《Tower of God: Sequence Strength》


 Chapter 1: A Dream

    Chapter 1: A DreamThe city life was always full of lights.


    The night sky is blanketed by a shade of clouds and dust. Winston Heath stood atop a building, a cover of metal fibres above him.


    It was constantly raining in this city, perhaps an attempt at washing away the corruption and filth that accumulated for years. The city called out to him like a cheap escort, it did not want him, but it needed him. A damp and despondent feeling crept up the environment like a


    fluttering flame slowly burning away at a forest.


    Winston sighed, his sleeping robes feeling especially cold today. He quietly gazed at the rainy sky and the wide array of roads below. The hundreds of lights moving about the city gave him a restless feeling. He slowly twirled the glass of wine he held in his hands and gazed back towards the bedroom.


    Among the mattresses, a gorgeous women of German descent slept quietly, her smooth hair sprawled all over. Winston''s gaze was one of melancholy and solitude.


    With a sight, he gulped down the wine and kept the glass aside on a table. Eddies of wind swept past him, prompting him to cover his body further with his robes.


    Blowing out a breath of warm air, he walked back into the room.


    This was the life of Winston Heath, a top tier theoretical physicist and an MIT graduate in engineering. There was very little time he had for himself where he could silently ponder and contemplate about his life.


    Most of his nights were accompanied by beautiful women of all kinds, his networth was well over a billion, he led humanity on one of the most important projects of interstellar travel and also on particle physics. It would not be wrong to say that it was the life of a dream, something anyone would wish for.


    However, there was always a creeping feeling at the back of his mind. A profound sense of loneliness and isolation. Even when he was surrounded by colleagues, or when he was making love to various women; it was something always on the back of his mind.


    A cold sensation up his spine that he couldn''t take care of, an itch on his body he couldn''t scratch...


    He was surrounded by all, but truly known by none.


    An old man on a lighthouse shines the light, guiding explorers of the crashing waves,


    Sailors gratefully regard his presence, but no one ever stops or stays.


    Without the light, many would perish,


    Yet, here he spends his days with no one to cherish.


    With a sigh, he took off his robes and climbed back into the bed. The gorgeous women stirred up in the bed, wrapping her arms around his well built figure.


    With a small smile at her antics, the man closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep.


    A large expanse of a rain forest was before him. The tiny droplets that made their way to the bottom, through the dense canopy made for a light drizzle on his skin.


    Winston closed his eyes, feeling the sensation of water pouring over him. He looked in front of himself as he stood over a large cliffside.


    The gigantic forest extended on towards the distant horizon, the dark clouds bellowing above it all. The rain poured down with a light intensity. Mountains arose in the distance, with the forests covering a large part of them.


    Rivers and lakes littered the landscape, painting a beautiful picture of nature.


    The smell of wet soil, the soft feeling of droplets on his skin and the breathtaking view; it invited a smile to his face.


    It felt so... refreshing.


    Even thought it was only a dream, Winston reveled in it.


    He sat down on a nearly stone, his naked figure getting wetter and wetter in the drizzle.


    The humid air was not hard to breathe, and the chirping of birds behind him alleviated his stress.


    Pitter-patter


    Pitter-patter


    Some time passed in stillness, just then, a small book appeared before Winston.


    The book floated up into the air. Winston widened his eyes at the display. He was.. surprised. He was a very accomplished lucid dreamer, able to make all kinds of things in his dreams. It was one of the things that led to his success. Visualisation of his goals was the key. However, this was the first time since he mastered lucid dreaming that something he did not intend for had happened.


    Without his will, the book opened up before him. The slightly yellowish paper appeared old and damp. It was completely devoid of any letters or information.


    Just then, letters started to appear on the book.


    [You have 3 spin chances!


    Beginner''s luck has been activated, your luck will be enhanced!]


    Winston looked on in confusion.


    Spin chances? His inner thoughts somewhat echoed in the surroundings.


    "Umm. Spin?"


    As his words fell, a small wheel materialized onto the book pages and began to spin.


    It spun for about 10 seconds before coming to a stop. When it stopped, the wheel disappeared and a vial with a rainbow fluid appeared.


    [Congratulation! You have gained:


    Lord of the Mysteries- Three Pathways!]


    "And what would this be?" He thought in interest. As if answering to his inquiry, more letter appeared on the book.


    [Lord of Mysteries- Three Pathways:


    - You get access to the abilities of the three pathways of the Lord of Mysteries- The Fool, The Error and The Door.


    -You gain the ability to ascend to godhood.


    - Through meticulous acting, you can ascend from sequence 9 to sequence o and beyond, simultaneously on each pathway.]


    "That... seems overpowered?" As someone that read a lot of pieces of fiction when he was about 19, Winston was somewhat knowledgeable about these things.


    Sequence pathways from the franchise Lord of Mysteries was one of them. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having all the abilities from the three pathways of Lord of Mysteries. Its overpowered for sure... He thought as he read the entire thing again for good measure. He had read the first book of the Mysteries series from Cuttlefish in his free time. It was, in essence, one of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written in his eyes. At least in terms of webnovels.


    "Heh. I wonder how stressed I am, to be unconsciously materializing such things in my dream.." Winston gave a selt deprecating laugh. Extending his hand, he touched the small vial diagram on the book.


    A bright light that seemed to be made of a thousand colors suddenly flashed, and the same vial materialized before him.


    Winston''s reflexes kicked in as he hurriedly took a hold of the vial before it could fall.


    "Now let''s see." He said as he inspected the vial from all angles.


    "I''m supposed to drink this right?" He thought as he removed the cap and poured the


    contents into his mouth.


    He had expected the fluid to have some sort of taste. However, there was only a slightly cool sensation on his tongue.


    Well, can''t be hoping this much from a dream. He thought and once again looked at the book.


    [You have successfully consumed and assimilated the Triple Pathway Sequence 9 potion of


    Lord of Mysteries!]


    [Congratulations! You are now a Seer, an Apprentice and a Marauder!]


    [Your soul had been made anew!]


    [You have 2 spin chances!]


    "That''s... that oddly seems like something I would really like as a teenager." Winston


    muttered under his breath.


    Remembering the type of material he used to read and the type of fantasies he used to have as


    a teen, a small smile appeared on his face.


    "I was so immature back then. Always thinking of impossible stuff like second chances." He laughed heartily, although his expression was one of melancholy and sadness. "Spin."


    The wheel on the book began to spin once again, this time, after it stopped an image of a


    golden monkey like human came into view.


    [Congratulations! You have gained:


    Instinctual Fighter!]


    Winston touched the image of the human, which made it disappear.


    He held his chin in contemplation.


    What is this supposed to be?


    Just like before a description of the reward came into view.


    [Instinctive Fighter:


    - You are naturally adept at fighting.


    - Combat and ways of martial arts come naturally to you.


    - Through proper training and years of experience, martial arts can be copied through sight


    alone.


    - Hightened resistance to stressed and diseases.]


    From the description is was clear that the second reward was also very very powerful. It wasn''t anything that his first reward wouldn''t allow him to achieve, but just a great starting buff. His first reward was something that would take time to accumulate strength after all.


    This would''ve helped me in my wandering years.


    [You have 1 spin chance!]


    "Spin."


    The wheel once again began to spin, this time, as it stopped the image of a perfectly smooth


    sphere appeared on the book.


    [Congratulations! You have gained:


    Spherical Soul Crest!]


    [Spherical Soul Crest:


    -A Spherical Crest that resides in the Soul.


    -Converts the soul into a perpetual motion machine that it always in a state of


    inequilibrium.


    -The soul will never reach a state of equilibrium, making the soul effectively Immortal.]


    Winston marvelled at his luck.


    "Wow... Any one of these things would propel any person to the top of the world..." He spoke


    happily.


    What a weird dream...


    The book continued to float in front of him mysteriously.


    Looking at it for a moment, Winston Heath decided to stop dreaming for now and wake up.


    Closing his eyes, he simulated the sensation of falling.


    And then, darkness overtook him.


    The next day was one of transcendental surprise and sorrow.


    For one of the greatest minds of the human race; one of the most intelligent and qualified


    theoretical physicists had been found dead in his bedroom.


    The post mortem reports say he died mysteriously, without any ailment, disease or


    physiological disorder.


    The death day of Winston Heath was triggered a world wide movement of sadness in the


    populace.


    A/N: This is a new novel idea I had.


    I''m only writing this to delve into a bit of character writing and sentence structure along with


    philosophical proses.


    Anyway, this is only for experimentation, so don''t expect me to continue on indefinitely until an end. This fanfiction is viable to be dropped.

 Chapter 2: A New Sensation

    Chapter 2: A New SensationWinston Heath. See the child like state of a grown man, one that would propel his species to the stars, a gift that he himself could never hope to get.


    He lights the fire in the scullery, shedding light onto the outside fields, torn and covered with rags of snow and dirt beyond which stand tall redwood trees that harbor a last few wolves.


    His eyes travel to the sorry figure of his father, a man supposed to be a teacher, yet one that failed to teach his son anything. He cannot read and he cannot write, everyday he carries farming tools to the fields to plow incessantly the ground, through which the final grain could land onto his plate.


    12 years ago, his mother had passed. The Virtuous woman who had spent 9 months, protecting in her own bosom the one that would chase her off was reduced to nothing more than a spectral figure in his mind.


    The father does not say her name, the child does not know it. He has an older brother to name, one that ran off with a rich old lass that whispered seductive promises of glory and money into his ears.


    His own figure is thin and malnourished, his cheek bones protrude out and the ribs are visible. The father does nothing.


    At 13 he runs away, his mind harboring a taste of violence that will get him through. He boards a boat that travels at night with bulbs alight, seemingly entire cities afloat on an insurmountable body of water, carrying lost souls to their final rest.


    He sits among the people, all diffident in their own respects. He gets into a fist fight at the back of the deck and leaves his opponent in a pool of blood. For the first time in a long while, his pockets are not yet empty.


    The ship break off the float and he gets to the ground. The money and power he holds in the weight of his fist is intoxicating. Cheap whores call him out. He gives in.


    At 13, he gets the first touch of a woman, one he paid more, to do just that, than what he would earn working for an entire month. He drinks a bottle of beer and lies at the edge of the street.


    A year goes by. The child has grown into a dangerous boy, his fists are big and the arms have picked up meat. His reputation precedes him in these parts as does the fear of his name. The authorities deal with him, he goes away. Then again they do, he moves. A vicious cycle.


    Travelling at the ships earns him greatly. In the day he sings and rests, trying to learn the languages and the art of reading and writing. At night, he descends like a fairytale beast, fists swinging, ready to take life for the money or have his taken.


    The boy becomes 15. And an old man meets him at the docks. His face is a mosaic of wrinkles that run from everywhere to everywhere. Just yesterday, the boy had been shot in the back by a sailor.


    The old man takes him in.


    On the cot, Winston lays. The old man speaks.


    "Your name?"


    "Winston."


    "No last name?"


    "None that I''m aware of."


    "Then you got a problem taking mine?"


    Winston stares at him expressionlessly.


    "Heath. Call yourself Winston Heath from now on."


    The old man piches his nose slightly. His face was a blend of the warmest colours Winston had ever encountered.


    "Why are you wandering around like this?"


    "I have nothing else to do."


    "Have any experience of study?"


    "I do."


    "You do?"


    "...Sometimes. I know how to read now." Winston smiles.


    The old man smiles back. "Then I guess you''ll be under my care from now on."


    That was the instance that changed Winston''s fate, that would otherwise have him prowling like a deranged beast in the shipping docks like a starved tiger would in the woods; had been changed to something far more.


    However, as much as he despised the past of his, it taught him an important lesson.


    "Violence Endures." He speaks.


    Winston jolts awake, his entire upper body naked while his underside is covered by nothing but an underwear. His built body lies along the stone cold ground, the dirt getting into his hair and dyeing his fair skin.


    He gets up and looks around. All around him is a large cave, there is nothing else that could be described.


    It was dark, yet somehow he was able to see.


    Suddenly, a stream of information flooded into his brain.


    It was the three Sequence 9 potions, working their magic!


    Sequence 9 of the Fool Pathway: Seer; providing enhanced memory, spiritual intuition, divination abilities, enhanced spirituality and finally, access of ritualistic magics.


    Sequence 9 of the Error Pathway: Marauder; providing enhanced dexterity, strength and agility, night vision, mastery of theft, superior observation on the border of mystical and finally, agile hands which provides mastery over combat.


    Sequence 9 of the Door Pathway: Apprentice; providing mastery over spirit vision, ability to open ''doors'' inside of walls and other objects, effectively allowing a person to go through them and finally, ability to lock pick any non mystical and some mystical doors.


    All three combined, although did not offer an instant powerup, made way for an increasingly annoying combo.


    It could be said that even at sequence 9, the beyond of the cowardly trio Pathway were particularly harder to kill than any other Pathway.


    Again, he looks around. Nothing but the dirt, the stone and the darkened walls of a godforsaken land. He did not where he had ended up at, but he knew everything was very


    much real.


    As someone that had mastered lucid dreaming, he knew the feeling of a dream. The clear distinction between a dream and reality was the difference between night and day for him. If he couldn''t tell, he wouldn''t expect anyone to.


    He did not know how, but the contents of the dream had not only been contents. They had somehow turned real and transported him to this... place. It was surreal more than anything. Stranger than the black nights of the darkened hell he lived and thrived in, and more eerie than anything his transcendent imagination could ever hope to come up with. Getting up, he felt his body. It was strong. The strength he felt coursing through him was unlike anything he had ever felt when he was still back ''home''.


    He balled his fists up and punched the air. A slight whistling sound gave out as the punch fell on empty air. Winston turned back and punched again. Then with his right fist, and again with


    the left.


    Each punch left a whistling sound hanging in the air, the slightest of humm buzz that would normally be hard to pick up on.


    Hooooo~


    He breathed. Then, with a tremendous effort of the legs, he began running. His legs carried him faster than he had ever run before, a speed which he felt was equivalent to about 36 kilometers per hour, or 10 meters per second.


    Stopping just before a wall, he punched the solid stone.


    Bam!


    A crisp sound ran out, with a depression appearing at the spot of impact. He pulled his arm back, his fist bruised from the impact. The wall before him had a large prominent crack running down from the place he had just punched, with various secondary cracks running along like the tributaries of a river or the branches and roots of a tree. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston nodded to himself.


    Physicals have been enhanced tremendously. I''m quicker on my feet and strength is above human terms. My observation skills have also been tested. Winston looked back.


    The slightest footprints that would normally be invisible, the little rocks he had kicked up while running, the strange layout of the cave, the way the wind moved in the space, everything was visible to him. His entire body became an observational machine, perfectly optimised to notice any changes, ticks and things he would find advantageous in the


    environment.


    Now, the only thing left to find out is the spirit vision and the door openings. I can''t check ritualistic magic about now due to lack of materials. Winston mused.


    Without wasting any time, he sat cross legged on the ground and began to concentrate. Winston roughly remembered the concepts of cogitation and how it helped concentrate and


    utilize spirituality. And being an Apprentice and Seer, he had the instinctive advantage while trying out such things.


    Turning his mindscape blank, he imagined a perfectly round ball. A black sphere of unimaginable mass that strangely enough, curved inwards the the top, yet it didn''t.


    A non euclidean geometrical shape.


    The first step of cogitation was to focus the mind and direct the energy seepage to a single


    point.


    As he did so, a plethora of colours unfolded before his eyes. The staggering mosaic of unimaginably high colours that twisted and turned within his mind, like sardines in a school rendered him unable to think for a moment.


    Focusing his spirituality, Winston overtook the task of a trigger. He smacked his left thumb and ring finger together over and over again, associating it with the activation and


    deactivation of spirit vision.


    Then, finally, he opened his eyes like the Enlightened Buddha.


    The stream of colours were swept in his eyes, drawn towards a gigantic figure that dwarfed any mega structure of the modern age by far. The large behemoth, the tremendously gigantic figure of a billion different colours blended together into the surroundings, making way for a dazzling sight unlike none other. The colours, like a million will o wisps rendered free to roam centered around, cuddled and bellowed to form a large "Door". Winston''s eyes shone with curiosity, however, he soon squashed the curiosity.


    In such matters, curiosity was fatal. He had not yet judged, known or theorized about the


    things that might lie behind the large door. He could not yet hold the luxury of being reckless. Forcibly tearing away his eyes from the door, he looked at his own figure. More specifically, the colors displayed by his astral projection and the ether body.


    The ether body, the part of the soul most connected with the physical body exuded a deep white colour, almost making his entire body invisible. A sign of great health.


    As for the astral projection, it exhibited the colors of green and blue, a sign of calm and peace


    and one of thought respectively.


    Winston could not help but morph a small smile on his face.


    This is... interesting.


    For the moment, he decided to familiarize himself with the new skillset he had been


    provided.


    A/N: I''ve been reading Cormac Mcarthy''s Blood Meridian, so the vocabulary is somewhat in


    line with it''s first chapter, along with the main character''s backstory.

 Chapter 3: The Door

    Chapter 3: The DoorWinston dreamt of a God. A God so large that he could not be seen in the clouds from the waist up. The God walked towards a tower and walked atop it. His arms were equally gigantic as his body. He held them out. The tower expanded and expanded, and then some more. It kept expanding beyond what the human mind was truly capable of comprehending, eventually overtaking an infinite cosmos.


    Then, a door appeared to close off the tower, covering everything beyond it like a mist.


    Winston jolted awake once again. His eyes were unfocused as he thought over the contents of the dream.


    As a Seer, and one with particularly higher spirituality due to the influence of the Marauder and Apprentice potions, dreams were not meant to be ignored. Most, it not all the time, dreams held deeper meaning, as it is the spiritual intuition giving a revelation or warning about whatever it is to come.


    What is the symbolism behind the dream? I saw the same door in the dream.


    Winston thought about it for a moment, coming to various conclusions on the get go.


    "The Door leads to a tower. Perhaps the tower might be a symbol for something else, possibly a rise to power considering the figure of a God atop it? A power ladder that allows one to become a God?" He mused.


    I already have a way to ascend to godhood. However, most of the acting required for it needs to interact with other people and get their feedback. Only then can I progress in Sequence.


    Winston shook his head.


    Whatever it might be beyond the door, it is somewhat clear that it''s a path to power, or at least something close to it. Winston completely trusted his spiritual intuition. In the series Lord of Mysteries, Klein''s intuition rarely ever failed to deliver; although that too was partly because of the buff of the sefirah castle, but as someone that had three Sequence 9 potions worth of spirituality, he wasn''t far behind Klein''s intuition. In fact, he might even theorize that he was somewhat more spiritually sensitive.


    He sighed.


    His arrival at the space, which was marked 2 days ago, give or take, had been particularly mundane. He had simply appeared. But everything that came with it wasn''t. He had been practicing his powers all this time, getting more familiar with it. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Along with that, he had practised cogitation at practically every free instance he got.


    And since he couldn''t stay here indefinitely, which would entail straving to death, and finally having an idea of what was beyond the door, he concluded that there was practically no reason to staying in this place.


    Winston got up, his eyes turning muddled as he activated his sight, unveiling the secrets beyond vision. The majestic door that spanned hundreds of meters high and hundreds of meters wide appeared in his eyes.


    Walking forward, he placed his hand onto the ethereal door. Not being physical, it was impossible to touch it normally, save for at the expense of spirituality and using his Apprentice powers.


    The door didn''t budge. He concentrated.


    He used the door openings abilities of the Apprentice pathway to the absolute limit of what his spirituality would allow for.


    Alas, the conceptual power of a sequence 9s abilities could only get so far.


    Winston sat back down on the surface of the cave, quietly overlooking the door still. He contemplated.


    I can''t open the doors as of yet. How am I supposed to get in then? He looked around.


    The cave only extends so far. Even if I use door opening, it only leads to a wall of stone. Meaning, there no other air pockets at least 50 meters from here.


    Just as he was thinking about his next choice of action, the door suddenly trembled.


    The surrounding colours dimmed and scattered as a deep crevice opened within the door. And inside lied an even blinding light than anything the door could ever hope to produce. Winston had the instinct to close his eyes, lest he went blind from the intense light; however, he knew that doing so might make him miss the opportunity; alongside the knowledge that his spirit vision wasn''t inherently connected to his physical body, but instead it was information supplied directly to his spiritual body, or the astral projection.


    The crevice largened, now large enough for an entire person to pass through.


    No brief moments of hesitation passed him, which might have been indicative of his spirituality warning him. Hurriedly getting off the ground, before the door could close as it was already motioning to, he jumped through the narrow gap into the light, closing off his spirit vision while doing so.


    Soon, the door closed and the surrounding spiritual colours returned to their usual rest.


    A lonesome light shone high up above, amidst the spinning mist and the racing winds. The long stone hallways, supposedly untouched for thousands of years, hosting murals of strange imagery and unknown individuals that marred the walls, supposedly unviewed for ages, the entrance to the first floor had finally gotten a visitor.


    Winston Smith, the enigmatic man opened his eyes. His upper body was still completely naked with his underside covered only by undies.


    He propped up his chest and looked around. The murals on the walls, the long, seemingly infinite hallway that extended both ways and the ceilingless space which had a lone light shining from above gave him the impression that it had not been probed in for centuries. Which would be correct, a sign of his enhanced deduction from the Marauder potion. He got on his feet and looked around again. Suddenly, a voice called out. "Oh-ho! Another irregular! The Tower hasn''t received such extensive visits from the outside in centuries!" A sing song voice, a deep monotone said from the side.


    Winstons sight darted to the speaker, there finding a figure too eerie to describe in any form of beauty or majesty by human standards.


    It was a humanoid figure, standing at a height of an astonishing range between 180 to 185 centimeters, save for his propped up ears, which when added made him look about 240 centimeters. He had a pure white skin and an elongated face, which stood almost featuresless if not for a singular slit that travelled lengthwise on the lower part of the head. The back of this slit held clear crystal blue eyes and the front held an almost unnoticeable row of sharp


    teeth.


    His arms were unusually thick for his body structure, at least by human standards and he wore a purple spandex like garment.


    He twirled and twisted a golden staff with crystal balled ends in the air, masterfully


    displaying tricks with it.


    Winston readied himself to use spirit vision, wanting to get a clearer picture.


    However, his thumb accidentally met his middle finger instead of his ring finger. Seeing that,


    he instantly got rid of any thoughts, that still harbored or had yet to arise about using spirit vision on his rabbit like humanoid being.


    He distinctively remembered Megose from LoTM, the one that gave the readers PTSD on pregnant woman that harbored an evil God in her womb. At that moment, a critical detail about spirit vision was understood in the novel. "Do not look directly at God."


    "Who are you?" Winston asked, throwing to the back of his mind the fact that he had nearly gotten himself killed just a moment ago.


    The rabbit like figure didn''t notice anything. He again spoke in the same sing song voice.


    "I am Headon. The guardian of the first floor of the Tower."


    "The Tower? Guardian?"


    "Tower indeed. What you are inside is the Tower of God." He spread his arms across, as if to


    take the world into his arms. "What do you desire?


    "Money and Wealth?


    "Honor and Pride?


    "Authority and Power?


    "Revenge?


    "Or something that transcends all these?


    "Whatever you desire... is here..."


    His staff pointed up. "Everything is at the top of the tower. Anything can be achieved at the


    top, the Tower is such a place."


    Winston looked on.


    "As for me being a Guardian, each floor of the tower has a guardian assigned to the specific


    floor, I am simply the guardian of the first one."


    Winston nodded.


    "I see. How many floors are there in total may I ask?"


    Headon smirked, displaying his front teeth openly.


    "That can only be found as you climb the Tower. Do you have what it takes?" He asked.


    Winston quieted down for a moment.


    It doesn''t matter how I got here or how I ended up inside this Tower, what matters is I won''t survive


    back in that cave. He looked at the rabbit.


    As of right now, I need only enter the tower. The rest can be figured out with time.


    "Are there any inhabitants in the tower?"


    "Indeed there are. Each floor harbors millions of inhabitants."


    "And they all climb the tower?"


    "Not all, no. Only the ones I select." "And I take it that I''ve also been selected?"


    Headon''s smirk widened all the way to his eyes.


    "No. You were not chosen by me. You came in on your own." He pointed his stick at Winston.


    "You have chosen yourself. The only question from here is whether you are willing to climb or not."


    Winston contemplated for a moment.


    "What does that mean?"


    "You can find that out on your own."


    He nodded.


    From his words, I can at least deduce that the people from the outside are few to name. And as of right


    now, there might have been another visitor before me, or even multiple of them. And supposedly, they


    might just have some advantages or disadvantages because they have ''chosen themselves'', as opposed to everyone that it chosen.


    And it suggests a culling mechanism. Not everyone that gets selected can reach the top, meaning there


    is a competition underway to the top. That means danger.


    Winston gazed at Headon who was smirking at him. "How do you climb the tower?"


    "You must take a test on each floor to reach the next one."


    "What what might be this floor''s test?"


    "I beginning to like you. The first floor test... hmm. Let''s see." He scratched his ''chin''.


    Then behind him, the scenery underwent a change.


    What was previously a darkened hallway that had no end, a large cage door appeared in it''s


    place.


    A green hue emanated from the air beyond the cage, and water like waves filled the air. The


    waves rolled and tumbled in the air, like currents in an ocean. And in the waves, a predator lurked.


    A gigantic fish like creature with a long tail and two appendages floated silently in the air, swimming in the waves.


    At the center of the cage, some distance from the door of the cage, some shards of a dark


    substance were lying there. Slowly, they disappeared and a lonesome door appeared in it''s


    place.


    "The first test is simple. Walk through that door, and you pass."


    "And what of that monster?"


    "That is a white steel eel, a creature found in the tower. It hasn''t eaten anything for some


    time, so it''s particularly aggressive."


    Winston looked at Headon in silence, unsure if the rabbit like figure purposefully wanted to


    get him killed.


    "I reckon if I don''t take the test, I''ll be thrown back out?"


    "That right."


    "Then that leaves no choice." He steeled his resolve and walked towards the cage.


    Either he died here from the beast, or went back and died from starvation. It was obvious what


    he was going to pick.


    A/N: Throw me them stones, if you want to of course.

 Chapter 4: The Second Floor

    Chapter 4: The Second FloorBefore the cage opened for Winston to walk through, whether to his impending death or a great opportunity yet remaining to be seen, he was stopped by Headon.


    The rabbit like guardian propped up his staff before him.


    "I almost forgot to ask, but what is it that you wish to achieve?" The same deep monotone voice called out, echoing in the hallway.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Everyone has a path to follow in the tower to get to where they wish to. People desire all sorts of things, wishing for all sorts of things, wanting all sorts of things. What are you after?"


    Winston thought for a moment.


    "Purpose I guess?"


    "Hoh? A rather philosophical goal you have."


    "Does it matter what goal I have? Does it make a difference in climbing the tower?" Winston asked impatiently.


    Headon chuckled. "I suppose not. Everything can be fulfilled at the top after all." He removed his staff.


    "Then there is one last thing I have to give you." He said. Winston turned to look at him. Headon, out of nowhere pulled out a spherical mass, a deep black ball that floated in the air. "This is a pocket. Something that is widely utilized in the tower. It will allow you to understand the language of the tower, Macsethian." He said.


    If he hadn''t stopped me just now, wouldn''t I have been unable to understand the Tower''s language? Winston felt distasteful but didn''t voice out his thoughts.


    As the sphere approached him, a steady stream of information invaded his mind.


    "You make make the pocket invisible by saying ''invisible mode."" Headon said.


    "Invisible mode." Winston repeated and the sphere turned invisible.


    Interesting... he mused.


    "Then, let us proceed with the test. ''The Door."" Headon smirked and pointed his head ahead towards the cage.


    Winston didn''t speak, only walked towards the cage entrance which slowly opened like the deep entrancing maws of death. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Headon turned to be behind him, no longer in the field of vision, Winston tapped his left thumb and ring finger together twice.


    Immediately, his spirit vision became active and he saw... waves.


    Insurmountable waves, too large to perceive clearly, too many to number, too numerous to count, too beautiful to move his head away.


    It was a blend of waves that moved about in the air, like a water stream moving down the river. And amidst the waves of water was the behemoth like being that was the white steel eel. It floated with the help of the waves, following their direction and sometimes manipulating them to his liking.


    Winston was entranced for a second before he walked into the waves.


    Immediately, he felt a great pressure on his being. It felt like he was submerged at the bottom of a 7 meter deep pool, something he had previously experienced. Yet, weirdly enough, it was not hard to move as it would normally be under all the resistance.


    It felt like he was moving through pure air, yet there was an abnormal pressure that surrounded his body. It did not feel uncomfortable, nor did it feel wrong.


    It just felt... strange.


    This feels strange. Winston thought as he moved his hand through the waves.


    Just then, before he even got to fully analyze the situation, a deafening roar sounded.


    Winston looked over at the large titanous creature that was hurling through the air. The gigantic creature, larger than any other he had ever seen moved with a frightening speed for it''s stature.


    Winston''s eyes threaded into needles, hurriedly, he dashed out of the way and rolled to the right.


    The white steel eel smashed the ground, creating a deep crevice where Winston''s relatively tiny figure had previously stood. The eel stabilised itself back into the air as Winston regained his footing.


    Winston looked at the target of the test, the door.


    At the moment, the door was 54 meters away from him, a distance he could reach in 4 seconds.


    Without wasting any time, he began running towards the thing. The eel, with it''s large eyes looked at the running figure of Winston. Why such a large creature would dash for such a tiny one for the sake of eatinf was beyond him; for there was no way for a creature of such size to get any sort of sustenance by eating him.


    However, now was not the time to dwell on such things.


    Winston felt the waves in the air behind him move, and at the same time, looked at the unusual flow before him.


    He could not look back to see, since Headon stood at the base of the cage doors, watching him still. At that moment, his sight would turn him into a bulbous mass of flesh that did not


    perceive anything.


    And he did not have the luxury of turning it off, since noticing the waves in the air gave information about the eels irregular movement patterns. Without his spirit vision, prediction could only be left to his spiritual intuition and natural senses, something that he did not think would keep him alive in such a highly stressful situation where time was the key.


    Jumping to the right again, he upheld his footing when he saw the waves moving towards him.


    Immediately dropping down on the floor, he flattened out his body and tried to appear like a sheet of paper.


    Whooosh~


    The giant eel passed over him like a truck, almost throwing him off the ground and dragging his body with him like ragdoll flowing in the wind.


    Winston stood up as the eel passed him, and dashed towards the door.


    The door lied 28 meters away at this point.


    The eel turned back after passing the gate, it opened it''s maws to let out a piercing screech and dashed back at him.


    The enormous wingspan of the beast covered a staggering 50 meters. And this time, with it''s body close to the ground, it let no room for the previous trick to be played.


    Winston''s muscles tightened. He couldn''t avoid the beast. It had come too close. If he jumped towards any side he would be hit by the wings, and then devoured.


    He kept running at the large sea creature.


    When the eel came within 5 meter range, he jumped.


    The maws of the eel opened at the same time, Winston turned his body in mid air, narrowly avoiding diving headfirst into the mouth of the eel.


    His body impacted the hard scales of the eel, scraping off it like a piece of paper rolling across


    a table.


    A sense of pain flooded his mind as his background was scrapped by the scales. He did not stop and immediately upon landing, he dashed again towards the door that lied all but 9 meters


    ahead.


    Getting to the point in less than a second, almost the time it took for the eel to turn back, Winston immediately activated his ability, door opening.


    Of course, his intuition and ability to lockpick mundane and mystical doors had already made him well aware that the door would budge with his current strength. It was a trap from the start. Hence, utilizing the door opening ability, the door opened smoothly.


    A dark black wave of a liquid like state enveloped him, rushing out of the door at speeds


    imperceptible to the human eye.


    And just like that, he disappeared.


    The White Steel Eel smashed down on the ground where the door had previously stood, its


    mind in disarray.


    "Well, I suppose that was a bit too easy." Headon clicked his tongue, feeling a bit regretful.


    Truthfully, he had not expected the man to complete the challenge so easily; for if he had, he would have kept a Barracuda, the most fiercest beast in the entire Tower, instead of a measly


    white steel eel.


    "Well, what is done is done." His slit opened up, revealing the razor sharp teeth underneath.


    His crystal blue eyes seemed to peer into the unknown beyond, gazing directly at the figure of Winston who was being transported.


    "Welcome to Tower of God. Mr. Winston."


    An abstract blend of colours greeted him. Winston''s sense of balance was in shambles. There was nothing to stand on in this strange space through which he was evidently being transported to the next floor of the tower.


    It was a chaotic dance of spiritual energies and colours of a thousand types, so many in variety that it was impossible to classify them under the traditional blend of colour theory. Winston hurriedly turned off his spirit vision, just in time for his feet to find a ground to stand


    on.


    He staggered a bit and then regained his footing.


    He looked around.


    Everywhere he looked, there was a sea of gold; large pastures and fields of ripe wheat and


    aged grass littered the environment, jutting out of the ground as if the Earth itself had decided to fill the space with the gold of the ground.


    Far in the distance, somewhere between 1 to 1.5 kilometers lied some hills and small rock formations that sloped gently; enough for a normal person to climb up them with ease.


    And rarely, he saw some figures moving amongst the crowd of wheat and grass. Although the sod broke most of the view, it was quite clear that many people were in the same situation that he was in, observing their surroundings.


    The gentle breeze blew across the fields, swaying the upper tips of the giant gold bounty. Just


    then, a voice sounded.


    "Mic Test! Mic Test!


    "123! Is this working!" The voice said, reverberating across the land.


    Winston looked up at a small box like object, the thing which had boomed with such a large


    volume.


    "Alright! Attention all regulars! Welcome to the start of your journey, the second floor!" The


    voice continued.


    "Here, you will be judged to be worthy of climbing the tower or not! Let us move on towards


    your first test!"


    Suddenly, Winston''s gaze tightened and he activated his spirit vision. A blend of colours


    appeared momentarily and then, the world exploded into waves.


    "There''s are currently 400 regulars in this area! The test is simple, bring that number down to


    200!" The voice said. "The test starts now!"


    Immediately, Winston felt a change in the waves around him.


    They seemed to have taken on a darker tone, along with an overall raging feeling, quickly


    turning into tides.


    It seems everyone is ready to kill here. Winston thought as he looked on at the combat happening


    in the distance through the wheat fields.


    And the people in the tower are called regulars... good to know.


    As he was engrossed in his thoughts, he saw the waves around him shift. Winston stepped


    back, and just then a man wielding a large broadsword jumped out of the grass in the side, slamming down the Sword at the space he has previously occupied.


    Without missing a beat, Winston drove his fist right into the other party''s guts.


    Bam!


    Kuah!


    The man''s grip on the hilt weakened slightly, and that was enough for Winston to simply slap


    away his wrists and get the Sword for himself.


    The man staggered back, his eyes widening for a moment. He tried to stabilize himself and go


    on the offensive, yet Winston was all too quick.


    Shing!


    With a quick slice from the Sword, the man laid in a pool of his own blood.


    A/N: Tell me your thoughts.

 Chapter 5: Battle Royale

    Chapter 5: Battle RoyaleWinston looked at the fallen man''s clothes, which had all been soaked in blood. He shook his head, regretful at having wasted a set of clothes.


    I could have worn them for myself. He looked at his almost naked figure. I need some sort of protection, even the most basic clothes will do.


    He eyed his surroundings, waiting for the most subtle shift in the waves around him.


    I guess the fighting I did in my teenage years is starting to pay off. He smiled slightly.


    Well, it might also be the result of that instinctual fighter thing I got.


    He looked around with his spirit vision still active. The tumultuous waves were nowhere near the level that the white steel eel exhibited, making it comparatively harder to pinpoint the change, but it was becoming increasingly obvious the more he looked on.


    It would seem spirit vision is something broken in this world...


    Feeling a point object blazing through the waves, producing a noticable humm, Winston ducked into the grass.


    Whoosh~


    An arrow flew right past his head, a second too late at catching him.


    Winston looked towards the distant hill where he could see the rough silhouette of a humanoid figure. The figure held a bow in hand.


    Without a second thought, Winston began to dash through the grassland, rushing straight at the distant rock hill atop which the lone ranger stood all too blissfully ignorant at what was quickly approaching.


    Seeing a crevice rushing and elongating in the sod, the archer quickly fired in a state of panic.


    The arrow flew again, finding no target to land on this time too. Seeing the waves in the air seemed to become almost second nature to Winston. His eyes scanned the archer, overlooking his clothes and other equipment.


    Worth robbing. He thought off-handedly. As the thought arrived in his mind, the simultaneous realisation that he was beginning to think like a Marauder now dauned on him.


    He chuckled a bit, quickly reaching the base of the hill.


    More arrows were fired from the bow, and so they were dodged. Winston moved with a frightening manner, with an unpredictability in his next moves like an insect.


    The archer, seeing the man reaching the base of the hill he had kept for himself, began running down from the slope.


    Just then, something grabbed him from the back of the neck.


    Bam!


    And then, a rough fist drove itself into his stomach. His eyes almost bulged out of his sockets and spit flew out from the now open jaw.


    Arrgh!


    He gave out a rough cry of pain. His stomach burned with unending amounts of hear. His grip on the bow loosened and it fell down on the ground.


    Winston stood behind the man, his broadsword on the ground and his fists ready to pummel him to a near death state if necessary.


    He held up the man from his collar and gave him another punch right to the face.


    The man passed out and Winston took his clothes for himself. Having stripped the man almost naked, Winston cleanly sliced open his throat and ended his life.


