The night passed quickly. Outside, the sounds of explosions continued to echo—never stopping, never allowing peace.
Edward lay on the floor, surrounded by scattered food containers. His eyes stared blankly. Empty, just like his stomach.
Before long, someone knocked on the door.
With sluggish, lifeless movements, Edward got up. His body hunched as he walked; he was far too thin.
He opened the door.
Standing outside was a woman wearing a helmet, her features resembling someone of Chinese descent. But this time, she looked surprised.
"Finally, you got up from that chair."
"Don't get the wrong idea. I don't sit there all the time. My body needs rest too."
"Good. Ed… after this, my restaurant won't be delivering here anymore. This is the last one."
Edward frowned.
"Your restaurant went bankrupt?"
"Not bankrupt," she replied as she pulled out the meal from a container. "My dad doesn't want to take risks anymore. Too many attacks lately. The roads are destroyed."
"If you stop delivering… I'll starve to death in here."
"Try going outside, Ed."
Edward weakly shook his head.
"Sometimes I wonder," she continued, "how your money never runs out."
Edward opened his door wider.
"Look. I only eat, sleep, and play games. I eat once a day. I don't even pay for this place."
"Everyone else in this building already moved out. You're the only one left, Ed. Maybe it's time you moved too."
"Where would I go, Brigette…?"
"Go find Eva?"
Edward went silent for a moment.
"Oh… right. Eva."
"What's wrong with you, Ed? Even your own sister—you can forget her."
"The last time she came here… was nine years ago. She said she wanted to enter the Tower. I don't even know if she's alive. How could I forget…?"
"I've told you so many times. Stop playing that stupid game."
"I've tried, Brigette."
"Edward… don't you want to know? Whether Eva is alive or dead? It's been nine years—we've heard nothing about her."
"I told her not to go… but she was stubborn. She said she didn't want to end up like me. Useless."
"She went in there because of you."
"Yeah. I know." Edward's face tightened with regret.
"If she didn't go, you would've been the one forced to," the woman added.
"Have you ever tried looking for Eva in there, Brigette?"
She shook her head weakly. "I'm sorry, Ed. I really tried."
Silence fell between them.
"I'm going back to the Tower tomorrow," Brigette said quietly. "I'll try to ask my brother to deliver food to you. And once I'm inside, I'll try to look for Eva."
"What are you going back for?"
"Don't worry, Ed. I'm already Awakened—Rank B now. My skills are stronger. My guild helps a lot too."
Edward placed a hand on the shoulder of the only true friend he'd had since school—the one who had been helping him for the past ten years.
"Be careful, Brigette. We only get one life."
"Yeah, I know. You take care of yourself too. I'll get going now. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Brigette."
Edward watched his friend until Brigette disappeared from sight.
He drew in a slow breath, then picked up the paper container of Chinese food she had delivered. He closed the door.
His steps were slow, as if moving took effort.
He set the food on the bed before heading to the refrigerator.
When he opened the fridge, a cold white glow illuminated his face—the interior was packed with canned drinks. All of them had been delivered by Brigette over the years.
Edward took out two cans of alcohol.
He returned to the bed, sat down heavily, and cracked open one of the cans.
The soft pssst shattered the silence.
His eyes were empty.
Empty as he stared at the still-glowing monitor before him, its screen displaying the cover image of the game World of Valdora.
And for the first time in his life…
he began to realize something.
He really was useless.
He knew the real reason his sister had entered the Tower.
If it wasn't her, he would have been forced to go. That was the law set by the government.
And for nine whole years, he hadn't cared what happened to her.
Not because he didn't love her—no.
It wasn't that.
He just cared more about World of Valdora.
He had been far too obsessed.
"Damn it!"
Edward slammed the can against his thigh, producing a dull metallic thud.
"All of that really was my fault. I never intended to stop you. I really did hope you'd take my place… sis. All because of this stupid game! I didn't even care about you!"
His breath grew unsteady. His hands trembled.
For the first time in his life, his anger wasn't directed at someone else—
but at himself.
He covered his face with both hands.
Slowly rubbed down his features.
"One mission left…" he whispered.
"After this—win or lose—I don't care."
He shut his eyes tightly.
"I have to find Eva. I hope you're not dead, Eva…"
----
THE NEXT DAY
The area in front of the Tower's entrance—just like always—was surrounded by rows of soldiers, armored vehicles, and layered barricades.
The National Awakened Department controlled every inch of the place.
But the tense atmosphere became even more chaotic with the presence of dozens of reporters packed tightly behind the safety barriers.
They were waiting for something.
—More precisely, someone.
News had already spread:
America's number three guild would be arriving to enter the Tower once again.
And true enough—
A luxury bus stopped right in front of the gate.
The guards immediately moved in close.
Their bodies formed a wall to prevent the reporters from charging forward.
"That… that's the Flame Dragon Guild!" a reporter shouted while lifting his camera.
One by one, the guild members stepped off the bus—
all wearing black-and-red combat uniforms marked with a winged dragon emblem.
And finally…
A tall woman stepped out, her bright red hair flowing like living flames—
Alice Ivy.
An S-Class Awakened.
Leader of the Flame Dragon Guild.
One of the strongest humans on the American continent.
Behind her appeared her two right-hand members:
Morison — an A-Class Awakened, with a hard, stern face.
Emily Brooks — an A-Class Awakened, armed with a short spear.
They walked forward, the three of them, completely unbothered by the chaos around them.
