Max has always been told he cannot climb the tower: he is a citizen, not a licensed climber, and he uses a wheelchair. Then a night of chaos leaves him for dead inside the tower's city, and he awakens with a unique power that changes everything. His one goal — finding the sister lost somewhere in the tower's depths — drives him through an elite tower academy, deadly floor missions, and the politics of warring climber clans.

Max is determined and resourceful, quick to form loyalties and slower to trust authority. He carries the emotional weight of years as a bullied orphan but channels it into relentless forward momentum rather than bitterness. His unique ability gives him an unconventional toolkit that sets him apart from the straight-combat climbers around him.

Across five books, Max rises from the lowest citizen rank to a force capable of challenging the tower's apex, uncovering the truth about his sister's disappearance with each floor he clears. The series escalates from academy coming-of-age to full-scale climber faction warfare, culminating in a final confrontation with the god-king sitting at the tower's summit. Max's disability is part of his origin, not his identity — his power renders it moot early and his development is physical, mental, and social.