⚠︎ This chapter has mentions of gore, death and other topics that might be disturbing to some readers, and it also contains sexual language.
♬ Siren - Lilith Max ♬
''There's a lot humans are capable of doing for the sake of their own survival and greed. So pay attention to your surroundings Rowan, watch how everyone runs around flaunting their power for the sake of someone else that has even more power than them. Watch how truly and utterly pathetic us humans are''.
Life can become harder before becoming easier, and Rowan's life is about to be extremely harder because of Yongsun. Not that he knows that yet.
Yoon Yongsun is the idol of a generation, his name is known across the globe by everyone who even remotely owns a cellphone with internet connection, he's the youngest member of a seven-member K-Pop boygroup. From 16 to 22 he worked hard to become the perfect performer he is today, and although his group members strongly dislike him due to his privileged background, he prevailed, always with a smile on his face and no impure thoughts.
It's hard to imagine a 22 year-old as naive as Yongsun, but he was extremely sheltered, and his family even surrounded him by those who'll purposely blind him to the ugly truth of the world. Even so, all of their efforts were in vain, because now, Yoon Yongsun is the opposite of naive and pure, he is, quite literally the Demon King.
Even if he wished to remain the purest, even a little, his own nature changed, and it's hard to fight one's instincts. The moment Yongsun's hand touched Rowan's arm and their eyes met inside that ballroom, his brain was filled with the most impure thoughts possible.
From fucking the man right then right there to killing everyone there so no one touches him. An obsessive behaviour fed by the Tower's System, constantly reminding them that they're connected by far more than mere feelings, their souls are interlaced by destiny. Some might say to fight destiny, but the word itself means something that it's impossible to fight.
DESTINY noun
The things that will happen in the future; The force that some people think controls what happens in the future, and is outside human control;
So that's exactly it, if destiny is something bound to happen, why not rejoice yourself in it? In the universe screaming to you that you belong to each other, that eventually you'll love each other. There's beauty in what you can't control. That's exactly what Yongsun is thinking right now, yet just moments ago he was intensely fighting destiny in his head because of his class and inevitable future as Demon King.
As one might say, hypocrisy at its highest.
Not that the Demon King cares if he's a hypocrite or not, so in a point of view, Yongsun is acting exactly as expected of him.
In the end, the archangel of Stormies - as the fans of his group, TEMPEST, are called - is now completely gone, and his pristine heart is tainted. 79% tainted, to be exact.
While Yongsun is going through this turmoil of emotions, Rowan is completely focused on the floor's mission at hand. Finding it weird how suddenly the man appeared behind him. His presence wasn't announced, which was weird as he's supposed to be both the main character of the night and a Prince, that was the first thing Rowan noticed when Youngsun approached him in the ballroom. The second was the floating information above his head that wasn't there before.
Yoon Yong-sun
Fire and Water Streamer Name: Demon King
Class: Hidden
That information isn't much, yet say too much, that Yongsun opted in for the streams, which he didn't but Rowan doesn't know that, and that his class is hidden by the system.
Another thing Rowan notices is the intense shift in Yongsun's emotions when their eyes met. First the man was restless and angry, almost bursting, his emotions strong enough to bother Rowan, yet the moment Rowan's hazel eyes met Yongsun's black ones, a surge of another strong and annoying emotion overflowed.
Lust.
Intense and burning lust.
A feeling that prickles Rowan's skin from inside out, warmth overtaking his senses and if he wasn't an over-thinker by nature and let his feelings dominate him he might've kissed the stranger right there.
But that is what Yongsun is to Rowan now.
A stranger.
One that the universe seems to be saying is his soulmate.
Something he isn't sure even if he should have. As he is just like his mother, unable to be good for someone, a good friend, a good lover or even a good son.
Rowan learned from the best on how to be his very worst.
He shouldn't even consider using Yongsun as a pet dog, putting a leash in a human that acts too much on his instincts, yet here he is, feeling how the man lusts for him and his first thought is to accept this feeling and use their joint skill to the fullest.
So that he can survive this floor just like he did in the previous.
He can't die right now.
Not when he survived no man lands, not when he, at 14 had a surgery on his leg to remove a piece of a bomb that went off just far enough to not kill him.
Contrary to Yongsun, when Rowan entered the ballroom, his name was formally announced, by his side his attendants were well received and treated like royalty, merchants and nobles instantly surrounded him, congratulating him for the engagement, never mentioning his fiance by name, or even attempting to. The atmosphere just felt… off, as if they're trying to blindsight him, make the man blind to the mistreatment of his soon to be husband, the way they trail off before mentioning the Prince, how they advert their eyes when Rowan asks an uncomfortable question or even when the royal family entrance was announced, and his fiance was nowhere to be seen.
As if he barely even exists.
If I was going to poison the Crown Prince, the best scapegoat would be an estranged Prince and his rich foreign fiance. Rowan thinks, fighting strongly the overwhelming emotions coming from Yongsun as he looks around, sometimes being an anxious overthinker, pays off, sometimes. Maybe the situation at hand calls for some desperation as Rowan notices how everyone is dancing way too close to him, the couples even occasionally bumping into the supposed Prince, without even apologizing. This feels like a huge trap. He thinks again, not noticing Yongsun interlocking their fingers, as he's busy searching for the Crown Prince.
