Author's Note:
Heya, this chapter is shorter because I intend them to be this length most times. Also am posting this early because the chapter was already done and I was a bit excited to introduce the ML.
This is the first of a three stories series, the second is on four protagonists, that I'll be posting later on, a m/m (older protagonists, in their 30s, I can't possibly write older characters well, as I'm 25 and can't understand the brain of a 40 y/o so I settled for 30s, even if I was dying to write a divorced 40 y/o father, rediscovering his life after the death of his son in the TOL) and f/f (they'll have an age gap, but not too wide since I really don't like the age gap trope) couples and the third a f/m couple. I don't know when I'll publish those, though. Remembering that the posting consistency will be shit. It all happens inside the Tower of Life (TOL) and you can follow the series on my page. You DON'T need to read all to understand, they're independent stories and will converge later on closer to the ending.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter and fall in love with Yongsun as he's my favorite ML, he's heavily inspired in my own love for romance so (not my own personality though, I'm more skeptical hahaha, he's way too naive for me)
May I point out the obvious fact that I have tropes I put in all my stories? I am self-aware but also can't help it (if you read HLWC you might notice), even though I would like to say I do write characters with different personalities, hopefully, I try. Rowan is a stupid overthinker that wants relationships but its way too aloof to understand them and Yongsun is a hardworking naive romantic that seriously lacks common sense since he was sheltered most of his life. I hope I'm able to convey them well ^^
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⚠︎ This chapter has no significative warnings.
♬ We Go Down Together - Dove Cameron & Khalid ♬
''Are you going to sleep already? Yongsun, the first rule to success is to be working hard when everyone is asleep, if you're tired, rest when you're dead''.
Rowan blinks slowly, staring at the transparent pink screen, even the spirit laying on his head is silent. From the start the 'Soul Link' skill was weird, just like his 'Overthinker' skill, the skill itself was powerful, but the description was… As if something or someone was mocking him. And maybe that was it, the gods of the Tower of Life, mocking his existence itself. But why me?
That's the thing. Rowan wasn't understanding why he was the target of those skills, but the moment that blinding light faded, he realized. The skill wasn't targeted at him, it was the other half of the skill the true target.
Bright red permed hair, that's the first thing he notices, then the two moles under the man's left eye, his single-eyelid black eyes shining like jewels as he looks at Rowan, the body of a model and the face of a heartbreaker. He looks like a celebrity, and of course he's right. Yoon Yong-sun, a 22 year old K-pop idol, is indeed, a celebrity, the most popular member of his group, TEMPEST, and not only that but also the youngest child of an influential and filthy rich family. When Yongsun found himself at the Tower's theatre he felt a thrill he never experienced before, even performing in a stadium didn't make his heart beat that fast. Without hesitation he chose the hybrids class, hoping to bring change in his gray days. Well, it did bring change, not the kind he was hoping for, though.
Before we continue the floor 2 challenge we must go to the past for a moment, right before the floor 1 challenge began.
✴
Everything burns, the man thinks, stumbling as he attempts to get up, feeling his body twist and turn, the pain unbearable for a moment, and just then, as if it never hurt, he was ok. His body felt unfamiliar. I feel heavier, Yongsun thinks, looking down, he's wearing his stage clothes, well what was his stage clothes, they're all ripped, his body slightly bigger and his muscles that before were lean are now bulging. He touches his abdomen, finding it to be defined, the dream of most men, but not when your whole media image is being cute. Fuck, he swears in his mind, trying to make sense of his situation, at the theatre he saw things as fun and maybe due to the pool of people that were along with him, he didn't see any deaths or despair.
Sure some were confused, but as most were young people in their 20's, they were quite familiar with the concept and jumped at the idea of being in some sort of videogame. Can we die for real here? He questions himself as no one dared to make a question to the dark figure who introduced the Tower of Life to them.
And just as he wonders, a transparent blue screen appears in front of him with a timer, announcing the imminent beginning of the first floor. Yongsun tries to move but is stopped by a force beyond himself. I need to wait then…
Even though he spent his formative years training to be an idol, he still played a few games here and there, but what he enjoyed the most were mangas, reading in his spare time between stages and filming. He's familiar with the situation, as is something wildly covered in the stories he read, being dragged to another realm and having to fight in order to survive. The exact situation is different though, since it's real.
As a veteran reader of isekai and transmigration stories, Yongsun immediately thinks of his status window, making it appear in front of him. There was no clue, if someone isn't familiar with the concept they might start the floor without knowing their stats.
And correct he is, as two billion people in the same situation as him are despairing right this moment, trying to survive in a maze with no clear exit.