    A bit too tight for my liking. He thought as he stretched the sleeves and the collar of his now ranger like garment. In more ways than one, it made his range of motion somewhat limited due to the tightness. Then again, the outfit belonged to someone of a shorter and skinnier stature.


    Without wasting any time, he flung the bow and the quiver to his back and picked up the broadsword. Then, he swiftly climbed up the slope of the hill, like the gentle and concise movements of a mountain leopard.


    Reaching the top, he looked out. The waves in the air were calming down, no longer as tumultuous as they had been just a couple of minutes ago. The air blew across the land, carrying with it a rough smell of iron.


    Everyone is ready to kill here. Winston''s eyes were serious as he called forth his pocket. Because of Headon''s mention, the fact that the pocket provided necessary information and was widely used in the tower was deeply remembered by him. As such, it was only rational to think that such a used tool would show some important information in the middle of the test. Because as he understood it, the tower inhabitants did not need any pocket to translate the language into Macsethian, because well, it was their own language. If not for the usage of a translator that it served for him, the obvious function would be...


    The spherical ball appeared beside him, the number on it ticking down rapidly. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    347... 331... 328...


    The number kept ticking down, the pocket floating still in the air. In front of a test that would determine one''s worth to ascend to godhood, any casualties were merely reduced to a number, a name on a list, a loser and a failure.


    Winston didn''t speak anything and closed off the pocket.


    Now, the real question is... what potion should I go acting towards? He thought. As he understood it, digesting any one of the potions would result in the simultaneous digestion of the other two, which would in turn make him able to ascend to a higher Sequence in all three pathways. Or at least that was how the words in the dream made it seem like.


    Just as he was thinking, the waves around him turned somewhat chaotic. He heard someone


    walking up behind him.


    Winston turned to look.


    Right in front of him, stood a tall man, almost 7 feet in height. The man had dark brown hair, propped back using a headband; his eyes were of a deep shade of crimson and the strangest thing about him, was undoubtedly his skin colour. It was a bright shade of red, as if the blood was shining clean through his skin.


    Another strange deformity about the man was the fact that he had 2 sets of arms. On his chest, he wore a simple cloth in a cross formation, barely providing any form of protection or fulfilling the goal of covering his body. Below, he wore a small loin cloth. In his upper pairs of arms, he held two scimitars.


    "Well well, what do we have here?" The man, nay, the thing wasn''t a man. It was of some other species that inhabited the tower; some species capable of slanderous acts of violence and depravity, as such was the visual impression that his figure brought him.


    His face was a maniacal grin, just that, along with a mashed up sneer somewhere in there among the slightest muscular movements of his face; at least that was what it looked to be in Winston''s eyes. And considering his Marauder observational skills, he was confident about


    being right.


    Such an obnoxious brute, the bright red horrible that stood before him held on his body the clothing stained by the blood of the people that previously crossed his path.


    "Bad luck to you pal." The creature said, his scimitars readying for action.


    In response, Winston snorted coldly.


    "It seems that you''ve received some brain damage. You should die already. Every moment you spend breathing is an insult to the intellectually gifted." He said, a scowl marring his


    face.


    As soon as his words landed, the red man, at first adopted a confused expression. Then, an angry expression appeared on his face.


    "You!" He yelled, and then without stop, he rushed at Winston, his scimitars held high and


    ready to strike.


    Winston readied his broadsword in response, adopting a stance.


    The red brute swung his swords at him. He stepped back, almost towards the precipice of the


    hill. His figure staggered back a bit before stabilizing itself.


    The red brute smirked, his confidence gaining a sudden boost.


    Using his longer arms as leverage, the again swung his scimitar in a horizontal sweep.


    As the swing approached, Winston smirked.


    With a tremendous effort on his legs, he jumped from the precipice, right over the Sword


    swing and stabbed with his broadsword.


    Skhhh!


    Argh!


    The broadsword embedded itself into the left shoulder of the man, narrowly missing his eye which was the intended target. The brute had realized at the last moment the consequence that would be of his momentary loss of reason and his blind charge into an enemy; and so, had


    adjusted accordingly to get the least possible damage.


    Tap!


    Winston, with his broadsword somewhat lathered in blood landed behind him and no sooner did his feet touch the ground than he started to run down the slope.


    The brute turned back, his lower right arm holding the disgusting wound as his shoulder.


    His shoulder blade had been completely pierced through, leaving a crevice like hole throughout. The muscles were damaged and the arm seemed to have been rendered limp as the upper arm dangled down. The scimitar that was previously held in the same arm had


    already been moved to his lower left arm.


    "Get back here you bastard!" He yelled, again charging in a rage.


    Brutes... they never learn. Winston thought in disdain.


    Just as the slope broke off beneath his feet, Winston turned and gripping the broadsword like


    he would a spear, he threw it with as much strength as he could muster.


    His feet slid back a bit due to the momentum he carried and the Sword whizzed forward with a


    noticable howl of the wind.


    As a sequence 9 Marauder, although his strength had not been enhanced to a terrible degree as one would see in cases like a Beyonder of the Red Priest pathway, coupled with his already well built physique and exercised muscles, it proved to be barely enough to throw such a heavy object as a projectile.


    The brute''s eyes widened in shock and he tried to lean back. The Sword passed by him in the air, slashing a small part of his neck as it did so.


    Stabilizing himself, the brute looked at Winston. Only to find the comparatively smaller man


    pointing a bow at him.


    The bow was loaded with an arrow pointing straight at the four armed red brute.


    And then, Winston said something.


    "Tough luck." He said and the arrow fired.


    Whoosh~


    As quick as his reflexes might be, the man couldn''t dodge the arrow aimed at his throat in


    time.


    Spurt!


    Guuurh!


    The man fell down on the hot stone, his throat pierced by an arrow. Blood poured incessantly


    from his wound and as the blood filled his wind pipe and eventually his lungs, he saw the cold


    look of the man he had deemed as an easy prey. His eyes began to glaze over as tears began to appear inside them; they flowed in a steady stream, as if the brute, no, the man was pouring out all of his past traumas and fears out into the open before the one that had relieved him of


    his biggest treasure.


    And then, darkness consumed him.


    Winston looked annoyed. He covered his nose to block out of the scent of the man''s urine. And


    then, after climbing up the hill once again to pick up the broadsword, he was on his way, this


    time through the fields.


    Staying on an elevated height might prove to be beneficial to a ranged fighter, it was even preferable for the melee fighters in such situations like this.


    However, Winston felt that there were stronger opponents still in the area. Just because he


    had met people that could not fight properly and were beaten easily, did not mean he could openly display himself like so.


    Hiding under the hill was also not a great option. Such high grounds were ideal for predators


    to spot prey in the distance. As such, he did not doubt that many people would be heading to the stone hill, just as the red man had done.


    A/N: Can spirit vision be used indefinitely if there''s no ''corruption knowledge'' to be seen


    anywhere? I don''t think we''ve ever seen prolonged usage of spirit vision, but mystery pryer pathway''s higher sequences have the problem that their spirit vision is so powerful that they unconsciously glance at things they shouldn''t.


    So, seeing that, I think with the combined spirituality of Marauder and Apprentice, along with the natural talent of spirit vision of Seer and Apprentice, I would assume that Winston should be able to keep up spirit vision indefinitely, unless of course, he gets into contact with someone of a higher natural order of life.

 Chapter 6: Teammates

    Chapter 6: TeammatesAs Winston moved through the grass, he spotted a group of individuals travelling. Evidently, they had banded together to survive in the test. When they saw Winston, their very first instinct was to attack.


    Without having to state it out, they were all killed without a second thought. Winston''s ability to read the strange waves in the air, coupled with his natural instincts as a fighter proved to be more than a match for some half baked warriors.


    If they hadn''t provoked him, Winston might have let them go, but alas, they had done so. This is a lot more comfortable. Thought Winston, admiring his new clothing. One of the people he had taken care of among the group had a similar body shape to him. Along with that, his clothes were rather comfortable and modernized. A simple t-shirt and pants. However, Winston still chose to wear the ranger''s open armor bands above the clothing, not only to hold the quiver, but also for protection.


    One might never know where even the smallest of protection can play a role.


    Just then, his spirit vision detected a shift in the waves.


    Immediately, he grabbed his broadsword and got into a stance.


    Two people, one from the right and one straight ahead. He surmised.


    The rustling of the wheat and sod came from the right. Winston turned, his keeping the other side in his vision.


    Rustle Rustle~


    Rustle Rustle~


    As the grass rustled, something came out.


    It was a large behemoth, a figure that could barely be described as a human. The figure had two arms and two legs, a mouth and a head.


    However, on its pale oval head which was as yellow as it''s body, not am ounce of hair was visible. Instead, numerous eyes littered the top of its head in a horizontal line, all around in a circle.


    The underside of this strange creature was covered by a brown loin cloth, save for which it was completely naked. Each of the creature''s arms was as thick as Winston''s waist; appearing extremely powerful. However, the overall demeanor of the humanoid cyclopean looking figure was legarthic and non violent.


    As soon as it stepped out into the view and Winston became visible, it stopped. Then it quietly stared at Winston.


    Some time elapsed, sweat began to accumulate on Winston''s temples because of the heat in the environment, couple with the tenseness of the situation.


    Then, the second figure that was still yet hidden came into view.


    With the rustling of grass, a cocky voice sounded.


    "I would put down the sword if I were you." The voice spoke, it was the voice of a male, one that seemed particularly pretentious and arrogant.


    Having spoken, a young man in his 20s walked out of the cover of wheat.


    He stood at a height of about 5 foot 11 inches, a but smaller than Winston who was 6 foot 1 inches. His hair was wild, sprawled all over and jutting out into the air, overall looking quite absurd. It seemed to be one of the instances where anime hair seemed to fit in the anime, yet failed to be appealing in the real world.


    His hair was of a dirty brown colour with shades of black in them. His eyes were brown, mimicking the colour of his hair. His overall demeanor was of a hardened warrior, which was well told in the matters of his body.


    His lean but packed muscles suggested untold hidden strength. His upper body was covered by a tight shirt of primarily white colour, yet riddled with red streaks diagonally across. Along with that, he wore protection straps which were also red in colour.


    On his legs, he wore loosely fitting pantaloons, which looked more like pajamas.


    He has a spear swung over his left shoulder and appeared arrogant. His chin was held high, eyeing him with interest.


    "What do you mean?" Winston asked cautiously.


    "Their kind is mostly peaceful. They don''t attack unless provoked first." The man glanced at the creature. "However, they do hold great capacities for violence."


    Having said that, the small clearing that they stood in again descended into stillness.


    After a bit of thought, Winston calmly put down his sword and relaxed his figure, never taking a moment to look anywhere else than the two figures.


    The large creature staggered for a moment, before again continuing to walk. The creature descended into the grass and walked away, eventually, even the rustling caused by him stopped.


    "See? I told ya, didn''t I?" The man said.


    Winston pointed his sword at him.


    "And what do I make of you?" He asked.


    "Hey hey, no need for that." He held up his right hand, his spear still flung over his left shoulder. "I wouldn''t want to kill someone if it was avoidable."


    "I hold the same sentiments." Winston said. "But there''s nothing stopping anyone here is there?" He continued.


    The wild man laughed with a maniacal grin.


    "Damn right there ain''t." He continued, "But I''m not looking to make any enemies here. Especially people like you."


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "I can practically feel that you''re strong." The man pointed at his head. "Anyone that can''t tell that isn''t actually a warrior. Your stance doesn''t suggest that you''re a beginner. You might not be too accomplished in the art but you''re definitely skilled enough to defend


    yourself."


    "And you want to team up then?" Winston asked, reading the man''s intentions.


    "Bingo." The man snapped his fingers.


    Then, before Winston was able to say anything, something spoke all across the fields.


    "Attention all regulars!" The voice said.


    "Stop fighting! The test is now over! Anyone still fighting after the announcement will be eliminated!"


    Just as the voice sounded, Winston saw the subtle shift in the waves all around, which calmed down completely, now appearing like the gentle tides that impact the beach.


    "Great! Now, onto the next test! To climb the tower, personal strength alone is not enough! So, you must make teammates!


    "Make 3 teammates in the duration of 5 minutes! Anyone that doesn''t have 3 teammates by the end will be eliminated!


    "To signify that you have a teammate, you must be touching the people by the end of the 5


    minutes!"


    Winston turned to look at the man, his expression turning thoughtful.


    They must be trying to test our adaptability and flexibility. Making friends with people you just tried to kill... and with the short time frame, finding someone else in the field would surely be a challenge. As such, people have no choice but to befriend their immediate enemies.


    Quite a sadistic method, but extremely practical. This way, even the people that have hid during the entire battle royale will be forced to come out and partake in the test.


    Winston shook his head and looked at the man again.


    "So? Wanna team up?"


    Winston nodded. "I don''t see any reason not to."


    With that they shook hands. Their bodies were still positioned in a manner through which they could defend if the other party tried something, even though the voice had made it plenty clear that those that do not follow the rules would be eliminated.


    It was simply a form of caution. One must never be too trusting in such a situation.


    "Winston. Winston Heath." He said.


    "Zarhan." The man replied, the same smile plastered on his face.


    Winston motioned with his head.


    "Let''s go and find our third member now." The man nodded and they departed from the clearing, in search of their third teammate.


    The young man runs until his legs can''t anymore. His pursuers are all too far behind, or perhaps they''re approaching rapidly? He couldn''t know in any way.


    He huffed and laid on the ground. His life was no longer just his own. His remembered his partners laying in a pool of blood as the authorities killed them all so mercilessly. Why is this happening? All we did was steal some food! He weeps under the wooden table, over which the sky itself cries down a torrent of rain drops.


    Snot runs down his face, he covers his eyed, shielding himself from all the dangers and fears


    of the world.


    And then...


    A God appeared before him.


    Shaaaaaaaa!


    Bathed in a golden light, rising from nothingness like a transcendent figure of his wildest


    imaginations. The white God appeared all encompassing; the small rocks on the ground stretched out their shadows into thin lines that spanned innumerable dustances in front of his radiance and one of his own appeared behind him, stretching on for miles.


    The white razor teeth of the radiant God were hidden under the black slit that extended to the back of his head. His glory couldn''t be described in mere words, oh, how glorious he was.


    "I will give you a chance to be something bigger. Tell me, what it is that you wish for?" The voice of the God boomed in the surroundings. The young man''s eyes were clouded with tears; yet no more flowed. The sky, as if mimicking his own state had stopped the incessant rain that


    just before poured down like a broken tap.


    "I-I want to be free!" The young man yells.


    The God smirks.


    "Then, you will have the chance to climb the tower." And with that, the young man appears in


    a sea of gold, grass and wheat all around.


    Then, a strange box that floated in the air spoke the words. And then, the killing began all


    over. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man cowered in fear, and then ran for his life.


    He knew where he was. The floor of tests, the place where the journey of a ranker began, the


    journey to a better tomorrow.


    But...


    I can''t do this. His hand trembled as he held a knife stained in red. Another young soul, younger than him laid motionless on the dirty ground, his throat cut open by the weapon he currently


    held, and at some point was held by the same one who had been delivered to death''s door.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!


    The young man hyperventilated.


    He ran and ran, away from the ones that chased him and away from those that wanted to kill


    him.


    Eventually, he hid behind a rock formations, shielded by a large stone hill.


    There he sat, silently weeping, muffling over his own voice, as the box once again delivered


    the words.


    It was something about finding teammates.


    The young man laid there silently for about a minute. Time passed in the same stillness, the


    once sound being the rustling of the grass in the breeze.


    "Sniff. I-i need to go." He spoke, and got up.


    The young man walked in a random direction, letting the wind take him to his destination. He


    sniffed and whimpered.


    Eventually, he heard someone walking through the sod.


    Rustle Rustle~


    Rustle Rustle~


    Two men walked out, one with dark black hair, wearing a white t-shirt and the other with


    dirty brown hair wearing tightly fitting white shirt having red streaks diagonally across.


    "Hey, look! A potential teammate!" The one with brown hair exclaimed.


    A/N: Give me stones.

 Chapter 7: Regulars

    Chapter 7: RegularsWinston and his new teammate Zarhan walked for some time, not finding any person to get into their team.


    Within this short time frame, Winston had deeply analyzed Zarhan''s astral projection and ether body.


    His entire astral projection was bathed in a Red glow, a colour that meant passion and extroversion, along with a secondary colour which was yellow, symbolizing happiness and extroversion. However, within, it held a tinge of blue, which meant coldness and stillness and that one who is in thought.


    Seeing this, Winston felt both relieved and wary. Relieved because his new teammate wasn''t simply a mindless brute, someone that doesn''t think before acting. And wary because of the


    same.


    On the outside, the man appeared quite rambunctious, and truthfully, he was. But within, somewhere he held a calculating personality as well, however small it may be.


    Winston nodded imperceptibly to himself.


    "Man! We''re not gonna find any teammates like this!" Zarhan yelled while summoning forth his pocket.


    The pocket held a timer that ticked down, no counting 3:43... 42... 41.


    Seeing this, Winston''s eyes narrowed.


    Not getting a teammate means failing the test. Though I won''t be thrown back into the outside, there''s always the possibility that I wouldn''t be able to reenter the tests.


    Although he wasn''t too knowledgeable about the modus operandi of the tests, Winston felt like not taking any chances.


    Immediately, he deeply scanned the air waves. Then, finding nothing worthwhile, he stabbed his sword weakly into the ground.


    "Wait." He said softly.


    "Huh?" Zarhan looked confused. His eyebrow was raised as he looked at the silent figure of Winston.


    Closing his eyes, Winston repeated a phrase seven times.


    The person closest to us.


    The person closest to us.


    The person closest to us...


    Although he was somewhat doubtful about divination, since he somewhat remembered about using specific languages to utilize divination, which he didn''t know, he couldn''t help but try in the common language of the tower, Macsethian.


    Even if he remembered incorrectly, and divination could be used without any specific language, it was better to try. Imagine him failing to get a teammate because he kept thinking that dowsing rod seeking needed Hermes language, when in fact it didn''t.


    He wouldn''t be able to show his respect to the Fool.


    Praise the Fool!


    He yelled in his mind at the end and let go of the hilt of the sword.


    The sword stood still for a moment before pointing slightly to the right. The surreal sight of the sword hung midair without falling over was strange to say the least, but then again, it was possibly the least strangest thing he had experienced in these days.


    Winston grabbed the hilt of the broadsword and motioned for his teammate to follow him.


    "This way." He said simply.


    "Woah! What did you do just now! Is that some special shinsu art!? Are you a shinsu user!?" Zarhan yelled, hurriedly following along.


    Shinsu? Winston expressed his doubt in his mind, but didn''t dare voice them out.


    Having the Marauder''s sense of observation was transcendentally helpful. From the short sentences, he had deduced the fact that Shinsu might just be something that was common place in the tower and was mundane knowledge. And the way Zarhan had spoken about the so called ''shinsu users'', Winston felt that they might just be something special.


    "Who knows?" Winston smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe you''ll find out in the future." He continued.


    Zarhan looked at him weirdly.


    Can''t you just answer the question? He thought in confusion.


    Indeed, Winston was well suited to be a beyonder of the Coward Trio pathways.


    Speaking of, the fact that divination was not in need of the special languages was a deep relief for Winston. Obviously, it could also be possible that Macsethian itself was capable of doing the same at a smaller scale, but Winston doubted the fact, considering how commonplace the language supposedly was in the tower.


    Actually, won''t I recieve some mystical knowledge at some point in the Marauder pathway? Or was it the Apprentice pathway? Winston mused while walking through the grass.


    Just then, they walked into a smaller clearing, about 2 meters in diameter. At the same time, Zarhan yelled with fervor.


    "Hey, look! A potential teammate!"


    Winston looked at the figure of the young man that had appeared before them.


    The young man stood at a height of 6 foot 1 inch, just as big as Winston himself. He had dark black hair and eyes of similar colour. He wore a beige robe, loosely fitting on his thin and lanky figure, making him look somewhat comical; if not for the large stain of crimson blood


    that marred the entire front section of the robe.


    His eyes were a little maddening, constantly shaking and were a little red. Streaks across his cheeks suggested that he had been crying.


    "Bro... are you alright?" Zarhan asked, gazing at the newcomer strangely.


    "Y-you guys... w-will you please be my teammates!" The man yelled, stuttering in between


    the words.


    Winston narrowed his eyes but didn''t say anything. Zarhan looked back at him.


    "Visible mode." Winston said and a spherical ball appeared beside him. His pocket.


    The pocket still counted down on the timer.


    0:57...56...55...


    "The time''s running out. We won''t be able to find anyone else. We''ll just have to make do with


    what he got." Winston said, almost whispering.


    Zarhan nodded. Then, a silly smile appeared on his face.


    "Well! You''re in luck today little man! We just happen to lack a party member!" Zarhan said.


    He walked towards the young man and patted his back wildly, making him stagger.


    "Ah! Thank you very much!" The young man yelled, flustered.


    "What''s your name? Mine''s Zarhan!"


    "M-my name is Amon!" The man yelled. Suddenly, hearing his name, Winston''s footing staggered and he almost stumbled down into the ground.


    What could he do? The name was all too familiar!


    "What''s wrong?" Zarhan asked him, seeing him so stoked by the mention of the young man''s


    name.


    "Nothing." He shook his head. "Just a familiar name, that''s all." Zarhan somewhat narrowed his eyes, almost imperceptible, however, the change was caught in Winston''s eyes.


    "My name is Winston Heath. You can just call me Winston." He said.


    "Of course, Mr. Winston!" The man yelled. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston didn''t bother correcting him. He could call him whatever he so desired. It was not his job to bother with the young man. If he wanted to add the little bit of respect to his name, he


    would let him do so.


    "Fhooo! Man, I was almost worried that we wouldn''t find anyone! Glad we did!" Zarhan said, sitting down onto the ground.


    I wouldn''t be so happy just yet. Winston thought looking at the nervous figure of Amon. We don''t know his capabilities. Going forward, we would surely need to take tests as a team. When that happens, if he''s a good for nothing, we''ll be under great disadvantage. He shook his head.


    There was no use thinking about it at this time.


    With only 10 seconds left, the only think they could do was form the team.


    Thinking of anything beyond that was simply a waste of time.


    Before long, the time came and the voice began to count down from 5.


    Winston, Zarhan and Amon touched each other''s shoulders, and eventually, as the countdown


    hit zero, a distant cry was heard.


    Winston couldn''t quite hear it correctly; perhaps it was something about turtles?


    Anyway, with a flash of light, they were transported from their place to another.


    Winston closed his eyes for a moment, the sudden flash of light coming as a surprise. Before


    he opened them, he tapped his thumb and ring finger twice, turning off the spirit vision.


    It was always good to be cautious in such matters. He wouldn''t want to accidentally see something that he shouldn''t have and turn into a puddle of blood on the ground. It was always a quick and efficient way to kill oneself in the LoTM verse.


    He opened his eyes and looked around.


    Where they had appeared, seemed to be some sort of a hall, easily capable of hosting more


    than 500 people with more than enough room to spare still.


    The entire hall was sparsely filled with dozens upon dozens of other regulars, the other


    contestants of the test.


    At the far end of the hall, there was a slight splatter of stairs which led to a tunnel like walkway; beyond which what lied couldn''t be inferred.


    Winston, seeing that there was no perceptible danger in activating spirit vision, tapped his


    fingers and the waves once again filled his eyes.


    Silently, he gauged the other contestants.


    The majority of the regulars were somewhat battered and bruised, some even badly damaged;


    a result of the fighting that had ensued downwards.


    "Woah! This is what I''m talking about!" Zarhan yelled with a smile, the spear hung atop his


    right shoulder.


    Amon at the side also looked around in amazement and shock.


    "There''s a lot of people here!" Amon said meekly.


    "Those are all our enemies! Watch out Amon! Keep keen observation!" Zarhan told Amon


    nodded seriously.


    Winston ignored them and continued to gauge the other regulars.


    Just then, his sight landed on something.


    A gigantic collection of brilliance, an epicenter of a tumultuous hurricane, the eye of the


    storm that flung the waves around itself like it were an adult pulling along splinters of paper. The large collection of waves seemingly took the shape of a sword like bladed weapon, tampering at the top, jet black in colour; which he could see with his spirit vision, even thought the sword was covered by cloth. The entirety of the glorious wave dance that seemed to be happening around the sword almost occupied half of the hall, appearing blinding even. It was to the point that Winston seriously considered himself having some brain damage, considering that he had not noticed such a terrible disturbance first. In fact, the entire thing was terribly hidden, right until he had casted it''s gaze at the one that held it. It was a weak looking boy with innocent eyes. He had brown chestnut hair and the same brown eyes. His overall figure was seemingly petite and looked extremely weak.


    Winston''s eyes widened in confusion and in shock.


    Then, the sword trembled. And with it, the waves too. Winston hurriedly teared off his eyes from the sword as he felt a slight irritation in his


    temples. He looked the other way, wanting to ignore the sword and it''s holder entirely.


    I''ll scan the other side and turn off the spirit vision. He thought.


    As his eyes scanned the other side, his gaze fixated on another peculiar person.


    It was a lady, quite short in stature, green in colour and yellowish brown eyes. She had short


    brown hair and held a peculiar weapon in hand.


    It was a large hook like structure, more like a fishing rod than a weapon used to practical


    combat. The weapon was slung over her shoulders.


    However, the peculiar thing was the same. A turbulent raging current of waves all around itself, forming a circle with it as the epicenter.


    The weapon trembled again, and with it, the waves too.


    Tapping his fingers hurriedly, Winston turned off his spirit vision.


    What the fuck?!


    A/N: Throw me dem stonez.

 Chapter 8: Barrier

    Chapter 8: BarrierWinston felt his head spinning. Seeing two weapons of such a caliber that they could elicit such a profound power in the surroundings waves in the same hallway was particularly baffling.


    Is such a level of strength common place? He thought grimly. And so, the urge to rapidly act and progress in Sequence arose in his mind.


    Just as he was thinking, a small commotion at the other side of the hallway overtook his attention.


    It seemed to be a fight between two of the contestants, one of which had had his arm badly wounded by the other party, and now was asking for ''compensation''.


    Winston and his teammates looked on in silence.


    To the side, he heard Zarhan speak.


    "What idiots." He shook his head.


    As Winston was about to say something, a resounding voice boomed in the hall.


    "I believe everyone was prompted to cease all sorts of fighting. It seems people don''t take the words of a test administrator seriously." Said the voice, the source of which was a tall man standing right before the hallway that led to some unknown place.


    The man stood at a height of 2 meters, with his hair a light colour of blond with bright golden eyes. His eyes held two black spots under them and his body was somewhat muscular, even clearly showing under his clothes.


    He wore a white lab coat with black trousers and gloves of the same colour.


    "My name is Lero ro, your test administrator. Nice to meet chu~" the tall man said. Winston cringed inwardly at the display.


    At the far side, the two people who were fighting stopped, their attention riveted to the enigmatic man who had just arrived.


    "Test administrator? That means he''s a ranker?" One of them asked dumbfoundedly.


    Ranker? Winston thought.


    "That''s right." Lero ro smiled.


    The regular who had been making trouble backed off, making remarks like ''only letting you go because the ranker is here!''


    With that sorted, the ranker spoke again.


    "Then! Attention all regulars! First of all congratulations to everyone that has passed the test!" He continued.


    "Before we move on to the next, there will be a short pretest that would be conducted by me!" As his words landed, a wave of displeasure coursed through the crowd. All the regulars present publicly expressed their dissatisfaction, lampooning incessantly about not getting any rest and the rankers not having any patience.


    Seeing this, Lero ro put his hands up.


    "Now now, don''t worry! The pretest is very simply. In fact, I wouldn''t even classify it as a pretest. It''s more like a chore than anything.


    "Another thing to mention is that fact that anyone that cannot make it through this test would not be eligible to partake in the next one. In essence, this is another elimination test!"


    The gossip among the regulars started again, this time, even louder.


    "Then!" The ranker didn''t care. He ignored then and stretched his hand out.


    "Let us begin!" With a shout, a transparent blue ball of water appeared in his hands.


    Without anyone having the appropriate time to react, the ball exploded into a mountain''s worth of water, pushing away everyone in a glorious tsunami like wave.


    Winston''s eyes widened as he saw the display. Their team stood at mostly at the deep edge of the hall, meaning that the waves failed to reach them.


    The water splashed around in the air for a moment, pushing out the regulars to the back of the hall, crowding the otherwise open space.


    Winston felt the entire display eerily familiar. That''s right! It was the same waves that he had looked at whenever he activated Spirit vision!


    "Is this Shinsu?"


    "Shinsu?


    "Help!"


    "Waaaaa!"


    A wave of surprise swept over the crowd of regulars. Winston didn''t miss the short exchange of the word ''shinsu''.


    "That right. It''s shinsu." The test administrator spoke, prompting Winston to listen in carefully. "I compressed the shinsu to make a barrier and pushed you all out."


    "Shinsu exists everywhere in the tower. It is what allows us to breathe and drink water. Without shinsu, nothing would exist.


    "Shinsu can allow one to have limitless power and glory, propelling people to the height of rankers." He continued speaking, as if a man of god was preaching a sermon to the uneducated and unenlightened masses.


    "However, some people even use shinsu as a murder weapon. It can be used to break an arm and do all sorts of miracles. But there are some that aren''t able to deal with it well...


    "Such people are not appropriate to be contestants in the tower."


    Lero ro pointed to the veil of water in front.


    "Anyone that can pass through this veil won''t have any adverse reactions to shinsu as well. In other words, they pass the test. If all the team members pass through, the team is considered to have passed. And those who don''t fail." He smiled "Then good luck regulars!"


    "Wait!" Someone within the regulars yelled.


    "What if a single person within the team can''t pass through?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? The entire team fails." Lero ro said tersly.


    Winston eyes widened. He sneaked a glance at Amon near him.


    Damn. What I suspected has come to fruition. We may not be able to pass through this.


    The regulars screamed at the ranker, talking about how unfair such a setting was. The ranker ignored them for a moment before he spoke up again.


    "What do you think is the most crucial thing to climb the tower?" He said. Feeling the silence permeate the entire hall, he smiled.


    "It''s luck.


    "The luck of having a strong body, the luck of being smart, the luck of being rich. The luck of saving a teammate, the luck of escaping from death. The only reason you''re here right now, is because you''re lucky." He spread out his arms.


    "And here you say it''s unfair to base the test on luck? Stop your mindless blabbering and take the test you regulars." He said, quieting down finally.


    "Goddammit!" Zarhan angrily slammed his foot on the floor, his eyes glancing at Amon in a not so subtle fashion. Amon, who was more an concerned about the test looked down at his


    feet.


    "Now what? What are we gonna do?" He asked him.


    As Winston was about to speak, a meek voice came from the other side of the veil.


    "U-um... excuse me, Mr. Lero ro." The voice spoke.


    The eyes of almost every regulars in the hall turned to the small boy that currently stood


    alone at the other side of the veil.


    "Um... I wasn''t pushed back. Do I go back and re enter?" The boy asked the test administrator.


    Lero ro glared at the boy, who shivered.


    "I-i''m sorry! I''ll go back and re enter!" He said.


    "That won''t be necessary." Before he could move, he was stopped by lero ro.


    "Perhaps it was a mistake on my part but this is also your luck. You pass." He said.


    Hearing his words, many regulars expressed their dissatisfaction but it all fell on deaf ears.


    Winston glared at the boy, more specifically, his weapon.


    That boy is in no way ordinary. Such a weapon with such overwhelming power... what was it called? Shinsu? Winston shook his head and looked forward.


    He glanced at Amon again and began to rock his head, trying to think of a way to pass.


    Winston did not doubt himself to pass through.


    The moment the ranker had pushed the water out, he had activated five or more seconds to analyze the veil. The waves weren''t as tumultuous as they were on the first floor where he had


    taken Headon''s test.


    He could keep his spirit vision going indefinitely, but the presence of the weapons, with their gigantic wave hurricane messed with his vision, making it practically harder to see anything useful. It was not a matter of not being able to, just a matter of displeasure at the presence of


    the two weapons.


    "U-um!" Amon said at the side. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Winston! Mr. Zarhan! I swear I will pass this test!" He said, his eyes filled


    with determination.


    Winston looked at him, finding his little bout of motivation heart warming.


    Unfortunately, motivation isn''t going to get us anywhere. He thought.


    Then, he began to walk towards the veil.


    "Oh? Going already?" Zarhan asked behind him.


    "You guys come behind me." He said simply.


    As of right now, he could not see any way that could enable him to help Amon, even if he


    wanted to do so.


    All he could do was hope that he had what it takes. Winston passed through the veil without problems, barely feeling a breeze.


    To him, it did not feel at all like he had walked through a filter meant to provide restriction to


    the regulars.


    Walking cleanly through the veil, just after the green skinned girl, Winston looked back at the


    veil.


    Zarhan held his spear and also walked to the barrier.


    Then, stepping forward, he also moved through the 5 foot width barrier without issue. After


    walking through, he too looked back to the figure of their last teammate, who had yet to pass


    through the barrier.


    Amon steeled himself and walked forward as well.


    First, he poked the barrier with his finger. It offered no real resistance. However, when he


    tried to push his entire hand through it, it became solid and inertial, something like a non-


    newtonian fluid, getting more solid when more force is applied.


    Crack!


    The shinsu barrier cracked with energy as Amon''s hand was pushed back.


    Amon winced a bit. He looked at Winston and Zarhan who were both standing on the other


    side of the barrier.


    Winston gestured for him to come over as well, as did Zarhan in a more vocal way.


    "C''mon! What are ye waiting for?!" He said holding his spear above himself.


    Amon tried again, yet he could not break through the barrier.


    After about 5 tries from Amon, about 20% percent of the regulars had already crossed over,


    with more and more trying their own attempt.


    Between this, a regular was creating quite a ruckus on the other side, which made the ranker,


    Lero ro teach then a lesson.


    Eventually, Winston who had been giving Amon motivation from the other side of the barrier


    sighed and sat down onto the stairs.


    With a serious glare, he looked at Amon who was desperately trying to cross the barrier.


    Is it really no good? Winston looked at his feet in contemplation.


    Zarhan took a seat beside him.


    "What do we do now?"


    "Wait for our deaths I suppose." Winston said, a chuckle escaping his lips as he remembered


    the first few volumes of the second book of Lord of Mysteries.


    "What? Are you retarded?! Why would we die?! You didn''t damage your brain while fighting


    down there did you?!" Zarhan yelled into his ear.


    Just for that, Winston could not help but contemplate how his enigmatic teammate would fair


    as a beyonder of the Red Priest pathway.


    Zarhan clicked his tongue.


    "Tch! Just great! I have a retard and a useless man child on my team!"


    Winston''s head popped a vein.


    "Would you shut up. I''m trying to think you useless brute." Winston said calmly. "Huh?! You shut the hell up!" Zarhan yelled in frustration.


    Calm down! Winston yelled in his heart, calming himself down.


    He held his head, trying to muffle out the shouts that Zarhan was directing right at him.


    Why did I choose this guy as a teammate! He lampooned inwardly.


    At the other side of the barrier, Amon, watching his teammates eventually sit down in


    frustration clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth together. Am I really so useless? He thought to himself.


    Just then, a flood of visions appeared in his mind. Vistas of his time in the outer tower,


    scrounging for food and spending his days stealing and living off of thievery.


    And eventually, the visions of blood came to cover them all.


    No! He yelled in his mind. That will not happen again! With that thought, he plastered his body right onto the shinsu barrier.


    The barrier offered resistance, pushing him back.


    Come on! Push through! Beyond the barrier, Winston glanced at the barrier, only so see Amon


    face planted on the other side. And just a tiny bit, his face was somewhat pushing through.


    Winston''s fate lit up in hope.


    Amon pushed with his entire being, using his legs and hips to the limit.


    And so, pass he shall.


    Bam!


    Amon fell onto the ground on the other side, bruising his nose in the process.


    Winston and Zarhan got up, both rushing to the man.


    "Good job kid!" Zarhan yelled. "Way to go!" Winston also expressed his excitement.


    Amon smiled at his two teammates.


    "I made it!" He cheered.


    A/N: *Puts on Monocle* "Praise the Fool!"


    Give me your stones!

 Chapter 9: More Doors

    Chapter 9: More DoorsAfter the little pretest was over, all the regulars that has passed were taken to a waiting area. The regulars that failed however were ruthlessly rejected and failed the floor of tests before the tests even began.


    "All regulars line up! The next test will be conducted on a first come first serve basis!" A woman yelled dressed in a yellow costume with black stripes on it.


    "I''m the test guide, Yellowy!" She said cheerfully. "For more instructions, please listen to the test guide robot." She pointed to the floating robot beside her.


    Yellowy? Seriously? Winston lampooned in his heart.


    Winston, Amon and Zarhan were standing in the line. They were somewhere in the 10 to 15 positions.


    Winston looked around himself, seeing all the different regulars in the place.


    In particular, his gaze kept drifting to the fragile looking boy that stood with the overpowered weapon in hand. He was accompanied by a blue haired boy and a crocodile.


    "That''s a member of the Khun family." Zarhan said from the side.


    Khun family? Winston narrowed his eyes.


    "The Khun family? One of the ten great families?!" Amon exclaimed, though only loud enough for it to be heard by his own teammates.


    Way to go, Amon! Winston cheered in his heart.


    "That''s right. Khun family people are all known for having blue hair and dark blue eyes." Zarhan eyed the blue haired boy cautiously. "Supposedly, they''re also quite talented in matters of Shinsu manipulation in the form of ice and lightning." Then, he shrugged his shoulders.


