[ Before reading: 1) Perhaps some of you might find Yeong's character too powerful, as two family heads trained him, however, remember that he is still very young and therefore lacks experience in real fights against regulars. Against Rankers who all have at least 300 years of experience, the best ones, whether high rankers or simply the most cunning, could certainly exploit his weaknesses and defeat him (for example, he currently wouldn't stand a chance against an opponent like Khun Maschenny Zahard, who is among the most powerful Rankers with over five thousand years of experience). Yeong Yeon's talent could be compared to a raw diamond waiting to be cut and polished to reach the highest peaks, but for that, he must face opponents more powerful than himself to surpass his limits.
2) Of course, I can already anticipate a critique suggesting that the main character has a lot of luck or doesn't deserve anything. However, as Lero-Ro very aptly points out at the very beginning of Tower of God, what helps one climb the tower the most is luck. Indeed, without the actions of the mysterious Axis and Tperie, Yeong would not have stood out from an ordinary human.
3) This is a long preface to a chapter; however, I want to clarify that within the tower, many tests will not be those that Baam will face, as that would be pointless to write and especially boring for you to read. Moreover, I am staying within the canon, it's not forbidden for a test administrator to change the challenges they present to the regulars.
4) So far, I've been doing one chapter a day, but soon the updates may become less frequent. I don't want my days to be reduced to just writing chapters for fanfiction. Otherwise, I wish you a good read of the chapter and a good day or evening, depending on when you're reading. Moreover, it's a long chapter ]
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One day, on the mothership of the Yeon family, a fight was organized between two regulars from the family, both of whom had recently become Rankers by climbing the 134 floors of the tower. Remarkably, Yirang, the head of the family, was present to observe the fight alongside Illarde, even though she seemed deeply bored by such a spectacle. This was because she already knew the outcome in advance; for her, it was certain that the winner between the two women would be Princess Yeon Lihua Zahard.
In addition to her enhanced power from the blood she received from Zahard, she wielded in her right hand one of the most powerful weapons in the tower, "The White February," a white needle that is part of the series of 13 Months. This weapon is personally given by Zahard to the princesses who have proven themselves by becoming Rankers. What was special about this needle, beyond its ability to unleash terrifying power, was that it was once in the possession of Princess Eurasia Enne Zahard.
Then the fight began without delay, much to the excitement of the audience present. Despite her opponent's attack, which engulfed the entire arena in flames, Lihua was confident and charged forward, armed with her needle, while creating an even hotter shield of flames around her that protected her from the other Ranker's attack. It was common for a duel between members of the Yeon family to come down to who possessed the most powerful flame, as a less intense flame could never defeat a more incandescent and, therefore, more powerful one.
Being merely a wave controller, the unfortunate member of the Yeon family could do nothing as the Zahard princess approached her with a deadly demeanour. The flames that could have defeated any low-ranking Ranker barely touched her cousin's compact shield of flames. The fight then ended in a matter of seconds, as "The White February" shattered the walls of Shinsu erected in desperation by her opponent, before delicately resting on her neck, drawing a small trickle of blood along the blade.
The Head of the family didn't even look at the victor, who hoped for so much recognition from her, and instead preferred to turn to her family's godmother. "This is exactly why, Illarde, I insisted that Yeong become a great fisherman. Aside from Blossom, no one can afford to be just a wave controller; otherwise, it only takes your enemy to come close for you to lose all your power."
"Yes, you are right, Lady Yirang. After all, it's what you have taught me as well. Know that I will do my best to resolve this girl's problem as quickly as possible," said Illarde, nodding in obedience before asking, "By the way, speaking of your son, Lord Yeong, do you know if his training with Lady Blossom is going well?"
Yirang closed her eyes before responding in her calm tone, "I haven't heard anything since then. I should have suspected that Blossom would be too lazy to contact me with news about my son. However, Tperie was able to tell me that I should already start preparing a marriage contract between my son and Eurasia Enne Zahard since Blossom cares a lot for my child. This greatly angered me, knowing that he constantly observes the life of my heir and dares to meddle in his affairs. But I must say it reassured me to know this, as I could deduce that my son has excelled so much in mastering Shinsu that he can prevent Blossom from falling into a sleep that lasts for centuries"
While they discussed other important topics, at the same time on the training ground, Lihua sought to shine in front of her family to attract the attention of her family head. She wanted to prove her power by challenging anyone willing to face her, hoping to inspire fear and admiration. However, instead of the expected result, a mysterious figure under a large white hood accepted her challenge.
"Yes, I accept your challenge, princess of Zahard!" exclaimed the mysterious figure who appeared to be an adult.
