Inside the silent Personal Chamber, Yang Kai lay lazily upon the narrow bed, both hands resting behind his head while his crimson-black eyes stared directly at the white ceiling above him.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Only the faint hum of spiritual energy drifting through the chamber could be heard.
His wounds from the previous battle had vanished completely.
Not even scars remained.
The blood essence he had recklessly burned during the fight against Xuan Yuan had also recovered to its peak state due to the Tower's restoration effect inside the chamber.
Physically—
He had returned to perfect condition.
Yet mentally—
His thoughts remained trapped within that brutal battle.
Yang Kai slowly narrowed his eyes.
"Weak…"
His voice echoed softly through the empty chamber.
"I'm still too fucking weak."
The memory of Xuan Yuan's overwhelming strikes resurfaced vividly inside his mind.
Every collision.
Every shattered bone.
Every second he stood at death's doorstep.
If he had hesitated for even a moment…
If Original Yang Kai's voice had not awakened his determination…
He would already be dead.
Yang Kai slowly exhaled.
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
"I became arrogant."
He admitted it calmly.
"At first I thought becoming stronger than the other Regulars would make climbing the Tower easy."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"But I forgot something important…"
"The most dangerous thing inside the Tower isn't always the people."
A faint chill flickered through his gaze.
"It's the Tower itself."
The deeper one climbed, the more horrifying the Floors became.
Every Floor possessed its own ecosystem.
Its own laws.
Its own monstrosities.
And above all else—
Its Guardian.
Floor Guardians.
Existences personally designed to oversee each Floor alongside the Floor Boss.
The Boss itself was already a nightmare for ordinary climbers.
But the Guardian…
The Guardian was an entirely different species of terror.
Xuan Yuan himself had created them long ago as final judges.
If a climber defeated the Boss, the Guardian would emerge.
Then it would decide.
If the Guardian acknowledged the climber's talent, resolve, or strength, it would allow passage.
But if it did not—
It would fight until death.
No negotiation.
No mercy.
No surrender.
Remembering those ancient beings caused Yang Kai's expression to become slightly serious.
"Those bastards are troublesome…"
Then suddenly—
He smiled again.
A dangerous smile.
"Still… this means the real climb finally begins."
His eyes glimmered faintly.
"Now that the tests are over, everyone will begin conquering the Floors independently."
He paused briefly.
"Or…"
"We can form parties."
At this thought, Yang Kai's smile deepened further.
Because there was something that only get's to the parties.
"And for that…"
"I'll need capable teammates."
Time slowly passed.
The chamber remained silent.
Then—
Exactly twenty-four hours later—
A blue light suddenly enveloped Yang Kai's body.
Space distorted around him.
And within a single instant—
He vanished from the Personal Chamber completely.
…
…
Meanwhile—
At the Entrance of the First Floor—
The atmosphere was entirely different.
Within that immeasurable silence stood a colossal stone gate.
Ancient beyond comprehension.
And before that massive gate—
A single figure floated calmly in the air.
Satan.
Dressed entirely in black.
Hands folded behind his back.
His emerald-green eyes glowed faintly within the void like the eyes of an abyssal predator.
His mere presence distorted the atmosphere itself.
One after another—
Figures began appearing throughout the empty space.
The surviving Tower Climbers.
All of them materialized before the giant gate while silently observing their surroundings with vigilance and awe.
As soon as all the Regulars appeared in the empty space, their eyes widened in shock. Some screamed instinctively, while others staggered as they looked into the endless void surrounding them.
After a few moments, they finally realized they were safe and standing on an invisible platform.
Still, not everyone managed to calm down. Those terrified of heights immediately grabbed onto the nearest person, their faces pale as their legs trembled uncontrollably.
Among them—
Yang Kai appeared calmly.
The moment his eyes landed upon the ancient gate—
A nostalgic expression surfaced on his face.
Then a shameless smirk slowly spread across his lips.
"Damn…"
"I still remember stealing this gate directly from Hell."
He folded his arms while staring upward at the massive structure.
"That old woman is probably still fucking angry about it."
The endless void trembled slightly as Satan's emerald eyes swept across the surviving climbers gathered before the colossal demonic gate.
Nearly a million individuals floated within the blank dimension.
982,109 survivors.
From the original countless masses who had entered the Tower—
Only these remained alive.
Satan slowly lowered his hands behind his back and spoke calmly, yet his voice carried overwhelming pressure that resonated directly inside every climber's soul.
"So…"
"Everyone has arrived."
A faint sinister smile appeared on his face.
