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Wangnan’s lived most of his life either in debt or on the run. For the longest time, it was both. He was stuck on the 20th Floor for years before Viole came along. He made friends and lost them, and soon, the only thing he had left was the red ring on his finger, with the crest of Jahad.
I was born to be the King of this Tower. It’s a stupid, stupid statement, but his nanny called him the “seed of the King”, and he was nothing if not daring. If he died, he would die trying.
Before his friends gave up, they traveled all over the 20th Floor, exploring the Middle Area, trying all the food, going to arcades and shops and other stores on the floor. Wangnan decided that sweet and sour pork was his favorite dish. He decided noodles were his next favorite. He discovered a store where he can buy Shinsu bombs in bulk at a discount.
Then it was just him left, and the cold pork left on the table. When he meets Nia and inspires him, there is a warm feeling in his chest, being able to reignite the dreams of a failed Regular. Maybe he could make new friends to climb the Tower with.
Then Nia dies, and he resorts to asking the FUG Slayer Candidate himself for help. He’s pathetic, weak, he can't save anyone, but if there’s anything he has besides his ring, it’s his determination. And luck favors him just this once, because Viole helps him. Only for Wangnan to forgive Lurker in the end. The voice inside whispers harshly. Coward, coward, why won’t you kill him? He deserves it.
No! He shouts back. He’s dreamed of becoming the King since he was born, but maybe it was just now he could declare out loud why. “Does this Tower make our dreams come true or force us to give up our dreams?” he had asked Love. He’s never believed that the Tower could fulfill everyone’s wish. After all, if that was the case, he wouldn’t have grown up through hardship and struggling. “I'LL CHANGE EVERYTHING IN THIS TOWER THAT MADE YOU LIKE THIS!!” Wangnan screams. Lurker stares, eyes wide and mouth gaping. “I'LL ENSURE THAT NO ONE ELSE ENDS UP LIKE YOU OR NIA EVER AGAIN!! THAT'S THE DREAM THAT DRIVES ME TO GO UP THE TOWER!!” Yes, it’s his dream. It’s a dream because it was unrealistic. But dreams aren’t so hard to turn into reality as long as he’s willing to try. “EVEN IF PEOPLE LAUGH AND SAY IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!! EVEN IF I FAIL THOUSANDS OF TIMES AND GET BETRAYED!! I'LL NEVER GIVE UP!”
Pathetic, coward, weak.
No.
I’m a Prince. And I will be King.
Viole connects the wrong connector to his remote, and they all pass.
Viole scares him half to death later at night, while he’s leaning on the balcony railing, staring out into the distance. Wangnan turns around, and the Slayer Candidate is right behind him. He whirls around, lifting both hands up in the air reflexively. “Vi-Viole!! Oh...No, Lord Viole!! So you were there....!”
Silence.
“S...Sorry, Lord Viole!!” Wangnan bows, his heart thudding in his chest. “Um..I did trick you, but...! Please don't kill me!!” He’s aware how stupid he sounds right now, begging on his knees in front of a FUG member, but hey, if stupidity got him this far, he might as well keep going with it.
There’s another long period of silence, and Wangnan’s debating if he should risk it and run, but then Viole speaks, “Why…did you forgive him?”
There’s no harshness in his voice, just a calm, almost peaceful tone. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed there was curiosity in the Slayer Candidate’s voice.
Well, no harm in answering, right? “Cause...I also want to be forgiven by others…” he starts hesitantly. “ To go up the Tower, I ignored people in need, tricked others, killed…I realized I wasn't so different from him. Nobody...Knows how many people I'll kill in the future.....It could be more than he did....so....well…” he suddenly realizes he’s not exactly sure where he’s going with this. Wait, how long was I talking…? Is Viole tired of me talking to him? After all, I’m nothing compared to him. “Anyway! Lord Viole! Now that we're a team, please consider saving this poor guy and take me with you!! I beg you!!”
“…What do you want to change about the Tower so desperately?” Viole stands in front of him now. His eyes are still covered by those long bangs of his, and the night settles around him calmly, casting a shadow over his features. But strangely enough, even though Wangnan’s rational side is trembling, he doesn’t really feel that scared. Logic has never been his strong point. And he wants to see if he’s the only one with this dream.
“...W-well...nothing that great. I-It’s just so suffocating.” He pauses for a moment, waiting to see if Viole will say anything. But Viole’s face remains expressionless, so Wangnan continues, “This Tower, it creates walls between people. I just...I want to make a place where everybody can smile under the same roof.” He smiles. “I want a wider sky.”
The Slayer Candidate really likes his silence. Is he going to say anything? Is Viole silently judging him? Wangnan wouldn’t blame him if he is. But finally, all he says is: “Don’t call me Lord.”
Viole walks back towards the door, stopping once to add, “I hope you reach that dream of yours, Ja Wangnan,” before he steps inside and disappears.
If it had been before, that statement would have sounded mocking. But now…
“What dream did the Tower take from you?” Wangnan asks the closed door.
They settle pretty nicely on the 21st Floor. Viole rents them an entire large house, and there’s enough rooms to fit them all if they share, although Wangnan opts to sleep on the couch instead and let Viole have his own room. But Viole’s a lot nicer than any of them were expecting. And he can cook! Wangnan doesn’t care if he’s part of FUG, anyone that can cook as delicious meals as Viole is automatically on his “good people” list.
