Beast Realms: Trapped in the Game

Beast Realms: Eternal Dominion was one of the most popular VR games on Earth.

In it, players could explore vast realms, each inhabited by unique monsters, and battle powerful beasts to obtain spirit beast companions.

The starting point of the game was a bustling town where players could find spell smiths, weapon smiths, blacksmiths, spirit beast merchants, and more.

At its center stood the Beast Tower—a colossal structure with one hundred levels. 

Each floor of the Tower presented a deadly challenge, and conquering a floor granted passage to one of the Beast Realms surrounding it.

But the massive structure standing before Wein was different from what he expected.

The moment he stepped out of the Racha Realm's Gateway with Terr, the first thing that caught his eye was the towering structure visible even from a great distance.

It was the Beast Tower.

In the game, it was impressive. But here, it was a godlike, massive existence that seemed to encompass the world. It shimmered with an otherworldly glow, its presence pressing against the sky.

Surrounding the Beast Tower were hundreds of Realm Gates—massive, glowing portals that connected the realms. Much like the gateway behind them, the distant gates were tall and shimmered with golden light, their brilliance visible even from afar.

Another thing that made him speechless was the massive city spread out before him, surrounding the Tower and the gates—a city that was never like this in the game.

In the game, this had been nothing more than a small town. But here, it was a sprawling metropolis.

"What the hell is this place?" he muttered, stunned.

Terr followed his gaze and laughed. "Beautiful, isn't it? This is the Beast City. Come on, we need to get inside before nightfall."

From the gateway of the Racha Realm, they traveled along the road riding the Goldenfur mount toward the city. Many other travelers rode alongside them, each on their own spirit beasts. When they finally arrived at Beast City, they entered through the gate opposite the Racha Realm's entrance.

Wein's eyes widened further, while observing the surroundings.

He saw massive buildings, towering shops, and streets crowded with people in robes, armor, and combat suits. The city buzzed with life, filled with merchants, adventurers, and beast riders.

As they rode through the streets, Wein noticed people staring at him. Some whispered, some openly gawked.

Terr finally paused and turned to Wein, placing a palm to his forehead in realization. "Ah—how could I forget? Younger brother, we need to get you new clothes. I know a great shop nearby the place we are heading to."

"Is that really necessary, brother?" Wein asked, a little embarrassed.

Since Wein discovered Terr was only a year older than him, they had started calling each other brothers, growing comfortable with the term.

Terr raised an eyebrow. "Necessary? Of course. You look ridiculous, walking around in those clothes. Also, it's indecent."

'My pajamas aren't indecent—they're hella comfortable! You're the one sweating in that thick robe,' Wein grumbled in his head. 

But of course, he didn't say that out loud.

"But… I don't have any money to pay for it."

Terr grinned. "Don't worry about that. I can cover you. Or if you want to keep things fair between us, I can buy your share of the Ratcha beasts in exchange."

Wein nodded. "Brothers or not, it's best to keep trades clean. You can buy them all."

Besides, he might need the money later.

"Perfect! Let's drop these beasts off first, then we'll head to the Central Alliance," Terr said, satisfied.

Wein agreed easily. "I'll leave the arrangements to you."

As they continued, Terr suddenly asked, "By the way, brother—you said you lost your memory. Then, do you even know what your current level is?"

Level? There are levels here too? How does that work?

Wein shook his head. "I don't. How does this level work?"

Terr smiled and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a glowing tattoo on his upper arm. The number 9 was imprinted in a curving, ancient text, shimmering with silvery threads.

"This is how we track our levels here. After you conquer a floor in the Beast Tower, you earn this mark. It's proof of your achievement—and your pass to enter the corresponding Beast Realm. The number changes as you progress. See? I'm currently Level 9. I'm planning to challenge Level 10 soon—that's why I needed to hunt the Ratcha beast. A blacksmith I know promised to make me a weapon in exchange for a live Ratcha for his son to train on."

Wein's curiosity spiked. He quickly pulled up his sleeve to check his own arm.

There it was—a glowing mark.

On it was the number one, written in elegant cursive.

"Huh? You're only Level One?" Terr asked, clearly surprised.

"Seems like it," Wein answered awkwardly.

But something about the mark made Wein's heart race.

What does this mark really mean?

His gaze drifted to the colossal tower that pierced the sky. 

The pull he felt wasn't just curiosity—it was heavier, like a thread tied to his chest, slowly reeling him in. 

Was this… calling him? Or was it something worse?

He recalled that he had been teleported here after reaching the peak level in the game.

Am I… supposed to climb the Beast Tower?

Maybe the answer to why I'm here is waiting at the peak.