"You need to take the lead and look for villages, bro. You'll make a fortune."
"What are you talking about? The best thing for him is to dig underground. If he finds mineshafts with chests, he could become a millionaire overnight."
"Haha! And waste an eternity finding them? Villages are more common — plus, you can find tools to sell later."
Two young men argued fiercely. It had to be said, they looked quite similar — both had streaks of white hair mixed in with their black, though one of them looked as if snow had fallen on the top of his head.
Their black eyes burned like fire as they argued, completely ignoring the young man sitting in front of them.
'What are they talking about? Wait… why are they young again? No… is this heaven?'
The young man, who had been calm until now, suddenly opened his eyes wide — as if he had seen a ghost.
"I—"
Before he could speak, a flood of memories poured into his mind. He clutched his head, feeling as if needles were stabbing into his brain.
"Ah—"
'Tower of Infinite Worlds? Runners? Year 2027?'
After a few seconds, he finally understood — he had just traveled through space and time.
Har Davius had once lived an ordinary life. He worked at his family's small fruit shop. He couldn't afford college, but he never complained. He fell in love with Ann — an angelic woman who chose to stay by his side despite everything.
Tragically, he died on his wedding day in a car accident.
"Hey, Har! Are you drunk already?"
"Don't tell me you ignored my wise advice."
The two young men stopped their pointless argument when they noticed Har's strange expression. Despite their teasing tone, worry flickered in their eyes.
Har looked at them, tears threatening to fall. These were his older brothers — the ones he had shared countless memories with. They had been laughing with him just seconds before the accident, on their way to the party.
He was overjoyed to see them again, even though it had only been a few minutes since he last saw them at age forty.
His eldest brother was now twenty-eight, named Handers Davius. Two white streaks fell over his forehead. Charismatic and argumentative, he loved to debate with his siblings.
The second brother was twenty-three, named Handalf Davius. The top of his hair was completely white, tied into a small ponytail. He was serious with others, yet he also loved to bicker with his brothers — it was their way of bonding.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. I'll get some rest before entering the Tower."
Har had already absorbed the memories — and he was thrilled. He set down his wine glass and stood up.
"Thanks for the advice."
He walked toward his room. It was still his old house, after all.
"Hey! Make sure you don't enter the first floor drunk!"
"Yeah! And don't forget what I said — head to the villages!"
Har left the room, which was decorated for a birthday party — his 18th birthday, now much fancier than in his previous life.
"Dinner's ready, boys!"
As Har walked to his room, a woman around fifty came out of the kitchen, white-haired and wearing an apron. If Har had been there, he would've been shocked — it was his mother.
"Har went to bed. Seems like he couldn't handle the fine wine."
"Haha! He took one sip and grabbed his head, you should've seen him, Mom!"
"Don't tease him. It's his first time drinking, after all."
…
Har paced in his room, barely able to contain his excitement.
According to his new memories, people in this world climbed the Tower of Infinite Worlds that had appeared five years ago.
You could bring items and abilities from the Tower back to the real world. Power, fame, and wealth were all within reach for the Runners who ascended it.
Once you became a Runner, the Tower would transport you to various fantasy worlds — the Runners called them Floors. Completing a floor granted you a performance rating, and the better your rating, the greater your rewards.
The Tower even had a shop where you could buy and sell using TP, or Tower Points. These could be used to enhance stats or exchange for all kinds of skills and items.
The craziest part was that the Tower's worlds — the ones Har had heard of — were all familiar to him. Movies, anime, and video games from his old life — but in this new world, no one had ever heard of them until their discovery inside the Tower.
'In this world… I'm the only one who knows the plots of the Tower's floors.'
"Mom, brothers, Ann… this time, I'll give you all the life you deserve. And those bastards… I'll definitely avenge you, Dad."
Har stopped walking, his eyes burning with conviction, his fists clenched tightly as if he were ready to strike.
In both his past and current life, a gang of thugs had tried to rob the family store. His father fought them off, but they later returned with reinforcements, kidnapped him, and trashed the house.
Days later, when the police finally declared him missing, he was found on a forest road — completely unrecognizable. The police called it an animal attack. The media never reported the case, and it faded into oblivion.
It all happened in 2022 — a few months before the Tower first made contact with humanity. Now, those same bastards had grown powerful through the Tower, ranking among the country's Top 10.
They were among the first to enter the Tower, killing Runners like flies, forming the Mob Guild, now ranked fifth.
Thinking about that, Har's determination hardened. He would become strong — strong enough to crush them with his own hands.
"I, Harius Davius Jubileus, wish to become a Runner."
As if speaking lines from a divine play, a majestic voice echoed in his head.
[You will be transported to the first world of the Tower. Are you sure you wish to continue?]
It was as if an omniscient, almighty being had spoken directly into his consciousness.
"Yes."
Har replied without hesitation. In the next second, light enveloped his entire body, filling the room with a pure, radiant aura.
When the light faded — Har was gone.
End of Chapter