Gok and Wu-Ji stood at the base of the now-vanished tower, the lingering energy from their final battle still crackling faintly in the air. Their battered forms and worn expressions carried the weight of countless battles. Wu-Ji clutched his side, where a faint scar burned with residual energy. Gok, his Infinite Blade strapped to his back, gazed into the horizon.
But what awaited them was not the relief of victory. Instead, the world seemed... different.
As they made their way into the nearby city, the first thing they noticed were the buildings. Towering structures of steel and glass stretched higher than ever before, some with floating platforms and holographic advertisements that blinked in and out of existence. Autonomous vehicles zipped through the air silently, while the streets were crowded with bustling humanoid robots and augmented humans.
"This... isn't the same world," Wu-Ji muttered, his voice tinged with unease.
Gok nodded grimly. His instincts screamed that something was off. They found a public terminal—a sleek holographic panel—and approached it cautiously. Gok tapped it, and a familiar digital interface sprang to life.
A Shocking Discovery
The date in the corner of the display read March 23, 2076.
Wu-Ji stumbled back, his heart pounding. "No... That's impossible. It was 2055 when we entered the tower!"
Gok's hands clenched into fists as the realization hit him. "Twenty-one years... We were in the tower for twenty-one years. But for us... it was only days."
The world around them spun as the implications sank in. They had fought tirelessly through the tower, each floor pushing them to their limits. But while they battled and struggled, time outside had moved on without them.
The Korean Ranker Team's Triumph
A nearby broadcast caught their attention. A massive holographic display lit up above the city square, showcasing a news anchor delivering urgent updates.
"The Korean Ranker Team has achieved the impossible," the anchor announced, her tone both awed and celebratory. "In a groundbreaking feat, they have cleared all the towers across the globe, securing Earth's survival and cementing their place in history as humanity's greatest heroes."
Footage played of a group of elite Ranker players standing triumphantly atop a crumbled tower. Their faces were proud, their gear shining with otherworldly power.
Wu-Ji's eyes narrowed. "They cleared the towers? How could they have done that without us?"
The broadcast continued, showing interviews with the Ranker team. One of the players, a middle-aged man with a commanding presence, spoke into the camera.
"We couldn't have done it without the groundwork laid by the pioneers—legends like Gok Sun-Ji and the MAD guild," he said. "But when they disappeared, we had no choice but to step up. Humanity had to survive."
The Pain of Being Forgotten
Gok's jaw tightened as the words sank in. He had fought, bled, and sacrificed everything for this world, yet his efforts had become nothing more than a footnote in history. The world had moved on, and he had been forgotten.
But something didn't add up. The towers should have been invincible—designed to test players to their absolute limits. For them to be cleared entirely, and so quickly, raised questions.
Wu-Ji looked at Gok, his expression grim. "Do you think... someone helped them? Maybe someone from the Zodiacs or—"
"Venik," Gok interrupted, his voice low and filled with certainty. "This has his stench all over it."
A World Transformed
As they wandered further into the city, the changes became even more apparent. Advanced technology had reshaped society. The once-chaotic world of Ranker was now tightly controlled, with citizens wearing wristbands that displayed their Ranker stats in real-time. The lines between the game and reality had blurred entirely.
A massive billboard caught their attention. It displayed the Ranker Tower's Phase 3 announcement:
"The Age of the Architect begins. All players are invited to the Grand Coliseum to face the Ultimate Challenge."
Gok and Wu-Ji exchanged a look. They had been thrust into a future they didn't understand, but one thing was clear: the fight wasn't over.
At the corner of the screen, a small line of text flickered ominously:
"Broadcasting live to Venik."
MADMAN - Part 1: End