The sun dipped low over the blood-soaked village. Cries filled the air—raw, grieving, exhausted. Players mourned the fallen as bodies were gathered into the center of the village, some wrapped in torn cloth, others laid bare with still faces frozen in agony.
Beneath the long shadow of a tree near the edge of the village, Rin sat quietly. Beside him, Nariku leaned against the trunk, his gaze fixed on the pile of bodies. The silence between them was heavy—only the distant sobs and murmurs of survivors broke through.
After a long pause, Nariku finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper.
"When are you going to tell me about him? That masked man... your 'friend'?"
Rin's expression didn't change. He didn't look at Nariku. Just stared at the sunset bleeding across the sky.
"I can't," Rin replied simply. "If I give you any information about him... I'll die."
Nariku stiffened beside him. That wasn't an answer he expected. Not from Rin.
"...That's insane," Nariku muttered. "But I guess... that's this world now."
He didn't press further. Instead, Nariku leaned closer, resting his head gently against Rin's shoulder. For a moment, Rin flinched—unfamiliar with the comfort. But he let Nariku rest there, placing a hand on his back and patting it once, lightly.
Rin's eyes slowly scanned the scene ahead. Tyuri was crouched near Aiko, trying—failing—to get through to her. The girl hadn't spoken since Nori died in her arms. She just stared at nothing, silent and cold.
At the medbay, Natsuro and Iryosuka tended to the remaining injured. Yokuta stood beside them, arms crossed, eyes heavy with worry. The battle was over. The tutorial had ended.
And yet, the cost lingered like smoke.
As the sun touched the horizon, casting the world in orange and red, Rin whispered to himself.
"Maybe… I don't need to be the villain."
He closed his eyes briefly, listening to the wind pass through the scorched village.
"This peace… however temporary… is real."
At the break of dawn, a pale golden light stretched across the quiet village. Smoke no longer filled the air, only silence—the kind that lingered after a storm. Most players hadn't slept. They either kept vigil for the dead or sat in silence, processing everything they had endured.
Then, without warning, a clear, ethereal chime echoed across the land.
[System Notification: The tutorial has concluded. All surviving players will now proceed to Floor 2.]
The voice reverberated in every mind—gentle, but impossible to ignore.
Rin's eyes opened. He had barely rested, his injuries hastily bandaged. Beside him, Nariku stirred awake with a tired groan. Around them, the other players reacted in varying degrees—some startled, others resigned.
A familiar glow crept beneath their feet. The runes of a teleportation circle flickered into view.
Rin looked down at it, a soft click of his tongue the only response.
"Looks like I don't even get time to prepare..."
One by one, players were enveloped in light. The village—the graves, the blood, the memories—blurred and began to fade. With a final glance at the world they'd survived, Rin closed his eyes.
And then, they were gone—ascending toward the unknown world of Floor 2.
Light swallowed them whole.
And when it faded, the world changed.
The air was cooler, thinner—laced with something unfamiliar yet invigorating. The sun overhead was tinted gold and violet, larger than before, casting long shadows through the drifting mist. The sky above shimmered faintly, like a veil of magic wrapped around this entire floor.
Hairu felt solid ground under his feet again—stone etched with glowing runes, pulsing once with faint blue light before fading. The others landed around him one by one: Nariku supporting the still-injured Rin, Tyuri carrying the silent and hollow-eyed Aiko, Natsuro and Iryosuka keeping close to the group.
They stood at the center of a village, ancient in design—arched wooden structures, moss-covered rooftops, and glowing fungi clinging to stone walls. The buildings were arranged in a circular pattern around a central square, where four magic circles were carved into the stone ground.
Hairu looked around quickly—and then froze.
They weren't alone.
Three other groups had appeared on the other three magic circles, one in each corner of the square. Their arrival was staggered by seconds, but now they stood staring at each other—dozens of players in total. Each group bore signs of survival: torn gear, tired eyes, wounded pride.
One group wore dark navy armor and moved in perfect formation. Another group, ragged but sharp-eyed, looked like seasoned veterans. The last group… was odd. Fewer in number. Eyes distant. As if they had seen things worse than monsters.
A towering wooden sign stood at the edge of the square. Its words glowed briefly, readable to all:
Welcome to Floor 2 – Luterra, The Land of Echoes.
Here, your true journey begins.
A deep tone reverberated through the air as a system message echoed in every player's mind:
[Players have arrived on Floor 2.]
[Class Selection is now available. Please choose within 1 hour.]
Nariku's grip tightened slightly around Rin's shoulder. "So it's really not over."
Rin didn't answer at first, eyes drifting across the other groups, scanning them one by one. Then he spoke, voice low. "No. This is just the beginning."
Tyuri gently shifted Aiko, still unresponsive in his arms, her gaze vacant since the last battle. Natsuro and Iryosuka were already scanning the area for defensible positions.
Hairu looked up at the distant mountaintops beyond the village's border and said quietly, "Everyone… stay sharp."
From the forest beyond the village, faint whispers rose with the wind—like voices echoing through time.
The tower was still watching.
The moment the final words of the system message faded, a sudden hush fell over the village.
Then, as if summoned by the silence itself, a tall figure emerged from the mist near the center of the square—a man clad in elegant black robes, embroidered with silver threads that shimmered like constellations. His presence alone made the wind pause.
His eyes were hidden beneath a hood, but a knowing smirk played on his lips. A silver emblem, shaped like an hourglass surrounded by thorns, was pinned to his chest.
