like my whole body is numb.

[Self awareness check successful. Situational awareness check failed. Correcting. Administrator James Wise, you are currently inside of a System Tower running the 61st generation of The Struggle of Souls, hence referred to as the Game. As Tower 3 of 12, my designation is System Tower Version 61-3. You may refer to me as System Tower Version 61-3, or alternatively, I will respond to 61-3, or Tower. Administrator James Wise, do you understand why you are here?]

"What are you talking about? A game? A tower? The last thing I remember was being at work, and..." James paused, the last moments of his life before we woke up here replaying through his mind. All the computers at work stopped working. They were stuck on a video. The video said something about earth being part of a game? About a system and a tutorial tower to prepare us to fight monsters. It was like something out of a webcomic. People were trying to figure out what was going on. Then... something crashed through the ceiling.

"Am I dead? Is this the afterlife!?" James asked, even as his vision began to adjust to the brightness. He was in a large room with the floor, walls, and ceiling all made of metal. There was an empty metal chair to the left of the round pedestal he was currently standing on, and in front of him was a large computer terminal that looked like it was made of and fused to the metal wall. Is this what the afterlife looks like?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

[Administrator James Wise currently lacks a corporeal form. However, through the use of a soul core, Administrator James Wise is still in the corporeal plane.]

Lacks a corporeal form? So I'm a ghost now? But I'm still on earth? Being a ghost sounded impossible, but so did surviving the building's collapse, or an alien invasion.

[As an Administrator in charge of a System Tower, you are in charge of selecting the features of this Tower as the Game progresses. Your aim should be to create a Tower that challenges and empowers its inhabitants hence referred to as climbers while providing entertainment to Mulexna watching the Game hence referred to as Viewers. Tower Levels will be gained by acquiring new Viewers or keeping a Viewer for a prolonged period of time. Increasing in level will grant Tower Points. Tower Points can be spent to unlock new features to empower the Tower and create additional boons and challenges for those climbing it. As a Tier 0 Administrator, there are restrictions on the actions you have available. Administrator James Wise, please choose the starting modifiers for this Tower.]

A blue screen floated in front of James's vision. It said to choose two modifiers to apply to the tower, and a list of available modifiers. James couldn't believe it. The video was real? Humanity is in some kind of game now? I'm in charge of a tower? It was all too much. He didn't understand. "Why me? Why am I an administrator? Can I get my body back if I level up enough?"

[I do not know the circumstances behind Administrator James Wise being assigned an Admin Tier of 0. Resurrection, rejuvenation, and other Administrator amenities are inaccessible to those at Admin Tier 0. Increasing Tower Level will not increase Admin Tier, but Admin Tier may be increased at a Superior's discretion pending admirable performance of Tower management. WARNING: Tower modifiers and first battle format have not been selected. Tower Modifiers and First Battle format must be chosen before the Game can begin. Continual dereliction of Administrative duties will result in a rescinding of Administrator James Wise's Administrator status and termination of Administrator James Wise's soul core. Please choose the starting modifiers for this Tower.]

James felt a chill as he processed the Tower's threat, and the menu of Tower Modifications appeared before him again. I still don't really understand all of this. How I got here or why, but my questions will have to wait. I don't know how much longer the tower will wait for me to make a choice. James pushed his questions and his fears to the back of his mind, and focused on the screen in front of him.

{Please choose the Modifiers for this Tower. Modifiers Chosen: 0/2.

-(Additional Classes) Crafting: In addition to the typical starting Classes. Climbers will be able to choose from among a set of Classes with the ability to craft armor, weapons, or consumables from resources found within the Tower and mana rich environments. These Classes have a greatly reduced amount of combat Skills but are useful for providing rare gear and items otherwise unobtainable.

-(Additional Classes) Multiclassing: Climbers will start with 2 Bound Multiclass Crystals that can be used to unlock a secondary Class at level 10 and a tertiary Class at level 20. Classes set into secondary and tertiary slots have reduced Stat gains compared to the primary slot but still provide Skill Points at their regular rate. This Modifier goes into effect retroactively for every Climber that is currently within your Tower.

