The Tower's Last Chronicle

The final moments of 1999 passed peacefully.

Across the world, people gathered to celebrate the arrival of the year 2000.

They looked forward to a brighter future.

No one knew that disaster was only seconds away.

Then midnight arrived.

The sky shattered.

A deafening sound echoed across the entire planet.

It was as if countless pieces of glass had broken at the same time.

Celebrations came to a halt.

People looked up in confusion and fear.

Something enormous was tearing through the night sky.

A colossal black tower descended from above, glowing with an eerie violet light.

It crashed into the earth like a meteor.

That was the day the Tower arrived.

But the Tower did not come alone.

It brought the Dungeons, which are a multidimensional realm connected to Earth through unstable portals, filled with monsters, treasures, and deadly trials that defy the laws of reality.

It brought trials for humanity.

It brought a system, a mysterious power that gives humans levels, skills, and classes, allowing them to grow stronger and survive.

A mechanical voice echoed in the minds of every person on Earth.

[The System has been activated.]

Panic spread across the world.

Moments later, a small number of people suddenly awakened.

They gained skills, classes, and powers far beyond normal humans. Some could control fire. Some possessed incredible strength. Others could cast magic or heal wounds.

These people became known as the 0th Generation Hunters.

Unlike those who would awaken later, they received their powers without entering any tutorial.

At the same time, mysterious dungeons appeared across the world.

Some gates displayed a glowing blue timer above its entrance while some were without any timer.

As long as hunters entered the dungeon and defeated its boss before the timer expired, the gate would disappear safely.

But if the countdown reached zero, the gate would lose control.

The dungeon would open completely.

Monsters would pour out into the real world, attacking everything in their path.

This disaster became known as a Dungeon Break.

Humanity adapted.

The panic slowly faded as people learned how to deal with dungeons.

Hunters became an essential part of society.

Governments and corporations established Guilds to manage dungeon raids and valuable resources.

Clearing dungeons became a profession.

Hunters entered dangerous gates, fought monsters, collected mana stones and rare treasures, then returned to their daily lives.

Cities strengthened their defenses.

The economy grew around dungeon resources and magical artifacts.

As the years passed, the new world became normal.

The danger never disappeared, but most people learned to live with it.

Amid the rise of Guilds and powerful Hunters, one thing drew the world's attention.

A small crimson number displayed on every status screen.

[Stygian Tide Rate]

It began at 0%.

As time passed, it slowly increased.

No one knew what it meant.

Yet a belief spread across the world.

People convinced themselves that when the rate reached 100%, the Tower, the dungeons, and the monsters would disappear.

A world free from danger.

A world at peace.

There was no proof.

No evidence.

But nearly 95% of humanity believed it anyway.

As a result, most people supported anything that increased the rate.

The remaining 5% opposed it.

Not because they knew the truth, but because they benefited from the current world.

Guilds, corporations, and powerful Hunters earned immense wealth from dungeons and monster resources.

If the Tower disappeared, so would their influence and profits.

So they pushed for the rate to decrease whenever possible.

Neither side understood what the Stygian Tide Rate truly was.

And neither side realized how dangerous their actions would become.

✦ ✦ ✦

Forty-three years passed.

The Tower remained standing.

Humanity survived, adapted, and continued to push the Stygian Tide Rate higher.

Then came August 1, 2043.

The Stygian Tide Rate reached 99.99%.

The entire world watched.

Moments later, it reached 100%.

Silence.

A strange and oppressive silence spread across the planet.

The wind stopped.

The oceans became still.

Inside every uncleared dungeon, monsters suddenly froze.

Then they dropped to their knees.

As if bowing before something far greater.

A mechanical voice echoed in the minds of every living being on Earth.

[World Message]

[The Stygian Tide Rate has reached 100%]

[The anchor supporting the Tower has collapsed]

[The Tower has fallen]

[Earth's First Defense Line has been destroyed]

[Outer Gods, Tainters, and Devourers are descending]

[Final Objective For Survival Of Humanity]

[Eliminate all beings from the Outside]

Around the world, people stared at the message in disbelief.

