Prologue: Into the Tower

“From this day forward, each and every one of you will dedicate your lives to our cause. You all only have 15 days to live, so make the best of your time and climb the tower. If you succeed, then your life's deadline will be extended”

Dull grey eyes looked up at their ‘Master.’ The owner of these tried eyes was a tried and worn-out slave. He, just like the other slaves assembled in front of the enormous gate that belonged to the Tower of Heaven.

It was finally time for him to be the sacrificial lamb chosen to climb this tower. And the slave also knew that this would be his deathbed.

One day, a tower appeared out of nowhere in the world. It stood taller than any building and showed no end in sight. The influence of the tower caused humanity to evolve and adapt, for the governments to fall and monarchs to rise.

It was well-known that even the poorest could become the richest if you head into the tower. It was a place to earn fame and glory.

But just like every other place in this world, the glory this tower offered was for all but one class of humans - the slaves. Even if they died here, no one would mourn them or look for them. This tower was an ocean of treasure for others, while it was akin to hell for the slaves.

“Hurry up and get moving. Our lord has graciously permitted us to climb the tower. We should not be late in following orders."

The man dressed impeccably spoke loudly. His voice carried over the slaves in front of him and then he smirked.

"Well, even if death did come for us, it will not be *me* who died, but you slaves. So good luck surviving until the end."

Five slaves had been chosen to climb the tower this time. And among the five, the first one to start moving was the owner of those dull grey eyes.

Alex was a boy born to a slave couple and abandoned at birth. Just like other slaves, he did not know who his parents were and where he had been born. He only knew that he needed to serve his master and what he had been told by others around him. It was also others who told him about this Tower and its significance.

There had been a time when he looked lively and thought about climbing this tower to attain fame and glory. Now all he wanted was salvation from his life.

After living 15 years as a slave, even that hope of that had been exhausted from his soul. And he had been rendered to a mindless doll who could only follow orders.

The group following behind Alex contained four people, but it did not take long for the youngest to collapse. Mahiru, the blond-haired beauty was extremely thin and malnourished. Her body was bony and her face was thin and pale, but despite that, her beauty shined through her eyes and her aura.

Anyone could tell that she was going to grow up and become a beauty. So, they could not understand why the master had allowed someone like Mahiru to be thrown to her death. She would have sold for a lot of money. Or, she could be offered in exchange for some hefty gifts.

So why throw her down in the tower?

“U-ugh Master Luke, I don’t think Mahiru can walk anymore. What should we do with her?”

A 17-year-old teen looked at his master and then back at Mahiru. The slave named Ashura tried to draw his master's attention toward their plight. In many ways, Mahiru was like a sister to Ashura and the teen felt responsible for her. He had raised this girl for many years up until now.

Alex thought of him as a compassionate fool but he kept his thoughts to himself. Getting involved in other's business could cause you to get hurt. Alex already knew that Ashura’s words would anger the Baron, but there was nothing to be done.

“If that bitch cannot walk, then you carry her with you. I don’t care how you follow me inside, but just follow me.”

Alex flinched at the loud voice of Baron Luke. This man’s anger was not a good thing for anyone. At best they would be whipped until their backs bleed, and at worse they will be killed off or thrown as monster fodder.

And in a place called the world’s nightmare, who knew what more could be lurking around the corner?

Slowly, the group entered the first room. It was a relatively small space and it was supposed to take on different ornamentation depending on the group entering this space. This was where one got the ability to choose which path one would take.

The center of this room had a small circle and the slaves stepped inside it. A screen appeared in front of Alex and he looked down at it. The main category was divided into strength and magic. As a climber, you could only choose one at the start.

At first glance, it was easy to think that magic was the obvious choice. After all, who did not dream of flying in the air or shooting fire? If one was daring, they could go as far as to dream of setting their master on fire. That was also a possibility the tower was capable of granting.

However, magic was something that not everyone could have. It required a high level of intellect as well as brain power to even access. And Alex, unfortunately, did not meet the threshold of even choosing magic as an option. His knowledge of theory was not enough to give him access to this option.

But that was a given since he was a slave. He had never received formal education and knew nothing of the world beyond what he had been taught by other slaves.

‘Stuck with the strength. But I guess it is better than nothing.’

Magic was a privilege slaves were not granted. And that was also why slaves could never dream of being free. Even now, the only one in their party who had been granted magic was Baron Luke. And that arrogant man looked smug about his choice.

“Alright, your failures. I can see that none of you managed to awaken magic as your attribute. So, if you don’t want to die, you will all listen to me from here on.”

Baron Luke was smug. And he had every right to be smug. He was the most powerful of the group after all.

“Uhm, Sir, Mahiru fainted and did not get her attribute. Should we not wait for her to wake up before we go in? She would be vulnerable otherwise-”

Honestly, Ashura should have thought better than to believe that Baron Luke would listen to him. Instead of looking sympathetic, Baron Luke had an angry expression on his face. A whip made up of water appeared in his hand and he flung it toward Ashura and Mahiru.

Alex’s actions were instinctual as he blocked the whip made of water. A loud gasp was heard from the group when Alex blocked the whip with his back.

He had not meant to block that attack meant for his companions. But if he had not, then their group would have slowed down even more.

“What do you think you are doing, you stupid child? How dare you try and block my attack. Do you want to die?”

Alex did not want to die. He did want to live a happy and long life. So, he needed to open his mouth and make an excuse now. His life was hanging on the line here and only his mouth could save his life.

“B-Baron, I stepped in for your good. Y-You might need a meat shield in the future so you need to be considerate now.”

Alex hated how his voice stuttered at the start of the sentence but he knew the Baron would fall for his world.

After all, the Baron was a shallow person.

“Hmm, you are right. How could I kill my precious meat shields? I need to keep you all alive until the boss room.”

“After all, what do I have to fear from people like you? You all will die within 15 days anyway if you failed to keep me safe.”