The Tower

The towers that had sprouted worldwide acted as interconnected portals, leading to the enigmatic real tower. Even the gods presiding over it were acquainted with only 60% of its secrets, shrouding it in a veil of mystery.

Each floor harbored a formidable boss, their power reaching staggering heights. The monsters Davy had vanquished outside the tower were a shadow of their true selves; they had been sealed. If unleashed in their full might, he would have met his demise long ago.

Inside the tower, unimaginable beings coexisted: demons, elves, dwarves, dragons, angels, and gods. The familiar ranking system used beyond the tower's borders held no sway within its mystical confines. Instead, an entirely different hierarchy reigned:

-Supreme Being

-God Rank

-Constellation Rank

-Demigod Rank

-Ascended Rank

-Supreme Rank

-Heroic Rank

-Gold Rank

-Silver Rank

-Bronze Rank

-Human Rank

Entities from demigods and above resided outside the tower, observing its events as though watching a captivating television show. These ranks merely served as categories, with individuals and beings within the same rank existing on varying levels. Currently, Davy and his team were classified as mid-human ranks. In the tower, they were deemed average at best.

The system had withheld this vital information from him, its knowledge restricted. Upon entering the tower, they found themselves teleported to the first-floor beginner town—a striking contrast to the world outside. The beauty of the surroundings left them awestruck. Wandering through the town, they encountered elves and beast men. Davy employed his [Revealing Eye] skill to glean information. Most details surfaced, but for those ranked higher than him, only a cryptic [????] appeared, obscuring their true nature.

A knight, clad in gleaming armor, approached and him his group, his eyes scrutinizing them.

"Are you fellas from the other world?" he inquired, his tone cautious.

"That's right, we came to climb the tower," he replied confidently.

"Huhu, you? At your level, you won't even survive a low-rank dungeon. Things work differently here than in your world," the knight sneered, his voice laced with condescension.

Davy, though unwilling to admit it, understood his low rank in the tower. The mana in the air was thicker than outside, obscuring the levels of those stronger than him. The knight before him was clearly one of these formidable individuals.

"Then how do we get stronger?" He asked, determined to find a way.

"There are two options," the knight explained. "You can register at a guild and become an adventurer, taking on missions of your rank and slowly climbing the ladder. Or you can hunt in dungeons without registration, selling your cores. But I don't recommend this method. It's unwise to have no connections in this world."

Curious about their opinions, he asked his companions what they thought. They all chose the safer route of getting registered and climbing the ladder. However, Davy refused to tread such a slow path. He recognized the safety and the support that came with being registered, but the growth rate was sluggish. It would take years to reach a high-human rank, let alone higher ones.

"I don't have time for these slow methods," He said, his voice resolute. "I won't be tied down by useless things."

His friends knew he would decline registration, but they hoped he might reconsider. He turned to the knight, unyielding in his decision.

"Boy, are you trying to imply something?" the knight's aura became intimidating.

"What if I am? I simply spoke my mind," He retorted, his own aura countering the knight's.

The knight chuckled heartily. "HAHAHA, nice. I like your fearlessness. It's a shame. You would make an amazing knight. Well, I'll be going now. Oh, one last thing. You better watch yourself, boy. Not everyone is as kind as me," he warned in a serious tone before turning away and leaving.

"Hmph, remember my name, Davy, I will conquer this tower and reign supreme," he declared confidently as he walked away.

As darkness settled, they decided to find an inn to rest before continuing their journey. They arrived at the best inn in town, and upon entering, two elves immediately approached to welcome them.

"Damn, I still can't believe I'm seeing real elves," he exclaimed as he settled at a table.

The inn's patrons cast strange looks their way—was it disgust, hostility, or something else? The girls grew nervous; being stared at by different races gave off a peculiar vibe.

"Ignore them, let's order our food," he reassured the girls.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" a beast girl asked as she approached.

"Give us your best meal," he replied.

"Okay, I'll be right back, that'll be 500 zin," she said.

He paid the fee and requested three rooms, each costing 1,000 zin per night. Their food arrived, looking mouthwateringly delicious. Ari's eyes practically gleamed at the sight of it.

"What are you waiting for? Dig in," he encouraged them, picking up a piece of meat.

They began eating and sipped some light wine. Ari, however, got drunk after just one sip and passed out. The meal continued, and Suzy glanced at Sakura; they exchanged a nod.