"The Tower was protecting us?"

No one could believe it.

Then someone looked up.

"The sky..."

"The sky is breaking apart!"

Cracks spread across the heavens.

Purple light poured through them, swallowing the sun.

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Countless creatures emerged from the rifts.

They were nothing like dungeon monsters.

Some were larger than mountains.

Some resembled living shadows.

Others looked like twisted gods beyond human understanding.

Humanity fought back.

Hunters, armies, magic, and even nuclear weapons were unleashed.

But it wasn't enough.

There were simply too many enemies.

✦ ✦ ✦

August 2045

Two years passed since the fall of the Tower.

Earth was nearly destroyed.

Cities were gone, turned into fields of ash and bones.

The last human survivors lived in the Zagros Mountains of Iran.

A natural fortress against the horrors below.

✦ ✦ ✦

Night was cold and silent.

Wind tore through broken tents.

The strongest remaining Hunters gathered around a dying magical fire.

Their armor was cracked.

Their bodies were tired.

Their hope was almost gone.

✦ ✦ ✦

James Thomas spoke first.

"We were idiots," he said. "We treated the Tower like a damn gold mine. We should've kept the Stygian Tide low."

Dmitry Petrov threw a piece of wood into the fire.

"We got greedy," he said. "And the world punished us for it."

Chen Xiu kept sharpening his blade.

"We only destroyed 10 percent of them," he said quietly. "That's all we managed."

Takahashi Yua looked toward a nearby tent.

"What is Seo Jun doing?" she asked. "He hasn't slept in days."

Jack Davies sighed.

"He's studying old Tower records," he said. "He thinks we can reset everything."

Lukas Muller shook his head.

"If he fails, we're finished."

Kim Seo Yeon tightened her grip on her spear.

"Even if he succeeds… who can carry that kind of memory?"

✦ ✦ ✦

A voice cut through the silence.

"I will."

Everyone turned.

Lee Seo Jun stepped out of the shadows.

Calm.

Cold.

Certain.

"I will go back," he said.

James stood up.

"You found it?"

Seo Jun nodded.

"Yes. But we need to reach Tehran."

"The collapse point of the Iranian Tower holds the final key."

"This is our last chance."

No one spoke after that.

They already knew.

Going to Tehran was a death sentence.

But they had nothing left.

They picked up their weapons.

And got ready to move.

"Let's move out."

They all agreed.

✦ ✦ ✦

The journey to Tehran was hell.

Amelia Brooks, the strongest archmage, depleted almost half of the mana to cast a massive flight and cloaking spell.

The group rose into the sky, hidden as they crossed the ruined Middle East.

After three hours, Tehran appeared.

Or what was left of it.

A glowing crater filled with alien energy.

Then the enemy arrived.

The sky turned black.

Winged monsters filled the air.

On the ground, giant beasts roared and shook the earth.

The cloaking spell broke instantly.

A commander stepped forward from the vanguard.

His armor was broken.

His voice was calm.

"We hold the line here," he said.

"You move forward. Don't stop. Don't look back."

"Let our deaths buy you time."

The vanguard formed a wall.

Steel and magic against the endless tide.

Explosions lit the sky as they detonated their mana cores one by one.

✦ ✦ ✦

The strongest eleven moved forward.

Straight into the crater.

Then they stopped.

Ten Legion Commanders stood ahead.

Each one was a disaster by itself.

Together, they were extinction.

Humanity had seen them only 7 times before.

Each time, millions had died including hunters and civilians.

Now ten of them blocked the path.

✦ ✦ ✦

"Fuck my life," James muttered, gripping his sword.

Evan raised his daggers.

"Fight like this is the end," he said. "Take at least one down."

A monster stepped forward.

Valthor the Soul Drinker.

Riding a three-headed rotten wolf.

Smiling like it was a game.

Another floated in the air.

Kaelen the Void Walker.

His body burned with dark flames.

"Earth is done," he said. "We move to the next world after this."

"That will never happen," Lee Seo Jun said.