Name: Yoon Yong-sun
Age: 22 years 0 months 4 days
Race: Hybrid (Human/Demon)
Class: Demon King
Familiar: Not yet acquired
Title: The First Half-Human Demon King; Young Master of the Yoon Family; Visual of TEMPEST.
Affiliation: TEMPEST; Hell.
Water coins: 0
Fire coins: 0
Corruption Gauge: 67%
A moment of silence isn't enough for him to even begin to process the information in his status window. He thought he would be a hybrid with some interesting species, his hope was elf, dragon or even an angel. Due to Yongsun's nature he would never imagine he ended up as a demon. He, someone who never experienced the rottenness of the world, is now someone 67% corrupt? He, someone known to be innocent to a fault, is the Demon King?
"There's something wrong, this can't be real", he whispers to himself, his voice hoarse out of shock. He might be innocent and sometimes borderline naive, but even he knows that his image as the Angel of K-Pop will be tarnished the moment his fans find out he's the Demon King. An image he built in 6 harsh years in the K-pop industry, from an unknown idol to worldwide sensation, is now threatened by a choice he made thinking he could have some fun.
Of course he had no way of knowing he would become a demon hybrid, he even entertained the idea of being able to choose his race. But that was naive of him, but what can he do when he didn't even think it could go wrong? He touches his head, instinctively, feeling the warm horn that grew without his knowledge, that's probably why I was hurting so much, he can feel that the horn is hard to the touch, warm, shaped like a spiral and bigger than his hand. If I can't hide this… my career is over. Sure, he doesn't need a career, his family has enough money to last generations even if they don't do anything, but since he was a little kid, all Yongsun wanted to be was like those singers and performers he saw on TV. He had to beg his family for years, and he entered a company at 12, training and studying as if his life depended on it, and after so much hard work, he finally debuted at age 16. And it didn't end with his debut, insane diets, hellish practice and group mates that thought he was a walking wallet, even surrounded by those with dark hearts, Yongsun came on top, surviving and succeeding in the idol industry and remaining pure of heart.
His solo fans were even called angels, and he was the archangel, he was at least. Not much of an angel anymore. Trying to stop thinking about the consequences this will have in his future, he continues to check his status, as the clock is ticking, and he won't have a future if he ends up dead.
Stats:
STR: 120 INT: 12 DEX: 70 LUCK: 32 CHA: 110 CON: 70 MANA: 210
I don't have anything to compare it to, but it seems good. Considering I am the Demon King makes sense that my strength and mana would be higher. He thinks, looking at his stats proudly, at least he won't be put to shame on the first floor. Next he checks his skills.
Skills:
Transformation (Lvl. 3 / 0%)
Demon King (Lvl. Max / 100%)
Soul Link (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Dark Manipulation (Lvl. 3 / 0%)
Master of the Masks (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Stage Presence (Lvl. Max / 100%)
Yongsun slowly reads his skills, he has a decent amount already leveled up, probably because of his DNA change as the dark figure in the theatre said. With this I probably will be able to do this floor well, if his assumptions are correct of course.
Transformation (Lvl. 3 / 0%)
Tap within your darkness and change between your human-self and your demon-self. Beware that depending on your mastery of this skill, the transformation can become unstable.
Required Mana: 0 Cooldown: 180 seconds
Thank god, Yongsun thinks with a smile, I just need to master this skill and I'll be able to hide… this.
Demon King (Lvl. Max / 100%)
The Crown lies in your head, not only you're able to command other demons, but you're the epitome of your race. Any order you give to another demon will be followed regardless of individual will, you can mark your loyal followers allowing them to become more powerful and your power growth is endless.
Don't forget that with the crown responsibilities follow.
This is a passive skill, always active and due to the mastery there is no Cooldown or Mana Cost.
So I'm really the demon King, the realization doesn't make the man happy, he's not ready to rule over a whole species.
Soul Link (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Some look for eternity, but you're lucky enough to have a skill to aid you! Having another soul link with yours is rare, as you fill up your skill, you'll be able to see your link more strongly.
Being close to your link will fill the skill %. When you're close to your link all your stats will increase by 20 points and your skills will have their cool down reset by physical contact.
Link Name: Not found yet.
Required Mana: 0 Cool down: 0
This skill makes Yongsun pause for a moment, he reads the description a few more times before opening a big smile. In reality, beyond being an idol, he has another dream, an intangible dream he put on the background for his career. The dream of finding his soulmate, and now, here it is a skill that gives him that, a soulmate. His very own other half.