And then he meets Viole’s martial arts teacher (who acts like a doting father more than anything), and he learns the truth.
Suddenly, Viole doesn’t seem like a bad guy at all. He’s just another person with a destiny he didn’t want. So when Viole’s teacher is keeping him up the entire night mumbling praises to Viole (seriously, was he secretly Viole’s dad?), he walks out onto the balcony and sees Viole. He tries to make some small talk, but it’s obvious Viole isn’t really interested in talking, so Wangnan sighs and just gets to his point. “Viole.”
The change in his demeanor causes the Slayer Candidate to turn towards him with a questioning hum.
“I'm sorry I thought you were a bad guy.”
Viole tilts his head, and Wangnan catches a glimpse of wide golden eyes, his mouth parted in surprise.
“You're…an amazingly good guy.” There isn’t a trace of evil in those eyes. Just the surprise of someone who’s been beaten down for so long, someone who was expecting hatred receiving kindness. “If I were your friend, I wouldn't regret risking me life for you. Let's pass the next exam. No matter what. Friend.”
Viole’s face settles back into something impassive, but Wangnan knows he’s grateful.
Then the Flamethrower arrives, and despite the immediate argument that breaks out, Wangnan feels a lot lighter.
He admits the truth to Akraptor during the test. “The place where Viole truly belongs to…is not here, by our side. I’m going to do everything I can to help him meet his friends again.”
When they get the message that Viole is in danger, he can’t help but worry. He is far weaker than Viole, but he refuses to let Viole go into everything by himself. Unfortunately, none of their attacks seem to work on the stranger. When Viole meets the guy’s punch head on, the cavern around them explodes, the sheer force of power sending them all flying. But the time the dust clears and they’re running back, they see the man standing over a bloody Viole, whose arms are curled protectively around Miseng. “Viole!”
The strange man turns, and they flinch. But he gives them the flower, saying “It’s a reward for his courage. The courage to protect a teammate in the face of the strongest man…” He starts walking away.
“What’s wrong with him now?” Wangnan grumbles, before Horyang suddenly shouts.
“Look! His back!”
“Back?” Wangnan squints, looking. “Ma…zi…no?!”
“UREK MAZINO?!”
But there’s not really time to dwell on it. They rush over to Viole, who’s just stirring, eyes fluttering open for just a second before they close. They escape the Zigena with an unconscious Slayer Candidate in tow.
Jinsung makes a request a few days later. “Please leave Viole.” At Wangnan’s stunned silence, he continues, “I wanted Viole to make friends...But I didn't know that that would put him in danger. If something like this happens again, I can't be sure that he'll survive.”
I don’t think Urek Mazino appears all that often, Wangnan thinks dryly. But he knows Jinsung has a point. All of them will be in danger as long as Viole is around, FUG will have even more friends to blackmail Viole with.
But Team Sweet and Sour convinces him otherwise. “‘I want to help Viole meet his friends,’” Akraptor quotes back at him. “Nobody will run away even if you say so. You know what—Viole should be thankful to have found such a good team.”
At night, he goes to see Jinsung again, handing him lollipops instead of cigarettes. “It’s not bitter but sweet.” He hops off the small cylindrical stack. “Oh, the food is ready. So come in and have dinner. And…” He turns around just slightly, so Jinsung can see his set expression, determined and fierce. “We decided to go our own way.” In his peripheral vision, he sees a flicker of shock pass over Jinsung’s face, but he keeps going, “It has nothing to do with FUG, the Ten Families, nor Jahad. It's 'our own way', the way we want to go.” And he turns his back on the FUG member. “But we'll take Viole with us. Well just to let you know.”
Jinsung doesn’t appear for dinner.
“Show me the way to get to Viole's friends.”
Hwaryun smiles, but she looks down. “Why should I? I'm FUG…”
“The Guide only shows the way to those who can make it,” Wangnan states. “You told me the secrets Viole keeps. You told me because I can go that path, right?” Hwaryun’s face is unreadable. “Then I'll take it.”
Hwaryun is quiet for a moment. Then, “It is out of sympathy that you want to take this path? Or...is it to complete your goals, the Prince of the Red-Light District?”
He feels a twinge of shock, but at this point, he’s come to expect that FUG probably knows everything about them. So he simply stares back silently, refusing to back down.
The Guide doesn’t seem deterred, but she gives in. “Well, either way, it doesn't matter to me. I'll tell you the way.” And she tells him about the Workshop Battle. “If you can get there in two years and join the battle, you can meet Viole's friends.”
Seconds later, Yihwa and Miseng yell, “Viole’s awake!”
When Hwaryun said they’ll meet Viole’s friends if they go to the Workshop Battle, Wangnan doesn’t expect Viole to disappear first. But this Khun Aguero Agnis stands in front of him, cocky smirk and all. His words are harsh and wicked, completely unlike Viole, but his smile is genuine when he says “We're just going to meet our friend, right?”
“Well…that’s true,” Wangnan acqueises, dipping his head. “Alright. I’ll make a team with you.” He holds out his hand. “And now that we start this, let’s win.”
Khun grasps his hand firmly. “Great.”