Compared to Yongsun, most humans would be ugly, as his appearance was curated to perfection during his years as an idol, his family being composed of good-looking people also helped as he never needed plastic surgery like his peers. So when Rowan saw the royal family entering the ballroom he couldn't help but feel the urge to laugh, no one would even begin to guess the Prince was related to them, and maybe that's why he's so despised.
The Crown Prince is exactly how Rowan imagined Princes back in the XIV century to be, overpompous appearance, overuse of makeup and his hair was swamped in a substance to keep it ''neat'', from afar he could smell the man's cologne. He wasn't the ugliest person Rowan ever saw, no, but he had no distinctive features that one could even call pretty. The man was also feasting in the corner of the ballroom, his makeup becoming smudged, making Yongsun look even more noble by comparison.
Another couple bumps into them, making Rowan land in Yongsun's chest; he can hear the man's heart beating erratically. His eyes go up to stare into the man's, his face flushed and his breathing is loud enough for Rowan to hear, if those weren't enough signs, the constant flow of different artificial emotions he's feeling, are.
''Yongsun, you need to focus'', he finally speaks, whispering to the man in front of him who's about to burst. Yongsun's eyes that are usually like two obsidians are now shining with a hint of red, surprising Rowan. ''Take a deep breath, we have five hours left to finish this floor!'' His words are firm, yet they're not enough to bring the man back to reality. The feeling of lust only intensifies, Rowan's blood rushing to the wrong place with the new wave of emotion that overtakes him, his eyes going down to look at Yongsun's overly tight pants that are highlighting the man's… impossible size. I don't even want to begin to know what he's thinking, Rowan thinks to himself with a sigh, unsure of what to do to make the man stop his thoughts and overwhelming emotions.
Master, you need to focus, there's something wrong in this place, Cello's voice rings in his head as the hummingbird flies above his head, scouting the ballroom. There's someone suspicious in the corner there, the spirit points out, making Rowan turn his attention to where it pointed, his face flushed and the discomfort in his pants attempting to take over his senses, after complaining so much in his head about the prickling veil he's glad about it, for hiding his own overestimulated expression.
At the corner of the ballroom is standing the same men that spoke to them earlier that day, Yongsun's play pretend Uncle, and on his hand there is an unusual artifact glowing in a weird color. If the culprit is so easily spotted why is this floor categorized as hard? Rowan wonders, feeling the burning touch of Yongsun trailing from his hand to his arm. I can't fucking think like this, he yells inside his head, turning his attention back to the man touching him, his eyes now completely red.
Another system warning popped in front of Rowan, as if to explain to him why the floor is hard. Not because of others, but purely because of who he was with.
Due to the effects of the skill 'Soul Link', you'll be inflicted with the abnormal status: aroused. If the abnormal status isn't quelled, you'll be further penalized.
Really? Right now? Rowan wants to laugh, the situation itself is abnormal. He wants to shake the man in front of him and yell that he has had enough, that he doesn't want this skill, doesn't matter how powerful it is. But then his rational steps in, reminding him that his skills by itself are weak, and that he might die for real if he doesn't keep a person as strong as Yongsun next to him, also the skill 'Soul Link' has no option to deactivate, being bound to them.
The leash he thought about putting on Yongsun in order to survive, is in both of them, and the one holding it is the system, and whoever it is that controls it.
He's moving, he'll leave the ballroom soon, Master, you should do something, Cello speaks again, snapping Rowan out of his own thoughts. What should I do? He panics, still unable to control the feelings that are slowly becoming less and less artificial. His own erection hurting in his pants.
A thought crosses his mind, something so silly that makes him want to bury himself in embarrassment, he recalls the books he had read in order to see how normal teenagers act, as he was homeschooled by his mother, never socializing with people his age. One of the books he read was some trashy romance where the main character constantly acted as a calming pill to the male lead, having to even stop the man from killing others for looking at her. Something at the time Rowan saw as stupid and unreal, not to say extremely toxic, as putting the sole reason why he wouldn't kill someone because the one he loves says so, as if his moral compass was broken. A human being whose moral compass is broken shouldn't seek it in love, should seek it in medication and therapy.
Yet right now, Rowan is considering using the same tactics as that main character, in a man who apparently doesn't know the time and place to be that aroused. ''Yongsun… If we don't focus right now, we'll die'', he starts, slowly, his breath unstable due to the abnormal effect, the man's eyes remain unfocused, his hands caressing Rowan's arm, yet his face slightly twitches. Rowan takes a deep breath, preparing himself to what he's about to say, his face becoming even redder. ''If you focus right now and stop whatever this is… I'll do anything you want once we're in a safe location'', he regrets his words, yet he acknowledges it was the only way as it successfully makes the man snap awake, the overwhelming feeling of lust slowly disappearing, and he's successful in quelling the swelling in his pants.
Abnormal status: aroused is successfully removed.
''Anything?'' Yongsun's voice is hoarse and his eyes are slowly going back to normal, his instincts fighting his rationale inside his head, the conflict being clear in his eyes. ''I wouldn't want to do anything you would dislike, though''.
That abnormal effect was something I disliked, Rowan thinks with a sigh. ''If it is something I dislike I'll tell you, let's focus right now, please''. His words sound like a plea, Yongsun nods, turning to look around in the ballroom. ''Remember your ''uncle''? He probably is the one trying to poison the Prince, all we need to do is fight this crowd and find him'', Rowan instructs, Yongsun grabs his hand, interlocking their fingers again, pushing him through the crowd, his touch is soft on his hand, yet by the pained face of the people who he's bumping to go forward, he seems to be quite rough with the others.
