Hi,

Not exactly new to the site but I wanted to try something. I want to make a self insert story that gels with my personal interests. recently I have been very much into Tower of God. I want to see a OC take a bite into the world of TOG without the mechanics of the gamer or any extraneous crossovers.

I am going to be writing this in the free time of work, of which I do six days a week 12 hours a day. if anyone ever does read this, then good luck. I have been inspired through and through by the countless beautiful stories on this site. Writers tend to draw from their personal narratives and I find the journey brilliant. I will do the same.

I need an outlet for my mind and I choose this story.

BTW: Do not own TOG. Also not really going to make this crazy accurate with all the Korean hublub, aka extraneous naming and explanations for such things as the positions on floor two. Might change my mind if given enough time on my breaks.

And so we begin...

Life has an interesting way of becoming unrecognizable at the drop of a dime...such is the case for Ryan. An observer would say that he was calm in the face of the half illuminated rabbit shaped monstrosity that beckoned to him across the antiquated yet oddly clean grand hall. Yet within his mind, Ryan felt his psyche ever so slightly rip as he recognized where and what he was looking at, the first floor in a series of unfortunate events he was sorely unprepared for on a fundamental level. The normalized self insert questions that were on the tip of his tounge died before they could be vocalized into the universe.

Ryan knew he had two choices in this moment. Would he take the high road and wail upon the unfair nature of the universe or would he accept that maybe in fact he needed a change to his mundane existence?

This is where our story begins, looking upon a young boy who would change those around him, who would ultimately find himself within the confines of a place that tears away all sembleneces of his known reality. A journey of joy and destruction that all began with a trip to get some chemicals from the storage at his work.

(First person shift. I would prefer to write this in first person from here on out)

It was a quiet day as I began the routine of heading into work for the 6th time this week... Well, maybe I need an introduction. My name is Ryan, just Ryan. I never have had a liking towards my last name, a constant reminder of my asshole mother and he-who-left-to-find-a-better-family, a.k.a. the bastard. I think of myself as an average looking guy but know that I am far beneath that bullshit understanding of my body. I am 6' with a decent amount of weight, a mix of muscle and fat from excessive funyun abuse alongside some football weightlifting(roughly 260lbs). My hair is a blond/brown mix that never can stay put in any distinct style save bed Head while my eyes take a huge of artic blue. So overall, an average American look that bellies a stereotypical personality of a teenager away at college for the first time. I describe my personality as something between the class clown and a hermit. I am always willing to have a good time and make others laugh and at the same time despise the random bullshit of interacting with humans. Hypocritical yet oddly satisfying. This personality of mine has caused too much trouble over the years to be considered positive in the eyes of my family and cohort of therapists. In both cases, I'm seen as an angry, belligerent yet intelligent young man with "so much potential yet continuously up to squander the opportunities give", thus a waste to those in positions of authority in my life. This has ultimately led to my self loathing and depressive attitude that blocked my acceptance to any other college beyond Bowling Green State University.

I go to college in Bowling Green, Ohio, a small town that expanded due to a state university near the glorious city of Toledo, Ohio. This place is honestly the worst, in my humble opinion. The school is full of bums who couldn't make it in a decent college but still needed to go. Imagine my horror when I went to my first English class and had to learn how to write in paragraph form!!! We are 18 years of age, for the most part, and should know simple shit like that without having to be instructed... what's next, a course on proper respiration?!?! I digress... inorder to pay for my tuition for my courses at this God forsaken nightmare of a state school, I had to take a job working at nights cleaning academic buildings. Oddly, the job entails little actual thought and extreme moments of boredom, which fits me just right for my fucked up thoughts and creative daydreams. It was at my job that my life changed, never truly knowing if it was for the better.

It is late December, roughly around the time of winter exams, when I was sent to clean a place known to be haunted on campus, Mosely Hall. As a non-believer I scoffed as my manager Nancy told me the "horror" of a random stone door with the etching of eyes that would appear when you least expected it. 'Bullshit' I thought to myself as she rambled about this ominous door. Twenty minutes later I'm up in the building cleaning my classrooms and stealing glances at the allotted books in the office areas. Oddly enough, the cleaning of these random office areas for these disgusting professors is cathartic. While spraying down my rag to wipe the table used to eat copious amounts of Asian noodles, I end up running out of my disinfect spray.

