Game 28: The Stomach That Shook the Tower
The chamber still quaked with the aftershock of lightning. Blue arcs skittered across the cracked stone floor, buzzing like angry hornets before fading into silence. Dust rained down from the ceiling in slow showers, and the acrid smell of ozone burned through everyone's nostrils.
Park Min-jae stood rooted, face pale and wrinkled, eyes shaking as he stared at Han Tae-yang. The bolt that had erupted moments ago was identical to his own lightning element skill, identical, but sharper, cleaner, crueler.
"You" his voice cracked. "That… that's my skill!"
Han Tae-yang tilted his head, sparks still dancing lazily along his fingers. His smirk widened into something that could only be described as infuriating.
"Mm, not really." His tone was airy, smug. "Yours is like a kiddie toy. Mine? Mine is the deluxe version."
He snapped his fingers. A single strand of lightning leapt from his thumb to the ground, slicing a hair-thin crack through solid stone. The sound echoed sharp, like glass shattering.
Park Min-jae's lips trembled. He was reevaluating everything he thought he knew about this brat. No ordinary person would burn a map worth kingdoms. No ordinary person would dismiss a skill like it was a discount coupon. And no ordinary person would grin like that while wielding stolen thunder.
"Who… who are you, kid?" The question wasn't anger now. It was suspicion, even fear.
Han Tae-yang didn't answer. He rubbed his chin theatrically, then jabbed a finger at the old man as if delivering a lecture.
"Old man, let me spell this out for you. If you plan to climb the Tower at your own snail pace, fine. That's your business. But listen carefully to what I'm about to say. It'll save you from turning into barbecue later."
Park Min-jae narrowed his eyes. Tae-yang's voice dropped into something that carried weight, casual, yes, but heavy with knowledge.
"There are now four veterans who've appeared at the National Museum of Korea. People who've cleared things like this before, in… let's just say other lives. I get why they're here. I get why they want to cut down risks. The Tower doesn't forgive mistakes. But don't fool yourself, they're not just here to survive. They're here to become monsters."
The words pressed into the air, heavier than thunder.
Even Kim Roji flinched. The girl's Anubis Guardian flickered, its jackal head tilting as if it, too, understood the warning.
Tae-yang let the silence hang before shrugging. "Anyway. Enough free tutoring. I charge consulting fees after this."
He turned on his heel, the sparks around his body fading like stars at dawn.
The scene shifted.
Han Tae-yang walked along a calm street in downtown Seoul. The contrast was surreal, just minutes ago he was melting lightning out of thin air, now he was watching ajummas sell fish cakes from steaming carts. The air smelled of hot broth, soy sauce, and car exhaust.
And above all of it loomed the Tower.
A black colossus stabbed the heavens at the city's center, its surface twisting with inscriptions that no human tongue could read. It dwarfed the skyscrapers, an alien monument that turned Seoul's skyline into nothing more than its base. The sight alone made passerby pause mid-step, some crossing themselves, others cursing quietly.
Tae-yang didn't pause. He tilted his head up, admired it for all of one second, then muttered, "Still ugly."
He flicked open his stat panel with a thought.
[Name: Han Tae-yang]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 27]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 8]
[Agility: 8]
[Vitality: 7]
[Magic Power: 11]
[Skill Points: 0]
[Occupation: None]
[Unique Skills: Fusion, Overlink, Lightning Element (Lv.1), Eye of Truth (Lv.1)]
He whistled under his breath, smug as ever.
"Damn, I'm awesome." His eyes glittered with greed. "Need more skills. The juicier the better. If I can grab some unique ones too? Jackpot."
He shoved his hands into his pockets, weaving through a crowd of gawking civilians. Above them, electronic billboards displayed emergency notices from the Korean government, flashing in both Hangul and English:
⚠️ [ALL CITIZENS: THE WORLD IS NOW THE TOWER OF GOD'S TRIALS. SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON PARTICIPATION.] ⚠️
Panic simmered everywhere, but life still clung stubbornly. Cafés kept serving coffee. Street performers still played guitars near subway exits. Humans were adaptable like that, pretend nothing was happening until it killed you.
Tae-yang smirked. "Idiots. But useful idiots."
He thought about Park Min-jae and Kim Roji. In his mind's eye, he saw the lightning geezer puffing like a broken fuse box and the girl clutching her Anubis Guardian like a doll.
"I'll contact them later," he muttered. "Let the old man and dog-girl grind levels first. They're useful pawns, and pawns need training. I'll keep in touch when I need them."
He remembered telling them back at the museum, work for me, live longer. They hadn't said yes, but survival had a way of making people obedient.
His footsteps echoed against concrete as he thought ahead.
"I've got pawns now. Good. But the road's still long. The Tower's a marathon, not a sprint. Next up… skill farming."
He raised his eyes at the Tower again. The sky was streaked red-orange by the sinking sun, but the Tower devoured even that light, casting its shadow like a blade over the Han River.
His grin widened.
"There's a few hours before the next trial summons players. My favorite part. Let's see what goodies I can steal before then."
His hands rubbed together. "I'll grab the important skills. The tasty ones. No need to waste time on trash. Since we only get one life" he chuckled, "maybe two if my clone dies first, it's impossible to get them all. So I'll take the cream off the top. Gourmet menu only."
He strutted past a line of food stalls, stomach rattling as the scent of hot tteokbokki, fried dumplings, and roasted chestnuts hit him like a physical blow.
Grrrrrrrr.
The growl was so loud people turned their heads. One man blinked and muttered, "Was that a demon?"
Han Tae-yang froze mid-step, clutching his belly. His smirk vanished, replaced by a horrified expression.
"…you've got to be kidding me."
The Tower of God rose behind him like a god's judgment. The fate of the world teetered on survival. Skills, pawns, and trials all waited.
And his stomach chose now to rebel.
GRRRRRRRRROOOOWWWWL.
His eyes twitched. "Of course. Out of everything in the universe… hunger is my next boss fight."