The year was 2145, and Earth was at its peak. Technology, politics, and society had advanced in ways that made global unity seem possible. Then, everything shattered.
A strange phenomenon occurred simultaneously across the globe: towers erupted from the ground, their peaks disappearing into the clouds. Their black, metallic surfaces gleamed with an unearthly aura. Along with the towers came a notification, not on devices but directly into the minds of every living being:
[SYSTEM INITIATING…]
Welcome to the Tower's Trial. Climb to survive. Fail, and perish.
And like that, the world descended into chaos.
regression
karan's heart pounded in his chest. He wasn't on the 98th floor anymore, where he'd been slaughtered alongside his comrades. He wasn't facing the Abyssal God, the being that had erased humanity from existence with a single wave of its hand.
Instead, he was here. Back in his cramped one-bedroom apartment. The familiar musty smell hit him like a punch to the gut. His trembling hands traced the smooth surface of his desk—no scars, no calluses from years of battles.
A message flashed before his eyes:
[Regression Confirmed.]
Welcome back, Karan . For your sacrifice in the last cycle, you have been granted:
1. Administrator's Privilege: Partial control over the Tower's functions.
2. Memory Archive: Retain knowledge of the previous cycle.
3. Unique Trait: Godslayer's Oath: Increased resistance to divine interference.
"This isn't a dream," Karan muttered, his voice hoarse. "I've regressed."
He had been here before. It was Day 0—the calm before the storm. In less than 24 hours, the System Integration would begin, and humanity would be forced into a life-or-death struggle against monsters, trials, and each other.
The First Player
A knock on the door broke his train of thought. Karan frowned, hesitating. No one visited him before the towers arrived in his previous life. Who could it be?
Opening the door cautiously, he found a familiar face staring back at him: Maya Ren, the girl who had once been humanity's youngest prodigy, an unparalleled strategist in the Tower. She had led countless players through impossible odds before dying on the 74th floor.
But here, she looked nothing like the confident leader he remembered. She was pale, her eyes wide with fear, and she clutched a letter in her trembling hands.
"Karan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you… see it too?"
Karan froze. "See what?"
Maya thrust the letter at him. The parchment was old, the edges burnt, but the words scrawled across it were clear:
To the Chosen Ones:
You have been marked for survival.
Prepare for the integration.
His eyes narrowed. This was new. He hadn't received such a message in his first cycle. And Maya—she had been a late bloomer, awakening her abilities weeks after the towers arrived. Yet, here she was, aware of the coming disaster.
"Where did you get this?" Karan demanded.
"It… it appeared on my desk this morning," Maya stammered. "I thought I was going crazy, but then I remembered your name. The letter mentioned you."
"Mentioned me?"
She nodded. "It said you would lead us."
The Unlikely Ally
Before Karan could respond, another knock echoed through the room. This time, it wasn't Maya's timid rap—it was loud, commanding. Karan opened the door to find a tall, muscular man with wild black hair and an intimidating presence. His eyes burned with intensity, and he carried a heavy axe strapped to his back.
Ravi Kael, the self-proclaimed "Unstoppable Berserker" and one of humanity's strongest players in the previous cycle. Karan had fought alongside Ravi on the 87th floor, where he'd sacrificed himself to buy them time against a monster horde.
"You," Ravi growled, pointing a finger at Karan. "You know something."
Karan's instincts screamed at him to play dumb, but Ravi was already stepping inside, his axe glowing faintly.
"I saw you in my dreams," Ravi continued, his voice low. "You stood at the top of the tower, fighting something… something massive. And you lost. Then, I woke up with this."
He held up his arm, revealing a glowing mark—a rune etched into his skin.
Karan's stomach churned. This was all wrong. In the first cycle, none of this had happened. There had been no letters, no runes, and certainly no prophetic dreams.
The System Countdown
A sharp ding interrupted their tense standoff. A notification appeared before all three of them:
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
System Integration Begins in 24 Hours.
All humans will receive their unique abilities and system interfaces. The first trial will commence immediately after.
The countdown began, ticking down second by second.
A Sudden Alliance
"We don't have time to argue," Karan said, his voice steady despite the storm raging in his mind. "The world is about to change, and if we don't prepare, we'll all die."
Maya looked at him, her fear replaced by determination. "You know what's going to happen, don't you?"
Karan nodded. "I've… seen it before. The towers. The trials. The monsters."
"How?" Ravi demanded, his grip tightening on his axe.
"Let's just say I've been through this before," Karan replied. "And if we want to survive, we need to work together."
Maya frowned. "Why should we trust you?"
"Because I know what's coming," Karan said, his voice low. "And I know how to win."
---
The Plan
Over the next few hours, Karan laid out the basics. He explained the first trial—a brutal wave of monsters that would descend on the city once the system integrated. He told them about the abilities they would awaken and the importance of gaining experience quickly.
Maya proved invaluable, her analytical mind already working out strategies to secure food, weapons, and shelter. Ravi, though skeptical, pledged to protect them once the fighting began.
But Karan's mind was elsewhere. The letters, the dreams, the runes—none of it matched his memories. Something had changed in this cycle, and it wasn't just his regression.
As the sun set, he stared out at the distant tower, its dark silhouette looming over the city.
A Warning from the Tower
That night, as Karan tried to rest, a message appeared before his eyes:
[Administrator Privilege Activated.]
Warning: The Tower's Trials have been altered. Unknown variables have been introduced. Proceed with caution.
Karan's heart sank. The gods were watching, and they had no intention of letting him rewrite their game.
To be continued…