Tower of God: Overpowered MC

"So that was their plan..." Shinso mumbled, his back limp and lifeless on the floor.

"What are you talking about?" Yihwa asked, raising an eyebrow. "And why are you lying there like that? Are you from the Eurasia family or something?"

It sounded more like an insult than a question. But Shinso didn't take it to heart. He actually enjoyed Q\&As—after all, answering easy questions made him look smarter.

"Baby, the key to winning this match is controlling the center," Shinso explained. "Controlling the center means dominating the field. Only a few are capable of it. Take Anaak, for example."

"...I agree that she dominated the field, but that was earlier. Now she's just sitting on the throne. What does that have to do with Laure and the center?"

"Sigh... Baby, you're so narrow-minded."

"I'm not! You're just not being clear!"

"Okay, okay. Don't get angry..." Shinso sighed, reluctantly lifting his body and crossing his legs. "Let's go back to the special rules of the game first."

"To win the next round, they have to take over the crown. But that's easier said than done—it's guarded by Hatz and Shibisu. Even if you get close, you still have to deal with Anaak and her weapon. It covers a long range, so stealing the crown is almost impossible."

"I get that much. So does that mean she's likely to win?"

"Pretty close... but not certain. To eliminate Anaak from the throne, there are two solutions. One is to overpower her—and that's exactly their tactic. Laure thinks he can beat everyone by force."

Yihwa kept her mouth shut. She understood bits and pieces of what he was saying but couldn't quite see the full picture.

Shinso's previously indifferent expression turned serious.

"Look. Laure's awake. Watch what happens next and remember it. Among Regulars, you're strong—maybe the strongest. But defeating Anaak with that weapon would still be tough, especially with your restraint. For now, watch them. If we ever have to fight, this info will come in handy."

Yihwa understood and gave a firm nod.

Laure slowly lifted his body. Despite the life-threatening situation, he remained composed.

"You're finally awake... or maybe you finally decided to fight," Hatz muttered.

Laure ignored him and raised his hand toward Anaak. Small particles of light began gathering in his palm, forming a compact orb of Shinsu.

"This is... SHINSU!?" Hatz realized. "Anaak, dodge!"

Anaak had been reclining on the throne, unaware of the danger until Hatz shouted. She turned and spotted the beam of light heading straight at her. With her athletic reflexes, she narrowly dodged it by leaping backward off the throne.

"Damn it, Anaak!" Shibisu shouted.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ajumma and her trap friend launched a coordinated attack on Anaak, ignoring Hatz and Shibisu. It was now clear—they had been holding back during their earlier fight and had saved their strength for this moment.

The assault was relentless. Anaak was forced into a dire situation—she had to fight both of them, defend her position on the throne, and avoid Laure's ranged Shinsu attacks.

"Give up the crown. I've covered the whole area—I can hit you anywhere." Laure increased his power, hoping to injure her. But his confidence began to shake.

Anaak took the attack head-on. Not only didn't she suffer serious damage—she was now angry.

"Some people just don't know their place..." she muttered. Her grip on her weapon tightened, knuckles whitening.

"Ignition!"

A terrifying silhouette of a giant lizard materialized behind her. Its glowing eyes fixed on Laure like a tiger stalking its prey.

Laure's scalp tingled from the pressure. The sudden rise in her power shattered his composure. Unwittingly, he had awakened a monster.

Overcome by fear, his two allies grabbed him and retreated to their cell.

But Anaak didn't let them go easily. She chased them down, violently attacking until they were out of range.

Elsewhere...

Khun's jaw dropped all the way to hell. A powerful Regular with an ignition weapon?

That was absurd.

Her raw strength alone was troublesome enough, and now this?

"Is that even allowed!? " he thought. "We don't stand a chance. Let's just give up on the bonus game."

"Victory goes to Team Shibisu," as the challengers were eliminated and retreated.

"No one's going to pick a fight with us now," Shibisu said, lying flat on the floor. The fatigue was finally catching up to him. "Let's take this round to rest."

"Yeah..." Hatz nodded simply.

As they predicted, no one challenged them in the third round. Their win streak continued.

"Looks like we're going to win this time," Shibisu thought.

But in the fourth round, a new team stepped forward.

"Those guys are from another district," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

Three cloaked figures entered the stage. Two were about the same height, while the third was massive, making the others look like children. Despite Anaak's earlier display of power, they showed no signs of fear. That alone was intimidating.

Shinso watched with interest from a distance. He hadn't forgotten the system message: If you do certain things to Rachel, you'll be rewarded appropriately.

'I wonder what kind of things it meant…'

When it came to Rachel, things were always interesting. The fandom either hated or worshipped her. Those who liked her were called lunatics. People just didn't understand her goal.

She only wanted freedom—like Urek Mazino. She wanted to see the stars outside the Tower.

She claimed Baam took everything from her. It was too early to judge.

Shinso didn't love or hate Rachel. The same went for her fans and haters. If anything, he was just a troll.

Now that Rachel had appeared, Shinso couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Shibisu and Hatz tensed, ready to fight. But the cloaked trio stopped at a distance. Two of them removed their cloaks.

The first was a slender girl with short brown hair and fair skin. Her appearance was mostly human—except for a single horn protruding from the right side of her head. Her yellow eyes locked onto Anaak, lips curling into a sly smile.

"Anaak Zahard...? Heh, you're a fake."

Simple words—but they hit hard.

"What did you say!?" Anaak shouted, livid.

The girl ignored her and glanced back at her teammates.

The second girl, standing behind, had blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Her yellow eyes gleamed, but aside from her prickly complexion, she looked fairly ordinary.

"Rachel..."

Baam muttered, eyes filled with longing and disbelief. After all this time, he had finally found her.

"Do you know them, Baam?" Khun asked.

"Yeah." He nodded, a smile stretching wide across his face. "She's the one I've been searching for..."

Khun didn't say anything. He just looked at Rachel.

Meanwhile, the confrontation ended as anticlimactically as it began. After the provocation, the two girls turned and left.

"In the fifth round, we'll deal with you, fake~!" the horned girl said, waving as she walked away.

No one responded, but deep inside, they all knew: the final round would be brutal.

Back in Team Khun's cell...

Baam stared at the retreating figures, face full of worry.

"What's wrong, Baam?" Khun asked.

"Umm… I'm just worried. They said they'll fight Anaak in the next round..."

He didn't say more, but Khun understood. Baam wanted to help Rachel—but he couldn't ask his team to do it.

Khun let out a tired sigh.

"Well, sure... we'll participate in the next round too."

His words weren't just for show. He had taken the horned girl into account—she was probably fast and nimble. If she confronted Anaak, there was a high chance they could steal the crown.

He had originally given up on the idea. But now with a reason, he was willing to fight, even if things got messy.