8 ENTERED THE TOWER AND TROUBLE JUST FOLLOWED BEHIND.

**WITHIN THE MEETING HALL OF THREE MAJOR GUILDS - FIRST FLOOR - MORNING**

Two men and a woman bowed deeply before a massive holographic display that projected three figures seated on opulent golden thrones. The trio's chilling, penetrating stares seemed to pierce the very souls of those they observed.

One of the holographic figures spoke abruptly, their voice dripping with authority. "Are you suggesting that the top three ranked individuals, who evaded name registration, received Karma rewards three times greater than the previous highest?"

The two men and the woman lowered their heads even further, nearly touching the ground. A heavy silence lingered as they chose their words with utmost care, acutely aware of the potential consequences.

"Hmm. Then don't waste any time. Offer them an irresistible deal. If that fails, eliminate them," another holographic figure decreed with finality. His companions nodded gravely in agreement.

Summoning his courage, one of the bowing men finally dared to speak. "B-But, My Lords, as ye know, we ain't quite equipped or skilled to be tampering with others' statuses. There was this one fellow, aye, he could manage such trickery, but he perished on the 10th floor because he offended some big shot. The restrictions here on the first floor prohibit us from using advanced gadgets to see others' statuses. Only the Fifth floor would afford us that luxury."

"Curse it all! Dispatch a message to those overseers on the fifth floor, will ye? If those dunderheads managed to elude us on the initial level, they'd best track them down on the fifth floor, by the ancestors' beards!" The short, bearded holographic figure grumbled in frustration.

"We will carry out your orders to the best of our ability," the trio chorused before the holographic image faded, leaving them to their assigned tasks.

**THE FIRST FLOOR OUTSIDE THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE FIRST ENTER THIS FLOOR AFTER CLEARING THE TUTORIAL FLOOR - DAY**

Under the morning sun, the natural world revealed itself in a breathtaking tableau—a masterpiece of beauty. As the sun emerged from behind towering mountains, its radiant touch chased away the remnants of night, unveiling a landscape cloaked in dew-kissed leaves and a palette of colors that danced with the changing light. Birds sang in harmonious melodies, and leaves rustled softly, weaving a tranquil symphony that fostered a deep connection with the world. The sky transformed with hues of pink, orange, and gold, creating a stunning panorama.

Amid this awe-inspiring scene, Ren, with his appearance reminiscent of a street beggar despite his handsome face with a sharp jawline, sword-like eyebrows, long brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and Greek god-like muscular body, stood enraptured by the natural beauty. He marveled at the splendor around him, even though his tattered clothing contradicted his appreciation. His gaze, however, was not solely focused on nature; he observed the crowd of people bustling around him.

Diverse races mingled together—some freshly emerged from the Tutorial like Ren, while others represented different guilds seeking new members. Among them were those in pursuit of the trio known as the Unknowns, climbers who had shattered records within the tower.

Concealing his true identity as "unknown," Ren stood amidst the bustling crowd. Observing guild members enthusiastically vying for attention and validation, he expertly projected an air of ordinariness whenever questioned. His goal was simple: remain unremarkable, deflect suspicion, and avoid any undue attention.

Approaching him, several members from a lesser-known guild, whom we'll call Guild Member #5, inquired eagerly, "Hey there! What's your ability? Tell us about yourself. If your skill is promising, we can get you a spot in our guild. Just so you know, we're a pretty strong force."

Ren responded with a modest smile and feigned self-consciousness, "Well, to be honest, my ability isn't anything special. It's kind of... useless. I can temporarily boost one of my stats by a single point during battles, and only for a short duration of two minutes."

Other guild members nearby chuckled upon hearing about Ren's seemingly insignificant ability. They clearly considered it a low-tier talent among initiates.

"Ha! You must be joking. How did you even survive the tutorial with such a weak skill? I can't imagine you even passed the EASY mode of the tutorial trial. Do yourself a favor and disappear! With that useless skill, no guild would want you," the man retorted with irritation before walking away in a huff.

Ren felt tired and frustrated. "Maintaining this act is hard, but I have to. I can't show my real strength right now. Even though I'm stronger than most of the people around the street who are only at LV:1 or 2, I'm still weak compared to the strong folks on this floor. There are many climbers and monsters here at LV:10. If I reveal my abilities now, it will make things worse, not better," he said quietly to himself, glad that nobody knew who was the real unknown.

A voice boomed through the air, an announcement from the Tower's management signaling the imminent conclusion of the registration period.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.) [Attention, everyone! The registration period is coming to an end. Make your final decisions about joining a guild or be prepared to take the admission exam later.]

As the deadline loomed, a mixture of anticipation and tension filled the atmosphere. Suddenly, three majestic ships appeared in the sky, descending gracefully to land near the gathering of eager participants finalizing their guild choices. These grand vessels belonged to the three major guilds that controlled the first ten floors of the tower. Their arrival was met with awe and curiosity.

Amid the bustling crowd, the three major guilds—the elf-dominated Celestial Seraphs Guild, the dwarf-centric Emberlight Vanguard Guild, and the human-focused Starfall Enclave Guild—stood out. These guilds held sway over the first ten floors, and their leaders were rumored to have climbed as high as the 55th floor in the tower—a remarkable feat because up until now the highest one has climbed is 59th floors.

The guilds' collective purpose here was to locate the trio of unknown climbers who had broken records during the tutorial, especially the first-ranked individual who achieved an almost impossible feat.

The observers in the crowd represented a diverse array of races—beast people, orcs, fairies, and more. Members from various guilds scoured the crowd eagerly, hoping to spot the mysterious unknown climbers.

**********(TO BE CONTINUED)**********