Chapter 3- Entering the Tower

Reed was fully aware that he was going against his mothers' wishes and outright disobeying them. However, his determination to enter the tower was unshakable. At 15, he longed for the autonomy of adulthood, believing it would grant him the freedom he yearned for.

The line leading to the tower's entrance was vast, meticulously divided and organized, presenting Reed with a conundrum. He neither wished to languish at the line's tail end nor rudely barge into someone else's spot. So, he chose to stand at a discreet distance from the entry point, observing the orderly process.

To expedite the entry, guards had already collected and confirmed IDs in advance. When the countdown reached zero, they could promptly admit the eager participants.

'I can wait for the gates to open,' Reed mused, 'and once there's a rush, I'll seamlessly blend in and enter the tower.'

As he watched the proceedings, Reed overheard a guard addressing someone in the line, "You are under 15, get out of the line."

The response came from a girl, "But I brought a guardian with me."

The guard inquired, "Where is your guardian?"

"My brother. He's a rank F hero. He joined the evacuation team, so he's currently with the other Heroes," the girl explained with a calm demeanor.

With a sage nod, the guard offered advice, "The gates will remain open for 24 hours. You can wait and enter the tower with him once he returns."

Reed absorbed this exchange and contemplated his own predicament. 'If I get caught,' he reasoned, 'I'll be unceremoniously ejected and forfeit my chance this year. Perhaps I should find a guardian who can vouch for me. I'll sweeten the deal with some money and assure them that they're free to go their own way once I'm safely inside the tower.'

With his plan forming, Reed began scanning the crowd for a prospective partner, someone who might be tempted by a quick payday.

Reed moved through the bustling booths and crowds with an eagle eye, meticulously scanning the area for a potential ally. His steps were cautious, and he maintained a keen awareness of his surroundings. 'I need to be careful here,' he reminded himself.

 'If I attempt to bribe someone, and they expose me, it could lead to significant trouble. Not only that, but if word gets out that the world's strongest hero's brother resorted to such tactics, it might tarnish brother Eric's reputation. I can't allow that to happen.'

As he continued his discreet reconnaissance, Reed suddenly found himself face to face with a familiar figure: the pink-haired girl, Zora Stellar.

Reed blinked in surprise, puzzled as to why she had blocked his path.

"Finally... found you," Zora said, her words punctuated by the heavy panting that signaled she'd been scouring the area for Reed.

"Looking for me?" Reed raised an eyebrow. "Oh, if you're here to thank me for letting you in, you should be thanking my brother Eric."

Zora shook her head, her breath slowly returning to normal. "No, I'm not here for that. But yes, I am indeed grateful for that."

Reed's curiosity piqued, and he questioned, "Then why are you here?"

With an inquisitive gleam in her eyes, Zora inquired, "Where is your sister?"

Reed furrowed his brow, musing, "Uhh... Mary? Why would she be here?"

Zora clarified, "I'm talking about Hero Erika—the world's 'true' strongest hero." She emphasized the word 'true,' hinting at something intriguing.

Reed nodded in response to Zora's query. "Oh, her. Well, she's not here. Don't you know she retired last year?"

Erika, Eric's twin sister, and another world-renowned hero, had forged a remarkable legacy in the post-apocalyptic world. Three years after the calamity had struck, Eric and Erika emerged as humanity's strongest heroes, captivating the hearts of countless admirers. Their dual dominance stirred up a passionate debate among their fans, spawning online factions that sparred over who was truly the strongest: Eric or Erika.

For years, the fervent rivalry between Eric's supporters and Erika's enthusiasts had raged on the internet, resulting in daily conflicts and heated arguments. One faction staunchly insisted that Eric was the unparalleled hero, while the opposing side fervently championed Erika as the supreme protector of humanity. The online battles had even escalated to real-world confrontations, causing chaos and division among the people.

Yet, everything had changed when Erika made an unexpected announcement—her retirement as a hero. Her decision sent shockwaves throughout the world, leaving her fans devastated and perplexed. Erika offered no explanation for her sudden withdrawal from the hero community, further fueling speculation and curiosity. The world had lost a beloved hero, and the mystery of her departure lingered like a shadow over her legacy.

"I know she retired, but she was supposed to join the event today, right?" Zora inquired, her voice filled with optimism as she smiled at Reed.

