The stairs creaked softly beneath their weight as Arin and Kael made their way to the upper floor of the shop. The noise of the town below faded with each step, replaced by a quieter, more contained stillness. By the time they reached the top, the world outside felt distant—muted behind wood and stone.
A narrow hallway stretched ahead, lit by a single dim lantern hanging from a rusted hook. The light flickered slightly, casting uneven shadows along the walls. The place smelled faintly of dust and something older—like the wood had absorbed years of passing strangers.
The shopkeeper had said nothing when handing over the key.
Just pointed.
Room at the end.
Arin reached it first.
The door was plain. Worn. Functional.
He paused for half a second—listening.
Silence.
Then he pushed it open.
The hinges gave a low, tired creak as the door swung inward.
The room was small.
Not cramped—but not meant to be lived in either.
A single bed stood against the far wall, its thin mattress covered with rough fabric that had seen better days. A second sleeping space—a simple mat—was placed on the floor beside it. A wooden table sat near the corner, slightly uneven, with a small metal lantern resting on top. Its flame burned low but steady, casting a dull amber glow across the room.
A narrow window faced the outside.
Through it, faint light from the town filtered in, mixing with the lantern's glow. The barrier shimmered faintly in the distance—barely visible, but present.
A reminder.
They were safe.
For now.
Kael stepped in first and looked around.
"…Not exactly luxury," he muttered.
Arin followed, closing the door behind them with a soft click.
"…It's enough."
Kael dropped onto the bed without thinking. It creaked under him, but held.
"…I've slept in worse," he said, staring at the ceiling.
Arin didn't respond. His eyes moved across the room once—slow, deliberate. Corners. Shadows. Entry points.
Nothing unusual.
Still—
he noted everything.
Only after that did he move.
"…We clean up first," he said.
Kael groaned.
"…Seriously?"
Arin glanced at him.
"…You want to stay like this?"
Kael looked down at himself—dust, dried blood, torn fabric.
A pause.
"…Yeah, okay. Fair."
There was a small basin in the corner, filled with slightly cloudy water. Not fresh—but usable.
Kael went first, splashing water onto his face, running it through his hair. Dirt washed away in streaks, revealing clearer skin beneath. He let out a quiet breath, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
"…That helps," he muttered.
Arin followed.
He moved more quietly, more efficiently. No wasted motion. He cleaned his hands, his face, wiping away the grime of the battlefield with calm precision.
The water turned darker.
Evidence of where they had been.
What they had done.
Neither of them spoke about it.
When they were done, the room felt slightly different.
Not cleaner—
but lighter.
Kael stretched, rolling his shoulders as he leaned back against the wall.
"…Alright," he said. "…Now what?"
Arin didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached into his pocket.
And pulled it out.
The white crystal.
The Memory Shard.
It rested in his palm, faintly translucent. Soft lines pulsed within it, like something alive beneath the surface.
Waiting.
Kael's eyes shifted to it instantly.
"…So that's the thing, huh."
Arin nodded slightly.
"…Everything we need to know. Or at least the basics."
Kael leaned forward, curiosity replacing his earlier fatigue.
"…Hope it's worth it."
Arin didn't respond.
His gaze remained on the crystal.
Studying it.
Analyzing.
"…He said we need to infuse it with soul energy," Kael added.
"…Yes."
A brief pause.
"…Which means it reacts to us."
Kael smirked slightly.
"…Everything here reacts to us."
Arin didn't disagree.
He stepped toward the table and placed the shard at its center. The faint glow inside it pulsed once, as if acknowledging the contact.
The room grew quieter.
Even the faint noise from outside seemed to fade.
Kael shifted slightly, his gaze fixed on the shard in Arin's hand. "…You going first?"
Arin gave a small nod.
Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on the crystal and slowly infused it with his soul energy. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then—
The shard reacted.
A sudden pulse of light burst outward, and a translucent screen—no, something more refined than the system interface—formed in front of them. It wasn't just floating data. It felt structured. Designed. Like a lesson waiting to be delivered.
Kael leaned back slightly, eyes widening. "…A hologram?"
Arin didn't answer. His eyes were already scanning it.
The light stabilized, forming clear lines and symbols. Then, a calm, neutral voice echoed through the space—not loud, but impossible to ignore.
"Basic Knowledge Initialized."
The screen shifted.
Tower Rules
The words appeared first, bold and absolute.
"Fundamental Rule: Power comes from the soul."
A pause.
"Not just energy… but existence itself."
Kael frowned slightly, repeating it under his breath. "…Existence itself…"
The voice continued, unbothered.
"When a being dies, its soul does not disappear immediately."
"It becomes… absorbable."
The air felt heavier as the next section appeared.
Soul Absorption
"Primary method of growth."
"Absorbing souls grants—"
The lines shifted one by one.
"—Soul Memory"
"—Skill Inheritance"
"—Battle Experience"
"—Raw Power Increase"
Images flickered briefly—someone swinging a sword, movements sharp and precise, then another figure mimicking it instantly.