    "I don''t know though. Just rumors I heard."


    "Wow! There are such people climbing the tower." Amon widened his eyes in amazement before he adopted a serious expression. Then, he balled his hand into a fist and looked at it with a gaze of steel.


    Winston looked at him but didn''t say anything.


    Instead, he focused on the blue haired boy.


    Ten great families huh? Interesting...


    Just then, a scream echoed in the air.


    Aaaarrrghhhh!


    "A scream?"


    "Is the test so dangerous?"


    "That sounds painful..."


    A plethora of comments echoed in the quiet hall. The regulars seemed worried for the most


    part.


    Winston narrowed his eyes and looked at the time on his pocket.


    9:42, it read.


    There''s an imposed 10 minutes timer to the entire thing. If you can''t complete the test within 10 minutes, the regulars will fail. However, it must not just be a completion task. If it was that, there would be no screams right up until the end of the timer, which would mean that the regulars failed to complete it. Instead, it would be more accurate to judge it as a objective task, in which a certain action needs to be completed from a group of actions.


    Winston remembered the group that went inside previously.


    If I remember correctly, the previous group completed the test in only a minute. Which might suggest that the right task that is to be performed is particularly easier than all the others. But that is all pure speculation...


    Time elapsed. More teams went inside and screams flew out of the test room.


    Some teams passed and some didn''t. While it was happening, Winston noticed the same pattern.


    It happened again...


    Before long, it was their turn.


    "The test will begin after you open the door beyond this one. I shall open this door for you." The woman said.


    With that she opened the door.


    As Zarhan pushed open the next door, they walked into a pitch black dark room.


    There were 12 doors in total in both sides of the room. In the center, before what looked to be traditional japanese style shoji doors, a beautiful woman was seated with a tea cup in hand.


    However...


    "Welcome regulars. My name is Hansung Yu, your next test administrator." The voice of a man echoed in the room.


    Winston looked at him in surprise.


    He''s a man?!


    Hansung spoke.


    "The test is quite simple. The 12 doors you see on the sides, you need to choose the right one out of all of them." He smiled.


    "If you find the ''real door'' and open it, you will pass the test. If you don''t, you will die." He


    said tersly.


    "What type of test is this?!" Zarhan yelled.


    "Hmm? Is it not to your liking? Well, can''t do anything about it. The test starts now!" He clapped his hands.


    "Wait! At least give us some clues!" Zarhan yelled again.


    "The clues have already been provided." Hansung replied.


    Hearing his words, Winston''s mind went into a brainstorm.


    The clues have been provided?


    He ignored the tantrum Zarhan was throwing and Amon who was freaking out.


    The only clues I can figure out are the time limits and the scream. The test was not an objective task choosing, but simply a multiple choice question.


    He looked above where a giant clock was erected. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, he looked at the timer on his pocket.


    1:23


    With that, he compared the timing of the clock with his pocket.


    It''s a 5 minute timer! Winston exclaimed in his mind.


    Just then, Zarhan grabbed his collar.


    "Oi! Do something!"


    "Have I ever told you that between you and me, one of us is smarter than you?" Winston


    asked him quizzically.


    "Huh?" Zarhan''s expression turned confused. And then, it morphed into one of anger.


    "What the hell did you say?! I''m not good at this shit! Solve it already!" He screamed.


    Amon didn''t say anything on the side, just looking around nervously, as if in deep thought.


    Winston went and put his hand on his shoulder.


    "Don''t overthink it." He said.


    "Huh? Mr. Winston?" He asked in puzzlement.


    Winston smiled and nodded mysteriously, then, he walked to the center of the hall.


    Hansung who was sitting from some distance to the center quietly sipped his tea.


    Walking to the center, he grabbed Zarhan''s spear from him and placed it''s butt on the ground.


    Just for confirmation. He smiled.


    Then, closing his eyes, he began to chant.


    The right door for the test.


    The right door for the test.


    The right door for the test.


    The right door for the test...


    Muttering it three times, he let go of the spear.


    Then, the spear stood still without moving. 5 seconds passed and the spear didn''t move.


    "Did it not work?" Zarhan asked in confusion.


    "It most certainly did." Replied Winston, throwing his spear back at him.


    Then, walking to one of the doors, Winston placed his hand on it and pushed it open.


    The timer on the pocket showed 3:28.


    Then, all the doors became green and the sound of clapping was heard.


    Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!


    "Congratualtions! You passed the test!" Hansung said, smiling at them.


    "Huh?"


    "Huh?"


    Both Zarhan and Amon said at the same time.


    "You pass." Hansung said tersly.


    Then, he scanned the figures of the three regulars.


    "The goal of the test was simply to open a door within the first five minutes. Although the


    time provided was 10 minutes. Even you has exceeded the given time limit, each door which would otherwise lead to the outside would turn into doors of death." He closed his eyes and


    sipped from the tea cup.


    "Let''s go." Said Winston, walking right out of the door.


    "Wait for us!" Amon said, running behind him.


    Zarhan took one last look at Hansung Yu before also running along.


    "How did you figure it out?" Amon asked, perching up behind him.


    "Yeah. That spear trick didn''t work." Zarhan spoke, surprisingly not shouting.


    "It didn''t matter which door I picked, it was simply a test of resolve and willfullness to act. As long as any door was picked within 5 minutes, we would have passed." Winston said. "The administrator already said that. How did you reach that conclusion?" Zarhan inquired.


    "It was simply a matter of elimination. The administrator said that all the clues were provided, that being the time limit, the screams and the clock at the top. Any other conclusion could never logically be confirmed from the amount of clues given." He finished.


    "I deduced something similar but wasn''t sure to act on it." Amon admitted from the side.


    Then he scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.


    "I got too nervous."


    Winston narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled.


    "No worries. You''ll eventually learn to get through any test you can come across." He said.


    Then, his slightly gazed at Zarhan who was walking beside him, his otherwise silly and


    flamboyant expression now turned still.


    Both of them are somewhat logical thinkers. Well, one is smarter than the other. Winston nodded


    slightly, unbeknownst to his teammates.


    Amon smiled at Winston''s reassuring words and didn''t say anything else. Soon, Zarhan also


    returned to his cheerful temperament.


    "What a ridiculous test! Even a kid could solve it!" He declared.


    Both Winston and Amon laughed a bit.


    After the test was done for all the regulars, they were given a short rest, of about 30 minutes.


    All the regulars were gathered in yet another hall. This one had strange contraptions that looked eerily similar to vending machines. Winston stood in front of one with Amon.


    He quietly observed the variety of food and drinking items displayed on the machine.


    "Do you have any points?" Winston whispered.


    "No." Amon whispered back.


    Is there a way to steal it? Winston looked around. Immediately, he could easily spot many of the


    things that could be stolen on all of the regulars'' bodies, however, unfortunately for him,


    points were mostly a digital thing stored in their pockets. Momentarily, he marvelled at the Marauder''s sense of thievery and the dexterity of his hands that itched to try something.


    However, he suppressed the urge... for now.


    "What about Zarhan?"


    "He said he comes from a hunter tribe. They don''t use things like points because it doesn''t


    have any use for them." Winston nodded reluctantly at the explanation. He looked at Zarhan


    who stood alone at one end of the hall, some distance from the vending machine they stood in


    front of.


    Just then, Winston sensed movement to his side.


    He turned and looked.


    It was the same boy with the sword. The boy looked nervous as he observed the contents in


    the vending machine.


    Does he have any points? Winston mused.


    The boy tried to tap on the vending machines like Winston had just 3 minutes prior, before


    being told by Amon about the points system.


    "Ah, you need points for that." Winston said, trying to talk to the boy.


    The boy looked at him, his brown and innocent eyes reflecting the figure of a dark haired man


    that had hazel coloured eyes.


    "Points?" He asked in puzzlement.


    "It''s a currency system in the tower. It is used universally to transactions." He replied. "I''m Winston by the way. This is Amon." He pointed to Amon behind him. "Ah! Sorry! My name is 25th Bam! It''s the day I was born!" Bam explained.


    Bam, Huh? Since he doesn''t know about the point system, does he also come from an isolated


    community? Winston wondered. Then, his gaze wandered slightly to the sword that was wrapped in bandages.


    He hurriedly tore off his eyes lest the boy noticed them.


    "Nice to meet you Bam."


    "Nice to meet you." Amon said from behind him.


    "Nice to meet you too! Mr. Winston! Mr. Amon!" Bam exclaimed with a pleased smile.


    Winston looked at him with a smile.


    Is he really so trusting or is it simply expression control? Winston wondered, not understanding the


    boy. His expression was too honest and trusting, appearing somewhat eerie in a place such as


    the floor of tests, where everyone could potentially be your enemy.


    It must be deception. Winston concluded.


    As they were talking, someone appeared beside them.


    It was a normal-looking person with dimples on his cheeks and close-cropped hair. He wore a


    purple jumpsuit and appeared to he about 180 cm or 6 feet high.


    A/N: Give me your stones.


    Also, read tower of god. It''s free on Webtoon.

 Chapter 10: Crown Game

    Chapter 10: Crown Game"Money mode." The man said.


    His pocket appeared beside him and he tapped on the small screen that was before the vending machine.


    The screen turned green.


    Ding~


    And with that, the drink Bam had tapped for went down. The man picked it up and handed it to the boy.


    "Here''s the drink you were getting." He smiled.


    Hey, buy us a drink as well! Winston lampooned with a sour expression. It seemed to him that they would not get along well. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The name''s Shibisu." He said. "Seems that you passed as well, lucky boy." Then he turned towards Winston and Amon.


    "And so did you guys. Nice to meet you."


    Winston nodded at him.


    "A pleasure. My name is Winston."


    "You can call me Amon." Amon said from behind Winston.


    Shibisu nodded. "You want drinks as well?"


    They bonded quickly.


    After getting the drinks, Shibisu talked to Bam''s teammates. Winston and Amon went back towards Zarhan who wanted to snatch some of Winston''s drink.


    "Give me it!" He yelled.


    "No way. Get your own, you brokei." Winston said in a mocking tone.


    "You!"


    "Please stop!" Amon also yelled from the side.


    As their antics continued, a familiar person arrived into the hall.


    "Attention all regulars!" Lero ro said entering the room. His declaration managed to stop Zarhan from obsessing over a canned drink as their team turned to look at the ranker.


    "I come bearing good news!" He said.


    "Good news?" A voice asked among the crowd.


    "That''s right! We will give you all a chance to partake in a game." Lero ro smiled.


    "No no. That''s not advantageous to us at all." Shibisu replied from the other side of the hallway. "Any extra tests will only be disadvantageous."


    Lero ro shook his head and chuckled.


    "You misunderstand. You are free to not take the test. There is absolutely no penalty for you to do so." Then, his eyes scanned the regulars. "However... The winning team of the game will be allowed to ascend to the next floor without taking any of the tests that would be conducted later down the line on the Test Floor."


    As his words landed, silence descended onto the hall.


    Every regular''s attention was peaked, looking intently at Lero ro.


    "So... does that seem advantageous?" Lero ro smiled.


    Before long, everyone that wanted to partake in the test was taken of their respective rooms, each of which was further connected to a collective hall that was at least 70 meters in diameter.


    Winston, Amon and Zarhan stood in their own cell, overlooking the hall that the ''game'' as Lero ro described would be conducted in.


    The entire hall was painted a thick colour of yellowish gold, the like morning streaks of light that scattered across the infinite sky into a thousands more shades. The golden colour was deeply reminiscent of the sun that shone with the colour of steel as it rose from oblivion, the place where ground and sky connected into one. At the center of the hall, a gigantic throne was erected, also plated in a thick golden colour.


    Atop the sole seat of the throne, which seemed to be capable of holding at least 10 people, sat a lonesome golden crown, too majestic to tear one''s eyes off of.


    "Now that you''ve all been transported here, I will explain the crown game to you." The tall human, the ranker Lero ro said, taking the crown from the throne. It was unknown at which point he had ended up there, or perhaps he had always stood at that place, one couldn''t tell.


    "The crown game, in short is a game to ''steal the crown''." He continued.


    "The team that holds the crown at the end wins the game. That might appear simple at first glance, but the rules are complicated. The first is the time limit." He put the crown atop his head.


    "The game will be conducted in 5 rounds, each 10 minutes long. Only 5 teams can participate in a round at once. Once a team succeeds in holding the crown they pass the round and proceed to the next one.


    "In the next round, 4 teams will enter and will compete for it with the team that passed the previous round, which will now defend the crown.


    "The team that manages to hold the crown in the last round, wins the crown game." Lero ro spread out his arms.


    "Also, there is a way to finish the rounds early, which is to sit on the throne with the crown on your head." His hand pointed to the crown he held on his head. He sat down on the throne. "However, there is a movement in restriction. The member of the team that sits on the throne will not be permitted to stand up from it. If they do under any circumstances, their team will lose the round and the next would begin. If such a thing happens in the last round, the game will be terminated with no winners.


    "FYI, the participation is on a first come first serve basis. There is a buzzer on the walls of each of your cells." He said.


    Winston looked at the red buzzer at the wall of their cell and nodded.


    "Pressing the buzzer will get you your place in the round. Again, the participation is strictly on a first come first serve basis." Lero ro smiled. He took off the crown on his head and kept it


    back on the throne.


    "Then participation in the early rounds is clearly disadvantageous. We should opt to steal the crown in the later stages. That would be easier." Amon said suddenly.


    "That makes sense." Zarhan scratched his chin.


    "Correct!" Lero ro yelled.


    He heard that? Winston appeared a bit shocked.


    "However, doing so would endanger your spot in the later stages. If you postpone participation because of the risk, you won''t even be able to participate in the later game.


    "Don''t overthink it... you just have to steal the crown." Lero ro whispered, yet audible enough


    to reach their ears.


    Hearing the words ''steal'' Winston''s ears perked up.


    A chance to act! He thought excitedly. A crown... certainly it carries value, I can tell just by observing from here. A marauders sense of worldly belongings is really something. And considering all the spectators and even the ranker, it should serve as great feedback!


    Winston grinned, pleased at the possibility.


    "Then, we will be beginning shortly. A 5 minute buffer time is given. Good luck to all


    regulars." He said.


    "Ah, I almost forgot. A team from another test site will be joining the game."


    Winston''s eyes narrowed to some extent.


    Another test site?


    "Then, let us begin with the game." He said and disappeared.


    "Which round should we go in?" Zarhan turned to Winston and asked.


    "I don''t know you tell me." Winston smiled at him.


    Zarhan and Amon adopted confused expressions.


    Winston sighed.


    He quieted down for some time, probably around 20 seconds. Zarhan and Amon didn''t say


    anything, acutely aware that Winston was devising up a strategy.


    "Either the 3rd round or the fourth." Winston concluded. "Although going in on the 2nd one is


    also not too bad of an option." He smiled.


    "But won''t that endanger our winning chances in the long run?" Amon asked. To the side, the spear bearing man also crossed his arms and tilted his head.


    "Tsk tsk tsk. That''s incorrect." Winston looked towards the throne.


    "It''s actually a trap. There less chance for the latter teams to win than there is for the starting teams." Seeing their expressions still marred in confusion, Winston explained. "Think of it like this. There''s 5 hungry people in a room. One of then has something to eat.


    Only one person can eat it." Winston turned to them. "The other people will not only have to compete with the holder of the eatable but also with the others that are willing to fight for it. In the same way, once someone gets seated on the throne, it isn''t just a rat race any longer. They wouldn''t want some other team to get the crown now would they?"


    "That makes sense! That''s why Mr. Lero ro said to simply steal the crown and not overthink


    it!" Amon yelled in enlightenment.


    Zarhan''s brows furrowed for a moment before he nodded.


    "Then that means we should go in the 2nd round!" He yelled.


    "Fate is an elusive lady." Winston said suddenly. "We never know when an opportunity may


    arise. For now, information is needed."


    It seems Winston had still yet to master the true artistry of being a charlatan.


    Before long, the crown game officially started.


    Lero ro counted down from five and upon reaching 0, the first round began.


    Trrrrrrrr!


    With a piercing sound, two of the doors opened up, making way for two teams.


    Winston smashed his ring finger and thumb together, vying to get a better gauge of the


    participants.


    Wait... That''s! Winston eyes widened in surprise as he gazed at the whirlpool of Shinsu that


    centered around the dark green hook. The holder of the weapon, the green skinned lizard girl,


    Anaak calmly walked in front of her teammates in long strides.


    "Shibisu''s team." Amon said.


    "Indeed."


    Anaak, Hatsu and Shibisu walked towards the other team of regulars without a care in the


    world.


    Anaak said something to her teammates and strode forth by herself. Her teammates didn''t


    follow.


    She''s going to take them on herself? Winston''s interest was piqued.


    One of the regulars from the other team rushed at her. Anaak, simply using her palm, smashed


    his jaw.


    Bam!


    Whoosh!


    Quiet~


    The entire hall quieted down. The regular after being hit with Anaak''s palm right in the jaw flew to the other side or the hall and slammed himself into the wall.


    A feat of strength that was unlike anything that Winston could personally hope to mimic, at


    least not at sequence 9.


    Winston looked wide eyed at the spectacle.


    What absurd strength! That sort of strength is something I can only hope to achieve at the mid


    sequences!


    Without delay, the remaining two regulars rushed at her. And that was when Anaak unfurled


    the strength of her weapon.


    With a swing of her hand, the green hook in her hand elongated like a metallic whip,


    ruthlessly smashing right into the other regular.


    Whip!


    Smash!


    With a smash, the regulars was sent 10 meters into the air and then slammed right into the


    ground.


    The other regular taking advantage of the distraction punched her right in the temple.


    Bam!


    "What the-!" The regular''s surprised voice echoed in the hall. He had managed to hit her


    right in the temple, however, he had failed to cause any sort of discomfort, or even movement


    of her head.


    Anaak turned her head and looked at him.


    "So the lizard has a rock for a head." Zarhan whispered from the side.


    "My hand!" The regular screamed as he clutched his balled hand, right before getting flicked


    in the face with the green hook and thrown back.


    "Get the crown! Follow me!" The regular that had been smashed into the ground got up and


    tried to run for the crown, as did his two other teammates who had also gotten up.


    Without any trouble, they quickly passed Anaak.


    "What is she doing?" Winston muttered imperceptibly to himself. However, just as they got close to the throne, someone jumped atop it.


    Holding the green hook in her hand, it extended beyond the throne and she spun it around


    with great strength.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The whip like weapon hit them all square in the chest, throwing them back and knocking them


    out for good. Then, without any reason and ignoring her teammates, the lizard sat down onto the throne


    and adorned the crown onto her head, appearing like a princess sitting atop her throne.


    A/N: Gimme stones.

 Chapter 11: Crown Game - 2

    Chapter 11: Crown Game - 2As the lizard girl, Anaak sat onto the throne, the first round of the crown game came to a conclusion.


    There was some discourse among the team members of the winning team and Shibisu argued with the test administrator about the rules; subject to whether the switching of people who wore the crown within a team was allowed.


    Such things were obviously stretching the rules a bit too thin and so it was denied.


    "The lizard girl is on the throne now! It''s our chance!" Zarhan yelled from the side, screaming right into Winston''s ears.


    Winston scowled at him and shook his head.


    "No. Now is not the time." He said.


    "Why? Although her weapon can extend, she clearly won''t be able to fight as freely now." Hearing his words, Winston glared at the one seated on the throne. More specifically, he glared at her weapon.


    "You don''t understand. We should still wait."


    Yes. We must wait. A smirk made it''s way onto his face. Only then can I steal the crown and digest the potions.


    "We''re gonna have to go into the field at some point." Amon said, fidgeting nervously. Winston nodded at his words.


    For some reason, amid the tests, Winston as the most intellectually sane had been tactically deemed to be the leader of their group, or at least the one whose opinion held the most weight.


    Winston smiled at them. "And that we will." He glanced again at the weapon, and then his eyes drifted to the crown atop her head.


    "We shall steal the crown right under everyone''s eyes. For that, we must wait." As Winston understood it, the true might of the weapon had not been unleashed as of yet. Although he felt that in the hands of a stronger being it might prove to be stronger, it stood to reason that Winston was cautious. It was better to be as such, than to suffer the consequences after underestimating the other party''s capabilities.


    For Winston, overestimating his competition was considered better than underestimating them.


    "Then! The second round will begin shortly. Press your buzzers by the time I count down from 5!" Lero ro''s announcement rang out, echoing in the hall and in the cells.


    "5!"


    "4!"


    "3!"


    As the countdown continued, none of their participants rose to press the buzzer. Winston, Amon and Zarhan calmly observed the hall, looking for the teams that would be participating. "2!"


    "1!"


    Tiiiiiiiiiii!


    A sharp alarm rang out and the doors opened up for the next batch of teams.


    Four teams walked up into the arena, each containing people more eccentric than the other. One of them has a single red eye atop a stone like head, the other had bat like wings on his back. One of them slept in a full bed mattress and the other had two sets of arms.


    Amon and Zarhan moved closer to the gate where Winston was standing, opting to get a better look at the game.


    At first, there was some discord among the participating teams as they contemplated whether they were to simply attack without plan or collude together for the taking down of Shibisu''s team.


    Team up? Heh. Yeah right. Winston guffawed in his heart, lampooning together as he did so. In a game such as this, where the stakes were the ascendancy to the next floor and where life and death were on the line, no one was willing to trust each other. It was basic common sense.


    One wouldn''t want to share their worldly riches with others, no matter how much in need the other person was. And when the need becomes universal, the ground that one stands on becomes a battlefield.


    There is no rest for the wicked. There is only the next battlefield in the tower, that much was already clear to Winston, to someone who had not entered the tower a day ago and someone that had yet to figure out the intricacies that went along with climbing it.


    As expected, two of the three teams that participated began to fight among themselves, while the other two swarmed the two fighting members of the winning team, Hatz and Shibisu.


    Shibisu got the team with the sleeping man, making things a bit easier for him as he wasn''t facing a three versus one situation. For Hatz, it was still manageable because of the gap in strength and skill.


    "Sub par at best." Zarhan muttered from the side. Both Winston and Amon glanced at him from the corner of their eyes.


    Zarhan''s eyes were deeply riveted to the fights going on, intently scanning each and every single participant.


    "Just two people are troublesome here." He whispered to himself again, yet it was still heard by the other two. His grip on his spear tightened.


    In the arena, Shibisu was quickly overwhelmed by the two members of the opposing team and was then saved by Hatz who had taken care of his own opponents.


    However, something peculiar happened very quickly.


    The sleeping man who was enveloped by the mattress began to get up, propping up his chest and sitting with the throne on front.


    Then, he gently held out his hand in front of him.


    Winston''s eyes widened in shock and expectation. Without delay, he tapped his ring finger and thumb together twice in succession, activating his spirit vision.


    Immediately, his vision was filled by waves that existed everywhere.


    In the hand of the sleeping man, a bright ball of light began to gather. And then, with a glorious speed, the light rushed towards Anaak who was sleeping quietly on the throne.


    Shaaaaaa!


    Whooo!


    The light enveloped the tiny figure of Anaak, or was at least supposed to. The green lizard jumped atop the throne, the crown still adorned on her head.


    As she landed, she tried to glare at the perpetrator.


    Only to be met with another attack right there.


    Shaaaa!


    This one hit her head on, enveloping her without any room to escape.


    "Anaak!" Shibisu yelled as he ran towards the throne, following behind the two members of


    the opposing team who were vying for the crown.


    The lady and the guy with the horn jumped to attack Anaak who had emerged from the attack mostly unharmed.


    "A wave controller?" Amon said quizically, which prompted Zarhan to nod.


    Wave controller? Winston mused. Contemplating for a bit, he linked the term ''Wave controller'' with the term ''shinsu user'' he had heard before. He was not sure if they were quite the same, however, since the sleeping man had used the waves around him, Shinsu, Winston felt that they might largely be the same, albeit having some differences; hence, the need for having different descriptions.


    "If they manage to snatch the crown we''ll have a harder time competing for it." Amon


    quipped.


    Winston narrowed his eyes, deciding not to comment on a topic he was not sure if he had


    sufficient information on.


    Back in the arena, a soft voice echoed.


    "Unlike you, I can use Shinsu to attack, meaning I don''t have the limitation of distance when facing you." The man said. "Give up. There is no competition. I can attack the throne from anywhere." He declared with a voice high and mighty, yet laced with a lazy undertone. Anaak clicked her tongue, a glare marring her child like face. At the moment, she seemed more like an acolyte of rage than anything else that could be useful for her description. "Attack the throne from anywhere you said?" She quipped. Then, she twirled the gigantic green hook in her hand into the air.


    Winston turned off his spirit vision, feeling the glow of the weapon getting brighter still.


    "Ignition." She whispered, her voice reaching the ears of every regular present somehow, blossoming a strange sense of foreboding in their hearts.


    "An ignition weapon!?" Zarhan screamed, holding the railing in front of him, almost wanting


    to jump out of the cage.


    "Ignition weapon?" Amon inquired, never having heard to the term. Winston cheered inside his heart at Amon''s question. Alas, they would not get the time for a discussion.


    Just as they were wondering, the situation in the arena changed drastically.


    The weapon in her hand, which had stood at a mere 3 meters in length before extended to a staggering 50 meters, towering over everyone like a gigantic behemoth.


    Anaak held a crazy smile on her face, her lips stretched from ear to ear with teeth fully


    showing, appearing incredibly psychopathic.


    She swung her weapon, slamming it right into the ground where the sleeping man had


    previously say.


    "What the hell?!" Zarhan yelled.


    Amon stood flabbergasted at the display, his eyes widened to the extreme. Winston himself


    did not fare any better.


    How the hell am I gonna steal the crown from that. His eyes narrowed and his lips turned a bit


    dry. Sweat appeared on his forehead at the relentless barrage of attacks that was being thrown


    in the ring.


    Anaak with her gigantic weapon slammed in into the ground over and over, trying to hit the


    man covered in the bed mattress.


    The man in bed, strangely floated into the air, flying about everywhere dodging her attacks


    desperately.


    Even a single one could be fatal. His expression was a mixture of anxiety, surprise and concentration.


    Then, Anaak''s green weapon again underwent a change.


    The gigantic hook which had been flailing around in the air split itself into dozens of other


    whip like extensions, each seemingly with a mind of its own.


    It felt as if a living creature was writhing from the ground up, wanting to kill, destroy and swallow any living thing it could possibly get it''s feeling tentacles on.


    The weapon like an instrument of destruction tore through the air, rushing straight at the three other people remaining in the battlefield. Anaak laughed like a deranged fairybook beast, descended from the unknown beyond to purge the world from all life.


    The thing can split?! Winston looked on, getting increasingly shocked from the battle.


    At that moment, even Zarhan who exclaimed at the battle since arrival was quieted down, opting to simply observe. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Amon nervously watched, unwilling to make a comment upon seeing the concentrated gazes that his other two teammates had on the battlefield.


    However, just when it felt as if it was the end for the other team, something clicked. Anaak stopped, the weapon automatically retracting itself into the previous 3 meter hook. She turned towards one of the cages abruptly, simply staring at the air as if bewitched. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the team rushed out, reaching back to their


    own cage.


    By the rules, return to their respective cage meant elimination from the crown game.


    "Way to go!" Shibisu cheered, looking at the figure of Anaak who stood at the top of the


    throne still.


    However, just as he was doing so, Anaak who had been quiet leapt from the throne towards a


    cage.


    Boom!


    Unknowingly, relief washed over Winston as he remembered the rules.


    Leaving the throne for any reason whatsoever means elimination from the crown game for the team!


    A/N: Tell me your thoughts!

 Chapter 12: Crown Game - 3

    Chapter 12: Crown Game - 313 month series? Jahad''s daughter? Black March and Green April? Winston muttered inside his brain, failing to comprehend the topics and falling behind in the conversation that was being carried out.


    Strangely, even though the cage Anaak had bombarded was at the other side of the arena, Winston and his teammates were able to hear them without problem.


    Winston secretly stole a glance at the expression of his two other teammates, who seemed more surprised than confused.


    "So she''s a princess of Jahad. No wonder she was so strong." Amon said aloud.


    Zarhan quipped along, "And she has the Green April no less, one of the weapons crafter personally by Ashul Edwardu and bestowed by King Jahas himself to the princesses." He said. Inwardly, Winston became more confused than anything.


    King Jahad? There''s a King to the tower? And this... Ashul guy... Interesting. Winston nodded to himself.


    "But isn''t the Thirteen month series weapons only meant to be bestowed to ranker? How could a regular on the floor of tests have it?" Amon inquired, looking towards Winston.


    "I knew it was weird for an ignition weapon of such caliber to be on the test floor!" Zarhan screamed from the side.


    "That''s what I was wondering." Winston closed his eyes and nodded sagely.


    "More importantly." He pointed. "What about that boy who holds the Black March. Don''t you think that''s even weirder?" Having listened to the conversation Anaak and the other team had, he had been made keenly aware that a anyone else aside from the ''Princesses of Jahad'' much less a man was not supposed to be able to get such weapons.


    Amon''s expression turned thoughtful. "Didn''t he mention Yuri Jahad? Does she have a connection to Bam?" He mused.


    Winston''s eyes turned a bit misty.


    He didn''t know who Yuri Jahad was! How was he expected to continued the conversation? Simple. He wasn''t.


    "That wouldn''t matter now, would it?" He glanced at the arena again.


    "I think we''ll be participating in the fourth or the final round." Winston declared.


    Soon, the third round began.


    Lero ro counted down from 5, and with that the third round of the crown game officially began.


    Bam''s team participated in the third round. Four other teams participated alongside them, all vying for the crown within haste.


    However, the blue haired boy, Khun, as Winston had heard his name was, showed incredible wit and planning capabilities; effortlessly fooling all the regulars that participated.


    He''s dangerous... Winston mused, narrowing his eyes. His eyes also wandered to the small bag he held in his hand; Manbarondenna, it was called.


    Incredible feats of cunning and not too shabby in combat himself. Bam doesn''t seem to be too troublesome, but his weapon might prove to be the most bothersome thing of all. Then, his eyes overtook the gigantic mass, the hulking crocodile that was in their team. Rak Wraithraiser.


    Khun is adept at combat, yet his excellence is in his cunning. The crocodile is particularly hard to handle. His skill in handling the spear seems too troublesome to deal with. Winston racked his brain, trying to think of a viable plan for the situation.


    His eyes wandered towards his equipment, which included a steel broadsword and a bow and some arrows. He sighed.


    I might need to experiment a bit with ritualistic magic after this... never know when charms could come in handy. He shook his head, focusing on the situation at hand.


    Logically speaking, with a team of their strength level, most competent teams would choose to participate in the last round. And as of now, only 6 teams are left for participation; meaning there''s no trouble of not getting a spot in the last round.


    The general level of strength of the regulars can be handled. Regulars like the crocodile and then lizard seem to be rare exceptions. And since it will be the last round, all the teams will be agitated and fight amongst themselves. Suddenly, it all clicked in Winston''s mind.


    If we manage to snatch the crown in the 4th round, holding the throne in the last one would be easier than snatching it amid the chaos. For a moment, Winston remembered Klein the Fool who made use of chaos as an escape route. Heh, but there''s no telling what might happen in such a chaotic situation. Too risky. I can''t miss out on the opportunity.


    Winston shook his head and looked towards his teammates, who at this point were also looking at him intently, waiting for him to make a decision.


    "We''ll participate in the fourth round." Winston declared as if a King commanding his subjects. A smile graced his lips.


    "Finally! Some action!" Zarhan yelled, spinning around the spear in his hand. On the other hand, Amon looked a bit nervous, his figure fidgeting under his clothes.


    And just in time, Lero ro started the count.


    "All regulars who wish to participate in the next round, press the buzzer within 5 seconds!"


    Winston looked towards the arena with a smile, thinking of the possible courses of actions he could take to snatch the crown.


    However, at that moment, his eyes caught a strange detail.


    Khun took out a piece of blue cloth from his bag and tied his hair back, making a small


    ponytail out of his otherwise free flowing blue hair.


    What? Winston, for some odd reason felt weirded out. Khun had clearly shown himself plenty capable of combat without tying his hair back. Why would he do so now?


    At that moment, he felt something was wrong.


    The countdown reached 3. Seeing Zarhan who was about to press the button, Winston quickly leapt up and held his arm in an iron grip.


    "Wait!"


    What could be the reason? His eyes scanned Khun''s figure once again, then, his eyes landed on


    the bag.


    Wait a minute... his eyes narrowed. It''s possible for living things to be shrunk and stored as well! Remembering the blob like being getting sucked into the bag, something clicked. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are ye doing?!" Zarhan yelled, tearing his arm away from Winston''s grasp.


    "We won''t be participating." Winstin said, his expression dead serious as he looked at the leisurely Khun who sat alongside Bam on the throne.


    "Why?" Amon said. He had already taken out a short short and was ready to fight if needed be.


    "Just intuition." Winston said.


    His thoughts could be wrong. But things that could fire off the intuition of a beyonder were not to be ignored. Intuition warnings were hidden information from the surrounding spirit world; if such a thing even existed in the place known as the tower, Winston didn''t know. But he knew better than to simply ignore such a thing.


    "If I''m wrong, I''m wrong. We''ll just participate in the next round." He said with conviction.


    Zarhan clicked his tongue in annoyance while Amon returned the short sword into it''s sheath.


    Tiiiiiiiiiiiii!


    The alarm sound rang out and the teams were taken out of their cages.


    3 teams participated in the fourth round.


    The 3 teams, like the previous rounds tried to collude together to take down the current team


    occupying the throne.


    However, something unexpected happened.


    One of the teams attacked the other!


    The other team having not expected such things to happen fell down quickly, putting up little


    resistance.


    All while Khun himself, along with Bam sat on the throne in leisure.


    The remaining team tried to go for the crown, however, it seemed that they were plenty


    weaker than the crocodile, with all three of them having been defeated in mere moments.


    As the happenings in the arena concluded, Amon and Zarhan looked at Winston with widened


    eyes.


    "How did you know?" Amon asked in amazement.


    "That''s the neat part. I didn''t." Winston smiled.


    "What kind of nonsense is that?" Zarhan expressed his doubts. Hearing his words, Winston


    simply shrugged. "I have keen observation skills." He said.


    "Yeah right." Zarhan snorted, his scowl clearly expressing his thoughts on the matter.


    Winston could do nothing but shake his head. It was truly due to his keen sense of observation and derivation of information that the Marauder potion provided him that he had been able to even notice the small signs of strangeness with Khun.


    As for how his mind could even cook up the exact situation with such accuracy? Winston could not say. Perhaps it was the surrounding ''spirit world'' or whatever passed for that here helping


    him with the revelations.


    Intuition is a scary ability. He mused.


    Soon, the other team headed back to their cell without any want to fight with Bam''s team,


    making them progress to the final fifth round.


    "Well, that''s our queue." Winston said.


    "You sure?" Zarhan quipped sarcastically. "Positive." Winston chuckled.


    And then, as Lero ro announced for the teams to press their buzzers, his hand moved towards


    it. "5!"


    "What''s our plan of action?" Amon asked suddenly, his disposition a mix of nervousness and


    conviction.


    "4!"


    Winston pressed the buzzer, still having his eyes glued to the arena. This time, he didn''t sense


    any sort of discomfort. However, there was a sense of foreboding he felt.


    "Simple." He said.


    "3!"


    "Use the chaos to your advantage. With the small fishes gone, the sharks will be arriving at the


    last stage." He smiled.


    "2!"


    "The more fighting that ensues, the better will be the chances to steal the crown." Suddebly,


    he looked behind him at Zarhan.


    "Can you take the crocodile?" He asked.


    "1!"


    Zarhan grinned. "Damn right, I can!"


    Tiiiiiiiiiiii!


    With the sharp sound of the alarm, the door to their cage slowly swung open, sparying some


    smog into the cage.


    "You guys." Winston continued, walking out of the cage. The steel broadsword was flung over


    his shoulder and the bow and the quiver was attacked to his back through a cloth strap. With eyes flashed for a moment as he tapped his ring finger and thumb twice.


    "Just need to make an opening." A cold expression appeared on his face as his eyes met that of


    Khun''s.


    Winston smiled at him in challenge.


    "I''ll steal the crown myself." He declared.


    Lero ro sat in his lighthouse that floated atop the entire arena, quietly overlooking the crown


    game. The inside of his lighthouse was bathed in a golden glow, deeply reminiscent of the evening sun.


    His eyes were focused as he looked on at the participants of the current round.


    "A princess of Jahad, an irregular and an unknown regular all together in the same team. Then


    there''s Khun and his two teammates. And finally..." As his words drifted, his eyes riveted themselves to the figure of a tall young man with black hair.


    "Winston Heath..."


    That boy gives me a strange feeling. I can''t quite put my finger on it... as he observed the man, suddenly, he felt something click as he walked into the arena.


    There it is again... that feeling. That strangeness... Suddenly, he shook his head.


    "The tower is indeed a large place. Many regulars with strange abilities can arise." He


    continued, speaking to himself.


    "Then... how far will this batch go, I wonder?" He said.


    For some unknown, inexplicable reason, he suddenly remembered a quote from a certain


    friend of his. A very frivolous princess to be precise.


    "Everything in the Tower, I say. Everything in the Tower is subject to change! That is the only thing


    that will last forever in the Tower!"


    Unconsciously, a smile blossomed on his face.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, tell me your thoughts so far on the story.


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 13: Crown Game - 4

    Chapter 13: Crown Game - 4Silence.


