The tunnel narrowed as Kyren and Rin crept deeper into the darkness, the sound of their breath louder than it should've been. Every footstep against the damp stone echoed like a promise of death.
They had left the platform behind. The chaos. The corpse of a system-shattering humanoid. And Saejin—whatever was left of him.
Kyren wasn't sure if the silence here was better or worse.
"Wait."
Kyren froze, eyes scanning the path ahead. His system still flickered with unreadable code every few seconds, like it was struggling to interpret this space.
Then he heard it.
Not a monster.
Voices.
Multiple.
They pressed themselves to the stone, barely breathing.
"...I'm telling you, we kill the weakest now before the next monster wave. No dead weight. That's how we survive."
A voice like cracked ice. Male. Arrogant.
"You're talking about killing students. People from our school."
"People who'll get us killed later."
"Doesn't matter. You're too loud. If something hears us—"
"I hope it does. I want to see if I can get a skill from killing one."
Kyren and Rin exchanged a glance.
It was already starting.
Paranoia.
Mistrust.
Murder, not out of malice—but logic.
There were three of them ahead. Two males, one girl. All armed. One held a rusted metal pole with wires running along it, makeshift electricity sparking at the tip. Another had a stolen monster's claw strapped to his arm like a blade. The girl just stood between them, arms crossed, a system map open in her palm, projecting faint blue light on her face.
"Three people. One psycho. Two quiet. Probably the girl's the one really leading."
"How do you know?" Kyren whispered.
"She's the only one not overcompensating."
Kyren smirked.
But the tension didn't break.
Rin reached into her pouch and took out two more vials. One red. One blue.
"Red makes their skin burn. Blue makes the floor ice. Which do you want?"
He pointed to the blue.
She handed it over. "Aim at their feet if it turns bad."
They stepped out slowly, hands raised.
Kyren kept the vial behind his back.
All three turned.
The guy with the claw blade stepped forward, smirking. "Look at that. More rats crawling in."
Kyren let his voice tremble, just enough. "We're not looking for a fight. Just cover."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "You're the one with that title. The Watcher."
That made Kyren blink.
"You can see my System?"
"Not all of it," she said. "But enough."
The third boy—broad-shouldered, nervous eyes—finally spoke. "They're not enemies, Tarin. We need more eyes. If they have information—"
The claw guy—Tarin—snorted. "You always beg for more mouths to feed, Jae. That's why you're weak."
The girl cut in sharply. "Enough. Everyone calm down."
Her gaze landed on Rin. "You. What's your specialty?"
Rin smiled, sweet and venomous. "Alchemical murder."
The girl blinked.
Then grinned.
Introductions were made, tense and brittle.
The girl's name was Mirae.
Sharp features, short-cut hair, and the presence of someone who knew she was smarter than you—and didn't care if you noticed.
She was already organizing them. "Five people. That means one party bonus from the System. Kyren, Rin—you're in. For now."
Kyren's screen flashed:
[SYSTEM PARTY BONUSES UNLOCKED: 5-MEMBER BASELINE]
[SHARED THREAT ASSESSMENT: ENABLED]
[HIDDEN REWARD CONDITION IN PROGRESS]
He blinked. Hidden condition?
He didn't ask.
Let them underestimate him. That was his edge.
The tunnel opened into a circular chamber. Rubble, bloodstains, torn remains of people and monsters alike. And—more importantly—a stash of crates.
System crates. Not made of wood or steel, but pixelated material that shimmered as they approached.
"Loot," Mirae said. "Locked to survivors who've scored at least one kill."
Kyren stepped up.
He watched Tarin try first—and fail. "System says I need two more," the boy growled. "I only killed that weak guy at the start."
Kyren stepped forward.
His hand touched the crate.
It opened.
Inside: A steel bracelet. Nothing else.
[ITEM ACQUIRED: SILVER CIRCUIT BIND]
Type: Utility
Effect: Doubles the efficiency of any observational skill.
Hidden Trait: ??? (Locked)
He slipped it on without a word.
Rin opened hers. She pulled out a folded pair of gloves and a sealed syringe. Her smile widened.
Mirae watched them, but said nothing.
That night—or what felt like night, deep inside the Tower—they made camp.
One person kept watch.
The rest rotated through short sleep shifts.
But Kyren didn't sleep.
He watched.
Listened.
And began his plan.
He knew one thing already:
Tarin was going to kill someone soon. Probably Jae. Maybe Mirae.
And if Kyren timed it right?
He could make that death count as his own kill.
All he needed was the system to recognize his influence.
And that was where deception came in.
Kyren stood quietly, vial in hand, and began rigging the floor behind Tarin's sleep spot.
The blue vial.
Ice.
Not enough to freeze—but enough to tilt someone off balance during a fight.
If a fatal blow was delivered after someone slipped...
The System might decide who really made it happen.
He slipped back into his bedroll just as Tarin stirred.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
Tarin stretched with a yawn that sounded more like a growl. His shirt was off now, showing off a body covered in muscle and jagged scars that looked too fresh to be old. He cracked his knuckles as he scanned the camp.