"And who might you be, stranger? Because I don't seem to recognize you among the Rankers of our family. Know that I'm not interested in facing regulars; I could never lose to you..." she replied in a stern and confident tone.
The stranger immediately threw back their hood, and the entire audience gasped when they learned their true identity. But the stranger didn't care and preferred to murmur to themselves with a casual smile, "When Rankers talk about regulars, it almost sounds like a family head confessing that non-irregulars are just insects... I have a lot of work to do."
Of course, what was revealed behind the white hood was none other than Yeong Yeon, an 18-year-old who had truly inherited his mother's beauty, as well as her way of styling his hair to constantly remind himself of her. His long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which he draped over his right shoulder.
Upon seeing his face, Lihua felt her own contort with rage. To her, the young man before her represented everything she had always wanted since she became a princess. She wished to be the figurehead of her family, to be framed and supported by her family head, but that was not the case. So, she spat out her hatred, "So it's you, the infamous child of our family head. Lady Yirang should never have had you; you are a stain on our great family history, and I will show them all, here and now!"
When his words were spoken, even the strongest members of the family felt the furious Shinsu of their family head. But Yeong, unperturbed by Lihua's words, silently signalled to his mother to calm down before fixing his gaze on "The White February" and making a wager she could not refuse. "I propose a bet, Princess of Zahard. If you win, you can take my place as Yirang Yeon's child. However, if you lose, I will take your weapon. Does that suit you?"
And seeing the hope in her eyes through his reading of the Shinsu, Yeong couldn't help but think he had already won. "Of course! I accept, and I will show everyone my superiority as a Ranker and as a princess of Zahard!" she shouted.
The heir of the Yeon family took on a false superior demeanour that he detested, intending to bluff her and lead her to make mistakes. "Come on, priority to the weakest and most superficial flame."
"Don't you dare think you're better than me just because you were raised by Lady Yirang!" she shouted in anger. And so, even though she was better at surprising her opponents with lightning-fast counterattacks, she unleashed the full power of her red and pink flames toward Yeong, intending to reduce him to ashes. But to everyone's shock, Yeong neither protected himself from the danger before him nor attempted to dodge it; he simply chose to take a brief breath.
[ Yeon Yeong Shinsu Control Style - Phoenix Dress ]
Suddenly, the flames dissipated, revealing Yeong, perfectly unharmed, clad in a thin layer of green Shinsu that surrounded his entire body. This Shinsu had the unique ability to heal all the burns he bore instantly; he had created this technique by deriving it from his healing flame.
"Your flames are powerful, I admit, but not as terrifying as a single wave of Shinsu unleashed at just 1% of its true power by my teacher." Seeing the initial shock on his opponent's face, Yeong took advantage of the opening by drawing his needle, aiming to strike her hands and render her unable to fight.
But breaking free from her confusion, Lihua showcased all her combat experience by easily parrying his strike and drawing him into a subtle and elegant needle duel, where their blades clashed and she led the dance. Several times, "The White February" nearly inflicted serious injury on her opponent, but he always managed to dodge by reading the Shinsu to predict the next attack, waiting for the right moment for her next major strike.
"I admit, I suspected you would outclass me in close combat, but now that I've read your swordsmanship style, let me show you your weakness!" he said, enveloping his arm in his most destructive flames and waiting for her to lower her guard as she attacked him vertically, leaving her flank exposed.
[ Yeon Yirang Style - Fall of the Zygeana Flowers ]
An attack inherited from his mother, concentrates the flames from his own body into a single point, allowing him to deliver a devastating blow to his opponent. This releases all the accumulated flames in the form of a pink and red beam of Shinsu, capable of piercing even the best defences. It is said that Yirang used this technique to seriously injure Hendo Lok's Bloodmadder during one of their training sessions.
Of course, the attack aimed at the left flank of the Zahard princess did not possess the power of Yirang or the intent to kill, as Yeong was deliberately holding back to ensure that this attack would not be lethal or seriously injure his opponent. However, even a Ranker who took the full brunt of his attack would have been unable to move for a long time. Nevertheless, sensing the danger, Lihua unleashed a wave of Shinsu by activating her weapon from the series of 13 Months, hoping to dodge his strike.
The power of her weapon was felt even outside the arena as she charged up for a devastating attack. Yet, even in the face of such immense power, Yeong did not waver. "So this is the power of one of her weapons. I understand better now why many princesses end up being, most of the time, High Rankers."
In a position of superiority, with her hair flying in the wind from the Shinsu of the attack she was about to unleash, she remained beautiful and elegant, as expected of a princess of Zahard. "You almost got me! But now you've lost, surrender and I will cancel this attack unless you want to be in such a terrible state when I take your place."
