[Ping! Ping! Ping!]
[Congratulations! You've achieved an impossible feat for a beginner player!]
[+12,000 EXP awarded]
[The Creator has noticed your actions. You've been gifted +5000 FP.]
[The higher-floor inhabitants of the Tower are watching you.]
[Error! Your gift, [Psycho Mode (Ex-Rank)], is not registered in the system's info-box.]
[Downloading metadata... Success. Gift registered.]
[New Mission: Find all Psycho Mode artifacts (1/5)]
Denzel's system window lit up with an overwhelming flood of messages. But three lines stood out to him, more puzzling than the rest.
First, the mention of the Creator. Who—or what—was this figure that ruled over the system? Why allow someone like him, a literal system-breaking anomaly, to exist? And were they even human?
Second, the rank of his gift. Psycho Mode was labeled Ex-Rank. Denzel knew the SSS-Rank was the ceiling—this went beyond it. He now possessed something not even the Tower seemed prepared to handle.
And third, the mission. A system mission generated by the gift itself. That was new.
Before he could ponder further, another alert chimed.
[Ping! Ping!]
[Your gift, [Eye of the True Regressor], has detected the next Psycho Mode artifact.]
[Coordinates: 20th Floor of the Tower.]
"Now that's more like it," Denzel said, grinning under his Psycho Mask.
He finally had a starting point. To unlock the true extent of Psycho Mode, he needed to find the next artifact—on the 20th floor.
Before he could explain, Leon tapped him on the shoulder. "Those monsters just now... they weren't supposed to show up yet."
Denzel turned, surprised. "How do you know that?"
Leon smirked. "Easy. They were on my level for once."
Denzel's shock melted into a grimace of disgust. This guy...
Cheers erupted behind them. The crowd was going wild.
"Looks like they've found their new hero," Leon muttered with a grin, pushing Denzel toward the mob. Denzel, still masked, never thought Leon would actually give him praise. It felt... good.
"Hey! Are you two just gonna stand there?" Olivia's voice cut through the noise. She waved at them from a quieter street corner. "Come this way."
They slipped away before the crowd could swarm them—and not before someone captured the moment and posted it online.
They followed Olivia to the rooftop of a sleek high-rise overlooking the city. When they arrived, a man was already seated in a high-tech recliner, puffing a cigarette.
The moment he noticed them, he scrambled to crush it underfoot.
"Yuck, Milo! Seriously? You need to quit smoking," Olivia said, pinching her nose.
"Sorry. Helps me stay calm," the man—Milo—replied with a sheepish grin. He turned to them. "Mr. Rünter, Mr. Mysterio, how are you? I'll get straight to the point. Join my guild. We need power like yours."
"Milo, you idiot! That's not how you invite people to a guild!" Olivia barked.
"Then enlighten me, oh Wise King Solomon," Milo retorted.
Olivia sighed. "Apologies. What he meant was, we'd be honored if you joined our guild. Lumiere."
Leon crossed his arms. "Why would I? I've got no reason to join. Sorry, I'll have to decline."
Milo chuckled. "Well, we tried. If our guildmistress were here, I'm sure she'd convince you. Too bad she's at a summit with other S-rank players. Wait... Mr. Leon, weren't you supposed to be there too?"
Leon froze. "F**k! I'm doomed."
He finally remembered—that was the agenda bugging him all day. The S-Rank global summit had started an hour ago.
"Sorry Olivia, we'll catch you later!" Leon shouted as he and his NPC brother bolted off at top speed.
Left behind, Milo and Olivia watched their trail of dust.
"If those two ever turn against humanity, all we can do is pray," Milo muttered, eyes glowing blue.
"They stopped something that took an entire country days to conquer..."
"Don't even ask," Milo said before she could finish. His eyes flickered with numeric calculations.
[Probability of Leon and Denzel joining Lumiere Guild: 0.00%]
"My classmate's brother is Player Leon. I'll at least try to bring him aboard."
"A normal classmate, huh?" Milo rubbed his chin dramatically.
"Stop teasing me! He's just a classmate!" Olivia turned red.
Milo only smiled ominously. "Let's head back to the guild."
"Yes, sir."
---
Meanwhile...
Far below the surface, inside the Player Association's underground conference room in the Netherlands, the S-Rank meeting was underway. Around a long rectangular table sat the association chairman and several elite players.
One seat remained empty.
"Seems one of us thinks this meeting's a waste of time," someone muttered.
The chairman stood.
"Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules. I'm Ruud Van Hasten. Like you, I became a player when the Towers appeared—but I'm what they call an entrenched player."
That caught their attention.
"Unlike you, I have no system window. My abilities were maxed out instantly the day the gates opened. I'm forbidden from entering Towers or dungeons. That's classified info, but I trust your discretion."
He continued.
"The Towers appeared globally, but only in each country's capital—Washington DC, London, Amsterdam, Accra, and so on. That's no coincidence. Someone planned this."
He paused.
"Now, to the point of this meeting—Project Alpha."
He pressed a button. A holo-map appeared, showing global red dots.
"Rebel groups have formed over the past month. The most dangerous is the Andras Cult. They've killed three S-ranked players in a week. All of you are at risk.
In response, the international association heads have agreed to form the Alphas—a global unit of elite S-ranked players tasked with hunting these rebels down.
From now on, they will be the prey."
He looked around. "Any questions?"
End Of Chapter
[STATUS WINDOW – LEON DE RÜNTER]
Name: Leon De Rünter
Race: Human
Class: Hybrid (Warrior-Mage Tier 2)
Level: 32
EXP: 105 / 1,400
[VITAL STATS]
HP: 2,400 / 2,400
MP: 2,100 / 2,100
Stamina: 1,950 / 1,950
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 110
Agility: 120
Vitality: 102
Intelligence: 140
Dexterity: 115
Aura: 210
Luck: 18
Charm: 35
[SKILLS]
Flame Demon Style (Lv. 7)
Encircling Fire Wall (Lv. 5)
Fiery Embers Strike (Lv. 6)
Hellfire Blast (Lv. 4)
Aura Ignition (Lv. 6)
Spellblade Infusion (Lv. 4)
Hybrid Combat Mastery (Lv. 5)
Dead Target Lock (Lv. 5)
[UNIQUE GIFTS]
Flame Demon King(SS-Rank – Passive/Active)
Grants mastery over flame-type aura. Boosts all fire-based skill damage by 60%, and grants resistance to heat and combustion. Enhances combat focus and aggression.
Dead Target(S-Rank – Active)
Marks an enemy for high-accuracy elimination. Increases CRIT, AGI, and MP regen on kill. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
[EQUIPMENT]
Main Weapon:[Flambé Uno](SS-Rank – Sword of the Flame Monarch)
Armor: ???
Accessory: ???
[STATUS EFFECTS]
Hybrid Synchronization – Efficient aura flow between magic and melee
Residual Flame Pressure – Intimidation aura against weaker foes
Mental Load (Minor) – Slight stress on focus from dual-wielding systems
[SYSTEM NOTE]
You walk the path of two masters—and neither is forgiving. True dominance lies in merging them without hesitation.
Next Awakening Gift: Available at Level 50
[STATUS WINDOW – DENZEL DE RÜNTER]
Name: Denzel De Rünter
Race: Human
Class: Warrior (Psycho Variant)
Level: 30
EXP: 1005 / 1,100
[VITAL STATS]
HP: 2,200 / 2,200
MP: 1,700 / 1,700
Stamina: 1,700 / 1,700
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 105
Agility: 110
Vitality: 100
Intelligence: 125
Dexterity: 108
Aura: 200
Luck: 8
Charm: 12
[SKILLS]
Aura Combat Techniques (x8)
Gaia's Breath Techniques (Lv. 4) – Defensive, earth-aligned moves and healing buffs
Psycho Mode Techniques (Lv. 1+) – Unstable, rapidly evolving skills with unpredictable effects
[UNIQUE GIFTS]
Psycho Mode(Ex-Rank – Unknown)
Anomalous ability with no system precedent. Alters perception, boosts combat output, causes potential mental instability. Data still updating.
Eye of the True Regressor(F-Rank – Passive)
Detects hidden timelines, reveals optimal pathing, and uncovers truths. Triggers story-based missions.
Gaia's Breath(S-Rank – Passive/Active)
Grants enhanced vitality and earth-aligned abilities. Improves natural regeneration and physical resistance.
[EQUIPMENT]
Mask:[Psycho Mask](Ex-Rank – Incomplete Artifact)
Weapon: ???
Accessory: ???
[STATUS EFFECTS]
Fragmented Sanity: Psycho Mode causes potential instability when overused
Hidden Potential: Unknown stats surge under extreme conditions
Artifact Link [1/5] – One Psycho Artifact recovered
[SYSTEM NOTE]
You are not supposed to exist. Yet here you are, rewriting the rules. Beware: your gift watches you as much as you use it.
Next Awakening Gift: Available at Level 50