The world had changed, and there was no going back.
When the First Floor of the Tower of Trial collapsed into silence, the aftershocks weren't just physical—they were ideological. The skies cleared, the System's interface dimmed to standby, and yet… nothing felt the same.
Over 2 billion people watched the tower's glowing silhouette shift subtly on every continent's skyline. For the survivors, it was a symbol of victory. For the fallen's families, it was a grave marker of an unending war.
Governments scrambled to make sense of the shift. Emergency broadcasts looped day and night. International airspace was suspended for 48 hours. Martial law was declared in over 80 countries. And then came the announcement heard across every language, screen, and speaker:
> "The First Floor of the Tower of Trial has been cleared.
Awakeners shall now be categorized and unified under a single global structure.
Welcome, survivors. You are no longer divided by borders.
You are humanity's frontline."
---
The World Awakened Union (WAU)
It began with a private meeting—a conference held on a neutral floating fortress off the coast of Iceland. A neutral zone created by the System itself: Zone 0. There, the world's surviving leaders, tech magnates, military generals, and SSS to UR ranked Awakeners gathered.
They emerged a week later with a single goal: unity.
Thus, the World Awakened Union was formed—a global organization that superseded governments when it came to Awakened affairs. Its hierarchy was simple, yet fearsome in power:
The Council of Ten: Five SSS-rank duos elected as the supreme authority. Their identities were public and guarded at all times.
Continental Divisions: Each continent received a WAU HQ, led by UR-ranked captains and specialized teams.
Guild Partnerships: Independent guilds were recognized but now answerable to regional WAU boards.
Membership in WAU was mandatory for all Awakened. Resistance was met with forced detainment or tower exile.
Aya Shirogane was one of the early honorary signatories. Her mysterious, masked partner remained unnamed—but his exploits were noted in every WAU document, listed only as "The Unknown Variable."
---
Understanding the Rank System – E to UR and Beyond
With the emergence of thousands of new Awakeners during the Tower's first trial, WAU released a clarified breakdown of ranks:
E to C Rank: Civilian-level Awakeners. Limited power, usually relegated to support or research teams.
B Rank: Capable fighters, usable for low-risk Tower Dens and recon missions.
A Rank: Elite combatants, many former military or martial artists.
S Rank: Small in number, these individuals often lead squads and small guilds.
SS Rank: Near-national treasures, capable of mass-scale destruction and strategic leadership.
SSS Rank: Less than 200 worldwide. Known as Pillars. Often paired with other top-rankers.
UR Rank (Ultra-Rare): Only 8 confirmed worldwide. Each is paired with a partner of unknown or lower rank. Possess reality-defying powers.
WAU also introduced the concept of Compatibility Index, a hidden stat that measured mental stability, synergy with a partner, and potential for growth. A high Compatibility could allow a B-Rank to outmatch an A or even S-Rank temporarily.
A rumored category—EX or X-Rank—was said to exist above UR, mentioned only in encrypted WAU files marked Eyes Only. It was speculated that "Unknown Variable" belonged to this impossible rank.
---
Towerforged Equipment and Relics
Following the Floor One boss defeat, a variety of magical loot was discovered:
Towerforged Equipment: Weapons and armor dropped directly from bosses or found in Dens. These items adapted to the user and evolved over time. Some could speak, others resisted unworthy wielders.
Equipment was now graded:
Common – Mass produced and low durability.
Rare – Enhanced attributes.
Epic – Custom effects and aura boosts.
Legendary – Unique to a user, sometimes alive.
Mythic – Only 12 known worldwide.
Relics: The true mystery of the Tower. Unlike gear, these couldn't be removed or traded. They embedded into the soul. Examples included:
Crown of Babel – Allows understanding and speaking of all known languages, even monster dialects.
Mirror of Fates – Once a week, see one possible future.
The Black Seed – Unknown effects. Currently held in vaults below WAU HQ, guarded by four SSS-Rank duos.
Relics often came with drawbacks: madness, hallucinations, or even corruption. Handling them was regulated, and relic holders were kept under observation.
