"Hey, Kael, have you heard the latest rumor? Arthur Lewin from the second year received a B rank evaluation yesterday on the Tower's fourth floor".
"Really?".
"Of course it is true. The news has already spread through almost the entire Academy, and you did not hear a thing".
"Damn, Arthur is truly incredible. He deserves to be counted among the Academy's geniuses".
"One of the geniuses? Just a few days ago, Kayra from the fourth year obtained a super devil fruit from the world of One Piece. That is what you call a true genius. I heard that one of the strongest factions in the Tower has already contacted her to recruit her in the future".
"I do not think she will join them. With her powerful family behind her, she will surely follow their instructions. But in any case, my trust in these rumors has been shaken recently".
"I do not envy Kayra or Arthur. The Tower and its realms are full of rewards, but they are also extremely dangerous, and death there is easy. This is their life, and they will pay the price for it. As for us, we will remain in the safe floors. At least we will not gamble with our lives".
"True, but if we want to raise our levels, it will take a very long time if we stay in the safe floors".
"Ah, I think I will try to join the Solaris Clan that Arthur leads at the Academy".
"And why do you want to join them?".
"There is a rumor that a batch of super soldier serum will be given as a prize during the clan wars for second year students".
"I heard that this serum can increase physical fitness ten times in a short period. Imagine the clan that obtains it. Its members will reach unbelievable levels".
"Stop dreaming. You cannot get something like that without a clan. And Arthur is in the second year, so I think his clan is already full. He would have to expel someone to let you in. And then, what superpowers do you even have that would make him accept you?".
"I have water abilities".
"Pfffft... How about we start our own clan?".
"Seriously? Our own clan?".
"Yes, but I am afraid we will drown from your abilities before we even set sail to fight other clans, hahaha".
"screw you!..".
…
The conversation I overheard left me confused.
What exactly were they talking about?.
Clan wars? Tower floors? A devil fruit?.
"What nonsense are these students spouting?".
Then I looked around. A wide hall lay before me, a massive whiteboard hanging on the wall, and above it a large banner displaying words that tightened around my chest:
[Only two months remain until the first year exams].
It was clear that this was a classroom full of students, and that I was wearing the Academy's uniform myself.
Yet I clearly remembered leaving school long ago. So how had I returned?.
"Is this a parallel world? Or am I dreaming?" I muttered.
It was the only explanation that made sense.
As the thought echoed, a sharp pain pierced my head, as if something were being forced into my skull.
A groan escaped me, and I bent over the desk.
New memories surged in, flooding my mind and merging with it.
After what felt like long minutes, the pain slowly faded and my vision cleared.
"It seems it is not a dream. It is a parallel world" I whispered softly.
From the memories settling in my mind, it appeared this truly was another world.
Its civilization resembled Earth in many ways.
My body was the same, fifteen years old, a first year student at the Academy.
But more importantly, this world differed in ways that could not be ignored. Superpowers, players, and a Tower in which every floor led to another realm.
In the black Tower known as Arkanos, anyone aged fifteen or older could enter.
In Arkanos, progress did not rely on surviving the floors alone. It depended on acquiring coins, mysterious rewards that fell from the Tower's core. Every task completed, every trial cleared, granted a portion of these points, as if the Tower itself measured their efforts and rewarded them.
And as coins accumulated, the player did not simply become wealthier. They gained real power that followed them outside the Tower. Every ability mastered within Arkanos fused into their body and soul beyond its walls, becoming a weapon everywhere they went.
Thus, the Tower transformed from an enigmatic mystery into a source of absolute strength, one that did not vanish upon leaving it, but accompanied its bearer wherever he went, turning players into an elite feared by all in the real world.
The greatest shock was that the Tower realms were not illusions. They were real worlds.
And from my new memories, I discovered that these realms were taken directly from the movies, anime, games, and novels I used to watch.
Worlds like Marvel, DC, One Piece, Prison Break, The Last of Us, and many others.
As for how the black Tower appeared, it seemed to have fallen suddenly from the sky, piercing the Mediterranean Sea and draining its waters entirely. A new continent formed in its place, and at its center the Tower rose, reaching into the heavens.
"In this parallel world, it seems there are no movies or games or works like the ones I know. That is why everyone here knows nothing about those worlds".
"As for me, I am the only one who knows every detail about them".
I thought with cold eyes gleaming with ambition and hope.
Having foreknowledge meant being able to see what others could not. My knowledge of the story would grant me the keys to the plot before it even began, turning information into power. It would allow me to make precise decisions, move at the right moment, and take every step already calculated.
What seemed difficult for others would become a simple task for me. An easy mission. A world bending before my advantage.
The school bell rang.
The sound cut through my thoughts. It was the last class of the day, another day at the Academy ending.
Throughout the lesson, I remained detached, lost in my thoughts.
No one knew the story the way I did. What others saw as a dark and deadly world, I saw as a simple puzzle I could solve with ease.
My knowledge would give me an advantage no one else possessed, allowing me to become truly strong when facing the black Tower.
When the dismissal bell rang, I hurried through the Academy corridors toward my room.
Posters lined the walls:
"Flamira Clan is recruiting students with fire abilities at power level three or higher. Preference for those who possess more than one fire ability, to serve as effective members capable of facing major clan challenges".
"Shadowcrest Clan seeks students specialized in shadow control and stealth. Applicants must possess shadow abilities of level two or higher. Those with additional shadow abilities will be granted leadership positions among new members. Joining requires discipline and proper use of power, so that every member becomes invisible and effective on the battlefield".
"Dragonar Clan is searching for students with courage and a warrior spirit. Requirement: power level three or higher. Preference for those with exceptional reflexes or an ability to understand complex strategies".
I examined the posters, and my mind drifted toward the idea of my own clan, imagining myself leading it, shaping its strength with my own hands.
But the fantasy faded quickly. True power, true trials, awaited me in the Tower, where deception and masks held no place.
…
I returned to my assigned room in the Academy. A large building with each floor containing dozens of shared rooms, long corridors lit with cold dim lights, and heavy numbered wooden doors.
I opened my small simple room, devoid of luxuries. A single bed, a wooden desk, a narrow bathroom, and a small metal locker.
I placed my bag on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed.
I reached into the side pocket and pulled out a packaged meal from the Academy cafeteria, just like the other students. I did not want to sit in the crowded hall. I preferred the quiet of my room.
I opened the wrapper slowly to reveal flavorless noodles, nothing but functional food. I lifted the fork and took a bite. Dry and bland, but at least they filled my stomach.
As I ate, my thoughts drifted to my past life, a fading image of a world that once felt familiar but now seemed distant. Faces gone. People I no longer heard from. A home that no longer existed here. I had no one. No family. Nothing tied me to anyone.
And it seemed this world offered me nothing but emptiness as well. In this life, with no family or support, I had to start from scratch, building myself step by step at the Academy, with the Tower waiting at the end of the road.
The opening of the black Tower Arkanos occurred simultaneously worldwide, exactly at midnight, though in some places it shifted slightly depending on time zones.
The method of entering the Tower was extremely simple. Every player possessed a system chip implanted behind the neck, and pressing it activated the entrance mechanism.
A brief flash of light, and the awakened were pulled directly into the Tower, finding themselves in the opening plaza with the others.