The Rust-Eater's Dirge

After the Shattering fused Earth with the Obolith, a hostile, ever-climbing tower, only those 'Marked' by the System stand a chance. For Tevos, a shameless scavenger picking through the ruins of the past, his Marking ceremony is a final, cruel joke delivered at the grave of the only man who ever believed in him. He is branded with [Minor Appraisal], a skill so worthless it’s a death sentence. But Tevos built a life on seeing value where others saw trash. His unique perception doesn't just identify items; it reveals their 'Primal Need'. For a rusty gear, it’s a desire to turn. For the Skittermites, the tower’s weakest vermin, it's a desperate, gnawing hunger. By feeding that hunger, he finds he can command them. One becomes a thousand, then a million, a tide of chitin and rust under his control. Now, hunted by the monolithic Guilds who want to shackle his power and tormented by a brilliant, ruthless rival, Tevos must climb. He'll use his army of forgotten things to claw his way to the top, not for glory, but for answers. But what if the promised reward for reaching the Spire's apex isn't a prize, but a final, devastating trap?