Tower of God: Overpowered MC

A light blue barrier with a thickness of 5 cm was erected all the way to the four corners of the room, not even leaving the slightest gap. In order to pass the test, regulars must walk in through the barrier without being repelled.

ZIP ZAP ZAP!

"This is..."

Someone poked the barrier, perhaps to test the water, but the results were unsatisfactory. His finger didn't penetrate it; instead, it was repelled by the lightning force.

Some people tried to brute force their way through, but the result is the same: they were blocked.

Several minutes have passed, but no one has entered the barrier yet. Shinso rested his at the top of his palm, observing them with boredom.

"It's useless... They cannot pass through it unless they force their way in. But to do so, the strength must be sufficient."

"Although I eliminated several teams, there are still more who barely succeed. However, it happens because I only choose one representative."

Shinso sighed in disappointment; they don't hold much potential, but—his gaze shifted to the next person trying to enter.

"Anaak Zahard..."

'The current strongest regular,' he mumbles, noting her figure.

Anaak Zahard has a bob cut of brown hair; the green color of her skin matches her lizard-like appearance. Just like him, she is also an enhancement type. But the most intriguing part about her is inheriting the same name as her mother, "Anaak Zahard."

A runaway princess possessing one of the 13-month series, Green April. Her fate is tragic; being hunted down by RED, they spent most of their time hiding, and later they were found. After her mother's death, Garam was taken over custody but fetched by Headon to become a regular.

'I should keep an eye on her for later...'

With his interference, the flow of things was disturbed, and the consequences of the butterfly effect could potentially lead to the destruction of the tower earlier than expected. Shinso doesn't want that to happen; for him, destruction of the tower is equivalent to losing a toy. So he must stop that person. Well, it's more on task rather than obligation.

Anaak Zahard steps inside the barrier barefoot without resistance; her eyes dart around and meet Shinso.

She was taken aback for a moment by the way he looks at her. The memory of when they got tricked resurfaces, which tickles her inside.

"It's him again... I can't believe I mistook him for a ranker..." Unknowingly her fist was clenched. She's not upset but rather intrigued. His action was beyond comprehension. Someone who pretends to be an examiner? Why would he do that, and why is he looking as if he's giving pity?

"What are you looking at, Anaak?" someone called her out.

It was her teammate, the handsome swordsman—Hatz. However, Anaak's response was silence; her gaze kept intact as if captive.

Pinpointing the direction, Hatz subconsciously clutches the hilt of his sword.

"Anaak, you're not planning to provoke him, are you? He is strong... I doubt even if two of us work together, we'll be able to defeat him."

"I know, it's just the way he looks at me; it feels odd," she replied, still looking at him.

"Odd?"

"Yeah. As if he knows me inside out."

"..."

"AHH! FINALLY!" someone shouted, which caught their attention. Behind Shibisu, successfully entering, his face and tracksuit were coated in blood, but he doesn't seem to care. Instead, he rushes towards them to celebrate.

"Hatz! Anaak! I succeed hahaha!"

But his excitement received a deadpan stare.

Hwa Ryun and Yihwa also choose to enter. The two walked over to Shinso, who was dozing off.

"This guy... Can't he be serious at least once?" Yihwa grumbled. Seeing his carefree attitude, she kicked his calf.

"Owww!" The pain jolted through his leg, snapping him awake. "What's up? Is the exam over?" he asked, yawning.

"It's almost over," she replied, crossing her arms and puffing out her chest. "By the way, what were you talking about with the administrator earlier?"

"Oh? Are you curious about my private life now?" he teased.

"Never mind..."

"Heh, although it was rude to ask about private matters, I don't mind telling you, baby," he said and glanced at Baam. "A monster has entered the Tower."

"A monster?" Her eyebrows raised. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that naive kid... He is dangerous; you should be careful."

Seeing his wary attitude towards a regular, Yihwa found him ridiculous. This is a good chance to pay him back for teasing her earlier.

"Hoh? I can't believe our all-mighty Shinso is scared of regular... and he isn't even that powerful," she said with a smug look on her face.

Shinso pressed his lips, forming a thin line. "Baby, don't misunderstand. I'm giving you a warning because I'm concerned about you, not because I'm scared."

"..." Her response was silence, but her face says, "Oh, really?" I'm not buying it.

Shinso shakes his head, not taking her mockery to heart. "Besides, I'm not afraid of anyone, even if the infamous irregular Urek Mazino comes down here. He would be afraid to pick a fight with me."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You're too arrogant!" Yihwa couldn't think of any rebuttal, give him a comedic beating,

Others overheard their conversation; one of them is Khun A.A. Although he got tricked and victimized, he doesn't take it to heart and blame his competence.

For him, Shinso is certainly powerful and probably has a backing of ten great families.

However, that didn't intrigue him; it was their conversation with the administrator.

'They seem to be planning something.'

Khun was suspicious but couldn't act suddenly. Being a rational person, he chooses to observe the situation first.

