[One month remaining before the Tower opens, ???]

“Come on, Jeong-Hui! Put more manliness behind your blows!”

Swinging a wooden training sword, a tall, burly man with a salt-and-pepper ponytail yelled out with a wide smile, knocking it against the wooden daggers the red-haired young man held.

“Ghh…!”

He winced, bracing himself as he was flung back by the natural strength of the man.

[Player Recognized…]

[Korain. Level: 27 | Class: Luminate Warrior]

They were in an empty room of a large warehouse, set up for training, though it seemed as if the two were on completely different wavelengths.

It’s been a couple months since I’ve joined “Gangcheori”–the most prestigious, powerful group of people in the entire nation. Even though I’ve already reached level twenty-two, Korain insists on training me so I don’t become rusty.

He’s one of the executives of Gangcheori–he’s the one I’ve spent the most time with, for better or worse…He thought.

After having his hand accidentally smacked by the wooden training sword wielded by the tall, strongly-built man, he fell on his behind, catching his breath.

“I guess it’s about time to call it a day,” Korain smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead as his ponytail rested on his shoulder.

During such training, it was an unspoken rule for him not to use his Sage System, as the benefits of it in training made it quite unfair for just “training”–mainly since this was just meant to keep his physical status in check._.

“Sage System”…I learned that having a unique system wasn’t actually unheard of from others in Gangcheori, however, the odd thing is the fact I have two systems. Every person with their own system had the Angel System be overridden, but not me.

I wonder if Dae-Seong realized that when he took me in?…He thought.

–

[Three Weeks Ago…]

“An additional system? And a unique one, at that?”

The silver-haired leader of the organized group sat at his desk in the surprisingly lavish office, as if it had not seen the apocalypse beyond the furbished, wooden walls that were lined with fully-stocked bookshelves.

He nodded as his curly, red locks bounced slightly, sitting in the soft, leather seat across from the man.

“I “awakened” it right before the Last Bastion were about to sacrifice me,” he explained.

“I see,” Dae-Seong rubbed his chin, adjusting his clear glasses.

The stoic, well-educated man seemed to study him for a minute, gazing directly at him as he neatly stacked some documents on his dask before continuing to speak.

“That lines up with other instances we’ve heard of,” Dae-Seong continued, “I have my own unique system, in fact. Sol does as well.”

“You do? Pardon my rudeness…but your uniform looks like something from the Angel System,” he replied.

Dae-Seong looked at him, “Acute observation. There is a lot we still don’t know about these “systems”, but it seems they derive from a similar force, or theory. Perhaps they’re just similar in the essence that they’re something inexplicable to human minds…nonetheless, it would seem “unique systems” for the most part transfigure the base Angel System. I can still acquire Angel coins, use Angel shops, and conjure the same items, as well as the same equipment, as you’ve noted.”

“…Makes sense,” he nodded quietly.

His eyes were worn and bloodshot from all of the tears he had wept night after night, holding an exhaustion and fatigue to his appearance in his unkempt hair and face.

“I have the “Evolution System” myself. This “Sage System” of yours sounds incredibly useful, and curious. Please, continue to experiment with it and report your findings to me, Jeong-Hui,” Dae-Seong said.

It was as if the silver-haired, well-groomed man recognized the tired look inhabiting the young man as he finished their brief meeting, prompting the curly-haired adolescent to get up from his seat and begin walking away.

“Jeong-Hui.”

“Yeah?” He glanced back.

“I hope you’re settling in well. If any of the others aren’t treating you right, then don’t hesitate to tell me,” Dae-Seong told him.

He wore a small smile, “This group is great, Dae-Seong–really. Thank you.”

—

[Present Day]

Walking into the training space, catching his attention by the sound of steps echoing off of the concrete flooring, was a girl with short, hazel hair and round glasses, holding two bags in her hands as she approached the two men.

“Yo, Eunji!” Korain raised his hand to greet her.

