The theater was quiet, lit only by the golden glow of stage lights. Elias paced alone across the scuffed wood, reciting lines into the dark. His voice echoed throughout the stage, crisp and clear, shaped by years of training and muscle memory.
It was supposed to be a normal rehearsal.
Then everything shattered.
A blinding light. A pressure that wrapped around his body and pulled. No time to scream, no time to think.
Everything was just… gone.
When his vision cleared, he was no longer in the theater. He was somewhere different.
Stone stretched beneath his feet. The sky above churned with violet clouds. Floating spires twisted upward in impossible geometry. A colossal black tower loomed in the distance, its top lost to the heavens.
And he wasn't alone.
Hundreds of people stood around him, some in pajamas, others in uniforms, a few still clutching coffee cups or phones. It wasn't long before panic spread through the crowd.
"Where the hell are we?!"
"Is this a dream?!"
"Someone better start explaining!"
Then there was a person in the air.
A man descended, slow and steady. He looked human, but something was off. His eyes gleamed silver. His suit was too pristine. And when he spoke, his voice echoed like it came from inside their skulls.
"Welcome, Dear Candidates. You are the lucky few who have been chosen to enter the Tower."
The crowd murmured. Someone near Elias scoffed.
"What the hell is this? A prank? Some reality show BS?"
Another man pushed forward, big and loud. "Hey! Whoever's behind this, cut the crap! I have a very important meeting coming up and if you don—"
He stormed toward the speaker.
Bang.
His head exploded.
The body collapsed in a heap. Screams followed.
The silver-eyed man didn't blink.
"There will be no second warning. You have been selected. The only path forward is through the top, either stay and die or move."
The fear in the air turned cold and real.
"But worry not, you have all been granted a System. Your class, your skills, your stats, they will determine how far you climb. You may say 'Status' to access your profile."
People hesitated, then cautiously began whispering the word. Glowing blue panels appeared into existence. Elias stood frozen until curiosity overtook fear.
"…Status."
---
[Status Screen]
Name: Elias Cross
Class: Performer
Level: 1
HP: 150/150 | MP: 0
Stat Points:
Strength: 14 | Agility: 16 | Intelligence: 18 |
Charisma: 39 | Endurance: 12 | Luck: 20 |
Unassigned points: 0
---
Skills:
Cosplay - Transform into a character you've portrayed. Gain their abilities and experience.
Duration: 15-minutes.
Cooldown: 5-minutes.
---
Passive skills:
Acting Mastery - Enhances emotional control and mental adaptability.
Fanfare - The greater the audience reaction, the stronger the performance.
---
He stared at the screen.
"…Cosplay? Fanfare? What the hell is all this... Is this my... Abilities?"
It sounded like a joke. Like someone had gamified his resume. Transformed it into a character? What was he supposed to do, wear a cape and start monologuing?
Before he could make sense of it, the voice returned.
"Now prepare for your Tutorial. Difficulty selection will begin now."
A second screen appeared.
---
Select Difficulty:
EasyNormalHardHell
---
Elias leaned in, brows furrowed.
"Wait, do I really have to—?"
His finger brushed the glowing panel.
Hell Mode Selected.
"…Shit."
The ground vanished beneath him.
---
Tutorial Trial – Hell Mode
Objective: Eliminate all the monsters in the area.
---
He hit the floor hard, rolling across stone tiles slick with grime. The air smelled of rust and wet earth. The room was wide, torch-lit, and silent.
At first.
Then came the screeches.
Dozens of red eyes stared from the shadows. Elias's breath caught in his throat.
Goblins?
They stepped into the light, twisted, hunched creatures clutching rusted daggers and crude bows. One of them however stood taller, with a cleaver the size of his arm.
Oh, great. A giant pain in the ass.
He ran.
There was no plan. Just pure instincts and adrenaline. Arrows bounced off the stone. One grazed his arm, tearing skin. Another hit his thigh.
"God—!"
He stumbled down a hallway, breath ragged, legs aching. He wasn't built for this. He'd never been in a fight. The most dangerous thing he'd ever held was a stage prop.
He turned a corner, and found a wall, it was dead end.
"Nononono... fuck..!"
The goblins were closing in, rusted knives scraping the floor. Elias was backed into the wall, his chest heaving and mind racing.
I'm going to die.
Then, he remembered.
The screen. The skill.
Cosplay.
He fumbled to open his status again, hands covered in sweat and blood.
< Cosplay: Transform into a character you've portrayed. Gain their abilities and experience. >
Only one character came to mind it was not a hero. Not a knight. But a cold blooded murderer.
Jack the Ripper.
He'd played the role in a psychological thriller, a one-man show basically, the shadows, the flickering lights. There wasn't even any props, just his voice and the madness in his eyes. The role had him watched killers for weeks. So he could learn to become one.
He didn't want to remember it.
But the horrors he had just experienced had forced him to.
Red stage lights.
A cold smile.
The sound of leather shoes on floorboards.
"Do you believe monsters are born… or made?"
And so he screamed.
"Cosplay Jack the Ripper!"
..
..
..
..
The change was instant. Bloodlust filled the room. The air got heavier. It was dense and suffocating. Even the goblins noticed.
His body straightened and his breath slowed, he was calm... Unusually calm.
His coat lengthened into something dark and tattered. And two surgical blades appeared in his hands, weightless and familiar. His eyes narrowed. His lips curled into a grin that wasn't his.
He stepped forward.
The goblins hesitated.
"…Now then gentleman... Shall we begin?"
Then he moved.
He carved through them like wind through leaves. Every step precise. Every strike surgical. He weaved between blades, ducked under arrows, slit throats and opened arteries.
Blood painted the walls.
"The artistry's in the incision, wouldn't you agree?"
The Hobgoblin roared and charged. Elias no—jack didn't flinch. He ducked low, and drove both blades into its side, and twisted it. The creature toppled, screaming in agony.
Then... silence.
Dozens of bodies with one man standing in the middle, coated in gore, eyes filled with lust.
Then the timer ran out.
His grip loosened and the knives vanished. His knees buckled as he fell to the floor, coughing, shaking. The weight of what he'd done, what he'd felt, pressed down on him.
He vomited.
Then just sat there. Breathing. Staring at his hands.
The skill was gone, but the bitter aftertaste remained.
A notification appeared into view.
---
Tutorial Complete.
Reward:
2 Stat Points 10 Tower Credits
Level Up!
You are now Level 5
---
Elias wiped the blood from his face, his hands were trembling.
He couldn't understand what just happened.
But in that moment… he did something he would never do, but now... he wasn't so sure anymore.
And the tower was just getting started