Kael did not wake up abruptly.
His eyes opened slowly, calmly as though his body had already finished adjusting before his mind caught up.
For the first time since the tower branded him as a player, there was no lingering tension in his muscles, no dull ache in his bones no static buzzing of unstable mana under his skin.
Everything was aligned.
He lay there for a moment longer, staring at the faint cracks in the ceiling of the small rented apartment room.
"So this is what proper rest feels like after a clean clear" Kael muttered his voice low but steady "No debuffs, no residual corruption, no hidden penalties".
"But since I'm earning money and have 10 Million cates in my bank account, its high time to change my apartment to more secure, safe and comfy".
That alone told him something important.
Whatever the tower was, it approved of his progress so far.
Kael swung his legs off the bed and stood up.
He wore his armor the adaptive reinforced armor, it reacted instantly, segments tightening and syncing to his posture as it were alive. The internal mana pathways sounded softly, adjusting to his circulation without even a fraction of energy.
"Thank god there is no rejection and it fits well"
He stretched once rolled his shoulders and exhaled.
Today's wasn't about preparation.
Today's was about confirmation.
The tower entry plaza was louder than usual.
Shouts overlapped tempers flared and desperation clung to the air thicker than the mana haze that hovered around the black monolith of the tower itself.
"Looking for one healer, minimum level 7"
"Selling antidotes! Discount if you buy in bulk!"
"Guild Crestfall recruiting priority benefits for early members"
Kael walked straight through the noise.
No one paid him any attention.
He looked like another mid level solo player, Plain cloak, no visible guild insignia, no exaggerated weapons.
That was fine.
The tower gate recognized him immediately.
A translucent interface bloomed him immediately.
But unlike the public entry panel.
This one was private.
[Tower Progress Interface - Authorized Player]
[Cleared Floors: 4
Special Status: Solo Verified
Last Recorded Exit: Floor 4 exit]
Entry Options:
1) Resume from the Last cleared floor
2) Restart from the floor 1]
Kael's pupils contracted slightly.
"Yes now I'm feeling it, this kind of private interface comes to all the players who wants to enter the tower, either they start from floor 1 or start from where they have ended"
"Resume to floor 4 exit" Kael said without hesitation.
Kael vanished from the tower gate.
Kael reappeared inside a wide stone chamber lit by pale blue runes embedded in the walls.
The air here was thin, clean free of hostility.
This floor had already been cleared.
Fragments of dissolved monsters still lingered like mist slowly being reabsorbed by the tower.
A single staircase stood ahead, carved from the obsidian black stone.
Above it floated a warning sign.
Floor 5.
Kael took a step forward.
[Floor 5 - Boss Zone Entry Confirmation]
[Boss Rank - Uncommon]
[Recommended Level - Level 10 - 15]
[Clear Condition: Party/Solo]
[Ranking System: Enabled]
Another interface slid open.
[Floor 5 Boss Kill Ranking]
Rank 1 - Lucien Vahl - Eclipse Guild - 11mins 42 seconds
Rank 2 - Seraphine Ardius - Silver Fang Guild - 14min 09 sec
Rank 3 - Dorain Kane - Solo Player - 18 mins 33 sec
.....
.....
.Rank 100 - Shane Kane - Dawnbreaker Guild - 25mins]
Kael studied the list carefully about the top 100 rankers who have cleared the Floor 5 boss in such fast timings either party or solo
"These aren't weak players, they did it in clean execution with coordinated parties and no wasted movements".
But something was hidden.
He tapped the corner of the interface.
More information expanded.
[Average entry level - 10
Highest Recorded Entry level - 12
Average Party Size - 4 to 6]
Kael let out a soft breath.
"So no one waited, everyone rushed the moment they hit the minimum requirement".
That made sense.
The tower rewarded firsts.
Waiting meant losing prestige, records, and futile leverage.
Kael glanced at his own level , its level 15, if not for the hidden boss I would still be at level 12.
But now he's the exception.
He stepped onto the staircase.
The space unfolded violently.
Stone ground expanded outward, forming a massive circular arena surrounded by towering pillars etched with ancient bestial designs. The mana density here was immediately oppressive pressing down on Kael's sense like a physical weight.
A deep groaning breathing echoed from the center.
The ground cracked.
Something massive rose.
[Boss Identified]
Name: Graskhul the Fractured Warden
Rank: Uncommon
Level : 15
HP: 5000 , MP: 2000
Classification: Armored Beast
Primary Traits: Reinforced Hide, Shockwave Roar, Partial Regeneration]
Grashkul stood nearly four meter tall its body encased in jagged stone armor fused directly into muscle and bone. Amber eyes locked onto the Kael with dull intelligence.