He stepped forward.

His mana core spun at full speed.

He unleashed his technique.

Nameless Divine Art, Ninth Form,

Apocalypse of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths

White energy exploded across the battlefield.

Monsters dropped to their knees, some evaporated.

The ground cracked open.

Then he cast a Ninth Circle spell.

Meteor Fall.

Fire fell from the sky like judgment.

Thousands were erased in seconds.

Even the Commanders were pushed back.

✦ ✦ ✦

"Stop this pest," shouted Malakor the Desolator.

"We were talking."

"Go to hell, you bastard!" Seo Jun said.

"Everyone, attack."

He activated another spell.

Slow Time.

A gray dome spread across the battlefield.

Everything slowed.

Except him.

"I'm going for the center," Seo Jun shouted.

Blood ran from his eyes.

✦ ✦ ✦

"Stop him!" roared Zephyros the Plagued.

Toxic energy burst forward as he pushed through the slowing field.

Kim Seo Yeon stepped in his way.

Spear raised.

"This is our fight now," she said.

"Let's end it here."

The battle erupted into chaos.

Ten humans fought the Legion Commanders.

The ground shattered under every strike.

Dust and ash filled the air.

James swung his broadsword.

The force bent space around Kaelen.

Evan vanished into the shadows, aiming for Valthor's blind spots.

They knew the truth.

They could not win.

They were only buying time.

✦ ✦ ✦

Seo Jun did not stop.

He ran toward the center of the crater.

There, he found the altar.

✦ ✦ ✦

[Altar of the Genesis Epoch]

Rank: Primordial

Type: Structure

Description:

A stone structure that existed since the origin of the Tower system. It is not a place that resists the laws of reality or bends them through force. It exists beyond such limitations.

The Altar does not fight reality.

It rewrites it.

✦ ✦ ✦

Seo Jun knelt.

He took out 7 transcendent items.

Each one was a "world-level core."

Not normal treasures.

Not weapons.

But condensed laws of existence taken from killed bosses, god level entities, and systems.

He placed them one by one.

✦ ✦ ✦

1. Heart of the Dragon King

A heart that has never ceased beating since the birth of dragons.

An eternal heart overflowing with boundless elemental essence, each pulse capable of shaking the foundations of the world. It embodies the indomitable will of the Dragon King and the instinct to survive, to conquer, and to reign over all creation.

Authority: Elemental Dominion • Absolute Vitality • Primordial Power

2. Core of the Demon King

A black crystal born from the endless hatred of the Abyss.

Forged from concentrated malice and endless destruction, this cursed core devours everything it touches. It is the incarnation of chaos itself, granting overwhelming power at the cost of corruption, domination, and eternal darkness.

Authority: Chaos • Corruption • Tyrannical Dominion

3. Pocket Watch of Chronos

A shattered relic abandoned by the God of Time.

Though broken, its hands continue to move beyond mortal understanding, governing fragments of time that should no longer exist. Within its gears linger countless forgotten histories and futures yet to be born.

Authority: Time Manipulation • Temporal Echoes • Fate Distortion

4. Eye of Odin

The divine eye sacrificed in pursuit of absolute truth.

An eye that peers beyond illusion, exposing the hidden laws governing reality itself. No deception, secret, or destiny can remain concealed before its eternal gaze.

Authority: Omniscience • Absolute Perception • Truth Revelation

5. Philosopher's Stone

The forbidden masterpiece created through the sacrifice of millions of souls.

An ultimate alchemical core capable of transcending the boundaries between life, death, and mana. It refines all existence into pure primordial energy, defying the natural order of the world.

Authority: Perfect Transmutation • Soul Conversion • Infinite Mana

6. Holy Grail

A sacred vessel blessed by the heavens before the dawn of civilization.

Overflowing with inexhaustible divine power, the Grail restores what has been lost, purifies all corruption, and stands as the ultimate symbol of divine authority over life itself.

Authority: Divine Restoration • Purification • Sovereignty of Life

7. Seed of Yggdrasil

The first seed from which the World Tree was born.

