"Enter Tower…"
The moment the words were whispered by Damon, a strange sensation washed over his body as his field of vision changed.
[Entering Tower…]
[Searching for nearest tower available…]
[Search complete!]
[Nearest Tower — Black Tower of Storm (4/10)]
[Entering the Tower of Storm!]
Thud!
"Ugh—"
The cot beneath Damon vanished as he suddenly found himself falling onto a cold floor. His brain slowly processed the sudden change as his vision adjusted.
He looked around alertly, cautiously watching out for his surroundings.
Darkness covered everything.
Black.
As far as his eyes could see, only blackness surrounded him. In the middle of that darkness, he stood on a gray floor. Like a magical spotlight aimed solely at him, only the area within a few meters was visible.
"…Is this the tower?" Damon muttered.
[General Skills]
• Enter Tower (1 Use / Day)
General Skill available to all players
Allows player to enter the nearest Black Tower in proximity
Note: Player will vanish and reappear at the exact spot the skill was used
To exit, recite: "Exit Tower"
Usage: 0/1 per day
Looking at the skill description, Damon confirmed that he had indeed entered the Black Tower.
As he observed the dark plane around him, an uneasy feeling crept up his spine.
[Welcome to the Tower of Storms]
[Tower No.] : 4 / 10
[Highest Floor Cleared] : 37
[Countdown] : 299 Days 14 Hrs 28 Mins
[CurrentFloor] : 0
Alongside the blue status screen, another purple screen suddenly popped up, startling Damon.
[Tower Rules]
1. Death in the tower is death in reality. Please proceed cautiously.
2. Items brought from reality can be used inside the tower and vice versa.
3. Cleared floors can be repeatedly cleared.
4. There is no limit to the number of attempts a player may take to clear a floor; however, rewards are granted only on the first successful clear.
5. Any injuries sustained in the tower will be carried back to reality.
6. The player may exit the tower at any moment. Abandoning a floor mid-clear may result in failure.
7. If a new upper floor is not cleared within the given time limit, the tower will collapse, releasing monsters before resetting.
8. Players inside a resetting tower will lose all privileges and powers instantly.
[Do you wish to enter Floor 1? Y / N]
Damon carefully read through each rule, memorizing every detail before stopping.
[Countdown] : 299 Days 14 Hrs 28 Mins
The countdown immediately caught Damon's attention.
The reset. The collapse.
It was almost exactly the same as what Damon had conjectured earlier.
If an upper floor was not cleared within the given time, the tower would collapse, unleashing hell upon the world.
'Level 37…'
That was the highest floor cleared to date.
At his current state, Damon was only Level 1, so it had nothing to do with him for now.
But if no one else managed to clear it, then eventually—
He would have to.
He needed to level up quickly and reach Floor 37 before the countdown ended.
The moment he accepted, the space around him changed again.
This time, the darkness receded as light flooded in.
"Ugh—"
Damon instinctively closed his eyes, then opened them again, disbelief filling his expression.
The dark room vanished. The stone floor beneath him was gone, replaced by muddy ground dotted with water-filled pits.
A small clear area surrounded him, encircled by dense forest overflowing with vegetation.
Massive trees towered above, their thick trunks forming an endless wall of greenery. As far as Damon could see, the forest stretched without end.
The wind blew violently, whipping through Damon's hair.
Grrrr…
Thunder rumbled above as dark clouds choked the sky, barely allowing any light to pass through.
"So this is the tower?" Damon muttered as he stood alone in the mystical jungle.
Keek… keek…
Suddenly, screeching sounds echoed from deep within the forest.
Damon immediately took a defensive stance, his eyes scanning the surroundings with tension.
Screeeeech!
With a shrill cry, a purple monkey—half Damon's size—burst out of the forest with incredible speed.
[Name] : Purple Monkey
[Level] : Lv. 1
Seeing the creature, Damon's heart eased slightly. This was his first encounter with a monster. Though tense, the size difference gave him some confidence.
"So I just have to kill it?"
[Floor 1 Mission] : Kill Purple Monkey (0/1)
The monster resembled a normal monkey, except its fur was entirely purple. Its face was black, its eyes glowing with madness. Long claws dug into the ground as it screeched, revealing sharp jaws stained with saliva.
Screech—
In a single leap, the monkey lunged at Damon.
"Oh shit!"
Damon wasn't ready.
The monkey's claws latched onto his body as its jaws snapped forward with terrifying speed.
"Agh!"
Damon raised his hands instinctively, trying to protect himself.
The creature's powerful bite pierced straight through his hands.
Blood spilled as the monkey dug deeper into his flesh.
"You fucker!"
Fueled by pain and fury, Damon flung his arms outward, throwing the monkey away.
"Agh… fucking hell…"
Clutching his injured hand, Damon stared at the deep bite marks carved into his flesh.
The monkey screeched again, blood smeared around its mouth as it prepared to attack once more.
It jumped.
This time, Damon was ready.
He swung his fist forward, connecting solidly with the monster's abdomen.
The impact sent the monkey flying.
"Huff… die, you piece of shit!"
Damon didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, stomping down on the monkey with all his strength.
His foot crushed into its body again and again before he kicked it away.
"Huff… huff…"
Damon gasped for air, staring at the unmoving body.
"…Is it dead?"
The monkey wasn't moving—but its chest still rose and fell weakly.
Frowning, Damon approached cautiously.
Kneeling beside the creature, he stared at its face.
Blink.
The monkey was conscious.
Its purple eyes trembled as tears streamed down its face.
Damon looked away for a moment.
"…I should kill it… shouldn't I?" he muttered.
[Floor 1 Mission] : Kill Purple Monkey (0/1)
Swallowing hard, Damon raised his hand.
The monster let out a weak cry.
Ack—
Damon closed his eyes and punched down.
Ack—
Again.
Ack—
Stronger.
Fourth punch.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Seventh.
He didn't know how many times he struck.
Only when the voice rang out did he stop.
[Floor 1 Mission] : Kill Purple Monkey (1/1) — Completed
[Floor 1] : Cleared!
[Your level has risen.]
[Current Level : 1]
[Reward Acquired]
• Basic Roulette Spin x1 {Skill}
[Acquired General Skill: Unarmed Combat Lv. 1]
[Leaving Tower Of Storms]