Tower Of God: Life As Hoaqin

"Ugh…"

My head was pounding violently.

Where the hell did we end up?

"…Maschenny?"

I called out to her, but only silence answered.

"Family Head? Lord Eduan?"

Still nothing.

No response meant one thing—there was no one around me.

Did something go wrong during the transfer?

"…I seriously can't even guess where this is."

No matter where I looked, the space was pitch-black, as if everything had been painted in darkness. Not a single ray of light entered this place—yet my own body was clearly visible, as though it were glowing on its own.

Thankfully, I could still use shinsu.

If I lifted my shinsu origin high and spread light—

Flash—

"…Still black?"

Something was wrong.

At this point, it wasn't that the surroundings were dark—this space itself was made this way.

There was no way this was the Bedroom.

No way it was the Peaceful Mountain either.

No hidden stage I knew of should look like this.

Then I started thinking through the original story's stages.

Not the Golden Dome.

Not the Frozen Land.

None of the others…

Wait.

There was one.

The place where Wangnan obtained that mysterious sword.

A stage shrouded entirely in darkness.

Its name was—

The Cradle of the King.

As if to hammer the realization home, a boy's voice came from behind me.

"Hey."

Not high, not low—a calm mid-range voice.

Yet it carried an overwhelming presence, a weight that made resistance feel meaningless.

Though the difference in raw power wasn't vastly greater than Eduan's, Hon's, or Yurin's data, the rank of existence felt fundamentally different.

On the Hidden Floor, there was only one being who fit that description.

The moment I turned around, suspicion became certainty.

A blond boy floated in the air, looking down at me—wearing a red cape, an eyepatch with three crimson eyes, and the attire of an adventurer.

The first—and greatest—adventurer of the Tower.

"…Lord Zahard."

"Oh? You recognize me?"

"You're famous."

Apparently unsatisfied with my answer, Zahard's data tilted his head.

So Zahard's data was here after all.

Which meant he was the one who brought me here.

But why only me?

Where were Maschenny, Hon, and Eduan?

Did he intervene midway through the stage transfer?

"Where are my companions?"

"Hon and Eduan were sent to the Bedroom—the one Eduan selected. As for the Zahard Princess on your team, I have her with me."

"…But what's with that insolent look?"

Zahard manipulated shinsu, slowly forming oppressive pressure—as if such an attitude in front of him was unacceptable.

An insolent look?

I'd only been staring at him.

…Did my gaze change without me realizing it?

I was irritated, sure.

I didn't care that he dragged me here, but why involve Maschenny?

When I waved my hand, the crushing shinsu pressure vanished as if it had never existed.

I'd overridden it with my own control.

Honestly, it was ridiculous—he was the one who should be angry, yet he was the one posturing.

"Do I look that easy to deal with?"

"…What?"

"Everyone seems desperate to lay a hand on my friend."

Hoaquin-Style Shinsu Control Art: Judgment Sword — Guillotine

Like an executioner's blade falling upon a condemned prisoner, a colossal shinsu sword dropped at terrifying speed, aiming straight for Zahard's neck.

A single Judgment Sword—several times larger than a normal giant shinsu blade.

Zahard looked up and raised one hand, palm open.

BOOM—

The blade was stopped—by his bare hand.

Holding it back with one hand, he calmly looked down at me.

But he shouldn't have time to relax.

If one isn't enough—add another.

A second Judgment Sword fell from the exact same coordinates.

Zahard's expression changed instantly.

"Impressive… but still li—gh?!"

Hoaquin-Style Shinsu Control Art: Judgment Sword — Guillotine

"If it's light," I said coldly, "then I'll make it heavy."

The second blade.

Even Zahard couldn't ignore this one—he cut himself off mid-sentence to focus on blocking it.

Still not enough?

Then let's add one more.

Hoaquin-Style Shinsu Control Art: Judgment Sword — Guillotine

A third blade descended, targeting the King's neck.

Zahard brought up his other hand—but it wasn't enough.

If adding one hand would've worked, I wouldn't have bothered.

Finally abandoning defense, Zahard deployed a countermeasure.

Beside him, a massive golden sphere began to form.

Zahard-Style Shinsu Control Art — Golden Bullet

The golden sphere exploded upward with overwhelming force, destroying the falling Judgment Swords.

This was my opening.

I drew Baekya, gathered shinsu into my feet, and launched myself forward.

The distance between us vanished in an instant.