And he must make a choice. To be an idol is to commit to being single, after all an idol's lover is their fans, one dream must go for the other to shine.
Well…
Six years is good enough, no?
I can take a role in my father's company…
I should buy a pink diamond for the wedding ring…
My brother had a craftsman do his, maybe I can get their contact…
As one might figure it out by now, Yongsun is a romantic, a dreamer and a naive one at that. His dream of being a hit idol had been fulfilled and even if he wanted to do this for more 10 to 20 years before retiring, he now not only has a good motive - the Tower of Life - but also he has a new goal. Frickle as it may sound, for someone desperate to keep his career afloat, however he made a promise to himself all those years ago when he watched his first romance movie, that when he finds his soulmate, he'll dedicate his life and soul to them, not only because it's a rare encounter, but because to love and to be loved is the most beautiful emotion a human can experience.
Well, half-human now.
Dark Manipulation (Lvl. 3 / 0%)
A power suiting of the Demon King, you're able to manipulate dark matter to the limits of your imagination. The world is your playground and where there is light it'll be darkness, use your surroundings and your soul to dominate battlefields!
Required Mana: 15-40 Cooldown: 240 seconds
Master of the Masks (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
As an idol you were surrounded by those with dark intent, and now as a King you must keep a poker face even when encountering your biggest fears. The more you master this skill, the less you'll be surprised even when your closest friends stab you in the back.
This skill will automatically activate when the user experiences a big shift of emotion.
This skill doesn't work on your Soul Link.
Required Mana: 100 Cooldown: 62 hours
Stage Presence (Lvl. Max / 100%)
You made history as the first K-Pop star to be known even in small country cities and remote communities, you're a star through and through. Wherever you are you're the center of attention, and what you do will become reference to those watching you. You're influence itself.
This is a passive skill and doesn't have a Mana Cost.
This skill doesn't work on your Soul Link.
Skills are based on my experiences, personality and class, he observes as the clock on the first floor comes closer to zero. Yongsun sighs, warming himself up. Well, let's see how I hold up on this floor.
It all happened too fast for even the man himself to understand what he did, the timer came to zero, Yongsun took three steps forward, touching the cold stone wall of the maze and then he just punched it, barehanded. A wall of smoke appears where used to be the maze wall, and once the smoke subsides, he stares beyond, where a frozen ballroom is, he destroyed fifteen walls with one punch. This is insane.
Even if he wishes to say it may be the basic power level, it doesn't make sense, since the floor wouldn't be designed to be this easy. He leaves the maze, which is now only a pile of rubble, and enters the ballroom, completing the first floor in exactly 2 minutes and 23 seconds. Ranking first in the entire world.
And like that the endless wait for the second floor began.
✴
"Nice to meet you!" Yongsun's tone is energetic and he seems excited to meet Rowan, his smile is bright and his eyes show no animosity. He extends his hand and Rowan takes it. "I'm Yoon Yongsun, and I'm 22!"
"Rowan Lewis, 20", he answers shortly, trying not to share too much with the stranger. But the Tower has other plans as another pink screen appears in front of the two men.
Congratulations for touching your Soul Link for the first time!
Soul Link registered: Yoon Yong-sun
Soul Link (Lvl. 0 → 1 / 0% → 50%) ↑UP
Rewards:
Link Ring
Luck 7 → 10 ↑UP
Temporary buff due to contact: +20 in all stats, +30% Spirit Gauge
He gasps loudly as he reads the rewards, for someone in the single digits of stats, a 20 points increase is insane and not only that but 30% on his spirit gauge? But that's only when we're together, he notes. He's dangerous, the spirit comments, too powerful, it completes, taking flight and going away to scout the ballroom. Rowan takes the spirit's words at face value, after all it's a being way smarter than him. Still, if they're linked by a skill that interferes even in the floors they partake in, then avoiding the man isn't the answer.
"I guess this is basically a couple's ring", Yongsun's comment brings Rowan back to reality, he stares at the man for a moment, slowly realizing what he said, opening his own inventory to look at the new item.
Link Ring (Unique)
The shape of your connection that transcends time and space. While wearing the item you'll be able to "feel" and "understand" your other half even when you're apart!
Effects: +6 CONS +10 MANA
You'll be able to teleport to your Link's location upon activation. Required Mana: 30 Cooldown: 3 weeks
Penalty: If one of the users of the Ring comes in close proximity to someone that threatens the Links relationship, the Ring will issue a penalty, halving the user's mana and constitution.
Basically, don't cheat and you'll have awesome perks. Rowan scoffs while reading the item's description, it's basically a marriage ring, he can't use that, not only he'll be trapped to someone he doesn't know but also he'll be punished by others feelings towards him. And it's not like I can read people's minds to find out their intentions towards me.
