Kale was teleported in a flash of light, landing with a dull thud on the cold, polished marble floor of the second-floor's main hall. His body ached, every muscle screaming in pain from his brutal battle with the kobold. His mind reeled, still in survival mode, the adrenaline from the fight coursing through him. His vision blurred at the edges, but he had no time to recover as a barrage of notifications exploded in front of his eyes, filling his vision with glowing, golden text.
[Unlocked Energy System: Chakra]
[Skill Beginner Survival Instinct (C2) upgraded to Monkey's Eyes (A1)]
[Skill Trap Expert (C1) upgraded to Trap Master (B1)]
[Skill Goblin Slayer (A1) upgraded to Monster Slayer (S3)]
[New Skill Created: Aura (B2)]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[20,000 coins gained]
The notifications came in rapid succession, each more overwhelming than the last. Kale's breath hitched as the weight of it all sank in. His heart pounded in his chest, his hands trembling with the intensity of it all. He had expected some reward—his cursed talent, Greater Risk, Greater Reward, promised as much—but this was far beyond anything he could have imagined.
The glowing words kept coming, even as his mind struggled to process the flood of information.
[Calculating total score of Trial 2]
[Score: 57,626]
[Please enter your username...]
Kale's head spun. An S-rank skill? Several B-rank upgrades? Chakra? The legendary energy system that only a few climbers in the Tower ever unlocked? His thoughts were sluggish, weighed down by disbelief. No one, not even the strongest climbers, came out of a single trial with rewards like this. Most struggled for years to scrape together a single B-rank skill—he had done it in two trials.
Two hellish, grueling trials.
He had been trapped for almost a year in that nightmare, fighting for survival day after day. Starvation, fatigue, injury—Kale had suffered through all of it. He had pushed himself to the edge of death more times than he could count. But somehow, despite everything, this was his reward.
"It's because of my cursed talent…" Kale thought bitterly. Greater Risk, Greater Reward. It had pushed him to the brink of death over and over again, but it also granted him power that no one else could comprehend.
He let out a shaky breath, his body trembling with both triumph and exhaustion. Just as he thought it was over, another notification appeared.
[Please enter your username...]
Kale blinked at the prompt, his mind still in a haze. A username? Without thinking too much about it, he muttered, "Lord."
The system processed his input.
[Tower Ranking: Trial 2]
Lord: 57,626
Sun Wukong: 11,652
Zeus: 9,753
Odin: 9,673
Kile: 8,766
Asura: 8,577
Brane: 7,463
Kale's heart stopped. He stared at the ranking, blinking in disbelief. He had expected a high score—his cursed talent ensured that much—but this? He wasn't just at the top. He had completely obliterated every previous record. Sun Wukong, the legendary climber whose score had stood unchallenged for centuries, was now a distant second. Kale's score was nearly five times higher.
A hollow laugh escaped his lips, the absurdity of it all sinking in. If he had used his real name, every climber in the Tower would be after him. Thank the gods he had used an alias.
The weight of his victory settled on him, but it was coupled with a deep, bone-weary exhaustion. His body ached, and his mind swirled with the enormity of what he had achieved. But it wasn't just the rewards that left him breathless—it was the fact that he had unlocked Chakra, the most powerful energy system known.
Dragging himself to a nearby hotel, Kale collapsed onto the bed, barely feeling the rough fabric beneath him. Sleep overtook him before he could even process the full extent of his new abilities.
The Next Day: Second-Floor Main Hall
Kale stood at the reception desk, feeling more himself after a night of deep sleep, though the aches from the trial still lingered. "I'd like to rent a training hall for 2 gold," he said, sliding the coins across the counter. The receptionist processed the request quickly, handing him a small iron key.
Kale made his way to the private training hall, the room dim and quiet, a perfect environment for him to focus. He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, closing his eyes and steadying his breathing. The knowledge of Chakra filled his mind now, the vast intricacies and potential of the energy system clearer than ever.
Chakra was more than just a source of power. It was a bridge between multiple systems of energy. Mana, ki, qi—all energy systems fell under its umbrella. With Chakra, he could control them all.
But he knew the starting point was crucial. With his Energy stat now at 25—the maximum potential from birth—it was time to capitalize on that advantage.
Kale focused inward, his breathing slow and steady. He allowed his consciousness to flow through his body, feeling the currents of mana within him. Chakra differed from other energy systems—it moved through several energy centers, or nodes, within his body, forming a cycle between his Dantian (Muladhara), Mana Heart (Anahata), and Dragon Speech (Vishuddha). As each cycle completed, the mana grew denser, more refined, more potent.
[Skill Monkey Eyes (A1) is synthesizing with Chakra Energy (Ajna)]
[Skill Monkey Eyes (A1) upgraded to Sage's Eyes (S1)]
[Skill Aura (B1) is synthesizing with Chakra Energy (Anahata)]
[Skill Aura (B1) upgraded to Nandaki (S1)]
A shudder ran through Kale as his skills began to transform. Monkey Eyes merged with his newly unlocked Chakra, evolving into Sage's Eyes. In an instant, his vision sharpened, his perception expanded far beyond what he had previously known. He could see the flow of mana in the room, sense its movements and subtle fluctuations.
At the same time, Aura merged with Chakra, transforming into Nandaki. Power surged through his body, focusing particularly in his sword arm. Nandaki amplified the strength of his strikes exponentially, but there was a cost—the mana drain was immense, constantly pulling from his reserves.
When the surge of power finally subsided, Kale opened his eyes. His senses were heightened, almost to an overwhelming degree. He could feel every ripple of mana, every slight disturbance in the energy surrounding him.
This was only the beginning.
With his newfound strength, Kale knew he was prepared for whatever the Tower had in store for him. He would keep climbing, no matter the cost. For his brother. For revenge. For the future.