The Tower lobby stretched upward into darkness. Obsidian walls. Impossible height. Ten thousand players materialized in bursts of light—armored knights, robed mages, beast-folk warriors.
Paragon_47 appeared near the edge. No fanfare. No party invitation. Just him and default starter gear: grey tunic, cloth pants, leather boots that smelled like factory rubber.
He checked the viewer counter in the corner of his vision.
[ViewerCount: 834]
Most of them probably misclicks. Or hate-watchers from the ban controversy.
The ban. Six months ago. Account Paragon_46—his main, his pro account from Blade Eternal—deleted for "exploiting game mechanics." He'd found an unintended strategy in the endgame raids. Won three tournaments with it. The devs called it cheating. The community called it brilliant.
Didn't matter. Banned anyway.
So here he was. Paragon_47. New game. New account. Starting from zero.
The Tower's system announcement echoed across the lobby:
[ASCENSION TOURNAMENT BEGINS IN 60 SECONDS]
[10,000 PARTICIPANTS REGISTERED]
[PRIZE POOL: $10,000,000 USD]
[DEATH RULES: 5 respawns in non-Boss zones, 1 respawn in Boss zones]
[EXCEED LIMIT = ELIMINATION]
[MAY SKILL GUIDE YOUR CLIMB]
Around him, players formed parties. Laughter. Hype. Trash talk echoing off obsidian walls.
"Looking for DPS, Rare minimum!"
"Tank LFG, have Epic shield class!"
"Anyone got Healer? We're doing speed run strat!"
Paragon stood alone.
Fine. He didn't need anyone.
Skill beats luck. Skill beats meta. Skill beats everything.
He'd prove it.
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 834]
Noodle_Incident: who is this guy
Plasma_Fang_V: some banned pro from Blade Eternal
Noodle_Incident: why start with 800 viewers if he was pro
Plasma_Fang_V: because he quit 6 months ago, people forgot
Circuit_Breaker_91: what was he banned for
Plasma_Fang_V: "exploiting" aka being too good
Betting_Wizard_$$$: betting he gets Epic minimum
Paragon didn't read chat. Never did during gameplay. Focus mattered more than engagement numbers.
The lobby floor glowed white. Tutorial prompts materialized:
[WELCOME TO CLASS GACHA HELL]
[COMPLETE FLOOR 1 TO UNLOCK CLASS GACHA]
[YOUR CLASS DETERMINES YOUR FATE]
The floor beneath his feet turned liquid. He dropped.
Teleportation. The lobby inverted. Colors bled. His stomach lurched.
Floor 1 materialized.
Stone corridors. Torches every ten feet. Damp air smelling of moss and rust. Classic starter dungeon aesthetic. Boring but functional.
[FLOOR 1: THE DESCENT]
[OBJECTIVE: REACH THE EXIT]
[ENEMIES: SLIMES, SEWER RATS, SKELETON SCOUTS]
[BOSS: NONE]
A weapon rack shimmered into existence ahead. Standard tutorial. Pick your starter.
Three options:
[RUSTY SWORD] - 5-8 damage
[WOODEN BOW] - 4-7 damage, ranged
[SIMPLE STAFF] - 3-6 damage, +5 INT
Paragon grabbed the sword. Most reliable option for Floor 1. Predictable damage range.
[RUSTY SWORD EQUIPPED] [DAMAGE: 5-8] [DURABILITY: 50/50]
He moved forward. Checked the minimap—blue dot (him), red dots ahead (enemies). Three slimes, thirty feet away around the corner.
The corridor opened into a small chamber. Water dripped from ceiling cracks. Three green slimes jiggled in the center.
[GREEN SLIME - Level 1] HP: 50/50
[GREEN SLIME - Level 1] HP: 50/50
[GREEN SLIME - Level 1] HP: 50/50
One hundred fifty HP total. Sword dealt five to eight damage. Math said twenty to thirty hits if every strike connected perfectly.
The slimes detected him. Wobbled forward.
Paragon sidestepped the first lunge. Swung the sword. Connected with the slime's center mass.
[DAMAGE: 6] [GREEN SLIME HP: 44/50]
Six damage. Decent. He swung again.
