Yes, it's basically a whole genre that Terror Infinity spawned. There aren't a lot that have been translated to English yet though, and most aren't nearly as good as the top two, Terror Infinity and Ultimate Evolution, that defined the genre.
-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
Any Means Necessary (Selfish OC SI, Multiverse) [In Tower of God]
- Thread starter Eiri Fllyn
- Start date
- Crossover
Yes, it's basically a whole genre that Terror Infinity spawned. There aren't a lot that have been translated to English yet though, and most aren't nearly as good as the top two, Terror Infinity and Ultimate Evolution, that defined the genre.
- Location
- The Temple of the Winds
Might I suggest making it so that protag goes through his explored worlds when going to new ones? As if he we driving on a road rather than randomly teleporting around. It would help avoiding making previously visited worlds turn irrelevant...
And gaining more experience with the specific path between worlds he is treading could allow him to go faster/longer/cheaper on the "part of the road" he already explored.
That's an interesting idea, but the mechanic would need additional limitations to make it meaningful. Even if he has to stop by a previous world, unless there's a mechanic forcing him to interact with it, he can just move on. The mechanic could be something like being unable to leave in quick succession and facing threats on the world, or being required to complete some tasks to fulfill the requires to jump to a new world. I'm not sure how I could fit it into this story, though, given the established rules of traveling don't have these limitations. I guess random travel could have a high chance of returning to previous worlds if the MC always leaves from the same plane, but nothing comes to mind for the interaction mechanic yet.
Tower of God: 28 - Divine Water
28 - Divine Water
This time the trip seemed normal. I went through the whole process in the Ring of Deterrence getting to a swirl but there was no Beast. It seemed to confirm that whatever caused the Beast to come when I left the Familiar of Zero plane, was specific to that plane.
Then I melded with the destination Creation Mystery.
It was dark. So dark I could hardly see anything.
"What the fuck?"
I wielded Agate and made some light.
It was a cave of some sort…?
Suddenly the ground fell.
"Oh shit!"
I looked down and saw what seemed to be a massive metal gate on the ground. Why the hell was it made facing this direction and not upright like a normal gate?
I tried to fly up, but some force stopped me. A golden light spilled out from the gate and seemed to grip onto me.
Uh oh. Had I been brought back to the Ring of Deterrence again? Was this the gate to the Root? Was I about to return to nothing—
O O O
"Hmm? Another visitor so soon? My, my, what an interesting day this has become."
I got up from a kneeling position and glanced around carefully. The speaker was some kind of humanoid creature with white skin, wearing a black robe. It had 3 fingers on its hands, and a head that was long with a weird slit for eyes. And I don't mean a slit pupil, the eye hole itself was literally a massive slit that ran across half his head and there was just a tiny white pupil in the centre.
He wielded a staff with two blue orbs at its end. A weapon? It walked towards me. I couldn't tell whether it was menacing or not with that featureless face, but it didn't look friendly. Maybe because I couldn't tell where its mouth was.
I drew Derflinger while sending Agate into agatespace.
"Please, wait. I have no intention of fighting you. You are a guest here," it said, holding up a hand as if gesturing to stop.
"Is that so? Where am I?" I asked.
This place looked like a massive, opulent hall of sorts, made of stone and metals.
"My name is Headon, Guardian of the lowest floor of the Tower. And this is the Tower. What is your name?"
Ah. I recognized that. The Tower of God story. I knew this one reasonably well, but the story was quite complex with a massive world. The world was so massive that knowing the story didn't mean a whole lot.
"You can call me Axion," I said in response.
"May I ask why you have entered this Tower, Mr. Axion?"
The next question was, when was I? Hopefully not too far off from my canon knowledge. Give me something to work with.
"You're asking me? I was just minding my own business and exploring. Then I walked over a huge set of doors when it was too dark to see anything. It opened by itself and dragged me in here."
"I see. But nobody comes across the Tower by chance. There must be something you desire…Fame? Glory? P—"
"Everyone has desires. There's nothing special about that," I said, cutting off his speech.
He didn't look annoyed, but merely nodded.
"True enough, but you were fortunate enough to find this place. Therefore, you have an opportunity unlike any other. To fulfill your desire. Whatever it may be, you can find it here. At the top of the Tower."
"Am I supposed to just take your word for it? Sounds like a scam," I said.
"You are free to decline and leave, if you wish," said Headon.
I looked around. There was no exit.
"Where is the way out?"
"…" Headon shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm just the Guardian of the First Floor."
"Then how do I leave?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"The same way you came, I imagine," he answered.
Did he know I could leave by planar travel?
"Or, perhaps at the top of the Tower. As I said, whatever you desire, you can find it there," Headon added.
"Right…not much of a choice there is it? Let's say I want to climb this Tower. What do I have to do?"
Finally, Headon smiled widely, and I saw his mouth hidden on the bottom half of his elongated face.
"Climbing the Tower is a long and dangerous journey. On each floor, you will be presented with tests to determine if you are worthy of proceeding. The test is determined by the Guardians, the Floor Administrators, of course, or their chosen representatives, and the difficulty increases at each level."
He tapped his staff on the ground, and a piece of wall slid away at the far end.
"My test for you is simple. It is 'Ball'. You must pop the ball in there by any means. But it is guarded by the white steel eel. Normally the eel is very mild mannered, but it is breeding season and it hasn't eaten anything in a month. The tank behind me is filled with water, but it is of a special sort. You shall be able to breath it, so do not fear that you will drown."
Even before he explained, I felt something tremor in my body.
Voices rose and started to bombard me with incomprehensible words in my mind.
"The Power of Water…" I said almost unconsciously.
"Hmm? Are you intrigued by the Shinsoo? Perhaps this shall be your reason to climb the Tower. Shinsoo is a miraculous thing…it is everywhere in the Tower and produced by it. It is the energy of life for the residents of the Tower. It may be used for many things…to create attacks, control the elements, eternal youth, or even attain the powers of a god."
The rising excitement of the water spirits was unlike any reaction they'd ever shown before.
Even the air in this hall was filled with Shinsoo, except at a much lower density.
As I breathed it in, the water spirits were driven into a frenzy. They demanded more. To go into that cage and immerse myself within this divine water.
Cautiously, I attempted to absorb some Shinsoo into my circuits as if it were mana, and found that it was possible though it was quite difficult to absorb into my circuits and convert into magical energy. This was technically a mana-rich environment, so it was easier to retain mana within my circuits, but it also wouldn't help me refill my reserves any faster than a low-mana environment.
"Derf, can you feel it? This Shinsoo in the air," I asked aloud.
"Heh, yeah, I can. It feels comfortable. I think I'll like this place."
"An Ignition weapon? What a surprise. It has been a very long time since I have seen such a thing brought in from the outside," said Headon.
"Can you absorb it?" I asked my sword.
"Not directly, sorry," said Derf. I thought as much. He could only absorb refined forms of magic energy, and Shinsoo was a little strange to begin with. I doubted that he could absorb Shinsoo based attacks at all.
"Well then, what do you think of this Tower? Should we give it a try, for a while, at least?"
"Sure. Sounds exciting," said Derf. "If every test is going to be like this, we'll have plenty of fights ahead!"
Even if Derf didn't agree, I'd already made my decision.
This place was full of insanely powerful beings, and I probably ranked near the bottom at the moment. While it was questionable whether anything I learned to do with Shinsoo would be useful once I went to planes without it, it was clear that the water spirits were receiving some kind of benefit by being here.
Normally each use of the water stone reduced its size little by little, and restoring it took ages in regular mana-rich water, which is why they were very reluctant to use any powerful effects. I traded them lifeforce for their help, but lifeforce was not a direct substitute for their lost water mana
If I could use this place to restore or even grow the water stone, enhancing my connection with them to the extent that they became more friendly and helpful, then it would definitely be worth it.
As I had no means to force the water spirits to obey me, it was a give-and-take relationship. The more I helped them, the more they would help me in return, or so I expected.
Even if I was grossly outmatched here by the big threats, the Rankers who'd reached the highest known levels, I'd still have reasonable room to grow by progressing up the floors with other Regulars, the people climbing the Tower. Hopefully nobody would come assassinate me straight off the bat, and I could always planeshift in the worst case.
"Alright, I'll take your test," I said, walking forward through the massive steel bars of the cage.
As soon as I waded into the highly concentrated Shinsoo, I realized that this test would be far more difficult than it looked.
It was so dense that I could barely enter it at all, like some kind of thick barrier rather than water.
If I couldn't move in this Shinsoo, how was I supposed to get to the ball, let alone fight the eel, which had no trouble swimming in here?
Just then, the Shinsoo gave away as if the resistance had been only an illusion. Instead, it started flowing around me and into me.
A different feeling came over me, one of euphoria.
It was incredible!
As if my whole body was gaining nourishment just from being in its presence.
The taste, the feeling, everything about it was perfect.
I gasped and breathed in even more of the Shinsoo, gulping it down like some kind of uncontrollable addict.
"Uh…Partner? We got a battle to fight!" Derf called out when the white steel eel came at me.
My body was temporarily taken control of by Derf as he dodged the hungry mouth that threatened to swallow me.
What was that? Those feelings…they weren't mine. They were the water spirits, but they'd almost overwhelmed me.
Even now, I could feel the water spirits attempting to absorb more of the Shinsoo, and taking it through the Armoriont and my skin. But the Shinsoo itself seemed alive and was not impressed by our attempts to consume it, resisting the suction.
This Shinsoo must have been something truly amazing for the water spirits to react that way, but I couldn't afford to be distracted in such a way during battle.
Yet, whatever they did to make me able to move in this dense Shinsoo, I also needed them to keep that up, so I couldn't block them out entirely.
I would just have to shove those feelings of euphoria into a corner of my mind, mentally tuning them out, and retain focus on the battle.
The eel crashed onto the floor after missing me but quickly turned around for another attempt.
It was fast, and while the Shinsoo felt less heavy than before, I still needed Derf's boost just to keep up in this incredibly dense Shinsoo.
"Sorry Derf, I'm fine now! Let's do this!" I shouted.
Derf stopped his spell and returned control to me. I lost the boost, but more Reinforcement made up the difference.
I tried flying up to dodge, though my wings were having difficulty straining against the dense Shinsoo. My legs worked better in this environment.
But before the eel could take advantage of my momentary lack of movement, I shouted the name I'd given to Derflinger's technique which was a signal for him to use it. Because we couldn't communicate mentally, our techniques had to be called aloud so he knew what to use.
"Slash Beam – Level Two!"
When I swung down, an arc of energy was released from Derflinger and crashed into the white steel eel.
I sent a relatively weak beam to test it out. The eel was blown back but otherwise unharmed except for a small bruise on its skin.
It roared in anger, then sped towards me again. Not much in the way of tactics, but I could hardly blame it when it didn't have any other methods of attack.
"Slash Beam – Level Four!"
Another blast of energy hit it and this time its skin was ripped apart, exposing its internal organs through a gash as large as a person. It wailed in pain and writhed on the ground, but looked like it could keep going. The thing was huge and that kind of injury was probably a minor problem for it.
I took the chance while it was stunned to take out a laser gun and fired right into its eyes. The gun seemed to power on slightly slower than normal.
It screamed in rage, but was blinded by the attack. It lashed out randomly, but obviously couldn't find me anymore.
I leisurely took the time to test the power of the laser gun against its less vulnerable parts, and found that there was a great deal of resistance. The laser would still cut into it, but it took a while to burn through the skin.
The laser gun would probably serve better as a precision tool than a weapon once we got past the early levels. Though something was also interfering with its function…it was supposed to be a waterproof gun, but perhaps this Shinsoo couldn't be blocked that easily. If true, other electronics would probably have a worse time as I went up the Tower and they were exposed to Shinsoo for longer. For now, my visor was still working alright, thankfully. I should at least be able to keep using these things up to the 20th Floor, seeing as this level of Shinsoo concentration wasn't really common until then. Headon had prepared a super dense Shinsoo cage just for this test.
"Nice going, Partner," said Derf.
"You weren't bad yourself, Derf," I said back.
I nimbly dodged around the still living eel and took some of the blood from its open wound to keep as a sample for later analysis by Amelia, storing it in the Armoriont.
Then I left the blind eel alone and went to the black ball at the back of the cage.
"Hmm…" I swung down on the ball with Derflinger, but it didn't pop.
That wasn't unexpected, seeing as Derf's current form as a cellulose based sword didn't have very sharp edges, but a yellow light soon covered him as he sharpened himself with magic.
I cut down again and the ball popped easily.
"Congratulations, Irregular. You have successfully passed the test," said Headon after I exited the cage.
"Irregular…what does that mean?" I asked, pretending I didn't know.
"Those who are chosen by the Tower to climb are called Regulars. You will be climbing with them on the way up. But very rarely, there are those who were not chosen, yet found their way into the Tower by themselves. You are one such individual, an Irregular. It is often said that Irregulars bring great changes to the Tower…I shall look forward to the changes you shall bring," said Headon.
"I see. So, what now? How do I get up?"
"Ah, before that, I have an offer for you."
"Hm? What is it?"
He looked to the side and tapped his staff. Another section of the wall opened up to reveal a girl with blonde hair who looked stunned.
"Come here, girl," said Headon, gesturing with his fingers.
O O O
[Mini-Interlude]
"This one seems a little stronger…a little older too," said a young woman with black hair and red highlights, wearing a white long sleeve jacket over a black shirt and skirt. It was Yuri Zahard, one of the princesses of Zahard, the King of the Tower. "But he doesn't seem to be a monster like Enryu or Urek Mazino either."
"I can't quite get a read on him either…it might be because they're Irregulars," said a very short white-haired man wearing a backpack almost as tall as he was. This was Evan Edrok, a High Ranker like Yuri, who served as her Guide in the Tower, discerning the paths to take.
The two of them had just observed another Irregular go up the Tower, a little kid that couldn't even fight. Yuri had lent him her Black March, an extremely powerful Ignition weapon from the 13 Month Series that were awarded only to princesses of Zahard. It was illegal, but Yuri wasn't too concerned about skirting around the rules—only if she could get away with it, of course.
They'd started to leave when another Irregular showed up, and so they decided to stick around a little longer, observing from the above the ceiling tiles again
The new Irregular was suited up in a full body armor—very stylish according to Yuri—made of gleaming gold scales of what was probably a reptilian creature of some kind, with two crystalline shoulder guards silver in color. He wore a large red two-piece cloak that trailed behind him, and very much had the appearance of a warrior, though he also wore a black visor so they couldn't see his eyes.
"Hoh! That's smart. So he's not a brute like Mazino," Yuri said when the Irregular blinded the eel. "Maybe he's just holding back his real power then."
"I do get the feeling he wasn't particularly afraid of the eel, not like the boy. He's just experimenting to gauge himself against something new and unfamiliar," said Evan.
"What's he doing with that blood? Ugh, don't tell me he's one of those scientific types?" said Yuri, apparently annoyed for some reason.
Once he popped the ball and nothing abnormal happened like with Baam, Yuri decided to go. "Looks like that's that. Nothing too special to get excited about, we'll just have to see what he does from here. Come on, Evan, we gotta get going and find Baam to get back the Black March!"
"Yes, lady Yuri!"
They didn't notice Headon offering the new Irregular an unusual deal, or the third Irregular of the day.
O O O
[Kaleidus]
"Axion, I'd like you to meet Rachel."
On a closer look, the girl had a lot of freckles on her face, and seemed to be in her late teens. She wore a pinkish dress with a large red ribbon tied around her waist. Her appearance couldn't be said to be beautiful or ugly, it was simply average.
"That our reward for beating your test?" Derflinger asked.
Rachel's eyes widened, looked to Headon, and said something timidly, but I couldn't understand her. It wasn't a language I knew.
Headon chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Your reward is simply the opportunity to go up to the next Floor. Rachel here is somebody who came by earlier but she declined to take my test, believing it to be suicidal. Nevertheless, she hopes to climb the Tower. You see, a friend of hers is on the second floor and climbing the Tower. I'd like to ask you to help her get through the next area," said Headon.
I knew of her of course. One of the characters I appreciated for their unabashed selfishness. In a way, she was very much like me, willing to use anything and anyone to gain the power that did not belong to her and defy "mediocrity" that fate had assigned to her.
Even though her methods were amateurish and sometimes counterproductive, she was leagues ahead of Baam, the protagonist, who was simply born with a great power and destiny.
So it was only natural that this offer intrigued me. But why did Headon offer it? Why does Headon want Rachel to go up like this? What happened to that big guy that went up with Rachel anyways? I couldn't even remember. Arghgyon? Arkong? Whatever his name was.
There were obviously many schemes and organizations involved with Rachel's climb, and getting myself mixed up in that was dangerous, but then again, being an Irregular was dangerous enough already given how many parties were interested in us.
It was perhaps safer to be with Rachel as nobody in the story seemed to be aware of her status as an Irregular, whereas many people quickly found out about Baam. That was how he got captured by FUG and forced to work for them, while Rachel flew under the radar. Logically Yuri Zahard, a Zahard princess who helped Baam on this Ball test, should've known about Rachel too if she got an alert about Baam when he entered, but she didn't so Headon must have hid it somehow. Rather than striking out on my own, it seemed prudent to take advantage of Headon's support for as long as possible.
Plus, it didn't seem so bad to work with a fellow Irregular, and one that I could probably get along quite well with. But still, I had to act like I didn't know about any of that.
"I suppose I might be willing to help, but do you expect me to do it for free? Given what you've said, she's not very strong. If she couldn't pass the test on this floor, what use will she be on higher floors if the difficulty rises?"
"Naturally, I will offer you a payment for it," he made a flourish with his hand and a spherical object appeared. "This is a B-grade Pocket. It is quite a valuable device which you will have difficulty finding on the lower floors. It has a variety of features, including the translation of other languages. With a B-grade Pocket, you will be able to understand almost all of the Tower's languages. It also serves as your wallet, phone, a storage system, and more. If you turn down this offer, you will likely be unable to get a Pocket of such quality until the 30th Floor, and only at great cost even then."
I looked at the Pocket carefully. It was certainly a good payment. If I remembered correctly, regulars were given E-grade pockets. Although I didn't know what exact differences there were between grades, Headon certainly wasn't lying about its value. Evan gave Baam a high grade Pocket early on so it never came up much in the story, but I could imagine most Regulars working hard to buy better Pockets from the Workshop, and the first opportunity to get the higher grade ones would be on the 30th Floor, the Workshop's first headquarters.
Headon continued, as if interpreting my silence as hesitation. "Furthermore, I only ask that you help her through the Second Floor. Whether you wish to continue climbing with her after that will be up to you. Do we have a deal?"
"Fine. I'll do it."
Headon looked pleased and handed the Pocket to me and demonstrated a few features, such as turning it invisible and registering a profile as a Regular, which would give access to various facilities and a banking account.
"Rachel, was it? I take it you heard what Headon said? About me helping you through the next Floor?" I asked Rachel.
She nodded. "Yes, thank you Mr. Axion. But please call me Michelle when there are others around."
"Alright, then let's get going."
Rachel took out her own Pocket and wore a cloak over herself.
Then Headon pointed his staff at us, and we were engulfed in light.
O O O
A/N: A new adventure begins in the Tower of God! MC is only aware of the webtoon canon, though there will be elements from both webtoon and anime.
This time the trip seemed normal. I went through the whole process in the Ring of Deterrence getting to a swirl but there was no Beast. It seemed to confirm that whatever caused the Beast to come when I left the Familiar of Zero plane, was specific to that plane.
Then I melded with the destination Creation Mystery.
It was dark. So dark I could hardly see anything.
"What the fuck?"
I wielded Agate and made some light.
It was a cave of some sort…?
Suddenly the ground fell.
"Oh shit!"
I looked down and saw what seemed to be a massive metal gate on the ground. Why the hell was it made facing this direction and not upright like a normal gate?
I tried to fly up, but some force stopped me. A golden light spilled out from the gate and seemed to grip onto me.
Uh oh. Had I been brought back to the Ring of Deterrence again? Was this the gate to the Root? Was I about to return to nothing—
O O O
"Hmm? Another visitor so soon? My, my, what an interesting day this has become."
I got up from a kneeling position and glanced around carefully. The speaker was some kind of humanoid creature with white skin, wearing a black robe. It had 3 fingers on its hands, and a head that was long with a weird slit for eyes. And I don't mean a slit pupil, the eye hole itself was literally a massive slit that ran across half his head and there was just a tiny white pupil in the centre.
He wielded a staff with two blue orbs at its end. A weapon? It walked towards me. I couldn't tell whether it was menacing or not with that featureless face, but it didn't look friendly. Maybe because I couldn't tell where its mouth was.
I drew Derflinger while sending Agate into agatespace.
"Please, wait. I have no intention of fighting you. You are a guest here," it said, holding up a hand as if gesturing to stop.
"Is that so? Where am I?" I asked.
This place looked like a massive, opulent hall of sorts, made of stone and metals.
"My name is Headon, Guardian of the lowest floor of the Tower. And this is the Tower. What is your name?"
Ah. I recognized that. The Tower of God story. I knew this one reasonably well, but the story was quite complex with a massive world. The world was so massive that knowing the story didn't mean a whole lot.
"You can call me Axion," I said in response.
"May I ask why you have entered this Tower, Mr. Axion?"
The next question was, when was I? Hopefully not too far off from my canon knowledge. Give me something to work with.
