Chapter 147: Preparations
The discovery of the entrance spread across the continent faster than any news in recorded history.
It began as a simple transmission from the Imperial Reconnaissance Unit. After days of searching the endless black walls surrounding the Tower, the soldiers had finally found something. An entrance. A gate. A pathway leading into the structure itself. Unfortunately, the information ended there. The details remained frustratingly incomplete. Communication artifacts had already begun malfunctioning due to the overwhelming influence surrounding the Tower. The final message received by the Empire contained only a brief report confirming the existence of a gateway and the successful entry of the reconnaissance unit. After that, silence followed.
Complete silence.
No further reports arrived.
No additional messages.
Nothing.
Within the Imperial Palace, military officials repeatedly attempted to establish contact with the expedition. Every effort failed. Enchanted communication arrays activated throughout the day and night. Archmages personally assisted with long-distance transmissions. Specialized artifacts capable of contacting individuals across continents were brought from royal vaults. None of them succeeded. The recon squad had effectively vanished the moment they crossed the threshold of the Tower.
Naturally, panic followed.
Several nobles immediately assumed the soldiers had died.
Others believed communication interference was preventing contact.
A few particularly pessimistic scholars proposed that the Tower existed within an entirely separate dimension. If that theory proved correct, communication with the outside world might be impossible from within its walls.
The uncertainty proved more frustrating than any confirmed outcome.
At least death provided answers.
Silence provided nothing.
Inside the Grand Strategic Hall, another emergency meeting had been convened. The atmosphere differed significantly from previous summits. Earlier discussions had focused on understanding the Tower. Now humanity possessed confirmation that entry was possible. That single revelation changed everything. The Tower was no longer a distant mystery standing beyond reach. It had become a destination. A location that people could physically enter.
And that made it far more dangerous.
"Their last message confirmed successful entry," one military officer reported while reviewing documents spread across the massive table. "Commander Reinhardt specifically stated that the gateway activated before admitting the reconnaissance team."
"And then?"
The officer hesitated.
"Nothing."
The answer frustrated everyone present.
The Emperor slowly drummed his fingers against the armrest of his chair. Beside him, Grand Duke Caelion appeared equally dissatisfied.
"So they enter the greatest mystery in human history," Caelion muttered. "And then they disappear."
"Essentially."
"Wonderful."
Nobody laughed.
The situation wasn’t particularly amusing.
Several military commanders proposed dispatching additional forces immediately. Others argued for caution. The debate continued for nearly an hour before eventually settling into familiar territory. Nobody possessed enough information to justify large-scale action. The Empire would continue monitoring developments while preparing contingency plans.
Throughout the discussion, Aurelion remained unusually quiet.
His attention wasn’t focused on the military debate.
It was focused on the future.
Specifically, his own future.
The moment confirmation of successful entry arrived, a simple reality became impossible to ignore.
Eventually, he would enter the Tower.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
But eventually.
The heavenly announcement had already changed civilization. The Tower would become the center of the world whether people liked it or not. Nations would investigate it. Organizations would form around it. Opportunities would emerge from it. Ignoring such a phenomenon indefinitely was impossible.
Aurelion knew himself well enough to recognize the inevitable.
Sooner or later, he would climb.
The realization lingered in his thoughts throughout the entire meeting.
What exactly should he prepare?
Unlike most people, Aurelion approached challenges systematically. He disliked relying purely on talent or luck. Preparation mattered. Information mattered. Planning mattered.
The problem was that the Tower provided almost no information.
No maps.
No reliable descriptions.
No confirmed dangers.
Nothing.
And yet, certain conclusions could still be drawn.
For example, supplies.
Food.
Water.
Medical resources.
The recon squad’s disappearance suggested that entry into the Tower might isolate climbers from the outside world. If so, self-sufficiency would become essential. Depending entirely on resources discovered within the Tower would be foolish.
Equipment represented another concern.
Should he focus on combat?
Survival?
Mobility?
Versatility?
The answer was probably all of the above.
Unfortunately, carrying everything wasn’t practical.
Aurelion leaned slightly backward in his chair while the meeting continued around him.
Tower stories from his previous life resurfaced within his memory once more.
In many of those stories, individuals entered dangerous environments without preparation and promptly died.
Sometimes the causes were monsters.
Sometimes traps.
Sometimes starvation.
The exact details varied.
The lesson remained consistent.
Preparation saved lives.
Ignorance killed people.
Aurelion intended to avoid the second outcome.
After the summit finally concluded, he returned to his personal office rather than retiring for the evening. Several attendants attempted to deliver paperwork requiring his attention, only to discover their Crown Prince sitting behind his desk while covering dozens of sheets with notes.
Lists.
Plans.
Possibilities.
Potential risks.
Aurelion rarely approached a challenge without organization.
The Tower would be no exception.
"Let’s see."
He tapped a pen against the desk thoughtfully.
"Weapons are obvious."
One sword wasn’t enough.
The Tower contained one hundred floors according to the announcement.
Different environments likely existed.
Different enemies.
Different challenges.
A backup weapon would be necessary.
Possibly multiple backup weapons.
Armor required consideration as well.
Heavy armor provided protection.
Light armor improved mobility.
The ideal solution would involve magical equipment capable of balancing both.
Resources.
Potions.
Recovery items.
Emergency supplies.
Portable shelters.
Communication artifacts.
Navigation tools.
The list continued expanding.
Several hours passed.
By midnight, the desk resembled a battlefield of parchment and strategic calculations.
Eventually, even Aurelion laughed.
"This feels ridiculous."
It genuinely did.
The situation reminded him of preparing for a massive journey into completely unknown territory.