[DAMAGE: 7] [GREEN SLIME HP: 37/50]
The second slime launched itself at his legs. He jumped back. Third slime circled left. Basic pincer formation.
He focused on the injured one. Four more hits.
[DAMAGE: 5] [DAMAGE: 8] [DAMAGE: 6] [DAMAGE: 7]
[GREEN SLIME DEFEATED] [+5 XP] [PROGRESS TO LEVEL 2: 5/100]
Two left. The fight continued. Dodge, strike, reposition. The slimes had simple AI—lunge, pause, lunge. Predictable.
Eight hits for the second.
[+5 XP]
Nine for the third.
[+5 XP]
[TOTAL XP: 15/100]
Paragon checked his stats. HP: 100/100. Time elapsed: forty-seven seconds.
Perfect run so far.
He continued through Floor 1. Rats. More slimes. Skeleton scouts with rusted daggers. Each fight followed the same pattern: analyze, execute, adapt if necessary.
Ninety minutes later, he reached the exit portal.
[FLOOR 1 COMPLETE] [TIME: 1:34:22] [DEATHS: 0] [RANK: #4,281 / 10,000]
Middle of the pack. Not terrible for a solo run with starter gear.
The portal shimmered gold. He stepped through.
The gacha chamber materialized around him.
Circular room. White marble floor. In the center: the wheel.
Fifteen feet tall. Gold rim, silver spokes, five color-coded segments:
GREY (Common ★☆☆☆☆) - took up 60% of the wheel
GREEN (Uncommon ★★☆☆☆) - 25%
BLUE (Rare ★★★☆☆) - 10%
PURPLE (Epic ★★★★☆) - 4%
GOLD (Legendary ★★★★★) - 1%
Paragon stared at it. Sixty percent Common. More than half the wheel was grey.
The odds were terrible.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING FLOOR 1]
[YOU HAVE EARNED YOUR FIRST CLASS GACHA SPIN]
[APPROACH THE WHEEL]
He walked forward. Other players lined the room's edges—those who'd finished Floor 1 earlier. They spun one by one.
A flash of purple. Someone screamed in joy.
[CLASS ASSIGNED: BATTLE MAGE] [RARITY: EPIC ★★★★☆]
Another spin. Blue light.
[CLASS ASSIGNED: RANGER] [RARITY: RARE ★★★☆☆]
Green.
[CLASS ASSIGNED: GUARD] [RARITY: UNCOMMON ★★☆☆☆]
Paragon's turn.
He gripped the lever.
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 1,247]
Noodle_Incident: HERE WE GO
Plasma_Fang_V: betting Rare minimum
Betting_Wizard_$$$: $100 on Epic
Frozen_Comet_44: please not grey
Quantum_Leaf: $50 on Rare
The wheel spun. Colors blurred into a rainbow smear. A mechanical whir filled the chamber. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Gold flashed past.
Purple.
Blue.
Green.
Grey.
Gold.
The wheel slowed. Slower. Slower.
It stopped on grey.
[CLASS ASSIGNED: JANITOR]
[RARITY: COMMON ★☆☆☆☆]
[RARITY RANK: 847/1,000 AVAILABLE CLASSES]
The chat went silent for exactly three seconds.
Then:
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 1,289]
Noodle_Incident: LMFAOOOOO
Plasma_Fang_V: NO
Circuit_Breaker_91: CALLED IT
Betting_Wizard_$$$: I JUST LOST $100
Frozen_Comet_44: JANITOR
Quantum_Leaf: BRO
Plasma_Fang_V: OUT OF EVERYTHING
Noodle_Incident: rank 847 out of 1000 classes LMAOOO
Trash_Collector_V: even I wouldn't use Janitor and my username is literally trash
Circuit_Breaker_91: this man is CURSED
Betting_Wizard_$$$: welp he's done, floor 5 max
Frozen_Comet_44: RIP
The class materialized around him. His rusty sword vanished. A wooden mop appeared in his hands.
Brown handle. Grey mop head. The smell of cheap industrial detergent.
