The swirling sensation of teleportation vanished as Gojo's boots landed on the cool, polished floor of a massive chamber. The ceiling stretched far overhead, glowing orbs lighting the metallic surfaces in a pale, steady glow. All around him, dozens of Regulars materialized—some coughing, others wide-eyed as they processed the sudden change in scenery.
Evankhell's Mothership.
Gojo's senses flared as the thick Shinsu in the air caressed his skin, wrapping around him like water. It was dense. Alive. Everything here screamed pressure—and potential.
A blur of movement behind him signaled the arrival of his teammates. Chrollo appeared in a shimmer of light, adjusting his black coat as if unaffected by the shift. Not long after, Sauron landed with a grunt, cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck.
"Remind me never to get used to teleportation," Sauron muttered, his crimson hair falling over his shoulder in a loose braid.
Gojo let out a quiet chuckle. "You're in the Tower now. Get used to things getting worse."
They began moving toward the outer edge of the room, away from the bulk of shouting Regulars forming cliques or getting into arguments. The chaos was immediate—loud, desperate, chaotic. Exactly what the administrators wanted. It would thin the herd.
"Quite the menagerie," Chrollo murmured, scanning the crowd with lazy eyes. "We've barely begun, and people are already baring their fangs."
Gojo's eyes drifted toward a particularly loud corner of the room. He saw two girls 'bullying' a guy whose is sleeping, A guy in a tracksuit was arguing with a tall, crocodilian humanoid. A little further off, a blue-haired boy stood with arms folded, watching the commotion with calculated interest.
Khun Aguero Agnes… and Rak Wraithraiser. Then… that must be Baam.
Gojo's eyes lingered on the brown-haired boy standing behind them, clearly confused and out of place. Even without activating his senses, Gojo could feel it—the subtle pull of something ancient. Dormant, but massive.
"Alright," Sauron said, crossing his arms as they reached a quiet alcove. "Before we get dragged into whatever trial this ship's got planned, we should at least know what the hell we're working with."
Chrollo tilted his head slightly. "Information exchange already? How responsible of you."
"Better now than mid-battle," Gojo agreed. "We don't need life stories. Just enough to know you won't stab me when I blink."
Sauron chuckled. "Fine by me."
He leaned back against the wall and began. "I'm from a settlement near the Outer Tower's third testing ward. That place doesn't raise children—it sharpens weapons. My entire class was part of a program designed to produce mercenaries. Fifty entered. Five made it past sixteen. I was the last one standing."
He paused, fingers flexing. "I didn't climb the Tower for some grand purpose. I came to bury the people who built that place."
Gojo's gaze lingered on Sauron for a moment longer. No lies. Just steel.
Chrollo gave a low hum. "As poetic as it is bloody. I suppose I'll match you in honesty."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a thin, metallic card etched with silver ink. "This was once a credential for a hidden guild of data smugglers . We collected forbidden techniques, ancient manuals—anything the Tower tried to forget."
He flipped the card once. "Until the higher ups came across something that got our whole guild razed down. I survived by selling out the rest."
Sauron raised an eyebrow. "Cold."
"Necessary," Chrollo replied, slipping the card away.
They both turned to Gojo.
"My background's less dramatic," Gojo said, lying smoothly. "Family got wiped out in a border raid when I was a kid. I ended up working odd jobs. Picked up some dirty tricks, slipped into a testing line."
He smiled. "Now I'm here."
A fabricated tale, but rooted in believable tragedy. Though they doubted personal of such strength to have a 'empty' background nevertheless neither of his teammates pressed him further.
"Then we're all ghosts of something," Sauron muttered in a low voice.
⸻
Their conversation faded into the background as another uproar broke out near the center of the room. Regulars had started to argue again, forming alliances, threatening one another. Like Rak was loudly declaring himself the leader of all turtle-folk. In front of him, Gojo saw Hatz the swordsman and Shibusu conversing about the people that made it here.
Then Gojo's gaze settled once more on Baam.
Even now, the boy looked lost, overwhelmed.
"He's the storm waiting to happen," Gojo murmured under his breath.
"Who?" Chrollo asked, following his gaze trying to guess.
"No one you need to worry about," Gojo said, his smile faint.
Suddenly Hatz who was in front of him got his top pulled by a red-hair,red skin alien who was practically shout his throat out.
"Finally !! I gotcha !!"— he exclaimed
I am gonna kill you for what you have done to my arm stated the red haired alien .
Meanwhile his fellow so called teammate was trying to mediate the arguement between them.
Suddenly,
WHOA!WHOAWHOA! Regulars these days…not listening to my words—
Before any of them could comprehend, footsteps surrounded the chamber. It was subtle at first—But it spread out loud, commanding silence.
A man walked in. Blond hair, simple clothing. A laid-back smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Lero-Ro.
A Ranker.
