I Forgot to Lock the Front Door
Climbers refer to those who climb the towers.
At first, they were called by various names like "Awakened" or "Transcendent," but ever since the System defined them as Climbers, everyone has unified under that name.
Only the System knows the criteria by which they are chosen.
Those selected as Climbers change their class to a "Class" recommended by the System, thereby gaining the strength to climb the towers.
Afterward, they can strengthen their Class or undergo a Second Class Advancement into a derivative profession by overcoming the tower's trials and hunting the monsters that inhabit it.
For example, Healer, Pyromancer, and Necromancer are derivative classes of the Mage, while Magic Swordsman, Dual Blader, and Holy Knight are derivative classes of the Swordsman.
In addition, there are Rare Classes that can only be unlocked by meeting specific conditions, such as Soldier, Ninja, and Dragon Knight.
All Climbers must wear equipment that matches their Class; otherwise, they suffer various penalties.
For instance, if a Mage uses a bow, the arrow's power is reduced by 70%, or their accuracy drops drastically.
Firearms and explosives, in particular, can suffer up to a 95% reduction in power due to incompatibility with one's Class, so most Climbers stick strictly to weapons suited to their profession.
Furthermore, the use of electronic devices is virtually impossible inside the towers.
Most devices that rely on electricity as a power source do not function inside the towers and cannot be used until one exits.
The exact reason remains unclear, but according to a Climber of the Electromancer Class, "Inside the towers, mana interferes with all electricity, making the current and voltage highly unstable."
And finally, there is the class with the most difficult and complex advancement conditions—the Unique Class.
The advancement conditions for Unique Classes are barely known, and even if they are revealed, they are often nearly impossible for an ordinary Climber to achieve.
Consequently, Climbers who have advanced to a Unique Class are extremely rare.
Yet, in South Korea, there already exists a famous holder of a Unique Class.
His name is—the Gravitomancer, Crow.
As Crow walked nonchalantly toward the portal, several members of the Glory Guild guarding the perimeter hurriedly blocked his path.
"Hold on! This is a dangerous zone right now—"
"Move."
A single word, uttered short and low.
It was neither a threat nor a shout, yet the weight of that single word bound their ankles like gravity itself.
Silence, tension, and an inexplicable dread hung in the air.
And just like that, Crow easily bypassed them...
"What? Who do you think you are, telling us to move?!"
...Or not. Such convenient, dramatic developments didn't actually happen. (?)
How annoying...
Honestly, this was the more realistic reaction.
Thus, Crow naturally pulled a business card from his pocket and held it out.
"I am Crow, ranked 9th globally. I'm here to investigate this portal. May I pass now?"
"Ranked 9th... Crow?! Gasp! Our apologies!"
Only then realizing the situation, the Glory Guild members gasped and scrambled out of his way.
In the areas where Crow usually operated, his masked face was already famous.
However, this area fell under the Glory Guild's jurisdiction, so many here simply didn't know what he looked like.
Without a word, Crow walked past them and stood before the portal.
Catching his breath beneath his crow mask, Crow stared at the portal, sensing an inexplicable gravitational pull.
"...Appraise."
The moment he calmly activated the skill, a system window materialized before his eyes.
This portal connects to the 95th floor of 'My House Tower'.
※ WARNING: Difficulty unmeasurable.
Appraisal Result - If you enter this portal, you cannot return here until the trial is cleared.
Would you like to enter the portal?
"My House Tower... What an odd name."
Crow muttered quietly, then nodded.
"No need to hesitate. I'm going in."
Crow stepped into the portal without a second thought.
Instantly, his vision warped, and the world plunged into darkness.
The Meeting Room on the 99th floor of My House Tower.
Tricia leaned back in her chair and stretched.
"Ugh... Is it just the 55th floor and the 87th to 89th floors left to configure?"
"Groooaaan..."
"So tired... So sleepy..."
In just a single night, most of the trials and rewards had been configured.
Furthermore, each warp point was now set so that anyone who wasn't a resident of the tower had to clear the trial of that floor to pass. Some resting floors, however, were improved to allow free passage without needing a clear.
All of this was thanks to the cooperation of the floor managers.