✴
TOL WATER STREAMING
Channel: Demon King
Spectators: 5,120,000
Donations: 874 coins
Live Chat:
MissLover: Ok, so while others are fighting literal monsters these two are playing house?
TEMPESTLOVER: Tbh, I have no idea what is happening anymore…
MissLover: Ur idol is almost humping another man in live stream so yeah.
TEMPESTLOVER: I didn't ask.
MissLover: Oh, but I tried to help you understand what is happening darling.
TEMPESTLOVER: …
UrMum: Disgusting.
UrMum: Homos
MissLover: We get it @UrMum, you're a homophobe, move on.
HelpMeFindMySister: Someone help me find my sister's channel, her name is Alala Boucher, she's only 19 and me and my family are worried about her well-being. If you find any information please contact me at XXX-XX-XXX.
Yongsun4EVER: @HelpMeFindMySister, stop flooding this here, we got the point, everyone has loved ones they're looking for, she could not even have the stream turned on.
HelpMeFindMySister: Sorry, our family is worried, and this is the 1st channel, so I'm hoping someone might know her here…
Yongsun4EVER: The chat is mostly koreans. How did you expect someone to know a french girl?
MissLover: I speak korean, french and english.
Yongsun4EVER: Nobody asked you, troll.
MissLover: Outch, that definitely didn't hurt.
MissLover: For your information, I know who Yongsun is talking to.
Yongsun4EVER: Who?
TEMPESTLOVER: WHO IT IS TELL USSS!!!!
Stormie23: How can you tell? Dude is completely blurred.
MissLover: His voice, duh, I was a student of his mother's.
Stormie23: You're just trolling
MissLover: Omg how did you know?
TEMPESTLOVER: …why doesn't this have a ban option?
HoonsWife: Because people are more worried about their loved ones dying to monsters than fighting trolls online?
UrMum: I hope he dies, then this livestream will end.
Stormie23: @UrMum, no one is forcing you to be here dude, fuck off
UrMum: At least I'm not inhaling copium to ignore the fact that my idol is having a hardon for another man.
MissLover: Damn.
MARRYME_YONGSUN: At least now we know it's true that Yongsun is packing…
MissLover: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH sHIT i'M CryiNG
HelpMeFindMySister: Someone help me find my sister's channel, her name is Alala Boucher, she's only 19 and me and my family are worried about her well-being. If you find any information please contact me at XXX-XX-XXX.
Stormie23: Can y'all stop? We're in 20XX, who cares if an idol is gay?
TEMPESTLOVER: …
MARRYME_YONGSUN: Well..
Stormie23: For real?
TEMPESTLOVER: I'm not homophobic, it's just that I never expected Yongsun from everyone being gay…
HoonsWife: Shipping Yongsun and Hoon was ok, but him ACTUALLY being gay, no?
TEMPESTLOVER: I never shipped anyone.
HoonsWife: What do ya want? An award? Seriously, what's the fucking point of being dispointed? Yongsun is in a literal death game and we're arguing if him being gay is bad or not?
HelpMeFindMySister: …Yeah I'll move to a different livestream, if anyone sees Alala, please contact me at XXX-XX-XXX.
HoonsWife: Look, we even scared the worried brother.
MARRYME_YONGSUN: The problem isn't him being gay, the problem is that if he's in a relationship that betrays his pact as an idol.
HoonsWife: Damn, ya'll are beyond delusional, and I thought I was far gone after having wet dreams with Hoon.
UrMum: No wonder, the idol is as disgusting as the fans.
HoonsWife: Ya never had a wet dream with real people?
UrMum: Can women even have wet dreams?
MissLover: Not only a homophobe but also a misogynist? Dang.
HoonsWife: 1st of all, not a woman, 2nd of all, dude go back to school please
UrMum: OH, OHHHH
UrMum: So you're gay, that's why you're defending the gays
HoonsWife: Suck my dick
MissLover: I'm definitely not a troll if y'all are for real
MARRYME_YONGSUN: WHAT DID THAT MAN JUST SAID????????????????
HoonsWife: He really used the teen romance trope and it worked wonders
Stormie23: Yongsun teen romance male lead confirmed
GhostAlias donated 200 coins: ''If they fuck in stream I'll donate all my savings''
Stormie23: Gross.
HoonsWife: Wow, I didn't know that you could donate and send messages.
Stormie23: It depends on the amount, from 200 coins up you can.
Stormie23: With 400 coins you can send an audio message and 1000 coins you can send a gift, I don't know how it is since no one ever did by far as I researched.
HoonsWife: Dude seriously spent 200 thousand dollars just to ask for porn?
GhostAlias: We're in the middle of the apocalypse, what else would I spend my money on?
UrMum: that's fair.
HoonsWife: @UrMum, are you here still hoping to see gay porn? I quite guessed you must be closeted.
UrMum: Fuck you homo.
HoonsWife: Nah sorry, only opening my ass up for Hoon.
Yongsun4EVER: This chat is simply hilarious, I'll keep supporting Yongsun regardless of his sexuality.
HoonsWife: Preach.
Stormie23: It seems that they just catched the villain of the mission.
Yongsun4EVER: Do we even know what their mission is?
Stormie23: No, we can only assume by their conversations.
TEMPEST_YEJOON: YONGSUN FIGHTING!
HoonsWife: Are all members here?