The arena was sealed with no where to run.
"No wonder the previous ranker took much more time to clear this Boss floor, but still the legendary ranker Lucien Vahl to take down in 11 mins, how much strong he must be"
A massive timer appeared overhead.
[Boss Encounter Initiated - Ranking Timer Active]
[00:00.00]
Grashkul roared.
The shockwave tore across the arena shattering stone and sending debris flying.
Kael didn't even flinch.
"The boss looks intimidating but not intimidate enough like the Floor 4 hidden boss The Warden of Silence. But this intimidation works only on people who hesitate"
The Beast charged.
Each step cracked the ground, its massive arms pulling back for a crushing blow that had ended dozens of parties before him.
Kael raised his right hand.
Use Delimited Edge.
The world slowed.
A single conceptual boundary manifested before Kael, a flawless line that did not glow, it did not distort space and did not announce itself.
It simply existed.
And reality recognized it as absolute.
Kael moved his hand once and the line crossed Grashkul's Body
[Title: First Cutter has been triggered]
[Dealt 10,000 to Grashkul the Floor 5 boss]
00:02.03
The boss froze mid stride.
For one second nothing happened.
Then the upper half slid forward.
The lower half collapsed.
There was no roar, no death scream, no regeneration.
The concept itself had been severed.
The arena fell silent.
[Boss Defeated]
[Clear Time: 2 seconds]
Kael blinked once.
Even Kael was shocked, I did expect the boss to be one shoted but I did not expect the First cutter to be triggered dealing even more damage.
"But that was awesome and it ended it in 2 seconds, I'am sorry author to end it very quickly, I know you wanted to make a long anime fight scene haha"
The Ranking interface shook violently.
Once.
Twice.
Then shattered and reconstructed itself entirely.
[Floor 5 Boss Kill Rankings- Updated]
[ Rank 1: Unknown - 2 second
Rank 2: Lucien Vahl: 11 mins 42 sec
Rank 3: Seraphine Ardius - 14 mins 9 seconds
Rank 4 - Dorain Kane - 18 min 33 sec]
Even the 100th Ranker has been disappeared and 99th became the 100th and 1st Ranker became the 2nd right now, but he stand at first with lots of huge gap when compared to the 2nd.
A new prompt appeared.
[Register Name for Record?]
Kael stared at it.
He could decline or remain a ghost.
But ghosts didn't control narratives.
"No, This needs a name"
He typed deliberately.
->LINE EMPEROR<-
The tower trembled.
Every active player regardless of location froze.
Golden light tore across the sky.
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT]
[PLAYER "LINE EMPEROR" HAD ACHIEVED]
[FASTEST SOLO CLEAR - FLOOR 5 BOSS]
[FASTEST CLEAR RECORD : 2 SECONDS]
[RANK 1 BOSS KILL RANKINGS]
[SPECIAL EVALUATION: SSS RANK]
Silence lasted exactly half a second.
Then.....
"That's impossible".
"Two seconds? that's not a fight".
"Is this a system error?"
"And who would keep such a cliche name like LINE EMPEROR, I hope I would meet this person and give a sense into him"
Guild command rooms erupted.
"Trace that name immediately!"
"Pull tower logs! I want verification"
Solo players stared at the sky hands trembling.
Even the Legendary Player Lucien Vahl where he still stayed in floor 101, hearing the global announcement was momentarily shocked and got calmed in next second " Interesting someone beat my record after long time and that too in 2 seconds, he must have huge potential and is he the key to break this damm floor 101. I hope you come to floor 101 sooner and faster LINE EMPEROR , haha such a cliche name haha".
Kael stood alone as rewards bombarded.
[Boss Rewards]
[Uncommon Boss Core: Grashkul]
[High Grade Mana Crystals x10]
[Solo Clear Rewards]
[Stat Growth Acceleration: Permanent and Minor]
[Skill Upgradation with confirmed 100% success]
[Fastest Clear Reward]
[Concept Reinforcement Token x1]
[Rank 1 Clear Reward]
[Uncommon Authority Fragment - Execution]
[Global Announcement Reward]
[Hidden Title: One second Executor (Dormant)]
[Reputation: Unknown (Locked)]
Kael exhaled slowly.
"Now that these rewards are more reasonable".
The exit gate opened.
Behind him the corpse dissolved.
Ahead of him the world just changed.