Prologue: The End and the Beginning
In the year 2135, on the Blue Planet, a tower black as night clawed into the sky, swallowing sun and moon alike. It loomed like a curse—an endless monolith that threatened humanity's very existence.
At its arrival, every human was gifted a system — a power wrapped in the guise of a game, complete with levels, abilities, and stat screens. But this was no game.
System Alert:Clear every ten floors within six months — or watch your world be devoured.
Three years passed. Humanity clawed upwards, floor by floor, fighting tooth and nail to survive. No one knew how many floors remained — only that each was deadlier than the last.
Now, Alem and his comrades had reached Floor 41, hearts pounding, weapons ready, hoping to hunt monsters, level up, and push further.
But Floor 41 held a secret they weren't ready for.
In a shadowed dungeon, Alem faced a monstrous angel, bathed in divine light — a level unknown, absent from any system stat. A rogue anomaly.
"Run!" Alem barked to his team. "I'll hold it back!"
But before he could strike, a cold blade pierced his side.
Not an enemy. His best friend. His brother-in-arms for sixteen years.
"I'm sorry…" the man whispered, pain and regret in his voice. "I have to save them. We can't all make it."
Blood poured hot and thick. Alem's knees hit the cold stone, the world blurring as memories flickered — their dreams, the tower's cruel ultimatum, the desperate fight for survival.
His heart screamed, but all he felt was numb.
The angel's radiant fury consumed the room, light flooding every corner — until time itself froze.
Then, a figure appeared, lounging in midair like it was nothing more than a casual afternoon.
She wore a purple dress shimmering with moonlight. Wavy purple hair framed a face with golden, half-lidded eyes that radiated both power and boredom.
"Ah… what a mess," she sighed, voice lazy but commanding. "I don't know how that thing escaped my prison. So… inconvenient."
Alem, fading fast, managed a raspy question, "Who… are you?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "You're dying. Tragic, yes, but let's get to the important part."
She stretched like a cat, the divine glow shimmering around her. "Your world? A beta test. The Blue Planet? Time flows fast there — convenient for progress reports."
Her golden eyes sharpened. "You're getting a fresh start. Your new identity: the third son of the Vermithorne family. One of the most powerful in Alemen."
She conjured a shimmering tablet floating before him. "Your father is the patriarch; your mother, a princess from the royal bloodline."
A faint smirk crossed Alem's lips. "Not much choice, huh?"
The goddess smiled lazily. "Exactly. You keep your memories and system, but your body resets. Your soul's unique abilities? Those stay."
She gave a casual thumbs-up. "I'm Astreia, Moon Goddess of Sleep and Shadows. We'll meet again when you ascend. Now… off you go."
A gentle push, and the world turned to white.
High above the void, Astreia nibbled a biscuit, crumbs falling on her dress.
"Oh, I forgot to mention… his soul merge grants a unique ability. He'll discover it soon enough."
She scrolled through the system log.
"Must experience death once to truly bloom. Can travel other dimensions once a year…"
A sly smirk curled her lips.
"Good luck, little monster."