Light. Warm, soft, and blinding after the dungeon's darkness.
I blinked, heart pounding, expecting pain—but there was none. My body was whole again. No wounds, no blood, not even a bruise. The Tower's magic, or whatever passed for it, had stitched me back together. I flexed my fingers, half expecting them to ache, but they felt strong. Stronger than I remembered.
I sat up, gasping, and took in my surroundings.
I was in a vast, circular chamber with a ceiling lost in mist. The floor was polished stone, veined with silver. All around me, other new Hunters were waking up, some sitting up groggily, others already on their feet. The room was quiet at first—everyone too stunned or exhausted to speak. Then the whispers started.
I glanced at the wall. A massive display hovered above us, names and numbers scrolling in endless columns.
RANKINGS
The top names glowed gold, each with a time and a number beside it. I scanned the list, searching for mine. When I found it, my breath caught.
Abel – 537 / 12,842
Five hundred thirty-seven. Out of nearly thirteen thousand.
I stared at the number, half-convinced it was a mistake. I'd expected to scrape by, maybe land somewhere in the thousands. But this… this was better than I'd dared hope.
A kid next to me groaned, rubbing his face. "What'd you get?" he muttered, not looking up.
"Five thirty-seven," I said quietly.
His eyes widened. "Damn. That's… that's really good. I'm at nine thousand something. Guess I'll be carrying bags."
I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded. He was right. The harsh truth was, if you ranked high, you got offers—sometimes even a whisper from the Tower itself. If you ranked low, you became a porter, hauling gear for the real Hunters. Cannon fodder. Disposable.
A girl across the room was crying, her shoulders shaking. Her rank—twelve thousand and change—flashed above her head. A few others sat in stunned silence, staring at their numbers. Some looked angry. Most just looked lost.
I felt a surge of relief—and guilt. I'd made it. I wasn't going to be a porter. I wasn't going to be trash.
I was getting out.
A chime echoed through the room, and a new message appeared in the air before each of us.
[Congratulations, Hunter!]
You have passed the Tower Tutorial.
All injuries healed. Await further instructions.
Sponsor selection will begin shortly.
The room buzzed with nervous energy. Some people started talking, comparing ranks, already forming little groups. I kept to myself, watching, listening.
A door opened on the far side of the room, and a line of attendants in crisp uniforms entered, carrying trays of water and food. I grabbed a bottle and a sandwich, wolfing them down in three bites. I hadn't realized how hungry I was.
As I ate, the system chimed again.
[Sponsor Selection Now Open]
You may receive offers from Higher Beings.
Please review your options and respond within 30 minutes.
A new window appeared before me, filled with names, symbols, and short, cryptic descriptions. The sponsors. Not humans, not corporations—entities from the upper floors. Floors no one had ever seen. The highest anyone had reached was 57, and even then, no one had met a Higher Being face-to-face. Their motives were a mystery. Their power, legendary.
I scrolled through the list, heart pounding.
SPONSOR OFFERS:
• The Pale Watcher A presence from the Silent Floors. "I see those who walk in shadow. I offer you my gaze." Offer: Enhanced perception, resistance to illusions, unknown cost.
• The Verdant Hand A being from the Living Gardens. "Grow, adapt, survive. My roots will guide you." Offer: Accelerated healing, minor plant magic, must complete a special quest within three months.
• The Iron Eidolon A voice from the Unyielding Depths. "Strength is forged in adversity. Endure, and I will make you unbreakable." Offer: Increased physical resilience, temporary armor, but must not retreat from any battle for a year.
• The Azure Muse A whisper from the Dreaming Floors. "Imagination is the sharpest blade. Prove your creativity." Offer: Access to unique skills, dreamwalk ability, but must solve a riddle each month or lose benefits.
• The Crimson Jester A laugh from the Carnival Floor. "Life is a game. Play it well." Offer: Randomized buffs, luck manipulation, but unpredictable side effects.
• The Gilded Maw From the Feast Halls. "Share in my bounty, but never alone." Offer: Greatly increased loot drop rate and gold rewards from monsters. Condition: Must share half of all loot with the Gilded Maw's chosen "favored" (randomly assigned to another Hunter each month).
• The Clockwork Sage From the Timeworn Archives. "See what others cannot." Offer: Grants limited foresight—brief glimpses of possible futures in combat. Condition: Each use of foresight ages Abel's body by one day.
• The Veiled Matron From the Hall of Masks. "Hide in plain sight." Offer: Ability to disguise appearance and mask presence from enemies. Condition: Must never reveal true identity to another Hunter while under contract.
• The Hollow King From the Empty Court. "Fear is your weapon." Offer: Immunity to fear and mind-affecting effects; can instill terror in weaker foes. Condition: Must never refuse a direct challenge from another Hunter.
• The Lantern Bearer From the Endless Night. "Let my light guide you." Offer: Can summon a guiding light that reveals hidden traps, doors, and secrets. Condition: The light also attracts more powerful monsters.