As Zahard's golden bullet finished destroying the blades, my sword swung—aiming straight for his neck.

Zahard hastily drew up shinsu to respond.

Though his face was hidden behind the red tri-eyed eyepatch, I could feel his gaze locking onto mine.

He swung a reinforced fist toward me—likely meant to knock Baekya aside.

Too direct.

It wouldn't even reach my blade.

My swordsmanship was the perfected form, infused with shinsu origin.

Within a dominion space, the impossible becomes possible—even surpassing the limits of a sword with a sword.

His straight punch came at me.

I deflected it with Baekya—and counterattacked in the same motion.

My blade rode up his arm, coiling like a serpent, and slashed across his face.

He pulled back just in time, preventing a deep cut—

—but I'd struck exactly what I intended to.

"Shinsu origin… just what are you?"

Thud.

The red tri-eyed eyepatch, severed by my blade, fell to the ground.

Golden eyes were revealed.

Staring into them directly, I felt something unfathomably vast.

So this is what it was.

No wonder Bam couldn't grasp it back then.

Just facing him made my entire body tense.

"Release my friend."

"That is not for you to decide."

"…Hah."

A sigh escaped me.

Zahard's eyebrow twitched slightly—but I didn't care.

"You don't seem to understand. My companions and I are Regulars here to register our data. If things go south, we can just die. Death only kicks us out of the Hidden Floor."

Threatening us with our lives doesn't work here.

Zahard smiled—baring sharp fangs.

An ominous feeling crept up my spine.

"You're correct. Under normal circumstances."

"…What?"

"I am the ruler of the Hidden Floor. Truly killing visitors is not difficult for me. I reign above all—both outside the Tower, and here."

Zahard casually walked toward me.

Every instinct screamed to cut him down—but I restrained myself, forcing patience as he approached.

"You've complicated things. Since you caused it, you'll clean it up. Do that—and I'll release your friend."

"…."

What a pathetic ploy.

The Ten Family Heads' data were supposed to vanish—except for Khun Eduan.

Yet some had already left, while others—starting with Hon and Yurin—were choosing not to enter the mirror.

I didn't know why.

But the root cause was obvious.

The only difference between the original story and now was me.

"So you want me to deal with them?"

"Either send them back into the mirror—or kill them. The choice is yours. Of course, you may also refuse… but you'll bear the consequences."

My expression stayed casual, but my patience was gone.

I could feel blood vessels bulging throughout my body.

To him, I was nothing more than a convenient tool.

The surrounding shinsu trembled, responding to my emotions.

Zahard waited calmly, unfazed by the violent shinsu and killing intent pouring off me.

"For a king… you're incredibly cowardly."

"A ruler must shoulder even the filthiest tasks for the greater good. Even hostage-taking—boring and cowardly as it may be."

That was the last straw.

As I reached for Baekya again, Zahard pulled out his pocket.

A screen appeared.

Maschenny—imprisoned somewhere.

Hwarang—talking with two others.

Luf—crouched alone.

"Not just the Khun girl. The Yeon child. The Tu Perie child. They're all in my grasp. With a thought, I can decide their fates."

"So—what's your answer?"

"I—"

At that moment—

A small crack formed in the black space.

CRACK.

"…?"

It grew wider.

A familiar presence began to leak through.

CRRRACK—

Lightning and silver shinsu tore through the crack, ripping the darkness apart.

Then—

KRAAAASH—!

A spear of lightning blasted through the Cradle of the King, carving a massive hole.

"…Tch!"

Zahard leapt back, summoning a massive golden needle and throwing it.

Lightning spear and golden needle collided, canceling each other out.

Blue and gold light flooded the space.

Then—a massive silver slash split the light in half.

The attack surged toward Zahard, faster than his retreat.

His hand moved to the needle at his waist.

With a swing, a divine sea creature manifested, intercepting the slash.

"Eduan. And Hon. I didn't expect you so soon."

Zahard raised his shinsu, entering a combat stance.

Golden aura radiated from him.

From the crack emerged two figures.

One wrapped in lightning.

The other radiating silver shinsu.

Hon adjusted his grip on his sword, pointing it at Zahard.

"I didn't realize our great king had a hobby of laying hands on other people's children."

"…."

CRACK—

More than ten lightning spears hovered above Eduan's head, crackling violently—each aimed at Zahard.

"Hey. Fake."

Give me back my daughter.