"You're asking me? I was just minding my own business and exploring. Then I walked over a huge set of doors when it was too dark to see anything. It opened by itself and dragged me in here."
"I see. But nobody comes across the Tower by chance. There must be something you desire…Fame? Glory? P—"
"Everyone has desires. There's nothing special about that," I said, cutting off his speech.
He didn't look annoyed, but merely nodded.
"True enough, but you were fortunate enough to find this place. Therefore, you have an opportunity unlike any other. To fulfill your desire. Whatever it may be, you can find it here. At the top of the Tower."
"Am I supposed to just take your word for it? Sounds like a scam," I said.
"You are free to decline and leave, if you wish," said Headon.
I looked around. There was no exit.
"Where is the way out?"
"…" Headon shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm just the Guardian of the First Floor."
"Then how do I leave?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"The same way you came, I imagine," he answered.
Did he know I could leave by planar travel?
"Or, perhaps at the top of the Tower. As I said, whatever you desire, you can find it there," Headon added.
"Right…not much of a choice there is it? Let's say I want to climb this Tower. What do I have to do?"
Finally, Headon smiled widely, and I saw his mouth hidden on the bottom half of his elongated face.
"Climbing the Tower is a long and dangerous journey. On each floor, you will be presented with tests to determine if you are worthy of proceeding. The test is determined by the Guardians, the Floor Administrators, of course, or their chosen representatives, and the difficulty increases at each level."
He tapped his staff on the ground, and a piece of wall slid away at the far end.
"My test for you is simple. It is 'Ball'. You must pop the ball in there by any means. But it is guarded by the white steel eel. Normally the eel is very mild mannered, but it is breeding season and it hasn't eaten anything in a month. The tank behind me is filled with water, but it is of a special sort. You shall be able to breath it, so do not fear that you will drown."
Even before he explained, I felt something tremor in my body.
Voices rose and started to bombard me with incomprehensible words in my mind.
"The Power of Water…" I said almost unconsciously.
"Hmm? Are you intrigued by the Shinsoo? Perhaps this shall be your reason to climb the Tower. Shinsoo is a miraculous thing…it is everywhere in the Tower and produced by it. It is the energy of life for the residents of the Tower. It may be used for many things…to create attacks, control the elements, eternal youth, or even attain the powers of a god."
The rising excitement of the water spirits was unlike any reaction they'd ever shown before.
Even the air in this hall was filled with Shinsoo, except at a much lower density.
As I breathed it in, the water spirits were driven into a frenzy. They demanded more. To go into that cage and immerse myself within this divine water.
Cautiously, I attempted to absorb some Shinsoo into my circuits as if it were mana, and found that it was possible though it was quite difficult to absorb into my circuits and convert into magical energy. This was technically a mana-rich environment, so it was easier to retain mana within my circuits, but it also wouldn't help me refill my reserves any faster than a low-mana environment.
"Derf, can you feel it? This Shinsoo in the air," I asked aloud.
"Heh, yeah, I can. It feels comfortable. I think I'll like this place."
"An Ignition weapon? What a surprise. It has been a very long time since I have seen such a thing brought in from the outside," said Headon.
"Can you absorb it?" I asked my sword.
"Not directly, sorry," said Derf. I thought as much. He could only absorb refined forms of magic energy, and Shinsoo was a little strange to begin with. I doubted that he could absorb Shinsoo based attacks at all.
"Well then, what do you think of this Tower? Should we give it a try, for a while, at least?"
"Sure. Sounds exciting," said Derf. "If every test is going to be like this, we'll have plenty of fights ahead!"
Even if Derf didn't agree, I'd already made my decision.
This place was full of insanely powerful beings, and I probably ranked near the bottom at the moment. While it was questionable whether anything I learned to do with Shinsoo would be useful once I went to planes without it, it was clear that the water spirits were receiving some kind of benefit by being here.
Normally each use of the water stone reduced its size little by little, and restoring it took ages in regular mana-rich water, which is why they were very reluctant to use any powerful effects. I traded them lifeforce for their help, but lifeforce was not a direct substitute for their lost water mana
If I could use this place to restore or even grow the water stone, enhancing my connection with them to the extent that they became more friendly and helpful, then it would definitely be worth it.
As I had no means to force the water spirits to obey me, it was a give-and-take relationship. The more I helped them, the more they would help me in return, or so I expected.
Even if I was grossly outmatched here by the big threats, the Rankers who'd reached the highest known levels, I'd still have reasonable room to grow by progressing up the floors with other Regulars, the people climbing the Tower. Hopefully nobody would come assassinate me straight off the bat, and I could always planeshift in the worst case.
"Alright, I'll take your test," I said, walking forward through the massive steel bars of the cage.
As soon as I waded into the highly concentrated Shinsoo, I realized that this test would be far more difficult than it looked.
It was so dense that I could barely enter it at all, like some kind of thick barrier rather than water.
If I couldn't move in this Shinsoo, how was I supposed to get to the ball, let alone fight the eel, which had no trouble swimming in here?
Just then, the Shinsoo gave away as if the resistance had been only an illusion. Instead, it started flowing around me and into me.
A different feeling came over me, one of euphoria.
It was incredible!
As if my whole body was gaining nourishment just from being in its presence.
The taste, the feeling, everything about it was perfect.
I gasped and breathed in even more of the Shinsoo, gulping it down like some kind of uncontrollable addict.
"Uh…Partner? We got a battle to fight!" Derf called out when the white steel eel came at me.
My body was temporarily taken control of by Derf as he dodged the hungry mouth that threatened to swallow me.
What was that? Those feelings…they weren't mine. They were the water spirits, but they'd almost overwhelmed me.
Even now, I could feel the water spirits attempting to absorb more of the Shinsoo, and taking it through the Armoriont and my skin. But the Shinsoo itself seemed alive and was not impressed by our attempts to consume it, resisting the suction.
This Shinsoo must have been something truly amazing for the water spirits to react that way, but I couldn't afford to be distracted in such a way during battle.
Yet, whatever they did to make me able to move in this dense Shinsoo, I also needed them to keep that up, so I couldn't block them out entirely.
I would just have to shove those feelings of euphoria into a corner of my mind, mentally tuning them out, and retain focus on the battle.
The eel crashed onto the floor after missing me but quickly turned around for another attempt.
It was fast, and while the Shinsoo felt less heavy than before, I still needed Derf's boost just to keep up in this incredibly dense Shinsoo.
"Sorry Derf, I'm fine now! Let's do this!" I shouted.
Derf stopped his spell and returned control to me. I lost the boost, but more Reinforcement made up the difference.
I tried flying up to dodge, though my wings were having difficulty straining against the dense Shinsoo. My legs worked better in this environment.
But before the eel could take advantage of my momentary lack of movement, I shouted the name I'd given to Derflinger's technique which was a signal for him to use it. Because we couldn't communicate mentally, our techniques had to be called aloud so he knew what to use.
"Slash Beam – Level Two!"
When I swung down, an arc of energy was released from Derflinger and crashed into the white steel eel.
I sent a relatively weak beam to test it out. The eel was blown back but otherwise unharmed except for a small bruise on its skin.
It roared in anger, then sped towards me again. Not much in the way of tactics, but I could hardly blame it when it didn't have any other methods of attack.
"Slash Beam – Level Four!"
Another blast of energy hit it and this time its skin was ripped apart, exposing its internal organs through a gash as large as a person. It wailed in pain and writhed on the ground, but looked like it could keep going. The thing was huge and that kind of injury was probably a minor problem for it.
I took the chance while it was stunned to take out a laser gun and fired right into its eyes. The gun seemed to power on slightly slower than normal.
It screamed in rage, but was blinded by the attack. It lashed out randomly, but obviously couldn't find me anymore.
I leisurely took the time to test the power of the laser gun against its less vulnerable parts, and found that there was a great deal of resistance. The laser would still cut into it, but it took a while to burn through the skin.
The laser gun would probably serve better as a precision tool than a weapon once we got past the early levels. Though something was also interfering with its function…it was supposed to be a waterproof gun, but perhaps this Shinsoo couldn't be blocked that easily. If true, other electronics would probably have a worse time as I went up the Tower and they were exposed to Shinsoo for longer. For now, my visor was still working alright, thankfully. I should at least be able to keep using these things up to the 20th Floor, seeing as this level of Shinsoo concentration wasn't really common until then. Headon had prepared a super dense Shinsoo cage just for this test.
"Nice going, Partner," said Derf.
"You weren't bad yourself, Derf," I said back.
I nimbly dodged around the still living eel and took some of the blood from its open wound to keep as a sample for later analysis by Amelia, storing it in the Armoriont.
Then I left the blind eel alone and went to the black ball at the back of the cage.
"Hmm…" I swung down on the ball with Derflinger, but it didn't pop.
That wasn't unexpected, seeing as Derf's current form as a cellulose based sword didn't have very sharp edges, but a yellow light soon covered him as he sharpened himself with magic.
I cut down again and the ball popped easily.
"Congratulations, Irregular. You have successfully passed the test," said Headon after I exited the cage.
"Irregular…what does that mean?" I asked, pretending I didn't know.
"Those who are chosen by the Tower to climb are called Regulars. You will be climbing with them on the way up. But very rarely, there are those who were not chosen, yet found their way into the Tower by themselves. You are one such individual, an Irregular. It is often said that Irregulars bring great changes to the Tower…I shall look forward to the changes you shall bring," said Headon.
"I see. So, what now? How do I get up?"
"Ah, before that, I have an offer for you."
"Hm? What is it?"
He looked to the side and tapped his staff. Another section of the wall opened up to reveal a girl with blonde hair who looked stunned.
"Come here, girl," said Headon, gesturing with his fingers.
O O O
[Mini-Interlude]
"This one seems a little stronger…a little older too," said a young woman with black hair and red highlights, wearing a white long sleeve jacket over a black shirt and skirt. It was Yuri Zahard, one of the princesses of Zahard, the King of the Tower. "But he doesn't seem to be a monster like Enryu or Urek Mazino either."
"I can't quite get a read on him either…it might be because they're Irregulars," said a very short white-haired man wearing a backpack almost as tall as he was. This was Evan Edrok, a High Ranker like Yuri, who served as her Guide in the Tower, discerning the paths to take.
The two of them had just observed another Irregular go up the Tower, a little kid that couldn't even fight. Yuri had lent him her Black March, an extremely powerful Ignition weapon from the 13 Month Series that were awarded only to princesses of Zahard. It was illegal, but Yuri wasn't too concerned about skirting around the rules—only if she could get away with it, of course.
They'd started to leave when another Irregular showed up, and so they decided to stick around a little longer, observing from the above the ceiling tiles again
The new Irregular was suited up in a full body armor—very stylish according to Yuri—made of gleaming gold scales of what was probably a reptilian creature of some kind, with two crystalline shoulder guards silver in color. He wore a large red two-piece cloak that trailed behind him, and very much had the appearance of a warrior, though he also wore a black visor so they couldn't see his eyes.
"Hoh! That's smart. So he's not a brute like Mazino," Yuri said when the Irregular blinded the eel. "Maybe he's just holding back his real power then."
"I do get the feeling he wasn't particularly afraid of the eel, not like the boy. He's just experimenting to gauge himself against something new and unfamiliar," said Evan.
"What's he doing with that blood? Ugh, don't tell me he's one of those scientific types?" said Yuri, apparently annoyed for some reason.
Once he popped the ball and nothing abnormal happened like with Baam, Yuri decided to go. "Looks like that's that. Nothing too special to get excited about, we'll just have to see what he does from here. Come on, Evan, we gotta get going and find Baam to get back the Black March!"
"Yes, lady Yuri!"
They didn't notice Headon offering the new Irregular an unusual deal, or the third Irregular of the day.
O O O
[Kaleidus]
"Axion, I'd like you to meet Rachel."
On a closer look, the girl had a lot of freckles on her face, and seemed to be in her late teens. She wore a pinkish dress with a large red ribbon tied around her waist. Her appearance couldn't be said to be beautiful or ugly, it was simply average.
"That our reward for beating your test?" Derflinger asked.
Rachel's eyes widened, looked to Headon, and said something timidly, but I couldn't understand her. It wasn't a language I knew.
Headon chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Your reward is simply the opportunity to go up to the next Floor. Rachel here is somebody who came by earlier but she declined to take my test, believing it to be suicidal. Nevertheless, she hopes to climb the Tower. You see, a friend of hers is on the second floor and climbing the Tower. I'd like to ask you to help her get through the next area," said Headon.
I knew of her of course. One of the characters I appreciated for their unabashed selfishness. In a way, she was very much like me, willing to use anything and anyone to gain the power that did not belong to her and defy "mediocrity" that fate had assigned to her.
Even though her methods were amateurish and sometimes counterproductive, she was leagues ahead of Baam, the protagonist, who was simply born with a great power and destiny.
So it was only natural that this offer intrigued me. But why did Headon offer it? Why does Headon want Rachel to go up like this? What happened to that big guy that went up with Rachel anyways? I couldn't even remember. Arghgyon? Arkong? Whatever his name was.
There were obviously many schemes and organizations involved with Rachel's climb, and getting myself mixed up in that was dangerous, but then again, being an Irregular was dangerous enough already given how many parties were interested in us.
It was perhaps safer to be with Rachel as nobody in the story seemed to be aware of her status as an Irregular, whereas many people quickly found out about Baam. That was how he got captured by FUG and forced to work for them, while Rachel flew under the radar. Logically Yuri Zahard, a Zahard princess who helped Baam on this Ball test, should've known about Rachel too if she got an alert about Baam when he entered, but she didn't so Headon must have hid it somehow. Rather than striking out on my own, it seemed prudent to take advantage of Headon's support for as long as possible.
Plus, it didn't seem so bad to work with a fellow Irregular, and one that I could probably get along quite well with. But still, I had to act like I didn't know about any of that.
"I suppose I might be willing to help, but do you expect me to do it for free? Given what you've said, she's not very strong. If she couldn't pass the test on this floor, what use will she be on higher floors if the difficulty rises?"
"Naturally, I will offer you a payment for it," he made a flourish with his hand and a spherical object appeared. "This is a B-grade Pocket. It is quite a valuable device which you will have difficulty finding on the lower floors. It has a variety of features, including the translation of other languages. With a B-grade Pocket, you will be able to understand almost all of the Tower's languages. It also serves as your wallet, phone, a storage system, and more. If you turn down this offer, you will likely be unable to get a Pocket of such quality until the 30th Floor, and only at great cost even then."
I looked at the Pocket carefully. It was certainly a good payment. If I remembered correctly, regulars were given E-grade pockets. Although I didn't know what exact differences there were between grades, Headon certainly wasn't lying about its value. Evan gave Baam a high grade Pocket early on so it never came up much in the story, but I could imagine most Regulars working hard to buy better Pockets from the Workshop, and the first opportunity to get the higher grade ones would be on the 30th Floor, the Workshop's first headquarters.
Headon continued, as if interpreting my silence as hesitation. "Furthermore, I only ask that you help her through the Second Floor. Whether you wish to continue climbing with her after that will be up to you. Do we have a deal?"
"Fine. I'll do it."
Headon looked pleased and handed the Pocket to me and demonstrated a few features, such as turning it invisible and registering a profile as a Regular, which would give access to various facilities and a banking account.
"Rachel, was it? I take it you heard what Headon said? About me helping you through the next Floor?" I asked Rachel.
She nodded. "Yes, thank you Mr. Axion. But please call me Michelle when there are others around."
"Alright, then let's get going."
Rachel took out her own Pocket and wore a cloak over herself.
Then Headon pointed his staff at us, and we were engulfed in light.
O O O
A/N: A new adventure begins in the Tower of God! MC is only aware of the webtoon canon, though there will be elements from both webtoon and anime.
- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Thanks for the chapter!
It sure showed us the differance between a Good Lawful and Lawful Evil character. Hopefully he'll remember that she will get enemies too so he shouldn't forgot to network.
It sure showed us the differance between a Good Lawful and Lawful Evil character. Hopefully he'll remember that she will get enemies too so he shouldn't forgot to network.
29 - Floor of Tests
29 - Floor of Tests
The two of us appeared in a large open field with very tall wheat, hills, and small cliffs. Various other people and humanoid beings could be seen in the distance.
We were standing on one of the cliffs which gave us a nice view of the surroundings.
"Mic test! Mic Test!"
A golden box was floating high in the air and a loud voice was coming from it. Even higher than that, far in the sky was some kind of floating cylindrical structure that seemed like a station of some kind.
"Hello everyone! All the Regulars who have arrived, we sincerely welcome you to the 2nd Floor, Evankhell's Floor. This is also called the Floor of Tests because here we carry out the final tests to see if you are worthy of going up the Tower! But I can explain all that later. Let's get to the first test! It is very simple, but listen carefully. There are 400 Regulars here. Use whatever means to bring that number down to 200! The test ends when there are only 200 left. Begin!"
"Hmm, getting into it immediately huh?"
I glanced at Rachel, who seemed scared at the news.
"Calm down. You're not going to die," I said. "I'll protect you as I said I would."
She looked at me hesitantly and nodded.
"Raa!!!" Somebody charged up the hill towards us.
Really? Did this guy not have the sense to realize it was dangerous to attack two combatants on high ground who were obviously in a group rather than alone like the rest? Even if Rachel couldn't help, this guy wouldn't have known that.
I took out a laser gun and shot him for his foolishness.
He fell with a smoking hole in his head.
A little farther away, a humanoid creature seemed spooked by the ease with which I dispatched the first guy and decided to find easier prey.
I shot the thing too.
"Weren't the floors supposed to get harder as we went up? That first one was much harder than this. You don't even need me here," said Derflinger.
"The guy on the mic said it's just the first test of the floor, meaning there's more after. It might get harder," I said, "especially after the weaker competition gets weeded out."
After that, I merely observed the battle royale.
"Look at them. So quick to kill for a vague promise. I wonder, what about you, Rachel? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach your own goal? Do you think you have a chance at all, against all these other Regulars?"
"…By myself, no," she said, clenching her hands into fists. As if her previous nerves had been calmed down, she continued in a stronger voice. "I'm just an ordinary person, with no special qualities. I'm not strong, I don't have any special powers or destiny…that's why…I'll do whatever it takes to get to the top. I'll even beg for help if I have to. So please, help me, Mr. Axion."
"Hmm…didn't I already agree to help you? But if you want me to help you beyond this Floor, when my contract with Headon is fulfilled, you'll have to show me that you're worth it."
I shot another few Regulars that got close to us while we were having our conversation.
"I understand," said Rachel.
"But tell me, what is it that you desire? Why do you want to get to the top so much, and risk your life for it? Are you really just looking for your friend that Headon mentioned?"
"No, I…that was a trick! Headon tricked him! I tried to climb the Tower first, and then he followed me even though I told him not to! But then Headon made him believe I already went up, and the idiot took the ball test, even though it was suicide! He only survived because he got help! That stupid rabbit, he's…evil! I thought the Fae were supposed to help guide us! Damn him!" Rachel said angrily.
"So you're not chasing after your friend? You have a goal of your own?"
"I want...to see the stars," said Rachel.
"You've never seen the stars before?" I asked incredulously. "Can't we just wait 'til nighttime to see them? There's a sky right here." I pointed up to the blue sky.
"I don't mean like that…I'm sorry, I can't explain it. And that sky isn't real either, it's artificial. There aren't any stars in the Tower's sky. At night it'll just be a light ball."
"I see." I probably wouldn't get anything more comprehensible out of her regarding her wish, so I turned my attention back to the battle.
Seeing as I was with Rachel, this should mean that Androssi, a Princess of Zahard, was also in this group, if things progressed according to canon.
And that also meant that we needed to somehow bring the number of Regulars down to 3 before the test ended, otherwise canon would go off the rails rendering my foreknowledge useless and we'd be going up with another group of Regulars instead of being sent to join Baam's cohort.
I had no idea how Arkong or whatever his name was and Androssi killed everyone else so fast, so I had come up with something myself. If the test ended at 200 Regulars, then we had to take out the rest of them almost instantaneously before the test administrator could call it off.
The problem was I didn't currently have any massive area of effect attacks. This arena was quite large, so how could I get them all at once?
O O O
[Interlude]
Androssi Zahard was crushing her opponents one after the other, eager to dominate the test the way her predecessors did, and feeling great about her progress.
After racking up over a hundred kills, she was starting to think that she was going to bring the number of Regulars to 200 practically by herself. These Regulars sure were taking their time killing each other.
If the initial 400 had just paired up and defeated one opponent the test would be over already.
So why was this taking so long?
But apparently they were so weak they couldn't even properly eliminate each other.
She'd even found a whole bunch that had weakened each other to the point where they couldn't fight anymore, but just couldn't finish the other off, instead just struggling to move on the ground.
Then, just when she was about to kill the next one, her target suddenly collapsed, unmoving.
She looked around, and something similar was happening all over the place. Everyone just dropped dead or maybe unconscious.
What the heck?
She covered her mouth in case there was some kind of poison in the air, and kept moving.
After half an hour, the intercom came on again. "Huh? What? This can't be right!" the voice said with disbelief. "Uh…well, all the remaining regulars, stop what you're doing! Congratulations to you all! Now begins part 2 of the test."
Androssi sighed in relief, at least she passed. Even though it was strange, whatever that was didn't affect her, or she hadn't been targeted.
