Aron's breathing was heavy as he stood amidst the fading remnants of his battle with Malsiroz. Her final words still echoed faintly in his ears as the green motes of her dissolving form vanished into the arid air. The battlefield was silent now, the oppressive pressure gone. Even the ground seemed to sigh in relief, though it remained cracked and dry beneath his boots.
He tilted his head upward, staring at the vast, empty sky above. His body trembled, not from weakness, but from the lingering adrenaline of combat and the strange memory of the void where his supposed future self had spoken to him.
A sharp ping shattered the silence.
[ You have passed the 3rd Floor's Entry Trial! ]
Aron's eyes widened as the translucent system screen materialized in front of him, glowing faintly.
"Entry trial…?" His voice was low, cautious. "What does that even—"
Another notification cut him off.
[ Mission is being searched through... ]
The words flickered, lines of glowing script shifting and rearranging themselves. Aron stared at the message, his heart beating faster. He took a step back instinctively, his violet eyes narrowing.
"Wait a second," he muttered. "That doesn't make sense. The fight with Malsiroz was supposed to be the 3rd floor trial. The next one should've been the transition to the 4th floor."
The screen blinked again, and this time, its cold, impersonal text struck like a hammer.
[ Mission: Kill the Rogue 'Karlath' hiding in the 'Forest of Eposel' on the 3rd Floor. ]
Difficulty: Extreme
Time Limit: None
Reward: Access to climb to the 4th Floor, ??? ]
Aron's mouth went dry. His smile vanished instantly, replaced by a blank, stunned expression.
"…No," he whispered, almost to himself. His voice cracked slightly. "No, this… this isn't right."
His hands curled into trembling fists. "Karlath? On the third floor? That bastard should be on the sixth! This can't be real…"
[ This information is confirmed. Mission parameters locked. ]
The cold, mechanical voice of the system chimed in, indifferent to his rising panic.
Aron's breathing quickened. "Explain!" he roared, glaring at the screen. "How did he end up here? This floor isn't ready for a monster like him! If you expect me to kill Karlath now, you're setting me up to die!"
[ System does not respond to emotional queries. ]
[ Mission is final. ]
The words flashed again, devoid of empathy.
Aron's face twisted with rage. "Final? You're just sitting there, spitting out missions like a damned machine, while I—" He stopped, biting his tongue before his fury consumed him completely.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he forced himself to think. Images of Karlath filled his mind: the monstrous figure wrapped in shadows, the devastating aura he exuded. Aron remembered his previous climbs, the battles he had fought to reach the higher floors. Karlath wasn't just another rogue challenger. He was a calamity.
Aron's voice dropped to a trembling whisper. "If I fight him now… I'll die. No matter how much I've grown, no matter how sharp my blades are—I'll die."
The words felt heavy, like lead. Speaking them aloud made the threat real.
For several long moments, he stood in silence, his mind spiraling. Then, slowly, he exhaled and clenched his jaw.
"…I don't have to fight him yet." His tone shifted, becoming cold and calculating. "If I want even the smallest chance of winning, I need to grow stronger. Much stronger. And there's only one place where I can do that."
His lips curled into a dark smile. "Heh… a perfect place."
The dried earth crunched beneath his boots as he began walking eastward, each step deliberate. His violet eyes were sharp now, filled with ruthless determination.
Hours passed in silence. The landscape stretched endlessly around him—deserted plains of cracked, lifeless soil beneath a perpetually dim sky. There were no trees, no signs of life, just the occasional jagged rock jutting from the ground like the bones of some long-dead beast.
Finally, Aron came to a stop. He stood miles from where his battle with Malsiroz had taken place. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked toward the unseen horizon.
"Karlath is in the Forest of Eposel," he murmured. "I'll find him eventually. But first… I need to enter there."
His gaze sharpened to a dangerous edge. Then he took a deep breath and spoke in a low, commanding tone:
"Code: M0432943… Gate of Sagastan, open."