Stormie23: Not Hoon reading about your wet dreams while his groupmate is in a death game.
MissLover: Dang, does anyone know the number of that brother? Just found his sister.
Stormie23: For real?
MissLover: Yeah, found her in someone else's livestream, she's blurred but by the name I figured.
HoonsWife: I thought names were blurred as well.
MissLover: The ones in their head yeah, but not when they say.
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: Yongsun is gay?
TEMPESTLOVER: Not Hakyun finding out together with us, poor baby.
MissLover: Dude is 28, who's the baby?
Stormie23: Yes, Hakyun is so babygirl coded
MissLover: Y'all mentally ill.
HoonsWife: No shit
TEMPEST_HOON: Hakyun, please don't type things like that, we should just share positive thoughts to our youngest,
HoonsWife: HOON I LOVE YOU.
TEMPESTLOVER: Dude do you ever stop?
HoonsWife: Nah.
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: I support Yongsun, now I can say I have gay friends.
Stormie23: …
MissLover: DAMN
HoonsWife: Yongsun is the gay token of TEMPEST confirmed
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: I didn't mean that.
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: I support him.
HoonsWife: Hakyun stop talking please hahahaha
TEMPEST_HOON: We all support Yongsun, let's just cheer him on.
Stormie23: The leader in PR mode lmao
ANOTHERDay: Isn't that Rowan Lewis?
MissLover: Oh dang, so he IS Nicole Lewis son
ANOTHERDay: I knew I recognized his voice
MissLover: Dude went from his mother's shadow to another man's
ANOTHERDay: Don't say that… Didn't Nicole die recently?
MissLover: Nah, three years ago when a bomb went off in a conference she was in
ANOTHERDay: Brutal…
Stormie23: Stormies, I'm in search mode
Yongsun4EVER: Didn't expect any less from the fansite manager.
HoonsWife: Can't we just let the anon be anon?
MARRYME_YONGSUN: He should've been there with his mom
HoonsWife: Dude that's too far…
✴
After knocking Yongsun back to reality, it didn't take much to corner the suspicious man with the artifact, Rowan takes a sigh of relief once Yongsun has the man trapped in a corner at the ballroom, luckily enough, no one noticed the small altercation between them. However if they somehow catched their attention they might be exposed as outsiders, failing the quest.
''What's the meaning of this Count Cooper?'' The older man speaks, as he clumsily hides the artifact in his clothes, but Yongsun is quicker, grabbing the man's hand strongly before he's able to do so. ''Unhandle me at once, nephew, there's a limit to your transgressions''.
''May I inquire what this artifact is for?'' Rowan says, pointing to the metal piece in the man's hand, his hand turning purple by the sheer strength Yongsun was applying.
''Let me go first!'' the man yells.
''Answer him'', Yongsun says calmly, slightly twisting the man's hand, enough to cause pain but not enough to break it, causing him to yell again, this time with pain, catching the attention of those at the ball.
Great, Rowan thinks, annoyed.
''What's happening here?'' The Crown Prince appears, his mouth dirty from the jam in the scones he was eating previously, now that he's standing next to Yongsun, Rowan can notice that the man is inferior in every aspect, from his lack of muscles to his uneven facial proportions. ''Charles! Unhandle uncle right this instant!'' he orders, his voice is loud and shrieving.
Rowan rolls his eyes, by far the biggest difficulty there was how everyone is jumping the gun at Yongsun, as if he was an idiot. Yongsun lets go of his ''uncle's'' hand, wary of the consequences of not doing so for the floor's objective. Rowan is the one who speaks in his stead. ''Your highness, this man was carrying a suspicious device, Charles was simply inquiring about it'', with his words his attendants appeared next to him, as if they were waiting for this moment to appear. By the corner of his eye, Rowan notices the short attendant put something shiny in his pocket. Of course, he thinks, it's a classic betrayal.
''How dare you! This is an outrage! If anything, your attendants are more suspicious!'' The older man yells, as if everyone couldn't even hear him, catching the attention of the King who was sitting at his throne, above the ballroom and hadn't noticed the altercation before.
Bitch, Rowan thinks, anger overflowing inside him, his own and Yongsun's.
''W-What?'' His attendant stutters as knights surround him, as if they were ready to do so from the beginning. Even if this place isn't real, and we aren't really the people who have a connection with them, this is quite low.
Master… The fox resting on his neck raises its head, speaking sluggishly as if it just woke up. You should check your new skills. Nevi says, its eyes shining deeply as it stares at the older man. Rowan does as he's told, until now, the spirits seem to have his best interest in mind, for now at least.
Snowy Storm (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
To those who rule over the cold, this is a basic skill, summoning a snow storm in a small area, dealing AoE damage, the damage dealt is half of your strength and mana combined. The cold won't affect those who are in your party. The storm will last 30 seconds and if cast more than 2 times in a row it'll last 5 full minutes instead in the next cast.
Required Mana: 15 Cool down: 5 minutes
Sounds useful when I eventually fight many enemies, but not right now, Rowan thinks, selecting the next skill as the attendant is inquired by the knights handling him.
Through the Fox's Lies (Lvl. 0 / 0%)
One can't expect to fight a fox in its own game, by selecting a target cast this skill and make one spew all the hidden lies within their soul. If you target yourself, you'll be able to lie to anyone regardless of their set of skills or level for 15 minutes.
