A ring of golden light unfurled at the heart of the ever-bustling city. From within that swirling vortex, Edward's figure slowly emerged, as though pulled out from the seam between worlds. Strangely, the phenomenon stirred no panic among the locals; they merely glanced up for a moment, already far too accustomed to such sights.
Edward froze. His breath hitched as his eyes widened, scanning the buildings, the streets, and the passersby who paid him no mind. He turned slightly, almost disbelieving the ground beneath his feet. Everything felt too real, yet at the same time it felt like he had just slipped on a VR set and stepped into the world of Valdora—reality and illusion colliding right before him.
"Master… this city?" Fay's voice echoed softly from his system, gentle yet layered with unease. Edward was no less shaken; the scene before them was far too vivid to belong to a tower.
"Fay… look at the people."
"Yes, Master," her tone calm yet tinged with excitement. "Their population is mixed… exactly like the Valdora data."
Edward swallowed hard. "These people… they're actually real?"
"Yes, Master. They exist physically. They're not simulations."
Edward's legs grew heavy, as if the ground beneath him had turned into sinking sand. He stood there, unmoving, watching every creature that passed through the city—beings he had only ever seen in RPG action scenes.
Elves with flowing silver hair, stout dwarves with heavy hammers strapped to their backs, beastfolk of countless forms—humanoid creatures merged with the traits of animals—moving through the city like long-settled residents.
"This… is just like a game," Edward whispered, his heartbeat quickening.
"Master," Fay responded, "my analysis matches your hypothesis. The interior of this tower operates like a game world—yet on the scale of reality."
Edward pressed a hand against his pounding chest, trying to steady his breathing. A fantasy world that should have been impossible… now existed all around him.
"Master. Master!" Fay's voice echoed with sudden urgency.
"Yes, Fay?" Edward flinched slightly.
"Master… are you alright?"
Edward drew in a long breath, exhaling slowly as he tried to calm the thrum in his chest. "I'm fine, Fay. I'm just… shocked."
"Perhaps Master should rest."
"No need. I'm okay now." He paused. "Fay?"
"Yes, Master."
"Do you know the location of the adventurer company?"
"Yes. Fay knows, Master."
"Then let's go there."
"Understood, Master."
Edward finally began to walk, though his movements remained stiff and unsure. His eyes darted everywhere, like someone stepping into an unfamiliar world for the very first time. Several passersby gave him odd looks, confused by the man who kept glancing around as if hopelessly lost.
"Master, please follow the alley with the old woman selling fruits," Fay instructed.
"Where?"
"To your left, Master."
Edward turned. Not far away, a small fruit stall was being tended by an elderly woman.
"That one?"
"Yes, Master."
Edward hurried toward the stall, but his rushed steps caused his shoulder to slam hard into someone.
"Hey! Watch where you're going! Look ahead!" snarled a beastfolk—half human, half wolf—as he growled in irritation.
"I'm sorry," Edward bowed quickly in apology. The beastfolk only scoffed harshly before walking off.
"Please be careful, Master," Fay reminded.
"I didn't do it on purpose."
This time, Edward forced himself to walk more steadily, determined not to repeat the same mistake. He drew a controlled breath.
"Now what, Fay?" he asked quietly.
"Master only needs to continue straight ahead. You will see the adventurer company building on your right after passing three buildings."
Without delay, Edward followed Fay's directions. Along the way, something caught his eye—so sharply that he slowed to a halt.
"Fay… look at that."
"They are adventurer parties, Master," Fay answered without hesitation.
Ahead of him were several groups—each team consisting of five members, a mixture of races, armed and equipped like seasoned expedition units.
"Yeah, Fay… they're exactly like the ones in Valdora. But why is all of this here? How can any of this exist inside a tower?" Edward asked, unable to hide his confusion.
"I'm sorry, Master. Fay has no information regarding the nature of this tower," Fay replied, voice calm yet honest.
"It's alright, Fay." Edward exhaled softly. "Maybe I should ignore all of that for now. Better we focus on finding Eva."
"As you wish, Master."
Edward continued walking, still spellbound—but beneath his shock, a faint, unhidden excitement shimmered in his eyes.
"There, Master."
Edward turned to his right. A large building made of wood and brick stood proudly, with adventurer groups constantly going in and out of its twin doors.
"That is the building, Master."
"Good. Let's go."
Edward quickened his pace, nearly breaking into a jog until he reached the front of the towering double doors. But he had to stop. The walkway was crowded with adventurer parties exiting—each carrying weapons, shields, and expedition gear. Some stared at him—some in curiosity, others with no interest at all.
Edward attempted to appear friendly, offering a faint smile to those who glanced his way—but nearly all of them passed by without acknowledging him.
Several minutes later, the flow of people and creatures of various races finally thinned, giving him space to slip inside.
The massive wooden doors opened with a simple push. Edward pressed against them gently, stepping in with cautious footing.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, a wave of atmosphere crashed into him—loud, crowded, alive. Voices overlapped in every direction, bursts of laughter echoed from certain tables, and the clatter of mugs and plates filled the air. The rich aroma of warm food mixed with the fermented sweetness of fruit brews, creating the unmistakable atmosphere of a bustling adventurers' hub.
Wooden tables were packed with explorers of all kinds. Some devoured their meals without restraint, others downed drinks from bowl-sized wooden mugs, while a few spread out maps and mission parchments across the tabletops.