"Congratulations on passing the second test."
"From this moment onward…"
"You are no longer mere Regulars."
"You have officially become Tower Climbers."
The moment those words echoed through the void, many people subconsciously held their breath.
Some felt excitement.
Some fear.
Others simply remained silent.
But almost everyone recognized his voice immediately.
It was the same entity who had spoken within the Public Area.
The same voice from the black jade token.
The same being silently controlling their lives since entering the Tower.
Satan's smile deepened slightly.
"Out of all participants…"
"Only 982,109 Regulars survived the second test."
His glowing green eyes scanned the crowd below like a predator observing prey.
"And now…"
"When you enter this gate…"
"You will each be transported to the First Floor Trial."
The massive stone gate behind him emitted a low ancient hum as if responding to his words.
"In every trial lobby…"
"There will only be one thousand climbers."
The crowd immediately erupted into confusion.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"So we're getting separated again?"
"One thousand per lobby?"
"Fuck… does that mean we can't choose where we go?"
Voices spread throughout the void.
Fear and uncertainty filled the atmosphere instantly.
Satan patiently allowed the chaos to continue for several moments before raising one hand slightly.
Silence descended immediately.
Then he began explaining.
"The remaining climbers will be randomly divided into groups of one thousand."
"Each group shall enter a different lobby."
"Inside those lobbies, you may form parties."
"The maximum party size is ten members."
"You will naturally learn how the party system functions once inside."
He paused briefly.
Then his expression became colder.
"The objective of the First Floor is simple."
"Defeat the Floor Boss."
"Afterward, you may proceed to the Second Floor…"
"Or rest temporarily."
Many climbers visibly relaxed after hearing that.
But then—
Satan smiled again.
A dangerous smile.
"But…"
"There is a catch."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
"If your performance during the Floor Trial is judged sufficient…"
"You may pass directly."
"However…"
"If your performance is deemed trash…"
His glowing eyes sharpened.
"You will be forced to challenge the Guardian of the First Floor."
The moment those words fell—
The crowd froze.
Even the air itself felt heavier.
Several climbers immediately turned pale.
Others clenched their fists nervously.
But unlike before—
No one dared complain anymore.
The Tower had already taught them a cruel lesson.
Complaints meant nothing here.
Only strength mattered.
Satan slowly extended his left hand toward the massive gate behind him.
The next instant—
BOOOOOOM!
The colossal stone gate began opening.
Ancient demonic inscriptions illuminated one after another across its surface.
A horrifying aura surged outward like the breath of Hell itself.
Many climbers instinctively trembled.
Some nearly collapsed under the pressure leaking from beyond the gate.
Within the opening—
A gigantic swirling portal emerged.
Dark crimson.
Violent.
Unstable.
It looked less like a gateway and more like the mouth of some ancient abyss ready to devour everything.
Then—
Satan raised his hand.
An overwhelming force instantly wrapped around all 982,109 climbers.
Before anyone could even react—
He waved his arm casually.
And the countless climbers were hurled into the portal like grains of sand swallowed by a storm.
…
…
Meanwhile—
Inside one of the First Floor Trial Lobbies—
A thousand climbers materialized simultaneously within an enormous white chamber.
The chamber resembled a cathedral forged entirely from polished ivory stone.
Towering pillars stretched toward an invisible ceiling far above.
Ancient runes glowed faintly across the walls.
The atmosphere was strangely sacred—
Yet suffocating.
Many climbers immediately became alert after arriving.
Others cautiously observed their surroundings.
And directly before them—
Stood a woman.
No—
A demon-like girl.
She possessed long dark hair cascading down her waist and a curvaceous figure wrapped in a revealing black outfit decorated with crimson patterns.
Two black horns extended from her head.
One horn remained complete.
The other—
Was broken halfway.
Her crimson eyes carried amusement as she observed the newly arrived climbers.
The moment many male climbers saw her—
Their expressions instantly changed.
Some stared openly.
Others swallowed nervously.
A few completely forgot where they were.
"She's fucking beautiful…"
"Are those real horns?"
"What the hell is she…"
Meanwhile—
Among the crowd, a handsome young man stepped forward confidently.
His face carried the practiced charm of someone accustomed to attracting attention.
He brushed back his hair elegantly before walking toward the horned girl.
Several nearby climbers immediately looked at him with envy.
The young man stopped before her and revealed a polite smile.
"Hi there, lady."
His voice was smooth and attractive.
Then he glanced at her horns curiously and asked without hesitation—
"Are you a cowgirl?"