Reed shook his head, disheartening Zora with the truth. "No, she has never made a public appearance after her retirement. She isn't coming today or ever."

Zora's initial enthusiasm about meeting her hero, Erika, had dimmed with the disappointing news of Erika's absence. She had hoped for a chance to see her idol up close, but her dream had crumbled.

"That's impossible! Her fan page on social media guaranteed that she would come today! All of their leaks have been true and accurate!"

Reed shook his head. "She is not coming."

Zora's eyes welled with frustration, her voice on the verge of tears. "But why? I even bought a pass to this event so that I could meet her!"

Reed's curiosity piqued when Zora mentioned buying the pass. "Bought?" he asked, surprised. "But the passes to the stadium are free and selected from a pool of people based on their luck with a spinning wheel." Reed's eyes widened as realization dawned. "Wait, don't tell me you bought the pass from the black market?"

Zora fell into a solemn silence, her eyes averting, and she nodded slightly, admitting, "I did. I spent a year's worth of savings to buy the pass. I just wanted to meet my hero."

Reed couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Zora. He could potentially call Erika and arrange for a meet-up with Zora, or he could offer to take her to a private location where Erika could join them. However, his primary goal was to enter the tower, and involving Erika in this matter could jeopardize his plans.

After a brief pause, Reed posed a question. "Was your sole purpose for coming here to meet her?"

"No, I am entering the tower too," Zora replied, her eyes displaying a glimmer of determination.

"Hmm~" Reed mused for a few seconds before he inquired, "How old are you?"

Zora was taken aback by Reed's sudden interest in her age and voiced her confusion, "Huh? Why do you want to know my age? I am three months into my 18th year."

"We can help each other," Reed offered, his tone tinged with possibility.

"What?" Zora wore a quizzical expression and appeared cautious, suspecting that Reed might be attempting to exploit her in some way.

"Be my guardian."

"Hah?" Zora's confusion deepened.

"I am under 15, so I can't enter the tower without a guardian. But if you become my guardian, I can."

"Wait, you are under 15?!" Zora exclaimed, her surprise evident. "I thought we were the same age!"

"Genetics," Reed replied casually. "Anyway, if you help me, I will help you."

"Like...?"

"Once we have cleared the tower, I will set up a meeting for you with sis. No, scratch that. I will ask her to have dinner with you."

"Really?!"

"Ye...s? So will you help me?"

"Okay. What do I have to do?"

Reed leaned in closer to Zora, his voice dropping to a hushed tone as he outlined their arrangement. "Just be my guardian and register me in your gadget. After that, we can go our own ways."

Zora hesitated, her mind swirling with suspicion and excitement. She couldn't shake the feeling that Reed's proposal was too good to be true.

 'Why would he make a deal like that? I just have to take him into the tower, and I'm done? I'll get to have dinner with Hero Erika after we clear the tower?!"

Reed, realizing Zora's doubts, attempted to sweeten the deal further. "So? I can give you more things if you want. Money and such."

Zora mulled it over, her thoughts racing as the prospect of a dinner with her hero seemed too tantalizing to resist. "Alright. I will help you in return for dinner with Hero Erika," she finally agreed.

"Let's go then." Reed was brimming with excitement, eager to set his plan in motion.

"Wait, we first have to add you to my hero gadget. Let's go to the service booth first and get that sorted out."

As the countdown reached zero, the gates of the towers swung opened, and a surge of people poured inside, their cheers filling the air.

Zora and Reed observed the bustling scene and exchanged glances.

"There's no need to hurry. The gates will remain open for twenty-four hours," Zora remarked, offering a note of reassurance.

"Yes," Reed replied, though his thoughts raced. 'I can't tell her that I'm in a hurry because if Brother Eric returns, everything I've done so far will be in vain.' He sighed inwardly.

Reed and Zora made their way to the service booth, where Zora made her request.

"Okay, that will be done," the booth worker stated. "Please give me your gadget, and I'll update it for you."

Zora handed over her hero gadget to the worker.

"Can I have confirmation from this young man?" The worker turned to Reed.

Reed didn't have a hero gadget since it was given when an individual turned 15, and Reed hadn't yet reached that age.

"Yes, I confirm," Reed asserted.

"Okay, let's get started then." The worker placed the gadget on a specific device, and the screen displayed all the necessary details.

