Tower Of God: Life As Hoaqin

"Did our youngest really look like this? He was so pale before, I couldn't even tell."

"Oh my, look at these squishy cheeks. He's totally a baby. Hayang, you're absolutely adorable."

My cheeks were being pulled hard to both sides. Ah! That hurts. What is this? What is even happening right now?

"I'b nod Hayan though (I'm not Hayang)."

"Hehe, what is he saying? He's so cute."

"Stop teasing the kid. As his older sister, you should set an example."

Meeting Black March noona was fine. It was an unexpected surprise, and somehow I felt glad to see her.

That was before the other twelve (complete strangers in life) older brothers and sisters showed up.

All thirteen of them were floating around me noisily, each saying whatever they wanted, pulling my cheeks like this, causing chaos. At this rate, there won't be any cheeks left for Maschenny.

And why is my nickname suddenly "Hayang"?

"Should we call you baby instead? That might fit your age better."

"I'm not a baby…!"

"Really? How old are you then?"

Having lived quite a while, I answered with some confidence.

"178 years old."

"...…Pfft."

The gathering of the Thirteen Months instantly turned into a sea of laughter.

I hadn't said anything funny. Just stated my age.

Then I thought about it again—what I said was basically showing off wrinkles in front of a silkworm.

Ah, this is driving me crazy.

While I scratched my head awkwardly, their laughter wouldn't stop. The older brothers didn't seem very interested in saving me either…

"Hahaha! He's not just the youngest—he's a late-born baby!"

"...…."

After teasing me to their heart's content, the noonas surrounded me again—pulling my cheeks, chatting, repeating the same chaos.

This will never end like this.

"Um, hyung-nunas?"

"Why?"

"Well, the reason I came here is…"

Thankfully, I caught them at a good moment and they all listened carefully.

Seizing the opportunity, I decided to explain everything—my current condition, the weapon called Baekya, the fusion with Baekya, and how I ended up here. I hoped to get at least some help.

"...Anyway, Edwaru said I have to fuse with it. Does anyone know how?"

"Hm… It may be Uncle Edwaru's creation, but unlike us, it doesn't contain a sufficient ratio of 'keys' mixed in… That's why its presence felt so faint. Since the main material was lacking, the artificial soul couldn't help but be incomplete."

The siblings who had seemed playful and unserious were now unexpectedly serious.

Then, for some reason, Black March raised her hand high.

"March, what do you mean?"

"It means I'm willing to help our youngest. I'm in favor of helping him."

"Hey! Didn't you all say he's handsome and cute? So are we helping or not?!"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll help. Of course we will. It's our youngest's request."

"…Haha, thank you, everyone."

The agreement came surprisingly smoothly. Maybe they just figured there was no harm in helping.

"Aren't you all taking this too lightly?"

"…..?"

Not everyone looked relaxed.

I turned toward the voice and saw a woman floating crookedly in the air—she looked intimidating at first glance.

"So, youngest, I didn't get a proper look at you earlier because too many were crowding you. I'm Yellow May."

"Ah! Please take care of me from now on."

Yellow May. That meant she was definitely one of the Thirteen Months that Maschenny would later receive. No harm in making a good impression now, right?

They say weapons resemble their masters. That seemed true.

While I was staring at her, March interrupted.

"What do you mean it's not easy, May?"

"Did everyone forget? Before the youngest, there was another uninvited woman who barged into us."

Everyone's expression stiffened. Mine too.

Because I had a feeling I knew who she meant.

"The soul of the first Zahard Princess candidate."

"The soul of the first Zahard Princess candidate, right?"

Just as I thought. March's words overlapped with my own thoughts.

One of the Thirteen came up to me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and began explaining. I already knew all this, but I listened carefully in case something new came up.

"You came from outside, so you probably don't get it. When the first Zahard Princess was being selected, one girl failed and entered into a kind of cursed contract with Zahard. Long story short, she's basically an evil spirit now—and her personality is completely insane."

"I see."

"…? You're not surprised?"

At my bland reaction, she tilted her head. I quickly realized my mistake and added some seasoning.

"…Well, yes. I guess I'm a little surprised."

"…You don't look surprised at all."

"Haha, of course I am."

Before I knew it, we were all sitting in a circle, brainstorming.

Curious how it looked, I stood up quietly and glanced down at them. Thirteen tall siblings sitting in a circle with their heads together—it was oddly cute.

The one who introduced herself as Silver January clapped her hands.

"Okay, focus. So, we need to help the youngest fuse with that pale ghost-shell thing called Baekya, and at the same time we can't let that crazy woman find out, right?"

May suggested something.

"Or we split up. Six of us find the ghost shell, and the other seven go directly to that woman and strike first."

"Do you even know where she is? And what if we split up and she ends up going to the youngest? That'd be worse."

"Tch, you're so picky."

After some debate, we decided to move together.

All we needed was Baekya's artificial soul—the ghost. Once we found it, we could shove it into me somehow—eat it, wear it, pour it in—whatever worked.

The problem was where it was.

The thought of wandering endlessly through this vast subspace with no idea of its size made my legs feel weak.

But after thinking a bit, the answer was already obvious.

"Ah!"

"…? What is it, youngest?"

"I think I already found it."

