章 1: The Towers are back!
A red-haired girl stepped into an average room, carrying a helmet in her hands. "Big brother, I brought the helmet you wanted," she said, her voice shaky and full of emotion. "The VRMMORPG combat game starts in 10 minutes."
The girl walked over to the king-sized bed where her brother lay, his life sustained by a life machine.
She set the helmet down next to him, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear, anger, and sadness.
She wanted to say so much, but she bit her lips, kept silent, and gazed at the pale young man before her.
"It's been four days, and you still haven't woken up," Freya whispered, her voice trembling as she tried to hold back her tears. "Please, brother, just wake up. Please."
"Freya!" The girl jumped at the sound of her mother's voice, her head snapping up to see the older woman standing in the doorway. "I told you to stay out of this room! Go back to your studies!"
Freya hesitated, her eyes locked on her brother's still form. But she knew better than to disobey her mother, so she fled the room, a single tear falling down her face.
The woman gazed coldly at the man and a spiteful glare was sent at the young man on the bed, and then the woman slammed the door on her way out.
The sound reverberated through the room, shaking Draven from his slumber. His brows furrowed slightly as his eyes fluttered open to the white ceiling above him.
" What was that noise? Where am I?" he mumbled, his voice hoarse and dry. His head probed as though a hot needle was poking his brain, and he felt a dull ache in his body as if he'd been beaten.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his chest, forcing him back down. "What happened?" he gasped with widened eyes.
The high-pitched beeping of the machine pulled him out of his daze.
He looked down at the machine, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Then, he noticed a photo frame on the table next to him. He struggled for a moment and finally leaned over, squinting to make out the figures in the picture.
His eyes were still weak and such it was a blurry image, but it looked familiar somehow.
Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning. He remembered standing before a towering structure, surrounded by gods. And then... nothing. His head spun rapidly, and he felt like he was on the verge of collapsing.
"The last thing I remembered was standing before the 15 gods after the Seven tribulation trials. I was already at the end of the… Tower!" His eyes glared open in shock.
This place looks familiar.
Wait…
His eyes widened slightly as he realized he had been transmigrated 20 back in time.
It was like a punch to the gut, and he felt the world spinning around him.
He closed his eyes, trying to focus and make sense of what had happened.
Then, a memory flashed before his eyes. A man with dark hair and a smirk on his face, standing before him.
"Neva," he whispered, a feeling of rage bubbling up inside him. "Damn you, Neva."
It all came back to him in a rush.
He had already cleared the tower along with his friends who unfortunately didn't make it to the 5000th floor.
He was the only survivor and had taken the last floor with the hope of saving humanity, but along the way, one of the gods killed him because of his low attributes and luck!
"But, I should have been dead. How come I am still alive?" He wondered aloud.
He gazed at the life machine and sighed lightly before he removed the tubes.
"Since I am back… What year is it?" He muttered as he slowly got off the bed, but accidentally crashed to the floor.
"Damn it. My legs are still weak," He groaned in pain.
He searched through the drawer and finally saw his phone. He took it out and checked the screen.
[Date: 15th of July 2024]
2024!
The number stood boldly in front of him as he slipped down to the floor.
"The same day the Towers appeared all over the world!" He clenched his teeth tightly as he glanced at the time.
[2:50 pm]
I must get out of this place.
He made up his mind and was about to leave when the door opened slightly and a small head poked out from the open space.
"Big brother?" The voice was small and hesitant as if its owner was afraid to be ignored. It tugged at his heartstrings, reminding him of what he had left behind.
That voice…
He turned to see a little girl standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with trepidation. "Are you awake?" she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Freya?" He called out, his voice barely audible. He struggled to his feet and stood up.
"Big brother!" she cried, her voice full of relief and joy. She ran towards him with a smile on her face, her arms outstretched and threw herself into his embrace.
She sobbed into his chest, her small body shaking with the force of her emotions. "I thought you were never going to wake up," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I was so scared."
Draven stood frozen in place, unable to move.
He was on the 3rd floor of the tower when he received the news that Freya died from a monster invasion.
At that time, he wanted to die and be with her… but his soul was already trapped within the tower.
"Freya," His voice broke out as he hugged her tightly. They stayed silently in each other's arms for a while before Draven broke the hug.
"We must leave, right now," He said and her eyes widened slightly.
"What are you talking about big brother? Mother will be delighted to hear that you are awake," She beamed and his eyes widened in horror.
Mother…
He clenched his hands tightly and squatted to her level.
"You don't want to leave with me ?" He asked and gazed at her.
He wasn't supposed to be doing this but he knew what would become of her if she stayed behind with that monster she calls a mother.
"I-" She bit her lips in hesitation and he sighed lightly.
He glanced at his phone and realized that there was not much time left. The Towers will appear in 25 minutes!
"We must leave, Freya." He said and she shook her head.
"We can't leave mum behind," She cried out and was about to leave but he held her hands and pulled her towards him.
"You have always been curious about why she hated me so much, right?" He asked and she nodded slowly.
"The answer is… in the school's garden. We must leave before she finds out that I am awake." He said and she glanced at him curiously.
Draven checked the time and noticed that 15 minutes were left.
"Okay, let's go!" She said,
***
"The next bus will arrive in 2 minutes!" The announcer said.
Draven checked the time and saw that 10 minutes were left.
' If my brain serves me right. The school should be the place where the Luck Tree appeared. If I can get there and let Freya eat one of the fruits, I believe she will be able to survive this time around.' He thought as he waited patiently for the incoming bus.
But just when the bus was about to stop. The world slowed down and all movements were altered… only Draven was unaffected.
This feeling!
It's here!
The Towers are back!
'Damn it! There was supposed to be 10 minutes left! How come it arrived so early?!' His eyes widened in horror as his head slowly raised to the sky and lo and behold!
A single, massive eye filled the sky, glowing red like the fires of hell.
The world stood still, frozen in time, and a deep, oppressive silence descended upon the land.
For a moment, everything was still, and then the sky began to crack, like a mirror shattering.
Shards of darkness fell like rain, and the eye began to move around.
A voice, as cold as ice, echoed through the air: "Earth 406 is secure. Commence Tower construction."
A sense of dread filled the hearts of all who heard the words, and they stood paralyzed with fear.
"I am… late, again,"
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