Kyren watched from behind half-lidded eyes, pretending to sleep.
Jae was on watch.
Which meant he was vulnerable.
Kyren's heart was calm. Not because he wasn't nervous—but because he'd made the choice already. Tarin was going to attack. That was inevitable. Kyren would simply make sure the result belonged to him.
"Hey," Tarin muttered, sauntering up to Jae. "Get some sleep. I'll take next shift."
Jae blinked. "But I—"
Tarin grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him slightly off his feet. "I said I'll take it."
Rin cracked one eye open, watching like a cat. She didn't move otherwise.
Jae slowly stepped back, rubbing his chest. "Fine."
Kyren shifted just a little in his bedding, pulling it tighter around himself. His hands were free beneath it.
Tarin paced for a bit. Then he circled back toward Jae.
He didn't bother whispering this time.
"You think I didn't notice how you looked at her? You think you can act like some savior, and the System'll love you?"
Jae's voice was tight. "Tarin. Don't do this."
"You were always like this, even before the Tower. Weak. Acting righteous so people wouldn't realize you're afraid."
Tarin stepped forward. "But now? Weak people get us killed."
Jae raised his fists, but his stance was wrong. His weight was all on one leg. The moment he tried to move—
He stepped exactly where Kyren had rigged the floor.
The ice slick activated underfoot, almost invisible, and Jae slipped.
Tarin was already moving.
The clawed blade on his arm shimmered, faint blue light running along the edges as he brought it down in a brutal arc.
CRACK.
Blood sprayed.
The camp woke instantly—Rin on her feet, Mirae summoning her map interface like a blade. But it was too late.
Jae's body hit the stone with a sound that didn't echo.
He didn't scream.
He didn't have time to.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
PARTICIPANT JAE MIN – LIFE TERMINATED]
[ASSIST CREDIT RECOGNIZED: KYREN HAO]
[KILL COUNT: 2/5]
[PATH OF DECEPTION: PROGRESS UPDATED]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: "False Catalyst" (Passive)]
Description: Actions you cause but do not commit still reflect partial System influence.
Skill Grade: ???
Growth Potential: High
Kyren stood slowly.
Tarin turned to face the others, grinning. "He slipped. Attacked me. You all saw it, right?"
Mirae looked at the blood. At the floor.
Then at Kyren.
He stared back, emotionless.
Rin tilted her head. "How lucky you were in the right spot."
Tarin shrugged. "Guess the Tower likes me."
Mirae didn't argue.
Instead, she walked over and dragged Jae's body toward the center.
She looted his system. Took his token. Burned the rest in a fire she conjured with her fingers and a flint powder she didn't explain.
Kyren watched the flames.
And let himself feel it.
Not regret.
Not guilt.
Just weight.
Because Jae hadn't been evil. Or cruel. He was just not fast enough.
The Tower didn't care about good or bad.
It only cared about who could live with themselves afterward.
And Kyren?
He could live just fine.
Later, as they moved out of the chamber, a new path opened before them—lit with shifting black stone that folded in on itself like a living maze.
Rin walked beside him.
"You didn't kill him directly," she said softly.
Kyren said nothing.
"But you knew Tarin would. You set the stage. That's cold."
Still he said nothing.
Rin didn't press.
Then she smiled a little. "You really aren't a protagonist."
Kyren turned his head slightly. "And you like that?"
"No," she said. "I trust it."
They entered the next part of the Tower.
The light grew darker.
The air denser.
They were no longer alone.
Shapes moved behind the walls—watching.
[STAGE TWO INITIATED: "PATH OF SHADOW COVENANTS"]
[Unique Rule: No Light May Be Created Here. Those Who Glow, Die First.]
Tarin swore. His arm glowed faintly from the energy pulsing through his blade.
The system buzzed.
[WARNING: EXTERNAL RADIANCE DETECTED]
[PENALTY ENGAGED IN 3... 2...]
"WAIT—" Tarin started—
A thin, whistling sound cut through the air.
Then his head separated from his shoulders.
It didn't explode. It didn't spurt.
It just vanished.
His body crumpled.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: PARTY MEMBER TARIN – ELIMINATED]
[UNCLAIMED KILL CREDIT: SHADOW ENTITY CLASS B]
[PARTY EXP DROPPED]
[THREAT INDEX: RE-CALCULATING...]
No one spoke for a long time.
Then Mirae looked around. "New rule," she said. "Glow, and we kill you ourselves."
Kyren felt a chill in his stomach—but it wasn't fear.
It was recognition.
The Tower wasn't just a series of trials.
It was evolution.
And if you couldn't adapt to the shape of the floor, the shape of rules, the shape of fear?
You would die.
Or worse—be forgotten.
[KYREN HAO – KILL COUNT: 2/5]
[HIDDEN PATHWAY BRANCH PENDING: DECEPTION SPECIALIZATION AVAILABLE]
[Unlocked Trait: "Murmur Beneath the Mask" – Your lies start sounding like truth to those who want to believe.]
Kyren smiled in the dark.
And whispered quietly to himself,
"Let them all believe."