Because that was exactly what it was.
His attention shifted toward another concern.
Companions.
The thought lingered longer than expected.
The Tower clearly wasn’t designed for ordinary exploration. Entering alone might prove dangerous regardless of personal strength. Trusted allies offered advantages impossible to ignore. Additional combat power. Additional perspectives. Additional support during emergencies.
Yet companions also introduced complications.
Responsibilities.
Risks.
Potential conflicts.
Aurelion sighed.
Nothing about the Tower appeared simple.
The following morning brought another wave of reports from across the continent.
The recon squad still hadn’t made contact.
However, they weren’t the only ones approaching the Tower anymore.
Other nations had begun mobilizing their own forces.
Kingdoms.
Republics.
Merchant alliances.
Religious organizations.
Everyone wanted answers.
Everyone wanted access.
Humanity’s attention had become completely fixated upon the colossal structure.
The following days settled into a strange routine. While the rest of the continent obsessed over reports, rumors, and speculation surrounding the Tower, Aurelion focused on something far more productive. Preparation. Information remained scarce and uncertainty remained abundant, but one truth was undeniable. Regardless of what existed inside the Tower, strength would never become a disadvantage. Every additional spell mastered today could mean survival tomorrow. Every weakness corrected before entering could prevent disaster later. The unknown rewarded preparation and punished complacency. Aurelion had no intention of becoming one of its victims.
The Imperial Training Grounds quickly became his second residence. Large sections of the facility had been reserved exclusively for members of the Imperial Family, allowing him unrestricted access to magical testing areas reinforced by powerful enchantments. Standing alone within one of the largest practice fields, Aurelion slowly raised his hand while circulating mana throughout his body. The familiar sensation flowed through his mana circuits like liquid fire, gathering at his fingertips before exploding outward. Dozens of mana constructs instantly formed around him. Spears of ice, blades of compressed wind, floating shields of hardened earth, and blazing spheres of fire appeared simultaneously before launching toward distant targets. The practice field erupted with explosions. Ice shattered stone walls. Wind blades carved deep trenches through reinforced ground. Fireballs transformed training dummies into ash. Yet Aurelion merely frowned.
"Too slow."
The spell combinations were powerful.
Power wasn’t the issue.
Efficiency was.
Inside the Tower, mana recovery might become difficult. Extended battles could occur without opportunities to rest. Overwhelming enemies through brute force alone was a luxury he couldn’t assume would exist. Instead of increasing destructive output, he began refining control. Again and again, he repeated the same sequences. Fire became smaller yet more concentrated. Wind blades became thinner yet sharper. Earth barriers formed faster while consuming less mana. Hours passed as he relentlessly optimized every aspect of his combat style. Sweat soaked his clothing while mana exhaustion repeatedly pushed his limits. Yet he continued.
Eventually, he moved beyond ordinary spells.
Layered magic.
One of the techniques that had become synonymous with his name.
A sphere of flame appeared above his palm before being wrapped by rotating currents of compressed wind. Moments later, lightning began circulating through the structure while earth mana formed an outer shell around the entire construct. The resulting spell hummed with terrifying energy. Four different elemental affinities coexisting within a single magical formation should have been impossible. Yet Aurelion had spent years accomplishing the impossible. With a simple gesture, the construct shot across the field before detonating against a reinforced mountain-sized target. A deafening explosion shook the entire training ground. Protective barriers activated automatically. Dust clouds surged skyward.
When the smoke finally cleared, a crater over fifty meters wide had replaced the target.
Aurelion observed the destruction silently.
Then he shook his head.
"Still not enough."
The Tower contained one hundred floors.
One hundred unknown environments.
One hundred opportunities to die.
Against that reality, even overwhelming power felt insufficient.
For the first time in years, he felt something he hadn’t experienced since the early days of his reincarnation.
Pressure.
Not fear.
Anticipation.
The feeling that a true challenge awaited beyond the horizon.
And as he stared toward the distant silhouette of the Celestial Tower visible beyond the Academy walls, mana slowly gathering around his body once more, Aurelion reached a simple conclusion.
Whatever existed inside that structure, he would not enter it unprepared.
Not as a prince.
Not as a professor.
Not as a noble.
But as a man ready to challenge the unknown itself.
Several reports indicated that temporary camps were already forming near the Tower’s outer regions. Scholars hoped to study the phenomenon. Adventurers hoped to enter. Merchants hoped to profit. The area surrounding the Tower was gradually transforming into the center of civilization.
Exactly as Aurelion expected.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
History was moving quickly.
Far more quickly than before.
For years, he had influenced the future through careful planning and gradual action. The Tower cared little for gradual action. Its arrival had accelerated everything. Social structures. Political priorities. Economic interests. Military concerns.
Civilization itself was evolving.
And humanity was running to keep up.
Standing near one of the palace balconies, Aurelion gazed toward the distant horizon where the Tower remained visible.
The giant structure appeared unchanged.
Silent.
Patient.
Watching.
Somewhere inside that impossible monument, Commander Reinhardt and the Imperial Reconnaissance Unit had disappeared from the known world.
Whether they lived or died remained unknown.
Whether they succeeded or failed remained unknown.
Whether they would ever return remained unknown.
The mystery frustrated many people.
Aurelion found it strangely motivating.
The unknown contained danger.
But it also contained opportunity.
His gaze remained fixed upon the Tower.
Soon enough, more people would enter.
Eventually, he would be among them.
And when that day arrived, he intended to be ready.
Because whatever waited beyond those black walls, one thing had become increasingly clear.
The Tower was not merely another location within the world.
It was a world unto itself.
And humanity had only just opened the door.
[To Be Continued]
