After realizing who was approaching his grandson, my grandfather left the training field to prepare a Letter of Recommendation for me.
...
The next day, I prepared to enter the Tower for the first time. Following my grandfather's wishes, I brought Arc and Arch with me, along with some high-level equipment, such as armor, a helmet, and shoes to aid me in exploring the Tower.
.
In the car, my father and grandfather provided me with some directions.
"When you go in, don't take off your robe. Your armor will attract a lot of attention from the Awakeners. And never consider the city a completely safe place. No matter how secure the city seems or how high the city floors are, it cannot guarantee your survival from assassination attempts. If you are killed in the Tower, you will be kicked out immediately. Even if you don't die right away, the penalty for entering a second time after dying is the real issue. But don't worry; no matter how many times you die there, the fine will not exceed that of a B+ level item. Still, don't underestimate it."
Understanding the dangers, I opened my iPad and reviewed some information that had been compiled by several Awakeners who had reached the 15th floor and above.
"Reading information written by an inexperienced Awakener like that is no better than asking someone who has climbed to the 70th floor and beyond, right?"
I continued to read all the information.
"Dad is right, but Grandpa hasn't been on floors 1 to 15 for quite a while; several decades have passed, and many changes have occurred there. According to what I've read, one of the notable changes is that the cave that was once filled with deadly poison has collapsed because someone managed to resolve that issue. The old church at the end of Floor 15 has been destroyed by a massive explosion and has vanished from the map. Additionally, some of the hunting areas have switched from gray wolves to blood-red wolves, and the main mission on Floor 15 has changed from hunting the gray wolf leader to hunting a Werewolf Lord of level 35-55."
Hearing my explanation, my father seemed pleased with my ability to gather information.
"Is that so? It's good that you can comprehend so much in such a short time. It seems I was too worried about you."
I smiled at the praise.
...
Two hours later, we finally arrived in front of the Giant Tower, which was guarded by many gates. At the first gate, my father presented his card; at the second gate, my grandfather did the same. Finally, at the last gate, my grandfather handed over his recommendation letter.
The guard who received my grandfather's recommendation understood its significance and allowed me to proceed to the test location, which was at Gate 3.
***
Association Staff POV
On a fairly busy day, a guard at Gate 3 approached and handed a letter to an Association Staff member.
"A letter?"
The other staff member, seeing the letter, immediately understood its significance.
"Is it from a rich kid trying to enter the Tower using his guard recommendation again?"
Hearing this, the gatekeeper was a bit confused about how to respond and simply handed over the recommendation letter.
"Soedarmo Soetedja Hartono? Don't tell me..."
The gatekeeper nodded, and the Association Staff member was at a loss regarding what to do with a request from one of the pioneers among this country's Awakeners.
With a look of disappointment, he opened the recommendation letter from the pioneer and began to read its contents.
After reading the contents of the letter, the Association Staff member's expression shifted. He appeared more composed and began to explain.
"He may be young, but he is still the grandson of a pioneer, and he even managed to survive the Level B Portal some time ago. So, give him a Tower Entry Test with a Level 10 difficulty."
Understanding the Association Staff member's orders, the gatekeeper returned to where the pioneer was waiting.
***
I received an approval letter to take the test.
"Fajar, you must remember this: the test this time is Level 10. There's a possibility you could be seriously injured or even die during the test—though the latter is unlikely. This is just a reminder; you must use all your abilities to overcome the challenge ahead."
My grandfather's advice was clear: don't underestimate the test and utilize all the skills at my disposal.
I opened my suitcase to retrieve the guideline sword, but my grandfather stopped me and signaled that I should not use either of the two swords.
I closed my suitcase and took the training sword provided by the association instead.
"I am ready."
Seeing that I was prepared with two swords in hand, the gate guard escorted me into the room where all the examinees awaited the strength trial test to enter the Tower.
As I entered, the other participants immediately turned their attention to me. Some began to whisper among themselves, while others tried to size me up. I ignored them, focusing solely on the test I was about to undertake.
I found a relatively quiet spot to sit and waited for the association staff to call my name.
"Fikri, please enter the test room."
When my name was called, the chatter among the other participants increased.
"I heard he's one of the bodyguards trained by the Cendana family; he was a student of the renowned Albert Yan."
"Albert Yan? Isn't he from China?"
"That's true, but Albert Yan has long been working under the Cendana family for legal protection from China."
"Protection? Why would someone seek protection from this country? Isn't the United States a more suitable choice for support?"
A group of participants engaged in a serious conversation gradually leaned in closer, speaking in hushed tones.
"You must understand that this country isn't as favorable as America, but America doesn't have a Tower of its own. Have you forgotten what they did to Canada a few decades ago?"
Everyone understood the intent behind his words and the implications they carried.
"Look, it has started."
And with that, the test for a person named Fikri began.