[STARTING WEAPON: WOODEN MOP]
[DAMAGE: 1-3]
[DURABILITY: 30/30]
One to three damage. The sword had been five to eight.
His stat screen appeared.
[PARAGON_47 - Level 2]
Class: Janitor (Common ★☆☆☆☆)
HP: 110/110 MP : 90/90
Base Stats:
STR: 11 (+3 from leveling)
AGI: 14 (+4)
INT: 7 (+2)
VIT: 28 (+8)
LUK: 3 (+1)
Equipped Skills (3 slots available):
- [Sweep] - Lv.1
- [Mop Water] - Lv.1
- [Organize Inventory] - Lv.1
Weapon: Wooden Mop (1-3 damage)
LUK: 3.
Three points in Luck. Out of a possible hundred at base level.
He read the skill descriptions:
[SWEEP] - "Clear small debris in a wide arc. Minor damage to slime-type enemies. Cooldown: 8 seconds."
[MOP WATER] - "Create a small puddle (5 ft radius). Enemies move 5% slower when standing in water."
[ORGANIZE INVENTORY] - "Passive. Gain +2 inventory slots."
Utility skills. No burst damage. No defensive buffs. No sustain mechanics. None use Mana.
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 1,412]
Noodle_Incident: 1-3 damage with a MOP
Plasma_Fang_V: the sword was 5-8
Circuit_Breaker_91: he literally got WORSE after leveling
Frozen_Comet_44: might as well re-roll bro
Quantum_Leaf: mop water slows enemies 5%... FIVE PERCENT
Trash_Collector_V: no you cannot, this is a tournament.
Betting_Wizard_$$$: he can, if he want to get banned, AGAIN.
Paragon stared at the mop.
Common. Sixty percent of the wheel was grey, and he'd hit it.
He looked at the player next to him—a knight with a flaming greatsword. Epic class. The guy was level 2 and already had better base stats than Paragon would have at level 10.
The Floor 2 portal shimmered at the chamber's far end. Other players streamed toward it in parties. Rare classes recruiting Epic classes. Everyone ignoring Commons.
Paragon gripped the mop.
Viewer count: 1,412. They'd grown. Slightly.
They weren't watching because they believed in him. They were watching to see him fail.
Fine.
He walked to the portal alone.
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 1,412]
Plasma_Fang_V: he's actually continuing
Noodle_Incident: respect for that ig
Circuit_Breaker_91: how long till first death
Betting_Wizard_$$$: Floor 3, calling it now
Frozen_Comet_44: bro he has 5 respawns in normal zones, he'll use all of them on next floor
Quantum_Leaf: you guys don't remember his Blade Eternal run, dude had INSANE game sense
Trash_Collector_V: game sense doesn't fix a mop doing 1 damage
Paragon stepped through.
Floor 2 materialized. Sewer tunnels. Water pooled on cracked stone. The smell hit him first—rot, mildew, something dead upstream.
[FLOOR 2: THE SEWERS]
[OBJECTIVE: REACH THE EXIT]
[ENEMIES: SEWER RATS, TOXIC SLIMES, GIANT CENTIPEDES]
[ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: ACTIVE]
[BOSS: NONE]
Water everywhere. Ankle-deep in some sections. Puddles in others.
Paragon looked at his [Mop Water] skill.
Creates puddles. Five foot radius. Enemies move five percent slower.
He looked at the water already covering the floor.
A plan started forming.
The first sewer rat rounded the corner. Size of a large dog. Matted fur. Yellow teeth. Eyes glowing red in the torchlight.
[SEWER RAT - Level 2] [HP: 35/35]
Paragon gripped the mop.
One to three damage. This was going to take a while.
The rat charged.
He swung.
[BASIC ATTACK: 2 damage]
[SEWER RAT HP: 33/35]
Two damage. The rat barely staggered.
It lunged at his leg. He sidestepped. Swung again.
[BASIC ATTACK: 1 damage]
One damage.
The rat bit his ankle.
[DAMAGE TAKEN: 8]
[HP: 102/110]
Pain flared. He kicked it back. Activated [Sweep].
The mop glowed faint white. He swung in a wide arc.
