Chapter 1: I Became Hoaquin (1)
The surroundings were dark and quiet.
A massive mural was painted on the wall.
And from over there, a rabbit-like creature approached.
It was clearly something I had never experienced before — utterly strange.
Yet, for some reason, the sight felt… strangely familiar.
Anyone who's read Tower of God would recognize this scene.
"It's been such a long time since someone entered through the door themselves. Hello there, young man."
The familiar creature that looked like a rabbit, and that familiar line—With that, there was no more doubt.
I had entered the Tower.
An impossible dream… yet one I had imagined at least once.
Now, it had become real.
"My name is Headon. I am the administrator of the Tower's lowest floor. What is your name, young man?"
"Ah, excuse me for a moment, Headon-nim."
I turned my head away from the tilting Headon and bowed deeply.
Ah, damn it. Damn, damn, damn!
I'm so happy.
This couldn't be a dream. I had already pinched my cheeks more than ten times.
The corners of my mouth refused to go down.
"Young man?"
"Ah, yes."
It took a few minutes before I could manage my expression again and face Headon.
The overwhelming sense of reality hit me once more — adrenaline surged through my brain like wildfire.
I've never taken drugs, but this must be what it feels like to be high. I couldn't think straight; I was simply too happy.
I tried to put on a serious face, but since I couldn't stop my smile from rising, I just gave in and beamed from ear to ear.
"Hmm, you don't seem to be feeling any anxiety or fear despite suddenly entering such a strange place."
"I guess the point at which people feel those emotions differs from person to person."
"Ha-ha, you're right, young man. By the way, do you have any family?"
The sudden, random question made me tilt my head in confusion. Out of nowhere?
"Excuse me?"
My eyes clearly said What the hell are you talking about?
Headon looked me up and down slyly, then replied smoothly.
"Well, your appearance… reminds me of someone who came here long ago. Ah, he was quite the handsome one, mind you. No offense intended, ha-ha."
What's that supposed to mean?
The only ones who could've come to the first floor long ago are the Ten Great Families or Zahard himself.
Wait, what time period is this? Is it the future, after the webtoon?
More importantly—he said I looked like one of them?
Was there an Asian among the Ten Great Families?
"Huh?"
Puzzled, I glanced down at myself.
Only then did I notice details I'd overlooked while being overwhelmed with joy over entering the Tower.
I looked at my arm.
My usual peach-colored skin was gone—what I saw was pale, snow-white skin.
No, whiter than any white person's.
I looked down at my clothes.
Instead of the coat, turtleneck, and slacks I'd worn outside, I now had on white, hanbok-like Eastern robes.
Wait a second… there's one family I know that dresses like this…
"Headon-nim, do you have a mirror?"
Headon produced a full-length mirror from somewhere, and my reflection appeared clearly.
Doubt turned into certainty, certainty into shock.
The same appearance as the Arie Family.
And the face reflected in the mirror was one I knew all too well.
Hoaquin.
Later known as White, the tenth Slayer of FUG.
As waves of complex thoughts flooded my mind—
Throb—
Ugh, my head hurts. What's this sudden headache…?
Then, from deep within my mind, memories began to surface.
A white-haired boy speaking to someone, swinging a sword, hesitating… this is—
Hoaquin's memories. His sensations.
Not all of them, but enough that they felt vividly real, as if I had lived them myself.
This once dreamlike Tower now began to feel real, and Hoaquin's memories and senses stirred my brain and body, forcing me to adapt to this bizarre world.
Ah… finally, the headache stopped.
When it was all over, the Tower—once surreal and strange—now felt almost like home.
I had inherited, albeit imperfectly, Hoaquin's memories and sensations.
And then, a new wave of turmoil washed over me.
"...Haah."
Getting into the Tower had been the happiest thing imaginable, but realizing whose body I'd possessed brought a mountain of worry crashing down.
My head throbbed again as I tried to organize my thoughts, hand pressed to my forehead.
Headon, too, seemed to sense something unusual.
"Young man… you're one of my Tower's people, aren't you? From the Arie Family."
It must've been a first for him too.
He fell silent, lost in thought.
Then again, what does that make me?
I didn't open the door from outside, so am I an
Irregular or not?
If a Ten Great Family member like me is classified as an Irregular, won't I be executed the moment I return?
We both stopped talking, lost in our respective thoughts.
Headon was the first to speak.
"Someone like you—who was already in the Tower but suddenly opened the door to the First Floor—has never appeared before. It is possible for Tower dwellers to enter the First Floor, but only outsiders have ever been able to open that door until now.
It's as if someone inside a house suddenly vanished,
then opened the front door… to come back inside."
…It must've happened when I possessed Hoaquin.
A body from the Tower, but a soul from outside—
Still, explaining that to a sly creature like Headon wasn't on my list of plans.
"Well now, I've never encountered a case like this in all my years as an administrator. But since you opened the door, I can't skip the test either… Technically, you're an Irregular, but you're also from my Tower… hmm…"
Headon mumbled to himself, gazing into the air, before finally turning toward me.
"What do you think, young man? As a scion of the Ten Great Families, you must know a fair bit about the Selection system. And surely you understand what it means to be an Irregular."
I had just finished sorting out my thoughts.
If he was asking for my opinion, that meant he was willing to consider it.
I spoke without hesitation.
"Let's do this."