"So, um, Davy, where exactly are we going after leaving the town?" Suzy asked, cheeks full of meat.

"I'm not sure. We'll need to gather information about the 1st floor—the monsters, the dungeons, and the boss. We need to know every little thing that might help. It'll all work out somehow. Also, I wonder where John is right now," he mused, taking a sip of wine.

After discussing their plans for a few minutes, a group of drunk adventurers stumbled in, their eyes fixated hungrily on the girls. An uncomfortable chill settled in the air as their ugly faces sneered at them. One of the adventurers glared at Davy, his missing arm eliciting disgust. Without warning, he snatched his wine and poured it over him.

"There he goes again, picking on helpless people," murmured random onlookers in the background.

"Trash like you hanging out with hot girls while a cool guy like me is single? Unacceptable, [hiccup]," he slurred, tossing away Davy's food. He spat in his drink and laughed at him before attempting to sit beside the girls, but they promptly kicked him away. Undeterred, he stood up and drew his sword.

"Don't complicate things; just come along with us. We'll treat you way better than this one-armed loser," he sneered, approaching the girls.

"Pfft, as if a girl would get together with an ugly guy like you," Sakura retorted, laughing.

"You bitch, did you just call me ugly? It seems you are seeking death."

A sudden chill ran down the spine of the other adventurer. He nervously glanced at Davy and noticed a black aura enveloping him.

"B-bro, we should l-leave, right n-now," he stammered, tapping the other guy's shoulder.

"What do you mean we should leave? Did you not hear this bitch insult me?" the aggressive man retorted, turning around.

Before he could complete his turn, the other man's head was already flying, landing on the table. Panic gripped the remaining adventurer.

"Aaah, y-you, what have you done? D-do you know who we are?"

Before he could finish his sentence, his head was also sent flying. The inn's patrons stood in shock and disbelief.

"Tsk, I was just trying to eat my dinner in peace," he muttered angrily.

"DING, you have received 50,000 points; the god of slaughter is applauding you."

"This many points from killing these weaklings? Whatever," he said, shrugging nonchalantly and sitting down.

After a few minutes, the knight from before arrived at the inn, accompanied by several other knights. They approached Davy's table, the knight wearing a distinctly pissed-off expression.

"Boy, what have you done here? You only arrived a few hours ago, and you're already causing trouble?" he demanded. 

"They asked for it," he replied nonchalantly.

"It doesn't matter, killing is strictly forbidden in this town. You will have to be imprisoned," the knight sternly declared.

"What!? So you want to let some fuckers walk all over me and attempt to kill my comrades without doing anything? Sorry, but I have a rule to never take shit from anyone, be it you or anyone else," He retorted angrily.

"Very well, you leave me no choice. Don't blame me if I cripple you," the knight warned, drawing his sword.

"Hmph, bring it on, Mr. Justice Man," He replied, activating [The Bringer of Death].

Their auras clashed, shaking the entire inn. Panicked patrons fled, not wanting to become collateral damage.

"ENOUGH!!!" A voice boomed as he approached them.

"Hm? This voice, John?" Davy asked, surprised.

"Captain, what are you doing here?" the knight inquired.

"I heard there was trouble, and my intuition told me to come here, so I did. Hey there, Davy, long time no see. How have you been, and what happened to your arm?" John asked, hugging Davy warmly.

"A lot has happened. Anyway, I'm doing fine. You also seem to be doing fine, C-A-P-T-A-I-N," he teased.

Suzy, relieved to see Davy acting like himself again, ran and hugged John. "It's been a while, John," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, you look as cute as ever, I see," John said, looking at Suzy with affection.

"Um, yeah," She replied nervously, stepping away from him.

He noticed the subtle hostility in John's gaze as Suzy moved to his side. Confused, he couldn't fathom why his best friend might harbor such animosity, especially regarding his ex.

"Master, that guy is showing hostility towards you, and it seems he has been building up this hostility for a long time," the System informed him.

"Dammit, is that true? Why would he hate me so much? Wait, could it be he wants Suzy?" he pondered, communicating with the System mentally.

"Yes, master, that appears to be the cause of his hostility towards you."

Confused but adaptable, he maintained his emotionless stare at John. He had a goal to climb the tower with his teammates, and if John posed a threat, he would be eliminated.