The towering skyline of Floor 20's main city—Solport—glinted beneath the artificial sun, a polished gem of civilization forged in the crucible of endless trials. SeTa stood in the heart of it, eyes scanning the sweeping view from a wide skybridge connecting the Guild Plaza to the Tower of Awakening.
A city built by Climbers, for Climbers.
Merchants hawked wares infused with mana. Automatons patrolled the district. Guild banners—glowing with enchantments—waved overhead. It felt more like a capital than a checkpoint.
"Almost feels like we made it," Kael said beside him, his black coat catching the breeze. "If we didn't know better."
SeTa smirked. "Yeah. Too clean. Something always stirs underneath."
They walked together through the heavy gates of the Tower of Awakening, the momentous ten-floor ritual awaiting them. The interior thrummed with condensed energy, and even seasoned Climbers kept respectful silence. A mural of past awakeners loomed over the hallway—three faces glowing faintly in golden hue.
SeTa's was the fourth—unlit, but framed in silver.
Kael was the first to step forward. The marble floor glowed beneath their boots as a holographic interface greeted them, scanning their AP reserves.
[AP Verified: SeTa — 11,245 | Kael — 9,700]
The room warped, reality bending as blue glyphs engulfed them. First, Kael stepped into his circle. A minute later, fire and chains wrapped around him.
[Skill: Oath of Fire upgraded to Legendary: Judgment Pyre] [Class Evolution: Cursed Inquisitor → Hellbound Inquisitor]
Kael stood taller now, red irises glowing faintly. He looked at SeTa and grinned. "Your turn."
SeTa stepped in. The void answered.
[Omni-Class Detected: Voidborn Strategist — Requirements Met.]
Dark threads poured out of his body like black ink, spiraling up as a pressure weighed on the room.
[Class Evolution Successful: Nullborn Arbiter]
[Skill Evolution: Inception EX → Inception: Null-Realm Origin (Passive)] [New Skill Unlocked: Thread Court – Summon a jury of subordinated entities to temporarily enforce a battlefield rule or judgment.] [New Skill Unlocked: Clause: Paradox Layer – Establish a single bending rule within an area for 30 seconds. Cost: high mental stamina. Cooldown: 1 hour.]
Inception now stabilized SeTa's thoughts across multiple parallel nodes, allowing him to experience multiple simulations and outcomes instantly. It granted a terrifying clarity.
"You good?" Kael asked, but the grin on his face betrayed how proud he was. "What class did you advance into?"
"Yeah," SeTa muttered, voice husky. "Nullborn Arbiter."
Kael blinked. "You're what?"
"Nullborn Arbiter. My Omni-Class evolved. Inception's stronger now—it's like I can feel concepts slipping, reshaping."
"Well, hell. That's one way to scare the crowd."
As they stepped out, a clerk in gray robes stepped in their path and bowed low. "Climber SeTa, I was instructed to deliver this upon your return."
She handed over a sealed envelope bearing the insignia of the Awakening Authority. He cracked it open.
Inside was a handwritten note:
> "You may not know it yet, but that gift I gave you on Floor 10 wasn't just a gesture—it was a key. At Floor 23, seek the Obsidian Archive. Present the prism. And read only when the wind refuses to whisper."
—The Head, Tower of Awakening
Kael raised an eyebrow. "That from the same guy who tested you back then?"
"Yeah. Guess he thinks I'm still interesting."
"Well, he's not wrong. You kinda just tore a hole in causality and stitched it into a suit."
SeTa pocketed the letter. Outside the Tower, whispers were already spreading. Rumors of a fourth Omni-Class user who had evolved to something new—something the system didn't quite know how to classify.
And somewhere in the distance, a guild banner fluttered violently, its colors subtly shifting to a darker shade.