ill chapter 1

“This one.”

A hand, by no means small, pointed at Ha Nayul. Its owner was a boy on the cusp of manhood, yet traces of youth still clung to him.

“I’ll take this one as my new slave.”

Despite his age, the boy already knew the difference between a person and a slave. And so, he looked down on her with an utterly arrogant and insolent gaze as he spoke.

In that moment, Nayul’s new master was chosen.

The one who bought her, Ignati Aurel, was a seventeen-year-old boy—the second son of the Count who guarded the borders of the Dithyramb Kingdom. Though his title was merely that of a Count, he commanded the front lines and possessed his own army, giving him influence comparable to that of a marquis or even higher nobility… This was all information Ha Nayul had managed to overhear.

She wasn’t from here.

In fact, she had crossed over from another world entirely.

Dimensional travel, or whatever they called it.

To Nayul, this place was completely and utterly foreign. But she hadn’t come here by accident; her arrival was an act of her own will.

She was here to find her missing younger sister, Ha Ahra.

About five years ago, mysterious towers had shot up simultaneously all over the world. Shortly after, an unknown window appeared before certain people.

[You have been chosen by the Tower. Will you accept the challenge?]

It was a system window familiar to anyone who had ever played a game, but no one could have imagined one appearing in reality. Faced with the system’s sudden offer, some backed down, while others accepted the challenge without hesitation.

The world came to call the latter the “First Generation Awakened.”

Their fate was total annihilation.

After their failed attempt to clear the Tower, mysterious rifts opened up. From them poured monsters the likes of which had never been seen, threatening humanity’s very existence. This cataclysm would later be called the “Break.”

Just as humanity was being helplessly overrun, a Second Generation of Awakened emerged from among the survivors, newly chosen by the Tower. Endowed with abilities far more powerful than their predecessors, they defeated the monsters and put a stop to the Break.

Afterward, the challenge of the Tower resumed. The sisters, Ha Nayul and Ha Ahra, had lost their parents during the Break and subsequently Awakened.

Their skill rank was a coveted S-Class; they had defied infinitesimal odds to awaken top-tier abilities.

It was with the Second Generation that real progress was finally made in the Tower. Thanks to the new generations of Awakened that followed each year, humanity steadily climbed the Tower without another Break.

And just as the world was settling into a semblance of stability after years of chaos, Ha Nayul’s younger sister, Ha Ahra, vanished.

There was a likely cause.

A hidden quest from the Tower.

[Recent whisper log from: OnlyOneITrust]

[Whisper from: Aradel] Hey! I got a hidden quest!

[Whisper to: Aradel] What is it?

[Whisper from: Aradel] It’s for a new class advancement! The rest is a secret, even from you~ I’ll be back soon!

This was the last conversation Nayul had with her sister through the system’s messaging function.

After that, all contact from Ha Ahra ceased.

Nayul tried messaging her again, but it was no use.

[Whisper to: Aradel] Ha Ahra, where on earth are you?

[User ‘Aradel’ is in an area where whispers cannot be received.]

Her messages never reached her.

Despite this, Nayul was certain her sister was still alive. Her conviction was based on the Tower’s ranking system. The Awakened could register a codename of their choice, and the rankings fluctuated based on their contributions while climbing. Those who died were immediately removed from the list.

And Ha Ahra’s codename was still there.

[Aradel (S-Class) | Contribution: 0 | Rank: 308 (▼1)]

Though her rank was steadily dropping, its presence meant she was alive.

This single thread of hope was what kept Nayul searching.

[730 days have passed since your last conversation.]

But just like that, 730 days had passed. Today marked exactly two years.

Just as Nayul, being only human, was on the verge of giving up, she miraculously found a trace of her sister. She had just finished solo-clearing a lower floor to prepare for the next level when she saw it.