    Silence reigned in the arena for a moment, deafening to the point that even a pin drop could be heard.


    Rak and Khun stood at the two sides of the throne, ready to leap at a moments notice in protection of their third teammate.


    Winston looked around, reading the flow of the waves with his spirit vision. Zarhan moved before him, spinning his spear in the air.


    This time, there was no team left that wanted to collude. Every other team that held less ability had already been eliminated.


    Winston''s eyes scanned his competition.


    Three people in cloaks stood at the opposite end of the arena. Another team stood to the right, consisting of a woman in a mask and a tight spandex and two other men, one with four arms and the other with a single crystal for his eye.


    And finally, to the right of the previous team, stood another team of regulars.


    Time stood still for a moment. Nobody moved.


    And then, something clicked.


    Whooosh!


    Winston and Zarhan rushed forward, the wind breaking behind them.


    Amon followed from the side, going towards the left.


    At the same instant, the woman in the spandex, moved with precision. The metallic staff she held in her hand, seemingly heavier than 20 kgs, was twirled around effortlessly in the air as she moved towards the other team to her left.


    Winston''s eyes dropped on the staff coloured in gold for a moment, his Marauder powers instantly calculating the value of the staff. Then, his figure approached Rak.


    "Raaaaaaa!" The gigantic crocodile screamed with power as he smote down his red spear towards us, aiming to impale us in a single swoop.


    Winston quickly jumped to the right, avoiding the attack all together before it could even reach them.


    Zarhan propped up his spear before him and deflected the spear to the right.


    To the side, Winston having rolled over came face to face with Khun.


    Shung!


    The sound of metal clashing was heard as a giant sword was pulled out from his bag, Manbarondenna and smashed wildly into Winston''s broadsword.


    Winston felt his arms twist for a moment, before he realized what was happening.


    Quickly, he jumped back.


    He''s well versed in sword fighting. Twisting the opponents strength against them to open up a striking point. Interesting. Winston smiled in delight.


    To the side, the woman in the spandex had already taken care of the other team. With that, her and her teammates rushed towards the throne.


    The crocodile was quickly surrounded by Zarhan and Amon. Although Amon wasn''t able to help much considering the gap in strength, his weapon still proved to be a nuisance for the crocodile, allowing them to hold him off.


    Winston rushed back at Khun, this time in anticipation for his skills.


    A flurry of attacks was what followed soon after as both of them slashed at each other wildly, with none of them being able to get the advantage.


    Winston, with his spirit vision and instinctive fighting responses was able to dodge all of his attack before they even got close, meanwhile, Khun had his bag offer him protection. No matter how hard Winston seemed to hit it, it didn''t budge a single inch.


    As they were engaging in their duel, Winston felt something jump over them, as testified by the change in the shinsu.


    Whiiirll~


    The woman in the spandex effortlessly jumped almost 10 meters into the air, flipping her body while doing so. Then, holding her weapon, she took a stance and smashed wildly onto the unassuming figure that sat atop the throne, Bam.


    "Bam!" Khun screamed, a brief moment of distraction. And with that, Winston did not miss the mark. Taking his leg back, he embedded it deep into Khun''s abdomen, throwing him back towards the throne. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Black turtle!" The crocodile yelled, throwing away both Zarhan and Amon with a single sweep of his spear.


    However, just when the strike was about to connect, some metallic sounded.


    Clang!


    A giant disc, orange black in colour floated soundlessly in the air, blocking her attack and throwing her nimble body back.


    She slid on the ground some distance from the throne and looked at the perpetrator.


    Rak, who had been rushing at the throne to save his teammate was intercepted by the other two teammates of the spandex woman.


    In front of the spandex woman, a figure clad in a dark brown cloak suddenly appeared. Evidently, the figure was that of a woman.


    "You shouldn take on someone in your own dimension, don''t you think?" She said in a melodious voice.


    The masked woman didn''t speak, only adopting a combat stance.


    Winston on the other hand, while rushing towards the throne was intercepted by a gigantic hulking mass, a figure clad in a brown robe, its face somewhat visible which revealed dark red teeth, perhaps another mask underneath the cloak.


    The figure, wielding a cleaver in hand smashed it down right onto Winston''s figure, who was


    almost too slow to dodge.


    Shit! He cursed in his heart.


    Zarhan appeared behind him, stabbing with his spear.


    Clang!


    His spear slid off of the cleaver of the giant regular.


    However, at the last moment, he pushed his body forward and at the last moment, kicked the gigantic regular in the side, making his footing stumble for a moment.


    "Go! Get the crown!" He screamed.


    Without wasting any time, Winston ran.


    Without a second of delay, he had already reached the crown just in front of the last elevation.


    With that, the situation came into view.


    Have they banded together? Why would they do so? Did that guy carry another team in his bag? Winston wondered, looking at the team of cloaked individuals protecting the other team. But the team with that masked woman is still with us! We can win! Winston cheered.


    Khun appeared before him, in his hand a short sword.


    Winston raised a brow and quickly began to counter.


    Just then, he realized something.


    If this goes on like this, we''ll quickly run out of time. From the time the final round started, 4 minutes


    have already passed!


    Then, for some inexplicable reason, he remembered the test administrator, Lero ro and the sleeping bag man, who had used shinsu for their attacks, and the process for which he had


    seen completely with his spirit vision.


    It was support from his intuition!


    Compress! He yelled internally. Then, utilizing the basic principles of cogitation, his mind instantly stepped into a state of transcendent focus.


    And with that, a bright light flashed.


    Shiiiiiiiiiiii!


    A blinding flash of light illuminated the entire arena, momentarily blinding all the regulars. Khun, who was standing in front of him closed his eyes.


    Winston looked beside him, a ball of Shinsu had materialized, taking the form of a soft ball of


    light.


    For a split second, barely longer than the time it took one to blink their eyes, Winston felt something. A strange power flowing through him, filling him with strength unlike anything he had felt. It was something different from the Sequence potion powers, something more...


    malleable(?), was that the right word?


    Then, as that feeling ended, he broke out of his short stupor.


    His eyes turned furious and then the ball of Shinsu moved.


    Shaaaa!


    Boom!


    Without any delay, the ball of Shinsu moved to hit Khun. However, because of his


    unfamiliarity with the ball of shinsu, the ball impacted Khun''s bag, throwing him back dozens of meters with a great explosion.


    Everyone''s eyes turned towards Winston''s figure for a moment, widened in surprise at the presence of a Shinsu user.


    At that moment, Winston could have sworn he heard Zarhan yell "I knew you were a shinsu user!" in the background.


    At the back, taking advantage of the cloaked woman''s distraction, who had, at this point revealed her face, the woman with the mask jumped with all her strength right towards the


    throne.


    At the same time, Winston who had no one to block him now, dashed at the throne, right towards Bam''s figure who was looking towards the cloaked figure towards his right.


    Got you! Winston grinned, extending his hand.


    Then, the spandex woman landed to his right.


    What?


    Bam!


    The metallic staff was blocked by his left arm, staggering him for a moment.


    "Turtle!" The crocodile yelled from behind.


    The masked woman didn''t stop, wildly swinging her weapon towards the cloaked figure.


    Strike!


    The head of the cloaked figure was grazed, throwing off it''s cloak to reveal a young girl with


    freckles.


    Winston didn''t stop and leapt forward without issue.


    However, just as he was about to grab the crown off of Bam''s head, the waves around him


    grew restless.


    "Rachel!" He yelled, abandoning the throne and throwing himself towards the young woman.


    He left the throne! Winston''s eyes widened as he adjusted his direction.


    His hand grabbed the crown off his head, just in time for him to intercept the metallic golden


    staff with his head of all places.


    Bam!


    And just as that happened, Winston felt something click inside of him. As if something was dissolving inside him, quickly transforming into beads of light that surrounded his soul and


    merged with it soon after.


    But...


    Shaaaaa!


    Duuu!


    With the brief moment in which he relished in the feeling of a potion digestion, the Shinsu in


    front of him changed suddenly. He ignored the masked woman''s strike that was coming right


    for his face.


    His eyed widened.


    Spurt!


    Blood spurted from his hand and from the face of the masked woman, each having been


    seemingly slashed with an invisible blade. A gigantic golden light enveloped them, centered around the boy who had just fallen down.


    Damn! Did the weapon react?! Winston cursed in his mind, completely forgetting about the


    digestion of the potion and the crown entirely.


    Throwing himself back, he leapt out from the light, landing on the ground. Quickly, he turned


    off his spirit vision because of the huge blend of colours he was constantly seeing moving in front of him.


    As the light finally subsided, there was silence in the entire arena.


    The masked woman clutched her right eye with her hands, sitting motionless on the floor.


    While Bam, the brown haired boy laid there atop the blond haired young girl, his hair stained


    crimson of his very own blood.


    Nobody moved, too shocked by the events that had just transpired. "Attention all regulars!" Then Lero ro''s voice broke then out of their thoughts.


    "The crown has been destroyed! And so, with the destruction of the crown, the crown game is


    also terminated!" His words landed like a bomb atop their heads. Winston looked at the ground, where supposedly, the crown had been accidentally dropped because of his hand


    injury.


    There was nothing there, only empty air.


    Then, he looked at his hand. There was a deep gash, running from the middle of his middle


    and ring finger to somewhat into the middle of his hand.


    The adrenaline had blinked out the pain, making him not feel anything.


    Well... there goes that... He sighed.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, what are your thoughts about the position he should be assigned to? I was thinking


    maybe fisherman or wavecontroller. I''m confused but leaning more towards the former. Share your thoughts.

 Chapter 14: Digestion

    Chapter 14: DigestionThe morning scintillating sun rose over the horizons, the glorious blazing ball of light illuminated the surroundings with a incandescent yellow hue. The gigantic building of the test floor floated in the air, its shadow stretched across the wheat and grass fields below for miles on end. The fields below were covered by a faint white mist, scattering the light of the refulgent sun.


    However, as Winston had just found out yesterday, the sun was not, in actuality, a sun. Instead, it was simply a ball of light that floated high up in the artificial atmosphere of the tower, which too was made out of Shinsu.


    Winston got out of the bed, his hair sprawled all over his head and his eyes dazed over slightly. The curtains of his room which were wide open; solely because he had forgotten to close them before going to sleep; filtered the soft morning rays of light into the room.


    Winston yawned and rubbed his right eye. Then, he got up and stretched his body. As he did, he could not help but savour the feeling of his joints and muscles opening up after a good night''s rest.


    Then, he sighed.


    The crown games had ended right then and there. In a series of events Winston had honestly failed to see, the crown was utterly destroyed. He looked at the bandages on his right hand in thought, his mind overtaken with the visions of the naive boy he had met.


    The 25th Bam. Enigmatic he was.


    There were very few people that would throw themselves into dangerous situation to shield someone else. At least, Winston himself was not one of them.


    Then, he remembered how the previous day had gone over. Due to his injuries, he was taken to the infirmary by his teammates and spent the next 3 hours there. After that, his teammates escorted him to his room, despite his repeated insinuation that he was fine.


    Well, it is what is it. He shook himself out of his thoughts and went to freshen up. Every regular that had passed the tests and managed to survive the crown game with their full teams were alloted their own rooms. Each room had all the supplies one could hope for while living, save for a kitchen, the need for which was fulfilled by the cafeteria. It was also worth mentioning that the teams had also been disbanded by the time the crown game had ended, meaning there was little chance that he would take the next tests along with Zarhan and Amon.


    For all he could think, the next test might be an individual test.


    After he freshened up, he walked out of the door to his room and headed for the cafeteria.


    It was still 2 days for the next test to go. There was plenty which he could do to prepare for it. The first of which was to better familiarize himself with his abilities and gain resources which allow for full utilization of them.


    Although he had spent all his time in the cave to train his abilities, there was little he could do with the lack of materials.


    As he was lost in his thoughts, he felt someone approach from his back.


    Intuition is indeed a very useful ability. He turned back without delay, only to come face to face with Zarhan, his old teammate.


    "Yo!" He greeted, throwing his hand into the air.


    Winston nodded. "Good morning." He smiled.


    "How''d ye notice me? As a hunter, I make sure to be super quiet all the time." He inquired, getting closer.


    Right... Winston gave him a judgemental stare for the slightest moment.


    "I just felt someone was behind me." Winston shrugged, a grin on his face.


    "Tch! Fine! Don''t answer!" He exclaimed, his face turning a bit sour.


    Winston nodded to himself, feeling a bit pleased.


    "Going to the cafeteria?" He asked.


    "Man''s gotta eat!" He said, tapping his stomach with a chuckle.


    With that, they both went towards the cafeteria, walking side by side.


    As they walked, they engaged in some small talk.


    "How''s your arm?"


    "Feels fine. I guess it''ll be alright in a few days." Winston answered, feeling a bit unsure himself. As of right now, he felt no actual discomfort in his arm.


    To be honest, it felt as if he hadn''t even been hurt.


    Does the Shinsu speed up healing? I''ll have to take off the bandages and see for myself. Winston mused.


    As they chatted, the cafeteria finally came into view.


    The cafeteria was a large hall, filled with various long tables and mundane decorations. The entire room was completely illuminated by lights on the ceiling, and coupled with the sunlight from the window walls, it left barely any room for shadows to be seen. To the far right, the food counter could be seen, operated by a yellowish humanoid behemoth with multiple eyes all around it''s head in a straight horizontal line.


    There were many people in the cafeteria at this point. Almost half of the regulars that had passed the tests and the crown game were here, making the cafeteria quite lively.


    As they walked to the food counter, someone called out to them.


    "Mr. Winston! Mr. Zarhan!"


    They looked towards one of the tables. It was Amon waving out to them.


    Winston waved back and Zarhan nodded tesly. Amon was already seated with a plate of edibles. And so, Winston and Zarhan took theirs and went on their way.


    Winston wasn''t too knowledgeable about the cuisine so he let Zarhan order for him as well.


    The cafeteria using points is a bit unfair for us... Winston lampooned. That''s right. The cafeteria used points. Points were earned by passing tests and fulfilling certain quotas in them. Basically, a regular''s performance determines how much points they get.


    Though it is practical. He shook his head, not thinking about it anymore.


    However, luckily for them, the crown game was not without it''s advantages. The participants, along with the starting number of points given to all the regulars, were given bonus points for


    their performance.


    Meaning they were not the previous completely broke them, but now, the present less broke


    them.


    Taking their respective plates, they went ahead and sat down along with Amon.


    "Good morning." Winston greeted.


    "Good morning!" Zarhan boisterously declared.


    "Good morning to you too!" Amon said enthusiastically.


    With that, they engaged in some conversations about the tests and tower; the idle chatter among the regulars. However, to Winston, it was free information. As someone that came from the outside information was a must have.


    "Wow... you''re very knowledgeable about these things..." Zarhan droned with a subtle


    expression.


    His eyes appeared a bit lost.


    "Yeah." Amon said, stuffing his mouth with food. "You can find all sorts of things on the Box."


    Winston raised a brow.


    "The Box?"


    Amon stared at him.


    "You don''t know about the Box, Mr. Winston?!" He exclaimed.


    "Umm." Winston felt that he had messed up here.


    "I seem to have heard about it. Though I never bothered to find out about it." He replied with S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a relaxed tone.


    "Oh. I see." He nodded. "The Box is a platform for all lightbearers to sort through and share


    information about the tower. You can find practically anything on there!" He explained. "It''s


    basically a blog for the light bearers!"


    Winston appeared to be intrigued.


    "How do you access this Box?" He asked.


    Just then, Zarhan broke out into a short laugh.


    "Pfft! You don''t even know how to access the box?! Even I know that?" He declared.


    "You do?"


    "You do?"


    Both Amon and Winston asked with a judgemental stare.


    "Of course I do! It is accessed through light houses! Those floating cubes like things! Besides that, it can also be accessed through pockets, but the information is limited!" He screamed. At that point, their table received a number of stares from the other regulars.


    Winston ignored these stares, so did his other two teammates.


    The rest of the breakfast went without any other interesting things being shared, yet still somewhat informative. The best thing about it was the Box Amon had mentioned. Mentally, he decided to check it out upon returning to his room.


    Finishing the breakfast, as Winston reached his room, he took out a small pin like object, blue


    in colour. It was something he had stolen from Zarhan''s attire. Although the other party wore casual clothing, his shirt held many small pin like objects, blue in colour. They were pretty to look at but not of significant monetary value, something he gleamed from his Marauder


    potion ability.


    As he sat down onto the bed, he could not help but look at this potion digestion again.


    Damn... no matter how I look at this, isn''t this a bit too fast!? He exclaimed in his heart.


    Yesterday, as he stole the crown, all of his potions, The Seer, The Marauder and The Apprentice, all of them had been digested almost to completion!


    If he had to put it into numbers, he would say that almost 97% of the potion had already been


    digested!


    He supported his arms with his legs and leaned forward in contemplation.


    In essence, it shouldn''t be too out of the ordinary. After all, there were multiple people watching along with a ranker, a figure close to at least a high Sequence, if not a angel. Winston concluded. Though


    it was hard to judge the level of rankers, he felt that they might be at the level of the


    demigods, with the upper echelons being at the level of Angels.


    He sighed.


    The Sequence 9 of the Error Pathway is called Marauder. In essence, it can be considered as a raider or


    a plundered. Meaning the acting method for the Sequence 9 should be reliant on feedback from others.


    If it was something like Thief, then I may not have gotten the same result, considering as to how thieves are associated with secrecy and silence. Heh. Stealing a crown in front of such opposition and spectators turned out to be the optimal condition for acting.


    To be honest, the only reason that I can think of that I didn''t digest the potion right then and there is


    because I didn''t consolidate the acting principles of any potion.


    Winston felt it was possible.


    With the discovery of his rapid potion digestion, he also discovered that digestion was shared


    across all of his sequences. Meaning, if any digestion occurred on the Seer potion, it would occur simultaneously on the other two potions as well.


    Meaning, if at any point he hit a wall in the digestion of any one potion, he could just start on


    the digestion of the other potion, circumventing the problem all together. Along with that, it also meant that he could act on all the three pathways at the same time, boosting the


    digestion speed exponentially.


    The last 3% of the potion, I can digest it by using the principles of the Seer pathway that have already


    been established by Mr. Fool... Winston smiled in expectation of the future.


    It seems Sequence 8 will be coming sooner than I expected...


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, leave a review!

 Chapter 15: Promotion

    Chapter 15: PromotionWinston spent the rest of the day inside his own room, researching about the tower on the ''Box'' that he had found out about. At one point, Amon came to look for him, only to be sent back by Winston who did not wish to be disturbed.


    And in the end, it turned out to be the right choice; simply because of the sheer amount of information Winston realized that he had lacked before. Jahad, the king of the tower and the ten great families that ruled under his empire. The top floor of the tower, the 134th floor and a plethora of other information that he had not realized before, he could engage in conversations about them now.


    With the newfound knowledge, he was sure he would not appear too much like an odd ball out of the regulars. And as he had found out, such a thing would be crucial for his own survival. Because he had found out about the existence of similar beings such as himself. Irregulars, as they were called, were beings that come from outside of the tower, opening the gates and stepping inside to climb. They went against the predetermined rules of the tower to rebel against natural order and universal law; climbing the tower even though they had not yet been chosen.


    Irregulars bring chaos to the tower; marked by great change and times of decadence to create a whirlpool of destruction and power that pulls in everyone and everything around them and pushing the fate of every being in the tower to usher in a new age; whether it be one of progression or regression could not be said.


    There were a variety of examples for the irregulars; the most common being the king of the tower itself and the lower ruling parties, Jahad and the ten great families. They were marked as the first batch of irregulars to enter into the tower and propel the administration of the great structure to a new golden age. After which were the other irregulars: Urek Mazino, the founder of Wolhaiksong and the fourth ranked strongest ranker in the entire tower; also hailed as the record holder for the fastest ascent up the tower- a time of 50 years.


    Then there was Enryu the infamous; also known as the red tower. His infamy comes from the time he killed a floor administrator, shooting it down right from the sky like the mortals they rule over; causing chaos to spread over the floor the said guardian held dominion over.


    And then, the final irregular, presided as the strongest ranker in the entire tower, Phantaminum, the killer of Jahad''s royal guards.


    All of them, without exception were part of the strongest beings in the tower. There was no irregular that could be considered weak, not one. Upon seeing such information, Winston''s first instinct was relief that no one had found out about his state. And then, after relief, it was understanding. It was quite clear now why he was able to condense shinsu into an attacking force so quickly; it was only expected from an irregular.


    Wait... what about the irregulars that entered before me? Winston contemplated. He distinctly recalled Headon, the first floor guardian saying something along the lines of ''not receiving such extensive visits in a long time'', meaning there had been some people that had entered the tower before him.


    I can''t be sure of the time frame they might''ve entered before me. It might even have been a few years. At this point, they might already be far ahead of me. Winston nodded, feeling exceedingly sure of his guess. But I can''t yet eliminate the possibility that they entered right before me. At the very least, I must be prepared for an encounter with an overwhelmingly powerful opponent.


    Getting off the chair which he had kept right next to his bed, he stretched his body again. Time to digest the potion now... Thinking about that, he voiced out the main maxims of a seer. "A true Seer must possess reverence towards fate." He said. Almost immediately, he felt his spirit body churn and twist and bubble up in anticipation of an unknown event yet to come. "One must help other seek out and interpret their fates, yet at the same time, constantly maintain fear and respect towards it. A Seer does not become egoistical about his abilities to see through the web of fate, nor can he get too prideful and never believe blindly in one''s own interpretation of fate." As he said the words, something deep within him bubbled as if put on a hot stove. He felt his core heating up and cooling down rapidly and felt something deep within him break into its most fundamental forms.


    "And finally..." he continued, "Divination is not all-powerful." He declared. And with that, he felt his spirit body undergo rapid change. Something broke down and came together, merging incessantly with his very core being.


    Ho00000000~


    He breathed out, then he stopped. The potion which had just come to the precipice of digestion had lacked just a simple push to shove it in the right direction, infinitely close to a complete digestion.


    Winston closed his eyes, feeling the almost interminable power stored within. As he stood upon the precipice of an inexorable event to come, he felt himself floating like a will-o-wisp, a paper in the wind.


    With a smile, he declared one of the maxims of the Marauder potion, one he had established just a day prior to give himself the push needed.


    "One must be fast in thought and bold in action. A true Marauder takes action only when success can be seen." He declared.


    And with that, he felt the three potions rapidly digesting and fusing with his being, completely overtaking his spirit. Winston felt as if a weight had been thrown off his shoulders, a burden he carried without his knowledge had been put down.


    That feeling''s a bit addicting... He chuckled.


    Just as he was getting used to the feeling of his potion completely having been digested, he suddenly sensed something.


    It was the next potion, comprising the Sequence 8 of the Fool, Error and Door pathways: Clown, Swindler and Trickmaster! Winston''s eyes widened in surprise and amazement as he felt the sensation of the potion. It felt like it lied somewhere infinitely far away, yet somehow it surrounded him completely still. It was a surreal sensation.


    He felt as if he could summon the potion anytime, should he desire to consume it no matter the time.


    A vicious grin couldn''t help but make it''s way onto Winston''s face.


    Then, he looked at his right hand which was injured and tapped his thumb and ring finger twice. The hand was covered in a white colour, symbolizing good health.


    Nodding to himself, he sat down again and took off the covers on his hand. And from under the covers emerged his hand as good as new; seemingly never having been injured to begin


    with.


    Seeing that, Winston''s eyes turned a bit thoughtful.


    What is it that''s speeding up the healing process?


    Peering a bit further using his spirit vision, Winston discovered something strange. The waves of Shinsu, little wisps of power were constantly rushing into his hand, nourishing it from the outside and from the within. Winston understood that the body was a machine that healed constantly. Under the right conditions, any injury could be healed so long as the damage was not permanent. And the Shinsu at the moment, seemed to be supplying his hand with the most optimal condition for healing, along with a constant supply of energy to


    replace the lost cells.


    Interesting! Winston exclaimed, an excited grin on his face.


    He took his steel broadsword from the side and overlapped it with a layer of spirituality.


    Spirituality had a tendency to leak better from sharp edges and places with less surface area. It was a simple application of the principle by which Corona Discharge happened to electricity. Spirituality spread itself out evenly across a surface once it was applied to it; meaning there is a constant spirituality density at all points that hold similar areas. However, that meant that at the places where the area thins out, the spirituality density increases, allowing it to slide off of itself and leak outside, mimicking the corona discharge phenomenon with electricity. Concentrating, he overlapped the entire room with a layer of spirituality, shielding it from prying eyes and outside interference. He kept the broadsword back where he grabbed it from and sat cross legged on the bed.


    Then, he exhaled.


    Winston extended his hands and willed for the Sequence 8 potion to appear before him!


    And appear it did!


    There was no burst of light, nor any flashy sound, neither was there any sort of special effect


    that accompanied it. There it was, empty air. And then, suddenly, a transparent vial of an orange coloured liquid appeared in place. Winston quickly caught the vial just as it appeared, lest it fell to the ground and shattered; shattering along with it, his hope to ascend any higher


    than sequence 9.


    As he took it in his hand, he gazed at it intently. It was a orange coloured liquid, yellowing at the top. It constantly bubbled and turned inside the vial, as if it was still in the process of concoction. Winston stared at it for a second, then, with resolute eyes he opened the cap and downed the entire mixture in a single go.


    He drank the potion and wiped his mouth with his sleeves. Then, he kept aside the vial and waited. It didn''t take long, not even a second, that the ascendance to the next sequence began


    to stir changes in his body.


    Winston felt his entire body rapidly heat up, reaching approximately 45 degrees celsius and


    then cool down just after to almost 2 degrees. It repeated in a cycle, happening over and over and over and over again all in the span of 2 seconds or less. Then, he suddenly felt his hands, arms, chest and everywhere else that held skin rapidly fire up with blisters and pores, through which a minute amount of blood began to seem out.


    Winston breathed, nay, whimpered, not screaming out despite his wanting to. Even though the wall of spirituality had been set up, solely because it was the first time he had done it he decided to not risk the chance of exposing himself and kept quiet.


    The pain lasted an eternity, or was it a single instant? Winston''s entire soul body was turned inside out and his body suddenly turned incredibly flexible. He felt an unscratchable itch


    inside his ear, one he didn''t dare to try.


    And then, suddenly, it all ended. He felt his skin return to normal and body temperature balance out. The itch in his ear was all but gone at this point and he sat back up.


    He looked down.


    "Ugh! Goddamn!" He cried. The blood all over his body had rendered all of his clothes and the


    mattress of his bed into a crimson mess. He shook his head and analyzed the changes brought


    on by his promotion.


    First was the Clown, the Sequence 8 of the Fool pathway. First and foremost, the most obvious was the physical enhancement brought about by the potion. Besides the slight physical strength and durability increase that one gets at each promotion, Winston had never felt such a transcendent sense of control over his own body before. He felt as if he had control over each and every muscle fiber inside his body, barring certain internal organs like his heart. Besides that, his sense of 3 dimensional observation and perception had just shot through the roof, making his balance become increasingly stronger.


    Winston suddenly jumped off of his bed right from the seating position and landed right on


    the backrest of the chair he had previously sat on. The chair didn''t move an inch, as it nothing


    had happened to it. Winston stood on top of it''s thin backrest and stood on a single toe,


    adopting the stance of a ballet dancer.


    This is refreshing. He thought off handedly.


    Along with that, both his Swindler and Clown potion further enhanced his dexterity, reaching


    inhumane levels. And lastly, he looked towards the table where a stack of empty papers were kept. He jumped off the chair and took one in his hand.


    Then, with a rapid movement from his arm, the paper disappeared with a howling sound of


    the wind.


    Whoosh!


    Winston looked on, seeing the paper pass right through the door of his bathroom.


    I probably shouldn''t have done that. He mused but then shrugged his shoulders.


    Then, he focused onto the Error pathway Sequence 8: Swindler!


    He had gained two things from this potion, the first being Deception! He had gained the ability to be naturally charming in front of others and be more trustworthy, effortlessly being able to shape the conversation to his liking and mislead other people''s thoughts! And then, the second thing he had gained was the minor mastery of illusions to trick and deceive his


    opponents!


    He focused on his spirituality and then, a fleeting figure of a man appeared in front of him. It


    was another Winston! Winston nodded his head with a satisfied smile. Though the illusion was hardly perfect, with it appearing ethereal, seemingly about to disappear at any moment, he felt that it would be extremely useful in combat. In the first place, the illusion ability was not so prominent at this stage. The only reason he was able to create his own image from an illusion was solely due to his spirituality that had been enhanced by all three potions!


    And then, dispelling the illusion, he moved on to his final potion. The Sequence 8 of the Door


    pathway: Trickmaster!


    As the name implied, the beyonders of this sequence could utilize a variety of small scale spells, including but not limited to:


    Creating Fog, Creating a light burst of wind, Creating light, Freezing the target and so on and


    so forth.


    Converging his spirituality, Winston felt a breeze blow past his face and scatter the papers


    kept on the table all over the room. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Flutter~ Flutter~


    The papers fluttered in the room due to the light gust of wind seemingly coming out of


    nowhere.


    Winston popped his neck.


    The last couple of benefits brought on due to promotion were a combined effect of all of


    them.


    Enhanced spirituality, a level which would not be considered natural for any beyonder currently at sequence 8! In fact, the combined exponential increase of the three pathways was


    so much that Winston felt like he would have had the equivalent spirituality as Klein at


    sequence 6! It was incredibly absurd!


    And then, moving on to his physicals, he felt that he could punch clean through a door. His muscles seemed to be packed with strength and power, ready at a moment''s notice. And finally and most importantly, it was his spiritual intuition, which had been enhanced several


    folds!


    The spiritual intuition of a lone clown was enough to have some moments of precognition. Winston truly wondered how absurd his intuition would be at this stage.


    Heh. I feel bad for the regulars participating against me...


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, leave a review.

 Chapter 16: Swindler at Work

    Chapter 16: Swindler at WorkThe next day came without anything notable happening. Winston stayed inside his own room, experimenting with his newfound abilities, practicing cogitation, trying out the very basics of ritualistic magic which included putting up spiritual walls and the interaction of spiritual energies with the surrounding spirit world; and finally and most importantly, he practiced with the shinsu he could gather.


    And while doing so, he came across some very interesting things.


    As a scientist, it is my duty to find out about the intricacies of Shinsu! He had declared and gone headfirst into research.


    From what he could find out on the Box, and considering the ranker, Lero ro''s description of it, he could not accurately define Shinsu to be a thing or even an energy. If anything, any


    description he could come up with to accurately describe the shinsu came short of capturing its true unadulterated essence.


    What was actually Shinsu? And more importantly, how did it interact with all of his abilities, mainly spirituality itself? Having spent the entire day and the entire night researching on this, only taking a brake on the time of lunch and dinner, he could not come to any accurate conclusion. His knowledge in either of the two subjects to name was not sufficient enough to come to any concrete conclusion.


    The best he could come up with, was the fact that spirituality and shinsu seemed to be awfully close in nature, yet still seeming like polar opposites. Spirituality, although the prime resource for beyonders of all pathways to utilize their beyonder powers, was essentially not the root cause of the emergence of those abilities in the first place. On the other hand, shinsu seemed to be a much more stronger resource to name, more versatile than anything he had ever imagined.


    The most important yet confusing fact was, spirituality and shinsu essentially had no difference, as least none that he could pinpoint from his own observation and intuition, which, in itself was a testament to their similarity. At one point, he even suspected if they were one and the same and he was just too stupid to see otherwise. However, even that he could not say for sure.


    And so, after having spent an entire night scratching his own head over them, he decided to head outside and not worry about it for now.


    He opened the door and stepped outside, yawning as he did so. With the new and improved physique from his promotion, his body felt unnaturally lighter and more energetic. That was the reason, that despite having spent the entire night without sleep, he did not feel sleepy; as contrary as that might seem because of the yawn. A yawn can happen even without the need or desire for sleep, as behavioral science would tell you.


    He headed for the cafeteria without needing to look around. His intuition was already enough for him to gather that there was no one around him at the time.


    As he reached the cafeteria door, a sudden scene filled his head.


    On the multitude of tables, a singular figure sat so early in the morning. It was one of the cloaked figures, the young woman who had fought with the masked woman. She didn''t have her cloak on her and her beauty was bare for the world to see; a shame no one was in the cafeteria to observe it. She had short brown hair and yellow brown eyes along with a fair face that no blemish would dare set foot on. She wore an orange coloured top draped over with a brown overcoat. Her lower body couldn''t be seen as she sat on the tables quietly eating her food in boredom.


    Winston raised a brow and walked into the cafeteria, beginning to manipulate his own expressions as he did so.


    As he opened the doors, he noticed how the young woman''s eyes briefly turned towards the doors, scanning over his figure and turning away as soon as she laid her eyes upon him. He observed her subtle action from his peripheral vision, his trickmaster potion''s observation skills helping him take in her expressions and mannerisms.


    He turned away from her direction without sparing her a direct glance and turned towards the food counter. Then ordering one of the dishes he had found about just yesterday, the cheapest one to be precise, his eyes turned to catch her figure.


    His eyes turned the slightest bit wide as he looked at her. The woman seemingly noticed this too, from the way she subtly shifted in her seat. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Damn... this observational ability is crazy. He thought in delight. I can get used to this.


    He walked towards the woman with a slight smile. Then upon reaching her table, he spoke.


    "Good morning!" He greeted. "Do you mind if I sit here?" He inquired.


    The young woman''s eyes turned to him, roaming up and down his face as if she had just now took notice of another person in the cafeteria.


    Her eyes gleamed a little with interest.


    "You can sit wherever you want. I has nothing to do with me." She replied, taking a sip from her drink through the straw.


    Winston nodded and seated himself opposite her.


    The small wisps of sunlight filtered through the glass and curtains, making a thin line of yellow glow on the floor. A young man with light blue hair sat beside a bed, atop which a boy with dark brown hair lay asleep. On his head was a wrap of bandages somewhat stained in red. The blue haired boy read through a book he held in his hands, passing the time in complete silence.


    Khun Ageuro Agnis, the abandoned son of the Khun family gazed melancholically at his teammate, his eyes a bit unfocused.


    He could not help but recall the exact moment when Bam had jumped off of the throne to protect the unknown girl.


    He sighed.


    Rachel huh...


    As he was lost in thought, he heard someone knock on his door.


    Knock knock!


    He looked towards the door.


    "Come inside. It''s open." He said.


    The door opened, revealing a cloaked figure whose face was barely visible. It was a young girl


    with freckles on her face, her head covered in blond hair.


    "Good morning Mr. Khun." The girl greeted.


    Khun narrowed his eyes, recognizing the girl.


    "Who are you? What brings you here?" He inquired.


    The girl took the hood off her head, her yellow eyes gazing intently at Khun.


    "My name is Rachel. I''m... I''m the one Bam''s looking for." She said.


    And then, there was silence in the room.


    Khun''s eyes scanned the girl''s figure, narrowing in suspicion.


    "You''re.... Rachel?" He asked for confirmation.


    She nodded in response.


    "There''s something I have to talk to you about." She said resolutely.


    Khun looked on in silence for a moment before nodding. Then, he grabbed another chair from the corner and put it down right beside the bed, some distance from his own.


    "Take a seat, please." He said.


    Rachel didn''t delay and took the chair without worry.


    Then, breathing in, she began.


    "I... I don''t know where to begin." Her eyes looked at the sleeping figure of the boy in sadness


    and regret.


    "Did you know Bam?" Khun asked suddenly.


    "Yeah... I knew him since before I entered the tower." She looked at her legs.


    "It''s amazing how you two ended up being in the same testing zone." Khun smiled.


    "Bam... he was a lonely boy." She continued. "Before entering the tower, his only friend was me. I was all he could ever talk to.


    "Maybe that''s why, when I told him that I was going up the tower, he was devastated. I told him not to follow me. But he said that he would follow me no matter what." She looked at


    Bam again.


    "So, when I recognized him during the crown game, I couldn''t take the crown from him and wanted to help him win the game."


    Then, she smiled and pointed towards the fruit basket kept close.


    "By the way, can I take that."


    "Oh, help yourself." Khun chuckled.


    Rachel took one of the bananas and peeled off it''s skin. Then, she took a bite.


    "I wish to go up the tower. But my existence is also something that blocks Bam from going


    up."


    Khun raised an eyebrow.


    Taking another bite, Rachel explained. "Bam''s only wish is to stay with me. If I stay with him


    he won''t go up the tower." Her tone was a mix of sadness and melancholy.


    "So, that''s why... can you not tell Bam about my identity?" She smiled at him.


    "What do you mean? You want me to hide the fact that you''re here?"


    Rachel nodded in confirmation.


    "If he stays with me, he wouldn''t let me go. And if I stay with him, he has no reason to


    continue on."


    Khun raised an eyebrow.


    "If he wants to be with you so much... why not stay together here?" Khun asked in confusion.


    Rachel smiled sweetly.


    "Have you... heard of the legend at the top of the tower?" she asked him.


    "The top of the tower?" He continued. "You mean the legend that one can see the infinite sky


    at the top? And the stars that shine within it?"


    She nodded again. "Yes. Since I heard about it when I was young, I had always dreamed about going to the top of


    the tower and seeing the beautiful starry sky shining overhead.


    "Even when I close my eyes, I see the infinite sky shining with bright dots. Even in my imagination, its so beautiful that it makes my heart pound every time I think about it."


    She smiled at him again.


    "My one and only goal in life is to reach the top and see the stars.


