I Became a 10,000-year-old Elf

The Tower, a calamity that engulfed the world. An inescapable fate that forces even an ordinary college student to fight monsters, risking their life.

I couldn’t avoid it either. Those who were qualified had to climb the Tower.

Those who weren’t qualified had to fight the monsters that poured out every day, hoping that others would end this hell.

“If the chosen climbers fail to solve the Tower’s trials, the Tower will corrode the entire world, and those monsters will cover the land and sky…!”

When the U.S. President, jokingly called the Earth’s President, said such nonsense with a serious face during a live broadcast to the whole world, no one believed it.

However, the calamity actually happened, and countless people died due to the monsters pouring out.

In that situation, as the climbers ascended the Tower and showed results, the number of monsters decreased, and people became enthusiastic. They were no longer unlucky victims.

They were heroes receiving support from people all over the world.

“Welcome, new climber. O fate bestowed with a great trial.”

So when I was forcibly dragged there without warning, I could avoid despair upon seeing the Tower’s guide, who looked like a pale mannequin.

Whether inside or outside the Tower, it was a life where you never knew when you might die by a monster. My thought was that if I couldn’t refuse anyway, I might as well try to resist.

“Everyone already knows what you do first when you come to the Tower.”

“Y-Yes. They say it’s the ‘first and last’ chance…”

“That’s right. This opportunity is proof that you have been chosen.”

The guide extended his hand to me, who was intimidated. The swirling blue light in that hand was indeed as I had heard in rumors.

This was the opportunity, the beginning of the trial and blessing given to climbers thrown into the Tower with bare hands.

“You people call this a ‘draw’. You say that by leaving it to luck, some draw good rewards, while others draw trivial rewards. But that’s wrong. It’s just denying and refusing to accept one’s own capacity.”

The guide gave me that opportunity too.

According to what I had learned in advance through information leaked by senior climbers, what comes out of this opportunity was crucial.

While some obtain tremendous and terrifying superpowers that transcend races, or powerful magic swords or spears, others only get trivial abilities or small gains.

“Now, please grab this.”

The guide urged me to grab it. Since I had no choice anyway, I tightly closed my eyes and grasped it.

Honestly, for me, who was a born coward with zero athletic ability despite my large build and who was even afraid of shooting guns in the military, the only way to survive in this Tower was to get something good from this gift.

‘Ugh, aaargh!’

The moment I grabbed it, I almost lost consciousness due to the tremendous energy flowing into my inner being. I wanted to scream, but even that was impossible.

Even my vision turned completely white, and holding onto consciousness was the best I could do.

“This is interesting. The opportunity you drew clearly has polarizing characteristics.”

“…Pardon?”

“Will you abandon and transcend yourself? However, we don’t know what the result of that transcendence will be. Because an opportunity is just that, an opportunity, it cannot be the result.”

And when I learned the identity of the opportunity I had drawn right after that, I was dumbfounded by the guide’s words.

“Reset, literally abandoning the talentless body and being reborn as a new being. However, awakening that talent is ultimately up to you.”

“W-Wait. So you’re telling me to?!”

“The Elf race certainly holds vast potential. Especially if it’s the body of a High Elf chosen as an avatar of the World Tree, you could have much more than you do now.”

The guide shrugged as if wondering what the problem was with drawing such a good gift.

Of course, I had heard that some of those who entered the Tower changed their appearance and race to gain stronger powers.

Elves are also one of the races implemented in reality from the Tower. They are a race with excellent potential, often called a Tier 1 race.

The problem was that the Elf the guide was showing me now was really different from my current self in every way.

A petite and slender body, long and soft silver hair, bright red eyes, and flawlessly fair skin.

And a beautifully sculpted… face. The delicate girl before my eyes was a being completely opposite to the rough man over 180cm tall.

‘But if I give up this opportunity, I…’

It’s incredibly bewildering. Normally, I would have certainly refused, saying not to talk nonsense.

The problem is that this is the only chance given to me. If I throw away this opportunity and climb the Tower in my current state, could I really survive?

Discard it and save my life, or keep it and die.

I closed my eyes tightly at the choice that seemed worst no matter which I chose. However, my deliberation wasn’t very long.

“Take it o… no, give me the blessing. Damn it.”

“A wise choice.”

I had no choice. Because I wanted to live.

* * *

“Ugh, uuugh…”

“As you know, the real trial will begin from the second floor. O bearer of a great destiny, may you obtain what you desire in this Tower.”

The guide said his piece and disappeared with a swoosh, leaving me groaning on the floor.

It was quite some time later when I, who had been shuddering at the strange sense of alienation as if bugs were crawling all over my body, propped myself up with my arms and struggled to my feet.

The small, slender white hands and fingers, and the long flowing hair that tickled my body and flickered in my vision, were telling me the reality of what had happened to me.

‘I have to live. That’s the only way to feel less wronged.’

Gritting my teeth, I stood up completely on both feet.

My eye level was very low. Suppressing the sense of alienation that made this body feel like it wasn’t mine, I moved my arms and legs, which moved stiffly and awkwardly as if making creaking sounds.

With those strange movements like a wooden puppet, I walked looking only forward. Right now, my mind was burning only with the desire to survive.

For that, I gave up everything. My appearance, my name, even my race. I resolved to survive in this Tower and, if possible, contribute this one body to saving this world.

If that happens, I’m sure the people around me will gladly respect this choice I made. After all, even if my body has changed, the inner me hasn’t changed.

[1st Floor]

Finally, passing through a door of pure white light, I entered the true Tower.

The space that unfolded before my eyes now was not a strange space filled only with writhing darkness, but another world.

‘1st floor, this is a kind of tutorial.’

The Tower is unkind. The guide’s guidance ends at the beginning. After that, it doesn’t kindly tell you what to do or how to do it.

The fortunate thing is that quite a lot of data and information has now accumulated, leaked by seniors who climbed the Tower earlier and communicated with the outside.

Through that, latecomers like me could climb the Tower much more comfortably if we had studied in advance.

“They said to adapt here to some extent before going up…”

Muttering to myself, I looked around. Under a bright sun and clear sky, a peaceful plain stretched out.

In fact, most of the enemies that appear here are not very strong, matching the atmosphere.

“—!”

The enemy that appeared to attack me was a low-grade slime crawling and wriggling on the ground. This pink jelly-like creature lunged at me, condensing its body to attack.

I faltered in surprise.

I had heard it was a pathetic creature, but a monster is still a monster.

I had no idea how to fight with bare hands, without any weapons, especially with this frail body that looked like it would break if kicked.

‘This is…’

It was then that I sensed something strongly stirring within me.

A power that humans cannot possess. A power that only the chosen among Elves can use. Sensing this instinctively, I naturally raised my hand.

“@#$%!”

With a strong vibration, the earth split, and a sharp stone spear the size of my body shot out, pulverizing the slime’s body in an instant.

High Elves can handle mana, and pure mana contained in nature at that. They are the pinnacle of the Elf race. I trembled as I felt the faint spirit energy dwelling in the earth.

Now that I had fully awakened to this communion, I could see this world with completely different eyes, like a blind person seeing the world for the first time after opening their eyes.

In the earth, in the wind, in trees and water. They were all dwelling there.

This was the power I gained by giving up myself, and the hope that would save my life as I climb this treacherous Tower from now on.