In a dark room where not even the sunlight is seen, the whole situation is a mess. It is evident that the room has never been tended for at least a month. Empty cup noodles along with plastic wrappers are lying on the entirety of the floor. In this room, a man in his 20's is watching the television intently.

[Breaking News: Potente Guild, an Italy based guild has successfully raided the 34th floor. This again opened up new resources for further development. The media and public are excited for the information that the Potente Guild will publicize regarding the floor raid. The guild master is currently refusing an interview about their feat. Everyone is waiting for their appearance and statements. This is YNT News, reporting.]

"Damn. Look at them."

A faint smile with a glint of jealousy is drawn on the man’s face. The man reach the remote and closed the television. The people in the report are Adventurers, an occupation that suddenly changed the course on how the world works. No, ever since the appearance of the mysterious towers that erected throughout the whole world, what considered to be normal had been completely overwritten.

*rustle

“I didn’t notice that it had already piled up to this point.”

He brushed off the trashes on the floor and grabbed his old refrigerators handle. As he reach the pitcher full of cold water, his phone rings.

*rings

The man first finish drinking his water before lifelessly taking his phone to see who is calling him.

[Anthony calling…]

There is no changes in his expression as he ended the call. The phone keeps ringing so he decided to put it on silence.

“He still is as nosy. Just how the hell did he get my phone number when I already changed it?”

He threw his phone on the table next to him. The man is named Logan. Just like anyone, he used to dream of being an Adventurer. A job with a huge pay guaranteed in exchange for risking your life for resources. It may looks like he has gone out of his mind but looking at it, there is no sane Adventurer for choosing to bet their lives for money.

Like a madman, he learned everything there is that is essential for being an Adventurer, thinking that one day he will be one of them. He thought he is destined for greatness as he grew up with intelligence far from normal. However, that was all for naught, he was immature dreaming of becoming an Adventurer and most of all, he was young and deluded by the tower’s mystical allure.

He looked at his phone continuously blinking while letting a sigh.

“Let’s at least hear him out.”

Anthony was his friend, yes, was. He decided to cut ties with him as he shut his self from the world after realizing how hopeless his dream is. Anthony is his childhood friend who unlike him does not have a bright mind.

‘He is always worried for a friend who no longer considered him to be one.'

Guilt flooded him of the thought.

Pressing the answer button, he put his phone on a loudspeaker as what one expect from someone who does not even have the energy to even clean his room.

[Thank God you answered!]

His face squinted as soon as he heard Anthony’s loud voice on the phone’s speaker.

“Can’t you at least lower your voice?”

[Just hear me out.]

There is no change in his expression but still, he waited for Anthony to continue what he is about to say.

[Hey? Are you there? Did this bastard just hung up on me? Wait….he is still on the line.]

“Just get to the point. If you don’t have anything to say, I’ll end the call.”

Logan answered with his forehead crumpled. He took a seat while soullessly looking at the floor.

[N-No, wait! What is it I’m going to say again? Ah yeah, I just want to tell you that the company I am working is looking for workers. They said they needed about 10 people for the job. Don’t worry, it has a good pay and will certainly help you.]

“What work?”

[J-Just carrying stuff….like that?]

“Bye.”

Without hesitation, Logan ended the call. Just like before, Anthony still is stupid. Anthony knew that Logan is not the kind of person who will burden himself with carrying stuff just for money yet he still offered to.

It’s not that Logan is in dire need for money to sustain his living expenses. He had a job, a proofreader and a critic for famous writers but just a week ago, he lost interest and decided to quit. He earned quite the sum, which will probably last him for 4 months or so if he spends thriftily. He is excellent and the writers want him to work for them exclusively. They even offered large pay but he still refused. Without telling, they pestered him and tried to contact him countless of time that led him to change his number.

“What should I do today?”

Unlike before where he can just accept documents and check if there are errors and parts that needed to be corrected or improve, he do not have anything that will keep him busy.

Logan is rather lazy yet at the same time a hard-worker if he put his mind to it. He is physically well-built contrary to his lifestyle of a shut-in. He always make sure that his body is in condition no matter what. Living alone means that he need to take care of himself and if he neglect his health and caught some illness or sort, there will be no one to take care of him.

“Should I just clean?”

Looking at the messy room, he decided.

*

“I should search for job after this. I just can’t let myself starve now should I?”

As he pick the plastic cups and wrappers, he is preparing on what he should do next after cleaning. Unlike when he started cleaning, the room is quite spacious and a lot cleaner. There are still some thing he needed to do including mopping the floor and wiping the furniture as it has piled up dust on top of them.

“Should I start editing videos for costumers?”

Logan is talented and can do most things. He even excelled in sports that includes both his brain and body. If he just decided to focus on one thing, he will really stand out. There was a time when he started doing taekwondo for fun. A month after learning, the teacher has no longer enough to teach him. He even encouraged Logan to participate in a taekwondo competition, which he fervently declined with a reason that he just started it for fun.

Logan is considered to be part of the genius spectrum but that does not classify his abilities. He is a gem out of all the gem, a genius out of all the genius. Everyone who knew him knows that he is someone they can’t be compared to.

Still, despite being a genius, his dream of becoming an Adventurer is something that he decided to be unreachable. The tower chooses who it will grant the access and privilege to become a player. There is no known method on how one can be an Adventurer or what criteria the choosing is based on.

He finished cleaning the whole room in 2 hours and the messy and dim lighted room is now a completely new room. Logan decided to rearrange the furniture while being at it and the room become more spacious and easy to breathe in.

“Haa…I’m quite hungry after all that work.”

Headed in his old refrigerator, he opened it and lately realizes that his food stock is depleting.

“I guess I will eat outside today.”

He took of his clothes leaving him naked. This revealed his well-built body. He does not need to pay attention to his surrounding or feel embarrassment as he is living alone.

He open his shower and clean himself with a bath.

*

Unlike his face before, Logan is now a handsome man, quite different to what he looks like before.

He dressed himself up with his casual wear and headed towards the grocery store. The moment Logan entered, eyes fixed in him.

“Is he some celebrity? Why hadn’t I know or see him? That face is something I can’t forget!”

“Look at him, he is so handsome. Do you think he has a girlfriend?”

“He looks so serious but that just add to his charms.”

“How old do you think is he? Do you think he is interested in dating?”

Logan did not pay them attention and started grabbing cup noodles and some processed goods. He also bought some meat and vegetables to balance his diet. He did not take longer than 20 minutes in picking and head towards the counter.

Luckily, it was a man who is in the counter if not, it will take longer than normal. He paid everything and decided to order chicken for his lunch.

Wherever he go, eyes are following him like how a predator is to its prey.

*

It has been a tiring day. Not paying attention does not mean that they go away. Countless girls asked for his number and if he is in relationship or not. Girls are ferocious beasts. Once they set their eyes on you, who knows when they will stop their hunt.

“Hayss.”

Logan sighed as he lied his body on his bed. He grabbed his phone from his pockets and browsed for the current event about the tower and the adventurers. While browsing, Logan suddenly lied still and his body is completely stiff.

A screen, different from the one in his phone is in front of his eyes.

[Congratulations for being an Adventurer! The Lacrima Tower is watching your growth.]

An unexpected event appeared in front of him. His dreams he regarded as unreachable is already in his palm.