Yongsun on the other hand has already put the ring on and is smiling brightly. He doesn't even know who I am, how can it be that he's this excited? Rowan doesn't want to put the ring on, but the stats are tempting and right now he isn't in a position to be picky. I can just take it off later, right? He wonders, staring at the ring, the design is simple, a gold ring with a small red gem in the middle of it. What if I put it on and can't take it off later?
"Are you worried about the penalty?" Yongsun asks, he approaches Rowan, their shoulders touching slightly, the 20 year-old feeling a small electric current traveling through his body because of the man's touch, his cheeks turning a faint tone of pink as he feels warmer. Is this because of the skill? "Don't worry you can take it off", the man demonstrates as he takes off his own ring. Rowan nods, putting his own, receiving a message about his stats going up.
At first he didn't understand what the ring meant about understanding how the other feels, but once he put it on he understood. His own feelings of worry, doubt and suspicion are still there, but there's also a faint feeling of excitement he only can assume is Yongsun's, as the feeling doesn't feel real, as if it's being relayed to him artificially.
"Does this mean we're dating?" Yongsun's question is accompanied by a feeling of happiness and anxiety, Rowan stares at the man, noticing their differences, in stature, demeanor and style. While he's wearing an old hoodie, jeans and incredibly uncomfortable old shoes, Yongsun is wearing a white shirt, leather pants and shoes that look even more uncomfortable than Rowan's, and he's also wearing a jeans jacket with a drawing on its back, showing horns surrounded by red fire. He must be some sort of rockstar, Rowan thinks, incredibly wrong. But it isn't Yongsun's fault that those were the clothes the system gave him in pity of his ripped ones, his shoes being the only things he managed to save.
In Rowan's eyes, the K-Pop star is some sort of rockstar celebrity with bad taste for clothes, and in Yongsun's eyes, the blonde, slightly tanned and casual Rowan seems like those stereotypical surfers he saw in western movies. Not that he was completely wrong.
Wait.
How can I understand him?
I don't speak Korean and he's not speaking English.
Due to your Soul Link skill, you're able to understand each other even without the knowledge of each other's language.
The system pops up, as if reading Rowan's mind. So I don't exactly know how to speak Korean, I just can understand him in specific. "Do you speak English?" Rowan asks, backing off from Yongsun, keeping a small distance.
"A little" The man answers in English, tumbling a little in his pronunciation. "I made a few shows in America and England", his vocabulary isn't bad, his pronunciation could have some improvement. "Funny enough I can understand you perfectly, though", he goes back to speaking Korean, Rowan nods.
"It's because of our skill, I don't speak Korean but I can understand you". Rowan wants to test more things, to fully understand the extent of the 'Soul Link' skill, it clearly is something in the play of soulmates, the system pushing them towards a romantic relationship.
The thing is, Rowan never had one before, not because he wasn't interested, but because human relationships are hard for him. One would expect traveling the world and experiencing different cultures would make him an extrovert or with a big friendship pool. They couldn't be more wrong, he didn't go out on vacations, he went to warzones, he spent his childhood in rundown airplanes, isolated forests and dangerous deserts. He accompanied his mother to situations where no one sane would take a child. Suffice to say that his mother wasn't sane.
His first memory of his mother was when he was 5 years old, and she showed him an animal cruelty documentary she partook on. He threw up for hours afterwards and didn't eat meat for three years, until they went to an African tribe that ate animals they hunt. He learned how to skin an animal there and also saw violence in person for the first time, during a civil war when some child was shot meters away from him.
At eight years old.
If his mother wasn't dead, Rowan would say that she's the worst mother one could have. But as the woman died pursuing her ambitious work, all he can say is that she was unusual and that his childhood was different from most.
After long, he still can't shake the nightmares, even if his brain became dull to the atrocities he experienced.
His moment of reminisce is interrupted by the start of the floor 2 challenge.
Floor 2
Objective: Prevent the poisoning of the Crown Prince.
Side Objective: Don't be exposed as an outsider.
Floor rating: Hard
Participants: 2
Reward: +3 random stat points, 1 rare equipment, 3 food items, 1 bottle of lukewarm water and 70 gold.
Time until the end of challenge: 12:00:00
There's more description this time, it also shows the rewards beforehand. Rowan notices, the ballroom becomes colder, as if the time starts ticking around them, a small light surrounds the two men, and when it fades, they're wearing completely different clothes.