Zora Stellar - No past battles.

Hero name - Battle Princess.

Reed couldn't help but chuckle softly when he noticed Zora's flushed face. Erika, her idol, went by the hero name "Battle Queen," so Zora's choice of "Battle Princess" seemed endearingly fitting, and Reed found it father cute.

"What about you, young man? What do you want to choose as your hero name?" the worker inquired.

Reed contemplated his options. 'I can select any hero name and change it later if needed. According to clause 9.69 of the hero association, any hero younger than 18 can change their hero names an unlimited number of times. However, once a hero turns 18, they can no longer change their hero name, and it becomes trademarked. This means that no one else can use the same hero name.'

"Reed," he decided, opting to use his real name as his hero name.

Zora seemed taken aback by his choice. "Hmm? You plan to use your real name as your hero name?"

"Yeah," Reed confirmed.

 'If a hero uses their real name as their hero name, their real name gets trademarked. So, if an organization or agency hires that hero and they sign a contract, the hero might face difficulty finding another job due to legal restrictions. My name won't be trademarked until I'm 18 and officially register as a hero. Besides, the only reason I'm using my real name is so Brother Eric and the others can know that I've entered the tower. At least they won't search for me elsewhere.'

After a few minutes of the registration process, Reed was successfully added to Zora's hero gadget.

"Let's go now!" Reed was eager to head to the tower, but Zora halted him by grabbing his collar from behind.

"You don't have any armor or weapons with you. Let's get you something first. You can't go into the tower defenseless and unarmed. Otherwise, you'll risk dying on the trial floor," Zora warned.

"It's fine. I'll buy a weapon from the first world after we clear the trial floor," Reed replied.

"Did you even hear what I just said? Weapons in the tower are super expensive."

"I'm aware."

"So it's better if we get one from here."

Zora dragged Reed to a nearby weapon booth and said, "We're here to buy some equipment."

"What kind of equipment are you looking for?" asked the woman at the booth.

Zora turned to Reed and inquired, "What weapon are you most skilled with? If you're entering the tower, you must have had some training."

Reed glanced at the assortment of weapons and replied, "I'm okay with anything."

Zora couldn't help but sigh. 'I understand that he doesn't care about spending money unnecessarily since he's rich, but not caring about his life by choosing any random weapon... this kid is an idiot. Does he think he'll be as strong as his siblings just because they're the world's strongest heroes? Or that money can solve all his problems, even in the tower?'

"Give me the most expensive weapon you have," Reed told the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper presented a premium-grade sword and placed it on the platform.

Reed examined the sword and inquired about its price. "Are you going to accept payment in this world's currency or the tower's currency?" the shopkeeper asked.

"This world," Reed responded.

"It'll be $2500. It's made from premium-grade materials and--"

"Done." Reed handed the cash to the shopkeeper, not allowing her to finish.

Zora couldn't help but feel disappointed with Reed's impulsive spending. However, it wasn't her money, so she shrugged it off.

"Show us some armor too," Zora requested from the shopkeeper.

"I'm sorry, but we're out of armor. A party came earlier and bought all the armors," the shopkeeper explained.

"That's okay. Armor isn't necessary," Reed decided, addressing the shopkeeper, and then turned to Zora. "Can we go now?"

Zora led the way towards the tower, and Reed followed. They joined the line and waited their turn.

"You paid too much for that sword. You should have tried to negotiate before making the purchase," Zora commented to Reed. "I know it's none of my business, but I just don't like people taking things for granted that they haven't earned."

"I am aware." Reed glanced at the sword and admitted, "I could have obtained this sword for less than $2000 if I had haggled, but..."

'I can't tell her I am in a hurry and didn't want to waste my time bargaining,' Reed uttered inwardly.

Zora sensed there was more to his decision but didn't press the matter further.

After several minutes, it was finally Reed and Zora's turn. The guard at the gate stopped them and requested an ID. Zora presented her hero gadget, and the guards checked it.

"Hmm, you can go," the guard affirmed, nodding at his companion to allow them passage.

And so, they entered the tower. However, something bizarre occurred twelve hours after their entrance.

The tower's structure underwent a drastic transformation, growing taller and changing both its infrastructure and design. The beginner's tower, originally a level 1 tower for new heroes, had somehow evolved into a level 1000 tower.