"The next goal is to make a buddy. Out of the remaining regulars, you must make 2 of them your buddies! You have five minutes. Take note, you need to be in physical contact with your teammates at the end of five minutes."
"What?!" Androssi exclaimed out loud.
She had to find two people in less than five minutes? But there was nobody around, as far as she could see!
No, the test administrators wouldn't give an impossible task. She just had to find whomever caused this.
She started running as fast as she could across the fields. Even with her physical prowess, this place was big and five minutes would only give her enough time to get from one side to the other.
By the time there was only one minute left, she was starting to get very concerned.
'I can't fail the test in such a stupid way!'
She stopped beside a Regular and checked their life signs. 'Not dead after all.'
She tried to slap them awake. When that didn't work, she punched them. Their head exploded.
Thirty seconds left.
She kicked the ground with rage, sending bits and pieces everywhere.
"SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! APPEAR ALREADY! MY NAME IS ANDROSSI ZAHARD, AND I'M A PRINCESS OF ZAHARD!" She yelled at the top of her voice. "IF I'M ON YOUR TEAM THE TESTS WILL BE A BREEZE!! COME ON, TAKE ME!"
Everyone knew that princesses of Zahard were super strong. If she advertised her availability, whoever was left would have to be stupid not to come, right? Even if they had to discard one of their existing teammates, it'd be well worth it to get her on the team! That was what she believed.
Something swooped down from the sky and landed behind her with a large impact.
She turned around and saw a man in golden armour, carrying a blonde girl in one arm.
"Hello, princess. Need a team?" The man said, holding out his free hand. He wore a black visor that covered the eyes, making it difficult to discern his expression.
Androssi leapt forward without wasting any more time and grabbed onto his arm. "Yes! Finally!"
O O O
"Only three people passed the first round?! What kind of test were you running, Quant?" Test Director Yu Han Sung looked in confusion at the test results, questioning his colleague.
Quant, one of the subordinate test administrators, answered sheepishly while rubbing his head. "You know my style…I don't like complicated things so I just had a simple thirty minute free for all survival match, or as long as it took to get down to 200 Regulars."
"So what, you stopped watching the counter?" Yu Han Sung looked unimpressed.
"No, I was watching it carefully! But the numbers suddenly went from over 250 down to 3 within a few seconds! There was no time to call it!"
"Really, that's your excuse? You're telling me over 200 Regulars got eliminated before you could make the announcement?"
"But I'm telling the truth! They were all eliminated just like that!"
"And who are those three? Did a princess of Zahard or Irregular come in?"
"Uh…well…it seems there were both."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me?! And you just carried on with the test with those monsters in it?!"
"I…uh…forgot to check the contestants' information…"
"Are you insane?! Right…Alright…how am I supposed to deal with this? Why did this have to happen when Evankhell is on leave? If Evankhell finds out what happened here…we could be going to the chopping block…" Yu Han Sung put a hand to his head and sighed.
"Ahh! Sorry! What do we do?!" Quant said in a panic.
"You should contemplate the meaning of life and do some good works before you pass on."
"No! I don't want to die yet! Please, Yu Han Sung! I'll fill this room with coffee for you!"
"I guess it can't be helped. I'll find a way out."
"Yes, thank you, I love you, Yu Han Sung!"
"Shut up and get me that coffee!"
Once Yu Han Sung went back to his office by himself.
He silently laid down to think for a moment. Then he smirked devilishly. "Hehehe…I knew I was smart."
O O O
[Kaleidus]
It'd been tight, but I managed to fly around and infect the Regulars with a fast acting but timed virus with paralytic and knockout effects. I had all of the infected Regulars get knocked out at precisely the same time when the virus automatically activated, while paralyzing them to prevent them from finishing each other off before it happened.
I gave Rachel a counter virus while I flew around spreading the Armoriont-produced contagious plague as quickly as I could. By itself, it couldn't spread that quickly through the air, but with my help flying all over the arena, it got the job done.
This sort of thing probably wouldn't work once we climbed even a little higher when people got more natural resistances from Shinsoo, but we were still on the second floor where almost everybody was a noob.
I actually found Androssi early on but I avoided her to prevent an unnecessary fight while I finished dealing with everyone else.
I didn't know if I could even defeat her at this point, and any fight between us would surely delay me, potentially throwing canon off the rails.
To be frank, I didn't understand how Androssi and Arkyong did it in canon, they were strong but to instantaneously take out all the other Regulars? Maybe the test didn't quite work the way the administrator said, and they actually had a minimum survival time even if the number of Regulars went below 200?
Regardless, I couldn't count on it, so here we were.
We'd been teleported to a large hall with white walls, with windows near the ceiling for light. I guessed we were in that floating structure I saw from outside.
"So which one of you did it?" Androssi looked between me and Rachel with a scrutinizing expression.
She had head-length brown hair, very expressive golden eyes, and wore a golden dress to match with a brown vest over top, black leggings, and golden high heels. She actually fought in those high heels too. Like Rachel, Androssi still looked like she was in her late teens at this point, though I knew she was much older than that. Shinsoo did wonders for aging, though people in the Tower also seemed to mature differently, and they took physical appearance as the standard for measuring maturity instead of actual mental age.
"I did," I answered easily. "My name is Axion, nice to meet you, Androssi Zahard."
"Why did you do it? You almost caused us to fail with that stunt! If we couldn't find each other in time…" Androssi said with annoyance.
"Because it looked like you didn't have a team yet, and I wanted you," I said back with a smirk.
She looked flabbergasted at that. "What? So you got rid of everyone else to make sure I couldn't team up with them?"
I nodded.
"…"
She looked me up and down, then smiled beautifully. "I guess I should be flattered you went to all that trouble for little old me. I don't mind teaming up with you if you're strong enough to do that. And you aren't bad looking either…haha. What about her? She must be really strong too if you chose her." Androssi pointed to Rachel, who looked embarrassed.
"Not really, I'm just taking her along as a favor to Headon. He gave me this B-grade pocket for it," I said, before showing Androssi the pocket.
"What?! Headon did? What kind of favoritism is that?" The princess looked at both us and the pocket jealously.
I shrugged. "Oh please. Don't tell me you don't get any perks as a princess?"
Androssi growled back. "For your information, I don't! The other princesses got their 'perks' from their families! Mine had nothing to give, they were hoping I'd be the one to bring them out of the dumps after being chosen as a princess!"
"Huh…really?"
"Yes! You don't know anything, do you? Zahard's princesses don't get any special privileges as Regulars. I started with nothing and fought for everything I have. So now what? Are you regretting taking on this impoverished princess in your team?" She crossed her arms and glared at me.
"Don't jump to conclusions. I didn't know you were a princess until you shouted it out back there. I merely saw the beauty and grace with which you fought and decided I wanted you. That's all," I said.
She raised an eyebrow then smirked. "What a charmer. You know just what to say to a girl. Okay, I'll forgive you," she said, twirling her hair.
Their conversation was stopped by the arrival of a man with short curled blonde hair in a white tuxedo and black bodysuit underneath. Two symmetrical moles were under his eyes.
"Hello there, chosen Regulars. I congratulate you on making it this far. I am Lero Ro, and I will be your test administrator for this part. Now it's probably just a formality at this point, considering how you three were the only survivors from the first portion, but I have to do it regardless. Just so you know, if you can't pass this test, you can't take the next test!"
"So it was really just the three of us…" Androssi murmured to herself.
"Now I will begin the test," Lero Ro said and held out his hands palms forward.
There was a flash of light, then a huge force slammed into me.
I was blown away and crashed onto the ground far away. Even though I was expecting it, I was still surprised by the sheer force behind that push.
When I got up, I saw that the two girls were barely affected by the Shinsoo push, still standing back there where they were and looking confused at me from behind a bluish Shinsoo barrier.
What the hell…weren't all Irregulars supposed to enjoy extreme resistance to Shinsoo? Why was I not included in that?
I guess I should be grateful I could work with Shinsoo at all, and that the water spirits seemed to love it. Still better than being completely shut out from learning the elemental spells in Familiar of Zero.
O O O
A/N: The scene between Yu Han Sung and Quant occurred in canon too, with only very slight differences. I put it in this chapter to show what the actual rules of the survival match were, which weren't really explained well in canon. Arkyung and Androssi didn't kill all the Regulars instantly--they simply killed the rest before the minimum 30 minute timer was up, which Quant failed to mention to Baam's cohort, though it's also possible the tests for the two cohorts were different. The scene is also necessary to establish a few other important facts for readers new to Tower of God, such as Quant and Yu Han Sung being aware of the Irregulars from the onset. So why does MC believe that Rachel's status was never exposed? If you haven't guessed it already, keep reading to find out.
The two of us appeared in a large open field with very tall wheat, hills, and small cliffs. Various other people and humanoid beings could be seen in the distance.
We were standing on one of the cliffs which gave us a nice view of the surroundings.
"Mic test! Mic Test!"
A golden box was floating high in the air and a loud voice was coming from it. Even higher than that, far in the sky was some kind of floating cylindrical structure that seemed like a station of some kind.
"Hello everyone! All the Regulars who have arrived, we sincerely welcome you to the 2nd Floor, Evankhell's Floor. This is also called the Floor of Tests because here we carry out the final tests to see if you are worthy of going up the Tower! But I can explain all that later. Let's get to the first test! It is very simple, but listen carefully. There are 400 Regulars here. Use whatever means to bring that number down to 200! The test ends when there are only 200 left. Begin!"
"Hmm, getting into it immediately huh?"
I glanced at Rachel, who seemed scared at the news.
"Calm down. You're not going to die," I said. "I'll protect you as I said I would."
She looked at me hesitantly and nodded.
"Raa!!!" Somebody charged up the hill towards us.
Really? Did this guy not have the sense to realize it was dangerous to attack two combatants on high ground who were obviously in a group rather than alone like the rest? Even if Rachel couldn't help, this guy wouldn't have known that.
I took out a laser gun and shot him for his foolishness.
He fell with a smoking hole in his head.
A little farther away, a humanoid creature seemed spooked by the ease with which I dispatched the first guy and decided to find easier prey.
I shot the thing too.
"Weren't the floors supposed to get harder as we went up? That first one was much harder than this. You don't even need me here," said Derflinger.
"The guy on the mic said it's just the first test of the floor, meaning there's more after. It might get harder," I said, "especially after the weaker competition gets weeded out."
After that, I merely observed the battle royale.
"Look at them. So quick to kill for a vague promise. I wonder, what about you, Rachel? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach your own goal? Do you think you have a chance at all, against all these other Regulars?"
"…By myself, no," she said, clenching her hands into fists. As if her previous nerves had been calmed down, she continued in a stronger voice. "I'm just an ordinary person, with no special qualities. I'm not strong, I don't have any special powers or destiny…that's why…I'll do whatever it takes to get to the top. I'll even beg for help if I have to. So please, help me, Mr. Axion."
"Hmm…didn't I already agree to help you? But if you want me to help you beyond this Floor, when my contract with Headon is fulfilled, you'll have to show me that you're worth it."
I shot another few Regulars that got close to us while we were having our conversation.
"I understand," said Rachel.
"But tell me, what is it that you desire? Why do you want to get to the top so much, and risk your life for it? Are you really just looking for your friend that Headon mentioned?"
"No, I…that was a trick! Headon tricked him! I tried to climb the Tower first, and then he followed me even though I told him not to! But then Headon made him believe I already went up, and the idiot took the ball test, even though it was suicide! He only survived because he got help! That stupid rabbit, he's…evil! I thought the Fae were supposed to help guide us! Damn him!" Rachel said angrily.
"So you're not chasing after your friend? You have a goal of your own?"
"I want...to see the stars," said Rachel.
"You've never seen the stars before?" I asked incredulously. "Can't we just wait 'til nighttime to see them? There's a sky right here." I pointed up to the blue sky.
"I don't mean like that…I'm sorry, I can't explain it. And that sky isn't real either, it's artificial. There aren't any stars in the Tower's sky. At night it'll just be a light ball."
"I see." I probably wouldn't get anything more comprehensible out of her regarding her wish, so I turned my attention back to the battle.
Seeing as I was with Rachel, this should mean that Androssi, a Princess of Zahard, was also in this group, if things progressed according to canon.
And that also meant that we needed to somehow bring the number of Regulars down to 3 before the test ended, otherwise canon would go off the rails rendering my foreknowledge useless and we'd be going up with another group of Regulars instead of being sent to join Baam's cohort.
I had no idea how Arkong or whatever his name was and Androssi killed everyone else so fast, so I had come up with something myself. If the test ended at 200 Regulars, then we had to take out the rest of them almost instantaneously before the test administrator could call it off.
The problem was I didn't currently have any massive area of effect attacks. This arena was quite large, so how could I get them all at once?
O O O
[Interlude]
Androssi Zahard was crushing her opponents one after the other, eager to dominate the test the way her predecessors did, and feeling great about her progress.
After racking up over a hundred kills, she was starting to think that she was going to bring the number of Regulars to 200 practically by herself. These Regulars sure were taking their time killing each other.
If the initial 400 had just paired up and defeated one opponent the test would be over already.
So why was this taking so long?
But apparently they were so weak they couldn't even properly eliminate each other.
She'd even found a whole bunch that had weakened each other to the point where they couldn't fight anymore, but just couldn't finish the other off, instead just struggling to move on the ground.
Then, just when she was about to kill the next one, her target suddenly collapsed, unmoving.
She looked around, and something similar was happening all over the place. Everyone just dropped dead or maybe unconscious.
What the heck?
She covered her mouth in case there was some kind of poison in the air, and kept moving.
After half an hour, the intercom came on again. "Huh? What? This can't be right!" the voice said with disbelief. "Uh…well, all the remaining regulars, stop what you're doing! Congratulations to you all! Now begins part 2 of the test."
Androssi sighed in relief, at least she passed. Even though it was strange, whatever that was didn't affect her, or she hadn't been targeted.
"The next goal is to make a buddy. Out of the remaining regulars, you must make 2 of them your buddies! You have five minutes. Take note, you need to be in physical contact with your teammates at the end of five minutes."
"What?!" Androssi exclaimed out loud.
She had to find two people in less than five minutes? But there was nobody around, as far as she could see!
No, the test administrators wouldn't give an impossible task. She just had to find whomever caused this.
She started running as fast as she could across the fields. Even with her physical prowess, this place was big and five minutes would only give her enough time to get from one side to the other.
By the time there was only one minute left, she was starting to get very concerned.
'I can't fail the test in such a stupid way!'
She stopped beside a Regular and checked their life signs. 'Not dead after all.'
She tried to slap them awake. When that didn't work, she punched them. Their head exploded.
Thirty seconds left.
She kicked the ground with rage, sending bits and pieces everywhere.
"SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! APPEAR ALREADY! MY NAME IS ANDROSSI ZAHARD, AND I'M A PRINCESS OF ZAHARD!" She yelled at the top of her voice. "IF I'M ON YOUR TEAM THE TESTS WILL BE A BREEZE!! COME ON, TAKE ME!"
Everyone knew that princesses of Zahard were super strong. If she advertised her availability, whoever was left would have to be stupid not to come, right? Even if they had to discard one of their existing teammates, it'd be well worth it to get her on the team! That was what she believed.
Something swooped down from the sky and landed behind her with a large impact.
She turned around and saw a man in golden armour, carrying a blonde girl in one arm.
"Hello, princess. Need a team?" The man said, holding out his free hand. He wore a black visor that covered the eyes, making it difficult to discern his expression.
Androssi leapt forward without wasting any more time and grabbed onto his arm. "Yes! Finally!"
O O O
"Only three people passed the first round?! What kind of test were you running, Quant?" Test Director Yu Han Sung looked in confusion at the test results, questioning his colleague.
Quant, one of the subordinate test administrators, answered sheepishly while rubbing his head. "You know my style…I don't like complicated things so I just had a simple thirty minute free for all survival match, or as long as it took to get down to 200 Regulars."
"So what, you stopped watching the counter?" Yu Han Sung looked unimpressed.
"No, I was watching it carefully! But the numbers suddenly went from over 250 down to 3 within a few seconds! There was no time to call it!"
"Really, that's your excuse? You're telling me over 200 Regulars got eliminated before you could make the announcement?"
"But I'm telling the truth! They were all eliminated just like that!"
"And who are those three? Did a princess of Zahard or Irregular come in?"
"Uh…well…it seems there were both."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me?! And you just carried on with the test with those monsters in it?!"
"I…uh…forgot to check the contestants' information…"
"Are you insane?! Right…Alright…how am I supposed to deal with this? Why did this have to happen when Evankhell is on leave? If Evankhell finds out what happened here…we could be going to the chopping block…" Yu Han Sung put a hand to his head and sighed.
"Ahh! Sorry! What do we do?!" Quant said in a panic.
"You should contemplate the meaning of life and do some good works before you pass on."
"No! I don't want to die yet! Please, Yu Han Sung! I'll fill this room with coffee for you!"
"I guess it can't be helped. I'll find a way out."
"Yes, thank you, I love you, Yu Han Sung!"
"Shut up and get me that coffee!"
Once Yu Han Sung went back to his office by himself.
He silently laid down to think for a moment. Then he smirked devilishly. "Hehehe…I knew I was smart."
O O O
[Kaleidus]
It'd been tight, but I managed to fly around and infect the Regulars with a fast acting but timed virus with paralytic and knockout effects. I had all of the infected Regulars get knocked out at precisely the same time when the virus automatically activated, while paralyzing them to prevent them from finishing each other off before it happened.
I gave Rachel a counter virus while I flew around spreading the Armoriont-produced contagious plague as quickly as I could. By itself, it couldn't spread that quickly through the air, but with my help flying all over the arena, it got the job done.
This sort of thing probably wouldn't work once we climbed even a little higher when people got more natural resistances from Shinsoo, but we were still on the second floor where almost everybody was a noob.
I actually found Androssi early on but I avoided her to prevent an unnecessary fight while I finished dealing with everyone else.
I didn't know if I could even defeat her at this point, and any fight between us would surely delay me, potentially throwing canon off the rails.
To be frank, I didn't understand how Androssi and Arkyong did it in canon, they were strong but to instantaneously take out all the other Regulars? Maybe the test didn't quite work the way the administrator said, and they actually had a minimum survival time even if the number of Regulars went below 200?
Regardless, I couldn't count on it, so here we were.
We'd been teleported to a large hall with white walls, with windows near the ceiling for light. I guessed we were in that floating structure I saw from outside.
"So which one of you did it?" Androssi looked between me and Rachel with a scrutinizing expression.
She had head-length brown hair, very expressive golden eyes, and wore a golden dress to match with a brown vest over top, black leggings, and golden high heels. She actually fought in those high heels too. Like Rachel, Androssi still looked like she was in her late teens at this point, though I knew she was much older than that. Shinsoo did wonders for aging, though people in the Tower also seemed to mature differently, and they took physical appearance as the standard for measuring maturity instead of actual mental age.
"I did," I answered easily. "My name is Axion, nice to meet you, Androssi Zahard."
"Why did you do it? You almost caused us to fail with that stunt! If we couldn't find each other in time…" Androssi said with annoyance.
"Because it looked like you didn't have a team yet, and I wanted you," I said back with a smirk.
She looked flabbergasted at that. "What? So you got rid of everyone else to make sure I couldn't team up with them?"
I nodded.
"…"
She looked me up and down, then smiled beautifully. "I guess I should be flattered you went to all that trouble for little old me. I don't mind teaming up with you if you're strong enough to do that. And you aren't bad looking either…haha. What about her? She must be really strong too if you chose her." Androssi pointed to Rachel, who looked embarrassed.
"Not really, I'm just taking her along as a favor to Headon. He gave me this B-grade pocket for it," I said, before showing Androssi the pocket.
"What?! Headon did? What kind of favoritism is that?" The princess looked at both us and the pocket jealously.
I shrugged. "Oh please. Don't tell me you don't get any perks as a princess?"
Androssi growled back. "For your information, I don't! The other princesses got their 'perks' from their families! Mine had nothing to give, they were hoping I'd be the one to bring them out of the dumps after being chosen as a princess!"
"Huh…really?"
"Yes! You don't know anything, do you? Zahard's princesses don't get any special privileges as Regulars. I started with nothing and fought for everything I have. So now what? Are you regretting taking on this impoverished princess in your team?" She crossed her arms and glared at me.
"Don't jump to conclusions. I didn't know you were a princess until you shouted it out back there. I merely saw the beauty and grace with which you fought and decided I wanted you. That's all," I said.
She raised an eyebrow then smirked. "What a charmer. You know just what to say to a girl. Okay, I'll forgive you," she said, twirling her hair.
Their conversation was stopped by the arrival of a man with short curled blonde hair in a white tuxedo and black bodysuit underneath. Two symmetrical moles were under his eyes.
"Hello there, chosen Regulars. I congratulate you on making it this far. I am Lero Ro, and I will be your test administrator for this part. Now it's probably just a formality at this point, considering how you three were the only survivors from the first portion, but I have to do it regardless. Just so you know, if you can't pass this test, you can't take the next test!"
"So it was really just the three of us…" Androssi murmured to herself.
"Now I will begin the test," Lero Ro said and held out his hands palms forward.
There was a flash of light, then a huge force slammed into me.
I was blown away and crashed onto the ground far away. Even though I was expecting it, I was still surprised by the sheer force behind that push.
When I got up, I saw that the two girls were barely affected by the Shinsoo push, still standing back there where they were and looking confused at me from behind a bluish Shinsoo barrier.