The world seemed to hold its breath.
A faint tremor rolled through the air, subtle at first, then growing steadily stronger. The sky itself began to ripple as though it were a vast sheet of glass. Aron stood perfectly still, his expression unreadable.
The tremors intensified until, with a deafening CRACK, the sky split open. A jagged line of darkness tore across the heavens, spreading rapidly. Then, with a shattering sound like breaking glass, the sky itself fragmented into countless pieces.
From the rift above, an ominous gate slowly emerged.
It was colossal, black as midnight, and wreathed in a swirling aura of shadow. The gate seemed alive, its surface pulsing faintly as if it were breathing. Dark mist oozed from its edges, drifting downward like the tendrils of some vast creature hidden just beyond sight.
Aron tilted his head slightly, studying it with calm intensity. Most people would have fallen to their knees in terror at the sight of such a thing, but not him.
Instead, he smiled.
The shattered fragments of the sky knitted themselves back together as though nothing had happened, leaving only the gate hovering silently before him. It floated several feet above the ground, radiating an oppressive energy that made the air itself feel heavy.
"This tower never ceases to impress me," Aron murmured. "Even broken rules like this… it adapts, repairs itself."
He stepped forward without hesitation.
The massive doors of the gate creaked and swung open on their own, as though acknowledging his presence. Beyond them lay nothing but swirling black energy, a churning vortex that seemed eager to consume anything that crossed its threshold.
Aron's grin widened. "This hack… it saved me the second time I climbed the tower. And it'll save me now."
His laughter was quiet at first, then grew louder, echoing unnaturally in the empty wasteland. "Hahaha… HAHAHA! This is what makes climbing fun."
He placed one foot forward, stepping into the threshold.
Instantly, a violent surge of energy ripped through him. The air crackled with static, filling his ears with a deafening ZZZZTTZZ. Invisible hands seemed to claw at his body, trying to shove him back.
"Ughhhhhh!" Aron snarled through clenched teeth. His muscles trembled, his veins bulged, but he didn't retreat. "You think this will stop me?! I will enter!"
With a guttural roar, he forced his right foot down, pressing it firmly against the other side. The resistance grew stronger, as though the gate itself were fighting to eject him. Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes.
"One step…" he gasped. "Just one more."
He lifted his left leg and pushed forward again. The energy screamed around him, the resistance threatening to tear him apart, but he refused to yield.
"RAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Then, with a final surge of willpower, he crossed completely through the threshold. The moment his body passed the gate, the crushing resistance vanished, leaving only silence.
Aron staggered, catching himself on one knee. Slowly, he lifted his head—and his breath caught in his throat.
Before him stretched a realm unlike anything he had ever seen.
Towering obsidian cliffs loomed in the distance, their jagged peaks glowing faintly red as rivers of molten lava flowed between them. The sky overhead swirled with storm clouds, shot through with veins of lightning that never touched the ground. Vast, twisted forests of blackened trees stretched endlessly, their branches moving as though alive. Strange, ethereal lights drifted between them like will-o'-wisps.
And amidst it all, creatures moved.
Some slithered on too many legs, their forms shifting and warping as they passed. Others soared on massive wings that seemed made of living flame. The air vibrated with their roars and screeches, a chaotic symphony of danger.
Aron rose to his feet slowly, his violet eyes wide with awe—and anticipation.
"This…" he whispered. "This is perfect."
For the first time since receiving the mission, his fear dissolved, replaced by exhilaration. This realm was a crucible, a place where only the strong survived. Here, he could grow. Here, he could forge himself into a weapon sharp enough to kill Karlath.
A faint smile played on his lips as he muttered, "Wait for me, Karlath. When I'm ready…you'll find a difficult situation in hand...haha.."
The swirling vortex behind him sealed shut, cutting off any escape. Aron didn't look back.
He took his first step forward into the darkness of the new realm.