"Katelyn, join our team!"
A young man called out across the plaza. His voice carried over the chattering crowd as he faced a girl in a light-blue robe, golden hair shimmering beneath the sun. A crystal-tipped staff rested in her hand, faint runes glowing softly around it. Her proud expression screamed confidence.
Before she could reply, another young man stepped forward.
"No, join our team instead! We already have two B-Rank combat talents!"
The crowd went still for a heartbeat. Then, gasps rippled through it.
"Two B-Ranks? No wonder they're after her!" someone whispered, awe in his tone.
"With her A-Rank talent, their team would be unstoppable!" another added, envy dripping from his words.
"I wonder what it's like to be in a team like that," a young man muttered dreamily.
Smack!
"Quit daydreaming," his friend scolded, hitting him on the back of the head.
"Yeah," someone else snickered, "with your D-Rank Spatial Storage Anus, no team's touching anything you pull out of yourself!"
A wave of laughter burst from the surrounding crowd, echoing through the open plaza.
The place was chaos. Recruiters shouting, friends begging to join teams, proud talents flaunting their awakenings—it was a sea of noise and excitement.
And it made sense.
Today marked the day every young person in this world dreamed of: the First Tower Entry—the beginning of their journey as Pathfinders.
Amid the noise stood a single unmoving figure.
Grimm.
He stood silently, his dark hair swaying lightly in the wind, his eyes—black as a void—calmly scanning the chaos before him.
A week ago, he was an ordinary man on Earth. Then, a blinding light and a splitting pain—when he woke, he was here, in this unfamiliar body of an eighteen-year-old boy who shared his name.
Grimm had read enough novels to recognize the pattern.
He had transmigrated.
And now, in this new world—one that mirrored Earth but with magic, monsters, and gods—he found himself at the edge of a new beginning.
Twelve years ago, the world of Aelios had changed forever.
It started with a tremor that shook continents. The sky cracked like broken glass, the ground tore apart, and oceans rose to swallow cities. Then came the rifts—shimmering fractures in space that connected the world to an unknown dimension. From them poured nightmares: demonic beasts that devoured everything in their path.
Nations fell. Law and order vanished. Humanity stood on the brink of extinction.
And then… the Tower descended.
A monolithic structure that appeared simultaneously across the planet, its smooth black surface stretching endlessly toward the heavens.
At first, people feared it, believing it to be another omen of destruction. But when desperate survivors dared to touch its surface—everything changed.
The Tower responded.
It pulled them in—transporting them to a vast, otherworldly realm filled with monsters, treasures, and mystical power. Those who survived their first descent returned changed—stronger, faster, capable of feats that defied logic.
Thus began the Age of Pathfinders—humans who braved the Tower, conquered its floors, and returned with power rivaling the gods.
Now, twelve years later, a new generation of awakened youths stood ready to follow in their footsteps.
Grimm was one of them.
His lips curved into a faint, amused smile as he watched the plaza descend into chaos.
So much noise. So much excitement. Yet, he felt oddly detached.
He didn't remember much of this body's past—the fragments he had inherited hinted that the original Grimm had lost his memories in an accident long before his transmigration. But he knew enough. The boy whose life he now lived had just awakened an E-Rank talent—barely above the lowest tier.
In a world where power determined worth, that rank was a death sentence for ambition.
Still, Grimm knew something others didn't.
His so-called useless talent wasn't what it seemed.
---
[Grimm]
-Rank: Wood.
-Level: 1 [0%]
-Profession: Locked
-Talent: E-rank Gluttony.
-[Vitality: 100%]
-[Mana: 100%]
Stats:
Physical:
↳ [Strength: 8 | Endurance: 6 | Agility: 9]
Mental:
↳ [Intelligence: 5 | Focus: 3 | Perception: 7]
---
[Gluttony]
— Talent Rank: E
> Due to unknown interference, further information cannot be displayed.
Please enter the Tower to unlock full access.
---
No matter how many times he checked, the same cryptic message appeared.
Grimm exhaled, rubbing his chin. "So… the Tower's holding my answers, huh?"
He couldn't wait to find out what it meant.
"Grimm! There you are!"
A cheerful voice cut through his thoughts. Turning, Grimm saw a familiar figure jogging toward him—a boy with short, spiked brown hair and a bright grin.
"Oh, Casper."
Casper—the only person the original Grimm could call a friend.
"What are you doing alone? Still haven't found a team?"
Grimm shrugged lightly. "You know my talent's useless. Nobody wants to team up with dead weight." He smiled faintly, but his tone carried no bitterness.
Casper frowned, glancing around. "That won't do."
He scanned the crowd, eyes darting as though searching for an answer only he could see. After a moment, his expression firmed. "Then join mine."
He pointed toward a small group nearby—two girls and three boys, all watching Grimm like he'd just kicked their pets.
Grimm chuckled. "Yeah… I don't think that's a good idea."
Casper grimaced. He knew Grimm was right. Despite being a good-natured guy, his A-Rank combat talent had made him a magnet for attention. His team wouldn't dare speak out loud against Grimm joining—but they wouldn't hide their resentment either.
"I appreciate it," Grimm added. "But I'll figure something out on my own. I want to see what my talent can really do first."
Casper hesitated but eventually sighed. "Fine. But if anything happens, come find me."
With that, he left, returning to his team.
Grimm watched him go, a small smile forming. Casper really was a good guy.
Before he could dwell on it, a stir spread through the plaza. Voices rose, pointing toward the entrance.
"Whoa, who's that?"
"Look at his gear—those aren't government-issue!"
"I've seen him before! That's Arthur Williams, right?"
"Wait—the S-Rank awakener?"
"The same! The Celestial Comet Guild already recruited him."
"What?! But guild recruitment's supposed to happen after the first Tower run!"
"That's for people like us. S-Ranks play by different rules."
Excitement buzzed through the crowd like electricity. Grimm followed their gaze.
A young man walked through the plaza, tall and confident, his armor polished and fitted perfectly. His expression was calm, detached—like someone used to being admired.
From the fragments of memory he'd inherited, Grimm recognized him.
Arthur Williams. Once an average student at his high school—until the awakening of an S-Rank talent had rewritten his destiny.
Such was the way of this world. Power changed everything.
Grimm's eyes darkened slightly.
He wasn't jealous. Not exactly. But he couldn't help the flicker of resolve that burned in his chest.
He would survive.
No—he would rise.
He glanced toward the distant Tower, its dark silhouette gleaming beneath the morning sun.
Whatever waited inside… he was ready for it.
Just then, a commanding voice echoed across the plaza.
"Alright, everyone, gather around! The Tower trial begins now!"