The Tower

「 First floor trial: Defeat a single goblin and prove your strength! 」

Monsters with green skin materialized. About 150 cm tall. Wearing helmets, they held crooked swords. Their backs were hunched, and their green skin looked hideous. For modern people, it would be hard for normal people who didn't have any combat experience to fight it since just seeing the hideous goblin would scare them.

"What are those monsters?"

「 'Jenelyn' feels fear! All attributes decrease by 30%. 」

「 'Dominique' feels fear! All attributes decrease by 30%. 」

「 ..... 」

Their fear intensifies. Some people even ran away with tears in their eyes. Cyruz sighed at the sight of them being scared. He couldn't criticize them when its in human instinct to feel fear. Well he was aware that the purpose of this trial was to test whether a person has the potential or not. Naturally, the sooner you defeat it, the higher your score is and the better the reward when clearing the floor.

"In the first try, it would be good to get it under a minute."

Reminiscing the past, Cyruz continued. "Well it took me 15 seconds though." He said recalling his previous record which was the top 3 in the past. Despite not being the best that time, he was satisfied being the third among millions of people.

Of course, he was aiming for the best this time. Holding the knife in his hand, He focused on his legs. Circulate the air to every fiber of his muscles, to every blood vessels. Build up the strength in one of the legs, and then blast it in a single breath like thunderclap cutting through the air. Cyruz then started to breathe and his breath was loud enough that it was heard by all the people around him.

Just like what the image in his mind, Cyruz channeled his strength into his legs, maximizing the output of every single muscle and blood vessel in them. Then...

「 Trial Start! 」

The moment Cyruz saw the message...

*Swoosh!*

Gripping the knife, Cyruz dashed forward at blinding speeds that mimic lightning ripping through the air, and decapitated the head of the goblin which instantly flew from its body.

「 Time Cleared: 0.2 Seconds. 」

Looking at the message, Cyruz narrowed his eyes.

"Did I get a perfect score?"

As he questions, a barrage of notifications appears in his vision.

「 Congratulations! You have succeeded in soloing a goblin in the shortest amount of time on the first attempt! 」

「 All major stats permanently increase by 10 and your luck stat will be opened. 」

「 You received the only hidden reward. 」

「 As a bonus reward, you have received the skill 'Skill Collector (SSS)' 」

In the tower, the ranks of each skills are divided into nine levels corresponding to a certain letter in the alphabet, E being the weakest and SSS being the strongest.

Cyruz was truly satisfied with the system messages but as far as he know, this should be the hidden reward. The reward for clearing the first floor normally is separated from it.

「 As a reward, you have unlocked your 'Innate Ability.' 」

The trial success reward for the first floor is to unlock their innate skills.

"An innate ability…"

It was something that everyone has as long as they can pass the trial of the first floor. The next couple of messages confirm what had just happened.

「 Innate ability unlocked. 」

「 Innate ability 'Hyper Cell (A)' has been imprinted on the player. 」

Generally speaking, being able to draw an A-rank unique skill was an incredible feat. Even before his rebirth, Cyruz had not seen many people with S class innate skills and above. These people were usually chosen by the godlike beings and could rise up at the fastest speed and become a true powerhouse.

Setting aside his excitement, Cyruz turned around at the people. "As you can see, there's nothing to fear with this thing." The people were taken aback of what he said. Cyruz didn't mind as he continue.

Will it hurt if I get hit by that sword?

If I die here, will I die in reality too?

Or will I wake up from this dream?

It's clear to Cyruz that those sentences were in their minds.

"This green monster is smaller than you. It is probably weaker than you so..."

Before Cyruz could finish his words, a certain person understood what he was implying and began his move. Kicking off the ground, he sprinted his way to the goblin. The young man has short blonde hair, deep brown eyes, muscular jawline, and well-built body.

With a tense expression, he swung his sword. Although his movement was quite clumsy, the goblin was still done in a single attack. Just like what Cyruz wanted to convey earlier, the goblin's physique was smaller than a person. At best, it was the size of a middle school student. Its limbs were thin and frail. In terms of muscles, it probably wasn't that strong. Whether it's an elementary or middle school student, one stab with a sword would be enough.

Though it was because he experienced this already, Cyruz was aware that all it will take to take down a goblin is just a single hit since this floor is still the tutorial. Even the goblin died, the young man used all of his willpower to make a move. It didn't take long for him to instantly feel that his stamina was draining rapidly.

