Tower Floor 1: The Awkward Party Assembles
Tower 1st Floor
“Hey~ Sorry, I'm a bit late, right?”
Sitting at the inn, chatting idly with Tier and Daphne, a beggar-like voice rang in my ear—Leon. I hadn't missed our appointment time, but he'd shown up right on the dot, which wasn't ideal for adventurers with a ton of morning prep. Even on the first day, prioritizing entry into the Tower, seasoned climbers had to grab guild quests too, demanding real hustle. Daphne seemed unfazed, but Tier's tail, which had been swishing lazily after breakfast, drooped limp.
Perfect. Go off, Leon, you magnificent bastard. While I cheered inwardly, Daphne, quick to read Tier's mood, jumped in.
“N-no, it's fine! We just got here too!”
Tier let out a sigh—probably pitying Daphne's awkward shout—then stood from her seat. She knew nitpicking a non-late arrival would just make her the troublemaker, so her face twisted in resignation. Ignoring Leon's baffled stare, we left the inn and headed for the general store.
+++
“First day and all, maybe just rations and a lantern?”
“Ah! I can cast light magic, so no lantern needed.”
Leon revealed his one marginally useful skill while browsing goods, easing the party's tension a notch. In this ability-obsessed fantasy world, even an apprentice wizard was a wizard. Sure, he might've just picked a starter class in the game, but here it counted for something.
“Still, better pack oil and flint just in case.”
Floors 1 through 10 were mostly cave terrain swarming with trash mobs like goblins. Even clearing the staircase bosses every five floors, the environment didn't shift drastically, so everyone nodded at my suggestion.
“Yeah. We need food, and your mana ain't infinite, Leon.”
“Right!”
We bought gear considering every scenario, our packs bulging. No sleek, illustrated game-character vibes for us—just cluttered with essentials. Leon's face soured at the sight.
“Do we really need all this?”
Tier, who'd been eyeing him like she was waiting for an excuse, shot him a sharp glare.
“You think you know what the Tower throws at you? Better overprepared than caught short—that's basic common sense, Leon.”
Leon clammed up, deflated by Tier's fierce stare.
What would a normie like you know? Heh heh.
Reality wasn't a game. No map previews, no scouting threats—just pure tension. Leon's otaku vibe, treating it like a sim, made him useless beyond magic. Hell, without that, he was dead weight. This fumble was music to my ears. If I stayed reliable by contrast, they'd naturally lean on me, right?
“Think that's everything. We'll tackle it like this today, adjust based on what the Tower's like.”
With position-specific essentials squared away, we turned toward the Tower proper.
The massive structure loomed into view, then right before us—an awe-inspiring giant lording over the earth from the heavens. Even I paused to gawk. As we stood mesmerized by its overwhelming presence, chuckles rippled through the crowd.
“Newbies, huh? Heh.”
“Kuhahaha! Don't die on us, ladies!”
“Hey, elf sis! Catch you after floor 10—I called dibs!”
Vulgar catcalls and jeers from veteran adventurers flushed my party's faces red—all except mine. Adventurer strength was measured by floors cleared; no matter how strong I was, we were unproven rookies. Iron was the only answer to “What rank?” So we endured the hazing. Silver lining: it could fuel a fast climb.
I'm the exception, you fuckers.
I led the group to the Tower entrance administrator, memorizing those faces. The guild-staffer-looking manager smiled at our obvious rookie vibes.
“Welcome, adventurers. First time climbing?”
Glancing at my cowed party—heads bowed—he sighed.
“Yes. First entry today.”
“Then have all party members place a hand on this crystal orb.”
Snapping to, we one by one touched the orb. It was like character registration—essential. Personal data logged via the orb fed back as Tower blessings: skill acquisition from actions, pure game-like mechanics.
Well, it is a game, technically.
Low floors meant basic skills at best, but higher up? Game-changer. That's why everyone chased the climb... though not literally everyone. Adventuring was a life-on-the-line lottery, ultimate gamble on your talent.
Tier and Daphne exchanged resolute nods, steeling each other.
Women have it rougher. In this real-made world, some monsters dragged female adventurers off for breeding instead of killing. Active women adventurers? Prodigies, survivors, or desperate repeaters scraping by. Guidebook gospel.
Those goblin-orc hybrids at the guild yesterday? Probably the fallout.
Gotta sneak a peek later...
Face innocent, I patted Tier and Daphne's shoulders with a bright smile.
“Just stick close—no worries.”
I was the unbreakable tank. As long as I held, they'd be safe. My solid vibe softened theirs further. Tier's sniffing was a bonus.
What the hell is she smelling anyway?
Daphne pinched her side; Tier jolted, feigning ignorance by turning away. Amid our mini-chaos, the manager finished registration.
“As briefed, no contact with non-registered parties until after floor 10. If it's dire, run—no hesitation.”
Biggest reason normies skipped the Tower: isolated dimensions. First 10 floors? No rescues. Pure survival game. Cave terrain to boot. No guts? Monster chow or breeding stock.
PvP kicks in at 11, and it carries over like this.
Trivia nobody else knew? Whatever. Party nodded grimly, stepping onto the 1st-floor portal.
Flash!
Blinding light erupted—we'd entered the Tower at last.
+++
“Leon!”
I yelled at him staggering in the dim chaos.
“S-sorry. Light!”
A small orb of light floated above us at his chant. Tension eased; party clustered around me.
I itched to chew him out, but fine, I'll lead—solves everything. No point stirring drama pre-climb. Calmly:
“Everyone behind me. Tier, Daphne, Leon order.”
“Y-yes.”
Daphne clutched her wand tight; positions snapped into place. Normally Tier rear for rear guard, but caves meant low backstab risk—Leon got tail-end duty.
Beyond that, meat shield from behind? Reliable.
Tier by me—my girl. Daphne center—healer spot. Perfect formation. Leon shuffled silently, face taut.
Hardcore mode vibes?
In Apocalypse, killing player NPCs shifted story but not world. Leon's fear-mixed tension confirmed it. He figured death meant restart or game over?
Hence the protagonist delusion.
Good he wasn't truly infinite lives.
“Tier, enemies or traps nearby?”
Leading, I pressed forward.
“None. No iron scent or monster vibe.”
“Good. Forward march.”
Monster ambushes showed via nicknames even in dark, but traps? Tier's nose it was. Fear of the unknown silenced the party; stiff-faced, they trailed me into the depths.