Required Mana: 40 Cool down: 6 hours
Rowan needs a moment after reading the skill, not only can he make people say the truth without bounds, but he can also cast the skill on himself and lie through his teeth without ever being caught. Why do I keep getting these skills? What makes me special to this system? He wonders, but the answer comes quicker than one might expect.
1 new spectator in your Fire Livestream
Total Number of viewers: 1
Would you like to activate the live chat?
Y/N
Oh so 1 god entered my stream right now? What are the chances? Rowan thinks again, staring at the message, if he accepts maybe he'll finally get some answers about the Tower, yet he can't help but wonder if it might be a trap.
1 viewer would like to message you.
Activate live chat?
Y/N
Another message, it seems that whoever it is, really wants to talk with Rowan, if he presses N, he might be losing an opportunity. And if I press Y I might be falling right into a trap, he thinks, conflicted, yet he presses Y either way, succumbing to his own curiosity.
TOL FIRE STREAMING
Channel: Overthinker
Spectators: 1
Donations: 0 coins
Live Chat:
God of Thoughts: Your mind is truly interesting, yet unremarkable, somehow your luck might be your best asset.
Rowan stares at the screen, before whispering. ''My luck is just 30, though''.
God of Thoughts: Hahaha, such a human mindset.
God of Thoughts: That's your luck inside the Tower, only.
God of Thoughts: The fact that your soul is connected to that one's is what makes you special.
God of Thoughts: Keep that in mind going forward, your luck is directly connected to him.
God of Thoughts donated 4 coins: ''Good luck not dying''.
God of Thoughts left your stream.
Current viewer count: 0
Does this mean that the gods are truly interested in our victory? Rowan wonders as he stares at the immovable screen, everything was so fast that he didn't even have the chance to ask a question to the god, why did he decide to talk with him? And why give him such valuable information? Could've been him the god behind the 'Overanalyzing' skill? Whichever answers he could've got, he won't be having any right now. Maybe all of this means that Yongsun is the main character of this story after all, and all I am is the support cast, and my skills being strong is due to the need of me to assist him.
That's both reassuring and sad. Being next to the main character can make or break you, and the idea of being just a side character is quite sad to think about.
Everyone is the main character of their own lives, at least that's what parents tell their children when they're having existential crises, and those words are the few that Rowan remembers ever exchanging with his father, he doesn't remember why or even how his father's face looked when he said that, yet those words stuck with him, even now, 15 years later.
However the truth is, that right now, Rowan is the side character in Yongsun's story, the love interest that exists solely for the main character, that if he doesn't fulfil his role he might perish with those who are just numbers in the story, to make the main character's even more impressive for surviving a truly cruel game.
''...I don't know what that is!'' The loud voice of his ''attendant'' catches Rowan's attention, snapping him back to the situation at hand. One of the knights handling the short man is with an empty vial in his hand, probably the shining object Rowan saw before.
''That's it, your highness!'' Yongsun's ''uncle'' yells again, laughing. ''The Count was using his attendants to poison you!'', Rowan almost laughs at the man's confidence, after all, there's nothing pointing out that the vial contained poison in the first place, their plan is lousy, he thinks, but everyone around him starts murmuring, the fact that he is engaged to the idiot Prince, is brought up as a fact that says he must've done it. The idiots are you, he thinks, opening his status window again, to see if his mana was replenished after using all day to send messages to Yongsun.
And thankfully it was, as thanks to the 'Soul Link' skill, he's currently with 41 mana, fully replenished. To use the skill, Rowan just has to imagine selecting the older man and activating the skill, like he would inside a game. The visual imagery in his brain assists with the skill activation, and in just a few seconds a message pops up.
Successfully activated the skill 'Through the Fox's Lies' on target 'Lion Fletcher'
''Please, as if I would have any interest in poisoning the Crown Prince, if anything you'd have more interest, no? As you're supporting the Second Prince'' Rowan says, not even sure if his words are correct, he's just trying to make the older man speak, so that the skill makes him speak the truth.
''Do you know how hard it was to get a mind control artifact?'' The older man starts to speak, by his expression he's surprised at his own words, yet seems unable to stop. ''I couldn't use in the Princes or the Count, but to make his attendants poison the scones was easy enough, and all I needed to do was accuse the idiot Prince and his fiance, and soon the Crown Prince would be dead and I would rule the Kingdom through the Second Prince as my puppet King'', he says all in one breath, his face turning red, the King seems angry as he whispers something to his knights, and the Crown Prince seems too stunned to say something.
Yongsun's gaze goes to Rowan, ''Did you do this?'' he asks in a whisper, and the man only nods.
''Your highness, as he just admitted to the crime, I must ask you to handle the matter with the discretion that it requires, especially considering that it is my dowry that is keeping this Kingdom afloat!'' Rowan says with a serious expression, he wants to laugh, but he remains serious, the conclusion is quite anticlimactic, yet he can't be more excited to be done with this floor, dealing with Yongsun was the challenge itself.
After the true culprit and his methods were announced, it didn't take long for the antidote to be administered to the Crown Prince and for the perpetrator to be arrested, the King even personally apologized to Rowan, not to Yongsun of course, as he remained invisible to those people. The man himself doesn't seem bothered, as he keeps staring at Rowan through it all. Then soon they have completed the second floor, with only 30 minutes left in the timer.
Congratulations! You managed to pass the 2nd floor challenge!