Within this tiny seed sleeps the origin of all life and creation. Every forest, every world, and every living soul traces its existence back to its boundless vitality. Wherever it takes root, a new world may bloom.

Authority: Creation • Infinite Growth • World Genesis

✦ ✦ ✦

The seven items dissolved.

They turned into pure system energy.

And entered the altar.

Then the message appeared.

[The Altar of the Genesis Epoch registers the offerings]

[Sacrifice value being measured]

[Sacrifice is Insufficient]

✦ ✦ ✦

Seo Jun froze.

"What… insufficient?"

He turned.

The battle was ending.

James fell first.

Cut in half.

Evan was crushed.

Seo Yeon was pierced through.

Still smiling.

Seo Jun's mind broke for a moment.

"Everything is here… what else?"

Then he understood.

The altar did not only want power.

It wanted balance.

If there is creation, there must be negation.

If there is life, there must be absence.

He looked at the world dying around him.

And realized the truth.

Then the final requirement formed in his mind.

He reached into his ring, a spatial storage artifact.

And took out the last item.

A crown made of black, silent energy.

It did not shine.

It did not reflect anything.

It felt like the absence of existence itself.

✦ ✦ ✦

8. Crown of the Null World Serpent

The crown left behind by the World Serpent that devoured existence itself.

Born from the void beyond creation, this forbidden crown embodies the absolute authority of erasure. It rejects the laws of reality, reducing all things to perfect nothingness. Before its power, existence, history, and even concepts lose all meaning.

Authority: Absolute Erasure • Nullification • Conceptual Oblivion

It is the manifestation of:

The End of Life.

The End of Meaning.

The End of Ownership.

The End of Existence.

✦ ✦ ✦

Seo Jun placed it on the altar.

The altar trembled.

Light and darkness clashed.

Creation and nullification balanced at last.

Then the message appeared.

[Final sacrifice registered]

[Balance condition achieved: Creation + Nullity]

[Sacrifice value: Beyond Measure But Incomplete]

✦ ✦ ✦

Seo Jun's breath stopped.

"What? It's still incomplete? Are you fucking kidding me?"

No, he couldn't lose control.

He only had moments left.

Panic would solve nothing.

He needed to think.

Think.

He had to find a way out.

Then he remembered.

The rule Kaelen mentioned.

A world can only be taken when it has no owner.

No life.

No authority.

The sacrifice was not just items.

It required ownership of existence itself.

Seo Jun looked around.

The last breath of humanity faded.

The last friend fell.

And then it happened.

The world recognized him.

Lee Seo Jun.

Last living being on Earth. A native to Earth.

Final planetary owner.

He understood instantly.

The missing sacrifice was not a thing.

It was the world itself.

His expression changed.

Calm, determined and full of venom..

"If this world is already doomed," he said quietly, "then I sacrifice everything."

"Not just life."

"Not just the monsters."

"Not even the gods beyond this world."

"I sacrifice the world itself."

"Every living being that exists upon it."

He placed both hands on the altar.

And pushed his life force into it.

As the final owner, he transferred ownership of Earth.

Not as a weapon.

But as a full system contract.

The world was being sold.

To the altar.

✦ ✦ ✦

Xarxes roared.

"Kill him!"

But it was too late.

The Legion Commanders charged.

And then,

Everything stopped.

The universe froze.

Rain hung in the air.

Swords stopped mid swing.

Even the sound disappeared.

✦ ✦ ✦

Above, the Outer Gods reacted.

For the first time, who were just observers till now, like watching a game.

They felt fear.

They tried to strike down.

But their hands stopped too.

Then the system spoke.

[Final sacrifice detected]

[Value: Beyond Measure]

[Condition satisfied: Planetary Ownership + Total Life Erasure]

[Initiating temporal inversion]

[The Tower activates emergency reset protocol]

A white light exploded from the altar.

It erased everything.

Monsters.

Gods.

Time.

World.

Seo Jun's body dissolved.

His soul fell backward through time.

His last thought was simple.

"Did it work…?"

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