The morning was quiet, less lively than usual. Brotherhood and friendly insults were muted.
"Ugh," Klein muttered, uprooting grass. He looked up at the sky—no clouds, only endless blue. It was a good day, but something felt off.
He stared at the carrots. Dain, who usually watched over them, was absent. The others worked silently. Tonight, Dain and Bright would enter the Tower. Their mission: to understand why a Tall Man had appeared during a mapping. It was an anomaly. The creatures never showed up during mapping runs—the only danger was wasting time and failing to exit before the doors closed. But two mappers had died. Answers were needed.
"Hey, Klein."
He turned to see Mikail approaching with a bag.
"Yeah?" Klein straightened his back and walked over.
"Hand this to Dain."
Klein took the bag, glancing up at Mikail. Mikail smiled faintly.
"Well, that's the system here."
Klein started to walk away, but Mikail stopped him.
"Have you heard anything strange recently?"
Klein didn't turn around. "No. What do you mean?"
"Nothing," Mikail said, leaving.
Not far away, Renzou watched Mikail walk off, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. He returned to his hut—a small chamber built for the leader. Closing the door behind him, he squatted and murmured something under his breath. Suddenly, a black door lit up. Names and codes flickered across its surface before it opened like a bunker hatch. Without hesitation, Renzou disappeared inside.
Meanwhile, Mikail walked deep into the forest. Raz appeared, followed by Axel and others. It was a secret gathering.
"Are we going to keep sacrificing our friends?" Bright, one of Kaz's followers, demanded.
Kaz nodded grimly. They were exhausted. Every two to three weeks, one of them had to go—or die. Without the arrival of new recruits, their numbers would have already dwindled to zero.
"I don't understand," another boy said. "Why does the upbringing only happen when our numbers drop to a certain digit?"
Silence followed.
"Let's start the movement," Mikail said firmly.
"What about Dain and Bright?" Kaz asked.
"They knew the risk," Mikail replied. "They'll buy us time for the operation."
"And the newbie?" someone pressed.
Mikail massaged his temples. "I'll figure it out. Now disperse."
Back at camp, Dain adjusted his gear and stretched.
"It fits you well," Klein said.
"I'll punch you," Dain laughed.
"Where do you guys get this gear?" Klein asked, setting down the bag.
"The shift gear? It comes with every new member," Dain explained.
"I didn't see mine," Klein said, confused.
"Renzou took it. He always collects it and hands it out when someone enters the Tower."
"Why?" Klein asked.
Dain shrugged. "There are a lot of mysteries about Renzou. I don't know why. I just don't care. I don't want to die before seeing the sun."
Klein studied Dain's stoic face. Shorter than him, but full of dreams.
"It's time. The Tower is open."
Everyone gathered. Dain and Bright, clad in black gear, stood ready. Renzou seemed anxious, more so than usual since leaving his hut.
"We are gathered today to accompany Dain and Bright as they brave the Tower. May they return by morning," Renzou said solemnly.
No one spoke.
Dain took a deep breath. "Keep the farm clean."
"Haha, with all the shit around, we'll try," Axel laughed.
Dain smiled, then looked at Klein. "Don't eat my tomatoes during your free time."
Klein wiped his mouth and laughed.
Bright saluted Kaz and the others. Together, he and Dain took their marks and dashed into the Tower.
The moment Dain crossed the boundary, dizziness struck. It felt like entering another world. He nearly vomited. Bright staggered too. Then, suddenly, their heavy gear lightened, and their speed surged. They dashed like arrows, disappearing around a corner.
The crowd dispersed. Klein remained, staring at the Tower's dark doors.
"One day, all this will end," he whispered.
He turned and saw Renzou sighing, his hands trembling. Renzou nodded at him before leaving.
From a distance, Mikail watched Renzou depart. Klein's eyes followed Renzou's back.
Did I arrive during an uprising already in motion? he wondered. No memories, only brief nightmares and too much mystery.
Something rotten is hiding within this system.
Klein clenched his fists. It's time for me to move. I need to find a way into the Tower. And I need the gear.
The moment Dain crossed the boundary, dizziness struck. It felt like entering another world. He nearly vomited. Bright staggered too. Then, suddenly, their heavy gear lightened, and their speed surged. They dashed like arrows, disappearing around a corner.
The crowd dispersed. Klein remained, staring at the Tower's dark doors.
"One day, all this will end," he whispered.
He turned and saw Renzou sighing, his hands trembling. Renzou nodded at him before leaving.
From a distance, Mikail watched Renzou depart. Klein's eyes followed Renzou's back.
Did I arrive during an uprising already in motion? he wondered. No memories, only brief nightmares and too much mystery.
Something rotten is hiding within this system.
Klein clenched his fists. It's time for me to move. I need to find a way into the Tower. And I need the gear.
The morning came with disaster. Screams jolted Klein awake. He jerked upright, forgetting he was on a hanging cloth bed, and tumbled headfirst to the ground. Furious, he scrambled up, slipped again, then rushed toward the Tower.
On the way, he met Mikail and Axel.
"What's going on?!" Klein demanded.
"Something happened," Axel said breathlessly as he ran.
"What?" Klein pressed, staring at him.
"We'll find out," Mikail replied grimly.
Everyone was gathered, packed tightly around the Tower. Mikail shoved through the crowd, and Klein followed close behind. Together, they looked down—and saw Maxwell's body.
"What is the meaning of this?" Mikail asked, glaring at Renzou, who examined the corpse with a grave expression.
"How should I know? He appeared this morning…" Renzou muttered.
"He was alive a moment ago," someone said.
"But suddenly he fell sick and died," another added.
"Most importantly—what did he mean by ambush?" someone asked.
"Ambush?" Mikail and Klein echoed.
The crowd nodded. Maxwell had staggered back at dawn, sick and exhausted, on the verge of collapse. His last word had been ambush before convulsing and dying.
"What is going on inside the Tower?" everyone whispered. The tension was suffocating.
"Hey, Renzou, say something!" Mikail shouted.
But Renzou's mind was elsewhere.
"Renzou?" Axel called.
"We need to get rid of the body before it's too late," Renzou said suddenly, his voice trembling.
"What?" Mikail dropped to one knee, staring at Renzou's terrified face.
Bang! The Tower doors began to close.
"Hurry!" Renzou barked, dragging Maxwell's body toward the entrance.