Rewards:
+3 random stat points
Brilliance Necklace (Rare)
1 half-eaten banana
2 open packs of jerky
1 bottle of lukewarm water
70 gold
Ha. That has to be a joke, all of the food items there are shit, but Rowan can't question much as he doesn't know how the other rewards are, and any food he gets he should be thankful for, as he doesn't know for how long he'll be inside the Tower. Yet he can't help the disappointment. He accesses 2 points towards his strength and 1 towards his mana, as those are stats he needs for the 'Snowy Storm' skill. He proceeds to check the necklace, it has a very plain design, just a silver chain, and the effects are quite simple as well, just like the introductory equipment you get when starting a new RPG game.
Brilliance Necklace (Rare)
+3 INT when equipped
Any stat is welcome, though, so Rowan puts the necklace on, seeing the message of the new stat raise pop up. He turns to Yongsun, also observing how everyone around them froze in time and their clothes went back to normal. ''What you got?'' His question was purely to see how the 'main character' set of rewards go, not to depress him further, yet it manages to do just that.
''Four ramen packets, six boiled eggs, eight lukewarm water bottles, random stats and a unique pair of earrings'', he pauses, retrieving the equipment from his inventory, giving it to Rowan. ''I don't need it, you can use it'', his words make Rowan snort, how are his stats that he doesn't need any unique equipment?
The basics for a main character sure is different.
Earrings of Blessings (Unique)
+12 CONS and +8 MANA when equipped
It's leagues better than Rowan's necklace, he never used earrings before, but he isn't about to skip such good effects for this little fact. The design of the earrings is simple, one is a small red stone, while the other is a small chain with a red star made of the same stone hanging at the end. ''Can you put it on for me?'' Rowan asks, aware that Yongsun is strong enough to use the earring to pierce his skin easily.
''I don't want to hurt you'', Yongsun says, apprehensive, Rowan rolls his eyes with a soft timid smile.
''It's okay, I need the stats'', he replies and the man nods, doing as he was requested, it only stang for a moment and there was no blood from the recently made wound, just redness around it. Thank god, Rowan thinks, as he was actually a little scared from the possibility of the pain.
He goes back to checking the other messages that popped up.
Spirit Gauge (Unique): 7% → 9% ↑UP
Through the Fox's Lies (Lvl. 0 / 0% → 30% ↑UP)
This is from using the skill earlier, it seems my spirit gauge also went up, thankfully. He thinks, moving on to the floor completion messages.
1,140,745,001 of 1,230,450,755 successfully passed the 2nd floor.
Your position is 1,103,001,004.
Your name wasn't registered in the Tower of Life.
You didn't have any remarkable achievements on the second floor.
Tower of Life Ranking
Yoon Yongsun (South Korea)Valeria Hendrix (United States of America)Kato Tsubaki (Japan)Katrina Kuznetsov (Russia) Alala Boucher (France)
Expand here to check ranks 6 to 100.
Second Floor Ranking
Valeria Hendrix (United States of America)Kato Tsubaki (Japan)Katrina Kuznetsov (Russia)William Miller (United States of America)Iara Pereira Santos (Brazil)
Expand here to check ranks 6 to 100.
Yongsun still being first in the Tower yet not ranking in the second floor is the most main character thing ever, Rowan thinks, disassociating Yongsun as a human to a character in a game makes it easier to swallow the fact that he's trapped with the stranger against his will.
When he closes the notification of the ranking, the synchronization of the next floor starts immediately, to his displeasement.
Synchronizing floor 3
You'll be matched with other 4 players
Please wait for a moment
The messages are similar to what he had before floor 2.
Starting floor 3
All injuries are healed through the pity of the gods that watch you.
A strong light surrounds him and he's transported to a forest this time, the hot and humid weather makes the arctic fox on his neck to squirm. Sorry Master, but I'm going away for a moment, the spirit says, displeased by the atmosphere and just like that it disappears, yet Rowan can still feel its presence inside his core at his wrist. The forest is dense and quiet, probably frozen in time like the ballroom.
Skill Soul Link interferes with the destiny calculator of floor 3.
Changes happened to your challenge
Challengers for floor 3: 1 of 2
Mode: Hard
Your other half will be transported to your location.
Just like in the previous floor, Yongsun appears next to him, as if he never left.
Floor 3
Objective: Defeat the Orc horde (0/500 killed)
Side Objective: Kill at least 1 Orc
Floor rating: Hard
Participants: 2
Reward: +5 random stat points, 1 rare equipment, 3 food items, 1 bottle of lukewarm water and 100 gold.
Time until the end of challenge: 2:00:00
Only two hours for two people to kill 500 orcs? Rowan stares in disbelief at the notification, even if he assumes Yongsun is strong enough to complete the floor, he isn't. If I need to kill 1 orc, I can let the others for him to kill, I can maybe ask him to let one almost dead for me?
Time until the beginning of Floor 3:
00:02:00
The countdown for the beginning starts, Rowan turns to Yongsun, who's blankly staring into thin air, probably also worried over the quest. However Rowan couldn't be more wrong, what Yongsun is staring at right now, is the live chat of both of his streams.
TOL WATER STREAMING
Channel: Demon King
Spectators: 6,002,111
Donations: 1200 coins
Stormie23: HI YONGSUN! CONGRATULATIONS FINISHING FLOOR 2!
HoonsWife: CONGRATULATIONS ON THE ENGAGEMENT
Yongsun4EVER: Shut up @HoonsWife
HoonsWife: Make me
Stormie23: Guys he's reading all this
HoonsWife: Dude there are 6 million people here, do you really think he can read our tiny conversation?
