The morning sunlight streamed softly through the thin curtains, painting warm gold over the small, humble apartment.
Kira sat up in bed before the alarm clock had even thought of ringing. His breathing was steady, but inside, his heart raced. The last time he had opened his eyes like this… the world had already been swallowed by the Tower's curse.
Now, instead of endless walls of stone and blood, there was the faint clink of tea cups in the kitchen.
Kira appeared in the kitchen doorway, his footsteps slow but deliberate.
His mother turned, startled. "Kira? You're… up early?" She tilted her head slightly. "You usually don't—"
She didn't get to finish.
Kira stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her. The sudden warmth of her body, the familiar scent of her hair, the heartbeat beneath his cheek—it was too much.
His shoulders trembled. At first, he tried to hold it in, but the dam broke.
Tears welled up and spilled down his face, soaking into her clothes. He clutched her as if she would vanish if he let go.
His mother froze, wide-eyed. "Kira…?"
He choked back a sob, his voice breaking. "I… missed you… so much."
She blinked rapidly, still confused, but instinct overrode reason. She gently stroked his hair and pulled him closer. "Silly boy… I've been here all along."
But Kira knew the truth.
No… you weren't. Not in the world I came from.
His father looked up from the newspaper, brow furrowing at the sight, but he said nothing. His little sister whispered, "Why is he crying?" but her voice was barely above a breath.
Kira didn't answer. He couldn't. His chest ached with both joy and grief. After so many years without them—after watching them die—having them here in his arms again felt like a cruel dream he didn't want to wake up from.
---
[Kira's Monologue]
It's real… this warmth… this voice… this smile. I thought I'd forgotten how it felt, but it's burned into my soul. I failed to protect you before. I was weak… useless. All I could do was watch.
But this time, I won't let history repeat itself. Not when I've been given this chance.
The Tower will appear in one year… and when it does, the world will descend into chaos. People will fight to survive. Monsters will flood the streets. I remember every trap, every dungeon, every shortcut… and every betrayal.
My class has been reset, my items gone, my strength stripped away… back to a common assassin. But I know the path to power. I know where to find the god-tier items, the hidden skills, the dungeons no one will discover until it's too late.
I will prepare. I will train. Even if I must walk the path alone.
This time… no one will touch my family.
He pulled his mother closer, burying his face in her shoulder. She smiled softly, unaware of the storm that would come.
Kira released his mother slowly, wiping at his eyes as if nothing had happened.
"You're… acting strange today," she said, trying to smile. "It's still early. I'll make breakfast."
"Yeah," Kira replied softly, his voice steadier now. "Thanks, Mom."
She turned back to the stove, humming quietly, while his father flipped a newspaper page and his sister sipped her milk.
Kira sat at the table, but his mind was far away.
One year.
That was all the time he had.
---
After breakfast, Kira stepped outside, the morning air cool against his skin. His eyes scanned the familiar streets—neighbors sweeping their porches, the smell of fresh bread from the bakery, the sound of kids playing in the distance.
It was peaceful. Too peaceful.
They have no idea what's coming…
He clenched his fists.
No weapons. No items. No skills. Just this body… weaker than it's been in years.
---
[Monologue]
Fine. I'll start from scratch. Physical training first. I'll rebuild my stamina and speed. An assassin's body needs to be sharp before the mind can execute.
Then… I'll map out the early dungeon spawns. I remember every location, every timing, every monster type. If I get there first when the Tower opens, I'll take everything before anyone else even knows it exists.
---
The next days blurred into a silent, grueling routine.
Kira rose before sunrise every morning—his mother always raising an eyebrow at the change. He ran laps through the empty streets, climbed the old fire escape behind the library for strength training, and practiced movement drills in the park after dark, his shadow flickering under the lamplight.
When the city slept, Kira studied. He drew crude maps of the city on scrap paper, marking the exact spots where the first rifts would tear open.
---
One night, sitting in his dimly lit room, Kira stared at the map.
He circled a location and whispered to himself:
"The Serpent's Fang… first hidden weapon to spawn. A dagger with poison that ignores defense. That's my first step toward the legendary class."
He leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk on his lips.
I'll take the path no one else dares. And I'll carve my name into the Tower's heart.
-------------------------
The night breeze was cool against Kira's face as he sat cross-legged on the wooden porch. The moon hung high above, pale and indifferent to the thoughts racing through his mind.
A year… It sounds like a lot, but it's nothing. Every day has to count.
He closed his eyes, recalling the exact order of events from his previous life.
Day 1: The Tower materializes.
Day 2: The "Awakening" begins.
Day 7: First monster outbreak.
Month 3: The massacre of the Central District.
Month 8: The fall of humanity's largest fortress.
And in between, countless smaller tragedies… including the one that shattered him forever.
---
Training Phase – Day 1
The following morning, before the sun had fully risen, Kira was already sprinting through the empty streets. His breath was ragged, but his strides were steady. Each run, each push-up, each swing of his dagger was another brick in the wall of strength he was building.
Without the Tower's system active, there were no stats to boost his speed or stamina. Every ounce of strength had to come the hard way—through sweat and aching muscles.
When the Tower appears, I'll be at the peak of my physical limits. Then, I'll push beyond.
---
Home Life
His mother noticed the change immediately.
Mother: "You're training every morning now? You used to be so lazy…"
Kira just smiled faintly. "Guess I decided to change."
She looked puzzled but didn't press further.
Her presence was his anchor. He'd often pause in the middle of his training just to watch her hang laundry or hum while cooking.
I'll protect this. No matter what I have to do.
---
Kira's Monologue
I can't craft weapons yet. The crafting system won't unlock until the Tower's interface appears. That means I have to rely on market gear and whatever I can steal from dungeon scavengers early on.
My class… probably has been reset to a common Assassin. But I know the hidden quest chain to evolve it into Shadow Sovereign—a class even the top guild leaders couldn't comprehend.
He twirled his cheap dagger in his hand. The balance was off, but the motion felt natural—muscle memory from years of battle that his reset body had yet to catch up to.
--------------------------
The night of June 7th, 2030.
The night humanity stopped being alone.
Kira sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, eyes locked on the ticking clock.
11:59:50…
The air shifted — dense, charged, suffocating.
His breathing slowed.
It's happening.
11:59:55…
The stars winked out one by one, like someone blotting holes in the sky.
Clouds twisted unnaturally, spiraling into a perfect circle above the city.
At its center… the Eye.
The same Eye from his past life.
Unblinking. Eternal.
11:59:59…
BOOM.
A colossal pillar of white-gold light crashed down from the heavens, striking the heart of the city. It didn't just illuminate — it burned itself into the air, splitting the night in half.
Then came the voice.
Not heard through ears — but etched directly into the mind.
> "All beings of this realm… kneel."
Everyone fell.
Humans. Animals. Even the insects froze in place, crushed by the invisible weight.
A soundless pressure dug into every bone and thought, a force beyond refusal.
Kira clenched his fists. He knew this feeling.
The Command.
> "You are chosen. You are bound. You are mine."
From the ground, obsidian spires erupted worldwide, each carved with shifting runes.
They twisted reality around them, bending light and space until the air rippled like water.
And then… the words that changed everything:
> "Ascend… or perish."
The voice faded, leaving behind an endless, suffocating silence.
Kira exhaled slowly. His hands were trembling.
"Yeah… this is it. The Tower… exactly as before."
He looked up.
The Eye in the clouds was still there — vast, cold, and watching.
> "The First Gate… opens."
And the world shattered into the game of gods.
— To be continued.