One Of Many Pieces

Do you want to turn your wish into reality?

Lured by a single rumor, countless people from across the globe entered the Otherworldly Tower—a pitch-black tower that had emerged from the depths of the Southern Ocean centuries ago—without knowing that they were about to be thrown into a world that would shatter and rebuild their image of reality.

"This is embarrassing...!" Jay grumbled through his gritted teeth.

While scratching his unnatural-looking white hair that was slightly parted and streaked with a few black strands, the injured young man staggered out from a cluster of bushes. His white button-up shirt and the iron plate that was strapped to his chest were dirty and stained with blood. The man who could barely stand on his own watched his surroundings with his narrow and exhausted gray eyes.

He was on a wide grass field that appeared almost empty if not for the bushes, trees, and caves that were inspected by a handful of people. Jay perceived the energetic screams of young people and the painful groans of non-human beings, but he ignored them. His gaze shifted to the person who was rushing toward him.

"H-hey! Are you okay?"

It was a young, fair-skinned woman who was panicking after seeing Jay's state. She had smooth black hair that reached her slim waist and a white headband that stood out even more due to the direct contrast to her hair's color. Her big, azure blue eyes looked at him full of concern.

"Here, I will give you a shoulder! It's not far from the South Gate!" she said, trying to sound reassuring.

Jay simply nodded his head as the woman helped him walk. If he could, he wanted to close his eyes and fall into a deep slumber. However, his mission was not over yet.

It's not her.

"What's your name?" the woman asked, trying to keep Jay awake.

"Jay..." he responded weakly.

His gaze fell on the woman's clothes. She wore a gray hoodie and black sweatpants, paired with white sneakers. They were indeed clothes suited for physical activities that required moving around a lot. But in addition to those pieces, she had elbow and knee guards, a chest plate, protective plates along her arms and legs, and a cheap-looking spear that she grasped in one hand.

"What happened for you to end up in such a state?" the woman asked, bewildered and curious.

"I fought some monsters..." Jay responded, gritting his teeth. However, it was not frustration that he felt—it was humiliation.

"Monsters? But only slimes and some Killer Rabbits should have been in this part of the area..." she murmured, confused.

"Do you mind showing me your status window? I will also show mine to make it fair!" the woman suggested, smiling innocently at Jay.

[Name: Luna Park
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Current Quest (1/100): Defeat five slimes.

Exclusive Skill: Magic Maniac (Stage 1)
Magic Spells: (no magic spells learned yet)

Endurance: 22
Strength: 18
Speed: 14
Dexterity: 33
Mana: 20
Intelligence: 61
Luck: 15

Stat Points: 0]

Suddenly, a bright screen—a status window—popped up in front of both Jay and her. The screen displayed personal information about the woman next to him—Luna Park. Usually, it would be invisible to other people, but if the person gave permission, the screen could be shared with others.

"Sorry, but I don't want to show my status." Jay said, averting his gaze from her.

He knew that she was curious about him. After all, he was beaten up by the weakest monsters—a feat that no one could achieve unless their stats and skills were horrendous.

"Jay!"

Then, a voice he was familiar with echoed from afar. The voice belonged to someone he had been waiting for and wanted to punch in the face.

"Huh? Is that your comrade?" Luna wondered, squinting her eyes at the man who was rushing toward them.

His blond hair was short and slightly wavy, with his blue eyes appearing kind and gentle. The man wore a beige sweater with a white shirt beneath it, and light blue jeans, coupled with a pair of sneakers. He also had a lot of accessories, like earrings, a necklace, and rings for his fingers, making him look like he was trying to be a fashion model.

However, behind the man who was roughly the same age as Jay was another person. A girl who looked like she was roughly 15 years old tagged along with great concern. Her shoulder-length blonde hair framed her small face, and her big eyes were brown. She was clutching a wooden wand while wearing a frilly dress and a beret, showing off a resemblance to a magical girl.

There she is.

"Is that the friend who got lost, Erik?" the young girl asked worriedly, checking out Jay's injuries.

"Yes! He selfishly explored the area on his own and got lost! He must have fallen victim to all those small and weak monsters!" Erik answered in panic, stressing certain words.

Jay wanted to retort, his veins bursting in rage.

"Don't worry now! My name is Ella, and I'm a Guide—"

The young girl named Ella was introducing herself in a hurry as she tried to lend Jay a shoulder, but Jay did not care about her introduction. His fingers kept twitching, seeing that her small and exposed neck was inches away from his hand.

"Jay."

His gaze shifted to Erik, who called him. Erik wore a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"It's okay now. Get some rest." he said.

"He's right! It's a miracle that you can still stand, so don't push yourself any further!" Ella chimed in with a pouting face.

The images of slimes that could barely move an inch, and cute rabbits that could beat someone into a pulp, flooded Jay's mind. Memories of him standing defenseless in the center of such small and weak creatures—almost as if he invited them to attack him—came rushing back. But the most haunting thing in his memory was a certain person who had told him that it was necessary for their plan. Despite being leagues above those creatures, he had to let himself get humiliated. And it was thanks to the rage he was feeling that he could still walk.

"You've told me that you two were also beginners, right? How long have you been in the Tutorial Section already?" Ella asked Erik.

"I guess it's been about a week or two?" Erik pondered.

"Oh, really? Then, how about you two join us? Luna had arrived here not too long ago as well, and as a Guide, I can show you everything you need to survive here!"

"We will be in your care then." Erik responded, expressing a grateful smile that failed to impress Jay.

While it might have been careless and rushed for Ella to invite them to their group without checking their backgrounds and characters, it was also strange for Erik to accept her offer immediately. Then, in turn, both parties were anything but normal from the get-go, making that interaction seem natural in the process.

"Isn't that great, Jay? Since we will train together, you will soon be strong enough to get your revenge on the small monsters that have beaten you up!" Luna encouraged Jay.

Jay, who could not tell if she was making fun of him or not, hung his head low. His vision became hazier with each second.

"The South Gate is in sight, guys!" Ella announced happily.

They were good people.

"Only a little more, Jay. We're almost there." Luna said softly.

They were innocent people.

"I'm sure we'll get along!" Erik laughed.

It was a lie. Jay knew it and smirked faintly, his gaze lowered to the grass beneath him.

No matter what the circumstances were, as long as Jay and that person were in the same space, the result would always turn out the same. After having exchanged a few words, the four had already formed a group whose goal was to learn and grow stronger together in their new environment—the world within the tower.

"Your name's Erik, correct? I'm Luna—"

The atmosphere was comfortable. Jay enjoyed the meaningless but wholesome chitchat that was exchanged between the three. However, because he was enjoying it, he felt guilt and resentment toward himself.

Or rather, he should feel guilty and resentment toward himself.

"We have an injured person with us! Is a medic here?" Ella shouted.

Jay was finally allowed to close his eyes. He needed to rest as much as possible before he could begin the next stage of the plan.

It would not be long until the once-happy group would break, turning the innocence and joy that surrounded those people into anger and sorrow. Even the smile that was plastered on that person's face would not be visible the next time they met after everything was done.

And Jay was the very reason for that sudden and unwelcome change.

After all, he had to kill himself.