What the hell…weren't all Irregulars supposed to enjoy extreme resistance to Shinsoo? Why was I not included in that?
I guess I should be grateful I could work with Shinsoo at all, and that the water spirits seemed to love it. Still better than being completely shut out from learning the elemental spells in Familiar of Zero.
O O O
A/N: The scene between Yu Han Sung and Quant occurred in canon too, with only very slight differences. I put it in this chapter to show what the actual rules of the survival match were, which weren't really explained well in canon. Arkyung and Androssi didn't kill all the Regulars instantly--they simply killed the rest before the minimum 30 minute timer was up, which Quant failed to mention to Baam's cohort, though it's also possible the tests for the two cohorts were different. The scene is also necessary to establish a few other important facts for readers new to Tower of God, such as Quant and Yu Han Sung being aware of the Irregulars from the onset. So why does MC believe that Rachel's status was never exposed? If you haven't guessed it already, keep reading to find out.
- Location
- Deep inside the sand
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I almost began looking up the original source for any differences as I had a feeling about it but then I read your snippet. Glad to have that cleared up.
Aww. How can Kaleidus not have extreme resistance to Shinsoo. How hax. I totally agree with him that it's basically a Irregular privilage. Yet he somehow got cheated out of that. Makes me wonder what he'll make do with instead of that. What's his 'edge' is so to speak to out manouver his competition.
I'm surprised Kaleidus mentioned Headon and his B grade pocket. Headon I guess might be needed to explain why he follows Rachel, however he could also just mentioned that he decided to team up with her no explaination required. I guess he wanted to share something so she feels closer to him. Thought it was a bit premature but whatever.
Thanks~
Tower of God is such an underused universe in writing.
30 - Floor of Tests 2
30 - Floor of Tests 2
[Interlude]
"Mr. Axion, are you alright?" The cloaked girl called out to the armored man.
"That was Shinsoo, wasn't it?" The princess of Zahard asked the test administrator but looked between the armored man and the cloaked girl with a calculating gaze.
"Yes, that's correct. In an instant, I compressed it and used it to make a barrier which pushed you three. Or at least, it was supposed to push you three," said Lero-Ro, glancing at the cloaked girl and the princess of Zahard.
He wasn't surprised that the princess was barely moved, given the high natural resistances of all princesses of Zahard. The only surprise there was that Androssi's resistance was substantially higher than Anak Zahard in the earlier cohort, who easily passed his barrier but was still pushed back in the initial setup. But this cloaked girl…just like that boy whom he thought had gotten by on a fluke, she was also unaffected by his push.
Who were all these people with such ridiculous resistances to Shinsoo?
"Shinsoo exists throughout this Tower. It allows us to breathe and live. Depending on how it's used however, it can be a deadly force. Dense Shinsoo can mangle a person, and because of that it is frequently used in combat. It is common to show serious side effects to high concentrations of Shinsoo. If you are not well adapted to it, you simply don't have the qualities necessary to climb the Tower, where the Shinsoo concentrations will only get higher as you climb. You must come through this barrier to show that you will be capable of surviving in this Tower."
"So does the fact that we're still on this side means we passed already?" Androssi asked.
"Not exactly. You have to pass as a team. So if he fails, you all fail," said Lero Ro.
"What?!" Androssi exclaimed. "That's not fair!"
Lero Ro sighed. "You know what's the most important trait for climbing the Tower? It isn't strength, I can tell you that. Nor is it your Shinsoo resistance. The most important trait is luck. Luck that allowed you to be born with a strong body, luck that made you smart, luck that made you wealthy, luck that saves you from a hopeless situation. That luck which made you take this test together, form a team, and the reason you've gotten here at all. So what if it isn't fair? If you fail because of bad luck…well that's too bad."
Androssi looked furious at the speech. What part of her life was driven by luck? Other than randomly meeting that snake, everything else had been a result of her own talents and efforts!
But then again, it wasn't completely wrong. There were those who were born weaker and would never have succeeded even if they were put in the same situation.
Meanwhile, Rachel looked contemplative. She understood intimately the difference between those who were lucky and those who weren't. Those who were chosen by destiny and those fated to be worthless.
She hated it, but it was how the world worked. She hated it because she was one of the ordinary and ugly. But she had found a way into the Tower, and started climbing it, despite her powerlessness.
Even if fate wasn't on her side, it wouldn't stop her from her goal. She would become the heroine of this story no matter what.
Axion walked towards the barrier and tested it out by knocking and pushing on it.
Having observed closely how the man was sent flying earlier, Lero Ro could tell. This man had hardly any Shinsoo resistance. It would take a miracle to get through the barrier.
"Hm…is there a time limit on this test?" Axion asked.
"Technically, there isn't. But if you can't get through, it's pointless. Just give up. This isn't a test you can solve with intelligence. It's to weed out the ones who don't have enough Shinsoo resistance to go higher. Even if you pass by some genius or miracle or your teammates' help, you'll just die pointlessly once you get to the higher floors. Save yourself the trouble," said Lero Ro. "And I'm not going to stand here all day waiting for you so I'll just fail you in ten minutes if you obviously aren't making any progress."
"That won't be necessary. I can get through this barrier, but it might take a while," the man said confidently.
"Go ahead and surprise me."
The man chuckled, and Lero Ro raised an eyebrow. Did he really have a way to get through?
Glowing blue lines ran across his face like some kind of circuit.
He reached out his hand again and touched the barrier.
Small bits of it seem to flake off. But at the rate he was going, it would take days to make a hole in it.
Lero Ro groaned. Was he really going to have to proctor this test for days?
Suddenly Lero Ro felt the presence of something dangerous. Like something very powerful had awakened.
It was powerful enough to register as a potential threat to his own instincts.
"What?" The test administrator glanced around but saw nothing. When he stretched his senses carefully, he found that it seemed to be coming from the Regular in front of him.
Was there something else possessing him? Something powerful enough to threaten a Ranker?
The barrier cracked at the point where the man touched it. Like falling pieces of glass, then dispersing into mist. The crack spread quickly and soon the whole barrier was breaking apart.
"That's impossible!" Lero-Ro shouted. He was a Ranker! How could some Regular break his barrier like that? Even if it was extremely weak and made of simply raw Shinsoo to let Regulars pass through, it was still Shinsoo under his control! Only Rankers should have been capable of breaking the barrier directly without attacking it!
"Hahaha…HAHAHAHA!" The Regular named Axion laughed aloud like a maniac. "Yes…YES! Hahaha…! Wonderful! Incredible!"
The Shinsoo barrier completely disintegrated, and all of it went towards Axion, funneling into his chest as if it was being absorbed.
Eventually it seemed that he'd had enough and let the remaining Shinsoo evaporate as air. The blue lines on his face disappeared too.
Then he walked forward to join his teammates and turned expectantly towards Lero-Ro.
"You…what the hell are you?" The test administrator asked.
"A pretty lucky guy, it seems," Axion said back with a shrug and a smirk.
"Fine, you three pass. Take the hallway to the left. My assistant will meet you at the end."
O O O
"What was that back there?" Androssi asked with a look of shock, on their way to the next test.
"I admit, I wasn't expecting that myself. I have an ability to convert certain types of energies into others, and I was planning to do that, though it might have taken me many hours to make a hole in that barrier. But then…well, let's just say I have something inside of me, and it really likes the taste of Shinsoo," said Axion.
"So you really absorbed the Shinsoo," Androssi said.
"That's right."
"For a Regular on the second Floor to be able to do that...that's completely ridiculous! That's an extremely high level technique!"
"Hm, good to know."
"And you, your Shinsoo resistance is as high as mine!" Androssi pointed at Rachel. "Just who are you people?"
"I'm Rachel. Nice to meet you, Miss Androssi," said Rachel.
"I didn't mean that…"
"We are people that Headon seems to think are worth investing in. Aren't you lucky to be on our team? Oh and I'm Axion."
"Maybe. But this is still just the Floor of Tests, the second floor. Don't let it get to your head. The tests ahead are going to get a lot harder. Without Shinsoo resistance, you're going to have a lot trouble," said Androssi.
"I know. But luckily I have you to help now, hmm?"
"Then you'd better keep up!"
At the end of the hall, the test administrator's assistant greeted them alongside a floating robot.
"The test will begin once you pass through this door. Please enter," the woman gestured with a smile.
The test room inside was very dark. Twelve red doors were positioned in a semi-circle, with the test director sitting in a kneeled position the Japanese would call seiza, in front of a decorated canopy of sorts.
"Hello Regulars. My name is Yu Han Sung, and I am the administrator of your next test. Normally I am just the test director of this floor, but today I shall administer your test directly. Shall we begin? The test is simple. Do you see the doors behind me? Within ten minutes…find the correct door and open it. If you don't find it in ten minutes, you fail. If you open the wrong door, you will die." The man had an extraordinarily feminine face, blond hair with a red pin striking through it, and wore decorative yellow and blue robes.
"Die? Isn't that too harsh?" Androssi asked. "Fighting and dying because you weren't strong enough is one thing, but making it the penalty is…"
"Now, the test begins," said Yu Han Sung, ignoring Androssi's comment.
"That's it? Shouldn't there be a hint for how to find the right door?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah! What's up with this? Are you slacking on the job?" Androssi added.
"I'm sorry, there are no more hints," Yu Han Sung said pleasantly.
"How…what…" Rachel said, at a loss for words.
"This is impossible! This test is bullshit! You're just trying to get rid of us!" Androssi accused with a finger pointed angrily and waving it up and down at the test administrator. "Which Family are you working for?!"
"Well, normally, there would be a few more hints for the Regulars taking this test. But unfortunately the hints require other teams of Regulars to participate in this test to be given. So because there are no other Regulars in your cohort, it simply isn't possible for me to give you any other hints, even if I wanted to."
Androssi facepalmed, then turned to Axion. "This is YOUR fault for getting rid of all the other Regulars! You'd better have a solution to this!"
Yu Han Sung narrowed his eyes at Axion almost imperceptibly, but then just sipped his coffee as if nothing happened.
O O O
[Kaleidus]
I knew the answer to this test. It was quite ingenious really. Open any door within 5 minutes, and they would all be correct. After 5 minutes, they'd all be wrong.
With a large group of Regulars, they'd get some fake Regulars to go in first, and some to go around giving hints. Each team took the test one at a time while the rest waited outside. Based on the clock and the time taken by each team before the next one was sent in, along with the screams of the failing teams, it was possible to deduce from the waiting line the correct answer, or to go through on courage alone.
So Yu Han Sung wasn't lying when he said they couldn't give out hints due to the lack of any other Regular teams.
But then how did this team get through in canon? I'd had the impression that Yu Han Sung conspired with Rachel to get her through this part, but apparently that wasn't the case. Did Akyung get the answer from Headon beforehand?
Either way, we had to get through, and I could easily solve it. I didn't even need metaknowledge for this. I sent Agate through agatespace behind a door first just to scout and make sure this wasn't some weird alternate universe.
Once I confirmed it was safe on the other side, I walked towards it leisurely.
"Don't worry, I've found it already. Easy," I said.
"Are you kidding?" Androssi shouted after me, before rushing up to grab my arm. "Don't be careless, we'll die if you get it wrong!"
I glanced back at her, then held up my free hand to my mouth to whisper. She got the gesture and turned her ear to me.
"I can see through the doors," I whispered to her.
She looked at me in surprise, then nodded before letting me go. "Alright, this is my life I'm trusting to you…don't mess it up!" She whispered back.
Then I went forward and opened the door.
"Congratulations, you pass," Yu Han Sung announced.
Once we all exited through the door, Yu Han Sung spoke again. "You can have a little rest here before the next test. Feel free to enjoy the food and refreshments."
An assortment of food awaited us on a long table. There were couches and other seats arranged, almost like a hotel lobby room.
"Ah, great!" Androssi rushed off to grab food.
"By the way, miss. You are the one Headon sent up, right? Michelle Light?" Yu Han Sung asked Rachel. "If you would come with me, I'd like to speak with you a moment. Your friend may join us if he wants."
Rachel looked at me quizzically as if asking if I wanted to come along.
"Sure, I'll come."
We walked a short distance to a fancy room with a couple of small knee-high wooden tables set up.
"Have a seat, please."
Rachel and I sat down on the ground on two opposite sides of one table, while Yu Han Sung took the other table.
"I heard it from Headon, miss Michelle Light," he said, while setting up his coffee. I looked at it curiously. He was breaking some kind of rod and mixing it into his cup.
"You must be exhausted from the first test?" He continued, smiling. "Or maybe not, with your new friend there. Impressive work, that was, Mr. Axion. It seems Headon chose well."
"Hm…so you're well acquainted with Headon, then?" I asked.
"Of course. He is the one who chooses the Regulars and sends them for testing on this floor. As the test director in charge, naturally we are well acquainted. You should drink before it gets cold, you two. Oh, you don't know how to pour? Just tear off one end and pour it in the mug. It will taste differently depending on how hard you grab it. A matter of delicate control of the fingers."
Rachel and I followed his instructions and poured our own coffee.
"Easy, isn't it…? You don't need to worry at all. That boy who went up before you…all his teammates, his position, his strength…I will steal everything from him."
Rachel was silent as Yu Han Sung spoke.
"Now let me introduce you to the Guide that will lead us."
"Guide?" Rachel asked, finally speaking.
"Yes. They have received the blessings of the Tower, so they can see all paths and assist in its navigation…and at times can even predict and change the future," Yu Han Sung said in a dramatic tone.
Footsteps came from behind as the Guide approached. It was a girl of stunning beauty and intense red hair that went down past her shoulders with matching red eyes. She carried a gold colored metal staff and wore a pink sweater.
"I'm your guide…Hwaryun," she said with a bland expression. "I'll guide you from now on."
Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung weren't merely accomplices of Headon. They were part of an organization called FUG that was opposed to the ruling powers of the Tower, and had a vested interest in sponsoring Irregulars to rebel against Zahard's rule.
Because of an immortality contract that Zahard signed with the Guardians of the Tower, only Irregulars were capable of killing Zahard and the Heads of the Ten Families, who were Zahard's companions on their climb up the Tower.
While Zahard's empire tried to get rid of Irregulars, FUG tried to capture them to work for them.
As for these two…they also seemed to have their own individual agendas, separate from that of FUG, to the extent that they assisted Headon in hiding the Irregular status of Rachel from FUG. And I wasn't sure what relationship Headon himself had with FUG.
From my perspective, it was important they also helped me hide my status as an Irregular from both Zahard and FUG. Zahard's people would try to get rid of any Irregulars they found, and I was nowhere near powerful enough to ignore that, unlike the other famous Irregulars of the Tower. Meanwhile, some factions in FUG might try to recruit me by force.
To Rankers who stood so far above Regulars as to be like gods, I was probably no different from the powerless Rachel or Baam in terms of actual power, but it was just less obvious.
They didn't know how powerful I was, as I'd passed Headon's test on my own, and could be hiding immense power for all they knew.
I needed to take advantage of that while I could, and convince Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung that I was somebody they could work with, somebody worth working with.
I had to show it through both my words and actions on this floor, and it was something I'd been doing all along thus far.
I could let this meeting go on without interference, but they'd invited me for a reason, I was sure.
How could they use me? What motivations did I have? What type of person was I? These were the things that must have been on their minds. Baam and Rachel were too easy to manipulate. One had a one-track mind, and both were powerless.
But I too was an Irregular, and less easy to read, given my feats thus far.
While I wasn't sure of their motivations, I knew they were investing for the long haul, and would most likely hedge their bets regarding all three of us Irregulars, so I had a fair chance.
"So that's why Headon only asked me to get you through this floor? You've got a plan for what comes next. But are you sure that's what you want?" I asked Rachel.
"I…made a deal with him," said Rachel, with a little hesitation.
"A deal with a being you called 'evil'? To steal everything from the friend that tried to risk his life to follow after you?"
"I didn't have any other choice! It was the only way to get through the first floor," Rachel said. "Besides, Baam can't climb the Tower! He's only climbing it to find me. There's no point in him going up any further. He's just wasting his time and risking his life meaninglessly! I'm the one that wanted to go up, not him."
Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung seemed to watch us with interest, without any intent to interrupt.
"I'm not judging you for it. I can even understand why you did it. All I want to say is…you shouldn't let Headon's words fool you. I'm not going to stop you from doing what you need to do. I wouldn't consider it wise to back out of a deal with that guy either, considering how powerless you are right now," I said. "I only want you to remember one thing. Look at everyone in this room right now."
I gestured to the Guide and Yu Han Sung.
Rachel looked at them, they seemed mildly confused as to why I was gesturing to them.
"We're all helping you. It doesn't matter why we're helping you. It doesn't matter if it's all because of Headon's influence. It doesn't matter if you're just being used. At the end of the day, you still made the choices that led to this point. You walked the path of your own accord. You saw the opportunity, and you took it. That makes you special, even if you don't think you are."
"You think I'm special?" Her face was one of disbelief. "Me?"
"You are. Headon told you that you weren't worthy, didn't he? That you weren't chosen."
She nodded and eyed me warily. "But how do you know that? You didn't arrive until after."
I said, shrugging, "It's what I would have done, if I were a manipulative evil bastard trying to convince you to agree to a deal, knowing that you're desperate to climb the Tower. I'm rather evil myself, so I know the tricks of the trade."
She gaped at my response. Hwaryun giggled, her emotionless expression finally falling away. Yu Han Sung covered his mouth as if to stop himself from spitting out his coffee.
"The truly evil wouldn't admit to that so easily. The ones who do usually don't last very long," said Hwaryun.
"You know, you're right. That's why I retired from the evil business."
"So you're not so evil after all," said Hwaryun. "Or are you saying that you've turned back from the path?"
"And yet, you're climbing the Tower, aren't you, Mr. Axion? That means you must have a wish," said Yu Han Sung.
"Have you ever heard of the saying, it's not the destination, but the journey that matters?" I asked back.
He nodded. "I have heard something similar before. An interesting sentiment to be sure...it's very unusual to hear that from a Regular, especially so early in their climb. Few can appreciate the journey until they've completed it and can go no further. I suppose Irregulars truly do think differently, hm?"
"Forgive me if I overstep, but I do wonder, Mr. Yu Han Sung, if you have reached the top, did you find what you wanted? Or is Headon scamming us all?"
Yu Han Sung chuckled at my question. "You don't like Mr. Headon very much, do you?"
"I am merely conducting due diligence before investing my time."
"I will humor you then. As the test director of this Floor, I suppose I ought to explain some of the Tower's workings to a newbie like you. In truth, the 'top' that Rankers have reached is not the true top of the Tower. It is simply the highest floor that has been reached, the 134th Floor. Most inhabitants of the Tower believe that Zahard, the King of the Tower, will conquer the next Floor when he decides to move again. Until then, High Rankers can make the attempt, but none have successfully done so."
"So you haven't made the attempt?"
"Oh no, I'm not a High Ranker, hahaha. High Rankers are the best of the best. Gods among gods, you could say. I'm just a little guy making an honest living as a test director," said Yu Han Sung, downplaying himself.
I knew otherwise, but I wasn't about to call him out on it.
"Fair enough. Well, it seems we've gone on a bit of a tangent. As I was saying earlier, you are special, Michelle. If the Tower didn't choose you as Headon claims, then that makes you even more special. After all, who would you rather bet on? Somebody chosen by fate? Or somebody who can challenge fate? What do you think, Guide who can see the paths of fate?" I turned to Hwaryun.
She looked surprised, but then she stared at me as if trying to see through me, perhaps to discern whether my words referred to anything more than general ideas—which they did, because Baam was the one chosen by the Tower, and Rachel was the challenger.
After a few seconds, the Guide answered. "Sorry, I don't know."
"That's fine. That uncertainty already proves my point," I said, then turned back to Rachel. "You might be a mere pawn, Michelle, but pawns have the highest potential of any piece on the board."
"I know that," said Rachel. "I won't always be this weak. One day that might change…but, until then…I have to borrow the strength of others."
"That day may come sooner than you think…but only if you seek your own strength. Well then, I've said my piece. Take it or leave it as you will. The rest is up to you."
Truthfully, I had no idea if that was true. Rachel had astounding Shinsoo resistance just like all the other Irregulars, but I didn't think she was blessed the way Baam was in actually manipulating it.
Nevertheless, it was sound advice I followed for myself. In a world where individuals could be worth more than armies, over the long run, personal power mattered far more than wealth, connections, or influence.
If she could act on that advice, things would get more interesting around here, though it didn't matter much for me either way.
"Seek my own strength...? Thank you for your advice, Mr. Axion," Rachel said with a slight bow.
Feeling that I had sufficiently demonstrated my capabilities in the field of intrigue to Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung, I let the conversation move on.
"Then, I shall explain our strategy," Hwaryun said.
O O O
A/N: I'm still in need of a beta with good knowledge of Tower of God, by the way. So if you want to help, shoot me a PM here or on Discord.
[Interlude]
"Mr. Axion, are you alright?" The cloaked girl called out to the armored man.
"That was Shinsoo, wasn't it?" The princess of Zahard asked the test administrator but looked between the armored man and the cloaked girl with a calculating gaze.
"Yes, that's correct. In an instant, I compressed it and used it to make a barrier which pushed you three. Or at least, it was supposed to push you three," said Lero-Ro, glancing at the cloaked girl and the princess of Zahard.
