Tower Of God: Life As Hoaqin

—Hey, kid.

—I told you, I'm not a kid!

—Alright, Enne. Don't you ever wonder about your mother and father… what they were like when they were young?

—Huh? Why are you suddenly bringing that up…?

—You wouldn't understand. I'll just say this much. If

you want to see the childhood of the Flower Shrimp and the Noble Wave, go to the Hell Train. There's something your parents left behind there.

—The Hell Train? And after that?

—When you reach the very end of the Hell Train, I'll guide you.

—But you're right here, Oppa.

—Haha. You'll understand once you get there.

—

"…Hmm… is this really the place?"

A beautiful girl with distinctive crimson hair tilted her head in confusion.

The Regulars gathered there couldn't help but marvel at her beauty—but sensing the terrifying flow of shinsu radiating from her, none dared approach. And so, undisturbed, Enne stared intently at her Pocket map.

Train City.

It was fairly large, sure—but compared to the floating fortress she'd grown up in, it felt pitifully small.

A train departing from a place like this was bound to be boring.

Could her parents really be here, in such a shabby place?

Don't tell me Hoaquin oppa lied to me…? No, no, that can't be right.

Back when she was still very young, she'd wandered the 89th Floor in disguise to hide her identity—and there, she'd met someone entirely unexpected.

A beautiful blue-haired girl, and beside her, a boy who was both handsome and pretty.

She'd seen plenty of good-looking people before—but that boy was different.

He felt fundamentally unlike the residents of the Tower.

Just like her parents.

Driven by curiosity, she'd slipped away and approached him—and sure enough, he was no ordinary person.

Didn't he speak as if he knew her parents?

Thinking back, that oppa was an Arie… and honestly, there were too many strange things about him. He was definitely not normal.

He'd looked burdened somehow—but then suddenly laughed loudly, and said it was a reward of sorts, telling her all that.

But why did he laugh?

Was she funny to him?

Thinking that way made her feel a little sulky.

No—anyway!

He didn't seem like the type to lie just for fun.

Which meant… there really had to be something on the Hell Train.

—The train will arrive shortly.

"I guess I'll know once I board."

He'd definitely said that once she got on the train, he'd guide her.

By now, he should've become a Ranker—but how was he planning to do that?

Still, strangely enough, his words hadn't felt like a lie.

So… she'd just have to trust him.

"Haah… I hadn't planned on riding the Hell Train in the first place."

For someone like her, climbing the Tower directly would be far faster than taking the Hell Train.

And yet she boarded it anyway—because what she'd heard from him was impossible to ignore.

—If you want to see the childhood of the Flower Shrimp and the Noble Wave, ride the Hell Train.

That's exactly how he'd said it.

Her parents' childhood?

She didn't know if it was even possible—but it was definitely worth trying.

If it turned out to be a lie, once she became a Ranker, she'd hunt him down and fold him in half at the waist.

And so, she spent a peaceful—if boring—time on the Hell Train.

Others called it hell, but to her, it was just tedious days passing by.

A year went by like that, and the Hell Train was finally approaching its final station.

—

"…Hoaquin oppa, I hate you…"

Lying was one thing—but lying about something like this?

Parents' childhood, my foot.

He said he'd guide her, and yet never showed his face.

That shameless con artist.

To be fair, Hoaquin had definitely said "the end of the Hell Train"—but in young Eurasia Enne Zahard's memory, only the words "Hell Train" remained.

A small mix-up in memory had led to a misunderstanding—and Hoaquin was the unfair victim of it.

In any case, as the Hell Train headed toward its final stop, Enne Zahard was already plotting how to track Hoaquin down and teach him a lesson for insulting a Princess.

That was when she heard something entirely unexpected.

"…The Hidden Floor?"

According to the conductor, Regulars who cleared the Hell Train from start to finish could register their data in a place called the Hidden Floor.

"Yes, that's correct, Princess. Would you like to register?"

The conductor bowed repeatedly as he carefully asked.

Enne crossed her arms and thought for a moment.

When she first boarded the Hell Train, she'd waited patiently for Hoaquin.

Didn't he say he'd come guide her?

But after a week, tired of waiting, Enne Zahard had given up and decided to search for her parents' childhood herself.

She'd scoured the entire Hell Train—but found nothing.

Six months passed.

At that point, she'd completely written Hoaquin's words off as a lie.

The Hell Train was slow. And unbearably boring.

The only reason she'd endured it was because of Hoaquin—and now this betrayal?

Once she became a Ranker, she'd beat him senseless.

—or so she'd thought.

Wait… was this what he meant?

The Hidden Floor was a world where the data of those who cleared the Hell Train lived.

And the Hell Train itself was a system originally designed for Zahard and the Ten Family Heads.

Which meant—the first ones to clear it were…

Their D-Rank Regular versions?!

Thanks to the sharp mind she'd inherited from Gustang, she reached that conclusion in an instant. Her eyes lit up.

Hope surged inside her.

"There's a chance!"

The conductor flinched at her sudden shout.

"Y-Yes?"

Ignoring him entirely, Enne continued thinking.

As her imagination kicked into overdrive, an old memory ignited it further.

About three months into roaming the Hell Train, she'd met a being who claimed to be a God of the Guardians.