Stormie23: Considering we're writing in korean and he is, in fact, korean, yes I do think
HoonsWife: Tell him you were doxing his boyfriend then
Stormie23: They just met, they aren't dating
HoonsWife: You doxxed him nonetheless
Youngsun slowly reads the chat, he set it to be slower and only show messages in korean, he expected things to be like this to a certain extent, his fans going insane over every little thing he does, he and Rowan are a couple, but they don't know that, yet they're already attacking the man they don't even know. What would they do when they find out that Demon King isn't just an edgelord silly username?
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: Yongsun, I support you!
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: Gay away!
''Hyung, please stop commenting on the livestream'', Yongsun finally speaks, with a sigh, Hakyun's act of pretending to be cute and clueless always annoyed him, because in person the man is nothing like that. The fact that a scandal never broke off about him was a miracle as his second home was hostess clubs and he changed girlfriends like he changed shirts. Anything one might expect from an overly famous man, Hakyun checked every box. Drugs? He was always high. Women? He had a different one every night. Scams? He did them without remorse.
TEMPEST_HAKYUN: Sorry, I just want to cheer you on!
As if drawing attention to me being gay is helping me… Yongsun thinks. I'm not even gay, I just like Rowan…
''Who are you talking to?'' Rowan asks, coming closer, his face is pale and his blonde hair is being messed by the forest's wind, cute, Yongsun thinks.
''Livestream'', Yongsun answers, lowering himself a bit to rest his head on Rowan's shoulder, the contact makes the blonde one twitch but he doesn't move, allowing the man to indulge in the physical intimacy as much as he wants going as far as interlacing their fingers again so that they're holding hands.
HoonsWife: Yongsun, ask your bf to unblur himself!
TEMPEST_HOON: Yongsun, we'll be waiting for you, please stay strong!
Stormie23: Anyone that wants to donate to Yongsun send me a message at @YongsunSupport, we're joining hands to gather 200 coins to send him a loving message.
ANOTHERDay: Yongsun, tell Rowan that he just needs to remember what his mom taught him.
MissLover: Hahahaha, his mom is a legend.
''They're saying your mom is a legend'', Yongsun repeats the words he read, but he regrets doing so the moment a feeling of anxiety fills his being, coming from Rowan, the man steps away, stopping their contact.
''The floor starts in a few seconds, let's focus'', Rowan whispers, lost in his own thoughts.
''I'll turn off the chat now'', Yongsun says, turning the chat off immediately, not hanging up to see the goodbyes from his fans.
Rowan takes a deep breath, trying not to panic as the idea that people that know his mother are watching him right now drives him crazy with anxiety. ''We need to kill 500 orcs in 2 hours, but I'm weak'', he states.
''I'll kill them all, don't worry'', Yongsun says with a smile, he can feel his head becoming muddled as the corruption gauge rises, he's sure he'll transform once it reaches 100%, but he can't be sure, he just needs to focus until this is over, and he needs to protect Rowan as he does so.
''No'', Rowan shakes his head, grabbing a vine nearby, ripping it and using it to tie his blonde hair back. ''I need to partake in it, and kill at least 1, so try to weaken them so I can land a final blow to at least a weak one'', he says, trying to remain positive. His constitution is constantly lowering, even with the second floor completion heal he got.
Once the floor starts, Rowan feels silly for his worries, Yongsun was far stronger than the orcs. Whatever skill the man was using, was extremely strong as dark shadows surrounded the Orc horde and stabbed them. in the first five minutes, they had already killed 245 orcs, well, not they, Yongsun alone. Rowan who was behind the man activates his Bad Archery skill, the before compound bow is now a recurve bow, the arrows made of wind still sting him, but he's able to control it better than he did in the first floor, probably due to the skill leveling up. He shoots towards a few orcs, but isn't able to kill any.
That is until they have only sixteen left and Yongsun stops using his dark shadow skill, he turns to Rowan as they watch the orcs whimpering and attempting retreat. ''I'll weaken them and then you shoot'', he says with a smile, as if the situation isn't as gory as it can get, their feet drenched in orc blood and Rowan is pretty sure he stepped in an intestine a few moments ago.
Yongsun advances towards the sixteen orcs instead of staying back, he punches the orcs frantically, with a grin on his face, blood splattering all over his tacky clothes, in Rowan's eyes he looks like a true lunatic, enjoying beating monsters up, but he can't take long observing the man as he needs to focus on his own objective. He takes a deep breath, Cello lingering around him, bustling from the action, his metallic wings making noise in Rowan's ear. Can you stop? I'm trying to focus! He says to the hummingbird, taking position to shoot, just like he did before.
Sorry Master, your lover is quite entertaining to watch, the spirit comments, making Rowan scoff. He's not my lover, he says. That's not what it seems, the spirit says it back, Rowan ignores his words.
He focuses instead on the orcs whose numbers are rapidly declining, now only five remaining, their bodies disfigured from how much Yongsun beat them, one even crawling away as their legs were cut off with a single punch from the man. Just how strong he is? Rowan wonders, unable to sympathize with the orcs, the scene would be horrifying to anyone that hasn't seen someone blow to pieces before, sure Rowan finds the situation gross, but he isn't shocked by it.
Position.
Breath.
Shoot.