Edwaru had suddenly stabbed Baekya into my chest without warning and thrown me into a furnace filled with dissolving liquid.

I briefly wondered if waking up like this would turn me into "I am everywhere," but this wasn't the time to think about that.

In any case, Baekya was with me.

For some reason, I couldn't use my pocket here. But when I cleared my mind and focused, Baekya really did appear in my hand.

And where else would Baekya's soul be?

Obviously—

In Baekya itself.

So the soul of Baekya—the ghost we needed to find—was simply inside this Baekya.

I showed Baekya to everyone and said,

"This. It's this. I think it's sleeping inside here. Does anyone know how to wake it up?"

Black March answered.

"The souls of us Thirteen Months only reveal ourselves when the user ignites us, and only if we judge the user worthy. I'm not entirely sure, but if that Baekya is of the same kind as us, wouldn't its mechanism be similar?"

"That sounds plausible…"

She had a point. I had experienced it myself.

Over a hundred years ago, during the Crown Game, when I ignited Baekya for the first time, I briefly met its soul. The problem was that after that, no matter how many times I ignited it, the soul never showed itself again.

"It might be worth trying."

"Hmm… Red October noona?"

"Yes, yes. My hair is this red—don't forget it. Anyway, I think it's worth a shot."

Seeing my confused expression, she elaborated.

"I think we can pull out the soul inside Baekya. You may not know, Hoaquin, but the thirteen of us can faintly sense the artificial soul inside that sword."

Everyone nodded.

"So ignite it again. Since it's your first time igniting it here, it might work. While you're igniting it, the thirteen of us will try to drag that ghost shell out."

Yellow May added,

"That's all fine, but wouldn't that basically advertise our location to that woman? You okay with that?"

She was still wary of the soul of Zahard's first Princess candidate.

I couldn't help but ask,

"Is that woman's soul really that strong?"

Black March answered after thinking for a moment.

"Well… rather than strong, she's dangerous. For an evil spirit, she can even corrupt the minds of the living. In terms of danger level, she's top-tier. I don't even know how many Princesses of Zahard died unjustly because of her… Anyway, you're better off not meeting her."

Seeing everyone so cautious made me tense up too.

I took a deep breath and gripped Baekya tightly.

It was nerve-wracking, but this was something I had to do. Fusing with Baekya was essential for me.

"If we have to do it anyway, let's start now."

Holding Baekya firmly, I infused it with shinsoo.

As always, white and beautiful light began to pour out as it prepared to ignite.

Red October, who had suggested the idea first, shrugged and rallied the others.

"Our youngest—who did he get that reckless streak from? Everyone ready? Once he ignites Baekya, the soul will probably try to pop out a little. The moment it does, drag it out immediately. Stay sharp—we don't know when that crazy woman might show up."

"Okay."

As soon as everyone signaled readiness, I released Baekya's power into the air.

The overwhelming power, liberation, exhaustion, fatigue—just like the first time in the Crown Game. Everything felt exactly the same.

Reliving that sensation, I spoke the ignition command just as I had back then.

"Baekya, ignite."

....

Ashul Edwaru's Workshop

The heat and smoke from the forge were the same as always, but today there was no hammering.

Ashul Edwaru, the greatest blacksmith in the Tower, had not lifted his hammer.

Instead, he was witnessing the birth of a masterpiece of his life.

"...…."

The fusion of human and weapon.

Not the crude process some lesser workshop fools attempted. That was merely stuffing a weapon into a body.

What he was doing was entirely different—merging two souls into one.

'Soul forging.'

A realm beyond ordinary blacksmiths and workshop masters.

Edwaru was attempting something of the highest difficulty—something never once tried in the Tower's history.

Flash—

The boy's body at the bottom of the furnace began to glow white.

It seemed he had met Baekya's soul in the subspace and attempted fusion.

This fusion would fail.

As he had said before throwing the boy into the furnace, this was only a preview.

A demonstration of how soul fusion would proceed.

Regardless of success in that subspace, the boy would soon awaken as usual.

Attempting fusion with an incomplete Baekya was absurd. Its forging was not yet finished; it needed more time.

But this experience would still help him.

Trying something entirely new and retrying something once experienced were very different.

Edwaru could have waited until Baekya was fully forged before calling Hoaquin. Even then, Hoaquin would have succeeded in fusing with it.

Yet he chose to let the boy experience it early.

There was only one reason.

"…You said you would pursue change without losing your humanity."

"It may be naive idealism, but I like that thought. So I will help you. So that you change as little as possible."

Edwaru had climbed the Tower long ago alongside Zahard and the Ten Great Families, like Quadrado and Luslec.

He had witnessed everything.

The boy who wished for everyone's happiness, how he changed after receiving the King's seed.

The boy who sought a greater sword, how he changed after losing his purpose.

Those memories of comrades who had changed—suddenly or gradually—were not pleasant.

This time, he hoped for a different outcome.

A hybrid of human and weapon.

A being clearly beyond human.

That would soon be born.

When that boy was reborn—would he still be human?

Or would he transcend life, as the other eleven had?

Edwaru murmured toward Hoaquin submerged in the furnace.

"Even your father failed at this. I do not expect much that you will succeed…"

May fortune be with you.

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