The elevator doors slid open with a soft metallic sigh, releasing a faint breath of cold, filtered air from the underground training facility. Seo Joon stepped inside, feeling the floor vibrate faintly beneath his boots as the descent began. The walls around him pulsed with a dim blue glow, the color shifting gently like a heartbeat. Everything down here was new—built in a rush, designed to contain abilities the world still didn't understand.
His abilities.
A quiet tension sat on his shoulders, not heavy, but constant. Every day since the Tower appeared, the world had been changing at a pace no one could control. Governments were scrambling, militaries were panicking, and citizens were pretending everything would stabilize soon. Seo Joon knew better. Stability was gone. The Towers weren't random events—they were a system. A structure. A plan.
And his Summon Gate was at the center of something he still didn't understand.
When the elevator stopped, he stepped into a wide chamber lit by overhead lights that hummed softly. Training rings were arranged in circular patterns across the floor, surrounded by thick reinforced walls. Dozens of observers in white coats watched from elevated platforms behind bulletproof glass. Their expressions were hard to read—interest mixed with wariness. It wasn't everyday a human being walked in with a power no country could classify.
Waqar stood near the center, arms crossed, his posture relaxed but impossible to ignore. He looked like someone carved confidence into muscle and bone—the kind of man who could stand in the middle of a battlefield without blinking.
"You look better," Waqar said as Seo Joon approached. His voice had that calm, heavy tone of someone who had survived a thousand storms and expected more.
"I slept two hours," Seo Joon replied. "That's good enough these days."
"You're learning," Waqar said with a faint grin. "That's the spirit of a ranker."
Behind Waqar, four other people stood waiting—three men and one woman, all wearing the new black and silver tactical uniforms of the Korean Emergency Tower Division. They looked confused, curious, and maybe a bit intimidated. It wasn't just Seo Joon's presence. It was the thing they were here to witness.
Their commander stepped forward. "Candidate Seo Joon, today's test is the official evaluation for creating the first Summoner Unit. Your ability will be monitored from start to finish. We need to understand what your summons truly are, how they behave, and whether they pose any risk."
"They definitely pose a risk," Seo Joon said. "To enemies."
The commander pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure if Seo Joon was joking.
Waqar chuckled quietly. "Relax, Commander. If his summons wanted to kill all of us, they would've done it already."
"That is exactly what worries me," the commander muttered.
Seo Joon stepped into the designated summoning zone, a circular area with black markings etched deep into the floor. He could feel the faint vibration—like something under the earth was breathing.
His ability responded instantly.
A pulse.
A shift in the air.
A whisper brushing against the back of his mind like fingers on cold glass.
Summon Gate.
It never activated quietly.
Seo Joon exhaled slowly, steadying the tremor in his chest. This time, he didn't want a random outcome. He wanted control. The Tower had given him a system—but systems could be shaped, molded, commanded.
He focused.
The air thickened. The world dimmed at the edges, colors deepening like dusk settling over the horizon. The observers behind the glass leaned forward. The rookies in the unit stiffened, gripping their weapons.
A low hum rolled across the chamber.
Light rippled beneath his feet—pale blue at first, then darker, swirling like a storm forming under the ground. A vertical tear split the air before him, black and smooth as ink, widening slowly until it formed a tall, arched gate made of shadow and light. Energy leaked from it like cold mist, sliding across the floor in thin tendrils.
Someone gasped.
Even Waqar took a step forward, eyes narrowing with interest.
"That's… different," he said. "It wasn't this strong last time."
Seo Joon felt it too—the pressure was heavier, the pull deeper, as if the Tower had decided to take him more seriously.
He extended his hand.
The Gate pulsed.
The world inhaled.
A figure stepped out.
Not translucent.
Not unstable.
Not half-formed like the early summons.
This one was solid.
Tall. Armored. Masked. Carrying a spear made of shifting dark metal that looked alive. Its armor resembled something ancient—ornaments carved into the chest, glowing faintly like runes awakening.
Its presence filled the chamber like a sudden frost.
The rookies stumbled back. One of them accidentally dropped his weapon, which clattered loudly on the floor.
Waqar whistled softly. "If you don't claim him, I will."
The summoned warrior tilted its head as if acknowledging Seo Joon. Its voice came out distorted, layered, echoing from places that weren't physical.
"Summoner. Command."
Seo Joon swallowed. No matter how many times he summoned something, that moment—when a being from somewhere else recognized him—always shook something deep inside him.
"Stand by," he said quietly.
The warrior lowered its spear and stood motionless.
The room stayed silent for several seconds before the commander finally spoke.
"We'll run combat evaluations next, but…" He hesitated, glancing at the warrior. "…This changes international rankings. Korea just gained a weapon no other country has."
"Not a weapon," Seo Joon corrected. "A partner."
The warrior shifted slightly, almost as if it approved.
One of the rookies finally found his voice. "S-sir… who exactly is he?"
Seo Joon stared at the summoned warrior. He didn't have an answer yet. But he knew one thing:
This was only the beginning.
Because he could feel something else coming—something tugging at the edges of his awareness. The Tower was watching him. And whatever it wanted, whatever it was preparing for, it was far bigger than a training evaluation.
He looked at Waqar, who was studying him with sharp, serious eyes.
"You feel it too?" Seo Joon asked.
Waqar nodded. "Yes. The world isn't leveling up. You are."
A chill ran through Seo Joon's spine.
And for the first time since the Tower appeared…
he understood he was being groomed for something far beyond survival.