The air warped with a shimmer of blue.
A body collapsed to the ground.
Dust rose gently as a man — worn and weary — hit his knees before anyone could catch him.
His breathing was shallow.
His clothes were tattered robes from an ancient sect.
His once-black hair was now streaked with gray and silver.
Wrinkles lined his cheeks.
He looked… old.
Much older than he should be.
---
Curse of the 80th
Ji Hoon blinked.
> "Why does he look… 70?!"
Min Seok narrowed his eyes.
> "Tower Rule… doesn't allow aging."
Claire checked her tablet in a panic.
> "Unless…"
Her voice trembled.
> "He was cursed by the 80th Floor Boss."
Kang Woo stood calmly.
His gaze didn't flinch.
---
Hajin's Return
The old man blinked, confused, his hands trembling as he stared at the unfamiliar sky.
> "W-Where…?"
> "The floor… the fight…"
He clutched his chest.
> "Am I… dead?"
He looked up again.
> "No. This... isn't death."
His eyes locked onto a figure.
A figure that didn't belong in the timeline anymore.
A man, young in face, tall in stature, expression still and commanding — yet warm.
That voice…
> "Little brother."
---
Tears Through Time
Hajin's eyes widened.
He froze.
His lip quivered.
He slowly rose, legs shaking, and turned fully toward the voice.
And then—
> "H-Hyung…?"
> "My hyung…?"
> "You still look… so young…"
His voice cracked, tears instantly welling up in his eyes.
> "Y-You haven't aged a day…"
He staggered forward, arms wide, breath shaky.
Then he crashed into Kang Woo's chest, burying his face there like a boy lost in time.
> "My hyung… you're here…"
> "You're really here…"
> "I-I thought I was alone forever…"
Kang Woo placed one hand on his back, steadying him.
> "You were never alone."
Hajin slowly stepped back, wiping the tears from his face. He looked tired… but peaceful for the first time in centuries.
Kang Woo, arms crossed, studied him quietly.
> "So… how are you alive?"
Hajin chuckled weakly.
> "I'm not."
> "At least… not in the way you'd expect."
> "After I died in Murim, I woke up inside this cursed tower."
Kang Woo's eyes narrowed.
Min Seok perked up.
> "Wait—wait, wait. After dying?! But humans are going into the tower directly nowadays. My son did."
Hajin nodded slowly, sitting down on a rock.
> "That's the difference."
> "This world — Earth — is a lower-rank realm compared to Murim."
> "Inhabitants of this realm can enter the tower while alive. It's like… the laws are different here. No death required."
Claire's jaw dropped.
> "You mean…"
> "Earth people are special?"
> "No. They're limited. They're allowed in as challengers. But we from higher worlds—" Hajin looked at Kang Woo. "—we only arrive through… death."
---
Yunhee
Kang Woo's expression darkened.
His brows furrowed as a name echoed in his mind.
> "Yunhee…"
He whispered it, barely audible.
But Hajin heard it.
So did Ji Hoon.
> "Dad… Who's Yunhee?"
Min Seok turned, also curious.
Claire stopped breathing.
Kang Woo looked up toward the sky, then asked calmly:
> "Tower."
> "Is there anyone named Yunhee inside?"
The blue system window buzzed into existence again.
It processed for a moment…
> [SEARCHING...]
> [No current user registered under the name "Yunhee."]
Kang Woo's shoulders lowered slightly.
But then…
> [Memory fragment detected.]
> [One remnant of an individual known as Yunhee exists within the Tower's Memory Realm.]
> [Would you like to retrieve it? Only one copy exists.]
Kang Woo's eyes sharpened.
> "...Only one?"
> "Yes."
> "But it will belong to you and you alone. Once retrieved, it cannot be undone."
He was silent.
Hajin looked down.
Min Seok watched him carefully.
And Ji Hoon finally realized:
> "...Was Yunhee… Mom?"
Kang Woo didn't respond.
He simply clenched his fists, then nodded once.
> "Give it to me."
A golden thread of light slowly floated from the system window into Kang Woo's hand — warm, soft, and pulsing like a heartbeat.
It was her.
The last remaining trace of Yunhee.
He closed his eyes as it entered his chest.
And for a fleeting moment, he saw it all — her laughter, the village, the wedding dress… and the blood.
> "I'll never forget again," he whispered.
He stood tall, the pain sealed inside his eyes.
Then turned to Hajin with a soft smirk.
> "Let's go, little brother."
> "Come with me. We'll live together now."
Hajin blinked, confused.
> "What?"
Kang Woo smiled and stepped aside, gesturing toward Ji Hoon and Claire.
> "See that brat?"
> "That's your niece."
Ji Hoon gave a small wave, still processing everything.
Hajin stared, dumbfounded.
> "Your… real world?"
> "This is Earth?"
> "It's noisy."
Kang Woo gave a rare laugh.
Then his eyes glowed gold.
> "First things first…"
He raised his hand.
> "You've been cursed by time too long."
> "I'm a god now. That means—"
His palm touched Hajin's chest.
A golden flame surged through Hajin's body.
The air cracked.
The winds shifted.
And in an instant — the decades of aging burned away.
His hunched frame straightened.
Wrinkles vanished.
His silver hair turned jet black.
In a moment… he was young again.
---
"Wait—Dad!?"
Ji Hoon's jaw dropped.
> "You can just do that?!"
Kang Woo rolled his neck.
> "Yup."
> "Broke the system, remember?"
Claire just dropped her clipboard and sat down on the ground, completely done.
> "Nope. Nope. I'm done pretending this is normal."
Min Seok whistled.
> "If you can do this…"
> "...can you fix my knees?"
Kang Woo ignored him and patted Hajin's shoulder.
> "Let's go home."
> "We've got a life to live."