The Dreamer's POV

I had a dream.

In that dream, I saw a world bathed in radiant light. The landscape flourished like nothing I had ever seen before.

The flowers gave off a sweet scent, and the melodies in the air were unbelievably surreal.

... And then, in the blink of an eye, everything went into chaos.

The paradise for all became a hellscape.

The world everyone witnessed, the one they all reveled in, was easily corrupted by the power of darkness and buried under flames.

As I watched all of this happen, I was transported closer to the origin—the source of the conflict.

And there I saw a man—clad in a dark robe, like the night. The robe flowed behind him, tattered, and he had it covering his face, so I couldn't see who he was.

An intense aura was surging from him, but more importantly, he seemed to be on his knees—in despair.

And floating above him were towering monsters he couldn't hope to defeat.

'Just stay there. Don't bother. You can't beat them.' I thought to myself as I watched the man.

Yet, the sound of his gritted teeth and clenched fists told me he would rise up.

... I wasn't wrong.

Lifting himself steadily, he straightened his trembling knees and gazed up at the adversaries.

A ball of light floated beside him, now coated in utter darkness—red and purple aura mixed with dark silhouettes.

"I'll kill you all..." I heard the man's voice reverberate through me, etched in my heart, making even me feel fear.

"... I'll definitely kill you all!"

Power suddenly surged from him, and it was enough to blow me away, as well as everything else in the scenery.

I struggled to witness more of the man's story, but everything slowly began to get swallowed up in black mist and rabid silhouettes.

Was he able win?

Did he kill all of them as he said?

Could he recover those he had lost at the hands of the monsters?

I wasn't able to find out.

And just as the winds knocked me away, and the whirlwinds took over, I found myself drifting off in ethereal silence.

... Until finally, I woke up.

And it was all nothing but a dream.

I was barely eleven years old when I had that dream, and while it did make an impression on me, a couple of weeks after it became forgotten.

Just as all the countless other dreams I had before then.

All of them... forgotten.

**********

[11:01 PM, Sunday 7th of May, 2024]

It was finally time.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

<Grace Period has been concluded>

{The 24-hour interval has been consumated. It is finally time for all the survivors to begin the Tower Of Trials}

<Prepare for ascension>

'Ascension, huh...?'

As I sat on the rooftop of my hotel, I wondered what exactly awaited me.

A few flashes of memories made me give some guesses, and I remembered some details that impressed on me that wherever we were headed wasn't going to be in this world.

But I didn't know too many details besides that.

'I guess I'll have to find out, just like the rest of them...'

~BZZZTTTZZZZZZ~

A sudden buzzing sound appeared around me, and as soon as I noticed it, electrical currents began manifesting in my immediate vicinity.

'I guess it's started.'

A rune-like circle appeared beneath me, and I instantly rose to my feet in preparation of what was about to happen.

I could feel my heart racing in my chest as I awaited what came next.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

<Recognition Initiated>

{User has been recognized: <The Dreamer>}

~<Language Comprehension> Skill will be given to the User for better communication~

~<Ranker> Title will be given to the User for his achievement~

~Additional 500 Currency will be given to the User for his monthly expenses ~

<You Are Now Ready For Ascension>

[Have A Wonderful Time]

~FSHUUUUUUU~

The bright light encompassed me, and as I stole one final glance at the world around me, I could see brilliant bursts of light radiating in many directions and locations.

All the surges of illumination shot to the sky, and mine was no exception.

I could feel my body growing numb, and my consciousness fading as I slowly began to rise from the ground, completely unaware of what would happen next.

And so I closed my eyes, feeling everything blur out of existence, leaving me with an infinite void.

And from that infinite void... came forth life.

"Where am I now?"

"What is this place?"

"What's going on this time?"

"I'm scared."

"Who are you?"

"H-hey, don't come close to me."

"S-stay back!"

"Just relax... I'm sure things will be explained soon enough."

"Um... how long are you going to keep your eyes closed?"

I felt a nudge beside me, and it forced me to open my tightly shut eyes.

And as soon as I did, a new sight greeted me.

'H-huh..? This is...!!!'

I found myself surrounded by a vast sea of people, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Each person was unique, representing a myriad of races and ethnicities, their diverse features forming a colorful mosaic.

As I took in the scene, the air seemed to crackle with a mixture of confusion, awe, and curiosity.

The expressions on the faces of those around me varied greatly, reflecting their individual responses to this sudden and inexplicable occurrence.

Some wore expressions of shock, their eyes wide and mouths agape, their hands instinctively reaching out for support from nearby strangers. Others had looks of disbelief etched onto their faces, as if questioning the reality of their surroundings.

There were those who wore expressions of fear, clutching their loved ones tightly, seeking solace and reassurance amidst the bewildering chaos.

Amid all of this, I stood shell-shocked, trying my best to remain calm—fortunately achieving it thanks to the effect of my Title.

"You look confused too. Seems like we all don't know what's happening." The sonorous voice from earlier, most likely belonging to the one who nudged me, echoed beside me.

I glanced in the direction of the speaker, only to be completely rendered speechless by the beauty that appeared beside me.

'Who... is this?!'

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[A/N]

<Welcome to Arc 2: Tower Of Trials Arc>

I certainly hope this volume reaches, if not surpasses your expectations.

It's going to be considerably longer than the first Arc by a good degree, and it's going to contain a lot of interactions, action, and mysteries unveiled.

So buckle up tight and enjoy the ride!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

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