When Arjun opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was grass beneath his palms.
Cool. Soft.
He sucked in a sharp breath and pushed himself up.
They stood in a vast open field—knee-high emerald grass swaying under a pale, cloudless sky. Scattered trees dotted the horizon, distant and still. No walls. No monsters. No screams.
Just calm.
"Arjun."
He turned.
Divya stood beside him.
Not separated.
Relief struck him so hard his legs nearly buckled.
"You're here," he said, his voice rough.
Divya scanned their surroundings slowly. Her face was composed, but her hands trembled just slightly. "So this is the Tower."
Before either of them could say more—
[DING!]
The sound rang clearer than ever, not in the air but inside their heads.
[ENTERED: ABYSS BREAK TOWER]
[INITIAL FLOOR CONFIRMED]
[PROTECTION PERIOD: 5 MINUTES]
[NO HOSTILE ENTITIES WILL ATTACK DURING THIS TIME]
Arjun let out a long breath. "Five minutes."
Divya nodded. "Time to understand where we are."
The system continued without pause.
[RANDOM F-RANK TALENT ALLOCATION IN PROGRESS…]
[ALLOCATING…]
[TALENT ACQUIRED]
[PHYSICAL STRENGTH (F)]
[DESCRIPTION: STRONGER THAN A NORMAL PERSON AT THE SAME LEVEL]
Arjun clenched his fist.
He felt it—not explosive power, but density. His muscles felt tighter, heavier, as if reinforced from the inside.
"So this is F-rank," he muttered. "Not weak. Just basic."
"Enough," Divya said calmly, watching him, "if you don't waste it."
Another chime followed.
[SUITABLE BASIC CLASS BEING ASSIGNED…]
[CLASS CONFIRMED: WARRIOR]
Arjun blinked once.
"…Expected."
Frontline. Direct. No frills.
"Someone has to stand between danger and family," he said quietly.
Divya looked at him for a moment longer than necessary.
Then—
[DING!]
[RANDOM F-RANK TALENT ALLOCATION IN PROGRESS…]
[ALLOCATING…]
[TALENT ACQUIRED]
[BASIC MANA CONTROL (F)]
[DESCRIPTION: ALLOWS INITIAL PERCEPTION, CIRCULATION, AND STABLE USE OF MANA]
Divya inhaled sharply.
The world changed.
Not visibly—but she felt it. A thin current flowing through the air, through the grass, through her own body. When she focused, it responded. Calm. Obedient.
"So this is mana," she murmured.
She raised her hand.
A faint blue glow gathered above her palm—steady, controlled.
"I can feel how much I'm using," she said softly. "And how much I have left."
Arjun glanced at her. "That's not just power."
"It's control," she finished.
The system confirmed it.
[SUITABLE BASIC CLASS BEING ASSIGNED…]
[CLASS CONFIRMED: MAGE]
Another notification followed.
[BEGINNER GIFT BOX OPENING…]
[ITEM ACQUIRED: COMMON SWORD]
[ITEM ACQUIRED: COMMON STAFF]
Arjun reached out instinctively as the sword appeared in his hand—simple, balanced, familiar.
[SKILL ALLOCATION IN PROGRESS…]
[SKILL ACQUIRED: SLASH]
[TYPE: ACTIVE]
[DESCRIPTION: BASIC WEAPON STRIKE ENHANCED BY PHYSICAL ENERGY]
Understanding settled into his body—not knowledge, but instinct.
He tested it with a short swing.
The blade cut through the air—
—and a faint crescent of force followed, slicing cleanly through the grass several meters ahead.
"…Useful," he said.
Divya didn't answer.
Her focus was elsewhere.
[SKILL ALLOCATION IN PROGRESS…]
[SKILL ACQUIRED: MAGIC BALL]
[TYPE: ACTIVE]
[DESCRIPTION: CONDENSED MANA PROJECTILE]
A small sphere of pale blue light formed above her palm.
Divya exhaled in awe. "It's warm."
She flicked her wrist.
The magic ball shot forward, struck the ground, and dispersed into glowing motes without resistance.
She slowly closed her hand.
"…I can fight," she said.
Arjun met her eyes. "I know."
The final message appeared.
[LEVEL REQUIREMENT NOTICE]
[INCREASE LEVEL BY 10 TO UPGRADE CLASS]
Silence returned.
No monsters. No pressure.
Just wind through grass—and the weight of understanding settling in.
"This isn't punishment," Divya said slowly. "It's preparation."
Arjun tightened his grip on the sword and looked toward the distant trees.
"And a test."
He glanced at the invisible timer.
"Five minutes," he said. "We plan. Then we move."
Somewhere beyond the horizon—
The Tower waited.