Kael's eyes sharpened. "…So that's why…"
Arin didn't speak, but he understood.
The voice continued.
"Skill inheritance depends on compatibility."
"Not all skills can be used by all individuals."
Kael exhaled slowly. "…So you can absorb it… but not always use it properly."
"Correct."
The response came instantly.
Then—
The tone shifted slightly.
Darker.
Side Effects
"Excessive absorption of human souls—"
A brief pause.
"—leads to Soul Overload."
The light dimmed for a fraction of a second.
"Symptoms include—"
"—Loss of control"
"—Mental instability"
"—Compulsive aggression"
"—Uncontrolled hunger for souls"
Kael's expression tightened.
"…So you go insane."
Arin's voice was quiet.
"…And keep killing."
The screen flickered again.
"Strong souls may resist absorption."
"Forcing absorption may result in backlash."
The next section formed.
Soul Types
"Normal Monster Souls—"
"—Provide minor stat increases."
"Elite Monster Souls—"
"—Provide significant stat increases."
"Named Monster Souls—"
"—May grant skills and combat experience."
Kael nodded slowly. "…Makes sense so far…"
Then—
"Human Souls—"
The tone sharpened.
"—Provide high skill transfer and battle experience."
"—Carry high risk of mental corruption."
Kael let out a quiet breath. "…Yeah… figured."
But the next line made him go silent.
"Corrupted Souls—"
"—Grant immense power."
"—Severely corrupt the user."
A faint distortion rippled across the screen, like something unstable.
Arin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
"Origin Souls—"
The light stabilized again.
"—Extremely rare."
"—Form naturally."
"—Grant entirely new abilities."
Silence followed that.
Even Kael didn't joke this time.
"…So that's the jackpot," he muttered.
The screen shifted again.
Weapons
"Normal Weapons—"
"—Created from standard materials."
"—Common."
A simple blade appeared briefly.
"Boss Drops—"
"—Rare."
"—Highly powerful."
The image changed—larger, more refined, radiating faint energy.
"Soul Weapons—"
"—Created using soul energy."
"—Can grow stronger over time."
Kael leaned forward slightly. "…That sounds useful."
"Bound Weapons—"
The tone changed again.
"—Linked to the user."
"—Destroyed upon user's death."
"—Evolve alongside the user."
"—Highly powerful."
Arin's gaze lingered there for a moment longer than the others.
Then—
The next section appeared.
Monolith
"—Used to update status."
"—Grant rewards."
"—Act as system anchors."
A faint image of the monolith formed.
"Certain Monoliths provide protection."
"Town barriers are generated by Monolith systems."
Kael glanced toward Arin. "…So that thing is basically everything."
Arin didn't deny it.
The screen shifted once more.
Rank System
"Rank is Floor-Based."
"Indicates relative strength within current progression."
Lines formed beneath it.
"If you are on Floor 1 with Rank D → D1."
"If you are on Floor 2 with Rank S → S2."
A pause.
Then—
A final line.
"The lowest rank of a higher floor will always surpass the highest rank of a lower floor."
Kael let out a low whistle.
"…So even the weakest guy on the next floor is stronger than the strongest here."
Arin nodded faintly.
"…Hierarchy."
The final list appeared.
"Rank Order—"
"F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS"
"SSS — Highest Rank"
Additional Tower Information
"Floor Designation: Each floor represents a different world."
"Current Floor — Floor 1: Goblin World."
A faint image flickered—endless rocky terrain, scattered ruins, and hordes of goblins roaming under a dim sky.
"This world is inhabited primarily by goblin-type monsters."
"Threat level: ???."
The screen shifted.
Currency System
"The primary currency used within the Tower is—Soul Shards."
A black crystal appeared in the projection.
"Obtained by defeating monsters."
"Quality and quantity depend on the strength of the target."
"Used for trading, services, equipment, and information."
Silence followed.
The information settled in slowly.
Heavy.
Important.
Final.
Then—
The voice returned.
Calm.
Unchanging.
"That concludes basic knowledge."
"Use this information wisely."
A brief pause.
"…Survive."
The light flickered once—
Then vanished.
The hologram collapsed instantly.
The room returned.
Dim.
Quiet.
Still.
The crystal in Arin's hand trembled slightly—
Then crumbled.
Turning into fine dust that slipped through his fingers and scattered onto the wooden floor.
Kael stared at it.
"…And it's gone."
Arin didn't respond immediately.
His eyes remained forward.
Processing.
Analyzing.
Adapting.
Then—
"…We understand the rules now," he said quietly.
Kael exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"…Yeah…"
A pause.
"…Doesn't make it any less messed up."
Arin finally looked at him.
"…No."
Silence settled between them.
But it wasn't confusion anymore.
It was clarity.
And that—
was far more dangerous.
"MISSION UPDATE"
Third Mission: Complete