He wasn't surprised that the princess was barely moved, given the high natural resistances of all princesses of Zahard. The only surprise there was that Androssi's resistance was substantially higher than Anak Zahard in the earlier cohort, who easily passed his barrier but was still pushed back in the initial setup. But this cloaked girl…just like that boy whom he thought had gotten by on a fluke, she was also unaffected by his push.
Who were all these people with such ridiculous resistances to Shinsoo?
"Shinsoo exists throughout this Tower. It allows us to breathe and live. Depending on how it's used however, it can be a deadly force. Dense Shinsoo can mangle a person, and because of that it is frequently used in combat. It is common to show serious side effects to high concentrations of Shinsoo. If you are not well adapted to it, you simply don't have the qualities necessary to climb the Tower, where the Shinsoo concentrations will only get higher as you climb. You must come through this barrier to show that you will be capable of surviving in this Tower."
"So does the fact that we're still on this side means we passed already?" Androssi asked.
"Not exactly. You have to pass as a team. So if he fails, you all fail," said Lero Ro.
"What?!" Androssi exclaimed. "That's not fair!"
Lero Ro sighed. "You know what's the most important trait for climbing the Tower? It isn't strength, I can tell you that. Nor is it your Shinsoo resistance. The most important trait is luck. Luck that allowed you to be born with a strong body, luck that made you smart, luck that made you wealthy, luck that saves you from a hopeless situation. That luck which made you take this test together, form a team, and the reason you've gotten here at all. So what if it isn't fair? If you fail because of bad luck…well that's too bad."
Androssi looked furious at the speech. What part of her life was driven by luck? Other than randomly meeting that snake, everything else had been a result of her own talents and efforts!
But then again, it wasn't completely wrong. There were those who were born weaker and would never have succeeded even if they were put in the same situation.
Meanwhile, Rachel looked contemplative. She understood intimately the difference between those who were lucky and those who weren't. Those who were chosen by destiny and those fated to be worthless.
She hated it, but it was how the world worked. She hated it because she was one of the ordinary and ugly. But she had found a way into the Tower, and started climbing it, despite her powerlessness.
Even if fate wasn't on her side, it wouldn't stop her from her goal. She would become the heroine of this story no matter what.
Axion walked towards the barrier and tested it out by knocking and pushing on it.
Having observed closely how the man was sent flying earlier, Lero Ro could tell. This man had hardly any Shinsoo resistance. It would take a miracle to get through the barrier.
"Hm…is there a time limit on this test?" Axion asked.
"Technically, there isn't. But if you can't get through, it's pointless. Just give up. This isn't a test you can solve with intelligence. It's to weed out the ones who don't have enough Shinsoo resistance to go higher. Even if you pass by some genius or miracle or your teammates' help, you'll just die pointlessly once you get to the higher floors. Save yourself the trouble," said Lero Ro. "And I'm not going to stand here all day waiting for you so I'll just fail you in ten minutes if you obviously aren't making any progress."
"That won't be necessary. I can get through this barrier, but it might take a while," the man said confidently.
"Go ahead and surprise me."
The man chuckled, and Lero Ro raised an eyebrow. Did he really have a way to get through?
Glowing blue lines ran across his face like some kind of circuit.
He reached out his hand again and touched the barrier.
Small bits of it seem to flake off. But at the rate he was going, it would take days to make a hole in it.
Lero Ro groaned. Was he really going to have to proctor this test for days?
Suddenly Lero Ro felt the presence of something dangerous. Like something very powerful had awakened.
It was powerful enough to register as a potential threat to his own instincts.
"What?" The test administrator glanced around but saw nothing. When he stretched his senses carefully, he found that it seemed to be coming from the Regular in front of him.
Was there something else possessing him? Something powerful enough to threaten a Ranker?
The barrier cracked at the point where the man touched it. Like falling pieces of glass, then dispersing into mist. The crack spread quickly and soon the whole barrier was breaking apart.
"That's impossible!" Lero-Ro shouted. He was a Ranker! How could some Regular break his barrier like that? Even if it was extremely weak and made of simply raw Shinsoo to let Regulars pass through, it was still Shinsoo under his control! Only Rankers should have been capable of breaking the barrier directly without attacking it!
"Hahaha…HAHAHAHA!" The Regular named Axion laughed aloud like a maniac. "Yes…YES! Hahaha…! Wonderful! Incredible!"
The Shinsoo barrier completely disintegrated, and all of it went towards Axion, funneling into his chest as if it was being absorbed.
Eventually it seemed that he'd had enough and let the remaining Shinsoo evaporate as air. The blue lines on his face disappeared too.
Then he walked forward to join his teammates and turned expectantly towards Lero-Ro.
"You…what the hell are you?" The test administrator asked.
"A pretty lucky guy, it seems," Axion said back with a shrug and a smirk.
"Fine, you three pass. Take the hallway to the left. My assistant will meet you at the end."
O O O
"What was that back there?" Androssi asked with a look of shock, on their way to the next test.
"I admit, I wasn't expecting that myself. I have an ability to convert certain types of energies into others, and I was planning to do that, though it might have taken me many hours to make a hole in that barrier. But then…well, let's just say I have something inside of me, and it really likes the taste of Shinsoo," said Axion.
"So you really absorbed the Shinsoo," Androssi said.
"That's right."
"For a Regular on the second Floor to be able to do that...that's completely ridiculous! That's an extremely high level technique!"
"Hm, good to know."
"And you, your Shinsoo resistance is as high as mine!" Androssi pointed at Rachel. "Just who are you people?"
"I'm Rachel. Nice to meet you, Miss Androssi," said Rachel.
"I didn't mean that…"
"We are people that Headon seems to think are worth investing in. Aren't you lucky to be on our team? Oh and I'm Axion."
"Maybe. But this is still just the Floor of Tests, the second floor. Don't let it get to your head. The tests ahead are going to get a lot harder. Without Shinsoo resistance, you're going to have a lot trouble," said Androssi.
"I know. But luckily I have you to help now, hmm?"
"Then you'd better keep up!"
At the end of the hall, the test administrator's assistant greeted them alongside a floating robot.
"The test will begin once you pass through this door. Please enter," the woman gestured with a smile.
The test room inside was very dark. Twelve red doors were positioned in a semi-circle, with the test director sitting in a kneeled position the Japanese would call seiza, in front of a decorated canopy of sorts.
"Hello Regulars. My name is Yu Han Sung, and I am the administrator of your next test. Normally I am just the test director of this floor, but today I shall administer your test directly. Shall we begin? The test is simple. Do you see the doors behind me? Within ten minutes…find the correct door and open it. If you don't find it in ten minutes, you fail. If you open the wrong door, you will die." The man had an extraordinarily feminine face, blond hair with a red pin striking through it, and wore decorative yellow and blue robes.
"Die? Isn't that too harsh?" Androssi asked. "Fighting and dying because you weren't strong enough is one thing, but making it the penalty is…"
"Now, the test begins," said Yu Han Sung, ignoring Androssi's comment.
"That's it? Shouldn't there be a hint for how to find the right door?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah! What's up with this? Are you slacking on the job?" Androssi added.
"I'm sorry, there are no more hints," Yu Han Sung said pleasantly.
"How…what…" Rachel said, at a loss for words.
"This is impossible! This test is bullshit! You're just trying to get rid of us!" Androssi accused with a finger pointed angrily and waving it up and down at the test administrator. "Which Family are you working for?!"
"Well, normally, there would be a few more hints for the Regulars taking this test. But unfortunately the hints require other teams of Regulars to participate in this test to be given. So because there are no other Regulars in your cohort, it simply isn't possible for me to give you any other hints, even if I wanted to."
Androssi facepalmed, then turned to Axion. "This is YOUR fault for getting rid of all the other Regulars! You'd better have a solution to this!"
Yu Han Sung narrowed his eyes at Axion almost imperceptibly, but then just sipped his coffee as if nothing happened.
O O O
[Kaleidus]
I knew the answer to this test. It was quite ingenious really. Open any door within 5 minutes, and they would all be correct. After 5 minutes, they'd all be wrong.
With a large group of Regulars, they'd get some fake Regulars to go in first, and some to go around giving hints. Each team took the test one at a time while the rest waited outside. Based on the clock and the time taken by each team before the next one was sent in, along with the screams of the failing teams, it was possible to deduce from the waiting line the correct answer, or to go through on courage alone.
So Yu Han Sung wasn't lying when he said they couldn't give out hints due to the lack of any other Regular teams.
But then how did this team get through in canon? I'd had the impression that Yu Han Sung conspired with Rachel to get her through this part, but apparently that wasn't the case. Did Akyung get the answer from Headon beforehand?
Either way, we had to get through, and I could easily solve it. I didn't even need metaknowledge for this. I sent Agate through agatespace behind a door first just to scout and make sure this wasn't some weird alternate universe.
Once I confirmed it was safe on the other side, I walked towards it leisurely.
"Don't worry, I've found it already. Easy," I said.
"Are you kidding?" Androssi shouted after me, before rushing up to grab my arm. "Don't be careless, we'll die if you get it wrong!"
I glanced back at her, then held up my free hand to my mouth to whisper. She got the gesture and turned her ear to me.
"I can see through the doors," I whispered to her.
She looked at me in surprise, then nodded before letting me go. "Alright, this is my life I'm trusting to you…don't mess it up!" She whispered back.
Then I went forward and opened the door.
"Congratulations, you pass," Yu Han Sung announced.
Once we all exited through the door, Yu Han Sung spoke again. "You can have a little rest here before the next test. Feel free to enjoy the food and refreshments."
An assortment of food awaited us on a long table. There were couches and other seats arranged, almost like a hotel lobby room.
"Ah, great!" Androssi rushed off to grab food.
"By the way, miss. You are the one Headon sent up, right? Michelle Light?" Yu Han Sung asked Rachel. "If you would come with me, I'd like to speak with you a moment. Your friend may join us if he wants."
Rachel looked at me quizzically as if asking if I wanted to come along.
"Sure, I'll come."
We walked a short distance to a fancy room with a couple of small knee-high wooden tables set up.
"Have a seat, please."
Rachel and I sat down on the ground on two opposite sides of one table, while Yu Han Sung took the other table.
"I heard it from Headon, miss Michelle Light," he said, while setting up his coffee. I looked at it curiously. He was breaking some kind of rod and mixing it into his cup.
"You must be exhausted from the first test?" He continued, smiling. "Or maybe not, with your new friend there. Impressive work, that was, Mr. Axion. It seems Headon chose well."
"Hm…so you're well acquainted with Headon, then?" I asked.
"Of course. He is the one who chooses the Regulars and sends them for testing on this floor. As the test director in charge, naturally we are well acquainted. You should drink before it gets cold, you two. Oh, you don't know how to pour? Just tear off one end and pour it in the mug. It will taste differently depending on how hard you grab it. A matter of delicate control of the fingers."
Rachel and I followed his instructions and poured our own coffee.
"Easy, isn't it…? You don't need to worry at all. That boy who went up before you…all his teammates, his position, his strength…I will steal everything from him."
Rachel was silent as Yu Han Sung spoke.
"Now let me introduce you to the Guide that will lead us."
"Guide?" Rachel asked, finally speaking.
"Yes. They have received the blessings of the Tower, so they can see all paths and assist in its navigation…and at times can even predict and change the future," Yu Han Sung said in a dramatic tone.
Footsteps came from behind as the Guide approached. It was a girl of stunning beauty and intense red hair that went down past her shoulders with matching red eyes. She carried a gold colored metal staff and wore a pink sweater.
"I'm your guide…Hwaryun," she said with a bland expression. "I'll guide you from now on."
Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung weren't merely accomplices of Headon. They were part of an organization called FUG that was opposed to the ruling powers of the Tower, and had a vested interest in sponsoring Irregulars to rebel against Zahard's rule.
Because of an immortality contract that Zahard signed with the Guardians of the Tower, only Irregulars were capable of killing Zahard and the Heads of the Ten Families, who were Zahard's companions on their climb up the Tower.
While Zahard's empire tried to get rid of Irregulars, FUG tried to capture them to work for them.
As for these two…they also seemed to have their own individual agendas, separate from that of FUG, to the extent that they assisted Headon in hiding the Irregular status of Rachel from FUG. And I wasn't sure what relationship Headon himself had with FUG.
From my perspective, it was important they also helped me hide my status as an Irregular from both Zahard and FUG. Zahard's people would try to get rid of any Irregulars they found, and I was nowhere near powerful enough to ignore that, unlike the other famous Irregulars of the Tower. Meanwhile, some factions in FUG might try to recruit me by force.
To Rankers who stood so far above Regulars as to be like gods, I was probably no different from the powerless Rachel or Baam in terms of actual power, but it was just less obvious.
They didn't know how powerful I was, as I'd passed Headon's test on my own, and could be hiding immense power for all they knew.
I needed to take advantage of that while I could, and convince Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung that I was somebody they could work with, somebody worth working with.
I had to show it through both my words and actions on this floor, and it was something I'd been doing all along thus far.
I could let this meeting go on without interference, but they'd invited me for a reason, I was sure.
How could they use me? What motivations did I have? What type of person was I? These were the things that must have been on their minds. Baam and Rachel were too easy to manipulate. One had a one-track mind, and both were powerless.
But I too was an Irregular, and less easy to read, given my feats thus far.
While I wasn't sure of their motivations, I knew they were investing for the long haul, and would most likely hedge their bets regarding all three of us Irregulars, so I had a fair chance.
"So that's why Headon only asked me to get you through this floor? You've got a plan for what comes next. But are you sure that's what you want?" I asked Rachel.
"I…made a deal with him," said Rachel, with a little hesitation.
"A deal with a being you called 'evil'? To steal everything from the friend that tried to risk his life to follow after you?"
"I didn't have any other choice! It was the only way to get through the first floor," Rachel said. "Besides, Baam can't climb the Tower! He's only climbing it to find me. There's no point in him going up any further. He's just wasting his time and risking his life meaninglessly! I'm the one that wanted to go up, not him."
Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung seemed to watch us with interest, without any intent to interrupt.
"I'm not judging you for it. I can even understand why you did it. All I want to say is…you shouldn't let Headon's words fool you. I'm not going to stop you from doing what you need to do. I wouldn't consider it wise to back out of a deal with that guy either, considering how powerless you are right now," I said. "I only want you to remember one thing. Look at everyone in this room right now."
I gestured to the Guide and Yu Han Sung.
Rachel looked at them, they seemed mildly confused as to why I was gesturing to them.
"We're all helping you. It doesn't matter why we're helping you. It doesn't matter if it's all because of Headon's influence. It doesn't matter if you're just being used. At the end of the day, you still made the choices that led to this point. You walked the path of your own accord. You saw the opportunity, and you took it. That makes you special, even if you don't think you are."
"You think I'm special?" Her face was one of disbelief. "Me?"
"You are. Headon told you that you weren't worthy, didn't he? That you weren't chosen."
She nodded and eyed me warily. "But how do you know that? You didn't arrive until after."
I said, shrugging, "It's what I would have done, if I were a manipulative evil bastard trying to convince you to agree to a deal, knowing that you're desperate to climb the Tower. I'm rather evil myself, so I know the tricks of the trade."
She gaped at my response. Hwaryun giggled, her emotionless expression finally falling away. Yu Han Sung covered his mouth as if to stop himself from spitting out his coffee.
"The truly evil wouldn't admit to that so easily. The ones who do usually don't last very long," said Hwaryun.
"You know, you're right. That's why I retired from the evil business."
"So you're not so evil after all," said Hwaryun. "Or are you saying that you've turned back from the path?"
"And yet, you're climbing the Tower, aren't you, Mr. Axion? That means you must have a wish," said Yu Han Sung.
"Have you ever heard of the saying, it's not the destination, but the journey that matters?" I asked back.
He nodded. "I have heard something similar before. An interesting sentiment to be sure...it's very unusual to hear that from a Regular, especially so early in their climb. Few can appreciate the journey until they've completed it and can go no further. I suppose Irregulars truly do think differently, hm?"
"Forgive me if I overstep, but I do wonder, Mr. Yu Han Sung, if you have reached the top, did you find what you wanted? Or is Headon scamming us all?"
Yu Han Sung chuckled at my question. "You don't like Mr. Headon very much, do you?"
"I am merely conducting due diligence before investing my time."
"I will humor you then. As the test director of this Floor, I suppose I ought to explain some of the Tower's workings to a newbie like you. In truth, the 'top' that Rankers have reached is not the true top of the Tower. It is simply the highest floor that has been reached, the 134th Floor. Most inhabitants of the Tower believe that Zahard, the King of the Tower, will conquer the next Floor when he decides to move again. Until then, High Rankers can make the attempt, but none have successfully done so."
"So you haven't made the attempt?"
"Oh no, I'm not a High Ranker, hahaha. High Rankers are the best of the best. Gods among gods, you could say. I'm just a little guy making an honest living as a test director," said Yu Han Sung, downplaying himself.
I knew otherwise, but I wasn't about to call him out on it.
"Fair enough. Well, it seems we've gone on a bit of a tangent. As I was saying earlier, you are special, Michelle. If the Tower didn't choose you as Headon claims, then that makes you even more special. After all, who would you rather bet on? Somebody chosen by fate? Or somebody who can challenge fate? What do you think, Guide who can see the paths of fate?" I turned to Hwaryun.
She looked surprised, but then she stared at me as if trying to see through me, perhaps to discern whether my words referred to anything more than general ideas—which they did, because Baam was the one chosen by the Tower, and Rachel was the challenger.
After a few seconds, the Guide answered. "Sorry, I don't know."
"That's fine. That uncertainty already proves my point," I said, then turned back to Rachel. "You might be a mere pawn, Michelle, but pawns have the highest potential of any piece on the board."
"I know that," said Rachel. "I won't always be this weak. One day that might change…but, until then…I have to borrow the strength of others."
"That day may come sooner than you think…but only if you seek your own strength. Well then, I've said my piece. Take it or leave it as you will. The rest is up to you."
Truthfully, I had no idea if that was true. Rachel had astounding Shinsoo resistance just like all the other Irregulars, but I didn't think she was blessed the way Baam was in actually manipulating it.
Nevertheless, it was sound advice I followed for myself. In a world where individuals could be worth more than armies, over the long run, personal power mattered far more than wealth, connections, or influence.
If she could act on that advice, things would get more interesting around here, though it didn't matter much for me either way.
"Seek my own strength...? Thank you for your advice, Mr. Axion," Rachel said with a slight bow.
Feeling that I had sufficiently demonstrated my capabilities in the field of intrigue to Hwaryun and Yu Han Sung, I let the conversation move on.
"Then, I shall explain our strategy," Hwaryun said.
O O O
A/N: I'm still in need of a beta with good knowledge of Tower of God, by the way. So if you want to help, shoot me a PM here or on Discord.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Long time lurker, I felt the need to tell you that I really appreciate how unique your fic is. Your MC is rare, the setting choice of ToG bold, and your writing is well executed. I particularly like your use of multiple perspectives. Thankyou Eiri Fllyn for your one of a kind fic.
31 - Crown Game 1
31 - Crown Game 1
[Kaleidus]
"Where did you guys go?!" Androssi asked loudly, glaring at us once we returned to the waiting area. "Sneaking off like that…" She looked suspiciously between us.
"The test administrator wanted to have a chat with us. That's all. It's nothing like what you're imagining," I said.
"Why don't I believe you?" She said, crossing her arms.
"Hahaha, Miss Androssi, it is true. I simply wanted to speak with your teammates because of some special circumstances they have," Yu Han Sung walked over from behind us.
"Tch, more special treatment?" Androssi said, shaking her head. "Well, as long as it helps me…I won't complain."
"That's a good outlook, princess. Well then, I'll take my leave now. Lero Ro will be here to take you to your next test," said Yu Han Sung before walking away.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Lero Ro came by.
"Hello Regulars. I'm here to offer you a great opportunity. A Bonus Game."
"Huh? Like an optional test?" Androssi asked.
"That's right. Attending it is up to you and there's no penalty for not attending. However, the winner of this game will be awarded the maximum points and instantly earn the right to move to the next Floor," Lero Ro explained.
"Hell yeah. Let's do it!" Androssi said right away.
Rachel and I both gave our assent as well.
Lero Ro clapped his hands. "Then that's settled. Follow me to the arena."
Lero Ro spoke again as they walked. "For the remainder of the tests on this floor, you three are being grouped with the previous cohort that came in. It's unusual, but it's even more unusual for only one team to pass the first test. Did you have something to do with that, princess?"
"I wish! It was this guy here that did it," Androssi pointed at me.
"It seems that this game will be very interesting. Two princesses, and several people who demonstrate an unusual reaction to Shinsoo," said Lero Ro.
"Two princesses? What?!" Androssi asked with a shocked face
"I thought you knew. There is another princess in the group. Having one is already incredible, but two is unheard of."
"For good reason…" Androssi muttered. "What's her name?" She asked aloud with a now suspicious expression.
"Anak Zahard."
Androssi's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "Anak? But she's…huh, whatever. Whoever it is, if she gets in my way, I'll crush her all the same."
We were ushered into a room with a buzzer and a window to a larger cylindrical room. Numerous other rooms like ours were arranged in a circle around the larger room. A huge throne sat in the center of the room, and Lero Ro went to the centre to begin his explanation.
