Chapter 5: I Became Hoaquin (5)
Ttak—!
The instant the Ball was destroyed, Headon snapped his fingers.
The Barracuda that had been lunging to swallow the utterly exhausted Hoaquin crumbled into dust on the spot, and the test chamber expelled Hoaquin through the now-open bars.
Thud.
"Kh…."
My whole body already hurt, and now I got tossed out like trash the moment I cleared the test.
Is this how you treat someone who passed?
Every inch of me screamed. Blood was caked around my mouth and nose, my clothes and hair were soaked in the Barracuda's blood, and the Shinsu flow within my body was a tangled mess. Ugh… when did my arm break?
Headon stared at me and then applauded.
No idea if he was being oblivious—or mocking me.
"Truly splendid! I never thought you'd actually clear this test! Especially that last sword technique—it was like watching a story's protagonist!"
"…Kuh— cough, cough."
Apparently I still had blood left to vomit; I started coughing it up again.
So, 'never thought you'd clear it', huh?
Meaning he expected me to die—and still gave me this test?
I wanted to shout at him right then and there, but I didn't have the strength, and I was too busy coughing up blood from internal injuries.
"Ah, right. It seems you're not exactly in the condition to chat, young man."
"Kh… you don't… say…"
Headon pointed his staff at me; Shinsu wrapped around me, and in an instant my body was healed.
The accumulated fatigue, the strain on my body, the severe internal injuries, the broken arm, even the blood and grime on my face and clothes—everything reset as if time had been turned back.
As expected of an administrator.
When the treatment ended, Headon offered his hand to me where I lay.
What, am I supposed to take it and stand?
Well, I couldn't refuse good will, so I took his hand and got up.
A moment ago I'd felt like I was dying; now I felt miraculously refreshed.
While that strange lightness lingered, I said what I needed to say.
"Headon-nim."
"Yes, young man."
"You crafted that Ball really well. So sturdy it practically forces praise out of you."
"H-ha… ha… Young man, I didn't decide the Ball's durability. The Tower itself adjusts difficulty based on the examinee's abilities, behavior patterns, and potential. A-and, in the end, didn't you slice the Ball cleanly with that marvelous technique!"
…Headon, look at me when you talk. Turning your head away and spouting long, plausible explanations is not convincing in the least. When I stared at him in silence, he cleared his throat and changed the subject, working hard to defend himself.
"Ahem. If anything, I did show consideration. Normally, I should have assigned an adult Barracuda for the monster role, but considering how young you are, I sent out a juvenile. Of course, that's not to belittle your splendid success."
Back to that glib tone already—guess he'd recovered his poker face.
Smarmy little… Wait—that thing was a juvenile?
While I was still reeling, a bright light suddenly shone from inside my clothes.
I fished around in my inner pocket and pulled out something that hadn't been there before: a parchment with "2F" written large on it.
Ah—so this is…
"Since you passed, you deserve an appropriate reward. There is a price for every boon—that is the Tower's law. Conversely, if you pay a great price, the reward will be just as grand. The Tower is exacting in matching rewards to trials. That is the Second Floor ticket you wanted. Tear the parchment and you'll be transported there immediately—use it when you wish."
In the end, I'd obtained what I wanted.
Thinking back, the test had yielded quite a bit.
I learned Shinsu manipulation, and at the end I grasped how to wield the sword—what it means to use the Arie blade, what Hoaquin's sword is.
Because the difficulty was insane, my survival instinct went into overdrive, and I gained these things.
If the test had only been at white-armored-eel level, I wouldn't have fought so desperately; in that case, I might not have learned any of this today.
As I began to accept the trial and even view it positively, Headon reacted as if reading my mind.
"It seems you're already starting to understand. That is what the Tower's tests are—you stake your life, and you can walk away with much."
"Ah… yes. I see."
How long was this conversation going to drag on?
I was getting bored.
Bam went up to the Second Floor the moment he burst the Ball, but I had refused that, so it couldn't be helped…
Still, when would he let me go?
After I humored more of Headon's chatter and passed time fiddling with my sword, he finally raised his staff.
A ray of light descended from somewhere and washed over me.
Ah, finally.
"Hmm, it seems it's time we parted. By the rules, I should have sent you back to where you were the instant you passed, but I was dreadfully bored—and you handled the test so admirably—that I detained you for a bit of small talk. I'll return you now. Any further delay, and as you feared, you might draw suspicion."
"Goodbye. I doubt we'll be seeing each other again."
Let's never meet again, you sly rabbit.
Still, since it was a last farewell, I forced a smile.
Accepting my parting, Headon took something from his breast and tossed it toward me.
It was a lump of energy—so complex and geometric it was hard to describe.
"This is a token of thanks for the conversation. In fact, it's also an additional reward you're due. You know what a pocket is, yes? That's the one I used.
Put it to good use."
…Huh?
"Well then—farewell. I'll be watching to see what you bring to this Tower."
Wait—an administrator's own pocket?
Before I could even respond, a fierce flash erupted, and my vision went white in an instant.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a corridor-like hallway. One side of the wall was made of glass, and through the window I could see massive airships, floating castles, and pure white aerial gardens filling the sky.
Looking toward the building across from me, I saw people with white hair and pale skin walking through their own hallways.
"So this is the Arie Family."
This would be my home for at least the next ten years. I planned to ascend to the Second Floor at around the same time the original Hoaquin became a Regular. I wasn't sure of the exact age, but since Vicente, Ana, and David—the components of White—became Regulars around the same time, I'd likely need to wait until Vicente's selection period.
Judging by my current body, that was still about ten years away.
"Now… what should I do?"
There was a lot to think about—more than ten issues just concerning Hoaquin's original storyline. The problem was that most of them couldn't even be addressed until much later. No matter how much I planned now, there was nothing I could do in the immediate future. It would only lead to frustration and anxiety.
For now, I needed to focus on the immediate problem.
Where was my room?
The building across the way was full of people, but this corridor was completely empty, so I couldn't even ask anyone for directions.
While searching for a route to cross over to the other building,
I heard the sound of several footsteps approaching from the far end of the hall.
Three adults were walking toward me.
If they were members of the Arie Family, even if they didn't know exactly where my room was, they could surely help.
Feeling relieved, I approached them politely.
"Hm? And who might you be?"
The man in the center was the first to notice me and tilted his head slightly.
Wow. He was ridiculously handsome.
In the webtoon, the Ten Great Families were drawn as good-looking, but seeing it in person was on a whole other level.
For a moment, I forgot how to speak, but the man kindly waited for me to talk first.
"My name is Arie Hoaquin. I greet the esteemed Rankers of the Arie Family. This castle is so vast that I seem to have lost my way… Could you perhaps help me find my quarters?"
Since anyone from the Arie Family would surely be a Ranker, and they all dressed in elegant, Eastern-style clothing, I thought speaking politely—almost like in a historical drama—would suit the tone and earn their favor. With this much courtesy, they'd surely help me… or so I thought.
But—
The expressions of the two people standing beside the central man suddenly stiffened.
Did I say something wrong?
Was the formal speech too much?
"Pfft… hahaha!"
Even the kind-looking man in the middle burst into laughter.
Wait, what's so funny?
"Hahaha… yes, a Ranker indeed. Aside from the fact that I own this house, I, too, am but one Ranker of the family…"
"Still, I didn't think anyone in my family would fail to recognize me. After all, I am the head of this household."
Oh, for the love of— please, no.
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