-(Additional Classes) Unique: Classes with Skills that do not exist elsewhere. Unique Classes will be distributed at random with a low probability for each Climber to enter a Tower with this Modification. Once a Unique Class has been taken, no other Climbers will be able to have the Class until that Climber is killed. Unique Classes can only be provided through a properly modified Tower or gifted by a Sponsor.

-(Starting Bonus) 5 Free Stat Points: Climbers will start with five unassigned Skill Points to be assigned at any time.

-(Starting Bonus) Bring a Friend: Prior to starting their tutorial. Climbers will be able to choose someone not currently within a Tower to be brought inside of it along with them. They will be permanently placed into a party for the duration of their climb.

-(Starting Bonus)Class Specific Gear: Climbers will start with their choice of low quality armor and weaponry suitable for the Class they start with.

-(Tower Features) Auction Access: Climbers will have the ability to sell items on an auction accessible by Climbers who have completed a Tower or are inside of a Tower with this Modifier. They can demand Gold or specific items in exchange.

-(Tower Features) Backtracking: Climbers will be able to visit Floors they've already cleared. Doing so will lower their Level to the max possible for that Floor while they are there.

-(Tower Features) Raid Bosses: Allows each Floor the very low chance to naturally spawn a Raid Boss, or for a Raid Boss to be spawned within a chosen Floor manually through the use of Tower Points. A Raid Boss will first start out as a regular monster of that Floor unless the Tower also has the Modifier “(Tower Features) Rare Monsters”, in which case all Raid Bosses will start off as a Rare Monster as well as enhance the reward for its defeat. Raid Bosses will evolve rapidly after a set amount of time, eventually reaching a monster tier above that of other monsters on its Floor, at which point it will begin to control other monsters on its Floor, either creating an army to destroy any Villages on its Floor or organizing monsters into hunting parties meant to ambush Climbers. Until the Raid Boss is defeated, Climbers will be unable to leave the Floor. Defeating the Raid Boss will grant bonus experience to all Climbers on its Floor, in addition to rare equipment based on the Raid Boss itself.

-(Tower Features) Rare Monsters: Monsters with better equipment and skills than their peers will spawn naturally at a low rate, or manually through the use of Tower Points. Defeating one will grant a significantly higher amount of experience and a higher quality item than its common peers.}

As James read the list of modifiers, he began to realize the power he held. If all of this is really happening, then hundreds of millions of people will be going through this tower, and if the aliens responsible for this game were willing to send towers crashing through inhabited buildings... I doubt they'll care how many die at the beginning as long as they find it fun. I have to make the decision that'll best help the most people survive.

James read and reread the list, thankful that the tower was silent as he did so. Immediately he dismissed the raid boss and rare monster options. Those will only make things more challenging, even if they provide suitable rewards. Similarly, backtracking and auction access were mentally crossed out. Those could certainly be useful later, but won't help anyone right now. The real decision, James felt, rested between the starting bonuses, and the additional classes.

If unique classes are as powerful as they sound, they could be a huge help to anyone who gets one. But the chances of getting them are slim. Crafting classes will likely help with overall survival later on, but they might be a liability if the tutorial starts off with everyone in a dangerous situation. They'd pair well with the multiclassing option, but that's like the auction or backtracking options in that it won't help anyone until later. Bringing a friend with you into the tower sounds like a trap option. Even if having a friend would help you emotionally, some people might blame the one who brought them for putting them in danger.

In the end, James found the decision was obvious. 5 free stat points and starting out with suitable equipment are the two best choices. This'll make everyone stronger than they are when they first enter, and with the weapons they'll need to kill anything trying to kill them. James tried to reach out and click on the two modifiers but remembered he didn't have a body anymore. Nevertheless, the screen in front of him responded to his thoughts.

{Modifier: “(Starting Bonus) 5 Free Stat Points” has been acquired. Modifiers chosen: 1/2.}

{Modifier: “(Starting Bonus) Class Specific Gear” has been acquired. Maximum number of Modifications selected.}

[Starting modifiers selected. Proceeding with first battle setup. Administrator James Wise, please choose from the following options:]