One by one, the managers who finished setting up their trials and rewards left. Now, only three remained in the Meeting Room: Tricia, Ju Ji-ye, and Sian Nightmare.
Only four floors left to configure.
The reason it was taking so long, however... was because Ju Ji-ye and Sian Nightmare kept trying to insert bizarre trials.
Resting her chin on both hands, Tricia asked Ju Ji-ye,
"The 55th floor was the greenhouse for growing the World Tree sapling, right? How is it looking now?"
"Uh... A massive plot of land and a sky have formed there now, so we could honestly just grow the World Tree normally."
"Great. Let's make the trial something peaceful, like 'Earning the Recognition of the World Tree's Spirit'."
"It'd be fun to make the trial 'Burn Down the World Tree'!"
"Hey."
"...Just kidding, just kidding."
Thus, the trial for the 55th floor was finalized as 'Earning the Recognition of the World Tree's Spirit', and the reward was set as the World Tree Branch, which had accumulated from pruning.
Shouting "I'm off the clock!!!" Ju Ji-ye headed back to her designated floor.
Now, only the 87th to 89th floors, managed by Sian, remained.
"Alright, Sian, about the 87th floor..."
"*Snore—*"
"......"
Tricia stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
Knowing better than anyone that waking her now would be useless, Tricia quietly summoned the butler.
"Take Sian to her room and tuck her into bed."
"As you command."
Sian Nightmare was carried off to her room by the butler, and Tricia began drafting temporary trials in her stead.
"Let's do this for the 87th floor, and that for the 88th floor..."
She was right in the middle of configuring the trials when—
A Climber has entered the 95th floor via the portal.
"?"
Tricia doubted her own eyes.
"...?"
She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
"???"
But rubbing her eyes changed nothing!
"The 95th floor...? Wait, you could actually enter through that portal from the outside...?"
Looking thoroughly panicked, Tricia hurriedly grabbed her crystal ball to check the situation on the 95th floor.
"Ah, wait... The 95th-floor boss... Didn't its space expand recently, making it incredibly powerful...?"
Praying that the Climber would choose the 'peaceful option', Tricia activated the crystal ball.
Stepping through the portal, Crow found himself standing on a quiet hill.
A windless night.
The night sky was filled with countless stars, yet it was uncannily silent.
The stars hung quietly as if preserved in time, and even the moon stood still, holding its breath.
"...What kind of trial is this?"
At that moment, a system window popped up.
Floor 95 - The Terrace of Night
Two choices are presented to the Climber.
① Defeat the [Silence of the Deep Night]. (Difficulty: Unmeasurable)
② Sit on the terrace and enjoy tea time. (Difficulty: Very Easy)
Which trial will you choose?
"Hah—"
Crow let out a dry, incredulous laugh.
Peaceful offers always came with a price.
He knew all too well how sweet a poison such choices could be.
"Despair... always begins with the sweetest words."
The moment he chose option ① without hesitation—
The night sky convulsed.
The frozen stars began to vibrate, falling one by one.
Their trajectories were no mere meteor shower.
Each star spun, gathering as if sucked into a single center.
Light swirled, weaving a single stream of the Milky Way.
And then, the system message appeared once more.
From the depths of the night sky,
A massive eye of starlight opened.
The night sky itself was a colossal 'existence,'
And that existence was now gazing down at Crow.
Yet—
Crow did not fear.
Instead, a faint smile spread beneath his mask.
It was the thrill of a beast anticipating a hunt.
"Gravity Inversion."
Instantly, Crow's body fell upward.
No.
"Ascending" was the more accurate term.
Having inverted gravity, he plummeted toward the sky.
It was a form of flight—no, a charge toward his prey.
"Diffused Gravity Wave."
Compressed gravity exploded beneath his feet, accelerating him.
The pulsation of gravity tore through the air.
And—
Above Crow's right hand, a black sphere formed silently.
"Micro Graviton Bomb."
Space warped at his fingertips.
An immense mass collapsed toward the center of his hand.
And that terrifyingly compressed mass shot toward the night sky.
*BOOOOOOOOM—!*
An ear-splitting shockwave.
Within the torrent of tangled light and darkness, the [Silence of the Deep Night] convulsed violently.
Stars twisted, the sky tore open...
And a roar shattered the silence.