She'd casually complained and mentioned Hoaquin oppa's name—and was surprised when the God of the Guardians recognized it.

—Really? Hoaquin oppa was already that strong back then?

—Yes. You're quite strong yourself, having inherited talent from your parents—but even when I first met him, Hoaquin was stronger than you. By the time he left the Hell Train, he was stronger than even me.

By Enne's estimation, the God of the Guardians was at least Ranker-level.

Stronger than a Ranker during D-Rank?

That had never happened before.

She knew he was impressive—but not that much.

—Anyway, he's not the type to joke around like that, even if he's not always honest. Why not stay on the train a little longer?

—…Okay. I will.

Persuaded by the God of the Guardians, she stayed on the train and eventually reached the end.

She'd been patient at first—but by the time she passed the 43rd Floor and headed toward the 44th, she'd hit her limit and was convinced she'd been scammed.

And yet—there was the Hidden Floor.

Now she was certain.

The Hidden Floor was definitely the place Hoaquin had meant.

Her parents' D-Rank Regular-era data had to be there.

Maybe other Family Heads too? And Father—Zahard himself?

Once a girl's curiosity went into overdrive, nothing could stop it.

"I'm going. To the Hidden Floor. Where is it? Guide me—I'll register my data."

"Y-Yes, understood. I'll teleport you there immediately."

In an instant, the conductor and Enne vanished—and what caught Enne's eye first was a massive door standing proudly before her.

This was the gateway to the Hidden Floor, where data could be registered.

"Place your hand here, and entry will be granted automatically."

"Alright."

Without hesitation, she placed her hand on the door.

The moment her palm touched the cold surface, a strange excitement surged through her—anticipation, curiosity, joy bubbling up.

What kind of place was the Hidden Floor?

Were her parents really there?

Other Family Heads too?

Was Hoaquin oppa here as well?

Kugugugung—

"Oh—"

Fwoosh—

As her authentication completed, the gate burst open in light.

The glow swallowed Enne, then faded in an instant.

The massive door slowly closed behind her.

Thud.

—

The Bard's Village

In a place filled with bards playing beautiful melodies and singing, two boys were enjoying the atmosphere.

"Just a bit more—just a bit more… stop!"

Fwoosh—

The blue flames flared stronger and stronger—then instantly died down when one boy signaled the flame's owner.

"Luf, do you really need to worry about controlling the fire that much?"

"What are you talking about, Hwarang hyung? Fire control is one of the most important parts. The tea's ready—hand me the cups."

Unlike Hoaquin and Maschenny, Luf and Hwarang hadn't remained in the Hidden Stage where the Ten Family Heads resided.

Instead, they were living in a village where the data of ordinary Regulars gathered.

After all, the Hidden Stage was a place you could visit anytime if you wanted to.

Hwarang wandered around the Hidden Floor freely, but Luf had settled down in one place and was spending his time there—to the point of even opening a quaint, old-fashioned café like this.

Hwarang took a sip of the tea Luf had brewed using his flames, and his eyes widened.

"…Wow. You could honestly work as a barista."

"I am a barista. And what does tea have to do with being a barista, anyway?"

"If you're good at making drinks, you're a barista. Makes sense. When you suddenly said you were going to open a café here, I wondered what you were thinking—but turns out you had a plan all along?"

"Hahaha…"

Luf's face flushed slightly in embarrassment, but Hwarang was being sincere.

It really was delicious—better than the black tea Yeon Hana had brewed for him before.

Luf had only made tea because Hwarang liked it, choosing it over coffee—but if this was how good the tea was, how amazing would his actual specialty, coffee, be?

Maybe he'll end up doing this outside too, Hwarang thought.

Watching Luf—well, his data, to be precise—looking happier than ever made Hwarang smile as well.

As Hwarang quietly savored the tea, Luf suddenly threw a blunt question at him.

"But what about you, Hwarang hyung? Don't you have any plans?"

"…Cough, cough! That's a bit of a grim thing to ask out of nowhere…"

"You're not living where Hoaquin hyung or Maschenny noona are. You're just wandering around all the time, aren't you?"

Hwarang paused, thought about Hoaquin and Maschenny, then slightly scrunched up his face.

"Forget it. I don't want to watch those two being all lovey-dovey. Seriously, just because you're data doesn't mean you can go that far."

"Hahaha, are you jealous?"

"I don't know—jealous might not be the right word. I should probably be congratulating them instead. Still, just watching makes me want to grab a spear and stab something."

Just then, the shop's door opened, and a bell rang.

Ding—

"Excuse me."

At the girl's voice, Luf and Hwarang glanced over.

Long crimson-tinted hair cascading down her back, elegant clothing, an unmistakable shinsu presence—and above all…

The symbol of the red three-eyed crest.

Roughly guessing who she was, Luf stood up from his seat.

"Welcome. This is already the second time a Princess of Zahard has visited my shop. What can I get for you?"

At Luf's polite greeting, she smiled faintly and answered.

"I'm looking for someone."

She then pointed to a photograph hanging on the wall.

"That person."

Following her finger, both of their expressions subtly changed.

It was a photo taken earlier with friends, all of them together.

And among the people in that picture—

the girl was pointing precisely at Hoaquin.