"Alice! Alice!"
"Is it true you're trying to conquer the 11th floor today?"
"Can we get a comment?!"
Reporters shouted one after another.
Alice only turned slightly, her sharp glance slicing through the air like a blade.
"Yes," she replied curtly.
That was all.
She continued walking without looking back.
The reporters exchanged glances, disappointed.
"How many attempts is this already?" a male reporter asked.
"The eleventh," the woman next to him answered.
"That means they've failed ten times."
"No guild has ever reached the 12th floor?"
"Not once." The man looked shocked.
"Yeah. Everyone has their own ego. No one wants to work together."
"Seven Star Guild? The Iron Guild?" the man asked again.
"They're still inside. Haven't you watched the news?"
The female reporter gave him a strange look.
The man scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Sorry. I'm still new."
"If you're new, that's fine." She gave a faint smile. "But as a reporter, you need to know your stuff before coming here."
"Y-yes… I understand."
----
Edward jerked awake from his sleep. His breath was ragged, as if something had yanked him out of a dream. He immediately turned to the monitor—and shook the mouse.
The screen lit up.
The World of Valdora logo appeared, glowing in the darkness of his room.
Below it, the final mission timer flashed in red:
[FINAL GLOBAL MISSION: STARTING IN 5:00]
"It's time…" Edward stood up hastily, almost tripping over the empty cans scattered on the floor. He rushed to the bathroom, the sound of running water echoing inside.
The moment he came out, he grabbed the VR set and strapped it onto his head.
The machine powered on instantly.
And a gentle female voice echoed—the system voice that had been with him for years:
"Welcome back, Master Oracle."
"Fay," Edward spoke quickly. "Check—how many players are online right now?"
"Understood. One moment…"
Silence.
Then Fay's voice returned, this time with tension.
"Exact count: 5,469,000 players are currently moving toward the Tower."
Edward raised an eyebrow. "That many?"
"Yes, Master."
"How far is it from here to the Tower?"
"1,800 kilometers."
"That far…" Edward let out a small sigh.
"You still have two teleport items remaining. Would you like to use one?"
"Good. If so, teleport me there, but far from the player crowd—"
"Understood—"
"Wait!" Edward suddenly shouted, cancelling the command.
Fay paused. "Is there a problem, Master?"
Edward took a deep breath. "I can't just go like this. They're all strong. I'm just an oracle. I don't have any combat skills. If five or six chase me, maybe I can run. But if hundreds?"
Silence for a moment.
Then Fay spoke softly.
"You may use the Relics in your storage… to increase your skills."
Edward shook his head rapidly. "No! Those relics are single-use. It would be a waste—"
"You are mistaken, Master."
Fay's tone shifted, serious.
"Those relics are not single-use. They will become your strength."
Edward froze.
"…Permanent?"
"Yes. Permanent."
He stared at his hand—slowly, in disbelief.
"But my job is Oracle. Can I even add another job?"
"Of course, Master. Because the power comes from the Relic, not from your original class."
Edward blinked.
"So that's how relics have been working all this time!?"
His voice rose, shocked—and furious at himself.
"Yes, Master."
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
"I apologize. You never asked."
Edward grabbed his head with both hands.
"F—k! … All this time I've been playing like a coward! Running around like an idiot!"
"What is your decision, Master?"
Edward growled in frustration, still feeling the sting of regret.
"I'm going there now."
"To where, Master?"
"Where else? To that city."
"That is unnecessary, Master. You can open the door even from here."
"What?!"
"You are now the owner of the space. You only need to touch any wall and speak its name. The door will appear."
Edward's expression froze in disbelief. Why was everything he didn't know suddenly coming up now?
"Why are you only telling me this now, Fay?"
"Because—"
"Enough." Edward snapped, already knowing what the system would say. Without wasting another second, he placed his palm on the wall.
"Open—Vault of Echoes."
Instantly, a massive golden shimmering door appeared. Edward shook his head slowly, his expression still annoyed—before pushing it open.
Edward stepped inside. His eyes scanned each legendary relic neatly arranged throughout the chamber. His mind worked furiously, trying to decide which relic suited him best.
"Which one should I choose…?" he muttered softly.
"May I offer a suggestion, Master?"
"Yes. Just say it."
"Judging from this mission, all players will be gathered inside a tower with only five floors. And inside that tower, the creator has assembled all the bosses for each stage. This means players will not be fighting each other."
"Okay… so which relic should I pick?"
"But we do not know what will happen if a player manages to reach the final stage. They may join forces to fight the final Boss. After that…?"
"Maybe… we can think about that later," Edward replied, clearly impatient.
"Master?"
"Yes, what now, Fay?"
"Maybe you won't need to wait a whole year to finish this mission."
"What do you mean, Fay?"
"All the relics you've collected possess extraordinary power."
"Okay… just show me which relic I should choose."
"I recommend you choose Poseidon's Spear."
Edward immediately turned to the Spear of Poseidon—a three-pronged, silver-white weapon reflecting light as if it were alive.
"Why choose this relic?"
"Because this mission takes place inside a tower, Poseidon's Spear is the most suitable relic. It possesses immense power."
"What do you mean by 'immense'…?"
"Poseidon's Spear has only five skills. And one of its abilities is to summon an enormous, devastating tidal wave."
"You mean… you want me to drown the tower?"
"Not the tower, Master. But the players inside it."
Edward fell silent, thinking for a moment as he stared at the fiercely glowing Spear of Poseidon before him.