Hello again. For those of you reading this who have read my Kubera fic, no, I am not (completely) discarding it for this one. I simply have been making much greater progress on this one much faster, so I'm going to focus on this one for now.

This fic is about how Corvo from the game Dishonored enters the Tower for the Korean webcomic Tower of God. You should play/read both.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own neither Dishonored nor Tower of God.

Part I: Welcome to the Tower

Chapter 1: A New Goal

The floor was cool beneath Corvo's cheek. As he stirred towards consciousness, Corvo took in his surroundings: an immensely high ceiling, walls covered with carvings, like nothing he'd ever seen in Dunwall. Corvo snapped awake, and leap to his feet with his sword out, searching the unfamiliar surroundings for enemies.

"My, my, aren't you a vigilant one. You're far more alret than all the others were." Corvo looked up, and saw that the source of the voice was some sort of rabbit man equipped with a peculiar staff, who was floating down from the ceiling.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Corvo asked, sword raised defensively.

"My name is Headon. And you?"

"Corvo Attano. Where am I?!"

"Impatience doesn't mix well with vigilance, Mr. Corvo." Headon said, shaking his head. "You are in the Tower, Mr. Corvo. I sincerely welcome you!"

"The Tower? I've never heard of such a place. How did I…?" Suddenly he remembered. The Lighthouse. Havelock and Emily. The Empire crumbling, Dunwall choking on its own dead, the rats and plague devouring it all. And it had been his fault.

Corvo had sought out Granny Rags, whom he'd believed could help him speak with the Outsider. He'd desperately hoped that the being's powers could provide a way to make things right. No, just make things better. Somehow. The Outsider had come, and with a secretive smile on his face, he'd taken Corvo deep into his dreamlike realm. And then…

"There was a door." Corvo said haltingly. "The — the Outsider brought me to a door, and told me to try and open it. I pushed, and when it opened, there was a light." He looked around. "And then I was here."

"Aaaah, the Outhsider. I haven't seen him in such a long time. I presume he's doing well?" Headon asked. Corvo gave the rabbit-man a sharp look. Now that he was looking for it, he could sense that this Headon creature had the same kind of presence as the Outsider — powerful, and utterly alien.

"What…are you?" Corvo asked cautiously.

"I am Headon," Headon repeated, giving a slight bow. "I am the Guardian of the First Floor of the Tower, and the one who selects the chosen Regulars who climb the Tower. To Irregulars like yourself, I give the first test."

"Test?" Corvo asked.

"Yes. On each floor of the Tower, those who wish to climb are given a test." Headon pointed up with his staff. "You see, Mr. Corvo, at the top of the Tower lies everything. Wealth. Glory. Immortality and eternal youth. Power like that of a god —."

"The power to bring the dead back to life?" Corvo interrupted. "The power to alter history?" Headon paused, unused to people interrupting his spiel. He tapped his chin, thinking.

"Hmm. Well, everything is everything, I suppose, so yes. You'll have to climb quite high to gain powers like that, though."

"It doesn't matter." Corvo said. "If what you say is true, and I can get that power here…then I will climb. NO matter how high. No matter how far. No matter how hard the path, I will walk it." Corvo reach into his coat and pulled out his mask. Looking at it woke bad memories. But he needed it. He needed to be the man that had worn it again. Emily. Jessamine. He could save them both. For them, he would become death incarnate once more. He pulled on the mask and put up his hood, becoming the skull-masked assassin in a black coat once more.

"Give m your test, Guardian Headon. I'm ready." He said. A smile split Headon's head open.

"Before we begin, though, take this. I was scolded for not doing so last time." He handed Corvo a black marble about the size of a melon. After Corvo held it for a moment, the marble seemed to burst, shattering into dozens of white screens before reforming. Corvo heard the murmuring of a thousand voices.

"That is your Pocket." Headon explained. "Not all who climb the Tower will be able to understand you, as I can. The Pocket translates for you, in addition to a host of other useful functions. You can tell it to turn invisible, as well. Just say, 'Invisible Mode.'"

"Invisible Mode." Corvo said, and the marble seemed to vanish.

"Excellent! Now, on to the test!" Headon raised his staff, and the back wall of the room disappeared. In its place was a cage, containing an enormous, white and red serpentine creature. Corvo stared. If a hagfish had grown a thousand times as big as nature had made it, this thing would still have eaten it for breakfast.

"This is a White Steel Eel." Headon said. "Its one of the most dangerous beasts in the Tower, able to move easily through the dense Shinsoo inside its cage. Your test is to go into the cage and pop the ball it is guarding. Now, normally it is a very docile creature, but –." Corvo tuned out the rest of what Headon was saying. He focused on a space in front of the eel's cage. The world blurred, and suddenly he was standing in front of the bars. Corvo powers he'd gained from the Outsider still functioned here. He glanced at his left hand, where the Outsider's Mark burned a frosty blue. When Crovo had used Blink, he'd felt a surge of energy traveling up his arm. His spiritual energies didn't feel depleted at all. Interesting.

"Hoho! Quite impressive.!" Headon said, wandering over. "Perhaps you don't need any warnings. I wish you luck, Mr. Corvo."

"Thank you." Corvo said. "I'll be back in a sec." He stepped into the cage. The watery substance filling the cage seemed breathable, but was dense enough to slightly hinder Corvo's movements, like trying to run through actual water. Corvo had no time to consider it further as the Eel attacked.

The creature charged faster than Corvo could believe. As it prepared to bite him in half, Corvo raised his left hand, Mark flaring blue. He Blinked up above the Eel's head, and the mark flared a second time.

Time –

–Stopped.

The shifting of the light, the rippling of water, even the bobbing of the ball went still. Everything was frozen.

Except the Eel. It twisted upwards and charged again. Corvo swore and managed to twist to the side, barely avoiding the attack, though the creature to off a piece of Corvo's coat. The beast's movements were noticeably sluggish, but that's all they were – sluggish. The creature could somehow move in frozen time. Corvo would have try a different path than fighting it directly. He Blinked over to the ball and slashed at it. His sword bounced off, not even damaging it.

Corvo swore; how the hell was he supposed to break something like this? He turned and saw the Eel bearing down on him once again, its maw looking wider that a hungry whale's as the creature roared towards him.

Beneath his mask, Corvo's mouth curved into a smile.

He Blinked onto the creature's head, and placed his left hand between its eyes. He dissolved into a grayish mist, and the world blurred, focusing in on the Eel's head.

Corvo yawned, stretching his new body. By the Scriptures, he'd never felt more powerful in his entire life! He could take on the world in this body! Corvo the White Steel Eel turned his disdainful gaze to the pitiful ball that hung, unassuming, at the bottom of his cage. With a roar, he lunged at it, biting and tearing. He grasped it in his mighty coils, and chomped down with his powerful jaws. The tough material of the ball gave way before his attack. As it did so, it released a flash of blinding light, like the flash from when he'd opened the door, sweeping Corvo away before he could even register surprise.

There was silence of the First Floor for a long time after that. Then Headon said,

"Well, shit. What am I going to use for a ball guardian now?"