As the goblin and the young man fell together, Cyruz who stood in his position suddenly grinned while looking at the young man. His entire presence and aura were like that of a newly-forged sword straight from the furnace, with keen and sharp edges that threatened to cut anything that obstructed its path.

He recognized that man. Someone who's one of his friends in the Tower of Trials before his regression but before that, he was the first ranker to have reached the first number one ranked scores in each and everyone of the Tower's rankings from the Floor 1 to Floor 70. As Cyrus was spectating the strongest ranker in his past life, other people also made their move. Since two people had already slain a goblin, they felt relieved that it was possible for them too.

Unfortunately, some people had underestimated the goblin too much. They forgot their position that the goblins in the surrounding were the predators in this trial.

"Kyaaaah!"

"What, what the hell! He's dead? He's dead! What is this!"

「 'Bernard' feels tremendous fear! All attributes decrease by 80%. 」

「 ..... 」

People were running around in a panic, not knowing whether to move forward or backward. In the past, millions of human beings perished in Floor 1. They were the people who weren't able to adapt in the sudden change.

「 You will be summoned to the 2nd Floor's waiting zone. 」

Before he knew it, Cyruz found himself in a spacious hall. The hall was entirely made of white marble. There was a chandelier hanging down in the ceiling, illuminating the whole area with soft ambient light.

"The waiting room... I didn't make it."

Cyruz said to himself disheartingly. Although he wanted to kill more goblins to boost the moral of the people and give them hope of survival, he was already summoned to the waiting room for successfully clearing the floor trial. Waiting room, a great place where players can rest without any worries for danger.

However after the 11th floor, there will no longer be a waiting room. Only at the first ten floors where new players starts their trials. In other words, the waiting room is one of the most important places for the players.

"Well it can't be helped." Thinking that he wasn't able to help earlier, Cyruz decided to redirect his attention. It was to check the rewards he obtained for clearing the first floor. He checked the innate skill that he awakened first.

[Hyper Cell]

Rank: A

[The user's cells can passively regenerate and develop resistance to the cause of injuries.

Mana Consumption: None.

Cooldown Time: None.]

Even though he already knew about it, Cyruz smiled. It was the innate skill that accompanied him even before the regression. The skill that made it possible for him to be one of the strongest rankers in the tower.

[Skill Collector]

Rank: SSS

[You are able to copy and obtain a single skill of a target. Can be activated while in contact with the target.

Mana Consumption: None.

Skill Cooldown Time: 100 Days.]

As Cyruz proceeded to the reward he received, his eyes widened in shock. A skill that allows him to copy any skills! A skill is an ability that, on rare occasions, can be acquired in recognition of some form of personal growth. They are like formulas that, once etched onto the individual, can be instinctively used without any practice, though their efficiency and effective use require varying amounts of practice and hard work, depending on talent and compatibility with the user.

As Cyruz was about to scream in delight, a portal open at his side which caught his attention. As someone who experienced climbing the Tower of Trials, he was familiar with it.

Another person from Floor 1 was sent to the waiting room after clearing the trial of Floor 1. Cyruz naturally knew the identity of that person. Jin, the 1st ranker before his regression. It hasn't been 5 seconds since Cyruz arrived here so the one who completed the trial after him was also summoned here in the waiting room.

"Where...where am I?"

As the newly arrived person opened his eyes, Cyruz replied.

"The 1st floor waiting room." Cyruz tells him what this desolate space with no furniture or whatsoever was called.

"Waiting room? What do you..."

"You should calm down first."

Cyruz calmly replied. He knew that Jin's head was full of questions.

"You probably got dragged here in this place apparently called Tower of Trials, without knowing anything. Anyway, it's currently just the two of us so we should help each other."

After a moment of silence, Jin spoke to Cyruz.

"Mmm. Not a bad idea. Having allies is definitely better than being alone."

Cyruz nodded his head as he gave a reply.

"I'm Jin. Pleasure to be your acquaintance."

Jin stretched his hand forward as he introduced his name.

"My name's Cyruz. It's a pleasure too."

Cyruz politely said while returning the handshake. He knew that Jin had a good personality as even before his regression, Jin was one of the defenders of justice in the tower. As the two of them made contacts with the hands of each other, a system message appeared in the vision of Cyruz.

「 Activate Skill Collector on target Jin? 」