Immortal In Tower Of God

Chapter 16: Meeting Bam

[Please Enter]

The robotic voice sounded, and Kalon entered the testing area. He looked around to see if there was any familiar face. If not, he could just eliminate everyone to make his title sound more fearsome. Showing his power early would make it easier to avoid weak extras shouting challenges at him every now and then.

Just as he stepped in, three huge bodies blocked his light and cast massive shadows over him. Kalon looked up and saw that these three guys looked identical, with the only difference being the number of eyes each of them had.

"Do you want us to break your bones, or will you walk out yourself?" The guy with the least number of eyes spoke. His tone was laced with threat. Kalon just smiled and restricted their movement with the help of Lighthouse Flow Control, walking past them like nothing had happened.

Prince was surprised to see someone manage to restrict the movements of the Many-Eyes Race that he had hired with his father's money. Being a Light-Bearer himself, he immediately recognized what the new regular had done.

Kalon sat down beside Prince, who had his arm around Yeon Yihwa. She looked visibly annoyed, as though she wanted to burn the entire place down.

Yeon Yihwa felt someone looking at her. When she turned to see who it was, she was flabbergasted to find that the cloak he was wearing bore the symbol of FUG. As someone from one of the Ten Great Families, she knew more than most regulars about what FUG represented.

Prince also noticed Yeon Yihwa, who had been trying to move his hand away, suddenly freeze. She was staring past him, seemingly entranced.

Prince felt jealous, not only because the new regular looked more handsome than him but also because Yeon Yihwa seemed captivated. He, however, misunderstood the situation entirely.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kalon. You look uncomfortable, lady. Do you need any help?" Kalon ignored Prince's existence and extended his hand toward Yeon Yihwa.

This attitude made Prince grind his teeth and clench his fists in anger. Yeon Yihwa was surprised to hear a person from FUG asking if she needed help.

"You're from FUG, right?" Yeon Yihwa asked instead of answering.

"Yes, I am a Slayer Candidate."

"I hate FUG and the people who destroy peace in the Tower and bring chaos."

"Yes, me too."

"Of course, you would deny—wait, what did you just say?" Yeon Yihwa was about to continue when she stopped, thinking she had misheard him.

"He said 'me too,'" Prince interjected. For a moment, he had felt ignored by the two.

[The time is up! Participants remaining, please proceed to the next floor via the elevator.]

Again, the robotic voice echoed. Kalon stood and dusted his clothes as though brushing off non-existent dust.

The elevator was large enough to accommodate everyone, so they all boarded it together.

'I wonder how Wangnan's doing,' Kalon thought, worried. This was no longer a fantasy world but a reality where anything could happen.

...

When Kalon exited the elevator, he immediately looked for his friend. He spotted Bam, now known as Viole, sitting at a distance. Wangnan saw Kalon and walked toward him, his face lighting up.

"Kalo-o-on! Thank god you're here. Now I can rest easy." Wangnan was so relieved he didn't care about the strange looks others gave him for acting close to someone from FUG.

"Kalon, that girl was the reason I failed the test and wasted your points! You must avenge me, brother."

'Why does it feel like this guy is raising death flags for me?' Kalon thought.

Yeon Yihwa recognized Wangnan as the one she had accidentally burned during the test. Her pride wouldn't allow her to apologize to someone weaker, but she still glanced at Kalon, curious about his reaction.

"Take revenge yourself. The future King of the Tower acting like this..." Kalon remarked harshly and walked away.

Wangnan wasn't offended, knowing this was just Kalon's way of speaking. However, the "King of the Tower" part hurt. Kalon was right—Zahard stood as the strongest, and others depended on him. How could he become a king if he couldn't even be the strongest regular first?

Wangnan glared at Yeon Yihwa before walking off briskly.

Kalon sat beside Viole. "So, you're the new Slayer Candidate the organization recently chose," Kalon said.

"Are you also a Slayer Candidate like me?" Viole asked, surprised. He had only recently emerged from training and hadn't been informed about meeting another Slayer Candidate.

Viole scrutinized Kalon, but he was unrecognizable with his full black mask covering his face, leaving only holes for his eyes.

Kalon lowered his voice so only Viole could hear. "Actually, I've been a big fan of FUG since I was a child. Please don't expose me as a fake."

"...?"

Viole's blank expression turned into an indifferent one as if he'd lost interest in this extra.

'Well, it's technically not a lie,' Kalon thought. He was a fan of FUG—or rather, of Viole in his past life. And he was a fake, albeit in a different sense.

[Shinsu Contest: Finding the Best Shinsu User.]

"Hi, Regulars! My name is Love, and I'm in charge of this test. Congratulations on passing the first test. The 20th floor's test comprises three parts, including the final exam.

"You just passed the first test. This second test will evaluate your ability to reinforce your body using Shinsu."

Kalon smiled behind his mask when he saw Quant's face on the arcade-like machine.

'Urek Mazino must have set an impossible standard for this test,' Kalon thought, imagining the kind of score Urek might have achieved if he'd taken it.

A few moments later, Prince sighed loudly, leaning back with a bored expression. "Ah, this is boring. I thought there'd be something special on the 20th floor... but this is just a game for kids."

Lurker, his loyal subordinate, laughed, fueling Prince's ego. Encouraged, Prince continued, "Are there only losers here? Why don't we play a game?"

"Why not? But what game?" Lurker asked with interest.

"Well... for whoever comes in first—um, let's see. Right, I'll give them my Yeon."

"What?!" Yeon Yihwa reacted instantly. Her face turned crimson as she yelled at Prince, "What do you mean?! I may owe you some money, but you're going too far!"

Lurker immediately sensed danger. Yeon Yihwa wasn't just any girl—she was from one of the Ten Great Families. If word of this reached her family, Prince's father's entire business empire could be wiped out in an instant.

Kalon, who was standing off to the side, chuckled softly under his breath. His attention wasn't entirely on the drama unfolding, though. He focused on the Shinsu-measuring machine, analyzing how it might gauge the strength of regulars.

"Typical," he muttered. His masked face betrayed no emotion, but inside, he was slightly amused by the absurdity of the situation.

As the tension between Yeon Yihwa and Prince escalated, Kalon's thoughts wandered. He looked over to Viole, who remained seated silently, radiating an aura of calm detachment. Wangnan, who had also noticed the brewing storm between Yeon and Prince, nudged Kalon.

"Hey, Kalon, do you think that guy over there—Viole—is as strong as people say?" Wangnan asked in a hushed tone.

Kalon didn't answer immediately. Instead, he observed Viole, whose focus seemed elsewhere, as though the petty squabbles and drama meant nothing to him.

"He's strong," Kalon finally said. "Stronger than most here, and that's not just because of his training. He's driven by something deeper."

"Something deeper?" Wangnan echoed, confused.

Kalon didn't elaborate. Instead, he turned his attention back to the machine as Love's voice rang out again:

"Alright, regulars, the second test begins now! Step forward and show us what you've got."

The first participant approached the Shinsu-measuring machine, placing their hand on it nervously. Numbers began to appear on the screen, rapidly climbing before stopping at a respectable but unremarkable score.

One by one, the regulars took their turns. Some managed impressive scores, while others barely registered. Kalon waited patiently, his mind drifting back to the larger picture.