"This is a game to 'steal the crown'. The team who holds the crown at the game's end, wins the game. But the rules are a little complicated. A game consists of five rounds and each round is five minutes long. Only the first five teams to press the buzzer are allowed into the round. The team that possesses the crown at the end of each round progresses to the next round where they compete against four new teams that press the buzzer. The true winner will be the winning team at the end of the fifth round."
"There is also a way to end the round early. That is to sit on the throne wearing the crown before the five minutes are up, ending the round immediately and the team whose member is sitting on the throne becomes the winner of that round."
"However, that person's movement will be restricted. If there was a winning team at the end of a round, that team may keep the crown for the next round, but they will have to stay on the throne, wearing the crown. If they lose the crown or get off the throne, they are eliminated from the game. If another team takes the crown and sits on the throne, that team wins the round."
Suddenly, Lero Ro shouted out. "Correct!" As if he heard somebody commenting on his explanation.
"The winner of the previous round assumes a big risk in the next round. But if you postpone participating because of the risk, you won't even be able to get into the game at the end! There's a lot of rules but ultimately you just have to steal the crown and keep it at the end of the game. Don't overthink it. Oh also, there will be a team from another test cohort participating. It's a long story. You can check the instruction book next to the buzzer too. Now let's start!"
It was a long explanation, but most teams should be able to understand the core dynamics. Everybody would want to be in the last round, and they'd want to give themselves ample time to get the crown. But they couldn't wait too long to start participating, otherwise they'd be unable to get in when everybody pressed the buzzer at the same time.
This was where we'd meet some of the other main cast. And Hwaryun was also participating as a Regular in disguise. With this game, our team would be subtly placed with the other Regulars while Yu Han Sung quietly covered up the results of our cohort, thus hiding my and Rachel's status as Irregulars, all the while convincing Lero Ro and Quant that he had an entirely different objective in mind, working for the Tower's ruling powers.
"So…when should we go in? I think we should probably wait and watch a bit first," said Androssi.
My purpose in the Tower was to nourish the water spirits, grow stronger, and perhaps acquire more useful items. Climbing the Tower would achieve all of that quite naturally, but the results of each test were less important to me.
For now, it would be better to keep things close to the canon storyline, and follow along with Headon's conspiracy, until I saw an opportunity otherwise.
"Agreed," I said to Androssi.
"You guys can decide," said Rachel.
O O O
When the round began, only two teams made their way into the arena.
One team consisted of a short green girl with the tail of a lizard, a brown haired average looking guy in a purple jumpsuit, and a black haired swordsman wearing martial arts robes carrying three swords.
They were Anak Zahard, Ship Leesoo, and Hatsu respectively, and part of the main cast. Anak was a fake Zahard's princess…sort of. She wasn't supposed to be born, but she was quite strong, similar to a real princess, and possessed the Green April, a powerful weapon that was awarded to her mother.
Ship Leesoo was a rather intelligent guy that figured out the door test through deduction. He looked like he was quite frustrated that his teammates pressed the buzzer so early.
And Hatsu was a very skilled swordsman that would gain quite a lot of notoriety as a Regular later on.
The other team, I didn't recognize. I assumed they weren't important characters, so I must've forgotten about them.
"Begin!"
"Leave it to me this time, don't interfere!" Anak said brazenly while stepping forward.
"Alone, you insane?" One of the other team's guys asked.
After some back and forth bantering, one of them decided to go alone against Anak too. He was promptly pushed into a wall and knocked out.
"…"
The other two charged at Anak angrily. She suddenly extended her weapon's hook and easily deflected one of them. The other one punched the back of Anak's head, but she was totally unaffected by the hit.
Then she grabbed his wrist, breaking it, and threw him bodily into the wall. When the last guy tried to attack again, she grabbed his fencing sword by the sharp edge without injury and similarly threw him into the wall.
After a while of getting toyed with, they tried to make a grab for the crown, only to see Anak dash there at extreme speed, hit them all by extending her weapon, and wear the crown.
Leesoo tried to take the crown from Anak, but she refused and sat down on the throne.
The round was called.
O O O
"So that's the fake princess," said Androssi. "What an idiot, sitting on the throne like that. She should've let her weak teammate sit on it instead. But that weapon…"
"You want it?" I asked.
"That's the Green April, if I'm not mistaken. There's no way a princess can get that without becoming a Ranker. How did she get it?"
I shrugged.
"What kind of weapon is it?" Rachel asked.
"It's an ignition weapon. They're like living weapons and the 13 months series are extremely powerful. It's an honor for a princess to receive one," Androssi said.
O O O
For the next round, two teams went in.
I honestly couldn't recognize any of them except the one with a sleeping bag, even though I thought I probably should've. The sleeping bag guy had really good Shinsoo control but was extremely lazy.
One of them was a creature with a featureless face, no mouth or nose or anything except a red eye.
It managed to talk without opening any sort of mouth, and exchanged some pre-battle banter with Hatsu about how nobody uses big swords with high friction on the higher floors as Shinsoo gets thicker, and that this would be one of their last opportunities to compare their swordsmanship.
"I don't think that's true. The Arie family uses swords and I'm pretty sure many of them use swords bigger than those," said Androssi. "They don't seem to be bothered by the Shinsoo on the higher Floors."
"Interesting. Perhaps, their swords are made of a different frictionless material?" I said.
"Hm…like suspendium? I guess that's possible. Making swords out of that would be really expensive though," said Androssi. "Personally, I think they probably use some sort of Shinsoo technique."
Suspendium was the material that allowed the Pocket and various other things in the Tower to float in a Shinsoo environment. Androssi was right that it was very expensive, and generally only used in small quantities. But what other uses it might have or where it came from, I didn't know.
Hatsu completely crushed the team that tried to face him in short order with his three sword style, and did it just in time to help out Leesoo who was about to be defeated by the other team.
Then he noticed the sleeping bag guy.
"I don't like killing, but there's an exception for trash. If you don't want to fight, wake up, and buzz off. Or else, you'll be the first to die."
"What a big softie," Androssi said with a smirk. "He left all those other guys alive. But he's got a cute face."
"I think the sleeping guy is going to surprise us," I said.
"Yeah, he's just pretending to be asleep" Androssi said confidently.
Immediately after her assertion, the sleeping guy got up, hands raised and light gathered in his palms.
"!!!" Hatsu turned around. "Anak, get away! It's Shinsoo!"
A blinding beam of light lanced towards Anak, who dodged upwards. She kept one hand touching the throne while she scaled up the backrest to the top of the massive throne.
During the distraction, the other two members of the team charged towards Anak and engaged in close combat. Leesoo and Hatsu joined the fray soon after.
Then another massive beam of light crashed directly into Anak.
"Damn it!" Leesoo shouted.
While smoke obscured Anak, the Shinsoo controller spoke. "Give us the crown. I can attack you from anywhere."
Anak's voice rang out. "The bait was not for you…" Then her form was revealed, completely unharmed. "You jerk…who do you think you are?"
"Hoh…that was an impressive attack for a Regular," said Androssi. "But it'll take more than that to hurt a princess, even a fake one. Thanks to the powers we received from Zahard, our bodies are as durable as a Ranker's."
"She said something about bait…what is she trying to do?" Rachel asked.
"Ignition!" Anak shouted while holding up the Green April. "I will kill all of you!"
Her weapon suddenly extended and enlarged at a barely visible speed even to my eyes, and she swept it across the arena through where the Shinsoo controller was and all the way into the wall, cratering it.
"Laure! Are you okay!" One of his teammates shouted.
Laure had successfully dodged, but looked concerned.
"You say you can attack from anywhere? Then I can attack everywhere from this throne!" Anak shouted.
Then she did just that, her weapon split apart into numerous segments and seemingly multiplied, attacking everywhere at once while the other team desperately dodged.
After a while, she stopped and looked to her left towards one of the observation rooms.
The other team took the chance to run away, and the round ended with their forfeit.
But instead of returning to her position on the throne's seat, Anak left the throne entirely, and crashed through the window to another team.
I had Agate follow her in agatespace.
O O O
"The hell is she doing?" Androssi asked, not being able to see what was going on. "She's disqualified, right?!"
"It seems that somebody has the Black March, and it resonated with her Green April. She noticed, and now she wants it," I answered.
"The Black March? Another of the 13 month series? But how? Is there another princess here?!"
"No, it's a boy," I said.
"That's even more ridiculous! What is going on here?" Androssi stomped on the ground.
Just when Anak was about to take the Black March by force, Lero Ro interfered. He easily froze her, and forced her to back down.
But then she proposed adding a new rule. Lero Ro seemed to be fighting off a smile as he heard the proposition. What exactly did he have to be so smug or happy about? He wasn't participating in the bet, so what did he have to gain? I wracked my mind and couldn't remember anything about this.
"Hm…looks like they're betting the Green April and Black March," I said.
"You can still hear what's going on over there?" Androssi asked. "So it's not only sight…what a useful ability."
"ROOOARRR!" The voice of Rak Wraithraiser thundered through the arena. One of Baam's current teammates, a very large alligator-like species, almost five meters tall. "OF COUUURSE! THIS GAME IS NOTHING WITHOUT ME! DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"
Quite a prideful character too.
Shortly after, Lero Ro announced the change to the rules, but only to Baam and Anak's teams. "If Baam's team wins the game, the Green April will go to him and Anak can't steal the Black March from him. If his team loses, the Black March goes to Anak. There will be no other changes, so that means Anak's team lost this round and the next round begins without a winning team. Now let's continue, Regulars!"
I relayed this information to Androssi.
When he retreated to his observation area, I heard him mutter to himself. "This crown game will be the best crown game in history."
I frowned at hearing that. He had me thinking he had some devious plan but it turned out he was just getting a lot of entertainment from this bet.
"Tch, so nothing's changed for the rest of us in the game. The bet's just between them. On the other hand, that means there's nothing stopping me from stealing the Black March during the game!" Androssi said with a grin. "Hey. You guys don't mind if we let Baam's team win, do you? Otherwise, if they lose and Anak's team wins the bet, the Ranker might make me hand it over to them when the game ends."
"No problem. It'd be stupid to pass up on such a valuable weapon. Besides, Michelle and I didn't want to move up to the next floor so soon anyways, right?"
"Yes. Even though advancing sounds nice, we can learn a lot staying on this floor. The test administrator told us they'll have tutors for us," said Rachel. "If we skip ahead, we'll miss out on that and be forced to pay for our own training later."
But Rachel gave me a glance to which I returned with a barely perceptible nod. Although we didn't want to advance, we couldn't let Baam's team advance either. So we couldn't let them win the Crown game, despite Androssi's request.
"Tutors? Interesting. So this bonus game is actually a trap for the overeager? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Androssi asked.
"Because it won't matter. Even if we win this game, we can just request to decline the reward. Rather than a real bonus game, this is actually just a front to move us in with the other cohort. They can't run the next test with only three of us because it's a group thing," Rachel explained.
"Oh. Huh, so this is what it's like to have special connections," said Androssi with a smirk. "I like it."
O O O
[Interlude]
Lero Ro's advanced hearing picked up on the conversation between the three Regulars from the other testing district.
'What? I thought Quant said Yu Han Sung wanted to send these three up to the next floor quickly…who could've told them about the tutors for the Position Test? There's no way Quant would do that, so it must be Yu Han Sung…'
He opened his Pocket and looked up the information on the three Regulars. Androssi Zahard, Michelle Light, and Kaleidus Axion. A Zahard princess and two Regulars with no background information from Unknown areas.
Well, the Tower was huge and there were indeed many unknown areas not mapped out by Zahard's empire yet, sometimes there were those who hadn't even heard of Zahard's empire.
If he hadn't seen their unusual abilities during his barrier test, he wouldn't think anything of them.
It was obviously the princess of Zahard that was receiving special treatment. Corruption at its finest. And the princess had complained about his test being unfair…
Now he was starting to get the picture.
An entire group of Regulars massacred, resulting in only a single team passing.
It had obviously been planned. To give the princess two exceptionally powerful teammates while making the process look random, as if it happened naturally.
Lero Ro didn't like it. This way of running the tests…it was contrary to what he had been told. To find the most worthy, when the game was rigged? He resolved to talk to Yu Han Sung after this.
'Why was this even necessary? All the previous princesses dominated their tests easily with their own abilities… Anak was strong, but disappointing compared to Yuri. Although…Androssi calls her a fake, despite the name. What kind of strength will she show? Moreover, why hold this Crown game? They could've simply been grouped with this cohort for the Position Test.'
Not once did he suspect that the information he was seeing had been altered. That in fact, the two Regulars had been Irregulars, and the princess wasn't the one getting special treatment at all.
O O O
A/N: I'm happy to announce that a new ToG beta reader has just joined the team, NS666. And the story continues...in this chapter the battles themselves are essentially canon, so it's mainly a look at MC's team's reactions and thoughts.
[Kaleidus]
"Where did you guys go?!" Androssi asked loudly, glaring at us once we returned to the waiting area. "Sneaking off like that…" She looked suspiciously between us.
"The test administrator wanted to have a chat with us. That's all. It's nothing like what you're imagining," I said.
"Why don't I believe you?" She said, crossing her arms.
"Hahaha, Miss Androssi, it is true. I simply wanted to speak with your teammates because of some special circumstances they have," Yu Han Sung walked over from behind us.
"Tch, more special treatment?" Androssi said, shaking her head. "Well, as long as it helps me…I won't complain."
"That's a good outlook, princess. Well then, I'll take my leave now. Lero Ro will be here to take you to your next test," said Yu Han Sung before walking away.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Lero Ro came by.
"Hello Regulars. I'm here to offer you a great opportunity. A Bonus Game."
"Huh? Like an optional test?" Androssi asked.
"That's right. Attending it is up to you and there's no penalty for not attending. However, the winner of this game will be awarded the maximum points and instantly earn the right to move to the next Floor," Lero Ro explained.
"Hell yeah. Let's do it!" Androssi said right away.
Rachel and I both gave our assent as well.
Lero Ro clapped his hands. "Then that's settled. Follow me to the arena."
Lero Ro spoke again as they walked. "For the remainder of the tests on this floor, you three are being grouped with the previous cohort that came in. It's unusual, but it's even more unusual for only one team to pass the first test. Did you have something to do with that, princess?"
"I wish! It was this guy here that did it," Androssi pointed at me.
"It seems that this game will be very interesting. Two princesses, and several people who demonstrate an unusual reaction to Shinsoo," said Lero Ro.
"Two princesses? What?!" Androssi asked with a shocked face
"I thought you knew. There is another princess in the group. Having one is already incredible, but two is unheard of."
"For good reason…" Androssi muttered. "What's her name?" She asked aloud with a now suspicious expression.
"Anak Zahard."
Androssi's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "Anak? But she's…huh, whatever. Whoever it is, if she gets in my way, I'll crush her all the same."
We were ushered into a room with a buzzer and a window to a larger cylindrical room. Numerous other rooms like ours were arranged in a circle around the larger room. A huge throne sat in the center of the room, and Lero Ro went to the centre to begin his explanation.
"This is a game to 'steal the crown'. The team who holds the crown at the game's end, wins the game. But the rules are a little complicated. A game consists of five rounds and each round is five minutes long. Only the first five teams to press the buzzer are allowed into the round. The team that possesses the crown at the end of each round progresses to the next round where they compete against four new teams that press the buzzer. The true winner will be the winning team at the end of the fifth round."
"There is also a way to end the round early. That is to sit on the throne wearing the crown before the five minutes are up, ending the round immediately and the team whose member is sitting on the throne becomes the winner of that round."
"However, that person's movement will be restricted. If there was a winning team at the end of a round, that team may keep the crown for the next round, but they will have to stay on the throne, wearing the crown. If they lose the crown or get off the throne, they are eliminated from the game. If another team takes the crown and sits on the throne, that team wins the round."
Suddenly, Lero Ro shouted out. "Correct!" As if he heard somebody commenting on his explanation.
"The winner of the previous round assumes a big risk in the next round. But if you postpone participating because of the risk, you won't even be able to get into the game at the end! There's a lot of rules but ultimately you just have to steal the crown and keep it at the end of the game. Don't overthink it. Oh also, there will be a team from another test cohort participating. It's a long story. You can check the instruction book next to the buzzer too. Now let's start!"
It was a long explanation, but most teams should be able to understand the core dynamics. Everybody would want to be in the last round, and they'd want to give themselves ample time to get the crown. But they couldn't wait too long to start participating, otherwise they'd be unable to get in when everybody pressed the buzzer at the same time.
This was where we'd meet some of the other main cast. And Hwaryun was also participating as a Regular in disguise. With this game, our team would be subtly placed with the other Regulars while Yu Han Sung quietly covered up the results of our cohort, thus hiding my and Rachel's status as Irregulars, all the while convincing Lero Ro and Quant that he had an entirely different objective in mind, working for the Tower's ruling powers.
"So…when should we go in? I think we should probably wait and watch a bit first," said Androssi.
My purpose in the Tower was to nourish the water spirits, grow stronger, and perhaps acquire more useful items. Climbing the Tower would achieve all of that quite naturally, but the results of each test were less important to me.
For now, it would be better to keep things close to the canon storyline, and follow along with Headon's conspiracy, until I saw an opportunity otherwise.
"Agreed," I said to Androssi.
"You guys can decide," said Rachel.
O O O
When the round began, only two teams made their way into the arena.
One team consisted of a short green girl with the tail of a lizard, a brown haired average looking guy in a purple jumpsuit, and a black haired swordsman wearing martial arts robes carrying three swords.
They were Anak Zahard, Ship Leesoo, and Hatsu respectively, and part of the main cast. Anak was a fake Zahard's princess…sort of. She wasn't supposed to be born, but she was quite strong, similar to a real princess, and possessed the Green April, a powerful weapon that was awarded to her mother.
Ship Leesoo was a rather intelligent guy that figured out the door test through deduction. He looked like he was quite frustrated that his teammates pressed the buzzer so early.
And Hatsu was a very skilled swordsman that would gain quite a lot of notoriety as a Regular later on.
The other team, I didn't recognize. I assumed they weren't important characters, so I must've forgotten about them.
"Begin!"
"Leave it to me this time, don't interfere!" Anak said brazenly while stepping forward.
"Alone, you insane?" One of the other team's guys asked.
After some back and forth bantering, one of them decided to go alone against Anak too. He was promptly pushed into a wall and knocked out.
"…"
The other two charged at Anak angrily. She suddenly extended her weapon's hook and easily deflected one of them. The other one punched the back of Anak's head, but she was totally unaffected by the hit.
Then she grabbed his wrist, breaking it, and threw him bodily into the wall. When the last guy tried to attack again, she grabbed his fencing sword by the sharp edge without injury and similarly threw him into the wall.
After a while of getting toyed with, they tried to make a grab for the crown, only to see Anak dash there at extreme speed, hit them all by extending her weapon, and wear the crown.
Leesoo tried to take the crown from Anak, but she refused and sat down on the throne.
The round was called.
O O O
"So that's the fake princess," said Androssi. "What an idiot, sitting on the throne like that. She should've let her weak teammate sit on it instead. But that weapon…"
"You want it?" I asked.
"That's the Green April, if I'm not mistaken. There's no way a princess can get that without becoming a Ranker. How did she get it?"
I shrugged.
"What kind of weapon is it?" Rachel asked.
"It's an ignition weapon. They're like living weapons and the 13 months series are extremely powerful. It's an honor for a princess to receive one," Androssi said.
O O O
For the next round, two teams went in.
I honestly couldn't recognize any of them except the one with a sleeping bag, even though I thought I probably should've. The sleeping bag guy had really good Shinsoo control but was extremely lazy.
One of them was a creature with a featureless face, no mouth or nose or anything except a red eye.
It managed to talk without opening any sort of mouth, and exchanged some pre-battle banter with Hatsu about how nobody uses big swords with high friction on the higher floors as Shinsoo gets thicker, and that this would be one of their last opportunities to compare their swordsmanship.
"I don't think that's true. The Arie family uses swords and I'm pretty sure many of them use swords bigger than those," said Androssi. "They don't seem to be bothered by the Shinsoo on the higher Floors."
"Interesting. Perhaps, their swords are made of a different frictionless material?" I said.
"Hm…like suspendium? I guess that's possible. Making swords out of that would be really expensive though," said Androssi. "Personally, I think they probably use some sort of Shinsoo technique."
Suspendium was the material that allowed the Pocket and various other things in the Tower to float in a Shinsoo environment. Androssi was right that it was very expensive, and generally only used in small quantities. But what other uses it might have or where it came from, I didn't know.
Hatsu completely crushed the team that tried to face him in short order with his three sword style, and did it just in time to help out Leesoo who was about to be defeated by the other team.
Then he noticed the sleeping bag guy.
"I don't like killing, but there's an exception for trash. If you don't want to fight, wake up, and buzz off. Or else, you'll be the first to die."
"What a big softie," Androssi said with a smirk. "He left all those other guys alive. But he's got a cute face."
"I think the sleeping guy is going to surprise us," I said.
"Yeah, he's just pretending to be asleep" Androssi said confidently.
Immediately after her assertion, the sleeping guy got up, hands raised and light gathered in his palms.
"!!!" Hatsu turned around. "Anak, get away! It's Shinsoo!"
A blinding beam of light lanced towards Anak, who dodged upwards. She kept one hand touching the throne while she scaled up the backrest to the top of the massive throne.
During the distraction, the other two members of the team charged towards Anak and engaged in close combat. Leesoo and Hatsu joined the fray soon after.
