Throb.
Auren felt it before he understood it.
A dull, heavy pain pulsed through his head, as if something had been forcefully pushed into his mind.
His vision was dark.
Not the darkness of night—
But the kind that pressed against your eyes, suffocating, endless.
"…Ugh…"
A low groan escaped his lips.
For the first time in years, his body felt… unfamiliar.
Heavy.
Slow.
Alive.
His fingers twitched.
Then his arm moved.
And finally—
His eyes opened.
Light.
Blinding, harsh, real light.
Auren flinched.
The sensation was overwhelming.
After spending years inside the Spire—where light, sound, and even pain felt controlled—
This felt… raw.
He was lying on cold stone.
Above him stretched a vast ceiling made of marble and ancient carvings.
Symbols he didn't recognize… yet somehow felt familiar.
"…This isn't the Spire."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Slowly, he sat up.
His head throbbed again.
Memories clashed.
Not just his own.
Something else.
Something… forced into him.
"System… synchronization…"
He muttered.
Fragments of information floated through his mind—
Broken.
Incomplete.
But enough.
"The world… has changed."
He stood up.
His legs trembled for a second… then stabilized.
Even in this unfamiliar body, his control remained absolute.
The air felt different.
Denser.
Charged.
And then—
It happened.
A faint glow appeared in front of his eyes.
A translucent panel.
[Reawakening Complete]
[Chosen Vessel: Auren Veyl]
[Phase 1 Initiated]
His gaze sharpened.
"So it begins…"
More text appeared—
[All inhabitants of Eldros have been selected as participants]
[Trials will manifest across the world]
[Survive. Conquer. Evolve.]
Auren exhaled slowly.
Not fear.
Not shock.
Recognition.
"So the Spire…"
"…was just the beginning."
Suddenly—
A deep rumble echoed across the structure.
KRRRRRNNNN!!!
The ground trembled violently.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Auren turned his head.
Instinctively.
Something was coming.
He moved.
Fast.
As he stepped outside the hall—
His eyes widened for the first time.
The world… was no longer the same.
Where once stood a peaceful city—
Now stood chaos.
In the distance—
A massive structure pierced the sky.
Another Spire.
No—
Multiple.
Dozens of towering pillars had appeared across the horizon.
Each one radiating an overwhelming aura.
People screamed.
Ran.
Collapsed.
"What… is that?!"
"Monsters! There are monsters!"
"Run!!"
Auren observed everything silently.
His mind processed faster than panic.
"Trials… have begun."
And then—
He saw it.
Near the center of the city—
A fountain.
Water rising unnaturally.
Spinning.
Twisting.
Auren's eyes narrowed.
"…An event zone."
Memories surfaced.
Not his own experience—
But knowledge implanted during synchronization.
"Limited rewards… high competition…"
Without hesitation—
He moved.
Not running in panic like others.
Running with purpose.
For the first time in years—
He wasn't climbing blindly.
He knew where to go.
He knew what to take.
And most importantly—
He knew…
What others didn't.
As he reached the plaza—
The scene had already formed.
Around twenty people stood near the fountain.
All of them tense.
Silent.
Watching each other.
Auren recognized it immediately.
"These are not ordinary people…"
Their stances.
Their eyes.
These were individuals who had already adapted faster than the rest.
Survivors.
Hunters.
Just like him.
No one spoke.
Because everyone understood.
"Only a few will gain power here…"
The water suddenly exploded upward—
BOOOOM!!!
From the center—
Something emerged.
A massive twisted tree.
Its bark dark and pulsating.
Its branches alive.
And hanging from it—
Four glowing fruits.
Auren exhaled slowly.
"Just four…"
Twenty people.
Four rewards.
The tension snapped.
"MINE!!"
Chaos erupted.
People rushed forward.
Fighting.
Pushing.
Climbing.
Auren didn't move.
Not yet.
His eyes remained fixed on the tree.
"Not now…"
Because he knew—
The real reward wasn't the fruit.
The real reward…
Came after.
One by one—
The fruits were taken.
Consumed.
The moment the last fruit disappeared—
The tree screamed.
A horrifying, echoing roar.
The ground cracked.
Branches expanded.
Roots burst outward like serpents.
"RUN!!"
People scattered.
Screaming.
Falling.
But Auren—
Didn't move.
Instead—
He stepped forward.
"Now… it begins."
And at that exact moment—
He noticed something else.
A man.
Standing nearby.
Watching.
Smiling.
Auren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That one…"
Different.
Dangerous.
And just like that—
The real battle began.