Gojo immediately shifted focus—not with his body, but with his senses. Shinsu around Lero-Ro moved differently. Where others shaped it like clay, he was the clay. The current bent to his presence.
So this is a Ranker…
Who's this guy?He looks like a cricket!
Do u wanna die too huh??— exclaimed that red skinned moron
"Hey there," Lero-Ro said, voice clear and casual. "I'm Lero-Ro, and I am the test administrator for this round of the test."
Hearing that Several Regulars started to murmur.
The test admistrator? That means is he a ranker? A guy exclaimed in a fearful voice.
"Yes—I am a ranker of the tower"replied lero-ro.
His answer set a wave of panic through the crowd.
Lero-Ro smiled. "So now for the test. Those who can't pass it alone will be disqualified along with their respective teammates"
His words caused panic and firther chaos as many voiced their counter opinions..
Ignoring all those shouts he stated—
"Let's begin.
Suddenly a shockwave rippled outward. Shinsu flooded the chamber, forming a translucent dome that expanded slowly until it encompassed the entire centeral space forming a veil.
Then it pulsed.
Hardened.
A wall of raw Shinsu crashed outward, slamming into the Regulars like a physical force. Screams echoed as dozens were thrown back. Some collapsed immediately, overwhelmed by the sudden weight. Others clutched their heads, as they were thrown out of the way.
Sauron gritted his teeth as the wall struck him. "Shit—that's intense."
"Shinsu wall," Chrollo said, eyes narrowing. "Testing innate compatibility and resistance."
As soon as he said that, he turned to see where Gojo was previously standing just to see him absent.
That's when Sauron shouted in an almost disbelief voice.
Heyy! Look at the center!!.
⸻
As the Shinsu wall rippled across the chamber, a wave of gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd. Lero-Ro's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight before him: Baam and Gojo standing unscathed at the center, untouched by the overwhelming pressure that had repelled so many others.
Baam, with his characteristic innocence, looked up at Lero-Ro and asked, "Umm… Excuse me. I don't know why I didn't get pushed out. Did I pass?"
Noticing the silence—he broke down in sweat.
"I'm sorry!I will go back out!it's a test after all.
Lero-Ro blinked, momentarily taken aback. Before he could respond, another voice chimed in, laced with smugness.
"Ahem! You shouldn't forget about me also," Gojo said, adjusting his blindfold with a grin.
The Ranker's gaze shifted between the two, clearly intrigued. "Interesting," he murmured. He hadn't anticipated such anomalies. Baam's effortless passage was one thing, but Gojo's also in this mix added another layer of complexity.
"Well," Lero-Ro began, addressing both, "i guess I messed up and also seems luck is on your side . You both passed this test ."
The other regulars were fuming in anger. They thought, how did they get so lucky?
Of course some of the regulars could see that ,it was not the case…cause the teammates around them got pushed away. They were wondering who they were.
Chrollo figured that Gojo might be powerful but he did not expect the same thing for Baam. His thin figure spoke for itself. Sauron had an ugly face seeing that he boasted saying he was gonna be strongest whereas being pushed back by the wall and now seeing a literal baby making it through without issues.
As Gojo and baam were standing a few feet apart,Lero-ro approached them and said " You guys wanna chat? It will be for a while before others can make it through."
Gojo responded first- "Definitely".
Baam also chimed in a response " Sir, I have some questions to ask, is it possible ?"
Lero-do wasn't surprised at the fact that a ranker was being asked questions considering he had already climbed the tower and the others just begun.
To make it interesting, he stated "alright! How about we play a game? Let guess who will pass the barrier first. If I get it right you guys will answer one question of mine and viceversa."
To his statement Gojo replied "well I am interested in your game but count me out"
Lero-ro was puzzled by his sudden rejection but nonetheless Baam nodded in approval.
Okay!I choose the green girl. Her name is Anaak." Replied Lero-ro first
"Your turn baam"
"I also choose that girl"
"Any reason why"
"Just an inkling" Baam replied with a thoughtful gaze.
Gojo was really facing boredom cause he has seen this scene countless times reading through the manwha.
From the moment he stepped into the second floor he could see while they may be people that can put up a close fight with him now, these people will be outclassed by him soon as he settles into this new and Bizzare world.
It's not arrogance. It's just a fact.
Even the ranker beside him, hadn't made him waver. It's not because of six eyes, yes it played its part but something else, something deep within him said so.
"This body, its mysteries is as deep as the tower it seems"— he thought to himself.
"I have to take one step at a time for now".
Suddenly,
To his surprise the first person through the barrier was not Anaak.
It was Chrollo .
Now that suprised all three of them.
Seeing chrollo crossing over with little to zero shinsu resistance , Gojo grinned menacingly—
"Things have gotten a lot more interesting.
Maybe …just maybe
This climb may not be boring at all.."