[Player Recognized…]

[Eunji. Level: 20 | Class: White Mage]

The tall man accidentally flung sweat onto him as he moved his arm, causing him to hold a repulsed expression as he sat on the floor.

Gross, he thought.

Eunji wore a beige skirt down to her knees, and a gray sweatshirt with sleeves just a bit too long as they covered most of her hands. The moment she looked at Jeong-Hui with her amethyst eyes that sat behind her large, prominent glasses, her freckled cheeks came over with a slight blush, quickly averting her gaze.

“What’s up, Eunji?” He asked, grabbing a rag from atop one of the boxes and wiping the sweat from his skin away.

Eunji averted her gaze, still holding her slight blush as she held up both of the bags, “…I brought you both lunch.”

“Oh! Really?” Korain seemed ecstatic at the prospect of food.

Of course, the temple of refined muscle that Korain had to maintain required a regular intake of calories.

“Oh!” Korain let out as he opened the bag given to him.

“…It’s nothing special. Just battered chicken, some rice, and that special sauce…” Eunji mumbled meekly.

“The recipe Jeong-Hui taught you?” Korain asked with a bubbly smile, already beginning to eat.

Eunji blushed even further at that question, hiding her clear embarrassment before nodding, “…Mhm.”

He grabbed his own bag, tasting the chicken and swallowing it whole, not noticing that the girl was intently watching him as if trying to see if he enjoyed it.

“That hits the spot,” he let out a satisfied sigh.

“Indeed! A good serving of protein after a fulfilling workout is sublime!” Korain laughed boisterously.

It was an environment that needed some adjusting, but he enjoyed it; the members of Gangcheori were surprisingly welcoming.

I expected a high-end group to be a lot more conceited…but I guess they’re just people fighting like everybody else, he thought.

After finishing his homemade lunch, he ventured out of the warehouse and into the secured neighborhood of Gangnam-Gu; it was walled off by Gangcheori, making for a place that managed to be secure from Defects.

Guards sat atop the walls, swapping out every few hours. It was an almost nostalgic feeling to be able to walk along a city street without having to worry about the threat of the viscous rejects of Heaven.

“Gangcheori” is a lot more than just a group of survivors. Dae-Seong has pretty big aspirations–he wants to assure that we’ll make it to the Tower, and if there is a further fight awaiting the Tower…that we’ll win. This is a group of fighters, he thought.

His place of residence was at a hotel, and a renowned one at that, before the world’s end occurred. It was likely the main benefit of a falling world: the freedom of the already built resources.

Entering the establishment, he walked across the marble flooring, entering the elevator before pressing the button leading him to the fifth floor.

All of the electricity was functional, though the lack of internet was something he’d have to continue to live with.

The generic song played in the elevator to help pass the time before the metallic doors opened, leading him into the halls before he found his room–”#108″.

“Hey, fire-head!”

It was a voice he knew that called out to him, rough and gravelly, but not very deep, causing him to look to the left just as he was opening the door to his room.

[Player Recognized…]

[Yeong-Un. Level: 23 | Class: Dual Spellblade]

“Hey,” he replied tiredly, rubbing the back of his head.

It was somebody he met early on, when first encountering Gangcheori; he was just two years his senior, with spiky, dark-blue hair that screamed “Wild!”, accompanied by the prominent scar that stretched from his forehead and down by his lips.

Like most of Gangcheori, he perpetually stayed in his [Equip], which was a deep-blue coat with rolled up, flared sleeves and black lines running over in a sleek design. Under his dark-blue coat, he had matching black pants and a black, mesh shirt.

Strapped to his back in an “X” crossed-formation were his two, sheathed broadswords, tucked into twin, expensive-seeming scabbards of a sleek, black material with blue metal designs protruding along their length.

He’s a scary looking guy, but in reality…He thought.

One of the man’s arms wrapped around his shoulder, bringing him into a half-embrace, “How’s it going, best friend?!” Yeong-Un asked with a bright smile, tugging him close.

He’s the most affable man I’ve ever met–! He thought.