He hits the orc that was crawling away in its neck, making blood gush all over and the monster whimpering in pain. Shit, it wasn't enough, he thinks, preparing himself again.
Position.
Breath.
Shoot.
This time the arrow burnt through his skin as it left his fingers, he isn't sure if he'll be able to shoot another after this one, luckly for him, he's able to kill the orc.
Congratulations for landing the killing blow in an Orc (Lvl. 16)
You were awarded a great amount of EXP for killing a foe above your level!
Low-class Spirit Summoner (Lvl. 5 → 10↑UP)
I went up five levels for just landing the final blow? Just how much EXP did he get? Rowan wonders, surprised as he stares at Yongsun finishing off the last orcs. Once the man is next to him again, he can't help but ask. ''How much did you level up?'' His question confuses Yongsun.
''Nothing, I'm already max level?'' His answer is more of a question.
Rowan opens his mouth slightly, closing it immediately because of the stench of the orcs corpses around them. What is this? A 'Max-level at floor 1' type of novel? He questions himself, if it was he wouldn't be surprised, after all, he already knows Yongsun is the main character.
''Are you hurt anywhere?'' Yongsun asks, concern clear in his voice, Rowan shakes his head, making the man sigh with relief. ''I'm glad''.
And just like that they complete floor 3 easily, not that Rowan likes this situation much better, after all he always hated the battlefields, he might be insensitive to deaths now, but he still dislikes seeing it. Floor 4 and 5 weren't much different, the difficulty always being ramped up by Yongsun's presence, the rewards Rowan got weren't much better as well, but Yongsun kept giving him his equipment.
In Floor 4 they had to kill 1000 goblins, this time Rowan wasn't required to kill any, so Yongsun used his shadow skill, that Rowan learned is called 'Dark Manipulation', regardless the man managed to kill the goblins in even less time than the orcs as he used the skill at its maximum potential. Floor 5 they had to kill 600 mummies, which was harder, Rowan used his Snowy Storm skill, managing to kill a few, and Yongsun had to use his fists more than his skills. But they still managed to end the quest in less time than it was required to pass.
As expected, Rowan's rank didn't rise at all, as he was practically carried through the floors, while Yongsun remained Number 1 throughout.
''I want to take a shower'', Yongsun says with a sigh after killing the last mummy. Rowan nods, although their wounds are healed at the end of each floor, he still feels gross, his clothes are stained with the blood of those they killed, and the stench is unbearable. After surviving those three floors, Rowan can say that Yongsun is absolutely the strongest at the Tower, and he ended up accepting his role as his 'Soul Link'.
Although the idea of having a lover still doesn't sit well with him, sure that maybe he'll end up being one of those side characters that destroy the male lead so that he can become stronger.
What he does know is that he doesn't want to die, and having Yongsun's protection is a surefire way to do that. The fluctuation of emotions that Yongsun had at floor 2 is nowhere to be seen in the last floors, probably because they were missions with no other humans, or maybe because he saw killing those monsters as his mission to protect Rowan. Whichever the case, they were finally done.
At least for now.
Congratulations! You managed to pass the 5th floor challenge!
Rewards:
+6 random stat points
5 packs of ramen
2 bottles of lukewarm water
200 gold
1,000,001,000 of 1,100,000,014 successfully passed the 5th floor.
Your position is 501,000,254.
Your name wasn't registered in the Tower of Life.
You didn't have any remarkable achievements on the second floor.
From Floor 1 to 5, almost a billion people died, as if they were nothing, and towards the 100th floor, even more will die. That is the essence of the Tower of Life, how cruel, Rowan thinks.
Floor 6 will begin in 02:14:00:00
You'll be transferred to a neutral zone: Latri City in the Saari Kingdom
Two days of rest? Finally. Rowan thinks with relief, but then he remembers that he made a promise back on floor 2, a promise he'll have to keep if he wants to be next to the main character. He glances at Yongsun who's also looking at him, their eyes meeting. Before the light blinds them, Rowan can see something Yongsun never intended him to see.
After killing a lot of creatures it is no wonder his corruption gauge was so high, reaching 100% the moment before they finished floor 5, he holded the most he could, attempting to not transform in front of Rowan. Yet he failed to do so at the last second, being only able to turn off the streaming beforehand.
Yoon Yongsun's Demon King appearance manages to be even more breathtaking than his normal appearance. Rowan found the man attractive at first, sure, he was hot and conventionally attractive, but damn, making his wish come true now doesn't seem that jarring anymore.
The man was at least 10cm taller, his muscles that were already big were bulging as much as it was naturally possible, his previously clean skin was now partially darker as his veins became black, being visible through his skin, his red short hair that were clearly painted before is now as natural as it could be, his eyes matching his hair and his horns… damn those horns. If Rowan wasn't paralyzed by the teleportation he would've touched those horns. Shaped like a spiral and at least 20cm tall, its color is a mixture of black, red and beige. Besides those changes, Yongsun's current clothes also ripped slightly due to his growth and his nails grew to be in a sharper aspect and are also painted black.
He doesn't only look like a Demon King, he exudes an aura of such, something that was repressed by his 'Transformation' skill, if Rowan felt that pressure before he wouldn't have doubted the man's power. Although he isn't feeling as much pressure as other creatures would, unbeknownst to Rowan, the 'Soul Link' skill strongly diminishes the effects of the Demon King's powers on him.
Before Rowan can rejoice even more in the new appearance of his 'Soul Link', he is blinded by the teleportation light.