-
The tower loomed in the distance, cutting through the warped sky like a blackened spear.
Ha-Joon stood on the edge of the safe zone, staring at it.
It hadn't been there before. Not during his arrival. Not during the Mist Bloom.
It had simply… appeared—sometime during the night. Towering far above the jagged cliffs, its surface shimmered with unnatural runes that shifted with every blink.
> [Objective Unlocked: Trial Tower – Level 1]
Requirement: Must be Level 3+
Status: Eligible
Completion Rewards: Class Awakening Chance, Stat Boosts, Realm Transition Key (Fragment)
Ha-Joon's heart pounded.
"Class awakening… Realm transition?"
It was the first time the system had mentioned something beyond this place.
Somehow, that tower could be the key to escaping this eternal realm.
---
He packed everything.
His food stash, crude bone dagger, beast-core pouch, and a sharpened spear crafted from monster fang and reinforced stick. His clothes were torn, dirty, and bloodstained, but still intact.
He stood straighter now. Even his posture had changed over the past week. His shoulders were firmer, his gait steady. His muscles, though still slim, had hardened. His eyes were more alert.
Still only 18…
But no longer a boy.
---
The journey toward the tower took three days.
The terrain changed with every hour.
What began as jagged cliffs soon shifted to plains of black sand, then a forest where the trees whispered in tongues and bled sap when cut. The creatures that roamed these parts were larger, faster.
Ha-Joon avoided conflict where he could.
He observed, learned their patterns, tracked them from a distance.
But when cornered, he fought—and survived.
> [Beast Defeated: Spine-Tusked Howler]
+15 EXP
Core absorbed. Energy Absorption leveled up.
> [Beast Defeated: Shardclaw Vulture]
+20 EXP
Bone harvested for weapon upgrade.
By the end of the third day, he had leveled up again.
---
[Status Screen – Jung Ha-Joon]
Level: 5
Stat Points Available: 4
HP: 110
Stamina: 122
Skills:
• Energy Absorption Lv.3
• Sprint Lv.2
• Focused Mind Lv.1
• Bone Crafting Lv.1
• Pain Resistance Lv.3
• Danger Sense Lv.2
• Improvised Weapon Handling Lv.2
• Basic Foraging Lv.2
Trait: Endurance of the Unshaken
Title: Mist Survivor
---
On the fourth day, he reached the base of the tower.
It stood like a monolith, impossibly wide, its foundation built upon cracked obsidian and roots that pulsed like veins. An entrance stood open—an archway carved into the stone, filled with swirling blue mist.
Above it, glowing words hovered:
> [TRIAL TOWER – LEVEL 1]
Warning: Death is possible.
Enter only when prepared.
Total Completion Time Limit: 48 Hours
Ha-Joon stood silently.
His hands curled into fists.
He had survived ambushes, hunger, and a world trying to kill him with every breath.
He had fought with nothing and grown stronger day by day.
If this was the next step… he would take it.
---
With one deep breath, he stepped through the entrance.
---
The air shifted instantly.
The inside of the tower was massive—like entering an entire stadium within a building. The ground was polished stone, the ceiling lost in shadow. Glowing runes hovered in the air, forming a circle.
> [Trial 1 – Floor of Instinct]
Defeat all enemies using your current equipment.
No skill usage allowed.
Time Limit: 10 Minutes
"Wait—no skills?!"
Before he could protest, the runes flashed.
And the monsters appeared.
Six of them.
Small, but fast.
Dog-like creatures with needle teeth and spikes along their backs. Their eyes glowed green, and they growled in sync.
Ha-Joon backed up, raising his spear.
"No skills, huh… Just raw instinct."
He gritted his teeth.
> [Timer: 9:59… 9:58…]
They charged.
---
He fought like a cornered animal.
He didn't try to outmatch them with strength—he used terrain. Sidestepped. Slammed one creature into the wall. Jammed the spear into a vulnerable neck. Rolled to avoid bites.
Pain exploded in his shoulder as one bit deep—but he pulled free and retaliated, stabbing it in the eye.
Another lunged.
He grabbed a loose floor stone and bashed it down.
Breathing heavily, his clothes torn further and one arm bleeding, Ha-Joon stood over six twitching corpses.
> [Trial 1 – COMPLETE]
Rating: B
Reward: +2 Stat Points
Bonus: Combat Instinct (Passive) Lv.1
---
The runes shifted again.
> [Trial 2 – Floor of Decision]
You may choose one of the following paths:
• Strength Trial (Brute Force, Close Combat)
• Speed Trial (Evasion, Rapid Reaction)
• Mind Trial (Puzzle, Strategy)
He stared at the options.
Then chose:
Speed Trial
The moment he stepped into the next platform, hundreds of glowing arrows shot from the walls—some fast, some delayed, some curved.
It was a test of reflex, movement, and reading patterns.
> [Skill Activated: Sprint Lv.2]
[Skill Activated: Danger Sense Lv.2]
[Skill Activated: Focused Mind Lv.1]
He weaved through the chaos, sliding under, jumping over, side-stepping when his body screamed at him to dive.
A single arrow grazed his cheek.
But he made it.
---
> [Trial 2 – COMPLETE]
Rating: A
Reward: +3 Agility
Bonus: Evasion Step (Active) Lv.1
New Trait Fusion Detected…
> Trait Upgraded: Endurance of the Unshaken → Instinct Beyond Mortality
---
Ha-Joon collapsed at the checkpoint between trials, panting.
Then he laughed. A broken, breathless laugh.
"I'm really doing it…"
For a moment, a memory came back—his mother, handing him side dishes to take back to his room while studying. His sister poking his forehead. His father asleep at the table.
He wasn't there anymore.
But he would return.
No matter what it took.
---
> [Trial 3: Floor of Awakening – Final]
Face a creature equal to your current potential.
Victory grants Class Awakening.
Failure may result in permanent injury or death.
The door ahead opened.
From the mist, a humanoid figure stepped out—a mirror of himself.
Same body. Same face.
But its eyes glowed red, and it held a glowing black sword.
Ha-Joon took a deep breath and raised his spear.
His opponent grinned.
---