    "I really want to be with Bam, that''s why I gave up the crown and stayed with him here. But


    even now." She closed her eyes and turned her head upwards.


    "Even now, as I close my eyes, I can''t help but imagine that glorious scenery. Such light fills


    my chest... such beautiful light fills my heart.. it makes me unable to sleep at night."


    Khun looked at her, and then back at Bam.


    His eyes turned a bit thoughtful.


    "So, what''s your name?" Winston asked, stuffing his mouth with food.


    His eyes scanned the figure of the young woman before him with interest. He had his spirit


    vision activated at this point, allowing him to see her emotional colours. It was a chaotic


    blend of red, blue and green; symbolizing passion, thought and calmness respectively.


    The woman raised an eyebrow at him. "Why should I tell you?" She answered with a smile.


    "That lies entirely up to you." Winston smiled without care. "But don''t you feel the breakfast


    to be somewhat dull without company?" He said.


    "I enjoy the quietness, I''m an introvert." She replied.


    "For a beautiful and flashy woman like you, being an introvert is the last thing I''ll expect."


    Winston shrugged. "Well, whatever. You choice." He smiled internally, observing her mood lighten up and smile turn richer upon being called ''beautiful and flashy''.


    Heh. So she''s the vain kind huh? Winston mused internally. "Alright! If you''re being so insistent, I''ll tell you my name." She twirled around the straw in


    her drink.


    "My name is Endorsi Jahad. One of the chosen princesses of Jahad. Remember this day, you might not get the chance to be seated at the same table as me in the future."


    She winked an eye at him.


    While for Winston, internally, he became somewhat shocked, not expecting one of the


    Princesses of Jahad which he had researched about to be in his own testing zone. He had found


    out about Anaak being a princess when the bet happened, but he had certainly not been


    expecting not one, but two princesses in the same testing zone! However, none of that showed on his face.


    "Nice to meet you princess. The name''s Winston Heath." He nodded at her.


    A/N: Throw me dem stones.


    *puts on monocle* The swindler is at work already.

 Chapter 17: Needle

    Chapter 17: Needle"Jahad?" Winston raised his eyebrows, staring at Endorsi in feigned disbelief.


    Seeing his expression, the woman in question''s smile turned wider. Her yellow brown eyes gazed at him intently.


    "That''s right. And what of you? Are you a member of the Po Bidau family? Or perhaps the odd one out of the Eurasia family?" She inquired, her eyes appearing increasingly disinterested.


    Po Bidau and Eurasia families were two of the main ruling families of the tower, part of the ten great families. Both families were known for their prowess with controlling Shinsu, with the Eurasia family being known also for their love of sleep.


    "Heh." Winston chuckled. "Hate to burst your bubble. But I don''t belong to any of the ten great families." He took a bite out of his plate, feeling the different flavors in his mouth.


    Endorsi stared at him with narrowed eyes, carrying a hint of shock.


    "You''re not one of the ten families?" She asked again for confirmation.


    "Not to my knowledge no." He replied.


    Endorsi leaned forward, supporting her head with her hands, appearing outwardly interested. "Hoh? That''s rare. Where did you learn to control Shinsu so well?"


    "It comes with experience I suppose." Winston shook his head, not wanting to elaborate much on it.


    Endorsi clicked her tongue. "What a stingy guy. Can''t you reply truthfully to such a beautiful princess?" She exclaimed.


    Winston raised a brow. "No." He replied tersly.


    A vein appeared on Endorsi''s head, and it went away as soon as it came.


    "Hooo~" She breathed out. "Well, whatever. It has nothing to do with me anyways!" She pouted, taking another sip from her drink.


    As Winston finished his food, he looked at her in mild surprise, though none of it showed up on his face. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She''s... pouting? Well, for a supposed princess, I''d have guessed her to be a bit more aloof. She''s even playing hard to get... Winston could not quite understand the princess'' thought process, even though he could understand her emotions through her face.


    Whatever, the bait has been planted already. He thought, shaking his head.


    In front, Endorsi looked at him shaking his head with a slight smile.


    "Are you laughing at me?!" She screamed at him comically.


    Winston hurriedly put his hands in the air and made a cautionary expression.


    "I''m not laughing at you princess. How could I possibly dare to laugh at such a charming figure?"


    Endorsi calmed down immediately and nodded.


    "Yes. That''s right. It''s impossible for someone to laught at me. A great princess like me deserves respect!" She declared.


    "I couldn''t agree more." Winston said, taking his plate and getting up.


    "Going already?" She asked behind him, raising an eyebrow at the speed at which he had finished his food.


    "I''m a fast eater." He replied and walked off, leaving Endorsi alone with her thoughts. As Winston walked out of the cafeteria, he could not help but think back on the encounter. Acting as a Swindler huh... I gotta use deception and trickery to deprive someone of their possession or something of monetary value. Or at least that''s what it seems to be on the surface.


    As for the clown, its all pretty laid out due to Mr. Fool paving the way for me. And lastly, Trickmaster. That''s the one I have honestly no idea about. Am I supposed to play tricks on people and prank them? He wondered.


    Then, he shook his head.


    Well, I''m sure I''ll figure something out.


    Khun stood outside Bam''s room, lost in thought. Suddenly, he heard some movement to his right where the hallway turned.


    Khun looked towards it, finding a certain crocodile peeking over from the corner.


    "What are you doing crocodile?" He asked with a deadpan stare.


    "No... I just... it''s not that... I''m not worried about the black turtle... I just came to see if my prey is okay! It''s just food check!" Rak replied awkwardly.


    Khun shook his head and turned to head inside.


    "Come inside if you''re worried. Don''t stand there like a guy with a crush." He said, opening the door.


    "It''s not like that! I''m cold blooded!" Rak yelled but still stepped into the room.


    After walking into the room, Rak immediately picked up Bam''s unconscious body and began to shake him violently.


    "Hey! Black turtle! Are you dead?! Say no!!" He yelled.


    Didn''t you say you weren''t worried. Khun sighed with a deadpan face.


    Sorry Bam. He thought as he looked at the face of the unconscious boy.


    I promised her that I wouldn''t tell you anything. I believe it''s for your best. He nodded to himself. "Hey turtle! Wake up! Or I''ll eat you!"


    Endorsi walked through the darkened hallways of Evankhell''s mothership. The ambient lighting dimmed out in the long hallway to her room, making the entire structure feel old and somewhat haunting and eerie.


    As she walked, she held a soft smile on her face, prancing along with a humm in her mouth.


    Tap tap


    The sound of her heels rang out in the hallway.


    As she walked, vistas of a particular person in the crown games came to her mind. Winston Heath, his name was. The second fully fledged person capable of creating a complete baang in their testing site. Certainly, it was strange.


    The sleeping man, Phonsekal Laure, was a member of the Eurasia family known all over the tower for their wave controller capabilities; so it was not so strange for him to be able to utilize shinsu. However, for someone not of the ten great families, it was certainly strange.


    In the end, there were only two possibilities for it to be true. Either the person was a monster in terms of natural talent, or he had some sort of shinsu artefact from the workshop that allowed him to condense shinsu.


    Either of the two, Endorsi could not be sure of.


    As she was prancing over to reach the edge of the hallway, she saw someone coming out of a


    room.


    It was a girl of relatively short height with brown hair styled into a bob cut. She had dark brown eyes and her skin was a deep shade of green, like that of a lizard''s. The tail that extended from her skirt behind her solidified the imagery of a reptile.


    Propped on her shoulder was a dark coloured, jet black needle, the handle of which held the image of three eyes overlapped on each other in a triangular formation. It was one of the 13


    month series, the Black March.


    "Hello." Endorsi smiled, feeling a bit mischievous.


    However, without replying to her remark, the green skinned woman, Anaak walked right past


    her.


    She ignored me! Endorsi felt a hint of annoyance but persisted nonetheless. Turning back


    around, she began to follow the other party.


    "Did you know who the owner of that weapon is?"


    She asked, a smile gracing her lips.


    "No. I don''t care." Anaak''s reply came without a beat of hesitation.


    Endorsi''s smile widened.


    "It belongs to Ha Yuri Jahad, the only princess of Jahad to be granted one of the 13 month


    series in the past five decades.


    "She''s a prodigy fisherman among the younger generations. She took less than a century to reach the ranks of a high ranker after her ascension to a ranker. And because of her irritable personality and vicious temper, most young rankers are afraid of her." She closed her eyes as she explained, seeming like a teacher explaining an important topic to her students.


    Tap Tap


    The voice of Endorsi''s heels echoed in the hall still.


    Anaak stayed quiet, not speaking anything.


    Eventually, Endorsi spoke again.


    "You didn''t know that did you?" Her voice contained a hint of mockery.


    "Don''t act cocky just because you beat up a bunch of nobodies. I know who you are." She


    narrowed her eyes.


    "You fake."


    Just then, Anaak stopped.


    Then, without warning, she turned around and punched with all her might, the air ringing out with a popping sound because of the force and speed behind her punch.


    Whooooo~


    Bang!


    Her fist met a large disc like object floating in the air.


    Endorsi stood protected behind it, her hand in the air, directing the next move of the disc.


    Then, without attacking, she turned around and began to walk away. "Don''t say I didn''t warn you. I was feeling kind today, that''s all." She chuckled.


    The sound of her heels began to grow farther and farther, leaving Anaak by herself in the long


    hallway.


    Her grip on the sword tightened as she clenched her teeth together.


    Winston sat alongside Amon in the sun. The floating hotel like structure that they were on, Evankhell''s mothership it was called had a variety of floors, each with their own balconies that had pools on it.


    At the moment, they sat on one of the balconies that jutted out from the side of the structure.


    Winston adorned blades shades on his eyes and laid silently on a beach chair, his body covered


    by nothing up a simple t shirt and shorts. Amon by the side seemed to be doing push ups, sweating profusely.


    Winston had a smile on his face throughout, feeling wholly satisfied by his rapid progression


    rate.


    However, at the moment, he was only thinking of making more opportunities to further his


    acting process.


    As he lay silently on his chair, suddenly, a vision overlapped with his sight.


    It was a green skinned girl standing right behind the door to the balcony.


    At that exact moment, the door behind them opened up, revealing Anaak. Both Winston and


    Amon looked back at her figure, raising their brows.


    Anaak ignored their questioning gazes and walked over to Winston. In her hand, she held the


    Black March.


    Stopping right before him, she spoke.


    "I want your help in something." She said.


    "Help?" Anaak extended the jet black needle towards him, "I need you to talk to the Black March."


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "You want me to... talk to a weapon?" He asked.


    Anaak nodded. "Ignition weapons are weapons that have a soul. Although most are non-


    sentient, the Black March is a special case. I want you to talk to it and make it listen to me." Winston somewhat understood her point. He had read about ignition weapons on the Box, and understood that they held soul but no consciousness. However, he was not knowledgeable about the unique nature of certain ignition weapons.


    "Why do you want me to talk to it? Why can''t you?"


    "It says that it''ll only listen to a male." She explained.


    "Then why not your teammates?"


    At this point, Amon had stopped his exercise and begun to listen to their conversation.


    "I went to Shibisu, but it kept shocking him."


    "He''s a woman?!" Winston exaggerated his mannerisms, though he was actually starting to


    suspect his own absurd theory.


    Anaak shook her head while Amon lightly chuckled at the side.


    "I don''t know why it didn''t work. I figured it would talk to a better looking one." She said.


    Ah, I see what''s going on... The soul in the needle is... what was the word... a simp?


    Winston shook his thoughts away and smiled.


    "And do I get in return?" He asked with a smile.


    Anaak''s eyes narrowed a tiny bit. "I''ll pay up in points."


    Winston''s smile widened, elated at the opportunity to swindle her for some money.


    "Deal." He said.


    Anaak pointed to hilt of the needle towards him.


    Winston held it without any delay.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, leave a review.

 Chapter 18: Positions

    Chapter 18: Positions"Just for clarification, I would get the points as long as I talk to the needle right?" Winston asked Anaak, his tone softening at the end.


    Anaak raised a brow.


    "You need to tell her to listen to me. Then, I''ll give you the points."


    "How much points are we talking about exactly?"


    "300." Winston''s eyes held a hint of surprise upon hearing her.


    He had originally wanted to swindle about 200 points out of her. However, it was beyond his common sense that Anaak would offer such a high price for it. One had to know, living in the test floor, there was an absolute deficiency of points for the regulars.


    Each regulars was like a beggar or an entertainer on the street, wanting for the test administrators to throw scraps at them for tricks they performed during the tests.


    And the starting points they had been given was a whole 700 points for each regular. As such, 300 points was not only a generous amount, it was also a very unfair one for Anaak herself. Looking at the girl''s emotionless expression, Winston felt a tad bit wrong in his heart. Two days had passed since the crown game and each meal, even the cheapest one cost around 40 points to order. Meaning, if Anaak had taken all her meals in the two days, and further taking into consideration that she had eaten only the cheapest meals, that would amount to a 240 points. Meaning, she currently had only 460 points, out of which 300 were being offered to him. That is of course in the case that she didn''t have points prior to that to begin with; and for most regulars, they started off at the rock bottom except members of the ten great families.


    However, none of the surprise Winston felt was being displayed on his face.


    "300 huh. Isn''t that a bit too low? It''s one of the 13 month series after all, talking to it in the first place carries considerable danger. In fact, there should be a fee for even attempting such an act." He said calmly. His sense of wrongness? Sacrifices have to be made on the path to the Divine.


    "How much do you want?"


    "Well, I can''t be too over the top since you might not have too many.


    "How about 370? And 70 regardless for whether the communication succeeds." He said, a smile gracing his face.


    "320 if it succeeds."


    "360. With the same condition."


    "330." Anaak declared, her voice gaining a slight edge.


    "How about 340 but with 50 points as a down payment for the attempt?"


    "Deal." Winston''s smile widened just a tiny bit.


    "Then let me try." Winston said.


    "Wait." Suddenly, Winston said looking at Anaak.


    "What?"


    "What''s the guarantee that you''ll pay up?"


    Anaak''s expression turned a tiny bit uglier, but she seemed to erase that quite quickly.


    Then, she summoned her pocket.


    "I will pay in advance then."


    Winston nodded with a pleased smile, seeing the 50 points arriving in his account. And with it, he felt his potion digestion feel somewhat softer. It had not yet digested in any major way. If anything, it had been turned less burdensome because of the deception caused just now.


    If he wanted to put it into words, he would say about slightly more than 1% of the potion had been digested.


    Amon still looked on in wonder, awed by Winston communication skills. In truth, his commune skills were not all that impressive. If anything, he would admit that he wasn''t too gifted in finding the rights words for the situation and may say things that may be detrimental for the intended purpose sometimes.


    However, the entire conversation had went fabulously in his favor, solely because of his deception skills from the Swindler potion. With the might of a sequence 8 potion, even mundane words without any sort of finesse or thought behind them would turn into weapons capable of deceiving any normal person. And that prowess would only increase as the Sequence increases.


    Winston turned his attention to the Black March.


    I''ve wanted to study this thing in some way since I saw it.. perhaps now I will finally get the chance through communication?


    Winston concentrated his spirituality and calmed himself down. Unstable emotions were deemed unfit for any semblance of communication.


    "Um. Hello? Black March?" He said.


    There was an awkward silence in the balcony for a moment before Anaak spoke up.


    "Well, at least it isn''t shocking you." She said without interest.


    "It shocks people?!" Winston exaggerated his facial expressions. Then, he smiled and shrugged. "Well, if I get shocked I get shocked."


    Anaak and Amon passed him weird states, feeling a bit strange at witnessing his eerily changing emotions.


    Winston ignored then and looked on the jet black needle.


    "Hello? Black March?" He kept on smiling as he called it out.


    He called it out a couple more times. And just as he was about to give up and utilize spirit vision to get a better look, he heard a feminine voice echo in his head.


    "Aren''t you the one that was rudely ogling me?" The voice said.


    As the voice called out, the surroundings seemed to grow dimmer as the winds stopped blowing. The ambience turned eerily quiet, reminiscent of a quiet night.


    Winston''s face stayed the same, smiling properly. However, inwards, he was somewhat amazed.


    So it noticed my spirit vision? Interesting...


    "Are you the spirit that inhabits the Black March?" He asked. His eyes turned to look at Anaak


    and Amon, who looked in surprise.


    "Is it finally talking?" Amon asked.


    "Tell it to listen to me." Anaam repeated


    Winston nodded, deciding to ignore them further on.


    "That''s right, you rude boy. Although I suppose I can forgive that." A flash of light occurred in front of Winston as a beautiful woman descended from above. Or did she ascend from inside


    the Black March?


    The woman wore deep purple robes and had bright blond hair, shining in the sun. Her eyes were a bewitching golden colour and her smile seemed seductive and alluring.


    Winston continued to smile as she appeared. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed how Anaam and Amon looked somewhat dazed.


    "I''ve wanted to talk since I saw you."


    "Hoh? Already making your move?" The woman flew in closer, tracing her finger along his


    jaw. "I can''t say I dislike that." She chuckled.


    Winston chuckled along. "It''s just pure interest. Thing of it as a scientist''s curiosity." He


    shook his head.


    "Is that so- that''s rather disappointing-" She donned. "Tell me, why were you calling me?"


    She asked. "Would it be difficult for me to ask you to listen to her?" Winston pointed to Anaak.


    "Her? Definitely not." The woman turned her head with a pout. "I won''t lend my power to women." She declared, then, her eyes held a suggestive glint.


    "Though I wouldn''t mind lending some of it to you."


    Winston chortled.


    The woman flew in close and whispered in his ear." Why don''t you steal me from her?" Her


    hot breath blew onto Winston''s ears, however, it failed to elicit any special reaction from him.


    "I''d like to avoid that. I don''t want any trouble with your previous owner." Winston said


    tersly.


    "Hoh? That annoying woman? She was too troublesome even for me..." A scowl appeared on


    her face.


    "Anyway, why can''t you lend your power to her?" He asked. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman floated over to her.


    "I told you." She said poking her cheek with her finger. "I will only lend power to a good


    looking man. Besides, she has the Green April, she can''t ignite us at the same time." Winston


    raised a brow at this information.


    In his research, he had not come across any information that suggested two ignition weapons


    couldn''t be ignited at the same time.


    Is it a unique problem of the 13 month series?


    "Why can''t she ignite you two simultaneously?" He asked.


    "That for her to find out." She laughed.


    Winston looked at her for a moment.


    "Is there anything I could do to make you lend her your power? Just once?" Winston


    requested.


    The woman looked at his face for a moment.


    "Dammit... he''s good looking." She muttered under her breath.


    "Fine!" She said. "I''ll lend her my power just once. Tell her to use it wisely." Her eyes glowed for a moment. "Remember, this is only because you''re a bit handsome."


    With a phantom laugh that echoed in the surroundings, she disappeared into the Black March.


    The colours of the surroundings seemed to get brighter as the sun regained it''s luster. The breeze picked back up and the ambience seemed not so eerie anymore.


    Winston nodded, completely satisfied.


    Afterwards, Winston received the rest of the payment from Anaak. His swindler potion didn''t


    budge, because it seemed that he had actually gone through with the deal instead of simply swindling her for money which was opposite to his original plan.


    "Well, can''t have everything I guess." He simply shrugged and smile, thinking over the clown


    potion maxims.


    According to Anaak and Amon, he had simply stopped talking to them and began to look intently at the needle, which was unlike that he had witnessed.


    Soon, the evening came and every passed regular was called to one of the halls of Evankhell''s


    mothership.


    They all sat in a rectangular formation along the edges of a hall. All the regulars, except for the ones that were injured were called here to attend.


    The ranker, Lero ro and the test administrator stood at the front of the regulars with a smile.


    "Long time no see, regulars! It wasn''t very long, but I hope you spent it well. I can see that you all look very... spirited!" Lero ro said with a cheerful smile. "Very well. I hope everyone will do well on the test that will be beginning from today." He


    said. And then, the three cubes that were behind him formed a triangular formation that formed a screen, out of which an image was displayed. It was written ''Positioning Test''.


    "The test that you will be taking this time is... The positioning test!" He exclaimed.


    "The positioning test?" Winston whispered to himself.


    "Which means?" Shibisu said from the side.


    "As some of you may have well noticed, fighting in the tower is usually done on a team. Your position displays the role that you play during these battles." He explained.


    "There are a lot of positions in the tower. But the main ones are..." The screen behind him


    changed, showcasing a man seated atop a large stone pillar surrounded by enemies. Behind him, floated various armed inventories, armament holders that floated in the air like pockets and made of the same material, suspendium.


    "First is ''The Fisherman'', they disarm the enemy using the reel inventory. As such, they are always at the heart of battle. They can also carry out various other tasks."


    The screen changed, now displaying the back of a wide man, holding a spear beside him.


    "Next is the ''Spearbearer''. They use their spears to target the enemy from afar and finish off what they started."


    The screen displayed a woman seated in a clustered box like container. Various screenshot


    flashed around her.


    "''The Lightbearer''. They light up the dark tower and sends information and battle data to the


    Scout."


    The image changed to depict a man walking across a dark cave, various floating orbs around him, lighting up the way.


    "''The Scout'' observs the enemy movement at the very forefront using the observer and


    helping the fisherman in combat."


    Then, the image changed to form a woman with blue waves, light, fire, ice and all sorts of


    things floating around her.


    "And lastly, the ''Wave Controller'' controls shinsu to control the battlefield or overpower an opponent. They are known to dominate the battles that take place in the tower. "There are more positions, like guides for example but they are out of the scope of this


    discussion. Now, you will be assigned a position and train to overtake your role for a month. Each class will provide a certain amount of points to the contestants. And only the regulars with the highest amount of points will be fit to take the next test."


    Lero ro closed his eyes.


    "For your reference, the position is assigned based on your performance in the tests so far and


    grading in every position is held differently, meaning that different amount of people will pass based on their positions."


    So the position one is assigned is important. Just being paired up with someone overwhelmingly


    powerful can quickly turn into a disadvantage.


    Furthermore, the points one has after a month will be crucial to take the further tests. It''ll be wise to


    save up as much as possible. Winston mused with a small tug on his lips.


    "What position do you think you''ll get Mr. Winston?" Amon asked.


    "I don''t know. Can''t say." Winston scratched his head.


    "But Zarhan will surely get Spear bearer." Winston looked towards his teammate.


    Zarhan turned to look at him.


    "Shut up. I''ll be a fisherman." He replied with a dead serious expression, his tone suggesting


    that he was not to be messed with on this subject.


    "...uh huh" Winston replied tersly while Amon didn''t say anything.


    "Now." Lero ro said, drawing their attention to him.


    "This table here shows the position that all of you have been assigned."


    The screen changed, displaying various names.


    Fisherman(4)- Anaak(Best Seed), Winston Heath(Best Seed), Endorsi, Cheowang Hon, Deod,


    Lero Locker....


    Spearbearer(4)- Rak Wraithraiser, Ghost, Hyun Seong, Zarhan Zulasekail....


    Light Bearer(2)¨C Khun Ageuro Agnis(Best Seed), Michelle Light(Best Seed), Leeron 3,


    ChungChung...


    Scout(3)- Shibisu(Best Seed), Hatz, Neroe Sheonyo, Amon, Palgeon, Katan, Chichi...


    Wave Contoller(2)- Phonsekal Laure (Best Seed), 25th Bam, Hwaryun, Hoh...


    A/N: Throw some stonez. Also, leave a review.

 Chapter 19: Fisherman

    Chapter 19: Fisherman"Excuse me!" One of the regulars said getting off their seat.


    "What does the ''best seed'' behind some of the names mean?" He asked.


    Lero ro smiled softly.


    "Best Seed is the title given to people that performed well in the previous tests. It provides extra marks throughout the tests and bonus points in the final selection." He explained.


    Hearing his words, some of the regulars were surprised.


    "What? How come we only get to find out now?!"


    "You should''ve told us something like this was going to happen!"


    "What the hell is this?!"


    One of the regulars, the woman in Laure''s team pointed to Shibisu.


    "And how come he gets selected?!" She exclaimed.


    "Yeah?! What did I do?!" Shibisu exclaimed in agreement. "Did I bribe someone?" He muttered softly to himself.


    Lero ro shook his head.


    "All results of the positioning test are fair and have been made according to all of your performances."


    His eyes turned into a sharp glare, quieting down the regulars. "If you couldn''t perform at your best in the face of failure in the test or even death, then there''s no possible way any of you would be more motivated to perform better at the allure of Best Seed position. Now stop asking stupid questions, you regulars."


    As his words landed, there was silence in the hall for a moment.


    Nobody spoke, not wanting to enrage the ranker through bad conduction of their words.


    At that moment, Khun spoke up.


    "Hey, administrator Lero ro. What about the ones that are injured? How will they take their test?"


    Winston looked towards him, not finding Bam with him.


    He''s still injured huh... thinking over the peculiarity of the boy, Winston''s eyes narrowed imperceptibly.


    "When they are cured they will have to take the classes. However, points are given based on the attendance score so missing any classes is a disadvantage." Lero ro explained.


    "Isn''t that unfair?" Khun countered. "The injured ones will obviously miss some classes." He said.


    Lero ro shook his head.


    "It''s perfectly fair. In the first place, it is their own responsibility that they stay in optimum condition. Injury can only be blamed on them. It is their own fault for not being careful." He said simply.


    "It''s obvious that people pay for their mistakes... isn''t it?" He said.


    Khun didn''t say anything in response.


    "Well, that''s it for today. Oh right. One more thing." He continued. "There''s some issues with the wave controller instructor so their classes will start after 3 days. The rest of the classes will operate as per their schedule starting from tomorrow.


    "For now, the position instructors will provide you with your schedules. Please follow the guides to get to where your instructors are." He clapped his hands together.


    "Dismissed!"


    With that Lero ro walked out of the room.


    The regulars sat in silence for a moment before they too began to head outside.


    Winston looked at Amon who seemed happy to have been given the Scout position, while for Zarhan...


    "So... your full name is Zarhan Zulasekail?" He asked.


    Zarhan turned to him, his eyes filled with annoyance.


    "Shut up!" He yelled.


    Winston shrugged his shoulders.


    "Hey, its not my fault you didn''t get fisherman. If you wanted that position, you ought to have enough sense to not carry around a spear with you." He said.


    Zarhan clenched his teeth in further annoyance.


    "Um. Why are you so mad over your position Mr. Zarhan?" Amon asked.


    Hearing that, Zarhan puffed out his chest and exhaled from his nose.


    "Let me tell you about my family then!" The pride in his voice couldn''t be mistaken for anything else. His hand was pressed to his chest as he looked towards the ceiling as if in deep reverence towards his family.


    "The Zulasekail family us a family with over 7000 years of history! That''s older than even some princesses of Jahad!" He boasted.


    "The main branch of my family, which I hail from has always produced Fisherman! While the secondary branches have produced the other positions such as Spear Bearers, Light Bearers, Scouts and Wave Contollers!"


    Amon nodded in enlightenment.


    "Then why not carry around a needle or a hook as a weapon?" Amon asked in puzzlement. "Aren''t those the signature weapons of the fishermen?"


    "There is a single reason." Zarhan''s expression turned serious. "Because spears are cool."


    Winston and Amon looked at him blankly.


    "You''re not very bright are you?" Winston said.


    Amon chuckled at the side.


    "Huh?! What''s that supposed to mean?!" He yelled in his face.


    "Didn''t you family tell you to practice with any other weapon?"


    "No? Why would they?"


    So there''s no family expectations to speak of... they''re really all right with any position. It seems he''s really just an idiot. Winston sighed. It seems that his initial judgement of Zarhan being


    somewhat intellectual was wrong.


    "How many rankers does your family have Mr. Zarhan?" Amon asked.


    "Close to 100." Zarhan said scratching the back of his head.


    "Well, now that you''ve been assigned as a spear bearer, there''s nothing you can do to change


    that." Winston said with a shrug.


    "Let''s do our best, Mr. Zarhan!" Amon exclaimed from the side.


    Zarhan, with a sour expression nodded.


    Well, that takes care of that. Winston smiled in satisfaction.


    The Fisherman training grounds weren''t too far off from the mothership, only being about 10 kilometers or so into the west. Or at least what would pass as the west if one figured the movements of the floating ball of fire in the sky. It only took 3 minutes for Winston to reach


    the grounds.


    The training ground was a giant expanse with huge pillars erected up from the ground so high up as if they wanted to hold up the sky. Each pillar was a perfectly smooth white in colour, the top of which was plain for the regulars to stand on. The total length of a single pillar was anywhere between 300 to 320 meters as per Winston''s deduction.


    Winston looked around as he stood atop one of the pillars. The regulars that had been elected for the fisherman position were 18 in number, out of which only 4 would pass for the final position. It was worth mentioning that 5 of the regulars had previously been injured, meaning that they were currently not present.


    Winston looked towards the sky, where a lone figure sat atop a conch shell like object. It was a woman, her face adorned by a giant glass helmet with two long pig tails extending from her


    head.


    "Welcome to the regulars that have made their way to the fisherman class." The ranker spoke.


    "My name is Hex, your fisherman teacher and one of the judges for the final position selection as well. As you might''ve been notified, each class carries points that will be added to your score. So, even missing single class can be disadvantageous." The ranker''s voice echoed in the


    air.


    "For the first day at work, I will provide you with a schedule as well as the basic principles of shinsu and contracts." She said. The shell that she floated on began to slowly descend down


    from the air.


    "For starters, let''s begin with the shinsu." She said, suddenly jumping down from her mount and landing upon one of the pillars without any damage.


    "Shinsu is the world itself. It can be fire, water, light or any other conceivable form. It is what allows us to breathe and live. In fact, there is no single form of word that perfectly encapsulates the essence of shinsu and it is the basis of all energy." She said, her fist getting surrounded by a whirlpool of light.


    Winston hurriedly activated his spirit vision to look at her actions.


    The ranker Hex stopped for a split second, too fast for anyone to notice, save for Winston himself. And although her eyes couldn''t be seen from below her helmet, Winston felt as if she


    had just looked at him.


    Did she sense the spirit vision? He thought to himself.


    The ranker spoke again without giving him any time to ponder.


    "Shinsu can be used to anything. It can easily destroy an entire floor in the hands of someone capable enough." She continued, the light and waves around her growing more restless. Winston carefully read through the waves, noticing how the ranker wrapped them around her


    arms and fists. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As such, on each floor, one needs to sign a contract with the administrator to utilize it. Any object that controls shinsu already has an in built contract that has already been signed in the workshop, that is why it can use shinsu.


    "For the first day, you will all sign a contract with the administrator. Mr. Winston, I believe has already signed one with the administrator."


    Winston, at being called out was a bit surprised. But his body language remained relaxed and


    nonchalant, a smile on his face.


    "Well, yes. I have." He said.


    He had read previously about the conditions to use shinsu, finding that he, as someone that had not yet established a contract should not be allowed to use it. However, somehow he was. He gave that credit to his uniqueness in bring an irregular, someone that defied the common sense and the rules of the tower. This led him to conclude the fact that he should simply lie


    through his teeth should anyone ask him about a contract.


    As for making the contract himself?


    Having read Lord of Mysteries, Winston wasn''t too keen on making contracts with Gods. There was also the fact that: why would he seek permission to use something, when he can already


    use it without?


    "Close your eyes everyone and set your pockets to visible mode."


    The regulars did as commanded.


    "Now, say ''Contract with the administrator''."


    The first day of the class ended with the administrator contract. And later, the schedule was


    sent to each of their pockets. There was also a brief session of shinsu theory, amid which Hex explained to them about the various terminologies of shinsu.


    It explained terms lime Baang, Myun and soo. Baang is the basic unit of shinsu which is measured. It generally refers to a singular coalition of shinsu made by a user. Myun can be thought of as the amount, while Soo can be thought of as purity.


    Winston sunk into his bed as he contemplated the happenings of the day.


    He held up his fist into the air, thinking over the ranker''s actions and the ball of shinsu he had


    made.


    It is very hard to manipulate shinsu... generally that is.


    With a simple though, Winston concentrated his thoughts and spirituality with the help of


    cogitation.


    Then, he coalesced the surrounding shinsu into a small sphere by the side, a small ball of


    light.


    Winston stared at it for a moment with his spirit vision activated and then, a light bulb seemingly went off inside his head.


    Right in front of his vision, the ball of shinsu began to undergo certain changes. Heh. Imagination is the limit in the case of Shinsu. He thought. It would seem that he would be


    pulling another all nighter with his research.


    A/N: Throw some stones. Also, leave a review please.

 Chapter 20: Reel Inventory

    Chapter 20: Reel InventoryWinston stayed up for the entire night, shielding his room with spirituality and


    experimenting with the shinsu. He also spent the valuable time getting familiar with all of his abilities more and practising cogitation.


    The illusion making of Swindler coupled with the Trickmaster is surely making for a great


    combination. And combined with the body control of a clown, I would surely be a nightmare to fight with in close combat. Winston chuckled in his heart.


    Then, a baang appeared in the air in front of him. At first, it was a simple ball of light that floated around him at moderate speeds. Then, the baang itself, or the shinsu inside it began to morph up and slowly spread outwards, slowly spreading over towards Winston''s fist.


    Winston''s face was full of concentration, his gaze unwavering. The shinsu baang eventually enveloped his arm on the outside as he focused on the shinsu flowing through his own body. Shinsu flowed through everything that exists in the tower. Controlling the shinsu in the tower is termed as shinsu control, which itself has 2 types, Flow control; which entails following the flow of the shinsu and enhancing it to achieve various results, and Reverse Flow Control; which includes reversing the streamline flow of the shinsu and ceasing control over it to achieve various results.


    What he was doing at this moment was an application of Flow control, body reinforcement. The ranker Hex had shown them the same ability just yesterday, and now, Winston had completely reverse engineered the entire process through his ability to ''read'' the flow of shinsu!


    Body reinforcement included the strengthening of the flow of shinsu through one''s own body, increasing physical capabilities through different body parts and boosting combat effectiveness, healing, etc. tremendously.


    Winston popped his neck, feeling the flowing power through his body.


    I can get used to this. He smiled and chuckled.


    "Alright! Today we shall learn about reel inventories!" The ranker yelled in the air, overlooking the entire training ground where regulars were scattered like dots.


    "The reel inventory is one of the most important tools of a fisherman! In a way, it is something that even defines what a fisherman is! So mastery over it is a must have to pass the final selection!" As her words landed, Winston felt the air get... heavier?


    He looked around warily.


    "All of you have already been provided with an E-ranked reel inventory, filled with two needles and a single hook! Everyone, set your inventory to visible mode!" The ranker spoke again.


    "Armed Inventory, visible mode." Winston muttered. With that said, a floating object appeared beside him. It was flat like a table and shaped like an elongated wave, holding various assortment of weapons on the inner end along with a strange contraption at one of the ends. It was the armed inventory with the reel installed into it!


    Winston scanned the thing for a moment before breaking off his sight from it.


    "Reel inventories can be used for a variety of tasks! The most important of which is to attack from afar and grab objects with it! However, the most extensive usage of the reel inventory is to pierce targets straight through with a needle!" The ranker said. She floated down from the sky and an inventory appeared at her side. Then, one of the needles from her inventory floated up by herself.


    "A proficient fisherman can automatically control all the movements of the reel through shinsu, essentially making for an entirety seperate opponent for the enemy to face alongside you." She extended her hand downwards towards the ground.


    Winston walked over and peered over the edge a bit.


    It was unlike yesterday when a clear ground could be seen. Now, under them was a complete liquid background, akin to a flowing river. Mist covered the river from their sight, blocking off the vision and making it appear like an infinitely deep chasm.


    "But even at your levels, the trajectory of the reel can be changed along the path, but it can be extremely difficult for your level. For some, it might not happen at all." Holding the needle in her hand, she threw the needle downwards with a howl of the wind.


    Whooosh!


    The needle rushed forward with unquestionable momentum, appearing too fast to be seen for Winston.


    The needle cascaded downwards, plunging right into the river.


    "What we will be doing today is practising with the reel inventory. As you can see, under you is a flowing river. There are various small shinhueh in the river. Your task is to catch a single one with the reel inventory." The needle pulled back through the reel, pulling back the entire wire as well as the needle that had impaled a fish like creature.


    "Anyone that can catch a fish... will be awarded 5000 points." As her words landed, Winston suddenly felt himself feeling extremely motivated.


    "Let''s go! I''ll catch those fishes alright!" He heard Endorsi yell from the pillar right beside him.


    "Then, begin!"


    The regulars were somewhat hesitant, but then they gradually began to walk to the precipice and shoot down their needles.


    Winston observed their moves, finding each of them to be blindly throwing in their needles.


    Winston looked down again. Indeed, it was quite difficult and improbable that one of the regulars would spot the shinhueh from up here with all the mist blocking it. Possibly, the ranker had foreseen this and purposefully given a difficult test.


    Just then, Winston felt as if someone was observing him.


    He turned his head to look, finding the ranker turn her head to look elsewhere.


    So it''s meant to guage my spirit vision? Is that it? Winston felt a bit unwilling, but couldn''t shake


    off the allure of 5000 points.


    He shook his head.


    I''ll observe some more for now. He decided.


    "Well well, if it isn''t Mr. I''m-not-one-of-the-ten-great-families!" He heard someone


    behind him yell.


    He turned back, only to find the one and only Endorsi Jahad on the same pillar as him.


    "You jumped the pillar?" Winston feigned a bit of surprise. Then, he chuckled. "I guess that''s the least I should expect from a princess of Jahad." He nodded.


    Endorsi smiled at him.