---
Monsters, Dens, and the Evolution of Threats
The creatures of the Tower—once thought to be simple enemies—were far more complex. After the defeat of the First Floor Boss, several Awakened scientists began categorizing them based on behavioral patterns, elemental affinity, and danger level.
WAU officially divided monsters into the following Categories:
Ferals: Beast-like monsters driven purely by instinct. Often form packs and are common in early Dens.
Wraiths: Spectral beings that can phase through attacks and possess weaker creatures.
Elementals: Embodiments of fire, wind, water, or other elements. Highly resistant to normal weapons.
Corrupted: Former Awakened or animals turned monstrous due to exposure to unstable relics or system anomalies.
Abyssals: Rare, grotesque creatures that resemble nothing of this world. Their existence is linked to unknown floor-level events.
Each type has sub-variants that mutate as the Tower adapts to humanity's strength.
Dens: The Tower's Side Rooms
New to the world are Dens—fractures in space-time where monsters gather in Tower-like environments outside the Tower itself. These appeared after Floor One's collapse and are theorized to be "leakage zones" caused by the Tower's shifting structure.
Key facts about Dens:
They exist across the world in forests, cities, oceans—even underground.
Clearing a Den does not affect Tower progression but grants gear, experience, and relic shards.
Dens reset every 72 hours. Death inside a Den is permanent.
Some Dens are Sentient, choosing who may enter.
Elite guilds have started calling Dens "training grounds" for Floor Two, though high-rank ones have killed even UR duos.
---
Global Awakening: New Normals and the Next Threats
The world didn't go back to normal. It evolved into something else.
Tower Zones: Each continent has at least one visible Tower entrance. Only Awakened can approach it without collapsing.
Restricted Cities: Regions near high-Den activity have been evacuated or converted into WAU military zones.
Guild Cities: In places like Tokyo, Mumbai, Berlin, and São Paulo, new metropolitan hubs are being built—run by Awakened guilds and policed by WAU enforcers.
WAU also announced the discovery of "Tower Synchronization Waves"—bursts of energy that pass through Earth every 30 days, affecting monster growth and Awakener powers temporarily. During these waves:
Skills become unstable or amplified.
Some gear evolves.
Dormant Dens awaken.
---
Theories, Secrets, and New Discoveries
The more scientists and Awakeners studied the Tower, the more its secrets revealed themselves. But some answers only led to deeper fears.
The Mirror World Hypothesis
Some theorists now believe the Tower exists in two phases: the Visible Realm and a Hidden Floor Plane. These hidden floors may run parallel to the ones humans are climbing—but no one has entered them yet, except perhaps... the Unknown Variable.
The Origin Protocol
A message fragment was discovered deep within a corrupted Den. It read:
> "This is not the first reset. The Tower returns when the world nears ruin. Your survival is not guaranteed. Your memory, even less so."
WAU keeps this secret from the public. But it hints that the Tower is older than civilization, possibly a cosmic failsafe triggered by imbalance or extinction.
Relic Awakening
Relics have begun to change. Some relics now "awaken" and evolve if they form a bond with a compatible user. One such relic—The Book of Breach—revealed a prophecy:
> "When the 10,000th Awakener dies, a new Tower will descend. Not from the sky, but from beneath."
WAU fears what might happen when the death toll reaches that number. Currently: 9,412 confirmed deaths.
---
A World United… and on Edge
Despite the grim revelations, humanity's spirit hadn't dimmed. Guilds rose like phoenixes from war-torn ruins. Survivors built new cities. Children awakened to powers their ancestors never imagined. And through it all, one figure remained at the center of global speculation.
A masked man—unregistered, unmatched, and shrouded in mystery.
The WAU couldn't name him. Aya Shirogane refused to speak of him. But footage from the First Floor's climax had spread.
He had walked through flame, split the boss in two with thought alone, and collapsed without a word.
His name? Unknown.
His threat level? Immeasurable.
His story? Just beginning.
---
End of Chapter 15