Wein took a steady breath as he stepped through the Beast Tower's body.
On a closer approach, he felt a strange pull, like an invisible thread gently tugging at his chest. The sensation wasn't painful, but it was undeniably real—an urge to move forward, as though the tower itself was calling to him.
Up close, the structure became even more surreal. At a distance, the tower looked solid, monolithic. But now that he was mere steps away, a shimmering haze cloaked its crystalline surface. It was as if the entire tower was wrapped in a veil of mist and light, blurring its edges and giving it an almost illusionary quality. One moment it seemed like a real, tangible monument—the next, like a mirage wavering under the sun.
Wein reached out a hand but hesitated. The surface didn't seem physical, but it didn't seem entirely intangible either.
Then, something caught his eye.
He leaned closer.
Intricate carvings—millions of them—lined the tower's glimmering surface. At first glance, they looked like faint scratches, barely visible unless you looked directly. But as the sunlight struck just right, the tiny etchings gleamed—ancient runes in the shapes of beasts.
Lions, serpents, winged wolves, scaled creatures he couldn't even name—all carved with painstaking precision, spiraling endlessly up the tower's endless height. Each rune was no larger than a fingernail, yet detailed enough to feel alive.
He was in awe.
The entire structure of the Beast Tower was a masterpiece—an intricate work of art carved in crystal.
If this existed on Earth, it would be hailed as a sacred site for artists and a world-renowned destination for travelers.
The sheer detail and craftsmanship made one thing clear: this was not built by human hands. It was the work of something far greater—crafted by a higher being beyond mortal comprehension.
His thoughts turned inward.
He had spent years playing the game. After his brother's death, when he was left alone, Wein had stopped going to school. Instead, he buried himself in playing this game—using it as an escape, a way to keep his mind from falling apart.
He treated the VR world as his new reality, immersing himself in it completely. He played endlessly, streaming his progress and even earning money from it.
He knew the game inside out—farming beasts, grinding levels, memorizing every floor of the Beast Tower. It had become his second life.
That's why he was certain now: this…wasn't just a game world.
Some things might seem different, but his instincts screamed that this place couldn't have been created by mere code. The people here were real. So were the beasts.
And somewhere in this truth was a connection—between the world he came from and the game he thought he knew. He just had to find out how they were linked.
But then, who created the game?
Who designed a world so perfectly aligned with this one?
A strange chill crept down his spine. The question that had haunted him since waking in this world clawed its way back to the surface: Was he trapped in the game?
But what if this wasn't a virtual world at all?
What if the game had been a mere reflection—of something far bigger, something real?
What if this was the true world—and he had simply been brought here through it?
His mind raced back to one memory. A quest. The Quest.
It had appeared on the global board as the highest-ranking quest—one that made every player laugh and shake their heads in disbelief.
Because the content of the quest was unbelievable and unimaginable.
—
Divine Quest: Eternal Dominion
Quest Description:
"Become the Chosen One—the destined sovereign of all living beings. Unite the fragmented Realms into a single dominion. Forge a new era where beasts and humans walk the same path—not as enemies, but as equals. Lead the world into an age of harmony… or domination."
Objectives:
*Attain the title: Beast God
*Establish a unified realm across all Beast Territories
*Form lasting bonds between beasts and humans
*Determine the fate of the world: Coexistence or Conquest
Reward: ???
—
It was absurd. Players killed beasts to grow stronger.
Beasts were enemies—monsters to be conquered and contracted. The idea of unifying with them was laughable. The forums had called it a bug, a broken quest line that no one was ever meant to take seriously.
But now…
Now he wasn't so sure.
After all, everything had started the moment he conquered the final floor of the Beast Tower and received the title: "Beast God."
He had been the first to obtain it—an unprecedented achievement—and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was the key.
The more he thought about it, the more pieces began falling into place.
He remembered a strange notification right before everything changed. A momentary glitch… then a flicker of something unusual. Just before his vision faded, he recalled the quest suddenly appearing on his interface—that quest.
And then—
The world had turned blinding white.
When he opened his eyes… he was here.
What if, by earning the title, he had unknowingly triggered the quest?
Because if the first requirement was to become the Beast God… then he had already completed it.
All of this was still just his own conjecture—and the only one that could give him answers now… was the Beast Tower itself.
"If I want the truth—about this world, about the game, about why I'm really here—then I have to reach the top again."
Only then would the real purpose of this world be revealed.
He reached out.
His fingers brushed the shimmering surface—and passed through, like dipping into a still pond. There was no resistance, just a strange, tingling coldness that spread up his arm.
The tower accepted him.
Then—everything shifted.
Light bent inward, wrapping around him. A deep, humming sound echoed in his ears, followed by silence so complete it made his head spin. It felt like he was falling through water and space at the same time, the world warping around him in slow motion.
Then…
His feet touched solid ground.
The sensation of weight returned.
He stumbled slightly and opened his eyes to a completely different world.