Then another massive beam of light crashed directly into Anak.
"Damn it!" Leesoo shouted.
While smoke obscured Anak, the Shinsoo controller spoke. "Give us the crown. I can attack you from anywhere."
Anak's voice rang out. "The bait was not for you…" Then her form was revealed, completely unharmed. "You jerk…who do you think you are?"
"Hoh…that was an impressive attack for a Regular," said Androssi. "But it'll take more than that to hurt a princess, even a fake one. Thanks to the powers we received from Zahard, our bodies are as durable as a Ranker's."
"She said something about bait…what is she trying to do?" Rachel asked.
"Ignition!" Anak shouted while holding up the Green April. "I will kill all of you!"
Her weapon suddenly extended and enlarged at a barely visible speed even to my eyes, and she swept it across the arena through where the Shinsoo controller was and all the way into the wall, cratering it.
"Laure! Are you okay!" One of his teammates shouted.
Laure had successfully dodged, but looked concerned.
"You say you can attack from anywhere? Then I can attack everywhere from this throne!" Anak shouted.
Then she did just that, her weapon split apart into numerous segments and seemingly multiplied, attacking everywhere at once while the other team desperately dodged.
After a while, she stopped and looked to her left towards one of the observation rooms.
The other team took the chance to run away, and the round ended with their forfeit.
But instead of returning to her position on the throne's seat, Anak left the throne entirely, and crashed through the window to another team.
I had Agate follow her in agatespace.
O O O
"The hell is she doing?" Androssi asked, not being able to see what was going on. "She's disqualified, right?!"
"It seems that somebody has the Black March, and it resonated with her Green April. She noticed, and now she wants it," I answered.
"The Black March? Another of the 13 month series? But how? Is there another princess here?!"
"No, it's a boy," I said.
"That's even more ridiculous! What is going on here?" Androssi stomped on the ground.
Just when Anak was about to take the Black March by force, Lero Ro interfered. He easily froze her, and forced her to back down.
But then she proposed adding a new rule. Lero Ro seemed to be fighting off a smile as he heard the proposition. What exactly did he have to be so smug or happy about? He wasn't participating in the bet, so what did he have to gain? I wracked my mind and couldn't remember anything about this.
"Hm…looks like they're betting the Green April and Black March," I said.
"You can still hear what's going on over there?" Androssi asked. "So it's not only sight…what a useful ability."
"ROOOARRR!" The voice of Rak Wraithraiser thundered through the arena. One of Baam's current teammates, a very large alligator-like species, almost five meters tall. "OF COUUURSE! THIS GAME IS NOTHING WITHOUT ME! DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"
Quite a prideful character too.
Shortly after, Lero Ro announced the change to the rules, but only to Baam and Anak's teams. "If Baam's team wins the game, the Green April will go to him and Anak can't steal the Black March from him. If his team loses, the Black March goes to Anak. There will be no other changes, so that means Anak's team lost this round and the next round begins without a winning team. Now let's continue, Regulars!"
I relayed this information to Androssi.
When he retreated to his observation area, I heard him mutter to himself. "This crown game will be the best crown game in history."
I frowned at hearing that. He had me thinking he had some devious plan but it turned out he was just getting a lot of entertainment from this bet.
"Tch, so nothing's changed for the rest of us in the game. The bet's just between them. On the other hand, that means there's nothing stopping me from stealing the Black March during the game!" Androssi said with a grin. "Hey. You guys don't mind if we let Baam's team win, do you? Otherwise, if they lose and Anak's team wins the bet, the Ranker might make me hand it over to them when the game ends."
"No problem. It'd be stupid to pass up on such a valuable weapon. Besides, Michelle and I didn't want to move up to the next floor so soon anyways, right?"
"Yes. Even though advancing sounds nice, we can learn a lot staying on this floor. The test administrator told us they'll have tutors for us," said Rachel. "If we skip ahead, we'll miss out on that and be forced to pay for our own training later."
But Rachel gave me a glance to which I returned with a barely perceptible nod. Although we didn't want to advance, we couldn't let Baam's team advance either. So we couldn't let them win the Crown game, despite Androssi's request.
"Tutors? Interesting. So this bonus game is actually a trap for the overeager? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Androssi asked.
"Because it won't matter. Even if we win this game, we can just request to decline the reward. Rather than a real bonus game, this is actually just a front to move us in with the other cohort. They can't run the next test with only three of us because it's a group thing," Rachel explained.
"Oh. Huh, so this is what it's like to have special connections," said Androssi with a smirk. "I like it."
O O O
[Interlude]
Lero Ro's advanced hearing picked up on the conversation between the three Regulars from the other testing district.
'What? I thought Quant said Yu Han Sung wanted to send these three up to the next floor quickly…who could've told them about the tutors for the Position Test? There's no way Quant would do that, so it must be Yu Han Sung…'
He opened his Pocket and looked up the information on the three Regulars. Androssi Zahard, Michelle Light, and Kaleidus Axion. A Zahard princess and two Regulars with no background information from Unknown areas.
Well, the Tower was huge and there were indeed many unknown areas not mapped out by Zahard's empire yet, sometimes there were those who hadn't even heard of Zahard's empire.
If he hadn't seen their unusual abilities during his barrier test, he wouldn't think anything of them.
It was obviously the princess of Zahard that was receiving special treatment. Corruption at its finest. And the princess had complained about his test being unfair…
Now he was starting to get the picture.
An entire group of Regulars massacred, resulting in only a single team passing.
It had obviously been planned. To give the princess two exceptionally powerful teammates while making the process look random, as if it happened naturally.
Lero Ro didn't like it. This way of running the tests…it was contrary to what he had been told. To find the most worthy, when the game was rigged? He resolved to talk to Yu Han Sung after this.
'Why was this even necessary? All the previous princesses dominated their tests easily with their own abilities… Anak was strong, but disappointing compared to Yuri. Although…Androssi calls her a fake, despite the name. What kind of strength will she show? Moreover, why hold this Crown game? They could've simply been grouped with this cohort for the Position Test.'
Not once did he suspect that the information he was seeing had been altered. That in fact, the two Regulars had been Irregulars, and the princess wasn't the one getting special treatment at all.
O O O
A/N: I'm happy to announce that a new ToG beta reader has just joined the team, NS666. And the story continues...in this chapter the battles themselves are essentially canon, so it's mainly a look at MC's team's reactions and thoughts.
32 - Crown Game 2
32 - Crown Game 2
[Kaleidus]
Then when Anak's team was walking back to their room, Anak noticed us through the window, or more specifically, Androssi.
Androssi mouthed something to the fake princess, and Anak's expression turned ugly.
Before she could respond to the provocation, Hatsu put a sword to her neck. "Stop. Don't make any more silly moves that will harm our team."
"What team?" Anak said with a scoff before pushing the blade away, blatantly unfazed by its sharp edge, and walking off.
O O O
When the 3rd round started, four teams tried to go in. Everyone was about to rush the crown, but Khun Aguero Agnis, Baam's other teammate, successfully got there first, when the other teams had barely moved.
Then he threw the crown, taunting the other teams to fight for it themselves. Predictably, they didn't take the bait and instead ganged up on Baam's team.
They did an admirable job fighting off all the other teams despite that. Rak with sheer physical prowess, Khun using his special bag "Manbarondenna" that could suck people inside and a switching trick with his knife and long sword. Just when it looked like a few crafty contestants were about to get the drop on Baam, the weak link in their team that didn't know how to fight, he stopped a bunch of attacks with an unconscious use of Shinsoo.
At the end, all the other teams were defeated. One little guy tried to grab the crown when everybody was distracted.
Then it turned out that Khun had cloned the crown with his bag. Finally, Khun gave the real crown to Baam and sat him on the throne.
O O O
"Not bad…that blue-haired one is pretty smart. But that bag of his is almost cheating. He's from the Khun family, huh…that's the largest of the Ten. That boy with the Black March doesn't seem very strong though," Androssi analyzed.
"It would be unwise to underestimate him. You noticed it, didn't you? The way he used Shinsoo instinctively," I said.
"Was that really him? He looks clueless, as if he didn't even know what happened there."
"He's the one…" Rachel said. "That's Baam. The one that's trying to follow me up the Tower."
"You know him?" Androssi asked with a confused expression. "That's…weird. Regulars aren't supposed to be grouped with people they knew before they started climbing. But then…I guess we're with a different group than we started with."
"So, want to go in yet?"
"When we go in…can you guys please try not to hurt Baam too much?" asked Rachel.
"Don't want to hurt your friend? Well, we're going to let his team win anyways, so whatever. Let's go!" Androssi said, back to a cheerful mood and pounded the buzzer.
O O O
The three of us appeared in the arena.
In this round, Khun would go on to explain how he smuggled some Regulars in through the previous tests via his bag and would be calling in a favor to get them to help in this round, then finish quickly.
Rachel's team wasn't supposed to go in this round, but Androssi was all fired up, and I also had a reason for deviating.
In the next round, Hwaryun's team would go in. But then when she fakes an attack on Rachel, Baam would notice and get in the way, while unleashing another instinctual Shinsoo attack. However, that same attack would also blind one of Hwaryun's eyes.
That would be a shame, considering she was a part of our little conspiracy, and my shield against the more hostile factions of FUG. As a Guide, she couldn't see the Irregulars in the paths, so it was up to me to stop her from getting hurt.
So that was why I agreed to enter in this round.
"Begin!"
Androssi burst forth with extreme speed. She might be able to run faster than I could fly with my un-Reinforced wings.
Like this, she destroyed the competition in one devastating swoop with a combination of direct physical combat alongside some kind of remotely controlled pair of bell-like discs.
Khun's smile fell off as he stared at us in shock. His helpers were defeated effortlessly by Androssi. His plan was ruined.
Now it was just us and Baam's team.
"You guys did well, but you're just out of your league against us," said Androssi after finishing up with the other teams. "I'm sorry to say…but your little bet with that fake princess is off. I'll be taking the Black March!"
"What? How did you know about—" Khun was cut off when Androssi flashed in front of him and he barely had time to put up his bag to defend. He tried to open the suction function but Androssi simply smirked and kicked the bag closed again, putting enough force into it to smack the bag into Khun's face.
"Gah!" Khun went flying into a wall.
"Mr. Khun!" Baam shouted after him, worry clear on his face.
Even Rak was wary as he moved closer to Baam, ready to defend.
"Do you know why we got sent to participate with your group?" Androssi asked with a playful smile.
Khun picked himself up painfully. "Damn. So you guys are the ones from the other test district?"
"That's right. In our first test, we eliminated everyone else. We're the only team left, out of 400 Regulars," Androssi announced to the whole arena. "That's why we're here. And just so you know, my kill count was only 107. If you think I'm strong…let me tell you. My teammate, the big guy back there…" she pointed towards me with one thumb, "…he took down the other three hundred in one move!"
Wow, she was really pumping me up. I could hardly live up to the hype, but I suppose she wanted to spook them into giving up. Or perhaps, she was trying to draw attention away from Rachel, as she knew that Rachel wasn't very strong.
"Why are there such monsters on this floor? This is the goddamn Floor of Tests, the beginning!" Khun asked with a weary voice.
"Don't give up, blue turtle! They still need to get past me!" Rak shouted courageously.
I walked towards him calmly, with Rachel trailing behind. The giant alligator stepped backwards as I approached, pointing his spear at me.
"I'm not scared of you! I'm Rak Wraithraiser, you turtles!"
Then he stopped backing away and instead charged towards me.
I really didn't want to demonstrate my actual physical capabilities, which were lower than Androssi's, so an alternative show of force was in order. Since Androssi hyped me up so much, I'd use that fear to my advantage.
Rak the five meter tall alligator man thrust his spear towards me. He was skilled and would become quite powerful later, but fortunately he was much weaker than me at the moment, without having learned how to use Shinsoo yet. In this group of Regulars, only Androssi and Anak could exceed my level of Reinforced strength and speed. Maybe Hatsu could come close, but not Rak, despite his impressive bulk. He could probably outmatch me if I used only the Armoriont without Reinforcement, but once I boosted myself with magecraft, I should have the edge.
So I didn't dodge, instead, I caught the spear.
"Raa!!!" Rak yelled while trying to retrieve his weapon from me.
Then I sent mana into it improperly, Breaking it with Reinforcement.
The spear shattered at the point of contact, pieces falling to the ground.
Rak's eyes widened like saucers as he stammered and backed away quickly, seeing me apparently crush the weapon into pieces with my bare hand. "Ah…a super turtle…!"
"Hah! The Black March is mine!" Androssi shouted as she appeared in front of a surprised Baam.
"No!!" Khun ran to intercept but was outclassed in speed.
"Ah…!" Baam gasped and flinched while holding the Black March out in front of him.
Suddenly an explosion of Shinsoo sent Androssi rocketing away. She flipped around mid-air to land beside us and held her forehead before shaking it off.
"Unghh. That actually hurt…I'm impressed," said Androssi.
"Was that you, miss Black March?" Baam asked aloud, looking at the needle weapon in his hands. "Thank you!"
"Is he really that clueless? Did he seriously just control Shinsoo without even realizing it?" Androssi said with shock.
"He's a natural," I said. "It won't be as easy as it looks to get that weapon off him, especially if he actually ignites it."
Khun and Rak formed a defensive wall in front of Baam but otherwise made no other moves, watching us warily.
"Do you have any ideas? Can't you do whatever you did back in the first test and take them all out?" Androssi asked me with an expectant expression.
"Hm…" In fact, I'd already started releasing the paralytic virus into the air. But it would take a little while for it to infect them and take effect by spreading through the air and skin contact, so I needed to buy some time.
Compared to using a concentrated blast of the gas agent, the virus worked a lot slower. Its advantage was being able to spread by itself, being more customizable with the effects and timing, and being less traceable as it cleared out from the body's system.
I'd already released it on Androssi earlier, so some of it was probably starting to infect Baam and Khun as well, but it had to grow from very low concentrations after the initial infection. Then there was Rak, whose body was of such size that it might need a much more potent dose to have an effect.
"There's still plenty of time left in this round. Why don't we have some fun first? There are some things I'd like to try out," I said, drawing Derflinger slowly.
As we planned beforehand, Derflinger remained silent, so that he could pretend to be like other Ignition weapons that had to be activated.
"The Black March…just how powerful is a weapon from the 13 month series?" I mused aloud, having drawn all attention to the crystalline sword in my hand.
"Fine. Want me to take care of these two?" Androssi offered.
"No, that's fine. All those Regulars from before died too quickly. I need to know how much to hold back if I don't want to accidentally kill someone. These two will also serve as a useful test," I said, playing up the story Androssi had already told.
"Okay then," Androssi said, before standing back with Rachel. She seemed eager to see me in action as well.
"Blue turtle…do you have a plan?" Rak asked Khun. He still held up the broken end of his spear in a defensive stance.
"Of course, I always have a plan," Khun answered confidently. If I didn't know better, I might have thought he was really that confident. But I could tell from the sweat falling from his head that he was unnerved, even if he did have a plan.
"Ignite, Derflinger. Slash Wave Level One," I said, swinging Derflinger diagonally.
Derflinger glowed with light and an arc of energy was sent out crashing into Khun and Rak.
Khun dodged it by bending down, while Rak tried to block with his broken spear. It destroyed the weapon and hit Rak in the chest, making it smoke with light burns. He grunted in pain, but was otherwise fine.
"Huh? That wasn't so strong!" Rak exclaimed, clutching at the wound.
"Don't underestimate him, Rak! He's toying with us," Khun said.
"Good, good. If you were hurt by something of that level, I'd be very disappointed," I said.
"Hahaha…that was the weakest possible setting," said Derflinger. "Wanna guess how many levels there are?"
"Did that sword just talk?" Khun asked.
"Nope," Derflinger answered. "You're just hearing voices in your head. You took a hard fall back there, kid. Should probably get that checked out soon."
"Very funny…" said Khun.
"The weakest setting…?" Rak said quietly as he rubbed his chest.
"Hehe…that's right. That was one-thousandth of my true power!" Derflinger said in a haughty tone.
"First the Black March, then the Green April, and now there's an Ignition weapon that can even talk out loud?" Khun asked with frustration. "What's with all these ultra rare weapons? Is this supposed to be a test for Regulars or Rankers?!"
"Slash Wave Level Three," I said, swinging again.
This time the arc of energy was much larger. Compared to the Slash Beams I used against the White Steel Eel, these Slash Waves were designed to be larger in area but less concentrated. At Level three, it was already wide enough to be half of Rak's height.
Khun managed to dodge again by jumping, but Rak wasn't so lucky. He tried but was too slow and got blown away, crashing into a wall.
When Khun landed, he stumbled awkwardly with a shocked expression, before shaking his arms and hands as if testing them. Looks like the virus was starting to work.
Rak picked himself up from the wrecked rubble with a groan.
"But I dodged…so why…?" Khun talked to himself, then shouted. "Careful guys, something's strange about his attack! There's an invisible part to it!"
"So you figured it out," I said, confirming his false hypothesis while walking towards the throne. "But it's too little, too late.
Baam gulped nervously at my approach.
Khun dashed over but collapsed midway. "Arghh!"
"Now then, Baam, was it? You should ignite that weapon. Otherwise, you might not survive."
"Huh? Wait a minute, Mr. Axion!" Rachel called out. "Please, don't—"
Baam looked towards the cloaked girl in surprise, seemingly recognizing her voice.
I paid them no mind as I swung.
"Beam, Level Four."
The same level of attack that I'd used on the White Steel Eel was unleashed on the boy.
He turned back to me with widened eyes. "Ig-ignite, please!"
Just before my beam hit, the Black March glowed white and crackled like lightning.
A large explosion rocked the arena. Smoke obscured the whole throne.
"Why…?" Rachel looked stunned.
"Relax, your boyfriend's fine," Androssi said, narrowing her eyes at Baam's position. "He actually ignited it…I can hardly believe it. Some random kid just ignited one of the 13 month series."
When the smoke cleared, Baam was revealed to be still standing on the throne, the Black March crackling with energy.
"Haah…hah…" He panted, as if out of breath. Then his eyes closed, and he slumped back, unconscious, but still on the throne. Looks like the virus got to him. Or maybe he somehow exhausted himself igniting the Black March.
"Baam!" Rachel shouted and ran over to check on him.
I also walked over and took the Black March from his hands. Its glow disappeared and it turned back into its base form as a long black needle.
"Hm…I don't suppose you'd be willing to ignite for me?" I spoke to the Black March.
"Ten bucks says it'll just zap you," said Derflinger.
My vision changed, and I saw a blonde girl with very long hair wearing black and red robes.
It was the spirit of the Black March, conversing with me through some sort of mental connection.
She floated around me, taking a close look.
"You're pretty handsome too, but…I liked that boy," she said.
"Sorry about that I have nothing against him, it was just a competition by the rules of the test. Can I convince you to switch sides?"
She floated higher and held her hands out to the side. "Why do you need me? For what do you fight? Gold and jewels? Magical fruits, heavenly beauties? The taste of power and glory? What is it that drives you?"
She probably wanted a heartwarming and romantic answer like Baam's, but that would be an obvious lie. She would find out soon enough, even if I tricked her now, though I suspected she would know if I lied anyways. Things capable of direct telepathy were likely much better at discerning lies using that mental advantage. There was no telling how much information she could glean from my mind.
And in the long run, there was little point in obtaining a weapon or ally that was unreliable at critical moments. Without a means of forcing obedience, a weapon with free will was only valuable to me if it could align with my interests.
So I gave her something close to the truth.
"All of those, and none of those. Wealth, love, and power, these are all things I may want at various times. But those are just goals and checkpoints on a longer journey. What I really want is the thrill of adventure, and the freedom to live however I want, no matter what forces stand in my way."
"You're certainly different...I might have considered it if I had met you first, but I really did like that boy. Sorry."
The vision ended.
Almost no time at all had passed on the outside. I saw Androssi walking over, giving the still struggling Khun a kick to keep him down—"Urhk!"—and coming towards me.
"A gift for you, my lady," I said while presenting the Black March to her with both hands. If the Black March wouldn't work for me, I might as well give it to Androssi to buy goodwill, though I doubted she could ignite it herself. Canonically, the princess that actually owned it, Yuri Zahard, never managed to ignite it, due to the weapon's preference for men.
She smiled widely and took it. "Thank you! I'll treasure it." Then she swung it around a bit to get a feel for it.
"Ignite!"
Obviously, nothing happened. She scowled. "Ignite! Ignite!"
Then she stomped on the ground while shaking the Black March up and down. "You stupid needle, why won't you ignite?! You'll ignite for some random kid but not me?! Don't you recognize who I am?"
"The spirit of the Black March seems to prefer good-looking men," I told her. "She said she liked the boy."
"A loyal weapon, who would've thought?" Derflinger asked.
Androssi growled in frustration. "Whatever. I'll just keep it until it changes its mind. Even if I can't ignite it, it's still one of the most durable weapons in the Tower."
O O O
A/N: Another new beta, kfkhishou, is helping out now, hurray! There's another reason that MC didn't try harder to keep the Black March, if you haven't guessed it already, it'll become clear in a couple more chapters.
[Kaleidus]
Then when Anak's team was walking back to their room, Anak noticed us through the window, or more specifically, Androssi.
Androssi mouthed something to the fake princess, and Anak's expression turned ugly.
Before she could respond to the provocation, Hatsu put a sword to her neck. "Stop. Don't make any more silly moves that will harm our team."
