"Halfway up the Tower, the Trial changes.It no longer waits for you to be ready."— Tower Record, Midmark Archive
Kael stepped through the archway to Floor 50—and instantly, time lurched.
No transition. No ambient light.
Just a room.
Empty.
Circular.
And waiting.
Tirien stumbled in behind him, blades drawn. But there was no enemy.
Just a single clock on the far wall.
Ticking backward.
00:09:59…
Tower Notification:
Floor 50 – The Trial That Waits for No One
Objective: Survive until the clock strikes zero.
Each minute, the Trial intensifies.
You cannot leave early.
You cannot hide.
You must endure.
Bonus Objective: Discover who the clock was built for. (+500 XP)
"We've faced worse," Tirien said.
Then the room shuddered.
And changed.
The walls melted away, revealing a blizzard-torn battlefield. Icy winds howled through broken towers. The ground cracked under frostbite.
"This is where I almost died," Kael whispered. "My first failure. My first kill."
His hands were bare again. His breath fogged the air. He wore the same clothes from that day—ragged, bloody, cult-stained.
And through the storm came himself.
Or rather, the boy he used to be.
Minute 1 – The Boy with No Mercy
The young Kael looked up.
His eyes hollow. His blade already red.
He charged.
Kael blocked the attack—not with strength, but with instinct. "I remember this," he said through clenched teeth. "I had no soul left that day."
Tirien's voice echoed behind him. "Then fight to reclaim it."
Kael disarmed the boy—but didn't strike.
Instead, he whispered: "I forgive you."
The younger Kael shattered like ice under flame.
The clock ticked.
00:08:00…
Minute 2 – The Broken Teacher
Next came a woman—his former mentor in the cult. She had taught him poisons. Smiles. Lies.
She screamed his name as she attacked.
Kael didn't flinch. "You only ever taught me how to survive. But I'm not your student anymore."
His Flame Will pulsed—not to destroy, but to cleanse. The fire around his heart surged.
The trial devoured her.
00:07:00…
Minutes 3–8 – The Faces He Buried
They came one after another.
A brother he failed to protect.
A rival he left behind.
A Tower dweller he once chose not to save.
His cult commander.
The crying child from Floor 17.
Each fought him with the strength of memory.
Each faded when he faced them, not with guilt—but with truth.
He screamed once—only once—at Minute 6, when the face of his mother appeared.
"You disappeared before the cult took me," Kael said, weeping. "I needed you. But I forgive you anyway."
She reached out.
Touched his face.
And vanished.
00:01:00…
Final Minute – The Watcher
The battlefield melted.
Now, he stood in a void.
And across from him was a man in black robes, no face, no voice.
Only a ticking sound.
The clock glowed behind him. 00:00:30…
Kael raised his blade.
"You're the one the clock was made for," he said.
The figure bowed.
And charged.
The duel wasn't long—but it was precise.
Kael used every stat, every title, every lesson.He dodged, feinted, struck—but not to kill.
At five seconds, he pressed the blade to the man's heart.
"I don't need to win.Only to survive."
The clock rang.
00:00:00.
And the figure knelt.
Tower Notification:
Trial Cleared – Floor 50
+500 XP (Survival Completion)
+500 XP (Bonus: Identity Uncovered)
New Title: "One Who Faces the Past"
Gains +2 to Willpower and Focus when resisting mental trials.
You are now permitted to ascend beyond Midmark.
You have passed the Half-Tower Point.
✅ Kael Level Up!
Level 25 → 26 → 27
+6 Stat Points Earned
Kael's Status –
Level: 27
XP: 740 + 1000 = 1740 / 1700 XP→ Level Up to 27, with 40 XP carried over
Stat Points: +6 (to be assigned now per your rule)
New Title: "One Who Faces the Past"
New Bonus: +2 Willpower and Focus vs mental challenges
Mental State: Weathered, soul-stabilized
Tirien Bond: Strengthened through shared truth
🧠 Stat Allocation – Level 27
Assigning the 6 stat points now:
+2 Willpower – bringing him closer to resisting future mental/memory-based trials
+2 Focus – enhancing awareness, especially under pressure
+2 Flame Affinity – preparing for future high-tier flame skills