• The Mind Tyrant From the Throne of Chains. "Power is the right of those who dare." Offer: Grants Level 1 Telekinesis—a mental force that can move, lift, or manipulate objects and enemies. The ability starts weak but has unlimited potential for growth; with training and experience, it can become a devastating power. Condition: To maintain and strengthen this gift, Abel must sacrifice a living being (monster or human) every month upon the Mind Tyrant's altar. Failure to do so will result in the permanent loss of telekinesis and a severe penalty to all stats.
As I scrolled, the room seemed to grow colder. Some offers were simple, others impossibly complex. Some came with riddles, others with threats. I watched as the air shimmered around a boy near the top of the rankings—a pale mask appeared, floating before him, whispering in a language I couldn't understand. He shivered, then nodded, and the mask vanished.
Another girl gasped as a crown of vines appeared above her head, flowers blooming and wilting in seconds. She reached up, touched it, and smiled.
A shimmering blue butterfly landed on my shoulder, its wings glowing with impossible patterns. A gentle, musical voice whispered in my ear.
"Abel. The Azure Muse greets you. Will you dream with me?"
I swallowed, heart hammering. "What do you want in return?"
The butterfly's wings fluttered. "Solve my riddles. Create, adapt, surprise me. Fail, and the dream ends."
I hesitated. The offer was tempting—power, skills, a chance to stand out. But the price was unknown, and the Tower had taught me to be careful with anything that seemed too good to be true.
"Not yet," I whispered. "I need to think."
The butterfly vanished, and the air warmed again.
Then the world seemed to freeze. A cold, echoing voice filled my mind, accompanied by the sensation of invisible chains tightening around my thoughts.
"Abel. I am the Mind Tyrant, sovereign of will and flesh. Accept my mark, and you shall wield power undreamt of by mortals—telekinesis, the force to shape the world with your mind alone."
The air around me darkened, and a vision flashed before my eyes: objects floating, enemies hurled aside, doors torn from their hinges with a thought.
"Yet, all power demands tribute. Each month, bring me a sacrifice—monster or man, it matters not. Feed my throne, and your strength shall know no limits. Refuse, and your mind shall be shackled forever."
I hesitated. The offer was dangerous—maybe even monstrous. But the potential… If I could master telekinesis, I could protect Eli and Lila. I could rise higher than any street rat from the slums had a right to dream.
I thought of my siblings, of the hunger and fear I'd lived with my whole life. I thought of the Tower, of the monsters waiting on every floor.
"I accept," I said, my voice barely a whisper.
A sharp, burning sensation spread across my left forearm. I clenched my teeth, refusing to cry out. Slowly, a sword tattoo began to etch itself into my skin—sleek and elegant, its blade pointing down the length of my arm. The sword's design was both ancient and timeless, a symbol of strength, protection, and sacrifice.
But the mark didn't stop there. Across my back, twisting and growing like living ink, vines began to spread—dark, intricate, and constantly shifting. They wrapped around my spine, curling over my shoulder blades, each tendril a reminder of the pact I'd made. The vines would grow as my power did, a living record of my sacrifices.
The pain faded, replaced by a strange sense of clarity. I flexed my hand, and for a moment, I felt something—an invisible thread connecting my thoughts to the world around me. A pebble on the floor trembled, then rolled toward me, drawn by my will.
I glanced around. Some Hunters stared, eyes wide, as the tattoos finished burning themselves into my skin. Others looked away, pretending not to notice. I caught the eye of a girl with silver hair and a rank in the two hundreds. She nodded, a flicker of respect in her gaze.
The system chimed.
[Sponsor confirmed: The Mind Tyrant]
You will receive further instructions upon exit.
The room began to shimmer, the walls fading. The system spoke one last time.
[Congratulations, Hunter. Prepare for transfer.]
Light swallowed me, and I let it.
For Eli. For Lila. For the life we deserved.
The next thing I knew, I was standing in a cold, marble hallway, blinking under harsh white lights. A line of new Hunters shuffled forward, each clutching a small bag. At the front, an official from the Hunter Association handed out phones—basic models, nothing fancy, but more than I'd ever owned.
The woman behind the desk didn't look up as she spoke. "Name?"
"Abel," I said.
She handed me a phone and a card. "Welcome to the Association. Check your email for guild offers. Next."
I stepped aside, thumbing the phone on. It buzzed with notifications—dozens of emails, all from guilds.
Ironstar Guild:
"Congratulations, Abel! We'd love to have you join our team. Reply for more info."
Vanguard Solutions:
"Your ranking is impressive. Let's talk about your future."
Crimson Banner:
"Family is everything. Join us."
There were more—some short and desperate, others long and formal. I scrolled through them, heart pounding. I'd never had choices before. Never had a future.
I looked up, watching the other new Hunters. Some were already making calls, laughing, crying. Others just stared at their screens, overwhelmed.
I slipped the phone into my pocket, feeling its weight. For the first time, I felt the Tower's promise—danger, yes, but also possibility.
I was a Hunter now.
And I was never going back.