Rowan is wearing a full black suit set without a tie and the vest is of a dark green tone, matching the emerald cufflinks. His slightly long blonde hair is slicked back with the help of a mousse and he can smell the faint musk perfume in him. I also feel refreshed, as if I just took a shower. He turns to see Yongsun, his breath becoming slightly unstable, he can not only feel his own surprise and mesmerizing, but also the man's attraction as his dark black eyes stare at him intensely.
Yongsun's clothes are more what Rowan would imagine a high-ranking general would wear, a fully button up tight white shirt with golden buttons, a black coat with similar gold adornments and buttons, a red scarf bringing elegance to his appearance, and white pants, his black boots also match the overall vibe. The man's permed red hair is styled back, just like Rowan's, but instead of making him look like a stuck-up noble, he looks like a cold general. Proving Rowan's thoughts, on the left side of Yongsun's coat there is something he assumes to be a star shaped medal.
To ensure your immersion on the challenge, you were assigned a role:
Name: Rowan Cooper
Role: Count and Wine Merchant
Partner: Charles Fletcher
Status: Engaged
Family: None
My name is the same, but who the fuck is Charles Fletcher? Rowan looks at Yongsun, who's staring into the air with a puzzled expression, he assumes that the man just received his role as well.
And he would be correct, but Yongsun's expression isn't due to his role, but the fact that he isn't sure if he can portray it well. I'm glad I'm his partner, but why did the system make me a swordmaster? I never used a sword before…
To ensure your immersion on the challenge, you were assigned a role:
Name: Charles Fletcher
Role: Royal General, Sixth Prince and Swordmaster
Partner: Rowan Cooper
Status: Engaged
Family: Five older brothers, a father and two stepmothers.
Surely being a royal makes the goal of the floor easier to achieve, but what's bothering him isn't only his role of swordmaster but also the floor's classification, it wouldn't be hard if him being a prince would help their goal.
Maybe my relationship with the Crown Prince is the challenge, he figures it out, he sighs and then looks at his partner, Rowan is staring at him with a curious expression. I'm glad my soulmate is totally my type. Not only by appearance, but also the way Rowan acts aloof and detached, Yongsun never cared much about gender or sexuality, but he always liked the clueless characters the most, and in his eyes, Rowan is exactly like that.
Him being a westerner will probably anger my fans and my family, but I guess once I decided to follow my other dream from now on, I let go of those relationships. He's being hasty, but incorrigible romantics tend to be like that, especially the naive ones.
"I guess I have a western name now", Yongsun comments jokingly. "But I don't think Charles matches me", Rowan smiles softly with the comment.
"I think your name matches you well enough, this is just a fictional situation", his comment sounds as if Rowan likes Yongsun's name, but the man knows that it's just his delusion talking. Not that he minds feeding his own delusions. "What's your role? I'm a count and merchant", he continues, trying to figure out their situation.
Yongsun finds Rowan's resolve cute. Even if they're almost the same height, the 22 year-old is definitely bulkier, he has the perfect appearance for a general, and Rowan with his more lean muscles fairs well as a merchant. Not that Yongsun was originally this muscular, all due to his class characteristics, not that he's willing to tell the others about that. He likes that he can wrap his arms around Rowan, he likes that he's slightly taller and bulkier, it feeds into his fantasies. He still hasn't made a move on the man, but the idea of touching him is exhilarating.
A characteristic of his class that Yongsun hasn't yet realized is that demons tend to be naturally possessive towards what they see as theirs, and as the Demon King, his is maximized, so his delusions of embracing Rowan and enveloping the man's existence with his own, isn't just his romantic side speaking, but also his demonic one starting to flourish.
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YONGSUN'S STATUS WINDOW
Name: Yoon Yong-sun
Age: 22 years 0 months 4 days
Race: Hybrid (Human/Demon)
Class: Demon King
Familiar: Not yet acquired
Titles: The First Half-Human Demon King; Young Master of the Yoon Family; Visual of TEMPEST.
Affiliation: TEMPEST; Hell.
Soul Link: Rowan Emrys Lewis
Water coins: 0
Fire coins: 0
Corruption Gauge: 67%
Stats:
STR: 120 (+20) INT: 12 (+20) DEX: 70 (+20) LUCK: 32 (+20) CHA: 110 (+20) CON: 76 (+20) MANA: 220 (+20)
Skills:
Transformation (Lvl. 3 / 0%)
Demon King (Lvl. Max / 100%)
Soul Link (Lvl. 1 / 50%)
Dark Manipulation (Lvl. 3 / 0%)
Master of the Masks (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
Stage Presence (Lvl. Max / 100%)