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"Brother!!!"

Isaiah woke up in a unfamiliar place.

"What is this place?"

There's blood scattered all over, not just blood but also some skulls, the place also reeks of blood. The blood and skulls seems to be a remain of a human being.

Isaiah remembered what happened before he woke up in the strange place. He remembered them running into an alley as he chased after his brother and grabbed his hand before a strong light appeared right in front of them, he doesn't seem to remember more after that scenery.

Isiah dicided to stand up and investigate the spooky place.

"Just where is this place?... Was i kidnapped?...then what about brother? Is he safe?"

He asked himself.

Minutes after he investigate the place, a strange transparent box with messages appeared right in front of him.

"What in the world is this thing?...Status window? Like the one in games?..."

[ welcome to the trial of the tower of path new player ]

"Trial?... Tower?... Player?... What?..."

Isaiah was confused as he keep staring at the message box.

"Did i enter some kind of game?"

*clang*

Isaiah heard a brassy sound. He stared at the place where the sound came from, he noticed that the transparent box that was just right in front of him disappeared, Isaiah's face frowned, he can't see what's making that sound because the place was dark, as the sound he heard getting closer and closer, his body tense up because of fear, his eyes was finally able to adjust to the dark, he saw the shadow of the person making the sound. The person seems to be draging some kind of metal. The metal seems to be the source of the sound.

Isaiah's fear disappeared as he saw the person.

"Um...excuse me...do you perhaps know where this place is?"

Isaiah asked.

After Isaiah finished his words, the person right in front of him suddenly swung the metal in his hand.

Isaiah was able to dodge that swing, and he noticed that the person right in front of him is a human zombie.

Isaiah tensed and tripped.

The zombie swung the metal its holding, but before it could hit Isaiah, a monster killed the zombie, and blood splashed around, Isaiah's face got splashed by the blood too.

The monster who killed the zombie starts eating the zombie's body.

Isaiah's hand started to tremble as he saw the scenery.

"..."

Isaiah remained silent despite the disgusting scenery right in front of him, he was used to seing things like that because he loves to watch horror movies.

As the time the monster decides to bit the torso of the zombie.

Isaiah tried to composed his self, he picked up the metal that the zombie was holding and runs.

The monster noticed and chased after him. But the monster was able to catch up, the monster then hit Isaiah using it's claws, Isaiah got thrown wildly resulting for him to get hit on the nearest wall.

Isaiah dropped the metal he's holding and fell to the ground.

"Ack!!!..."

He stand up and walked slowly, blood dripped in his face, his consciousness is also slowly fading, the monster also stopped running and decided to wait for Isaiah to lost consciousness.

Isaiah remembered his brother and the time when they're still traning kendo.

***

"How weak...you swing your sword so slow...Isaiah!!!.."

Isaac said those words and swong a shinai at the same time.

The shinai hit Isaiah's head.

Isaiah stepped back because of the hit Isaac delivered.

"B-but im already giving my very best brother..." Isaiah answered.

"If you're this weak, how are you gonna save yourself if im not around!!!..."

Isaac shouted, and hit Isaiah a strong blow.

In that short moment, Isaiah remembered his brother words that awakened him to protect his self from the danger.

***

Isaiah picked the metal that he dropped, the monster noticed Isaiah's behaviour and swung the metal its holding, but Isaiah was able to blocked the attack using the metal he picked and pushed it.

The monster lost its balance, that was a nice timing to kill the monster, Isaiah swung the metal he's holding with his might, and the head of the monster got crashed in just one swing.

Blood scattered all over, and it hit Isaiah's face, so he wiped it using the back of his hand. Isaiah's face was expressionless that time, and suddenly a message box appeared right in front of him.

[You have Levelled up]

[You have Levelled up]

[You have been acknowledged by the Snow Princess]

[Some tower spirit has taking alike of your coolnes]

[You have been gifted a new skill by the spirit named Snow Princess]

[Generating new skill]

[Opening status window]

[Name: Isaiah Esther

Nickname: none

Title:none

Age: 16

Lvl: 3

Skill(s): ice manipulation, frost sword creation

Unique skill(s):???

Clan: none ]

"Ice manipulation?..."

"....why is my unique skill in question marks?..." Isaiah's thoughts.

Isaiah tried to imagine releasing ice into the metal he's holding, and to his surprise the metal turned into ice instantly.

Isaiah looked amazed by what he saw.

Seconds after the status window disappeared, another message appeared.

[Congratulations on surviving the trial for 7 days you have past the trial]

"What?...7 days? But i woke up just now. Did i perhaps slept the whole 7 days and still survived?..."

A man with black suit suddenly appeared in Isaiah's back.

"Good to meet you one of the player who survived the trial."

"Gahh!!!..."

Isaiah shouted in shock.

"How about giving a warning before suddenly appearing in someone else back."

"My apologie dear player."

The man then bow down, and looked at Isaiah in interest.

"..."

Isaiah keep staring at the man for second before the man broke the silence.

"Pardon for the late introduction... i am one of the administrators that operates the trial of the tower. And you, as a new player of the tower, you will get to choose if you want to make a nickname for your self before entering the tower or just stay on using your original name."

"I can decide whether i want to make a nickname for myself? "

"Yes...you can directly write it in your status window, just say the word status window and it will immediately appear, it will also just appear on its own if you obtained a skill, and would disspear if you say 'close' in thoughts."

Isaiah can't see the man's face well, but he can hear from his tone that he is smiling.

"...status window..."

[Name: Isaiah Esther

Nickname: none

Title:none

Age: 16

Lvl: 3

Skill(s): ice manipulation, frost sword creation

Unique skill(s):???

Clan: none ]

"Ohh...the one that appeared right in front of me just now was called status window, like the one in games." Isaiah's thoughts.

"May i ask something, for what is this thing called clan?"

"Its like a group you belong to, but some clans are all blood related, some are also just friends or enemies that happened to joined the same group, it's really similar to groups."

"Ohh...is that so....by the way ive already set a nickname for myself.

"Well if so...then i shall guide you, to the waiting area."

The man took his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over to Isaiah.

"I recommend cleaning your bloody face using this handkerchief before we proceed to the waiting area dear player. "

Isaiah frozed for a moment and immediately accept the handkerchief.

"T-thanks."

The man grinned "You are always welcome."

"Always?..." Isaiah's thoughts.

Isaiah followed the man until they arrived in a strange door. After the man opened the door. Isaiah was blinded by the sudden shimmering light.

"Just where do this lights came from in the first place. " Isaiah looked annoyed.

Isaiah noticed a bunch of people in group or alone. Isaiah entered the place and looked back to see the man's face under the light.

"...."

Isaiah was shock as he no longer see any door connected to any place, he saw nothing but a white wall, and the man who guided him also disappeared.

"Where did he go?..."

"Hey!!!..."

Isaiah looked at the person who called him. He saw a blond lady around it's 20's wearing a oversize white coat in jeans, and brown t-shirt.

"Y-yes?.."

"It's nice to meet you, I am Rain, want to become the last member of our group?..." She said while gently smiling.

"...yes??"

Isaiah is confused about Rain's sudden proposal.

"Ohh....sorry about that, i was just so happy about your arrival." Rain looked back to her team mates. " Well as you can see, we actually lack 1 more player to ascend to 3rd trial." Rain awkwardly said.

*hiss*

「Ehem..ahh....ahhh....mic check....mic-....」

「The mic is already on.」

「Ah...sorry for delayed announcement, we just have to make sure there's no other player who survived the 1st trial. As you guys already know, all of you survivors have to form a team of 5, as for those who lacks the number....im sorry but we'll have to eliminate you」