Chapter 1: Lero Ro's Test

Slap.

"Huh!" Kalon felt a sharp, burning sensation on his left cheek.

He staggered back in shock, realizing someone had just slapped him. He looked up to see the offender still holding their hand in the air, poised for another hit.

"Stop… Stop!" Kalon stammered, backing away as his voice trembled.

Then he froze. What happened to my voice?

His eyes widened as the unfamiliar tone echoed in his ears. Instinctively, he raised his hands, only to find them frail and skinny. Panic surged through him as he noticed the ground seemed unnaturally close.

Why am I so short? What's going on?

"What are you blabbering about? Focus on how we can pass through this Shinsu shield!"

The sharp, grating voice snapped Kalon out of his daze. He turned to his right, craning his neck upward, and froze. Towering over him was a creature with enormous reptilian eyes and a scaly green face—a lizard, speaking in perfect human language.

"Huh… Who are you?" Kalon asked hesitantly. His mind raced, but no answers came. Despite his efforts, he couldn't recall who this creature was, though something told him it was familiar to the body he now inhabited.

"Did you slap him too hard? He doesn't even recognize his teammates anymore," another voice chimed in from behind.

Kalon turned quickly, his heart pounding, only to see yet another unidentifiable creature. This one was a monstrous being, a strange amalgamation of features that defied naming.

For a moment, Kalon felt utterly lost. Was he in a world of monsters? How had this happened? He had never heard of such a bizarre phenomenon before.

Frantically, he inspected his own body, feeling his face, arms, and legs. His hands, though thin, were human, but what about the rest? Was he now some hideous hybrid creature? Perhaps his head resembled a beast, or his lower half might be part animal.

Thankfully, he was still completely human.

"Sorry, I don't know what's going on, but I can't seem to remember either of you—or even this place," Kalon admitted, deciding honesty was his best option for now. At least these creatures didn't seem hostile and appeared concerned for him.

"Was the shock too much for him? Even I was stunned when that Regular wasn't pushed back by the Ranker's Shinsu," the lizard-like creature muttered.

"Yeah, it surprised me too. But it seems Kalon took it the hardest. He's so shaken that he's forgotten everything," the other creature replied.

The words "Regular," "Ranker," "Shinsu," "10 Great Families," and "blue-haired kid" floated in Kalon's mind. They sounded oddly familiar, like echoes of something he'd once known.

Then it hit him. Tower of God.

It all made sense now—the strange creatures, the mysterious terms, and even the surreal test before him. Somehow, he was in the world of the Tower of God webtoon.

"Visible," Kalon whispered, and a black sphere materialized, floating in midair before him.

Seeing the pocket—a small device ubiquitous in the Tower—filled him with a strange sense of comfort. It was only an E-grade pocket, but it served its purpose well.

"Why are you suddenly summoning your pocket? Didn't you just say you can't remember anything?" asked the monstrous creature, its tone laced with suspicion.

"Oh, I think I'm starting to remember bits and pieces," Kalon lied, feigning a sheepish smile. "But I still can't recall your names."

The two creatures exchanged wary glances before finally relenting.

"I'm Tryllo," the lizard-man said, thumping his chest with a clawed hand.

"And I'm Squidshark," the other creature introduced itself, though its tone remained skeptical.

Kalon nodded and made the pocket disappear with a quiet, "Invisible." The black sphere vanished, leaving no trace. He marveled at how seamlessly the pocket operated, its connection to the Tower's mysterious administrators shrouded in secrecy.

Kalon's heart continued to race, his chest tight with lingering panic. Am I one of the chosen? he wondered. The test he was undergoing was a basic trial to measure Regulars' resistance to Shinsu, the Tower's all-encompassing energy. It wasn't a harsh test, but it was necessary. If someone couldn't handle the Shinsu concentration here, they would have no chance on higher floors, where it was hundreds of times denser.

While Tryllo and Squidshark strained to push through the Shinsu barrier, Kalon noticed the other participants—main characters and side characters alike—already stepping through.

Kalon, focus! he told himself. If I can't pass this, there's no point thinking about catching up to the main cast or befriending them.

He approached the Shinsu shield and pushed.

To his surprise, the barrier offered no resistance. He passed through easily, leaving his teammates behind.

"Kalon passed?!" Tryllo and Squidshark exclaimed in unison, their shock evident. Seeing Kalon's effortless success drained the fight from them, their strength faltering.

"Tryllo! Squidshark!" Kalon called out, his tone firm. "Don't give up! Give it everything you've got—even if it means bleeding for it. Look at those two maniacs over there; their heads are bleeding, but they're still trying. And you're giving up before even breaking a sweat?"

His words struck a chord. Both creatures gritted their teeth and redoubled their efforts, slamming their bodies against the Shinsu barrier with renewed determination.