    "Why don''t you clear out the mist down there?" she asked with her chin raised.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "You mean?"


    "You can use shinsu right? You fired off a baang in the crown game. Use it to clear out the


    fog!" She exclaimed.


    Winston shook his head and smiled politely.


    "My control isn''t good enough to do that yet." He said truthfully. And even if he could, doing


    so would only take away the advantage of his spirit vision.


    Endorsi clicked her tongue.


    "I think your just making excuses." She pouted.


    "Think of it as you will." Winston replied.


    Then, Endorsi''s eyes overtook a competitive glint. "Say, why don''t we have a little match?"


    She said.


    Winston''s interest was piqued.


    "Match?"


    "Yes. How about we see who can catch the most amount of shinhueh?" she asked with a


    toothy grin.


    Winston grinned a bit in response, then, he turned to the right.


    "I think your relative has something to say about it." He said.


    To their right, a green skinned young girl had appeared, in her hands a blood red needle that


    connected to the arms inventory.


    She held a glare on her face, directed at the other Princess of Jahad.


    Family Drama I see... Winston mused.


    "What say you? Lizard?" Endorsi asked her, ignoring her glare on her face.


    "And what would happen if I won?" Anaak challenged mockingly.


    "You? Win?" Endorsi''s sarcastic remark came right along.


    Anaak grew a vein on her forehead, gnashing her teeth together.


    "You... freak eyes!" She said.


    "Who are you calling freak eyes you jerk!" Endorsi roared.


    Well, they''re easily riled up... a beyonder of the hunter pathway would have a field day with them.


    Winston lampooned.


    Then, he clapped his hands, turning their attention to them.


    "Ladies ladies." He spoke. "How about instead of fighting with insults, we do some


    competitive exercise?" Winston said, grabbing a needle from his inventory.


    "What say you? We can all bet a set amount of points. The losers have to pay the winner the


    exact amount." Winston grinned.


    Anaak and Endorsi looked at each other.


    "Deal!" "Deal!" Both of them agreed without any hesitation.


    Winston''s smile almost widened in giddiness.


    "How much will you wager?" He put his hand on his hip, asking non chalantly.


    "I will bet 800!" Anaak said without missing a beat.


    Damn! She has that much? I should''ve scammed her harder! Winston complained in his heart, but


    his facial expressions didn''t express the same turmoil.


    Winston looked towards Endorsi, finding her nodding.


    "I have no problem with that amount." Seeing their seeming disregard for money, Winston


    felt a bit salty. If he was still on Earth, he too didn''t care about any money. Because he was


    rich! But now, he was as poor as he could be! Oh, the tragedy!


    He sighed in his heart.


    "Then, let us proceed." He smiled.


    In the sky, the ranker observed their interaction with interest.


    "Ehhhh~ he''s my type... I don''t mind expressing a bit of favoritism.." She muttered to herself


    as she saw the three figures get ready for the competition.


    She sighed.


    "Let''s see how this turns out."


    They all took their turns except for Winston to throw their respective weapons into the


    flooding river. However, because of the mist blocking the view and the constant turbulence of the water below, they couldn''t hit anything, their needles floating needlessly in the waters. Winston quietly watched as they fought over needless things and enjoyed their banter to some extent. It served to be good entertainment.


    It was interesting how the princess duo could randomly find things to fight over, even during


    a friendly wager and competition.


    It was pretty obvious that they did not think anyone would be able to complete the competition. One would have to be some sort of super prodigy to do so on the first day of the


    fisherman training.


    "What are you doing? Nervous competing with a princess?" Endorsi said with a smile.


    Winston laughed a bit.


    "No no." He got up from his seating position. Then, he walked to the precipice and activated


    his spirit vision. Immediately, a blend of waves and colours exploded in his eyes. He saw several silhouettes of fishes moving about the entire river, swimming leisurely.


    With the body control of the clown, Winston effortlessly twirled around the needle in his hand


    and held it above his head.


    Having the intuition of all three pathways combined, the body control of a clown and the


    dexterity from the swindler and clown, Winston could easily be considered as a master


    marksman, bordering on inhumane levels.


    Hooooo~


    He breathed out, calming his emotions.


    "Don''t sweat it. It''s alright to not be able to beat the princess of Jahad." Endorsi said simply,


    though from her tone, one could detect the slightest hint of annoyance at not being able to hit


    anything.


    Winston didn''t say anything.


    Locking onto a target, he tightened his muscles and fired.


    Whooooosh!


    The needle launched like a bullet, going straight into the water and right through a shinhueh,


    piercing it without problem.


    Winston smirked.


    "Well, princess. Looks like your skill isn''t up to par." He chortled. Seeing Endorsi and Anaak''s S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    confused stares, he pulled up the needle, and the shinhueh along with it.


    Amid the surprised gazes of every regular present, along with the ranker Hex, Winston held


    up the shinhueh on his needle into the air, a smile on his face. "Winston Heath is the first one to catch the fish! For completing the task in just a day, I


    personally award him with 6000 points!" Hex declared.


    As the regulars'' gaze turned from surprise and amazement to envy and jealousy, Winston


    looked at the princesses.


    Both of them sat wide eyes and open mouthed, unwilling to believe their eyes.


    A/N: In the webtoon, after seeing Khun taking the hide and seek test, Hex said the same thing


    about Khun that she did about Winston. Something along the lines of, ''that boy is my type, too bad he isn''t a fisherman. If he was I would''ve treated him better.''


    Also, drop some stones.

 Chapter 21: Skills

    Chapter 21: SkillsAfter not being able to catch a single shinhueh and losing the match, both Endorsi and Anaak payed up their respective sums; leading to Winston''s total profits reaching 7600.


    "Man! That was exhausting!" Amon huffed as he sat down on one of the chairs of Winston''s


    room.


    Winston smiled at him.


    Zarhan sat cross legged on his bed, greedily eating every fruit he could spot in the room.


    "The Scout teacher is a weird man." He lamented.


    "Why?" Winston asked, intrigued.


    "How should I say this... he''s too... petty?" Amon scratched his chin. "He doesn''t like losing. Even on the first day, he didn''t hold back at all!"


    Winston chuckled.


    "What about you Zarhan?" Winston spoke.


    Zarhan gazed at him from the corner of his eyes, chewing on an apple.


    "We didn''t do too much today. They taught us to use the spear. Something I already know since childhood." He said off-handedly.


    "But what''s the teacher like?" Amon asked with interest.


    "He''s alright I guess." Zarhan didn''t show any enthusiasm.


    Amon turned his eyes towards Winston.


    "What about you Mr. Winston? What did you do today?"


    "We practised how to use the reel inventory today."


    Winston adorned a toothy grin.


    They talked some more inside his room, discussing various topics related to the teachers, the skills that would be taught to the different positions and so on and so forth.


    Without realizing it, dinner time arrived quite quickly.


    Amon followed by Winston and Zarhan opened the gates to the cafeteria. As they stepped into the hall, Winston immediately noticed all the regulars having been seated, with the exception of a few.


    Turning his head, Winston noticed Khun, Rak and Endorsi standing in the line to the counter, with Endorsi at the last spot right after Khun.


    Without further ado, they also joined the line to get their food.


    Feeling especially happy today, Winston had decided to eat well and enjoy his bumper harvest.


    Another thing that Winston had to mention was the fact that his swindler potion was somewhat stimulated upon getting the points into his pocket. Which, for him, came as a surprise.


    The deal he had made was a genuine match with stakes on each side. It was devoid of any deception on his side, yet it still somehow stimulated the potion digestion to a small degree.


    Well, if I actually used deception, then the potion might have digested further. Winston clicked his tongue, feeling a bit regretful at the mixed opportunity.


    After getting their plates, they sat down onto the table. His own seat, as Winston noticed was quite close to where Endorsi had been sitting.


    Winston looked at his extremely lavish plate of food, worth a whole 600 points.


    He could feel Endorsi''s slightly annoyed glare at the side of his head, along with both Amon and Zarhan''s tantalized eyes.


    Winston rolled an eye at their antics and invited them for eating.


    Shortly after they sat down, Shibisu and his team came to the cafeteria.


    Shibisu and Hatz were also in the same class as Amon, while Anaak quietly choose to glare at him; eventually resulting in them sitting all very close to each other and talking along about various random subjects, including but not limited to: the scenery around the mothership, the unfair pricing on higher grade pockets, wanting to go sight seeing, etc.


    Anaak glared at both Winston and Endorsi who was seated some distance from them for the entire time.


    After having eaten his fill, Winston returned to his room to sleep for the night.


    The next day, Winston again stood amid the giant stone pillars of the fisherman training field. "Today, we will be learning about Body Strengthening!" Hex exclaimed, overlooking all the regulars.


    Winston smiled in anticipation. He had managed to figure out body strengthening and flow control by his own accord one night prior. However, it was still mostly unrefined and lacking finesse.


    Winston looked forward to further observing the skill behind body strengthening and integrating it to his own skill set.


    "Body strengthening is another crucial ability to have for any fisherman. Save for rankers and higher rank regulars, whose physical capabilities have been enhanced through the shinsu pressures of the upper floors of the tower, the natural physical ability of the people can''t be used to fight extensively." The ranker continued.


    "Shinsu body strengthening can allow your bodies to transcend their current limits, allowing you to jump extreme distances, pierce through stone and endure crushing blows." As Winston calmly observed the ranker with his spirit vision, he felt her shinsu fasten up inside her body, a direct application of Flow control.


    Without any wait, she immediately descended from the sky to land on the middle pillar.


    As she landed, she spoke up again.


    "Body strengthening is performed through applications of Flow control. Shinsu flows through every being in the tower. If that Flow inside of your body or even specific parts of your body can be strengthened and made quicker, it bolsters your body through it." She held up her fist and punched down onto the ground.


    Baaam!


    Cracks spread like spider webs from the place of impact, diverging from her fist that was embedded into the pillar.


    "This right here is me using just a tiny bit of shinsu strengthening. With complete strengthening, I could take apart this entire testing zone in just 2 minutes." She exclaimed.


    Winston looked on with unconcealed interest, intently looking at the way the shinsu was flowing through her.


    "Flow control through one''s own body is largely easier than controlling it outside, as such, most regulars pick it up within 2 weeks of practice." She said.


    Winston smiled hearing her words. Since he had already displayed qualities of being able to generate a baang without too much trouble, he had no reason to hide his speed of learning here. He could openly showcase his talent and learn body strengthening at his own pace. He locked his hand and stretched them above his head.


    I do think I''ll enjoy learning the applications of shinsu... he thought, a curious glint in his eyes.


    A large valley stretched out between the mountains, the abyss like drop shadowed by mist and fog. The sun shone down, its light deflecting and scattering into a glorious rainbow somewhere down the valley.


    The shadows of the mountains stretched out across the valley, overshadowing a cliffside into


    a bit of shade.


    Many people stood atop the cliff, creatures of various sizes and shapes, some gigantic while others appearing more normal.


    The only similarity between all of them were the spears each of them held, blood red in


    colour.


    It was the training ground for the Spear Bearers!


    All the regulars looked on towards a lone man seated atop a large stone. The man wore a white


    lab coat with black pants. He had a dark complexion with light hair, somewhat yellowish in


    colour.


    It was the spear bearers teacher, Bok Dol Yu!


    "The first day I taught you how to contract." He chimed. "The second day I taught you how to use spears. I''m a simple man, so let''s put an end to the basics." He said.


    Hearing his words, the regulars grew restless.


    Zarhan smiled, eager to practice with his spear.


    "Today, let''s try something more fun." He smirked.


    Jumping off the rock, he walked to the edge of the cliff.


    "And that fun thing will be... to hit a really close target." As he walked to the edge, he pointed


    out with his hand.


    There, floating in the air about 300 meters from the cliff was a circular target board,


    appearing wooden in nature.


    "Regulars. Do you see that target?" He asked. The regulars looked on, one squinting his eyes


    to find the target.


    "Close... you say?" The regular said.


    "Now each and every one of you will come forward to try and hit the target. Sound fun right?


    Oh, and one more thing." The ranker broke out with a devious grin.


    "Anyone that can hit that target within the next 4 days will pass without any other


    questions." He declared.


    A wave of shock travelled through every regulars present.


    "That jerk... he''s doing this on purpose." One of the regulars, green in colour said in


    annoyance.


    "He clearly hasn''t taught us enough for us to do that!" The regulars beside him nodded in Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    agreement.


    "Finally!" Suddenly, a boisterous voice came crashing down into everyone''s ears.


    Then, a crocodilian creature stepped forward.


    "A genius like me should pass the test before everyone..." Rak declared egoistically.


    "What?! Are you saying you can pass the test?!" The green skinned regular, Paracule by name


    spoke, enraged.


    Rak huffed, ignoring them.


    Then, he walked to the cliff and threw his spear with all he could muster.


    "Raaaaahhhhhhhh!" He yelled.


    The spear flew like a rocket, travelling 150 meters without trouble, and then cascaded down


    towards the abyss.


    Rak''s eyes widened as he heard the laughing voices of the other regulars, Paracule in


    particular.


    "T-this can''t be..." He said.


    "Hah! You''re obviously not cut out for the task, you crocodile." Zarhan chimed from the side,


    rolling his eyes at the gigantic crocodile.


    "Huh?!" Rak screamed. Without saying anything, Zarhan walked towards the edge and fired his spear. "Orraaaaaaaaaaa!" He yelled. The spear travelled for 130 meters without issue and cascaded


    down into the abyss.


    Silence~


    There was silence in the training ground for a moment, before the boisterous laughter of Rak


    rang out.


    "Buahahahahahaha! Look at you! Hahaha ha! Acting all high and stuff!" Rak laughed in a


    great voice.


    "You''re just a turtle! Hahaha haha!" Zarhan gnashed his teeth in annoyance.


    "What? Ye wanna fight me? You croc!" He yelled, balling his fists.


    "Hoh? Are you sure?" Rak exclaimed too.


    Just then, something passed right over their heads like a bullet.


    Swoooooosh!


    They looked towards the source, seeing a spear going right through the target, breaking it


    apart like glass.


    Both of their eyes widened in surprise. They turned almost mechanically towards the one that


    had thrown the spear.


    There, was a towering behemoth covered in a dark brown robe, his face too veiled by a


    demonic mask with horrifying teeth.


    It was the regular that came along with the team from the other testing site, going only by the


    name, Ghost! Rak and Zahan''s eyes narrowed with competitive spirit, standing upright towards the behemoth like figure that towered over even Rak by three whole heads'' worth of height. A smile blossomed on Zarhan and Rak''s faces.


    A/N: I''m going to have to take a small break from writing webnovels. My ocular health is not looking too good, as I have irritation in my eyes frequently now. I figured I should take some time off from novel writing as that takes the massive chunk of my screen time. I apologize for the people waiting for the novel, but I suppose I will be back to uploading in a week or two''s


    worth of time.


    Anyway, leave a review.

 Chapter 22: Family Drama

    Chapter 22: Family DramaIn my dream, I was running.


    Tap tap tap~ tap~


    I don''t quite remember exactly what it was that followed me, neither do I remember if I was following behind something. I remember being somewhere dark, a lonely place. It was cold, so cold I felt as if my legs would freeze off.


    I built a large mountain out of stones, something that could reach above to a ceiling.


    Smash! Smash!


    It could never break through the barrier, no matter how much I smashed it with a stone, no matter how much I tried to go through it.


    Huff! Huff!


    I laid there, crying on the hill of stone I had built, laying in darkness alone.


    And then, something broke through.


    "Are you okay?"


    She taught me everything I knew. Language, behavior, feelings.


    Sometimes, she would tell me stories. Glorious stories that spoke of a great tower, incomprehensible in


    size and scale, tales of great heroes that climbed the tower.


    She... sometimes told me the stories about the sky and the stars.


    "Bam... do you know what''s at the top of the tower?"


    "I don''t care." I had said.


    "... you don''t have any goals.


    "At the top of the tower, there is something called the sky."


    "Sky? What''s that?"


    "Um... lie down."


    "Okay."


    "Now close your eyes."


    "I closed them."


    "And imagine... The rocks above us are all gone."


    "Gone? Then what''s left?"


    "Nothing."


    "Nothing?"


    "Yes. There''s nothing blocking us now. There''s a wide sky all above us. And at night, thousands of stars glitter in the sky.


    "One day... I will go there for sure."


    I couldn''t speak anything. Something blocked my throat. I didn''t know what to say.


    "... Rachel... stop saying silly things."


    "...OK."


    Bam''s body moved beneath the sheets, his eyes fluttering.


    "Don''t go... don''t go, Rachel." He muttered. Khun who sat close to him stood up in surprise.


    "Bam! Are you awake!"


    Rak also sat right beside Khun, eating all banana without a care.


    "Uhh. What happened?"


    Bam tried to get up, but Khun pushed him back down seeing his sluggish movements.


    "You''ve been unconscious for the past 5 days." Khun said with a deadpan. "Crocodile thought you were dead." He said.


    "What!? Five... five days?!" Bam exclaimed. "What about the test?"


    "The test... had already begun 2 days ago." Khun sighed.


    "Then... did I fail the test?!" Bam asked, his pupils shaking in nervousness.


    "Well..." Khun droned on.


    "You didn''t fail turtle." Rak said from the side, taking a bite from a banana.


    "Don''t you have any sense of mystery?!" Khun yelled at him.


    Bam heaved a sigh of relief hearing his words.


    "But... how?"


    "Wel..." Khun proceeded to tell him about the way the positioning test was to be conducted, along with the fact that the wave controller teacher was to arrive 3 days late.


    "So, your side of the test will start tomorrow. I was almost afraid that you weren''t going to wake up." Khun smiled, heaving a sigh of relief.


    "You were lucky. The other positions have already been through 2 classes, if you missed out on any of them you would''ve lost a lot of points."


    "Fuu- that''s a relief." Bam breathed out again.


    "Yeah. Wave controller might be hard, but it''s good anyway."


    Bam''s expression turned a bit thoughtful.


    "Mr. Khun." He called out, prompting Khun to look at him. "What about... um.. how''s.. Rachel?" He asked.


    Khun''s eyes narrowed imperceptibly.


    "Oh? You mean that yellow haired girl?" Seeing Bam nod, he continued. "She''s fine. She even


    came to see you."


    Bam''s eyes lit up in excitement and happiness.


    "However." Khun said before Bam could say anything. "Bam. She isn''t who you thought she was. She doesn''t know you, she even said that as she looked right at you."


    Bam''s eyes turned confused.


    "You might have been confused, that happens." Khun explained.


    With that, Khun adorned a cheerful smile on his face.


    "But look on the bright side, I''m sure you''ll find her somewhere along the way of climbing the tower! See! I even got you this super rare regular uniform from the Evankhell store! Even a headband too!" He exclaimed.


    At that moment, Rak who had stayed quietly beside him got up.


    "I''ve decided!" He yelled.


    Khun and Bam turned to him in surprise.


    "What happened?" Khun asked.


    "I''m going back to the wild! Don''t stop me turtle!" He yelled and dashed out of the room


    right through the door.


    Khun and Bam stared at the exit for a couple of seconds before breaking out into a small fit of


    laughter.


    Then, Bam stopped and sqeezed the sheets that covered him.


    "Rachel..." He muttered to himself.


    Winston stared at the small slip before him, his eyes turning to look up at Amon who smiled awkwardly at him. There was a small tug on Winston''s lips, amused at the variety of tasks


    each position recieved.


    "Make 10 friends huh? That surely ought to be a daunting task."


    Winston also looked over towards Hatz and Shibisu who followed along.


    "Yeah, its pretty strange. We''ve been failing constantly due to Hatz''s terrible personality."


    Shibisu admitted without shame.


    "My personality? It''s their fault for being so insufferable without a hint of warrior spirit." Hatz huffed in annoyance, clicking his tongue as he did so.


    Warrior... spirit? Winston looked at him with interest.


    "Well... I can certainly see how he would spell trouble with some of the regulars... if not


    most." Winston admitted.


    "Right?" Amon and Shibisu said simultaneously.


    "Well, alright! I''ll be your friend!" Wisnton nodded without batting an eye.


    "Really!" Shibisu yelled, turning to Hatz and hugging him. "We finally made a friend!"


    "Thank you." Hatz bowed while pushing Shibisu away.


    Winston smiled. "Don''t sweat it too much." He shook his head and signed each of their lists.


    They couldn''t sign each other''s lists as the task was to specifically make friends out of the


    other positions.


    And with that, Winston became friends with Shibisu and Hatz.


    The next day came quickly.


    Everyone gathered in the cafeteria to eat, standing in the line for the food counter.


    As Winston walked through the door, immediately he noticed Amon, Shibisu and Hatz sitting


    on one of the tables, along with that, he noticed the blue haired Khun and Bam standing in


    lane.


    Winston smiled, pleasantly surprised that the boy had woken up.


    Without a worry, Winston walked towards them, getting into the line.


    Khun noticed him approaching from the back and greeted.


    "Good Morning." He smiled.


    Winston nodded in response, "Good morning."


    Bam also realised his presence and turned around to greet him.


    "So you''re awake now huh? Is your head injury fine?" Winston asked.


    Bam nodded with an embarrassed smile. "Actually, it still hurts a bit." Winston chuckled. "Well, I guess blocking a metal rod with your head isn''t exactly great for your health."


    Bam laughed and Khun simply gave a smile.


    "I heard you guys also became friends with Shibisu, Hatz and Amon."


    "That''s right! If possible, I wish to make many friends while I''m here!" Bam expressed.


    "Well, they''re annoying but manageable." Khun said tersly.


    As their turn came, Winston looked over at Endorsi who stood before Bam and Khun in the


    line.


    "One Bibimbap without any meat." She said.


    At that moment, her attention was drawn to the talkative table at which Shibisu and Hatz


    were seated along with a variety of other regulars.


    "I already have ten on my list!" Shibisu boasted "How did you manage to get all of them?! Did you bribe them?!" One of the Scouts yelled.


    Then, Laure who was seated with them spoke. "Don''t forget to buy me some food tonight Shibisu." He lazily spoke.


    The table continued into talking and discussing random topics.


    They''re hanging out a lot lately... is it okay for the rivals to be hanging out together? She thought with a thoughtful expression.


    Then, she shook her head.


    Khun came from behind and ordered.


    "One bibimbap and one egg hamlet." Along with that, Winston also gave his own. "A


    bibimbap for me as well."


    As they got their orders, they went ahead and got seated with their group.


    Winston noticed that at some point, Endorsi had also slipped into their table, sitting between


    Bam and Hatz.


    The group talked about how Amon and Hatz still had one and two friends left to get unto their


    lists, respectively.


    Bam expressed his willingness to go along with them to become friends.


    At that moment, Bam called out to Endorsi.


    "Miss Endorsi, why don''t you become friends with Mr. Amon and Mr. Hatz?" He smiled.


    Endorsi looked at both Amon and Hatz who sat on the table.


    "What? Are you trying to set me up on a date?" Endorsi''s eyes overtook a seductive and


    mischievous glint.


    "Well, they''re certainly quite cute. This one can even be called a bit handsome." Endorsi said


    turning to Hatz, who in turn turned his head away from her direction.


    "Yeah! He''s super muscular as well!" Bam exclaimed.


    "Bam... it seems as if you''re selling a shady products." Shibisu droned from the side. Endorsi


    smiled sweetly.


    "Sorry but no." She said.


    "But why?" Bam asked.


    "Bam, I''m not allowed to date." As her words landed, a confused stare followed along from


    Bam and a couple of other people on the table.


    Winston shook his head, realizing where this conversation was heading. It seemed that most


    people on the test floor did not yet realize that they were taking the tests with not one, but two princesses of Jahad. And well, it was common knowledge that a princess was not allowed to date anyone, lest the power of Jahad were to spread.


    "Really? That''s one dismal household." Bam spoke.


    "Right? But can''t do anything about it. My father loves his daughters too much." Endorsi


    smiled cheerily.


    "But isn''t it okay to be friends?" He asked with some hope. Winston didn''t feel like stopping the conversation or taking any part in it.


    "Well... I just don''t belive in platonic relationships. I don''t believe the fact that a man and a


    woman can just be friends." She expressed her blief.


    Then, she turned to Bam and spoke. "To put it simply, its like buying shoes that you really


    like, but then you put them on display without ever wearing them or taking them off." Bam gave her a puzzled look. "That sounds complicated."


    Before the conversation could progress further, someone called out from behind Endorsi.


    "What are you doing here?" The voice said. Endorsi and Bam, alongside everyone on the table save for Winston turned to look at the speaker. There, finding the green skinned lizard girl, Anaak Jahad.


    "Having fun with these guys... shame on a princess of Jahad." She said, walking past Endorsi


    and sitting beside Shibisu who was at the far end of the table.


    With that, there was an uproar on the table.


    Endorsi sighed. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ja-Jahad?"


    "There are two princesses here?!" Regulars on the table exclaimed.


    "Jahad? Does that mean you and Anaak are related?" Bam asked her. Endorsi smiled.


    "Well... we''re stepsisters I guess." She stole a glance at Anaak who had started eating.


    "You could say that we''re luxury shoes put on display on the same shop window. The finest collection." She chuckled.


    Winston looked at her from the corner of his eyes, clearly understanding the metaphor with


    the shoes.


    He smiled.


    A/N: So, I had like 9 extra chapters in a stock pile, that I was saving around for pateron, but I figured I should just upload those instead of purely taking a break for the week I''m gone. Two birds with one stone I guess. Anyway, nine days, nine chapters. I''ll try to come back in


    that time, but if not, bad luck. Enjoy~


    Anyway, throw some stones.


    Also, leave a review.

 Chapter 23: Fisherman Battles

    Chapter 23: Fisherman BattlesAfter eating their fill, the fisherman class commenced.


    Like always, Hex floated silently in the sky, mounted atop her strange mount that resembled a conch shell than any traditional mount.


    "Welcome all regulars that have made their way into the fisherman class!" Her voice boomed out, feeling especially strong and vigorous compared to her previous two classes.


    "Today, let''s go a small test instead of a normal class." She continued.


    "The aim of this test is to be the last one standing. Starting now, you will all jump from pillar to pillar and make others fall off until there''s only 8 regulars left standing.


    "The only weapon you may use is the needle I have given you and the results of this test will have big results on the final assessment." Winston looked at the blood red needle that he and every other regular held in their hands.


    "Any questions?" Hex asked.


    Endorsi raised her hand on the far pillar.


    "I have one! People could easily die if they fall from this place! So is there any protection?" Endorsi asked.


    Hex nodded.


    "There is some protection, but it''s not too great. In fact, you could still injure yourself quite badly if you fall from the pillar, which would mean that you wouldn''t be able to take the next tests and be at a disadvantage in the final assessment."


    Hearing her words, all the regulars sweatdropped.


    They''re being more cautious now that they know serious injuries are possible. Winston smiled and shook his head.


    Winston looked around and gauged the other regulars.


    There aren''t many that can jump the gap through sheer physical capacity. And shinsu body strengthening was only taught yesterday, meaning none of the regulars pose too much of a threat.


    As of now, only the princess duo can really pose a serious challenge, and even those can be defeated using all the collection of my beyonder powers. Winston scratched his chin in contemplation.


    But even for them, attacking me wouldn''t be a wise idea. Passing the test requires 8 lasting candidates, and failing can have large repercussions.


    However, just then, a vision overlapped his senses. He saw himself get kicked forward by something that came crashing down towards him from the sky, a humanoid figure drappec in orange.


    Winston''s body tightened and he leaned back almost 130 degrees.


    Something passed above him, spreading along with it a gust of sharp wind that whistled in his ears. The object landed onto the ground right before him, smashing right at the pillar surface and kicking up some dust.


    Snapping back into standing position, Winston eyed the perpetrator warily, seeing someone he wasn''t quite expecting to see in the competition.


    "What do I owe the pleasure, princess?" Winston smirked, seeing Endorsi walk out of the dust.


    "I just saw someone familiar heading towards you. So I decided to give you a heads up." Understanding what she meant, Winston turned around, seeing a Green skinned girl jump across the pillars and land on his own.


    Winston''s smile widened.


    "Oh my... isn''t this quite unfair?" He eyed the two princesses.


    "Really? I don''t think so, after all, its a three way battle." Endorsi smirked. Then, she turned towards Anaak.


    "Is your IQ that of a lizard too? You would challenge me? A princess of Jahad?" She asked. Anaak scowled.


    "I''m specifically targeting you because you are a princess." Having said that, Anaak jumped into the air, leaping a whole 20 meters without too much effort. Then, with a swing of her hand she thrusted the needle towards Endorsi, only to hit empty air.


    Whooosh!


    Endorsi jumped back at the last moment, appearing some distance away from her.


    "Every time I see that symbol of Jahad on your head." Anaak smirked. "I just want to break you to pieces." Anaak turned back and glared at Winston, her empty eyes appearing especially threatening.


    "Hey, you. I''ll deal with you afterwards. Stay there like a good boy." Her tone was transcendentally cold and unfeeling, almost appearing dead.


    Winston sighed.


    "Your all so full of yourselves." He scratched his head. "Blah blah blah, droning on and on about Jahad and being a princess or whatnot... You seem like a couple of kids that have been granted power they can''t control." For the first time, a glare appeared on Winston''s face, his muscular control making his eyes appearing especially frightening.


    His muscles tightened up like a stressed string. "You call each other fake, but is there even a real princess of Jahad?" Having said that, Winston felt their emotions towards him turn chaotic, especially Endorsi.


    Winston sighed.


    "Your skills are so lackluster, yet you claim to be some sort of big shot. Should I be humbled in your presence? Oh please. It seems the criteria for choosing the princess has really eased their requirements for people like you to become princesses."


    And that was the last straw, Endorsi and Anaak dashed at him, their needles I''m position for a horrifying thrust that would pierce his entails and render him a vegetable.


    In both of their eyes, wrath lurked in such a primal form that it was even hard to describe. Such malevolence, such intentions of evil, were they in a single evil being then such an evil villain had never went unhung and his neck had never went clean.


    This was beyond simple meanness, for that could be found in the smallest of creatures. This was something different; pure desire to hurt the other party.


    Anaak thrusted with her needle, aiming for his abdomen. Winston turned his body, seemingly at an impossible degree and kicked out with his left leg hitting her right in the face.


    His leg caused a small sonic boom to appear as he kicked out and Anaak was thrown out


    directly.


    Wham! Crash!


    Endorsi circled around him and quickly engaged into a fist fight with him.


    Winston smirked at having found a great outlet for his abilities.


    A flurry of attacks followed through from both the sides, each hitting several times a second, their needles, fists and kicks being deflected.


    With the body control of a clown, dexterity increase from the Error Pathway sequence 9 and 8 and the Fool Pathway sequence 8, couple with the strength increase of his potions, each of his attacks left small sonic booms in their wake. Winston had, at one point, felt that his strength might be the equivalent of a Sequence 9 of the Red Preist Pathway, Hunter; who could also punch with a sonic boom.


    Endorsi, contrary to what he had previously imagined, turned out to be somewhat of a competent fighter. She seemed to have some sort of a danger sense, or something close to


    that at the very least.


    Her strength seems to be just a level above that of Anaak''s, though I can''t say for sure. All I have to work with is the one kick I gave her in the face.


    Just as he was thinking, he felt something approaching from behind.


    Without any wait, he jumped into the air, right onto another pillar. Looking back, he saw the two step sisters engaging in a battle, their needles ruthlessly stabbing out at each other. Then, Endorsi jumped towards his pillar. Winston looked towards the previous occupant of the pillar, feeling somewhat sorry for the man.


    Boom!


    Crash!


    Wham!


    Shaaaaa!


    They jumped across from pillar to pillar, trapped in a three way lock, their needles blazing towards each other with dozens of kick and punches being thrown. With his sense of intuition, none of the attacks were able to hit Winston at all, simply brushing past him or being avoided


    all together.


    Many of the regulars fell as they moved across the arena, clashing from pillar to pillar in a


    constant state of frenzy. It was the first time since arriving in the tower, save for the time with the White Steel Eel, that Winston was actively engaging himself in a somewhat engaging fight. A smirk marred his face as he dodged through the attacks and hit the princesses with a punch to the gut, or perhaps a kick to the face.


    All this while, they grew increasingly angry. Endorsi''s eyes even flashed a bit of red, a large


    streak of red across her cheeks from her anger.


    "Dammit!" Anaak yelled. "Why can''t I hit you!"


    "Stay still!" Endorsi yelled alongside her.


    Winston smirked.


    "I don''t know man... sounds a bit like skill issue." Indeed. Winston was also well suited for a


    beyonder of the Red Priest Pathway.


    Both of their faces flashed redder, appearing more like the faces of two demons than the


    young girls that they looked to be before.


    Their attacks sped up, loosing their small amounts of finesse that they still had going for


    them.


    Seizing control of the opportunity, Winston ducked, avoiding the needle that brushed past his hair. Then, he embedded his palm right into Anaak''s stomach, causing her to spit her saliva.


    Auuurghh!


    Anaak flew backwards, her figure crashing right into another pillar.


    Then, before Endorsi could get the chance to react, he punched towards her face.


    Endorsi, in a surprising burst of speed blocked his blow with her arms, and just like Anaak, she


    slipped backwards.


    "Aurgh! What is that abnormal strength!?" She complained.


    "Does it befit a princess to whine like that when you meet someone stronger?" Winston raised


    a brow, chuckling as he did so. "You''ve grown too accustomed to fighting weaker opponents


    it seems. You are unable to even cope up with the fact that someone might be stronger than


    you." He shook his head.


    Endorsi clenched the needle in her hand.


    Then, she pointed it towards him.


    "You!" She said.


    Winston didn''t say anything, simply smiling.


    Before Endorsi could reply, they heard someone behind them speak up.


    "Oi!" Anaak yelled from the edge of the pillar.


    Winston ignored her, opting to take a look over towards the regulars. There were a total of 9


    regulars still left, meaning one had go be thrown down still.


    "Physically stronger you said?!" Anaak yelled, this time, Winston looked at her with a raised


    eyebrow.


    He tapped his thumb and ring finger together twice, activating his spirit vision. However, as he did so, his eyes widened in surprise and a massive smile adorned his face.


    "Shinsu strengthening? You can already use it?" He asked to no one in particular.


    "I''ll show you the gap between us!" she yelled and looked at Endorsi. "And you too!" Having said that, she extended her leg backwards and took a running stance.


    And then, without any delay, she dashed out, her body gaining speed like a bullet shot from a


    gun.


    Winston''s eyes widened a bit, seeing her speed elevated to such a degree.


    Then, he smirked.


    With a though and concentrating his spirituality, he cast a speel of the Trickmaster potion,


    Tumble!


    The ground beneath Anaak instantly turned slippery, making her slip and tumble towards the direction of Endorsi.


    Endorsi, who would have dodged otherwise closed her eyes momentarily, seeing a bright


    flash of light whip past her eyes.


    Trickmaster spell: Light!


    With that, Anaak Jahad slammed right into Endorsi Jahad, taking then both off of the


    platform.


    "Aaaaaah! You damn lizard! What do you think you''re doing!" "Can''t you hold me you stupid freaky eyed jerk! What are you doing!"


    Both of them yelled at each other as they fell down towards the ground underneath.


    Winston shook his head, amused by their antics.


    In the air, Hex also shook her head.


    "What are those two doing..." She put a hand on her mask, feeling a bit unsure about her


    initial judgement of the two princesses.


    "Well, Winston performed great anyway. I''ll just give him some bonus points." She muttered


    at the end.


    A/N: I think Klein as a Clown was able to punch fast enough for it to break the sound barrier by


    himself. And with the overall physical increase through the other potions, it should be fair for all his attacks to hit at the speed of sound.


    Anyway, I started re reading the entire first lotm book... yeah.


    Also, throw some stones. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 24: One Month

    Chapter 24: One Month"Argh! That hurts! My pretty legs! I wish I had insurance on them!" Endorsi yelled, holding her legs close to her abdomen with her face twisted in pain.


    Beside her, Anaak also laid on the ground, writhing in pain and holding her legs through her skirt.


    "Insurance on those legs!? You might as well set your money on fire!" She managed to squeeze out through the pain.


    "What? I can''t even see yours!" Endorsi shot back.


    "Hey! I''m still young! Unlike you!"


    "Young?! Don''t kid yourself! I know you''re older then me!"


    "So what? It''s not like your a kid still! Your as old as a grandma! Grandma!"


    "How can you say that! I''m still single!"


    With that, they quieted down for a moment, holding their legs in pain.


    "Hey." Endorsi called out.


    "What?"


    "Anaak Jahad... she died a long time ago..." Endorsi continued. "She was killed by the royal enforcement division for... stepping out of the kings display cabinet." She said


    melancholically.


    Anaak clicked her tongue.


    "What are you talking about?" She barely managed to say. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Endorsi sighed.


    "She... she fell in love with a man right? And then ran away... you''re not Anaak Jahad, no... you''re her daughter." Endorsi turned towards her now facing her back. "My only niece in the entire Tower..." She said.


    Anaak stayed quiet.


    Endorsi didn''t say anything, choosing to stay in silence.


    After some time, Anaak spoke.


    "My mother..." She said, making Endorsi''s ears perk up. "She liked eating chicken pies. There was this cook in her hometown, the only cook in the region that would make the tastiest chicken pies ever."


    Anaak sighed, reminiscing about forgotten memories that were resurfacing.


    "She... she loved eating all of his food. The man would make her everything she ever wanted


    to eat, always trying his best to fulfill her wishes." Anaak''s fist tightened around an ethereal hand, possibly a figment of her imagination.


