The next morning came quietly.

Sunlight crept over the horizon, spilling into the city in soft waves as a new day began. Kael woke earlier than usual, his mind already clear, his body surprisingly light.

For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Then he got up.

The apartment was silent. Lyra wasn’t awake yet, which didn’t surprise him. After everything from the night before, she needed the rest.

Kael moved quietly. He took his bath, got dressed, and stepped out of his room without making unnecessary noise. The living room was empty, and her door was still closed.

He paused for a second, then shook his head.

No need to wake her.

Instead, he grabbed a small sticky note and left it on the fridge.

Went out for a bit. I’m fine. Don’t worry.

Simple. Enough to keep her from panicking.

With that, he stepped out of the apartment and headed downstairs. The morning air was still cool as he booked a transit, settling in as it pulled away.

Not long after, the vehicle slowed to a stop.

Kael stepped out to a familiar sight.

The Hunter Association building stood tall before him, a glass and steel structure that dominated the area. Compared to the previous day, it was much quieter. The early hour kept the usual crowd away, leaving the entrance relatively calm.

He walked in without hesitation.

This time, he didn’t stop at the reception. Using his hunter ID, he headed straight for the elevator and selected the third floor. The building had twelve floors in total, each assigned different functions, and access depended on a hunter’s clearance.

The third floor, however, was open to all registered hunters.

The elevator doors slid open, and Kael stepped out.

The atmosphere was different here. Clean. Organized. It almost felt like stepping into a bank, which made sense. This floor handled exchanges, where Tower Coins could be converted into real-world currency. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Exactly why he was here.

Kael walked toward an empty counter. A staff member sat behind it, and as he approached, she greeted him with a bright, practiced smile.

"Good morning. Welcome to the exchange center. How can I assist you today?"

"I’d like to exchange Tower Coins," Kael replied.

The process was smooth. He presented his ID, confirmed the amount, and within minutes, the transaction was complete.

The exchange rate stood at one Tower Coin to ten credits.

Eight hundred coins turned into eight thousand credits.

By the time Kael stepped out of the building, he was officially richer.

And yet, his expression didn’t quite match.

He let out a small breath, glancing at his account balance.

"Won’t last long..."

Now that the tutorial was over, things were different. This was where real climbing began, and that meant preparation. There were too many things he needed, and not nearly enough money.

A weapon was one of them, but he pushed that thought aside. The tower provided basic weapons on each floor. They weren’t anything special, but for the lower levels, they were more than enough.

For now, something else mattered more.

Potions.

One of the most important resources for any hunter. Without them, survival became much harder.

He could’ve bought them at the Association, but prices there were always higher. From his memory, there was a smaller private shop nearby that sold them cheaper.

So he walked.

It didn’t take long.

The store was modest, attached to an old apartment building. Nothing flashy, but it had what he needed. Kael stepped inside, his eyes scanning the shelves lined with small vials filled with different colored liquids.

Every vial carried a clear label, showing exactly what it was meant for.

He walked up to the counter and started picking what he needed.

Three health potions.

Five mana potions.

The total came out to three thousand five hundred credits.

Kael couldn’t help but sigh under his breath as he calculated the price in his mind. Expensive, but necessary. He didn’t stop there either, picking up a few other useful items he could afford.

By the time he was done, his balance had dropped to just over a thousand credits.

He stepped out of the store, shaking his head slightly.

"At this rate... forget three billion. I might not even save anything."

Still, there was no regret in his eyes.

Every bit of it was necessary. You couldn’t make money if you were dead.

He booked a transit back home. By now, the streets had fully come alive. People moved about, shops opened, and the quiet morning had turned into a steady buzz of activity.

The vehicle soon pulled up in front of his apartment building.

Kael got off and made his way upstairs. When he reached the door, he noticed it was locked.

Lyra had already left.

He unlocked it and stepped inside. The air carried the faint smell of freshly cooked food, warm and familiar. It seems like it hadn’t been long since she left.

On the table sat a covered bowl.

Beside it, a small note.

Eat well and stay safe.

Kael stared at it for a second, then smiled faintly.

He sat down and uncovered the bowl. The food was still warm, and he ate quietly, finishing every last bite. After washing the dishes, he returned to his room.

For a while, he just sat at the edge of his bed.

No movement. No distractions.

Just silence.

He adjusted his breathing, letting his thoughts settle. He was about to enter the tower again, and this time, it wasn’t a tutorial. This was the real thing.

Minutes passed.

Then Kael stood up.

His eyes were steady now.

Ready.

He equipped his gear, making sure everything sat properly. The potions he had bought rested safely in his inventory space. Everything was in place.

All that remained...

was to begin.

Kael reached inward, focusing on the connection he had gained after awakening. Every hunter who cleared the tutorial formed a link with the tower. There was no need to physically visit a rift anymore.

Once per day, they could enter from anywhere.

The moment he willed it, a screen appeared before him.

[Tower access available.]

[Do you wish to enter Tower]

[Yes / No]

He didn’t hesitate.

"Yes."

The world shifted instantly.

When his senses returned, Kael found himself standing in a small, enclosed space. Stone walls surrounded him on all sides, with a matching floor and ceiling. The room was plain and empty.

A start room.

A safe point between floors. Every challenger entered the tower through a place like this, and after completing a floor, they would return here before exiting.

Kael took a slow look around.

Then he noticed it.

A small, glowing figure floated not far from him, barely the size of his fist. It shimmered faintly with a soft blue light.

He narrowed his eyes, taking a step closer.

Tiny humanoid features.

Delicate wings fluttering rapidly behind it.

"...A fairy?"

Before he could process it further, the creature spoke.

"Greetings, challenger. Welcome to your start room. I am Aiona, your personal tower guide."

Kael blinked.

The voice was clear and surprisingly loud for something so small.

"Tower guide?" he repeated.

His mind moved quickly, searching through both his memories, but nothing came up. He had never heard of something like this before.

Aiona seemed to notice his confusion.

"The Tower exists to test challengers and measure their worth," she said calmly. "Exceptional performance yields corresponding rewards. Your tutorial assessment exceeded standard parameters. Guide assignment is one of the resulting adjustments."

Kael went quiet.

So that was it.

An assessment beyond the normal scale.

SSS rank.

From what he knew, S rank was already considered the peak among humans. No one had ever gone beyond that.

Which meant...

No one had ever gotten something like this before, which explained why it felt so unfamiliar to him.

But instead of pride, a different thought settled in.

Something about it didn’t sit right.

The assessment itself wasn’t entirely his doing. There had been an unknown interference. Something that had affected the result.

And if something could interfere with the tower...

Kael’s eyes darkened slightly.

That wasn’t normal.

The tower was something humanity still didn’t fully understand. For something to influence it meant one thing.

It was dangerous.

Was it targeting him?

Or was it just coincidence?

Neither answer felt comforting.

He let out a slow breath and pushed the thought aside.

Not now.

That was something to think about later.

Right now, something else mattered.

Kael looked back at the small floating figure.

"So... Aiona," he said, his voice steady. "What exactly can you do?"