Running back to my closet of beautiful cleaning accessories, I find the random jug of disinfect solution and fill my bottle. However, as I finish filling my spray bottle, I drop the big jug and it starts to roll towards the back of my not so spacious closet. As I look for the jug, I keep walking forward staring at the ground as I proceed step by step. After three minutes of walking it Dawn's on me, 'WTF, when did my closet get so massive?!?! I must be hallucinating'. Finally, my dumbass looks up to see a doorway.

This door was unlike any other I had come across. The material reminiscent of granite, etched with drawings of what could possibly be construed as a giant structure with three eyes that bulged out to stare directly into the very core of my self. ' Hahahahahaha, Nancy is fucking hilarious... She got me so good with this one. I bet she paid some dumb ass art student to make this' , I thought to myself as I let my hands reach up and stroke the smooth edge of the non-hinged door.

" Come on out Nancy, I know you are watching me," I yell out in to the now darkness that purveys the hallway I find myself in as I turn all around looking for my would-be pranker.

At this point, the crickets start to sing their song. Time continues on as the sinking realization hits. After five minutes of waiting, I realize that Nancy nor anyone else is around me. The darkness that I took for granted now becomes a suffocating nightmare.

"O God is someone in here?!?! Help me get out of this bullshit darkness!!! And furthermore who puts a fucking long ass hallway in a closet..." I start to rant as the impending crisis hits my psyche like a ton of bricks. I then start to run back the way I came, hoping to find someone to help or the way out. I run into the darkness without even knowing if it was the right way. Finally I see a bright light, something I had seen before but didn't recognize. I make a sudden stop before the light and catch my breath with both of my hands on my knees, face towards the floor as sweat drips on the stone floor. As I look up, my face contorts into the penultimate expression of rage and confusion, my eyes wide with my mouth pursed as If I sucked on a thousand lemons.

" WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!", I scream with gutteral rage.

The door stands in front of me, radiating a casual light that contrasts the walkway.

" I fucking give up, I'll find out what the fuck is behind this bullshit door", I quip to no one in particular.

With as much grace as a newborn deer, I start towards the door. My palms press the smooth granite and a blinding light shines right into the abyssal darkness of the now gargantuan walkway. My mind reels with dismay as the light intensifies with the doors swinging inward, my body falling forward as my eyes roll into the back of my skull... there is only so much God damn shit I can take from this bright ass door. I sink into the darkness of my mind...

*Ahem* Cough, Cough *Ahem*

' Now who the fuck is trying to wake me up, I am so hungover... how much did I even drink', I think to myself as I slowly open up my eyes as my body lies on the cold, hard ground.

Recognizing that this is not my bedroom or any other of my local pass out locations, I spring upward with the reflexes of an arthritic cat. As I take a look around the room I notice the walls etched with markings similar to an Egyptian pyramid, people and animals exploring the world around them headed towards a singular entity in a forward progression. 'Weird but tolerable', I express to myself as I notice the size of the expansive hall. Finally my eyes glue to the rabbit cosplaying bastard who tried to wake me up from my peaceful passout on the floor.

" Hey dude, cool outfit by the way, but where am I and how far away is fifth Street from here?" I ask the bunny man who is a pale white with a random blue vest carrying a Bo staff in an effortless way.

" To answer your question, you my good irregular sir are in the lowest floor of The Tower, an interesting place that caters to the whims of those who enter...at a cost.", the man?? replies, " My name is Headon, administrator of the first floor who will be handing out a test to see if you are worthy of continuing up the tower. The real question is, what is it that you seek? Money? Power? Authority? Or something intangible that defies all other wishes? The choose in that aspect if yours... but seeing as you are the second true irregular to enter in the most recent of times, a test of your prowess is necessary."

Headon does not seem to be very expressive as the lengthy speech is performed in a deadpan tone, almost as if he is bored of having to tell me what little he can about my situation.