    "You''re the greatest piece of jewelery I own, my dear princess..."


    Something seemed to be stuck in her throat, for she could barely formulate any more words, much less get them out.


    "That cook... was murdered by the sisters of my mother..." She said.


    With that, they again descended into silence.


    Endorsi quietly looked at her back in quiet contemplation.


    "Hey." She called out again.


    "..." Anaak stayed quiet.


    "Hey." She called out again.


    "...what?"


    "Did she... ever regret it?"


    Anaak turned over, looking at the sky quietly.


    In her eyes, pictures overlapped, vistas of the past that she wished had never transpired, events she wished had never come to pass and memories she wished she could forget or on some way delude herself into falsification.


    She saw a burning house and her mother standing before it. Then, she passed her a small green pendant; the last gift she would ever give her mother.


    "....maybe..." She said finally.


    "... what type of answer is that?" Endorsi said, her tone devoid of the otherwise flamboyant and mischievous persona. Now, it sounded more like a child''s whisper.


    "I want a clearer answer..."


    They descended into silence for some time again.


    "That insufferable man hits like a tank..." Endorsi muttered in pain as she massaged her face and abdomen.


    As her words landed, Anaak also felt a slight sting in the places that had been hit by Winston, possibly even more so than her legs.


    The news about the injuries the two princesses suffered spread quickly, and so did the word of Winston''s absurd strength at being able to solo two princesses of Jahad.


    Needless to say, Winston ignored all the attention he got. Amon came to him, looking to confirm if the rumors about him beating the two princesses were indeed true, of which he saw


    no reason to lie.


    Winston felt that doing so might put him under suspicion as his origins were less than comfortable; but as he had come to find out during the time he had been in Evankhell''s mothership, the tower was an expansive place, to such an extent that there were some regions that did not even know that they lived in a tower.


    For Winston, such news was pretty baffling to say the least.


    The test ground they were on was only a tiny part of the entire floor, which itself was further also a tiny part of the entire structure, considering how the floor of tests only included the inner tower and not the middle and the outer expanses.


    It all came together to make a structure that was incomparable in size to anything Winston could imagine the tower would be. Completely transcending his expectations.


    Another thing that he had to mention was the fact that Khun, the mastermind devised a plan for the Scouts to pass their first assignment and for the two princesses to pass along.


    How?


    They bribed them with eel soup and told them to sign their papers.


    It was hardly honorable but it was simple practical.


    Khun''s intellect is always commendable. Winston smiled, thinking over Amon who had his last friend in the list because of him.


    As he was thinking about the different regulars, his mind drifted over to Zarhan, the ever energetic spear bearer.


    After the 3rd day of spear bearer training, Zarhan was not seen by anyone. Same for Rao Wraithraiser the crocodile. For a moment, Winston even considered some sort of rivalry between the two that led to them piercing each other with their spears somewhere deep


    within the mountains.


    However, it was extremely unlikely. Possible, but not likely to happen.


    Shaking his head, Winston decided to stop thinking about it.


    Instead, he opted to think about the current task at hand. At the moment, he sat inside of his


    room, sitting cross legged on the bed and his hands pressed on his knees.


    The room was quiet, shielded by his spirituality wall that isolated it from the outside. Winston gazed at the two orbs of bright light that floated around him at moderate speeds.


    There were two baangs of shinsu!


    The amount of baangs one can make decides who gets the upper hand in battles. Because of my improved talent in all things spiritual related thanks to fool and door pathways, I can make two


    baangs plenty easily.


    Winston closed his eyes and focused his spirituality through cogitation. Then, the surrounding shinsu began to bend to his will, transforming, bubbling and writhing into various shapes and forms; eventually twisting into a uniform shape of a sphere.


    As Winston kept concentrating, another ball of light slowly appeared around him and began


    to float around with the other balls of lights.


    Three baang! And by a person cuttenly on the test floor no less!


    Winston laughed wryly. If news of this were to get out, surely he would be suspected of being


    an irregular.


    Normal people can manipulate shinsu in their bodies through flow control in about 2 weeks. As for making a baang, that can only be done after extensive practice and study and even then it takes about 3 years... Irregulars are really unfair to the tower. Truly capable of breaking the rules of the tower. Winston nodded in contemplation amid his cogitation. Inside, he also felt that his ability to make 3 baangs was a result of his improved talent, if not, he might as well struggle with 2. Winston opened his eyes, slowly getting himself out of his cogitative state.


    However, as he did so, slowly, one of the baangs began to ebb out. Winston immediately began to focus on it, which led to one of the others losing it''s


    uniformity and degrade into the air.


    Winston shook his head.


    Sure enough, using three baangs in combat would be hard. Practice is needed for further baangs... Winston turned towards the table beside the bed, where a stack of papers were kept.


    It was his research about shinsu!


    As of now, Winston knew that all of the information, measuring systems and terminology of


    shinsu was worked out by a single person, Po Bidau Gustang, the head of the Po Bidau family and one of the 11 irregulars that entered the tower! Besides that, there was also Ashul Edwardu, the creator of the 13 month series who wrote ''Of the Tower''s Weapons'' which compiled his studies on shinsu and how it compares to the outside ''air'' and how it behaves completely different in different situations.


    However, Winston opted to do his own research. He knew very well that there were things that were not taught to the general populace for security reasons and a lot of information that the higher ups held were mainly confidential information.


    Although on Earth, information could largely be shared without too much problem, there were still pieces of information that could cause more harm than good if it were leaked to the


    outside.


    And considering how potent of an energy source, nay, not just an energy source; the ''thing'' that shinsu was, there was bound to be some facts that were not generally taught, most likely reserved for the people in power or the so called ''ten great families''.


    Of course, there was always a chance that Winston was wrong, slim but there still was.


    But even so, Winston was a discoverer at heart. Experimentation had become part of his nature at this point. And faced with something as limitless as Shinsu, he could hardly contain


    himself from studying it extensively.


    He cast aside the two baangs he had created and walked over to the research papers.


    Tales from the Lake, the upper cover read.


    He had chosen such a title purely for aesthetic purposes. Simply naming his research paper


    ''Shinsu Studies'' or ''On the Divine Water'', although seemed somewhat logical didn''t sit right in Winston''s own mind.


    As such, he named the research paper, "Tales from the Lake", to depict the water like nature


    of the Shinsu.


    Although such a title is inherently flawed, since shinsu didn''t behave solely like water in the first place. In fact, it would have been better to refer to the papers as "Tales of Everything''... actually, when I think about it that doesn''t sound as cool. Oh well, its not like I''m going to publish it or anything. Winston shrugged his shoulders and decided to not worry about the name anymore.


    Opening the research papers, he decided to revise all the points he had researched up until


    now. He had his pocket appear beside him and began to search on the Box for more information on the subject.


    That day, Winston spent the entire night researching again.


    The next day, Zarhan and Rak returned from... somewhere. Both of then appeared


    exceptionally happy, even banding together to troll the other regulars and eat several chocolate bars and bananas.


    Just like that, almost the entirety of the regular group of the test floor became friends.


    And slowly but surely, an entire month had passed in the blink of an eye.


    A/N: Leave a Review?


    Throw some stones.

 Chapter 25: Hide and Seek

    Chapter 25: Hide and Seek"Regulars participating in this joint position test! Congratulations to all of you!" Lero ro yelled out to all the regulars that were gathered in the hall.


    One month had elapsed since the classes started for the positions; between which everyone mastered their respective skills and opted to make full usage of their respective advantages that their positions provided them with.


    Winston in particular was the best in the fisherman position, no surprise in that, just behind Endorsi and Anaak who managed to not get disqualified from the test all their injuries considered. Everyone''s relationship had also progressed to some point, not appearing as distant as before. In particular, everyone that had their name on the friend list that was given to the Scouts had come especially close.


    Winston focused on Lero ro who was explaining what the test to be conducted would be.


    "This joint test is for 30 of you, excluding the ones that have already passed." He said, pointing to the sofas that were erected at the end of the hall atop an elevated platform.


    On the sofas, three familiar figures sat.


    "Buahahahaha! Do your best turtles!"


    "Ye all ought to give it your all! You might not pass! Hehahahahaha!"


    Zarhan and Rak sat on the sofa laughing to their heart''s content. Their arms were slung over each other''s shoulders, well, at least Rak''s arm was.


    Zarhan''s was too short to go over Rak''s body.


    Both of them appeared extremely cheerful as they laughed out aloud at the regulars present, mocking them for not being able to pass the tests beforehand.


    Looking at them, Winston felt a hint of annoyance but brushed it off. He wasn''t in the spear bearer position anyways, so he had no reason to feel pressured by the fact that there was only room for one more passing regular for the spear bearers.


    Winston looked at the last person seated atop the sofas, Ghost, the behemoth like beast that towered a full three heads over even Rak.


    Winston narrowed his eyes a bit but then focused again on the test administrator.


    "Of the 30 regulars present, there will be two teams of 15. The regulars should take the test in the team assigned to them." Lero ro continued. "Teams have all been assigned based on the previous test results.


    There is an equal number of positions on both teams except for one more spear bearer and scout on team A and one more Light Bearer and Fisherman on team B, so the teams are completely balanced." He said.


    "You will be graded throughout the test and said grades will have the most say in the final assessment so be at your best performance." He continued. "For your information, the grading will be done both individually and as a team, by your position teachers and by the test director respectively." He pointed to the right, where a large desk with 6 seats was kept.


    On each seat was seated one of the position teachers as well as the test director Hansung Yu in the last seat. However, curiously, one of the seats of the position teachers was empty.


    "As for how the test will be conducted, what will be told by the test director Hansung Yu." Lero ro pointed towards the man who took a sip from his coffee bowl.


    Hansung Yu smiled.


    "I will be telling you about your test, it will be called "Hide and Seek"." He smiled mysteriously.


    Hearing his words murmers went across the group of regulars.


    Hide and Seek? Winston''s mind materialized images of a game that he seen kids play all the time. A game that he himself had never had the opportunity to play. Winston''s eyes turned melancholic for a moment, almost imperceptible, before reverting back to normal.


    "Yes, it is like the game that you all might''ve played at some point. But it''s not a team competition." He chuckled. "Each team will play with a seeker that we''ve designated to catch a hider that the team designates." Hansung pointed to the window on the left, "If you look outside from here, you will find a large circular structure floating. That is the stage for the test." He said.


    Every regular, Winston included moved closer to the window to get a better look at the stage for the test.


    It was a large circular ship, divided up into three main areas. The center circle was the smallest, lying at the lowest level in the entire structure. It was labelled as the ''safe zone''. From the safe zone, extended two sets of stairs that led to a larger circle concentric with the safe zone. It lied one level above the safe zone and had a small effigy of a humanoid figure standing within it; the effigy was marked ''the seeker.''


    This zone itself was divided into two concentric spheres, one higher than the other and connected with a flight of stairs. Beyond this zone was a deep chasm that separated it from the final circle. All that connected it with the main body was a narrow bridge and a small flight of stairs some distance diagonally under it.


    "The rules are simple." Hansung Yu said as everyone looked on at the structure. "Choose someone to be ''It'' among the fisherman. If the one who is it gets out of the safety zone and reaches the exit without getting tagged by the seeker, the team wins. I will give you all three hours. Also, the game is over if the ''it'' is caught by the seeker." Hansung smiled and pulled out a red badge with an unusual symbol on it from his robes.


    "The person who is chosen to be ''it'' is required to put this badge on. If the seeker touches the badge, the sensor will be triggered and the game will end."


    Then, his eyes suddenly underwent a thoughtful expression, intently gazing at the regulars.


    "Of course the Seeker will also be wearing such a badge." He smiled. "If the one that is the seeker gets tagged by anyone, then the game will end right there and the fisherman on the team will get a price of 2000 points, enough to circumvent the results of the previous tests."


    Hansung said.


    To his side, Winston immediately felt Endorsi''s mood lighten up. Her eyes held a predatory gleam as they almost shone with greed.


    Winston imperceptibly shook his head.


    "Um." Shibisu raised his hand from the other team.


    "Test director Yu, who is the seeker?" He asked.


    At that moment, a frivolous voice boomed out in the hall.


    "Hahaha! That''s my student! It''s great that you asked such a nice question!" The door to the far entrance of the hall opened up revealing a dark skinned individual in a white lab coat and black pants. He had bright red hair that almost shone in the brightly lit hall and his face held a wide smile from ear to ear.


    His eyes held a rambunctious vigor that seemed to almost materialize around him and the sound of his laughter suddenly filled the hall.


    At that moment, Winston noticed how every position teacher, Lero ro in particular facepalmed with a sour expression.


    .... Well that''s not good.


    It could be accurately judged that Winston was not looking forward to the test anymore.


    Fighting against a ranker? What makes them think we can do that...? Winston contemplated.


    "What the hell? That''s a ranker!"


    "We can''t snatch the badge from him?! This is rigged!"


    "He''s the Scout teacher! A ranker!"


    And the reactions of the regulars spoke for themselves. Quant, the Scout ranker laughed aloud


    harder upon hearing the reactions of the various people in the room.


    "Hahahahahaha! Don''t worry! I''ll make sure to go easy on you!" He yelled.


    Every regular in the room, at that exact moment had the same thought.


    Like hell you will!


    Seeing all of their distressed faces, Hansung Yu chuckled.


    "Do not worry too much. We are well aware of the gap between you and rankers." He continued. "To make sure the test is fair, Quant is only limited to a single Baang with ten Myun and 10 Soo, so no body strengthening and no extra support from shinsu. "Furthermore, he would not go all out against regulars. That would be simply overkill." Hansung shook his head and shrugged. Winston looked at him judgementally for a second at the mention of ''overkill'' but there was little he could do. The test had already been decided and it was plenty clear that they were going to fight the ranker.


    With that, they were separated as per the teams. 15 people were in each team with the teams being named A and B.


    While they were escorted through the hall, Winston could clearly hear the laughter of Zarhan and Rak in the background at all times. It was to the point he began to feel a tab bit annoyed.


    Damn crocodile and pea brain! He cursed in his heart. Then he shook his head and smiled with a light chuckle.


    Team A included Anaak, Khun, Laure, Shibisu and Amon among their own group. The rest were filled by people Winston didn''t know the names of, except for the red haired girl who only had one eye because of the crown game, Hwaryun.


    While team B was the team Winston was in, which comprised of Endorsi, Paracule, Hatz, Bam


    and Hoh.


    There was also the strange girl Bam was chasing who was named ''Michelle Light'', a pseudonym by Bam''s own opinion as her ''real'' name was ''Rachel''.


    Winston looked at the boy from the corner of his eyes with a thoughtful expression.


    Within the month he had spent on the floor of tests, the Boy had made plenty clear his apparent lack of knowledge about about almost anything in the tower, along with his more than questionable living conditions prior to entering the tower, saying how he only had the


    one girl to talk to.


    Aren''t all irregulars supposed to be busted even at the floor of tests? I wouldn''t even compare him to a Jahad princess. Winston mused, scratching his chin.


    At this point, he had all but concluded the fact that Bam was an irregular. He wouldn''t be deserving of having a brain if he couldn''t even piece that together.


    First things first, he learned flow control within a day, without any prior knowledge of shinsu control! As per the norms of the tower, even the prodigies among the wave controller learn shinsu flow control to make baangs within 1 year! It made Winston remember his own feat of creating a baang on his first try during the crown game.


    Even if his monstrously frightening ability to learn shinsu flow control within a day, as per Laure''s words, was ignored, there was the matter of where he lived before entering the tower.


    If anything, it sounded awfully like the darkened caves that he was in for some time before he eventually went through the gate to the tower.


    All of that combined, made Winston conclude him as the target for being an irregular. However, since he''s an irregular... Winston''s eyes travelled to the figure of Michelle Light, or


    better yet, Rachel.


    Since Bam tells about how he only had her in the dark place... that also makes her an irregular. The S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    situation almost made Winston''s head shake. It was three irregulars in the same testing spot! As per his knowledge, even a single irregular brought such chaos to the tower that the states before and after their entry couldn''t be compared!


    Heh. How will three irregulars shake the tower?


    Winston chuckled.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, leave a review please.

 Chapter 26: Hide and Seek - 2

    Chapter 26: Hide and Seek - 2At 1pm, the test for team A began.


    Darkness prowled all around blocking all light from vision. The darkness seemed so thick that it was better to describe it as pitch black than simple shadows, with the only real source of light being a metallic cube that floated in the air with a deep blue tinge. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The lighthouse casted a direct light towards the ground, lighting up the plain white floor atop which walked a man with a purple track suit.


    The man had an average looking face with a lean build that didn''t suggest any muscle at first glance.


    Sigh! The man sighed, notions and visions flooding his mind unbidden.


    I''m going to be hospitalized after this aren''t I?


    I hope he doesn''t break a bone...


    I wanna go home!


    Shibisu''s mind was a mess, his consciousness and rationality like a piece of insubstantial fog that fazed in and out of existence; the reason of which was his current predicament as per which, he was the bait.


    Team A organized themselves rather quickly with Khun at the forefront. Khun was truly a mastermind at planning, effortlessly formulating a plan that the ranker wouldn''t expect and winning the trust of all the participants.


    However, to Shibisu, his plan couldn''t be said to be ideal. Why? Simple, their plan was unlike traditional thinking; which was to seize the ranker''s badge and win the game without ever leaving the second circle!


    However, Shibisu was the bait to draw in the ranker first, a way for them to prepare in advance when the ranker arrives and land a decisive victory.


    It''s so dark... it''s like he could pop up at any moment from anywhere... Scouts really aren''t a great position.


    Shibisu lamented at his fate. Should I change positions? He thought.


    Just then, something spoke into his ears.


    "Hey! Can you hear me!" Shibisu jumped at the voice, screaming out in he process.


    "Bastard! You scared me!" He yelled back.


    "Why are you getting scared? You''re supposed to attract the ranker." Khun said in reply. Shibisu shook his head, readjusting the communication tool in his ear.


    "...isn''t it bad?"


    "What?"


    "That Bam is on another team." As his words landed, Shibisu felt the voice on the other end go quiet for a split second.


    "Too bad. But what can we do? It was designated." He said simply.


    "Don''t you know? If we catch the seeker there''s almost no chance for Bam to pass the test." Shibisu shook his head, feeling pity for the boy.


    "I know. But we can''t give up the test because of him right? In a test, its every man for themselves." He said.


    "You''re cold hearted."


    "Thank you."


    Shibisu''s expression turned a bit strange at the awkward topic of conversation.


    "What about the ranker?" He asked.


    Shibisu looked on into the darkness, and then he focused on the observers, tools that aided


    Scouts in mapping out the area and sending back information.


    "I don''t see anything. Nothing on the observers either." He said.


    Suddenly, he perked up.


    "Why do you think he will come? It''s pretty obvious I''m the bait with this big lighthouse." He pointed to the Lighthouse up above."


    However, the grim tone of Khun came in response.


    "He come come. For sure."


    Shibisu sweatdropped at his confidence.


    Suddenly, his eyes widened.


    "Khun..."


    "Yes?"


    "He''s here."


    Shibisu adopted a combat stance, holding his fists in front of him.


    The wind around him seemed to get restless, which was strange in and of itself, since the shinsu density inside the sphere was particularly dense, even making it hard for Anaak to


    move.


    The strange howl of the wind rang in his ears as strange whispers seemed to come from the darkness.


    And then, he turned to the right.


    His eyes met two glowing red gots, moving about in the darkness.


    "Your two observers move about in predictable patterns. Easy to avoid if you''re a good


    enough Scout." A voice called out from the red dots.


    The light house''s light extended, illuminating the darkness ahead and eventually making the ranker appear from the darkness.


    Quant stood in place with a smile and chuckled.


    "Why are you standing around like that? You''re making it so obvious that you''re the bait." He smiled.


    Team B sat in a room with a large round table. They were seated in a semi circle with a large television screen in front, displaying the happenings of the first game of Hide and Seek which


    the Team A were partaking in.


    Winston sat with Bam to his right and Serena to his left.


    Further to the right, next to Bam sat the princess of Jahad, Endorsi who was getting flattered by one of the fishermans on the team.


    Winston shook his head and smiled compassionately as he looked on at his team. There was no need for him to do anything in the test to be honest.


    Within the fisherman position, he had the highest chances to be promoted further and passing the test. Not to mention his points, which still stood at the impressive number of 4800, far more than the amount the chosen fisherman was promised to get upon tagging the seeker. That was the reason that Winston was not worried in the slightest. He was going to pass anyway. All he needed to do was participate and show off some of his potential and strength. "I hate this team! What am I going to do with all of there useless regulars!" The regular that had been smothering Endorsi with flattery and sweet words yelled suddenly. Then, his tone took a direct change and appeared almost subservient. "Of course that doesn''t include you, O glorious Princess of Jahad." He said.


    Endorsi smile and her eyes momentarily wandered to towards Winston who sat just one seat across from her. Then, she shook her head.


    "You''re our team''s only hope!" The regular yelled again.


    "Oh sweet." She smiled sweetly towards him.


    Then, Serena who sat on Winston''s left pointed towards the screen and called out.


    "Look! They''ve already met the seeker!" she yelled.


    Everyone turned their eyes towards the screen, looking at the scene of Quant engaging in a


    conversation with Shibisu.


    "They already found them without an observer? Are the rankers that fast?!" Someone yelled.


    "Rankers are scary..." someone droned.


    Wisnton contemplated.


    Even if it''s a ranker, the test has only just started 5 minutes ago. The ranker will take his time


    travelling to each contestant to gauge them out for assessment.


    At the end, the chosen ''it'' had only one way to go, which is the thin bridge that leads to the exit. He only needs to catch them at that point. With Anaak''s speed, reaching that point can be said to be a


    moderately easy task, if not for the shinsu density.


    Winston shook his head.


    With all those factors combined, it doesn''t make sense for the ranker to be so fast in his approach. And that means a single thing. They''re purposefully leading him into a trap. And he followed to see what they would do. Either Shibisu has acted as the bait to stall the ranker so Anaak has more time to reach the exit, which would eventually fail due to Anaak''s reduced speed and the ranker''s comparatively monstrous movement potential, or the second strategy...


    Winston''s eyes sharpened suddenly. They''re planning to snatch the badge right then and there! He smiled. Either one can be called an optimum strategy and neither has better chances at


    succeeding. But thinking of Khun...


    Winston''s eyes travelled to the screen as his smile widened.


    On the screen, Quant talked with Shibisu for some time, about how there were spear bearers


    and Fisherman closeby for an ambush.


    And then, the red haired ranker proceeded to dodge spears thrown at him and destroy the


    Lighthouse in the air.


    Taking care of the light source to confuse the people and seize the initiative... quite a nice strategy. I suppose I comes with experience. Winston mused.


    Then, the ranker moved about in the darkness unimpeded by the utter loss of vision. Suddenly, a lighthouse turned on in the distance, casting it''s light onto the ranker who was


    behind Shibisu. The light of the Lighthouse extended to reveal a green skinned girl with a reel inventory floating behind her, Anaak!


    Winston watched on as Anaak threw a hook attached to the reel inventory, wanting to tag the seeker and win the game right then a there.


    In that moment, Winston even felt that might just win, solely because of the surprise factor of the attack. However, just as the hook was about to touch the badge on the ranker, a howl of


    the wind sounded out.


    Whooooooo00000!


    With that, the ranker disappeared into thin air, merging into the darkness around him in a


    burst of speed and camouflaging into the surroundings.


    Winston drew in a short breath, thinking of what might happen further into the fight. Quant,


    as he understood him, was an incredibly petty individual who did not like to lose and went all


    out even against regulars on the test floor.


    And the ambush to tag the seeker at this point was a blatant disregard for his strength. Winston chuckled as the regulars in the room were riled up, shouting things like ''Take care of


    them already!'' and ''Way to go! Kill them all!''


    After that, the red haired ranker gave them 30 minutes and 32 seconds to do whatever they


    wanted and to run.


    And so, the run was on.


    They underestimated the ranker. Their oversight in the plans led to them getting behind in the opportunity to go for the exit.


    Winston shook his head in disappointment.


    It''s always better to overestimate an opponent than to underestimate them. Khun ought to have


    known the capabilities of a ranker quite well, given that he''s from the Khun family... Winston scratched his chin and looked towards Bam who was beside him.


    Bam appeared quite shaken, his eyes widened and his pupils shrunken down.


    Winston narrowed his eyes and looked on at the screen.


    Unless... he has some other plans to speak of...


    Winston took another look at Bam and smirked. "What do you think?" He asked.


    Bam turned to him and turned his head quizzically.


    "What?"


    "Team A. What do you think? Will they pass?" He asked.


    Bam shook his head with utmost confidence.


    "Yes! They will pass!"


    Winston chuckled.


    "Shouldn''t you be hoping for them to fail? Your on Team B, they aren''t your teammates


    now." He laughed.


    Bam looked down, appearing conflicted.


    "Should I... should I wish for that?" He asked.


    Winston looked at him. "Maybe. You tell me." He chortled.


    Bam didn''t speak anything. To the side, Endorsi looked at them with an unknown expression.


    A/N: I was feeling especially generous today. So here''s another chapter.


    Throw some Stones.


    Also, leave a review.

 Chapter 27: Hide and Seek - 3

    Chapter 27: Hide and Seek - 3After the 30 minutes was up, the ranker was on the move.


    Shibisu moved about the darkness, a spare lighthouse lighting up the way before him. Sweat poured out from his temples his never before, for the situation was stressful enough.


    They had successfully managed to anger the ranker through their shenanigans at wanting to tag the seeker. However, they had vastly underestimated the movement speed of the ranker, a crucial overstep that might cost them their victory.


    "Where is Anaak?!" Shibisu yelled as he ran towards the elevator to the second circle.


    "She''s going up the second circle through the elevator! The ranker is on the move so there isn''t much time! I''m already up there!" Khun''s voice came promptly from his ear piece.


    Shibisu breathed a sigh of partial relief, then he shook his head.


    He continued running along the darkened floor, the lighthouse in the air lighting up his way.


    A dark staircase led to an unknown upper floor, its narrow area and steep steps making it the easiest places to lay for an ambush.


    The darkened halls made way for little light and everything was increasingly harder to see. However, perched atop the stairs were multiple spear bearers wave controller and a scout, Amon.


    They all looked on towards the bottom of the stairs, their lighthouse casting light onto the entire structure. Sweat trickled down from some of their faces because of the tense


    atmosphere.


    Amon stood at the back, a bag at his side. His eyes looked on in nervousness as notions about a potential loss filled his mind.


    Suddenly, he shook his head.


    No, I can''t lose hope! Mr. Winston and Zarhan took a lot of time in training me! He exclaimed in his mind.


    Within the month of their stay in Evankhell''s mothership, Winston and Zarhan had taken it upon themselves to train Amon to the bone, resulting in a rapid increase of his strength. Amon as talented, yet failed to make his talent shine through in the earlier stages of his life. As of right now, Amon was one of the highest ranking Scouts in his class, just behind Hatz and tying with Shibisu.


    His eyes held a resolute look as an announcement echoed in the surroundings. One of the lighthearers with them yelled out.


    "He''s here! At the bottom of the stairs!"


    Every regular that was present felt their hearts tighten.


    They all looked down at the bottom, where a certain red haired ranker was walking about leisurely.


    "Well well, what an interesting place to lay an ambush." He smirked. "How about we have a little lesson?" He said, beginning to walk up the stairs with deliberate wait.


    "As you know I only have one baang with 10 myun and 10 soo, which isn''t a lot really. It''s not even enough to kill a regular man." He shrugged his shoulders. "However, to escape from the likes of you..." He droned.


    Then, the darkness around him seemed to come alive as it writhed and slithered atop his own body.


    The shadows beneath his feet cast by the lighthouse travelled up his legs and merged him into the darkness. Nay, it was not the darkness he was merging into, it was simply the environment itself!


    The regulars'' eyes widened in alarm.


    "He went invisible! Attack anywhere!" One of the wave controllers yelled firing a baang from a staff they held.


    The spear bearers needed no further starting signal.


    The red spear they held in their hands were thrown down with speed, going down and embedding themselves into the stairs.


    A fisherman jumped down with his needle, only for Quant to reveal himself and backhand him into the wall with sheer strength.


    Then, one of the spear bearers, a hulking man with wings atop his back jumped down and tried to engage in hand to hand combat.


    "A spear bearer leaving his post? Why would you sacrifice your advantage of range and choose to fight in a way that you''re clearly not adept in?" Quant asked quizically as he toyed with the regular with his speed. Needless to say, the regular didn''t last very long.


    Quant travelled up the stairs dodging every other spear that was thrown at him effortlessly.


    As he reached the top, he laughed.


    "I assume you were going to keep me here for at least 5 minutes. C''mon! Where''s your motivation!?" He yelled.


    "H-how much time has it been?" One of the regulars stammered.


    "...1 minute." A regular spoke.


    In the team room, Winston felt as if the combat was happening all too quickly. The regulars didn''t stand a sliver or a chance against someone that had climbed to the top of the tower. There was simply no way for them to win, at least not with so little strength.


    Perhaps if it was Anaak and Endorsi working together they could pose a certain challenge... he mused.


    Back in the test, Quant took little time to take care of the other regulars, eventually leaving only Amon and the lightbearer that was with him.


    Amon looked at him in nervousness.


    "So what will you do?" Quant asked with a smile.


    "You should be decisive in your action. Nervousness will get you nowhere in a place like the tower." He advised with a sincere tone.


    Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Amon took a combat stance, ready to face the ranker and


    stall for as much time as possible.


    Quant raised a brow at his display.


    "Brave aren''t you? Are you sure you can face me on your own?" He asked, a light chuckle


    following his comment.


    Amon shook his head and smiled.


    "I don''t need to defeat you." He said. "I don''t need to do anything to you. Truthfully, I don''t


    think I can even lay a finger on a ranker like your." He smiled.


    Hearing his words, Quant felt his confidence taking a slight boost.


    He nodded with his eyes closed. "That''s right!"


    Amon smiled seeing his reaction.


    In his mind, the objective was clear. Stall for as much time as possible! Whether it be through talking or fighting! Anything that can stall the seeker will provide them with more chances to


    pass the test.


    Amon raised his hands in front of him.


    "But." He said, making Quant focus on him again.


    "All I need to do is keep you here for as long as I can. And I will be sure to do that." He said. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Quant nodded in satisfaction.


    "As expected of my student! You have learned well!" Quant exclaimed.


    Then, his eyes took on a glare.


    "Then let''s start!" With that said, his figure dashed out, rapidly approaching the figure of


    Amon.


    Amon''s muscles tightened as he punched out in front. His observer, a floating ball with a camera and a mini light house installed in it illuminated the area so he could fight. Quant stopped just before him, narrowly avoiding the fist he had thrown. Amon hurriedly switched to a drop kick and jumped straight at Quant.


    "I''ll give you some tips as well." Quant spoke, side stepping from the kick and punching Amon who was in mid air into the ground.


    "When in front of a stronger opponent, never leave your ground. Doing so makes you open to attacks from a skilled opponent." He said. "Only do so if you are adept at utilizing the shinsu around you to alter your position mid air, something that your aren''t capable of just yet."


    Amon quickly got to his feet and dashed at him again.


    The ranker disappeared in a burst of speed, appearing behind Amon.


    Amon turned quickly, throwing a spinning back kick at the opponent. However, Quant blocked his kick with his hand and kicked his other leg, making his fall face first into the ground. "Damn!" He cursed and got up again.


    "I would love to play with you more but I have places to be." Quant smiled. And then, his fist embedded itself into his abdomen with a howl of the wind.


    Bam!


    Shaaaa!


    The air was blown out of Amon''s lungs as saliva flew out of it. His eyes momentarily clouded over as he lost consciousness for a second.


    Then, he crouched down holding his stomach in pain. Heat rushed through his spine as his abdomen felt as if it had been set on fire from the inside out.


    Huff! Huff!


    He struggled to breathe for a second before he looked up to see Quant looking down at him


    with a smile.


    "You''re quite sturdy. A blow like that has knocked out every other regular so far." He nodded


    in acknowledgement.


    Amon smiled and got up from his seating position.


    Then, a crooked grin made it''s way onto his face.


    "I''ve done a lot of durability training with my friends..." He said and put a hand into the bag


    he had at his side.


    His hands rummaged through the bag for a fre seconds, and then, he pulled something out.


    It was a large knife, just shorter than a shirt sword.


    He held it out in front of him and adopted a combat stance again.


    Quant chuckled seeing him ready to fight.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.


    Amon smiled as he said, "My job is to keep you here as long as I can."


    Quant looked at him for a moment.


    There was silence in the darkened expanse for a moment. Nobody moved.


    Then, both moved towards each other at the same time.


    Bang!


    Whoosh!


    In the team room, Winston watched on as Amon faced the ranker. He nodded to himself, quite


    pleased with Amon''s progress. He and Zarhan had personally worked on his combat training as well as durability exercises, in order to better equip him with the strength to stand strong blows. It seemed that the training had actually paid off.


    However, even then, it was hardly a match for the ranker. Quant made quick work of him as


    well, taking care of everyone gathered at the stairs in a measly 3 minutes and 27 seconds; with the bulk of the time spent dealing with Amon.


    After that, Team B erupted into cheers as the ranker made his way across all the remaining team members, crushing them like a truck hitting a bicycle at Mach speeds. Eventually, the ranker came face to face with Shibisu, who held onto his legs for a good while to give Anaak a chance to escape.


    After that, the ranker ran ahead and eventually, he reached the bridge.


    "It seems that they will fail." Winston said suddenly, turning his eyes to look at Bam.


    Bam was startled by his voice but then his eyes turned droopy and melancholic.


    "It... it seems so..." He droned.


    "Are you not relieved?" Winston asked.


    Bam looked at him in puzzlement.


    "The failure of the opposing team means higher chances for us to win. And that means.."


    Winston smiled at him. "That there will be more chances that you might find the girl you''re looking for." His face morphed into a toothy grin as he chuckled.


    Bam''s eyes seemed to turn abjt brighter at the mention of Rachel, however, he turned to look


    at the screen again, not replying to Winston''s remark.


    Winston shook his head.


    Choices are hard to make... especially choices like these... he thought in his heart. Inwardly, he


    pitied the boy to some extent. Left in darkness all his life, with the only human interaction ever being a young girl with blonde hair. However, the girl left him behind to chase after the


    stars, and the boy was left without a goal to aspire towards, without the shining light that had guided his world thus far.


    And in such a place as the Tower, there was no saying how and when a friend may turn into an


    enemy and an enemy turn ally.


    Winston looked towards ''Rachel'' who still adorned the dark brown cloak atop her head.


    Eventually, I suppose you might need to make such a choice... He shook his head imperceptibly, feeling even more pitiful. Them, a smile blossomed on his face. But even still, the only thing you''ll ever be able to do is to smile through it.


    A/N: Throw me dem stonez.


    Leave a review!

 Chapter 28: Hide and Seek - 4

    Chapter 28: Hide and Seek - 4Winston walked along the safe zone of their spherical test zone. Team A''s battle had ended not long after Quant took care of Shibisu.


    He reached the final bridge upon which Anaak was supposedly treading towards, only to find Khun at that place. However, Quant supposedly ''saw through'' Khun''s plan to hide Anaak on a light house and wanted to drag him down towards the chasm below; only to then be shocked at the fact that Khun had expected all of this and was waiting for him to make his move! In the end, Khun and Anaak made their way back to the bridge while the ranker feel down into the chasm.


    However, they failed to make through with the victory? How? Quant in a move that even surprised Winston ran all the up the chasm without the usage of shinsu.


    I hadn''t expected the ranker to be so strong even without the use of shinsu... He shook his head. I don''t know much about the strength of the rankers, but Khun must''ve been knowledgeable about it. It doesn''t make sense for there to be an oversight in his plans two times...


    Though I suspect it has something to do with Bam being in an opposite team... Winston mused, scratching his chin. Come to think of it, didn''t Khun leave the bridge after he came back up? Could he have helped the ranker get back up?


    Winston felt more and more sure about his theory.


    Even for a ranker, rushing up such a deep chasm seemed to be more than a chore, especially without shinsu. Unless one was a ranker from the Ha family, known for their sturdy and strong bodies, or a princess of Jahad, Winston wasn''t sure if they would be able to jump up the height.


    He scratched his head and shrugged.


    There''s no comparison I can make with any other ranker. In the end, I can only speculate. He shook his head.


    Then, he looked over towards the center of the safe zone, where every other regular from Team B was gathered.


    His eyes, enhanced by Marauder and Swindler potion saw perfectly through the dark, and with combined reinforcement from the shinsu, it felt as if he stood in a perfectly lit hall, instead or the darkened place he stood at. It was also the reason there was no lighthouse around him. Having looked at the area all around, most of which was just plain, he made his way back to the center. Before the seeker was released, the regulars were given a small buffer period for choosing ''it'' and sorting out their respective roles in the test.


    With Winston''s unique position, he didn''t want to partake too much in the test. He would pass regardless of the test results; the reason being his overwhelming amount of points in comparison to everyone else and the fact that, for some inexplicable reason, perhaps for his latent potential being seen, the ranker Hex favoured him among the regulars of the fisherman class.


    As Winston reached the center of the safe zone, he saw everyone gathering around and arguing about being the leader. A variety of proposals were put forth by the different regulars as was the willingness to become the leader of their group. However, none was willing to take the risk of potentially having a lackluster leader, especially the Spear Bearers who only has one remaining place in the final passing batch.