"I see," he spoke, his voice smooth like polished stone. "You all survived the first floor. Congratulations."
Every player's gaze turned toward him. Some reached for weapons instinctively—but the guide raised a single hand, and a soft pulse of magic ran through the ground. Their interface windows glitched for a second, and all aggressive actions were locked.
"I am Veyne Kuron, the appointed guide of this floor. This place—Luterra—is a refuge, and also your next trial."
He paused as his gaze swept across all four groups.
"Here, you will face more than beasts. You will face echoes of your past… illusions from within… and truths you may wish had stayed buried."
A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. Even Hairu narrowed his eyes.
"Each of your groups will be granted a temporary shelter, a map fragment, and access to the Class Selection Shrine, located in the eastern wing of this village. You have one hour."
He turned, walking away with a slow grace. "After that, the next phase begins. Oh—and one more thing."
He stopped, and a smirk deepened.
"On this floor, not all guides are as… cooperative as I am. Some of you may find yourselves watched."
Then, like mist, he vanished.
A chill ran through the players.
Nariku looked at Rin, who remained quiet, his face unreadable beneath his mask. Hairu watched the spot where Veyne vanished, jaw set firm. Tyuri, holding Aiko, whispered, "What did he mean by 'echoes of the past'...?"
In the silence, the four groups began to move. Tension had returned—but now it wasn't just between them and the world. It was between them and themselves.
As the players scattered into the village, the once somber air turned into buzzing curiosity. People broke into groups, exploring stone alleys and wooden stalls that seemed half-abandoned, half-living. Cracked signs hung over silent blacksmith shops, inns with flickering torches, and notice boards filled with missions written in an unfamiliar script. Some players noticed others already there—seasoned veterans, bearing mismatched armor, calm expressions, and confident postures. A few wore cloaks bearing floor-specific emblems—they were clearly not newcomers.
"They're… not from our batch," Nariku muttered, eyes narrowing.
"Probably seasonal returnees," Rin said. "Veterans who survived enough to get sent back. That means this floor has hidden systems we didn't see on the first one."
Nariku didn't reply—just nodded, already analyzing the layout with him.
Rin glanced at his interface, and a soft chime greeted him.
> [Class Selection Available]
You may now choose a class. Hero/Villain trait override in effect.
As the screen opened, Rin scanned the options. There were dozens—but three were marked in silver, hovering with unstable energy. These were the ones selected specifically for him:
---
[Shadow Duelist]
Fight in the dark, thrive in confusion. Enhanced stealth and blade mastery. Perfect for one who never reveals his whole hand.
— Perks: Dual-wield compatibility, high evasion, illusion affinity.
[Tactician of the Fractured Mind]
Control the battlefield not with strength, but with madness. Use your Mania stat to influence ally or enemy actions.
— Perks: Command buff/debuff manipulation, passive crowd influence, increased ability to break enemy formation.
[Veiled Herald]
You are the messenger no one hears until it's too late. Every movement a prophecy, every word a misdirection.
— Perks: Long-range vision, prophecy markers, critical hit bonuses after lying or deceiving.
[Illusionary schemer]
A master of falsehood and perception, the Illusory Schemer bends reality to suit their needs. Their illusions aren't just visual tricks—they alter how others perceive battle, status, even time. Perfect for those who manipulate from the shadows.
---
Rin stared at the second one the longest. The class felt too personal, as if the system itself had tailored it to his mind.
Nariku glanced over his shoulder. "...What are you thinking?"
Rin simply smirked. "I think this tower understands me a little too well."
He selected the Illusory Schemer, and the system immediately responded, revealing a quest tailored to his new path.
"To master the art of illusion, deceive three foes with forged status windows, survive against overwhelming odds, and remain undetected in hostile territory for 15 minutes."
A challenge befitting a shadow planner.
Rin's fingers brushed the interface as the weight of the class settled on his shoulders. The game was changing—and so was he.
Nariku broke the silence, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Rin, what class did you get?" he asked, eyes bright with interest.
Rin smirked slightly and activated one of his new class skills—False Window—projecting a fake status window for Nariku to see.
The displayed class read: Shadow Scout.
Nariku's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.
"I just got Survivalist Spearman," he muttered, a mix of awe and surprise in his voice.
Rin's smile deepened, but inside, he knew the truth was far more complicated—and far more dangerous.
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed throughout the village, booming enough to capture everyone's attention.
"Hello, survivors of the tutorial. I hope you didn't get too attached—though that's impossible," the man said with a dry chuckle, then cleared his throat.
"You all need to report to the Player School. Yes, it's mandatory for your survival. Make sure to pick the class that corresponds with your abilities."
"My name is Gorie, and I'm a Barbarian by race. Nice to meet you all."
He paused, then added with a grin,
"You'll get free supplies for a week—after that, it's on you to take care of yourselves."
The villagers buzzed with murmurs, some anxious, others eager for the promised supplies. The reality of the tower's harshness settled over everyone.
Rin's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed Gorie's words. Free stuff for only a week, he thought. That won't last long. Survival means adapting fast—and controlling the situation.
Nariku glanced at Rin, worry and determination mixed in his gaze. A school to learn survival… that's good, but how many will really make it through? he wondered. I need to get stronger, protect the people who matter.
Rin's lips curled into a faint smirk as he thought, This place thrives on chaos and control. Time to sharpen my illusions and plans.
Nariku caught the look and gave a small nod, silently promising himself to keep pace with Rin — no matter what it took.