" Headon, you realize you told me almost nothing about what is going on right? I honest to God just walked through a door and now you are telling me that I can have a wish granted and am going to be tested?!?! This is a weird ass joke," I profess with emphatic hand gestures that reiterate the fact that I am getting fed the fuck up over the mystery of this experience.

" You have been told enough to survive. Now that you have entered the Tower of your own volition, you must be tested", as he drolls on his hands switch to the wall behind him and the darkness that covered the back granite wall slowly dissipates to reveal a blue aquarium.

Inside the luminous aquamarine room, exposed for me to see, is a massive elongated eel the size of a forklift. The eel is bleeding from the mouth, litering blood on the floor as it wails in rage and anarchy. My heart stops as I just realize that alongside the giant snake-eel is a round black ball a little over my height, 6'.

In a deadpan tone I finally utter what I can, " Let me guess, I have to pop the ball while not being beaten to death by the angry eel? Well shit...I'm super fucked."

Headon only smiles as he replies calmly, " Yes, pop the ball and head to the next floor... simple as can be. Also, this type of eel is typically seen on the 20th floor, along with the fact that it is angry from the previous test, hungry, and genuinely ready to mate."

'Ah, that makes it better', I think to myself as the man-rabbit smirks in my general direction. ' Fuck this guy, he really seems to get off with seeing me afraid for my life, as any other person would be when faced with the snake-eel of utter demise."

I take a look behind to see if the door is still there from my early escapades to find that I am indeed stuck in this situation.

" One question, Will I be able to get back to my own world if I go up the tower?", I ask to clarify what has been itching at me since the begining of this shit show.

Headon's eyes glint with joy, " All answers are at the top."

Now that he has subtlety answered my question without a true answer, I have my only option. This is an unprecedented occasion indeed. I find myself going through my memories of all those manga and anime a that I truly love. Each story having a main character thrust into a world unknown with no real knowledge of the trials they must face to survive and thrive in their new lives. I can be like them!!! I could be something that I have craved for my whole life, to find that purpose that my heart has yearned for since I was young. This is my opportunity yet I am hesitant. The life I had before was not great, and believe me it wasn't, yet it was what I knew. The constant plea of my family to be the person they wanted, the therapists telling me that I could achieve so much if I took medications and acted like a normal person, the friends who were no more than aquantinces and the underlying self loathing I have always had for the secrets that I hold in my heart. I could be anything I wanted here, to expand myself into that version of myself that I cried myself to sleep, wishing I was. This was my moment and I wanted to take it and run. I am going to climb this tower and build myself the joy I have always desired.

With that final thought, my hands started to glow with a vibrant purple hue, eclipsing my view of Headon and the tank of demise. A couple seconds of untold bliss later a voice echos in my ear," You have chosen the path least traveled, one of true self refinement. I bless you my child with a comrade in the this Tower of blood and the power to make yourself True. Carry On and Fulfill Your Dream".

The purple glowing fades and in my outstretched hands sits the most beautiful...toothpick? Now his throws me for a loop, it looks like a toothpick in its shape but it's sized to close to five feet. The toothpick also has a Sheen to it, showing that it is as sharp as a Japanese katana after a good polishing. With a firm grasp of my right hand, I grab the toothpick and swing it forward. The air in front of my body is cut apart, releasing a *ching* that echos throughout the hall.

Headon takes a step forward, eyes widening ever so slightly as he mumbles, "Damn goddess always making my life difficult". Shifting into his usual ambivalent stature, Headon softly replies out to the confused yet satisfied Ryan, " That is an ignition weapon used in the Tower. The shape is commonly referred to as a Needle and is a common weapon type in the floors above."

Ryan, without missing a beat, replies, " Thanks Headon, I was just about to ask you that. I think I am ready for this test of yours now."

The gate of the aquarium lifts and Ryan takes his first steps forward into the aquamarine Tank to complete the task that will capitulate him to the floors of the legendary Tower.

Rough as can be but a good start for me. I will complete more as time goes by for sure. I'm just excited to have finally written something. Yay!!!