[SWEEP: 2 damage + Minor Knockback]
[SEWER RAT HP: 30/35]
[Cooldown: 8 seconds]
Two damage. The rat stumbled backward three feet.
Seventeen more hits.
Paragon's stamina drained with each swing. The rat landed two more bites before dying.
[SEWER RAT DEFEATED]
[+8 XP]
[HP: 86/110]
He leaned against the tunnel wall. HP: 86/110. One rat had cost him twenty-four HP.
The minimap showed forty-three more red dots between him and the exit.
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 1,534]
Noodle_Incident: this is PAINFUL to watch
Circuit_Breaker_91: 18 hits for ONE rat
Frozen_Comet_44: bro will reach floor 2 after GTA 6 released
Quantum_Leaf: he's conserving resources, you guys don't see it
Trash_Collector_V: copium
Betting_Wizard_$$$: I'm out, this is unwatchable
Paragon didn't check chat. He stared at the water on the floor. At his [Mop Water] skill.
Five foot radius puddle. Five percent slow.
He activated it.
The mop glowed blue. He pressed the mop head to the ground. Water spread outward in a perfect circle—five feet in diameter.
[MOP WATER ACTIVATED]
[PUDDLE CREATED: 5 FT RADIUS]
[DURATION: 60 SECONDS]
The water looked identical to the sewer water already on the floor. But there was a faint shimmer if you knew what to look for.
Two more rats approached. He positioned himself behind the puddle.
They charged through it.
[MOVEMENT SPEED: -5%]
Five percent. Barely noticeable.
But five percent meant their lunge fell three inches short.
Paragon sidestepped. Swung the mop. Connected.
[DAMAGE: 3]
The rats turned. Charged again through the puddle. Again their timing was off—just slightly.
He circled them. Kept the puddle between him and the rats. Their attacks missed by inches.
Thirteen hits for the first rat. Zero damage taken.
Fifteen for the second. Zero damage taken.
[+16 XP]
Paragon continued through the sewers. Each fight took longer than it should have. Each rat required twelve to eighteen hits. Each toxic slime took twenty-five to thirty.
But he didn't die.
Puddle placement. Movement prediction. He treated each encounter like a puzzle with one solution: efficiency.
Three hours and forty-two minutes later, he reached the Floor 2 exit.
[FLOOR 2 COMPLETE]
[LEVEL 3 ACHIEVED]
[TIME: 3:42:17]
[DEATHS: 0]
[RANK: #7,854 / 9,687]
He'd dropped in rank. Other players were clearing floors faster.
Paragon sat against the portal frame. The mop had lost twelve durability points.
HP: 54/110. He'd taken damage. Fought forty-seven enemies.
But he hadn't died.
[CHAT - ViewerCount: 1,893]
Noodle_Incident: he's still going
Plasma_Fang_V: 3 hours for floor 2
Frozen_Comet_44: top player is on floor 6 already
Quantum_Leaf: yeah but Common vs Epic, not a fair comparison
Trash_Collector_V: respect for not quitting tho
Plasma_Fang_V: barely
Circuit_Breaker_91: I'm gonna keep watching, this is fascinating
Frozen_Comet_44: same, invested now
[Betting_Wizard_$$$ has joined the chat]: okay I'm back, this is actually interesting
Paragon closed chat. Reviewed his performance.
Problem one: Damage output pathetic. One to three damage per hit.
Problem two: [Sweep] cooldown too long at eight seconds.
Problem three: [Mop Water] five percent slow seemed useless at first glance.
But there were opportunities.
[Sweep] did two damage to slimes versus one damage normal attacks. That was a one hundred percent damage increase against specific enemy types.
[Mop Water] created puddles. He hadn't tested combinations yet. What if he used it with environmental hazards? Electricity? Ice? Fire?
[Organize Inventory] gave plus-two slots. More room for consumables. Potions. Thrown weapons. Utility items.
The class wasn't useless.
It was just unexplored.
Viewer count: 1,893. Almost two thousand people watching a guy with a mop struggle through tutorial floors.
They wanted to see him fail.
He stood. Walked toward the Floor 3 portal.
He'd give them a show.
The grind had only just started.
[END CHAPTER 1]
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