Reece took a slow breath, still savoring the tingling awareness of spatial mana in the air around him. The other newbies in the room were gradually recovering from the jarring experience of their first teleportation.
Some looked dazed, clutching their stomachs or rubbing their temples, while others were practically buzzing with excitement. They were standing in a massive, stark-white chamber—the Tower Grounds, as it was formally known. This was where every climber's journey began, the place where each hopeful adventurer would meet the Tower's system for the first time.
In front of Reece, a screen materialized, hovering silently in the air. The interface was minimalistic, almost sterile in design—a simple display of health, mana, and stamina bars, each marked by a pulsing line.
Below that, his key physical attributes appeared: strength, speed, dexterity, stamina, and intelligence. Each stat was represented by a grade, from D- at the lowest to EX at the highest. Each grade had three levels, (-), normal, and (+), except for the top two grades: SSS, which had only a single level, and EX, a unique grade with no sub-levels at all.
Reece's gaze flickered over his stats, noting that his attributes fell mostly in the range of C and D, with a few reaching a bare minimum of B-, an indicator that not despite being all muscles he was passable in terms of physical fitness. In the crowd, some newbies wore expressions of disappointment, staring at their grades as though their lives depended on it, while others couldn't hide their delight.
The system was already creating divides—those who had trained or were from well-resourced backgrounds looked down with a sense of quiet pride, while others seemed crestfallen. For many, this brief glance at their potential was both a blessing and a curse, a reflection of their now new place within the Tower's hierarchy.
A voice rang out, startling most of the newbies and jolting them out of their thoughts. It was calm, androgynous, and slightly metallic—a voice that felt both comforting and impersonal.
"Welcome, test-takers, to the Tower of Eternity. I am the Administrator of this tutorial, and you will address me as such."
The screens in front of each recruit shifted, showing a shadowy silhouette that resembled a human figure, featureless and cloaked in shifting shadows. The Administrator's voice filled the room as the newbies watched, their attention riveted.
"You are now standing in the Tower's trial grounds—the gates, if you will," the Administrator continued, its voice echoing through the vast chamber. "You have successfully entered, but that does not mean you have cleared the Tower's tutorial, you've even yet to begin the tutorial. Many will fail before they reach the first true floor." The newbies shuffled uneasily, some exchanging nervous glances. Reece remained still, his eyes narrowed as he absorbed every word.
The silhouette on the screen raised an arm, signaling silence which aptly followed. "Your first challenge is to survive the tutorial zones. There are four zones you must pass through. Each zone will test different aspects of your strength, resilience, and adaptability. Only those who succeed in all four zones will reach the final evaluation area, where the Tower will assign you a starting class based on your performance. This class is a gift from the Tower—a tool to aid you in your climb."
The Administrator paused, allowing the information to sink in. Around Reece, some newbies were already muttering in worry or excitement. He could sense the rising tension in the room, the mixture of fear and ambition thickening the air.
"The theme of this tutorial is survival," the Administrator continued, its tone darkening slightly. "In each zone, you will be required to find your own path, to survive against the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. You may choose to go alone or in groups. However, be warned: survival in the Tower is rarely simple, and a direct path is often the most dangerous.
Choose your steps wisely, for failure to reach the end of each zone means death." Several newbies gasped, and a murmur rippled through the crowd. It was one thing to dream of the Tower's power; it was another to face the reality that the Tower demanded lives in return. Reece could almost feel the fear emanating from those around him, thickening as the Administrator continued its explanation.
"Each of you has been granted access to the Tower's interface. There, you will find a basic mana-sense meditation technique. This is a gift—a tool for survival. My advice to you is simple: learn it well before proceeding. And remember, while the Tower grants opportunity to those who deserve it, it also takes mercilessly to those who squander. Good luck, and… try not to die."
The silhouette flickered and disappeared, the Administrator's voice leaving an uneasy silence in its wake. Some newbies looked shocked by the bluntness of the message, their faces pale. The more focused and prepared among them immediately began scrolling through their screens, searching for the mana-sense technique that the Administrator had mentioned. Reece, however, took a deep breath and ignored the screen entirely.
For him, mana sense was second nature. He had mastered it across countless lives, refining his technique until it was as natural as breathing. What interested him now was the energy saturating the room—the ambient mana, thick and potent in the air.
More specifically, he was searching for a far rarer type of energy: primal mana. Reece closed his eyes, his breathing steady and rhythmic as he began his practiced meditation. The breathing technique he had used during the teleportation gate had primed his senses, but now he had a different purpose. His goal was to tap into the unique resonance of primal mana, a form of energy that was older than time, space and existence itself, an ancient power that was said to be the very essence of creation.
Primal mana was elusive, even for those who could sense other types of mana. It wasn't something that one could simply stumble upon. It required a connection, a bond that was rare even among the most powerful climbers. To most, it was invisible, a hidden current within the vast ocean of mana.
But to Reece, who had cultivated his senses over countless lives, it was a familiar "song", a silent hum that resonated deep within his core. Slowly, the chaotic swirl of mana around him began to take shape. With his eyes closed, he could "see" the particles of energy shifting and flowing. Blues and greens represented water and wind mana, red and orange particles flickered with fire and earth, while pale silver particles danced as temporal mana. But then, nestled among them, he saw it—a cluster of shifting colors, particles that seemed to absorb and reflect every other form of energy around them. Primal mana.
Reece's pulse quickened as he honed in on the particles, feeling them draw closer to him, as though sensing his awareness. Primal mana was alive in its own way, reactive, almost sentient. It shifted and twisted, moving with purpose, the colors shifting through shades that represented every other form of mana in existence.
"This is it," he thought, an unexpected thrill rushing through him. "The start of my path back to full power. And the key to bringing Prima back online."
Prima. His companion, his confidante—the AI that had been with him across countless lives. Without her, he felt incomplete, as if a part of himself had been locked away. She was more than just a tool; she was an extension of his soul, holding the memories, strategies, and knowledge that would guide him through the Tower. But Prima required primal mana to activate, and only here, in the Tower's mana-rich environment, did he have the chance to gather enough to awaken her once more.
He held his breath. careful enough though not to disrupt his previous rhythm, focusing on the primal mana, letting it wash over him and ever so subtly directing it towards him. The particles drifted closer, merging and pulsing as if responding to his silent call. Slowly, carefully, he opened himself to it, feeling the energy seep into his body, merging with his very blood and with practiced thoughts guiding the mana into a path.
Starting from his solar plexus and splitting into two paths, one for his lower body and the other to his upper, where in his upper body he focused on his brain receiving a large amount of mana. As he increased the input of primal mana his technique and rhythm improved and became easier. The sensation was exhilarating, like touching the very fabric of existence.
Around him, recruits were still experimenting with the basic mana-sense technique, some managing to sense the barest flicker of ambient mana, others struggling to even begin. A few had already disappeared, having activated the "Begin Tutorial" option on their screens and been teleported to the first zone. Their eagerness to get a head start was understandable, but Reece was in no rush. He knew and understood well that the Tower demanded patience and preparation.
"Rushing into things will often lead to their deaths. Less stress for me anyway…" he thought.
"Hey… does that mean they learned the whole technique already?" someone muttered nearby, sounding incredulous.
"They're the lucky ones," another replied bitterly. "Probably from big families, trained with mana crystals since they were kids. They've had advantages we can only dream of."