"What team?" Anak said with a scoff before pushing the blade away, blatantly unfazed by its sharp edge, and walking off.
O O O
When the 3rd round started, four teams tried to go in. Everyone was about to rush the crown, but Khun Aguero Agnis, Baam's other teammate, successfully got there first, when the other teams had barely moved.
Then he threw the crown, taunting the other teams to fight for it themselves. Predictably, they didn't take the bait and instead ganged up on Baam's team.
They did an admirable job fighting off all the other teams despite that. Rak with sheer physical prowess, Khun using his special bag "Manbarondenna" that could suck people inside and a switching trick with his knife and long sword. Just when it looked like a few crafty contestants were about to get the drop on Baam, the weak link in their team that didn't know how to fight, he stopped a bunch of attacks with an unconscious use of Shinsoo.
At the end, all the other teams were defeated. One little guy tried to grab the crown when everybody was distracted.
Then it turned out that Khun had cloned the crown with his bag. Finally, Khun gave the real crown to Baam and sat him on the throne.
O O O
"Not bad…that blue-haired one is pretty smart. But that bag of his is almost cheating. He's from the Khun family, huh…that's the largest of the Ten. That boy with the Black March doesn't seem very strong though," Androssi analyzed.
"It would be unwise to underestimate him. You noticed it, didn't you? The way he used Shinsoo instinctively," I said.
"Was that really him? He looks clueless, as if he didn't even know what happened there."
"He's the one…" Rachel said. "That's Baam. The one that's trying to follow me up the Tower."
"You know him?" Androssi asked with a confused expression. "That's…weird. Regulars aren't supposed to be grouped with people they knew before they started climbing. But then…I guess we're with a different group than we started with."
"So, want to go in yet?"
"When we go in…can you guys please try not to hurt Baam too much?" asked Rachel.
"Don't want to hurt your friend? Well, we're going to let his team win anyways, so whatever. Let's go!" Androssi said, back to a cheerful mood and pounded the buzzer.
O O O
The three of us appeared in the arena.
In this round, Khun would go on to explain how he smuggled some Regulars in through the previous tests via his bag and would be calling in a favor to get them to help in this round, then finish quickly.
Rachel's team wasn't supposed to go in this round, but Androssi was all fired up, and I also had a reason for deviating.
In the next round, Hwaryun's team would go in. But then when she fakes an attack on Rachel, Baam would notice and get in the way, while unleashing another instinctual Shinsoo attack. However, that same attack would also blind one of Hwaryun's eyes.
That would be a shame, considering she was a part of our little conspiracy, and my shield against the more hostile factions of FUG. As a Guide, she couldn't see the Irregulars in the paths, so it was up to me to stop her from getting hurt.
So that was why I agreed to enter in this round.
"Begin!"
Androssi burst forth with extreme speed. She might be able to run faster than I could fly with my un-Reinforced wings.
Like this, she destroyed the competition in one devastating swoop with a combination of direct physical combat alongside some kind of remotely controlled pair of bell-like discs.
Khun's smile fell off as he stared at us in shock. His helpers were defeated effortlessly by Androssi. His plan was ruined.
Now it was just us and Baam's team.
"You guys did well, but you're just out of your league against us," said Androssi after finishing up with the other teams. "I'm sorry to say…but your little bet with that fake princess is off. I'll be taking the Black March!"
"What? How did you know about—" Khun was cut off when Androssi flashed in front of him and he barely had time to put up his bag to defend. He tried to open the suction function but Androssi simply smirked and kicked the bag closed again, putting enough force into it to smack the bag into Khun's face.
"Gah!" Khun went flying into a wall.
"Mr. Khun!" Baam shouted after him, worry clear on his face.
Even Rak was wary as he moved closer to Baam, ready to defend.
"Do you know why we got sent to participate with your group?" Androssi asked with a playful smile.
Khun picked himself up painfully. "Damn. So you guys are the ones from the other test district?"
"That's right. In our first test, we eliminated everyone else. We're the only team left, out of 400 Regulars," Androssi announced to the whole arena. "That's why we're here. And just so you know, my kill count was only 107. If you think I'm strong…let me tell you. My teammate, the big guy back there…" she pointed towards me with one thumb, "…he took down the other three hundred in one move!"
Wow, she was really pumping me up. I could hardly live up to the hype, but I suppose she wanted to spook them into giving up. Or perhaps, she was trying to draw attention away from Rachel, as she knew that Rachel wasn't very strong.
"Why are there such monsters on this floor? This is the goddamn Floor of Tests, the beginning!" Khun asked with a weary voice.
"Don't give up, blue turtle! They still need to get past me!" Rak shouted courageously.
I walked towards him calmly, with Rachel trailing behind. The giant alligator stepped backwards as I approached, pointing his spear at me.
"I'm not scared of you! I'm Rak Wraithraiser, you turtles!"
Then he stopped backing away and instead charged towards me.
I really didn't want to demonstrate my actual physical capabilities, which were lower than Androssi's, so an alternative show of force was in order. Since Androssi hyped me up so much, I'd use that fear to my advantage.
Rak the five meter tall alligator man thrust his spear towards me. He was skilled and would become quite powerful later, but fortunately he was much weaker than me at the moment, without having learned how to use Shinsoo yet. In this group of Regulars, only Androssi and Anak could exceed my level of Reinforced strength and speed. Maybe Hatsu could come close, but not Rak, despite his impressive bulk. He could probably outmatch me if I used only the Armoriont without Reinforcement, but once I boosted myself with magecraft, I should have the edge.
So I didn't dodge, instead, I caught the spear.
"Raa!!!" Rak yelled while trying to retrieve his weapon from me.
Then I sent mana into it improperly, Breaking it with Reinforcement.
The spear shattered at the point of contact, pieces falling to the ground.
Rak's eyes widened like saucers as he stammered and backed away quickly, seeing me apparently crush the weapon into pieces with my bare hand. "Ah…a super turtle…!"
"Hah! The Black March is mine!" Androssi shouted as she appeared in front of a surprised Baam.
"No!!" Khun ran to intercept but was outclassed in speed.
"Ah…!" Baam gasped and flinched while holding the Black March out in front of him.
Suddenly an explosion of Shinsoo sent Androssi rocketing away. She flipped around mid-air to land beside us and held her forehead before shaking it off.
"Unghh. That actually hurt…I'm impressed," said Androssi.
"Was that you, miss Black March?" Baam asked aloud, looking at the needle weapon in his hands. "Thank you!"
"Is he really that clueless? Did he seriously just control Shinsoo without even realizing it?" Androssi said with shock.
"He's a natural," I said. "It won't be as easy as it looks to get that weapon off him, especially if he actually ignites it."
Khun and Rak formed a defensive wall in front of Baam but otherwise made no other moves, watching us warily.
"Do you have any ideas? Can't you do whatever you did back in the first test and take them all out?" Androssi asked me with an expectant expression.
"Hm…" In fact, I'd already started releasing the paralytic virus into the air. But it would take a little while for it to infect them and take effect by spreading through the air and skin contact, so I needed to buy some time.
Compared to using a concentrated blast of the gas agent, the virus worked a lot slower. Its advantage was being able to spread by itself, being more customizable with the effects and timing, and being less traceable as it cleared out from the body's system.
I'd already released it on Androssi earlier, so some of it was probably starting to infect Baam and Khun as well, but it had to grow from very low concentrations after the initial infection. Then there was Rak, whose body was of such size that it might need a much more potent dose to have an effect.
"There's still plenty of time left in this round. Why don't we have some fun first? There are some things I'd like to try out," I said, drawing Derflinger slowly.
As we planned beforehand, Derflinger remained silent, so that he could pretend to be like other Ignition weapons that had to be activated.
"The Black March…just how powerful is a weapon from the 13 month series?" I mused aloud, having drawn all attention to the crystalline sword in my hand.
"Fine. Want me to take care of these two?" Androssi offered.
"No, that's fine. All those Regulars from before died too quickly. I need to know how much to hold back if I don't want to accidentally kill someone. These two will also serve as a useful test," I said, playing up the story Androssi had already told.
"Okay then," Androssi said, before standing back with Rachel. She seemed eager to see me in action as well.
"Blue turtle…do you have a plan?" Rak asked Khun. He still held up the broken end of his spear in a defensive stance.
"Of course, I always have a plan," Khun answered confidently. If I didn't know better, I might have thought he was really that confident. But I could tell from the sweat falling from his head that he was unnerved, even if he did have a plan.
"Ignite, Derflinger. Slash Wave Level One," I said, swinging Derflinger diagonally.
Derflinger glowed with light and an arc of energy was sent out crashing into Khun and Rak.
Khun dodged it by bending down, while Rak tried to block with his broken spear. It destroyed the weapon and hit Rak in the chest, making it smoke with light burns. He grunted in pain, but was otherwise fine.
"Huh? That wasn't so strong!" Rak exclaimed, clutching at the wound.
"Don't underestimate him, Rak! He's toying with us," Khun said.
"Good, good. If you were hurt by something of that level, I'd be very disappointed," I said.
"Hahaha…that was the weakest possible setting," said Derflinger. "Wanna guess how many levels there are?"
"Did that sword just talk?" Khun asked.
"Nope," Derflinger answered. "You're just hearing voices in your head. You took a hard fall back there, kid. Should probably get that checked out soon."
"Very funny…" said Khun.
"The weakest setting…?" Rak said quietly as he rubbed his chest.
"Hehe…that's right. That was one-thousandth of my true power!" Derflinger said in a haughty tone.
"First the Black March, then the Green April, and now there's an Ignition weapon that can even talk out loud?" Khun asked with frustration. "What's with all these ultra rare weapons? Is this supposed to be a test for Regulars or Rankers?!"
"Slash Wave Level Three," I said, swinging again.
This time the arc of energy was much larger. Compared to the Slash Beams I used against the White Steel Eel, these Slash Waves were designed to be larger in area but less concentrated. At Level three, it was already wide enough to be half of Rak's height.
Khun managed to dodge again by jumping, but Rak wasn't so lucky. He tried but was too slow and got blown away, crashing into a wall.
When Khun landed, he stumbled awkwardly with a shocked expression, before shaking his arms and hands as if testing them. Looks like the virus was starting to work.
Rak picked himself up from the wrecked rubble with a groan.
"But I dodged…so why…?" Khun talked to himself, then shouted. "Careful guys, something's strange about his attack! There's an invisible part to it!"
"So you figured it out," I said, confirming his false hypothesis while walking towards the throne. "But it's too little, too late.
Baam gulped nervously at my approach.
Khun dashed over but collapsed midway. "Arghh!"
"Now then, Baam, was it? You should ignite that weapon. Otherwise, you might not survive."
"Huh? Wait a minute, Mr. Axion!" Rachel called out. "Please, don't—"
Baam looked towards the cloaked girl in surprise, seemingly recognizing her voice.
I paid them no mind as I swung.
"Beam, Level Four."
The same level of attack that I'd used on the White Steel Eel was unleashed on the boy.
He turned back to me with widened eyes. "Ig-ignite, please!"
Just before my beam hit, the Black March glowed white and crackled like lightning.
A large explosion rocked the arena. Smoke obscured the whole throne.
"Why…?" Rachel looked stunned.
"Relax, your boyfriend's fine," Androssi said, narrowing her eyes at Baam's position. "He actually ignited it…I can hardly believe it. Some random kid just ignited one of the 13 month series."
When the smoke cleared, Baam was revealed to be still standing on the throne, the Black March crackling with energy.
"Haah…hah…" He panted, as if out of breath. Then his eyes closed, and he slumped back, unconscious, but still on the throne. Looks like the virus got to him. Or maybe he somehow exhausted himself igniting the Black March.
"Baam!" Rachel shouted and ran over to check on him.
I also walked over and took the Black March from his hands. Its glow disappeared and it turned back into its base form as a long black needle.
"Hm…I don't suppose you'd be willing to ignite for me?" I spoke to the Black March.
"Ten bucks says it'll just zap you," said Derflinger.
My vision changed, and I saw a blonde girl with very long hair wearing black and red robes.
It was the spirit of the Black March, conversing with me through some sort of mental connection.
She floated around me, taking a close look.
"You're pretty handsome too, but…I liked that boy," she said.
"Sorry about that I have nothing against him, it was just a competition by the rules of the test. Can I convince you to switch sides?"
She floated higher and held her hands out to the side. "Why do you need me? For what do you fight? Gold and jewels? Magical fruits, heavenly beauties? The taste of power and glory? What is it that drives you?"
She probably wanted a heartwarming and romantic answer like Baam's, but that would be an obvious lie. She would find out soon enough, even if I tricked her now, though I suspected she would know if I lied anyways. Things capable of direct telepathy were likely much better at discerning lies using that mental advantage. There was no telling how much information she could glean from my mind.
And in the long run, there was little point in obtaining a weapon or ally that was unreliable at critical moments. Without a means of forcing obedience, a weapon with free will was only valuable to me if it could align with my interests.
So I gave her something close to the truth.
"All of those, and none of those. Wealth, love, and power, these are all things I may want at various times. But those are just goals and checkpoints on a longer journey. What I really want is the thrill of adventure, and the freedom to live however I want, no matter what forces stand in my way."
"You're certainly different...I might have considered it if I had met you first, but I really did like that boy. Sorry."
The vision ended.
Almost no time at all had passed on the outside. I saw Androssi walking over, giving the still struggling Khun a kick to keep him down—"Urhk!"—and coming towards me.
"A gift for you, my lady," I said while presenting the Black March to her with both hands. If the Black March wouldn't work for me, I might as well give it to Androssi to buy goodwill, though I doubted she could ignite it herself. Canonically, the princess that actually owned it, Yuri Zahard, never managed to ignite it, due to the weapon's preference for men.
She smiled widely and took it. "Thank you! I'll treasure it." Then she swung it around a bit to get a feel for it.
"Ignite!"
Obviously, nothing happened. She scowled. "Ignite! Ignite!"
Then she stomped on the ground while shaking the Black March up and down. "You stupid needle, why won't you ignite?! You'll ignite for some random kid but not me?! Don't you recognize who I am?"
"The spirit of the Black March seems to prefer good-looking men," I told her. "She said she liked the boy."
"A loyal weapon, who would've thought?" Derflinger asked.
Androssi growled in frustration. "Whatever. I'll just keep it until it changes its mind. Even if I can't ignite it, it's still one of the most durable weapons in the Tower."
O O O
A/N: Another new beta, kfkhishou, is helping out now, hurray! There's another reason that MC didn't try harder to keep the Black March, if you haven't guessed it already, it'll become clear in a couple more chapters.
- Location
- USA
How is it that Amy doesn't notice this gleeful anticipation? She's in physical contact with him, and absolutely should notice and understand this. And if she does, she'd want to know why he's suddenly feeling gleeful. If she doesn't notice, then her power's useless anyway.
Except that canonically whenever the Entities are explained to a parahuman they continually reset the conversation as they forget what was being discussed. This happens multiple times in canon. There are ways around it, but they aren't easy and take quite a bit of effort. There was zero effort to get around this in the story. It just worked because plot required it to work. You're making things arbitrarily more difficult for your MC to avoid the "quick power-up" problem, yet simultaneously making things arbitrarily easier in violation of canon in order to get a quick power-up. Without any explanation at all. That's pretty lame. Other than that the story's gone fairly well so far, but the two issues I brought up are pretty large flaws.
Amy did notice, but that part was from MC's POV so it wasn't described, besides Amy's outward anger.
If you can cite the passages mention the reset memories, I'll take another look at it, to see under what specific conditions the reset happens.
I didn't have any memory alterations when Kaleidus explains it because in canon Interlude 16.z, Amy wasn't described to have used any particular special methods to avoid a memory reset. She heard Glaistig Uaine speak, touched her, and figured out the rest just like that. Then she just recorded the message with the truth about the shards and the Simurgh was the one that destroyed it. If there was actually an automatic memory erasure mechanism that covered this information, then Dragon would have been affected by it as well, so there would have been no need for the Simurgh to intercept the message. When Saint later restored the unscrambled message in 26.03x, he wasn't affected by any kind of memory reset either.
- Location
- Places
Saint doesn't actually have a shard power, he is just using remnants of teachers power that was granted to him. So if a shard wanted to erase his memory they would need to call upon something like Aisha's power since they aren't literally part of his brain
- Location
- USA
I couldn't find the specific chapters, but did find a discussion about them: r/Parahumans - Why was Tattletale and Contessa treated differently
EDIT: It's Interlude 26. I tried searching for specific names like Aiden, Lisa, Tattletale, etc. but found nothing except in the comments. But there's a scene close to the end of the chapter where Charlotte tries to get Tattletale to pay attention to Aiden's picture of his trigger event and she keeps forgetting what's going on.
Last edited:
My personal interpretation of this when I wrote this story, based on the other canon evidence I cited above, is that only the trigger vision itself is subject to memory resets, not discussions about the shards/entities/sources of power. I think that any broader memory erasure is likely fanon stemming from the Amelia fanfic story. There's another part in Interlude 26 where the entities have to actively be involved in erasing memories, instead of it being automatic, in their simulations of the future. I think that without the Thinker around, and the Warrior not really paying attention, their auto-erase mechanism only applies to very specific things. That makes sense to me intuitively because it would be difficult for them to define the scope of what topics are covered, without making it extremely obvious to parahuman researchers that throw out all sorts of theories (because capes would suddenly start being forgetful around quack theories about aliens).
- Location
- USA
The fact that you didn't read Worm is really coming through loud and clear. The Madison portal (or at least one if there were multiple) went to the highly populated Earth Aleph, which is where the Travelers came from. You also didn't mention them among Coil's assets, which is reasonable since it's unclear exactly when he got them, but it's within a week or two in either direction so it should be something the MC takes into account.
No, it doesn't. Her power operated at significant levels for an Endbringer fight. There's no evidence anywhere that she's limited to 5 minutes per day and quite a bit that she's not.
Other than this inexplicable nerf, you massively overpowered her in the Coil interlude, as this bit from the wiki should explain: It should be noted that although Lisa's ability allows her to extrapolate information, she finds extrapolating information about people very difficult. At one point she tells Skitter: "Reading people with my power is hard, reading into their motivations or emotions is harder"
It's very common for fanfic writers to drastically misuse Lisa, especially if they only know Worm via other fanfic writers who made the same mistake. It's like a game of telephone where the farther one gets from the source the worse the fidelity.
Last edited:
So Tower of God a world where everyone just drops after like 20 chapters or less and its a really good world where you can get pretty OP but shinsoo doesn't work outside the tower right? Someone needs to explain i stopped reading ToG more than a year ago during some ARC where there was a red headed rose lady that was as good as shinsoo control as Baam with like 2 needles or 1?
Urek Mazino, an absurdly OP guy, the strongest Ranker in the Tower, was rendered relatively helpless the moment he lost access/control of Shinsoo.
It's not that Shinsoo doesn't work outside the Tower but that it doesn't exist. Although maybe this could be solved by transforming prana into Shinsoo somehow.
The Rose girl (Dowon) is a High Ranker so it's not surprising she was stronger than Baam.
That's not really true Urek was still insanely strong physically (probably stronger than Alexandria, at least in strength) and he'd have survived against the Red Tryssha's attack without any problem, but the regulars and Baam would have died.
Also, I feel this argument is a bit unfair because you can basically apply it to anything, like: "Eidolon, an absurdly OP guy, the strongest human in Earth Beth would be rendered helpless the moment he loses access to his powers/Shard."
It's the opposite, though? It's an extremely valid and on-point argument to make.
What's one of Kaleidus' habits?
Traveling between realms/planes/worlds.
What happens if he leaves the Tower, which he's absolutely going to do?
He loses access to all Shinsoo-derived skills and abilities.
The Spirits in the Water Stone might be willing to throw him a bone, though. Its been made clear Kaleidus lacks the usual Irregular-affinity to Shinsoo, so chances are they'll be part of the soultion to his troubles on that front.
- Location
- USA
Pretty sure that's fanon.
That's absolutely fanon. No Fortress Construction in Worm.
That's not how it works. They blow up capes exposed too long. That's why they get those explosive bracelets. I suppose that could be a new innovation by the time Taylor fights Ziz, but that seems unlikely.
Why does the copy have the same triggered power as the original when they're different people? If it were as easy as copying code or biology, then Amy could make capes wholesale.
They lost Cricket. I know she sucks, but she's still one of their capes.
Why? All of Faultline's business is outside of Brockton Bay. She never takes contracts where she lives unless the city itself is under threat, as in Bakuda's case.
You don't even need the public support. Just the power. See: Lung, Hookwolf, and all the other big threats that "somehow" lack kill orders despite huge body counts.
That's not how Dinah's powers work. They're not always-on like Contessa's paths. She has to explicitly ask a question, and all she gets is a number.
And that's not how Contessa's powers work. She has to explicitly ask for a thing she wants, and gets steps to achieve that path, NOT visions or free information.
I like this story, and the technical quality is high, but there are several WTF moments when reading it. You really should've read the canon story rather than basing everything on fanfiction and wiki pages, because you have so far gotten every single one of Thinkers badly wrong throughout the story. Interludes 5b and 5c are particularly rife with this, and thus by far the worst chapters to that point. Thinker-wank really annoys me because it's basically just handing out deus-ex-machina power-ups ex nihilo for the sake of shortcutting plot and/or worldbuilding.
Last edited: