The Tower was supposed to be a new chapter in someone's life. For centuries now, it had been the ultimate frontier—the path to power, wealth, and fame. Its descent had changed everything, birthing a world where ambition and strength reigned supreme. And in this new era, "climbers" had become the most coveted occupation. To climb the Tower was to chase greatness, to carve your name in history, or at the very least, to grab a slice of the influence it promised.
After the Tower's arrival, the world became a battleground. The once-peaceful planet devolved into conflict as nations, families, and even individuals vied for power, desperate to assert their dominance with the new abilities that mana bestowed. The wars that followed reshaped entire continents, each clash of mana-fueled armies leaving the land scarred. And as humanity's ambition reached upward, even space became a place of violence. The conflicts over territory and resources spread to the stars, turning planets and moons into disputed battlegrounds.
But that chaos was years in the past. Society had adjusted, adapted, and stabilized—at least for now. The wars had simmered down, allowing people like Reece to walk peacefully down the clean streets of the city. He knew that peace was an illusion, though. The brutal invasions, the dangers that would soon sweep across the land again, were just around the corner. For now, he let himself enjoy the quiet.
The Adventurer's Association building loomed ahead, all glass and steel, a massive complex that practically radiated authority. Reece made his way up the steps, surrounded by other hopefuls, all of them fresh-faced and excited, their eyes glimmering with dreams of the Tower. He could hear snippets of their conversations as they climbed the steps, some chatting eagerly about the tutorials, others talking about the guilds they hoped to join or the family legacies they hoped to create. The enthusiasm in their voices was infectious, even if Reece couldn't quite bring himself to feel the same way.
"If only they knew what they're getting themselves into…" he muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He glanced around at the eager faces, remembering the first time he had been here. The excitement, the thrill of the unknown. Back then, he had been just like them, eyes wide with possibility. But that had been another life—one of many.
"Funny," he thought, chuckling to himself. "I think of them as newbies, but I'm sure any elder would see me the same way."
Inside the Association's lobby, the social-energy was everywhere with people chatting, others complaining of their day. The vast, echoing space was filled with the hum of mana-powered machines and the steady murmur of voices. Reece approached one of the counters, where a clerk asked for his certification. He handed it over, and she scanned his credentials, confirming that he'd completed the necessary schooling on Tower basics. It was routine—a simple checkmark to ensure he knew the fundamentals of the Tower, a foundation that most climbers would need.
The Adventurer's Association was the cornerstone of society. More than half the economy depended on its existence. For those brave (or foolish) enough to face the Tower's dangers, it offered a path forward. For those who preferred to stay on solid ground, it provided stable jobs in administration, logistics, and research. But everyone, directly or indirectly, was tied to the Association. It was the shield that protected humanity, the gatekeeper of those who aspired to conquer the Tower.
Once his paperwork was verified, Reece was scheduled for teleportation to the Tower's grounds. Teleportation. The word still sounded strange in his mind, even after lifetimes of familiarity with the concept. To most people, it was a miracle of mana science. The Association was the only organization on Earth with the technology and resources to make it possible. When the Tower first appeared, every nation, corporation, and conglomerate on the planet had tried to replicate it.
They poured funds into research, desperate to break the Association's monopoly on instant travel. But the costs were astronomical. For the average person, teleporting even a short distance required so much mana that it would drain an entire area's natural mana. And this was only the most basic problem of attempting teleportation alongside so many more complexities that the headache of loss of resources to resolve was never worth it.
Naturally, this imbalance had led to conflict. Governments and private armies had tried to seize control of the Association's secrets, hoping to unlock the mysteries of mana-fueled teleportation. And naturally, they had failed. The Association's power was absolute, its defenses impenetrable. Every attempt to wrest its control ended the same way: with the aggressors humbled and forced to accept that they were outmatched. And so the Association maintained its dominance, the silent puppeteer behind much of the world's economy and politics.
"Teleportation… a miracle to others, an eventuality to me," Reece thought with a smirk as he made his way into the grand teleportation hall. Rows of recruits filed in, each of them waiting their turn to be transported to the Tower grounds. Around him, he could hear nervous laughter, the occasional gasp of excitement, and the whispers of those trying to calm their nerves. For Reece, this was an opportunity. Teleportation was more than just travel; it was a rare exposure to spatial mana, the type of energy that governed space itself. Most people would go through the gate and feel a simple queasiness, but for Reece, this was a chance to sense and study a rare form of mana that few would encounter. He began to focus inward, determined to make the most of it.
The teleportation gates stood before him, massive circular structures pulsing with a light blue glow that spiraled inward, darkening toward the center. They were beautiful in their own way, a marvel of mana engineering. Each gate was over ten meters tall, an ellipse of swirling energy held in place by powerful magic. These gates represented the pinnacle of human achievement since the Tower's descent.
A voice crackled over the speakers, soft but clear. "Attention to all travelers, please brace yourselves for transit to the Tower grounds. As instructed, remain where you are until further notice upon arrival."
Reece took a deep breath, steadying himself as he joined the line of recruits heading toward the nearest gate. The crowd around him buzzed with energy, some people attempting small talk to ease their nervousness. He ignored them, keeping his eyes fixed on the gate, already focused on his breathing.
"One breath in, one out… hold the exhale… take two short breaths in, release… hold."
He let the rhythm of his breaths guide him, tuning out the chaos around him. This meditation technique was something he'd developed over countless regressions, a way to center himself and sharpen his awareness. As he stepped closer to the gate, he let his mind settle, his senses narrowing until all he could feel was the pulsing energy of spatial mana radiating from the gate.
When his turn finally came, he stepped forward, feeling the cool hum of the gate's energy wash over him. For a normal person, this would be a disorienting experience. Most would feel their stomach twist, their vision blur. But Reece leaned into the sensation, letting the mana twist and pull him, using it as a guide to deepen his awareness.
The world went dark as he stepped into the gate, his vision swallowed by swirling shadows. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of spatial mana coursing around him. With his senses sharpened by meditation, he could make out faint specks of light behind his closed eyelids, particles of mana glowing in varying shades of the color spectrum.
They flickered and danced in patterns, like stars on a distant horizon. He kept his breaths steady, holding onto the sight behind his eyes. This was mana sense—a technique that allowed him to perceive the flow of energy around him. With each regression, he had honed this ability, learning to tune out his primary senses to let his subconscious pick up on the energies of mana around him.
Normally, only those from powerful families or wealthy organizations could afford exposure to mana crystals and resources, giving them a head start in developing this sense. But Reece had learned it the hard way, with each life building on the last.
"One breath in… one out… hold…" he repeated, sinking deeper into the sensation. His focus was absolute. He could feel the mana around him, a living current that pulsed and shifted with the movement of space itself. It was chaotic, turbulent, but he embraced the disorder, letting his mind adapt to the flow.
Then, in an instant, he was through.
The world returned in a flash of light, and he stumbled forward as the ground solidified beneath his feet. Around him, other recruits were gasping, some clutching their stomachs with today's breakfast and yesterday's dinner below them, some of them disoriented from the transit. But Reece stood firm, his breathing steady, his mind still tingling with the residual traces of spatial mana and the success he had broken through.
They had arrived at the Tower grounds.