After almost fifteen minutes, the exam was finally over. Only seven teams had been eliminated—one of their members couldn't even enter the barrier. The examinees lead the climb up the stairs to the second stage.

"Welcome, everyone. My name is Yellow. I'll be your examiner. We will now proceed to the second phase." A girl with short twin-tailed yellow hair spoke. She wore a yellow-green blouse paired with a matching skirt. Her slit eyes hid her pupils, which were probably also yellow-green. Her strength was undeniable—clearly a Ranker. "Teams that passed, please line up in proper order."

Shinso's team wasn't the first to pass the exam, though he had been the first individual. They could only wait for their turn.

"AAAGHHHHHH!!!"

Another loud scream erupted.

"A scream?"

"What!?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"This is the fourth one already..."

Some people became wary; others began theorizing. Shinso remained indifferent.

'No need to panic. That scream just means someone received a death sentence.'

'The exam isn't even complicated. But without the courage to choose, they'll fail.'

He observed the crowd. Being aware of future events was a huge advantage—especially in the early floors, where a solid foundation was everything. By the 20th floor, everything could be settled. Now was the time to prepare.

While Shinso stayed composed, Yihwa looked nervous. Strength wasn't an issue for her—but intelligence-based tests were a different story. She didn't know what was happening behind the scenes, but those screams unsettled her. She glanced at Shinso, hoping he'd step in if needed. Unknowingly, she was growing more dependent on him.

Hwa Ryun crossed her arms silently. She already knew the contents of the exam and, in truth, didn't even need to take it. As a Guide in the Tower, she could go anywhere—even Zahard's secret room where he stashed Arlene's underwear for... stress relief.

She was only here to fulfill a mission: manipulate the Irregular. She knew Shinso was aware of her nature. Otherwise, he wouldn't have offered her twelve billion points just to join their team. He had a role to play for later.

"Hey ya!" someone suddenly interrupted. A boy, acting overly familiar, wrapped his arm around Shinso's shoulder. "You guys look deep in thought."

Shinso spared him a glance but said nothing. He recognized this neon bag of a man—a plant sent by the administrator to spread clues.

"Who are you?" Yihwa asked bluntly, not hiding her hostility.

"Whoa, no need to be so hostile. I just came to talk," he said, pretending to be nervous—but showing no real fear. "I've got an important hint about this test."

"Hint?" Yihwa narrowed her eyes. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Of course! I was chosen as a Regular solely based on my intellect!"

"...You don't look smart at all. You're probably just trying to scam us."

"Hehe… The most important clue is constant." He smirked, clearly trying to bait her interest. "And that is—time."

"Time…?"

Yihwa was confused. Shinso sighed and explained. "This neon clown is saying we have to pass the test within five minutes. Every time five minutes pass, someone screams. It's not complicated. Don't overthink it. I'll handle it."

"..." Yihwa didn't argue. She trusted his judgment and shooed away the clown. Even if he was a pervert, he was undeniably competent.

Of course, she didn't know the plot. But Shinso did. He'd read up to the latest chapter—and even if he hadn't, he could still manage.

Finally, it was their turn.

When their team was called, Shinso shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled up like it was just another boring errand.

"Welcome, next team," Yellow said. "I'll now open the door. Behind this door, there is another. Pass through it, and your test begins."

They didn't speak. They entered the dim hallway and soon found themselves in a room filled with doors.

"Welcome, regulars. My name is Hansung Yu."

A man spoke, seated cross-legged in the center of the room. He wore a traditional Korean hanbok, orange and blue. His long orange hair was tied in a bun, and his sharp orange eyes gave a misleadingly feminine appearance—though those who knew better weren't fooled.

"I will now administer your test. Shall we begin?"

"Okay..." Shinso said flatly.

"The steps are simple… Can you see the doors behind me?"

"Yes. We're not blind..."

Hansung stared blankly at him, then continued. "Anyway, within ten minutes—only one of the doors is the true—"

Before he could finish, Shinso walked forward and kicked the nearest door open. "So, are we done?"

"..."

Hansung's mouth fell open. His jaw nearly hit the floor. 'This kid… is an anomaly… He figured it out so fast.' "...Passed," he muttered.

"...That's it?" Yihwa said. "That's kind of anticlimactic."

They were about to leave when Hansung stopped Shinso.

"Wait..."

"How did you know opening a random door would make you pass?"

"It was obvious. The real test wasn't about finding the 'right' door. It was about opening any door within five minutes. Someone outside already spread clues and theories; all that's left is for us to put it on a test."

"..."

"... Aren't you afraid that choosing the wrong door could fail you?"

Shinso sighed, feeling exasperated. "The scream only appears every 5 minutes, which means the punishment is bestowed when examinees run out of time. So even if we choose the wrong door, we could just open another; the main task is to complete it within five minutes. That's more than enough time to open every door here. Besides, when finding the real door, the method doesn't need to be specific, so brute forcing is allowed."

"..." He was completely speechless; what he stated is correct, but to execute that, it takes more than courage.

Without waiting for a response, Shinso and his team exited the room.

"Interesting..." A sly grin appears on his face.