The young heir of the Yeon family had managed to lead his opponent where he wanted to win the duel. "Don't be proud; you're not the only one who's particularly unique. Besides, you know it's dangerous to use so much Shinsu outside of yourself, especially against an irregular who knows how to wield Shinsu," he told her, recalling all his training with Blossom.
"Even Arie Hon, known as the most powerful among the family heads, wouldn't dare use the Arie swordsmanship that makes him so powerful against Eurasia Blossom, because he knows he would lose by doing so. Hon's style relies on manipulating Shinsu to infuse his sword strikes with a specific property to make them unblockable, but Blossom alone can take control of her enemy's Shinsu and send it back against them, making it explode."
As she heard this, Lihua took him for a madman rambling on, but when she felt that the Shinsu around her weapon no longer responded as he closed his eyes, she had a very bad premonition.
"As Blossom said, Shinsu is just an extension of me, and being my body, I am the only one who decides what it should do..." said the young man, before waving his hand in a circular motion, which immediately transformed the Shinsu around "The White February" to a pink hue.
[ Eurasia Blossom Shinsu Control Style - Shinsu Explosion ]
For a moment, there was no sound, then suddenly all the Shinsu present in the Zahard princess's attack crumbled into a multitude of explosions that echoed throughout the mother ship, propelling her far away. She found herself unable to move; even though she had protected herself with all her strength, she had completely lost and was rather injured.
The entire audience could only be impressed by Yeong's talents, and some began to understand better why he was so cherished by their family head. However, the heir was not interested in them or their applause, fundamentally disliking popularity. Instead, he preferred to tend to his opponent's wounds, much to the princess's surprise.
"Why are you healing me? Shouldn't you be seeking revenge for what I said to you?! In any case, I'm going to die because I've lost my 13 Months weapon. Soon my father Zahard's army will come to eliminate me," she said weakly, coughing.
I healed you because you aren't fundamentally bad, and to me, your behaviour is explained by the cruel workings of the Zahard empire," he explained before taking "The White February" to hand it back to her after examining it. "Know that I am not cruel, Lihua. I fully understand the fate that awaits a princess who has lost her weapon. My goal was simply to measure myself against you to see if I could defeat a Ranker, not to take your weapon, which anyway would not bond with me since it is already tied to you. But if you want to take your revenge, then train yourself. I would accept to measure myself against you again. You are already very strong, and it's only because I am an irregular that I won."
"Mmm, I now understand the reason behind your adoption by our family head, it's because you are an irregular..." she murmured, looking up at him from the ground. "Thank you, even if it hurts my pride to let you keep my weapon. Know that when you become a Ranker, I will take my revenge, and I will defeat you, Yeon Yeong, heir of Yeon Yirang."
As he walked away from his opponent, smiling at his mother, Yeong adopted a more serious tone. "However, Lihua, one day I will certainly need your 'White February.' If what Blossom has told me about the truth of the Zahard princess system is accurate, something she deeply despises, it's essential that I collect them all to achieve my goal." But before he could hear her response, the young man floated toward the stands.
Yeong then arrived at his mother's cabin and respectfully greeted Illarde. His mother felt a great pride for her son. "Congratulations, my son. You managed to defeat a Ranker, and your training seems to have brought great results, transforming you into a formidable wave controller. Not only that, but you've also become their enemy, just like Blossom. I never thought I would say this after all these millennia, but I am proud of something, and that's you, Yeong."
The young heir was even more moved than when he was accepted as Blossom's student, and he began to shed a few tears. "Mother, I missed you deeply, and I'm so happy that you're proud of me. Nevertheless, know that I made a promise to myself to climb the tower after I defeated a Ranker, and that has been accomplished. I must now fulfil it; I'm going to climb the tower and burn away all the corruption it holds."
"I knew this day would come, Yeong," his mother sighed. "Even though I've always told you that your dream is naive, I may have been the first to be naive, because when I adopted you, I made a bet on the future. I think the odds have turned in our favour. You might be what this tower needs to begin living again, as it once did. So don't come back until you've accomplished your dream."
Yeong couldn't remain composed and collapsed into his mother's arms. "Yes, Mother, I promise I will succeed. Ever since I was little, I want to see you smile again, so I'll do it for you and the other inhabitants of the tower. This isn't goodbye; it's just a farewell, Mom."
After tearful goodbyes, Yeong took out his Pocket to contact Headon, who was quite delighted by the call. "It's a joy to see you again, child. I suppose you've finally decided to climb the tower."
Shortly after, with the sound of a splash, Yeong suddenly disappeared into a sphere of Shinsu surrounding him, beginning his grand journey.