Edward's eyes drifted slowly across the hall—elves seated beside dwarves, humans chatting with thick-robed mages, beastfolk lounging casually as they sharpened their weapons. They mingled freely without the slightest hint of division, as though mixed-race adventurer parties were the most natural thing in the world.
Without realizing it, Edward's lips curved upward. There was something warm—almost comforting—in the sight before him. It tugged at a sense of nostalgia, echoing memories of the game world he once knew only through his VR set… now unfolding right in front of him, real and tangible.
While Edward was still absorbed in the scene, a sharp thud rang out from the right. He turned toward the sound.
At a long counter stood a young woman of mixed beastfolk heritage. Her features carried the distinct traits of a fox—small pointed ears, bright round eyes, and a slender tail swaying behind her—yet her beauty was undeniable.
Edward hesitated, then began stepping toward the counter. The girl fixed him with a sharp, unblinking stare, as if sizing him up—
…analyzing every inch of his body.
"Judging by your clothes… you must be from the outside world?" she said coldly.
"Yes. That's right. I'm from the outside."
No reaction. Her round fox-like eyes continued scanning him from head to toe, making Edward uncomfortably aware of himself.
"Tsk—Pak!"
The girl suddenly slapped both hands on the counter, making Edward flinch.
"Finally! Someone from the outside world actually managed to enter this tower after an entire month!" she shouted loudly.
Her voice echoed across the hall, instantly silencing every conversation and burst of laughter. Several parties of adventurers behind him turned their heads at once, staring.
In that moment, Edward could feel it—sharp, blade-like gazes digging into his back. Mocking. Judging. Measuring. But he didn't turn around. He kept his eyes fixed on the girl at the counter.
"Call me Silly!" she said, her tone abruptly switching to cheerful.
"I'm Edward."
"Alright, Edward." Silly leaned slightly to the side, examining him from another angle. "How does someone as skinny as you even get accepted into this place?"
Laughter erupted from behind him—loud, unrestrained. They were clearly laughing at him.
"I don't know," Edward replied calmly. "Maybe I just got lucky."
Silly raised a brow. "Trying to become Awakened with a body like yours… I'd say you've got a ninety—"
Before she could finish, an adventurer behind him yelled:
"95 percent chance you die, dude!"
The hall exploded again with roaring laughter.
Edward still didn't turn around. He simply waited for the laughter to fade, face steady, expression unmoved.
"I didn't come here to become Awakened," he said flatly.
His words made Silly pause. Her tail, which had been twitching moments earlier, froze completely.
"Then… why did you come here?" she asked, her voice softer now.
"I'm here to find my younger sister."
Silly's demeanor shifted instantly—the sharpness in her eyes faded. And without Edward realizing it, the adventurers behind him also stopped looking at him with mocking expressions, as though the incident from moments ago had never happened.
Edward noticed the change in Silly's attitude, but he chose to ignore it. Probably better not to ask.
"When did your sister enter the tower?" Silly asked, her tone gentler this time.
"Nine years ago."
Silly placed a pen on the sheet of paper on the counter. "Write her name. And if you have a picture, give it to me."
Edward immediately took out his sister's photo from his pocket, placed it on the counter, and began writing the required information.
As he wrote, Silly lifted the photo to examine it. Her round eyes suddenly narrowed as she stared at it.
"This… Eva," she murmured.
Edward froze mid-stroke. "Yes… that's my sister's name."
Silly looked at Edward for a long moment, then her gaze lifted to his hair—the same shade of brown.
"There isn't a single person in this place who doesn't know Eva Storm."
For a brief moment, the atmosphere behind Edward shifted. The adventurers in the hall seemed to react to the name as well. Whispers stirred. Eyes turned toward him. But no voice rose above a murmur.
"Do you know where I can find her?" Edward asked quietly.
Silly didn't answer immediately. Only a faint sigh escaped her lips—a sound weighed down by something heavy.
"Wait here," Silly finally said before lowering her head and disappearing from the counter.
"From her reaction, she definitely knows your sister. Those people behind you as well," Fay commented.
Edward only nodded, trying to make sense of everything.
"Master?" Fay called again.
"Yes, Fay?" Edward replied quietly.
"At the left side of the hall, near the wall… there's a Dark Elf girl. She has been watching you for quite a while."
"Just her?" Edward still didn't turn.
"No. There are others—humans, a dwarf, a catfolk, and a wizard."
"Just ignore them, Fay."
"Understood, Master."
Not long after, Silly returned to the counter with a stack of files in her arms. A small sigh escaped her as she flipped through them.
"Whenever an outsider from your world enters this tower, some choose to register as adventurers, and some don't. Eva… she was one of the outsiders who chose to become an adventurer."
"That's right."
A deep voice suddenly came from Edward's left. A large werewolf, clad in worn leather armor, gave Edward's shoulder a gentle tap.
"The first day Eva came here, her face was fierce… full of anger. She kept shouting at Silly to register her name. Some adventurers tried to intervene, but Eva snapped like someone who had lost her mind. Who would've thought—a girl who just stepped into the tower for the first time could beat up an entire experienced adventurer group?"
"What happened after that?" Edward asked.
"She walked off after stealing gear from one of the adventurers. A month later, we heard news about her. By then, her name was already spreading—Eva Storm, the girl with a temper, violent like a raging tempest."
"After she Awakened, she continued adventuring. And by that time, she already had her own party—formed from tower residents." Silly gave a faint smile. "She's the only Awakened outsider who ended up adventuring alongside tower natives."
Edward frowned, still confused.
"Then… where did all the other Awakened from the outside world go?"