The countdown faded from Arjun's vision.
No sound. No announcement.
Just… absence.
"The protection's over," Arjun said quietly.
Nothing attacked them immediately.
No sudden ambush.
The Tower didn't rush them.
Divya exhaled slowly. "So it really does give us space to choose our first step."
"Or to make our first mistake," Arjun replied.
He pointed ahead. "Let's move. Slowly."
They picked a random direction and began walking through the grass, senses stretched thin.
Every rustle felt louder now. Every shadow mattered.
The first tree they approached was thick-trunked, its bark rough and familiar.
Divya focused her vision, and the system responded.
[OAK TREE (F)]
"F-rank," she read aloud. "So even plants have ranks."
"Means it's normal," Arjun said. "Safe. Useful. Nothing special."
They didn't linger.
Further ahead, the scent changed—sweet, earthy.
A shorter tree came into view, its branches heavy with clustered flowers and round fruits.
Divya checked it.
[MAHUA TREE (F)]
[FLOWERS AND FRUITS: EDIBLE]
Her eyes widened slightly. "Food."
Arjun relaxed—just a fraction. "That's important."
They gathered carefully, stuffing fruits into torn cloth and pockets, not overeating, not wasting anything.
"Don't assume abundance," Divya warned. "The Tower wouldn't be that kind."
They moved on, occasionally finding other edible plants—some familiar, some not—marking mental paths, noting landmarks.
That was when Arjun froze.
"Divya," he said softly. "Tree. Left."
She followed his gaze.
Perched on a branch was something monkey-like—but wrong.
Its limbs were longer than they should be, joints bending a little too easily. Thick blue hair covered its body, contrasting sharply with its pale, sharp face. Yellow eyes watched them with intelligence—not animal panic.
It was eating a Mahua fruit.
Then it noticed them.
The creature screeched.
And jumped.
[DING!]
[BLUE MONKEY — LEVEL 1]
"Level one!" Divya shouted.
Arjun stepped forward instantly. "Behind me!"
The monkey hit the ground running—not straight, but zigzagging, claws tearing through grass as it closed the distance far too fast.
Arjun swung.
"Slash!"
The crescent of force cut across the creature's shoulder, tearing fur and flesh—but it didn't stop. It shrieked, pain turning into rage, and leapt.
Too fast.
Divya reacted on instinct.
"Magic Ball!"
The glowing sphere slammed into the monkey's side mid-air, throwing it off balance. It crashed into the dirt, rolling—but sprang back up immediately.
"It's not fragile," Arjun muttered.
The monkey lunged again, claws slashing. Arjun barely raised the sword in time.
Metal rang.
The impact numbed his arms.
"Five minutes," Divya gasped, forming another spell. "We've been fighting for five minutes already!"
The monkey adapted.
It feinted left, then kicked off a tree trunk, coming down from above.
"Arjun—!"
He rolled.
Claws tore through the grass where his head had been.
Before it could turn—
Divya released another magic ball point-blank.
The impact cracked ribs. The creature screamed, staggered—
"Now!" Divya shouted.
Arjun drove the sword forward.
The blade pierced through the chest.
The monkey went still.
Silence rushed back in.
[DING!]
[BLUE MONKEY DEFEATED]
[EXP GAINED: 4]
[CURRENCY ACQUIRED: 2 GOLD]
Arjun frowned. "Four experience?"
Divya wiped sweat from her brow. "That's less than the dog."
"Level one monster," he said slowly. "Stronger… but shared."
"Shared?" she echoed.
Arjun nodded. "Between us. Party distribution."
Divya exhaled. "So fighting together splits growth."
"Which means solo kills grow faster," Arjun said grimly. "But teams survive longer."
They stood there for a moment, letting the reality settle.
Then—
"Hey!"
A voice.
Human.
They both spun.
A man emerged cautiously from behind a tree, hands raised. He looked exhausted, clothes torn, eyes sharp with relief and fear.
"Please don't attack," he said quickly. "I'm human. From… from here."
Arjun didn't lower his sword. "Where?"
"A nearby town," the man replied. ". Are you from outside the tower?"
Divya's breath caught. "There are towns inside the Tower?"
The man nodded rapidly. "Yes. People. Safe zones. Not safe—but safer."
Arjun felt a tightness in his chest loosen for the first time since entry.
"A town…" he repeated.
He looked at Divya.
She understood immediately.
"If there are people," she said, "there's information."
"And shelter," Arjun added.
He lowered the sword slightly. "Take us there."
The man hesitated—then nodded. "Follow me. And stay alert."
As they moved together through the grass, Arjun glanced once at the blue-furred corpse behind them.
The Tower wasn't generous.
But it was fair.
And it was just getting started.