A mountain of monster corpses were beneath me, yes that was my throne. The only light in the suffocating darkness came from a pair of crimson eyes that burned with a cold, inhuman fire. yes those were also mine…
24 hours earlier…
I've always been obsessed with myths. The one that truly captured me was the Tower of Babel, a monument to humanity's glorious, futile arrogance. It was a story of pride, defiance, and a desperate reach for the divine. They wanted to be gods. And for their ambition, they were shattered.
Some never learn. The hunger for power is a parasite that never dies.
"JADE!"
My name, sharp and shrill, sliced through my thoughts. I looked up to see Ms. Anya, a woman whose voice could grate diamonds, glaring at me from the front of the classroom.
"Ma'am?" I asked, layering a veneer of calm over my simmering irritation.
"You're leading the group project next week. No objections. Straight-A student or not, I can make your life very difficult."
The dismissal bell rang before I could form a reply. A petty power play from a small person in a small world. Typical.
I was the last to leave, as always. I walked the halls alone, not out of necessity, but by choice. Friends, girlfriends all of them were variables I had no interest in solving for. People called me a genius, but the truth was less glamorous. I simply observed, studied, and spoke the truth. They called me handsome, too, but that wasn't a gift. It was a product of relentless effort, a body honed through day and night of training, cared for like a precision instrument. It was all part of the only pursuit that mattered: perfection.
And in this dull, predictable world, perfection was a myth. My only constant companion was a soul-deep, yawning boredom.
The house was silent when I got home. Mom was on another night shift. Upstairs, I stood before the full-length mirror. The reflection showed a young man, 187 centimeters tall, with a physique carved from discipline. Crimson eyes stared back from under a shock of long, white hair that fell to my shoulders. Pale skin, a sharp jawline and it was the closest I had come to my ideal. A beautiful statue, but still just flesh and bone.
Then world then shook.
It started as a low rumble I dismissed as a heavy truck. But the tremors grew, violent and insistent, until the floor pitched and sent me stumbling against the wall. I fought for balance and staggered to the window.
My breath caught. There, in the heart of the city, a colossal black tower had erupted from the earth. It was a shard of pure obsidian spearing the heavens, so vast its peak was lost in the clouds, dwarfing even Everest. It was impossible. It was terrifying.
It was magnificent.
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of my eyes, its text burning with an otherworldly light.
You have been selected to participate in the raiding and completion of the Tower.
God Candidate No. 2013455.
A slow smile spread across my face. I knew exactly what this was. I'd spent a lifetime buried in stories like this.
Another message flashed.
Transportation in 10… 8… 6…
My heart hammered, not with fear, but with anticipation.
3… 2… 1.
Light consumed me. It was not a gentle warmth, but a violent rending. My body was torn apart molecule by molecule, hurled through a void of screaming colors and pressure. When it stopped, I slammed into cold, hard stone, my vision swimming, nausea twisting my gut.
As my senses cleared, I found I wasn't alone. Thousands of people crowded a vast, circular plaza—businessmen in torn suits, wailing children, trembling elders, all of them were thrown into chaos and confusion.
"Alright, everyone. Please be quiet."
The voice, soft yet carrying an impossible weight, silenced the murmurs. All eyes turned upward. A childlike figure descended, crowned in gold, its small body swathed in silken robes. Wings of pure light fanned out from its back, and in its hand, it held a golden arrow that gleamed with malevolent intent.
"What the hell is that thing?" a man roared, his voice cracking with fear.
"Isn't that… and angel?" a girl whispered, her body trembling.
A wave of panic began to crest.
"Silence."
The single word cracked through the air like a whip, dousing all sound. An aura of absolute authority radiated from the being.
"Humans," it said, its voice dripping with disdain. "So noisy. I welcome you, candidates, to the Tower. Climb to the 100th floor, and godhood shall be your reward." It paused, a cruel, mocking smile playing on its lips. "But first… I'd like to have some fun. Survive, if you can. I'll return once I'm satisfied."
With that, it vanished.
The chaos that erupted was instantaneous. Screams tore through the air. A woman was snatched from the crowd by a winged horrible creature with the body of a gargantuan bat, armed with dagger-like claws and fangs. More of them circled above, their shadows blotting out the artificial sky.
A new screen materialized before my eyes:
{System materializing...in 1 sec}
{Host has obtained a new mission: Survive}
A wide, genuine grin stretched across my face. My blood sang with a thrill I had never known.
For the first time in my life, I was not bored.