Prologue: The End and the Beginning
In the year 2135, on the Blue Planet, a massive tower clawed its way into the sky — black as night, wreathed in a gloomy aura that devoured the sun, the moon, and the hopes of humanity. At that moment, every human received a system — a power that felt almost like a game, complete with levels, abilities, and stat screens. But it wasn't a game.
The system's warning was as clear as it was merciless:
"Clear every ten floors within six months, or the tower will devour your world."
Three years had passed since the tower's arrival. Humanity clawed its way up, floor by floor, desperate to survive. No one knew how many floors there were — only that each one was deadlier than the last. And now, in this desperate struggle, Alem and his friends had reached Floor 41, determined to hunt monsters and level up, to grow strong enough to keep climbing.
But they hadn't expected this.
In the depths of a dark dungeon, Alem fought for his life. A monstrous angel, wreathed in divine light, bore down on him like the wrath of the heavens. Its level didn't even appear on the system — an anomaly, a creature not meant to exist on Floor 41.
"Run!" Alem shouted to his comrades. "I'll hold it back!"
But betrayal came in the form of a friend's blade, driven through his side in a moment of desperation.
His best friend — the man who had fought by his side for sixteen years, sharing laughter, hardship, and unspoken loyalty — turned his blade on him.
"I'm sorry…" his friend whispered, voice raw with regret. "I have to save them. We can't all die here."
Alem sank to his knees, blood gushing from the wound, warm and sticky as it pooled around him. The world blurred, and memories flickered: the countless nights they'd spent side by side, dreaming of conquering the tower three years ago — the tower that demanded humanity clear every ten floors within six months or face extinction.
He wanted to scream, to rage against the betrayal, but in the end, there was only emptiness.
"So… this is how it ends," Alem thought bitterly. His heart was too tired to rage, too worn out to even grieve the betrayal of someone he had trusted with everything. In the face of betrayal, he felt… nothing.
The angel's brilliance grew until everything was swallowed by white light.
And then… time stopped.
A figure appeared in the stillness, lounging in the air as though reclining on an invisible couch. She wore a stunning purple dress that shimmered with moonlight, her long, wavy purple hair framing her face. Her golden eyes, bright and divine, were half-lidded with sleepiness.
"Ah… what a mess," she drawled, a bored sigh slipping from her lips. "I don't know how that thing escaped my prison. So… inconvenient."
Alem blinked, his mind foggy with pain and confusion.
"Who… are you?" he rasped.
The woman gave a lazy wave of her hand, dismissing the question. "You're dying. Yes, yes… tragic. But let's skip to the good part, shall we?"
She stretched, arching her back like a cat before continuing. "The tower in your world? Just a beta test. Your world, the Blue Planet? Chosen because time there moves quickly — convenient for progress reports, you see."
Alem could only stare, dazed and bleeding.
She conjured a shimmering tablet in the air, her golden eyes flicking to his battered form. "Anyway… I'm sending you to a new world. Fresh start, and all that." Her gaze sharpened, a hint of amusement in her lazy expression. "Your new identity? Listen up."
"You'll be reborn as the third son of the Vermithorne family — one of the most powerful families in the world of Alemen. Your father is the family patriarch, and your mother? A princess from the royal family."
She twirled a lock of her hair, smirking faintly. "It's a world filled with powerful families, royal bloodlines, and temples that worship gods and devils alike… certainly not a boring place. You'll keep your memories and your system, though your body's abilities will be reset. Your soul's unique abilities? Those stay."
Alem managed a faint smirk through the pain. "Not like I have much choice, do I?" His voice was quiet, resigned. He'd seen enough betrayal to know how powerless he truly was.
Freya gave a lazy thumbs-up. "Exactly! Oh, I'm Freya, by the way — the Moon Goddess. Let's meet again when you're a god, Alem. Now… off you go."
She gave him a gentle push, and the world turned to white.
Far above, Freya hovered in the void, conjuring a biscuit from thin air. She took a bite, crumbs falling onto her dress.
"Ah… I forgot to mention… his soul merge will give him a new unique ability," she mumbled to herself. "He'll figure it out, probably."
She scrolled idly through the system log, a smirk curving her lips.
"'Must experience death once to truly bloom. Can travel to other dimensions once a year…' Wow. Well… good luck, you little monster."
And with that, she vanished into the light.