    Some time elapsed within the darkness. Eventually, everyone began to shout at each other, with no one willing to back down and adopt the other person''s strategy for the test.


    Winston could perceive that the regulars were themselves beginning to grow quite restless, appearing more and more nervous. He shook his head, feeling a bit regretful about them.


    Without cooperating you won''t get anywhere in this test... he thought. Then again, this might as well be an individual test...


    What Winston had concluded had many reasons behind it. In the first place, however difficult it was to win, winning the game did not provide benefits to a single person. Instead, it equally gave out the points between all regulars.


    And each regular, because they were being graded individually by their teachers all along the length of the test, was seemingly on their own without any official allies to speak of. Since everyone was competing for a chance in their own positions, one not only had to compete with the other team, but also with those on the same position as one in their own team.


    Winston looked on as the group became more and more chaotic.


    He had no reason to help out, neither did he intend to. He was simply here for the participation award one could say. At the corner of his eyes, he noticed both Bam and Endorsi stealing glances in his direction, most likely hoping for him to take charge of the situation.


    Winston smiled as he looked on towards the ensuing chaos amidst the regulars.


    Then, at the crucial point, Endorsi stood up with an annoyed snarl on her face.


    "Gosh! You lot are annoying me! I''ll be ''it!'' You all follow my lead!" She declared, her voicing silencing all others that spoke before her.


    Winston raised a brow at her act.


    With that, everyone expressed their tactic approval. What could they do if they didn''t? Someone strong was needed to lead the team and Endorsi was just that.


    After the matters with the team leadership was sorted out, everyone began to move about as per Endorsi''s plan.


    The fisherman were to move all together, and were expected to change position as the ranker moved about the darkness. The spear bearers and Hatz were to intercept the Scout at the stairs to the second circle and finally, the light bearers and the wave controller were to collect information in the safe zone and assist the fisherman and Scouts respectively.


    It was a logical plan in hindsight, but one that had all too many loopholes in place. And as a swindler Winston was especially sensitive about such loopholes.


    Fisherman moving together huh... Winston smiled as he figured out what Endorsi wanted to do. As for the different regulars that were to delay the seeker, simply put, they were the bait meant to stall until Endorsi''s plan could come to fruition.


    Naturally, Winston was not included in such a plan, since it would fail if Endorsi targeted him, and she knew that quite well. Yet, here he was travelling with them still, only because he had made his position quite clear in the test. He would not interfere too much in the proceedings. The band of fishermen ran across the darkness with a lighthouse in front of them.


    The shinsu density around them made the fishermen especially slow as the pressure around them was much larger than they had accustomed themselves to.


    Winston and Endorsi were the only ones that could maintain their normal speed, with Winston barely noticing a change at all.


    Winston stole a glance at Bam who was running along besides them. The irregular boy also seemed to be not terribly affected by the shinsu density in the area, appearing perfectly fine.


    Winston smiled.


    "Let''s rest here for a moment.." One of the fishermen said.


    Endorsi only nodded and sat down, supporting her back against the wall.


    As they sat down to rest, the one that was showering the princess with compliments spoke out


    again.


    "How did you come up with such a plan princess?" He asked.


    "I don''t know. It just hit me, you know?" Endorsi flashed a charming smile at him.


    "Oh! That''s it! You truly deserve to be called a Princess of Jahad!"


    The other fisherman that was beside them held onto his sword and spoke.


    "We should quickly be on the move again. We never know when the ranker might start to


    move." He said.


    "Don''t worry and relax. The princess said the ranker won''t come to us until he examines all


    the other regulars first." The man replied.


    "Relax? In such a situation, that might lead to failure." He countered.


    "Princess! Looks like we have a non believer!"


    Winston cringed at his remark, instead opting to turn his head away from the situation.


    Alas, he couldn''t turn off his hearing.


    "Then... Hang him!" Hearing her words, Winston couldn''t help but remember the Habged Man, Alger and the True Rapper... or was it the True Creator?


    "What?" The man with the sword exclaimed.


    "Lock him up!" Endorsi declared.


    "Haha! You''re dead you idiot!"


    Winston shook his head in genuine annoyance.


    "What idiots... can''t even see their own doom..." He lampooned.


    "I''m excited for the second round!" Hex exclaimed with a clap.


    To the side, the other potions teacher''s expressed their doubts through their expression.


    "What''s wrong?" Asked the wave controller teacher, a strange creature that looked to be a speaking rice ball.


    "I don''t know... it''s just that the regulars in team 2 don''t seem all that impressive." He said.


    Hex tilted her head but nodded after some thoughts.


    "What?! We can''t be partial against regulars!" The rice ball exclaimed.


    The spear bearer teacher, Bok dol yu shook his head.


    "It''s not that.. It''s just the fact that I don''t see a lot of promise in the team. I mean sure, there


    are two powerful fisherman but the spear bearers are..." He didn''t finish his sentence. To his side Hex nodded with her chest puffed out, as if in pride.


    "The fisherman in the second team are truly one of the most promising I''ve ever seen! I am


    confident they will perform well!" She nodded.


    The other teachers still looked somewhat dispirited.


    The Light Bearer teacher, Lero ro spoke.


    "Come to think of it." He turned towards Hansung Yu.


    "Don''t the two teams seem awfully imbalanced? All the good wave controller were on the


    first team. The only good members of the second team are Winston, Endorsi, Hatz and Michel S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Light." He said.


    Hansung Yu flashed a friendly and compassionate smile, appearing full of energy as he took


    another sip from his coffee.


    "No no! Both the teams are incredibly well balanced!" He said.


    The rice ball turned his head and spoke.


    "I think so too!" He exclaimed.


    Every teacher turned to him, their jaws somewhat opened in surprise. Even Hansung Yu


    looked surprised, his team cup dropping from his hands and onto the ground.


    Hey, you''re not supposed to be surprised! The rice ball yelled in his mind.


    "Is there anyone that you might think will be useful among the wave controllers?" Hex asked.


    The rice ball flashed a beautiful smile.


    "Well... there is one..." He droned.


    "Is that regular that powerful?"


    "I wouldn''t say powerful." He shook his head. "More like... um... how should I explain?


    "It''s more like he''s akin to a lottery ticket!" He exclaimed.


    "Lottery ticket?" Bok Dol Yu asked.


    "Yes! Like the one I purchased yesterday!" He exclaimed. "He''s got a lot of potential for sure!


    More potential than I''ve seen in anyone all my life!"


    Hex chuckled.


    "Well, it seems that both our classes have something in common."


    "Ah, Winston Heath right? A pity he isn''t in wave controller class, I''ve would''ve taught him


    some flashy moves!"


    Hex shook her head.


    "No. He is best suited for the fisherman class I believe."


    "I think he can be put in any position really." Lero ro said from the side.


    "Yeah, but the best for him is undoubtedly the fisherman." Hex declared with certainty.


    A/N: Throw some Stonez.


    Also, tell me your thoughts.

 Chapter 29: Hide and Seek - 5

    Chapter 29: Hide and Seek - 5A lone lighthouse stood alone in the darkness, illuminating a small circular area under it with an orange hue.


    Under the lighthouse stood two humanoid figures, one evidently male and one female.


    It was Serena and Hoh, the Scout and the wave controller.


    Serena looked over into the darkness, her eyes holding a complicated gaze.


    "Phew!" She breathed out.


    "Phewwwwww!" She breaked out again, making Hoh look at her strangely.


    Suddenly she spoke out. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, ho." She said.


    "What?"


    "I was just singing! Hey, ho! Hey, ho! Hahaha!" She laughed at her joke, holding her stomach while doing so.


    Hoh looked at her with an annoyed expression, but couldn''t quite tell what was wrong with her to act as so.


    He stayed quiet and didn''t speak.


    "Hey, Hoh." She called out.


    Hoh didn''t say anything, choosing to stay quiet.


    "I''m talking to you this time."


    Hoh looked over towards her again.


    "What?"


    Serena sat down to the ground and cradled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.


    Then, she supported her head with her knees and looked sideways into the dark.


    "Why... why did you come to the tower?"


    Hoh looked at her in puzzlement.


    "Pardon?"


    "Why are you choosing to go up?" She asked.


    "What this all of a sudden?" He asked, his eyes narrowing to some degree, not in suspicion, but perhaps reminiscent of some old vistas and memories that remain a thing of the far past.


    "No, its just... watching Team A take the test just made me think a lot." She continued. "I feel... so down..." She sighed again.


    Hoh didn''t say anything, only looking at her.


    "I was just an ordinary girl before this...


    "I stole goods from ships in the outer tower. I was a thief. One day, on a ship we were planning on robbing, a ranker was there." Her lip quivered, as if in deep sadness.


    "He was... so strong. I had heard of them before, but never thought he would be so monstrous... my partner was killed without any chance of resistance..." Serena looked over at Hoh''s face, seeing him stay quiet.


    "I was barely able to hide in time, and then, I prayed. I prayed with all my heart like I''d never before. I said, "If you''re listening, please save me! My whole like has been nothing but crap until now!"" Serena looked towards the roof of the spherical structure, where darkness loomed like every other direction.


    "And then..." her eyes clouded over momentarily, a strange memory appearing in her mind. "A real "God" appeared before me." She didn''t say anything for a few seconds afterwards, perhaps reminiscing about something.


    "I didn''t hesitate to take his hand and enter the tower. During the first brutal test to cut us down to 200, I didn''t hesitate then as well." Serena laid down completely onto the ground, her eyes looking at the ceiling.


    "Everytime I killed someone, I felt... free. Every time, I felt closer to becoming a ranker. I wanted such power. I craved for it, I wanted everything that the top had to offer." Her breath hicked for a moment.


    "I just had so much... rage... I was lucky enough to pass the next test. And truly, I thought to myself


    "Yes! I did it!"" She turned her head towards Hoh, her eyes clouding over slightly.


    "But then, when I watched Team A take the test so earnestly... they all tried so hard to pass, all of them are good people... I thought to myself, would it really be worth it at the top of I have to climb up all of these people?" She huffed. "At that moment, I realized. I realized the thing that had been holding me up all this time, even on the test floor."


    She gave out a crooked smile.


    ""Wow... this sucks", I thought."


    Hoh continued to look at her face for a moment before speaking out.


    "...Everyone had to prepare for that moment when they first came into the tower." He


    clenched his teeth.


    "Me, you, or anyone that ever came into the tower, they all knew the price and were willing to pay for it." He looked down at his feet.


    "Everyone understands... so don''t worry." He said.


    Serena stayed quiet for a moment.


    "Then Hoh... if I were to use you as a stepping stone... if I were to cause your fall, you won''t blame me?" she asked.


    "I won''t." Hoh said without hesitation.


    "I am prepared for failure. Eventually, someone else will use me as a stepping stone." Hoh also flashed a crooked smile.


    "Isn''t that... isn''t that how it is from day one?" He turned his back towards her.


    "So let''s not blame each other."


    Serena looked at his back for a moment, feeling unsure about her conflicting emotions.


    Hatz stood alone in a narrow staircase, his swords drawn out as he looked towards the bottom.


    His eyes were narrowed down as he tried to get a clearer view of the darkness. Sadly, he had not yet mastered Shinsu sense, something that could be used to sense everything around oneself; a must have ability for a scout.


    The two spear bearers which had accompanied him had just recently tried to turn on him and use him as bait; for something they called their ''Spear Bearer Revolution.'' It went without saying that they stood no chance against him. However, just when he was going to teach them a proper lesson, he felt the ranker appear.


    Sweat poured from his forehead as he looked on in wait for the ranker. Swords were especially hard to swing in a high density shinsu area, meaning in an environment like the current one, Hatz was fighting at at best, 40% of his true combat potential, a skill issue in accordance to


    him.


    Along with that, he wasn''t completely sure about the skill level of the two spear bearers he had instructed to lie in wait for an opportunity. If anything, they might choose to betray the


    team and run off.


    Hatz tightened his grip on the sword, dispelling the thoughts out of his mind.


    All I can do right now is trust them! He vowed.


    His eyes looked on, waiting for the ranker to arrive.


    I thought he would be happy after taking care of Team A... but the waves of his fury are reaching me all


    the way here through the shinsu...


    "Lights to the front!" He commanded the observer that rushed above him and cast it''s light to


    the front.


    Just then, something rushed out from down the stairs, climbing each step with frightening


    speed.


    Whoooosh!


    Hatz slashed with his sword, only to meet the air as the ranker ducked beneath it. Then, the ranker jumped towards him, throwing a fist at his abdomen which was blocked by his arm.


    Hatz was pushed back, his arm badly bruised. The ranker didn''t delay any longer, jumping ahead once more and throwing another punch at him, one that was again blocked by his arm. Then, making use of the opportunity, Hatz slashed down with his sword towards the ranker, This sword cutting through the shinsu in the air.


    Shaaaa!


    Crack!


    A small straight crack formed in the stairs, his sword again not meeting it''s intended target.


    "Wow! I knew you were strong in my class but such skill is commendable!" The ranker praised. "But compared to Arie swordsmanship, its not too great." He lamented.


    As he spoke, a storm rapidly brew in Hatz''s head.


    He punched me with all his weight and stepped back to avoid my strike at such a close range! And all of


    that was done on the same foot! He thought grimly.


    I see. I understand. He grinned a bit as he looked on towards Quant. His movements aren''t just exceptional for a human. No, this man in front of me... he''s no longer a human.


    He is a different species than any other that exists in the tower!


    The Ranker!


    "The ranker is here!" Came Hatz''s voice from the lighthouse. Serena and Hoh who were


    sitting around in the darkness immediately jumped in fright.


    "Damn! He''s here already!? Let''s go Hoh!" Serena yelled as she began to run through the dark.


    However, just when she looked back, she couldn''t find anyone.


    "Eh?" She looked around.


    "Hoh?!"


    The fisherman group walked along towards the exit, still traversing the second circle. Winston trotted along without saying anything. In his hand, he twirled a small coin, pale blue in colour with frightening proficiency.


    Physicals currency in the tower was rare, at least in terms of dealing between regulars. Otherwise, it was plenty abundant in the middle and the outer tower. What he held was a


    silver coin, inland with 3% pure suspendium, something he had bought from Khun at the discounted price of 200 points.


    Winston smiled as he remembered the trade deal. With some research he had figured out that


    suspendium was especially pricey in all respects, no matter how impure it was. As such, the coin he held in his hands was of at least a value of 800 points.


    However, Swindlers were indeed good at deception and trickery. Somehow, he had managed to cut off the deal to a measly sum of 200 points.


    He twirled in around his fingers, looking at Endorsi and Bam who walked at the forefront of


    the group.


    Slowly, he drew in closer to listen in to their conversation.


    It wasn''t anything worth Winston''s benefits, only Endorsi telling Bam about her background,


    which, for some reason the Princess deemed right to be discusses in the middle of a test.


    Suddenly, as the princess was busy telling her story to the boy, a voice yelled out from the lighthouse.


    "Ranker found!" It yelled.


    The brawny man who was complimenting Endorsi looked at the lighthouse in alarm.


    "Ranker?! Where? Close?!"


    "No! He''s near the swordsman and the two idiots!"


    As the words landed, the man turned towards the princess with a big smile on his face.


    "You see princess! The ranker is moving as expected! The plan is working perfectly!" He


    exclaimed.


    Hearing his words, Winston suddenly felt a bad premonition.


    He stole a glance at Endorsi, who smirked at the news.


    "Yes. It''s working perfectly." She said. Suddenly, she pulled out a red needle from he reel


    inventory and threw it out.


    The reel spun the needle around, making a large circle, about 10 meters in radius around her.


    The lighthouse which stood in the way was instantly pierced through, turning it off and isolating all contact with the rest of the team, engulfing their group in darkness.


    "The lighthouse! What are you doing?!" The fisherman with the sword asked, his eyes


    narrowing dangerously.


    Endorsi''s smirk widened as she said in a sweet and compassionate tone.


    "Anyone that leaves this circle henceforth, will die." She chuckled. "Though you might die regardless. I am very moody after all."


    Winston smiled at her display, pleased that his previous guess had come to fruition. "Princess. You should stop playing around." The brawny man said, drawing closer to the


    princess.


    Just then, Endorsi kicked him in the chin, throwing him to the side, almost to the outside of


    the ring she had made.


    "All the fisherman moving together in one place, all watching the ranker''s movements. Jeez,


    are you people really so clueless." She sighed.


    "That is the reason you all don''t deserve to go up the tower." She shook her head.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Leave a review.

 Chapter 30: Hide and Seek - 6

    Chapter 30: Hide and Seek - 6Winston smirked at her display, feeling a bit amused.


    "And what of me?" Winston smirked, adding a mocking tone to his voice. "Princess?"


    He noticed how a vein threatened to pop on her forehead, but she didn''t take any movements towards him.


    "You are the exception to this." She said. "Walk out if you want to. But don''t get in my way." She scowled.


    Winston chuckled.


    Then, he put his hands on the back of his head and stretched his body.


    "You''re surprisingly self aware." He said.


    From the corner of his eyes, he saw Endorsi''s grip on her needle tighten, yet she still didn''t


    move.


    "You... you planned to eliminate us from the beginning?" The man with the sword asked. The brawny man got up, blood flowing from his nostrils due to the kick he had recieved. "Correct!" Endorsi smiled sweetly, turning her head away from Winston.


    "If you all get eliminated, oh, look at that, there will be 5 fishermen left! The ideal grounds for me to pass!" Endorsi chortled happily.


    "Ms Endorsi! Why are you doing this?!" Bam yelled out from behind her.


    Suddenly, Winston who was about to leave the circle and go about his way looked back at him, seeing his nervous look. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So she did that to teach him a lesson huh? She isn''t normally so kind to do so... perhaps she made a deal with Khun? Or... Don''t tell me she has a crush on Bam... Winston felt weirded out by his own thought process and stepped out of the circle without problem.


    "H-he stepped out of the circle! Look at him!" As he did so, the brawny man yelled after him, calling out to Endorsi.


    Winston looked over his shoulder, his eyes finding Endorsi who stood with a needle in hand. Then he smiled and said, "So are you really going to do anything? Princess?"


    His tone was one of slight provocation. However, Endorsi didn''t seem to be the one to be riled up through such provocations. As Winston had observed, one had to comment on her face of body to provoke her properly.


    Endorsi clicked her tongue in annoyance.


    "Someday, I will really punch that grin off of you. Sadly, it won''t be today."


    Winston chuckled and walked along. He held up his hand and waved to them.


    "It''s good to have dreams Princess! But best not make them unrealistic!"


    Endorsi gnashed her teeth together as Winston eventually disappeared into the darkness.


    Somewhere along the line as he walked along, Winston heard a large explosive sound from the area Endorsi and the other fishermen were.


    What was that? Was it Bam''s latent powers awakening? He joked to himself, not sure whether such a thing could happen or not.


    All things about irregulars considered, Winston would not be too surprised to find out that Bam had somehow awakened a strange ability in the face of danger or stress. However ordinary the boy might seem to be, he was and will be an irregular; someone that breaks the rules and laws of the tower.


    Winston shook these thoughts off his head and went head. Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind.


    He smiled.


    Let''s just make this game interesting. I''ve been on the sidelines long enough I feel. He popped his neck and stretched his arms above his head. Then, he summoned his pocket and looked at his position.


    "I''m almost to the safe zone... wasn''t the seeker sighted close to the stairs that lead to the second circle? I wonder if I''ll meet him on the way down." he muttered to himself. Then, he shrugged and took out the bright blue coin out of his pocket.


    I''ll run into the ranker if I go to the safe zone.


    I''ll run into the ranker if I go to the safe zone...


    He muttered the sentence in his mind seven times, and then flicked the coin into the air.


    Ding!


    The coin spun in the air and landed right onto his palm.


    Heads... Winston smiled in anticipation. Then, he started running towards the safe zone.


    "I have a question, Mr. Light." A voice echoed in the darkness. Winston stopped in his tracks as he heard the voice. He propped his body to the wall adjacent to him and peered over the corner; his dark vision allowing for perfect vision. Right at the edge of the safe zone, where the lightbearer, Michelle light was stood two humanoid figures.


    One of them held the other one in a choke grip, a blade at the other party''s neck. The one at the blade point was a young girl with blonde hair and freckles, donning a dark brown cloak.


    Hoh and Rachel? Winston narrowed his eyes, feeling some deeper story behind the current predicament. I wasn''t expecting to encounter such drama...


    "Who is Bam... that monster?" Hoh called out. "Isn''t it weird? How is he able to learn shinsu so fast? Was he blessed or something?" Hoh''s eyes took on a crazed look, his voice cracking


    with a crooked tone.


    "Why are you so quiet? Tell me." He chuckled.


    Because you''re holding out hand over her mouth, idiot. Winston scoffed in his mind.


    "What did god take from him in exchange for talent? I lost everything... and all I got was enough power to do some parlor tricks. Don''t you think he deserves a bit of... misery?"


    At that point, Winston walked out from the corner.


    "Who are you to decide that?" His voice echoed in the surroundings, startling Hoh who was about to plunge the blade into Rachel''s neck.


    "Who''s there?" He screamed into the darkness.


    Winston smiled and slowly walked into the dim light cast by the non functioning lighthouse.


    "Mr... Winston?" Hoh''s eyes widened a bit.


    "I''ll ask you again. Who gave you the right to decide whether Bam deserves misery or not?" Winston asked, a smile still on his face.


    Hearing his words, Hoh was surprised for a moment before he gave out a slight smile.


    "What? Are you here to stop me from killing her?" He smiled. Winston''s eyes scanned Rachel who was sweating profusely.


    "Honestly speaking... I don''t really care if you kill her or not; personally." He scratched his head, feeling a bit annoyed. In his mind, the figure of a young boy flashed. "But... I guess I want to protect the strange innocence I was never able to experience..." He droned.


    Hoh raised an eyebrow.


    "What are you talking about?" He asked.


    Winston''s eyes suddenly took on a piercing glare. "Let her go. You failure of a wave controller." He said in a cold voice.


    Hoh''s eyes trembled slightly under his gaze as he took in the contents of his words. He


    gnashed his teeth.


    "You! I see! So, you''re also with that monster! Why are you supporting him?! Don''t you see what kind of a monster he is?!" Hoh screamed, the saliva flowing out of his mouth.


    "Monster?" Winston scratched his chin, looking at him quizzically.


    "That''s right! Don''t you see how fast he picked up shinsu! Compared to everyone else, he''s way too monstrous! What did he lose to gain that talent?! I lost everything! I lost everything that I had ever known all my life and I still can''t do anything! Do you think that''s fair!?" Hoh screamed in unbridled rage, his eyes clouding over momentarily with wrath.


    Winston narrowed his eyes at him.


    "So?" He tilted his head.


    "Wha?" Hoh looked at him quizzically.


    "So what?" Winston asked again. "All I can deduce is the fact that you''re blaming Bam for your own inability." Winston began to walk forward with slow and deliberate steps. "Why are you so deep into your own shell of demean that you overlook everything? You say that Bam hasn''t lost anything and he deserves misery? Who are you to decide that?


    "All you''re doing is imposing your own loss to someone else. Stop blaming others for your own circumstances. There is no one to blame for your loss, no one to look for to take responsibility. Your circumstances, your loss, "your", it is yours. Not anyone else''s." Winston looked at him in pity. "You''re such a large failure that you would want nothing more than to cause misery to a naive boy? Get over yourself. You trash."


    Hoh''s eyes hook inside his sockets. The hand which held the blade began to tremble, appearing to be on the breaking point. Then, a single tear dropped from his eyes and slid over


    his cheek.


    "you... you..." He clenched his teeth. "You know nothing!" He pulled back the knife and held it behind Rachel''s body. "I will take from him what god didn''t! I will do god''s work and do this world a favor!" He pulled back the knife preparing for a strike.


    And just when Winston concentrated his spirituality and was going to cast freeze on the deranged failure of a regular, a powerful voice boomed out from the darkness, seemingly


    coming from all directions at once.


    Hoh stopped and so did Winston.


    "You will take for him what God didn''t? A mere regular like you?" Winston turned his head,


    gazing through the darkness at the red haired ranker, Quant.


    "You should know better." Quant smiled, walking into the light. Behind him floated a yellow


    coloured lighthouse.


    "The God on this stage... is me."


    Hoh looked at the ranker, flabbergasted. "How did you get here?" He asked in disbelief. Then, his eyes took in the image of the lighthouse. "You... you followed the lighthouse she left?"


    Dammit! That was sneaky of her! Hoh cursed in his mind. But why did the ranker follow the


    lighthouse?!


    Winton also narrowed his eyes at the lighthouse that was behind Quant. Why would be follow the lighthouse, when the priority is with Endorsi who could potentially escape?


    "What the hell are you doing? Pointing a knife at your teammates?" Quant asked, his voice


    conveying his annoyance perfectly. "It doesn''t seem like you''re competing for the same position too... what do we have here?"


    Winston suddenly felt a chill travel up his spine. The shinsu around him seemingly waved and bubbled, travelling all around with the ranker as the focal point.


    That''s... dangerous... Winston''s forehead was suddenly full of sweat. Something''s not right... it''s as if... as if he already knew about my plans... Hoh thought grimly.


    "Damn it!" Hoh yelled, trying to dash back into the safe zone. At that moment, the ranker


    moved.


    In the span of the blink of an eye, the ranker dashed all the way to Hoh, appearing right before him. However, just when he was about to hit him away. Something dashed out from the side, targeting both the ranker and Winston.


    The ranker leaned back, dodging a bright red spear that was thrown at him, allowing Hoh and


    Rachel to retreat back into the safe zone.


    Meanwhile, Winston side stepped and extended his hand and in the middle of the air, he


    grabbed the spear from the air.


    Winston looked at the perpetrators of the act, looking at the green skinned spear bearer,


    Paracule and the other spear bearer that accompanied them.


    "What are you doing?" Winston asked coldly. Paracule looked at his friend as if he was an


    idiot.


    "Why are you attacking him! I told you to attack the ranker!"


    "Sorry!" The other spear bearer bowed his head towards Winston.


    Winston chuckled coldly, looking over towards the safe zone. Chaos isn''t so bad I guess... Maybe Mr. Fool was onto something...


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Leave a review.

 Chapter 31: Hide and Seek - 7

    Chapter 31: Hide and Seek - 7A/N: I don''t know if anyone noticed in the last chapter.


    But Hoh says God with a small g. "god."


    While Quant says the word God with a capital G. "God."


    Winston looked at the two people who were tied up behind paracule and the other spear bearer. It was evidently they had taken hostages to put pressure on the ranker.


    Without wasting any time, the two spear bearers hurriedly told Hoh to collude with them, which he was happy to do.


    "Mr. Quant. If you resist, I can''t guarantee the girl''s life..." He said, his hand shaking in


    nervousness.


    Winston clicked his tongue and looked towards the Spear Bearers.


    "Annoying." He said.


    Then, his figure turned into an after image. His body, enhanced with shinsu dashed at full speed towards the spear bearers who stood 80 meters away, reaching their position in a little less than a second.


    The spear bearers, in a frenzy tried to go for the two hostages, onto to freeze midway. Freeze spell of a trickmaster!


    Winston stopped in front of them and kicked them in the head, promptly knocking them out.


    Then, he looked over towards the ranker who raised an eyebrow at his impressive display of speed.


    "I was hoping to meet you." Winston smiled.


    Quant smirked. "Is that so? Want to try your luck?"


    "Luck? That''s a whole other domain." He chuckled. "I prefer testing myself against destiny. That''s more in my domain." Winston held the spear in his hand and took a combat stance.


    Quant looked at Hoh who stood pointing a knife at Rachel''s neck.


    "Are you really going to do this? Your teammates life is at risk you know?" He asked.


    Winston looked over at Hoh. Just then, as he was about to freeze Hoh and free the girl, a voice called out from the side.


    "Mr. Hoh? What are you doing?"


    With the voice, a young boy emerged, his figure covered in crimson.


    All these interruptions are getting annoying... Suddenly he shivered. Coincidences, coincidences... should I be wary of a certain quill? Winston joked in his mind, feeling a chill travel up his spine at the remembrance of the first volume of Lord of Mysteries. The first volume really triggered a lot of traumas of illogical things. A couple being Pregnant Woman and Coincidences.


    With Bam''s arrival, the situation turned awkward for Hoh, who, at first stammered over his words.


    Then, as Bam continued to question him and drew in closer and closer, Hoh eventually began to scream at him, demeaning him for his ''talent'' and ''luck''. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eventually, as things turned bad, Hoh pulled back the knife and plunged it deep into Rachel''s back.


    Rachel let out a muffled scream as Bam pulled back his steps in fright.


    "If you want her to keep breathing, stop those two!" Hoh yelled at him.


    "Hey. Don''t you think this has gone far enough." Winston''s voice came from behind Hoh at the moment.


    Hoh suddenly felt his hair stand on edge and he pulled back the knife in order to slit Rachel''s throat.


    However, at the critical moment, he suddenly felt his blood turn cold. His movements slowed down and his body lost all its heat, turning as cold as ice.


    His eyes trembled as he struggled to make sense of the situation.


    A strong hand held the back of his hair and pulled him and, throwing his frozen body to the ground.


    Crash!


    "Aurgh!" Hoh let out a small scream in pain as he stabilized his body and looked back, only to see Winston towering over him.


    Sweat poured from his face as he looked into the almost dead and cold eyes of this... demon.


    "W-what are you?" He stammered.


    Winston didn''t answer. Suddenly, he pulled back his leg and kicked Hoh right in the face, causing blood to pour out of his nose and mouth.


    Then, Winston smiled at him.


    "Your plan has failed. Now stay put. We''ll deal with you later." He said, and then, he walked


    back towards the ranker, out of the safe zone.


    "Shall we begin now?" He asked with a smile.


    Quant chuckled.


    "Is that remote reverse flow control? It feels a bit different but I can feel the shift in the shinsu." Quant asked in intrigue.


    Winston smiled.


    "You can detect that?"


    "Of course! A great scout can always tell the subtle shifts in shinsu." Quant nodded. "But your reverse flow control doesn''t seem so refined. Want me to give you some tips?" He broke out


    with a toothy grin.


    "I certainly wouldn''t mind them."


    Suddenly, Quant rushed straight at him, in his hands, a small ball of light gathering up.


    Winston prepared himself, the spear in his hand ready for combat.


    Just then, a vision rapidly surged into his mind. He saw Quant''s palm touch his chest, the baang flowing into him, and then, all his movements seized while Quant retreated back. Seeing the vision, Winston didn''t do anything as Quant approached and slammed his palm into his chest. Quant raised a brow at Winston not dodging the attack and saw him smiling. Seeing his wide grin, Quant chuckled.


    "Regulars these days..." He muttered and jumped back. "They keep getting crazier."


    Winston felt the shinsu that flowed inside him turn chaotic and out of control, even his spirituality. And then, the shinsu stopped.


    He felt his body freeze up and cease all kinds of movement, not even being able to move a


    finger.


    And then, with some effort, he seized control over his flow and got rid of the stiffness. "That baang I gave you, can you feel it?" Quant asked, to which Winston responded with a


    nod.


    "Replicate the same flow in an attack using a singular baang. If done correctly, even a baang with only ten Soo can freeze a regular for a few seconds. Though you recovered quite quickly, taking less than a second."


    Winston remembered the flow he felt inside his body, remembering the intensity through which it streamed through him. For some time, he experienced something breaking down inside him and fusing with his spirit to some extent. He smiled.


    "I think I got it." Winston looked back, feeling a gaze at the back of his head and saw Endorsi walking towards them with the sword of the sword-wielding fisherman. Behind her, Bam laid sobbing while holding onto a bloodied Rachel, all while a lone body stayed on the ground, a knife sticking out of his chest.


    He... committed suicide? Winston raised an eyebrow.


    At the corner of his eyes, he saw Serena who had freed herself walking over towards them,


    limping as she did so.


    He turned his attention to Endorsi.


    Winston smiled at her.


    "Well well, if it isn''t the princess." He said.


    Endorsi smiled, "Shall we take the badge now?" she said, holding up her sword.


    "Take the badge? Just you?" Quant laughed.


    Finally, without a word everyone involved took on a combat stance.


    Serena sat beside Hoh looking at the three people that were getting ready to fight.


    Bam, who was kneeling beside Rachel got up and looked towards the three figures.


    Serena stole a glance at Hoh and her eyes held a sad expression.


    People lose their reason to live when they lose something they cherish...


    Serena looked at the battlefield again.


    "Doesn''t like suck, Hoh?" She called out, knowing that no one was hearing her.


    "The world doesn''t care when I''m losing. But when I try to make others lose, it stops me. Isn''t


    that unfair? Hoh?"


    Winston held the spear in his hand and dashed straight at the red haired ranker. Endorsi took it as the signal and also dashed forward with speed not too inferior to that of Winston. Quant strode forward by a single step, getting too close to Winston for him to attempt a stab and not close enough to attempt a kick or a punch.


    Winston suddenly smiled and a bright light flashed in front of the Ranker''s eyes, causing him


    to close them.


    Trickmaster spell, Light!


    Endorsi who was at the side took advantage of the opportunity and slashed with her sword.


    "Narumada! Ignition!" She yelled.


    Then, a flux in the shinsu around them came.


    Winston jumped back in time, narrowly avoiding a large explosion of Shinsu that came with


    the sword strike.


    "Are you trying to catch me in the collateral?"


    Winston smirked.


    Endorsi chuckled at his words.


    "Are you going to be caught even?" She inquired.


    Winston shook his head, looking towards the ranker again.


    Slamming his fingers together he activated Spirit vision to see the shinsu flow and read the


    ranker''s moves.


    "Actually, I can''t remember a time where I had to fight seriously. I always made excuses; saying that


    the world was unfair."


    Winston eyes widened imperceptibly, the same smile on his face still. The ranker walked out


    of the large dust cloud that had been made due to the shinsu explosion, his figure remained completely unscathed.


    "You''re tough." Winston commented.


    "400 years in the upper floors. The shinsu has stopped my ageing and made my body tougher than steel." Quant laughed boisterously. "Though I have to say, having to face an ignition weapon, especially in the hands of a Jahad princess wasn''t something I was expecting." Without another exchange of words, they all dashed at each other. An explosion of waves happened in Winston''s eyes, overlapping with his normal vision, outlining the next moves to be of everyone in his line of sight. However, Winston quickly noticed a problem.


    The shinsu... it doesn''t seem to be moving as much with his body. Normally, as the body moves through


    the shinsu, waves outline the movement that will be followed. However, his case in a bit troublesome.


    The three engaged in a two versus one battle, their figures rapidly phasing about the battlefield.


    Freeze! Winston yelled in his mind, at the same time, casting the reverse flow control he had


    just learned. Quant stopped suddenly, his figure stuck in an awkward moving of jumping up


    from the ground.


    Endorsi moved forward without wait, quickly igniting the sword and slashing down towards


    the ranker.


    "But then, I always regretted not having fought with my life on the line."


    Boom!


    Crash!


    Another bout of explosion happened, and with it, the ranker dashed out of the dust cloud


    right towards Winston.


    "You''re troublesome! I''ll deal with you first!" He yelled.


    Winston smirked.


    Just as Quant was about to reach Winston, he stopped and leaning back.


    Whoosh!


    A baang whirled past his face, smashing into the wall at the far end, leaving a football sized


    depression.


    Quant looked sideways, where a bloodied and battered boy stood with his hand stretched towards him.


    Without giving him anytime to think, Winston moved again.


    Freeze! And Stop!


    Quant froze again, and with that, Endorsi dashed from behind and Winston from the front.


    "What would have happened if I had taken the risk despite the dangers? What would have happened if


    I had at least tried?


    "It might just have been a life full of losses, but my heart wouldn''t have been so empty right now... I


    would have at least been happy."


    Quant who was frozen quickly seized control over his body again, an action that took a blink of an eye. Even Winston was surprised by his recovery speed. However, that time was enough for Winston to get right up and personal with him.


    They both engaged in a rapid fist fight. Endorsi slashed her sword at Quant. Both Winston and


    the seeker ducked under it to avoid the hit.


    Then, Winston muttered something.


    "I have a feeling she''s more into targeting me and you..."


    "I felt the same as well." Quant agreed.


    For a moment, Winston was at a loss of words. He was only joking, but getting Quant''s


    confirmation seemed to be a wake up call.


    Tumble! Winston concentrated his spirituality and cast another one of the trickmaster spells.


    Quant''s footing trembled and he slipped forward.


    "So we need to keep on living...


    "Because eventually... in that long life that we have ahead of us, maybe, just maybe we''ll be able to find


    something of meaning. Perhaps, we''ll find one or two reasons to keep going won''t we?


    "Like them..."


    Quant slammed his hand into the ground, supporting himself up and throwing himself into


    the air.


    Just then, a beam of light impacted his back, throwing him forward.


    A baang of shinsu, thrown by Bam!


    Quant clenched his teeth. At the ground, Endorsi yelled out the name of her weapon again.


    "Narumada! Ignition!" Shinsu roared around the sword, as if given a strange consciousness


    that promised nothing but pain to all that touched it.


    Then, she swung the sword.


    A brilliant slash of light travelled through the air, going right at Quant who still hovered mid


    air.


    Just then, the shinsu around him reacted. It whirled around his body, the waves altering his


    posture mid flight.


    In the blink of an eye, his body completely turned around in the air, avoiding the slash


    altogether.


    As he landed onto the ground, Quant suddenly felt his body freeze up.


    "Got you!" Came the voice of Winston Heath.


    He dashed out as the maximum speed he could muster. As his hand was about to reach the


    badge, the ranker took control over his body and his eyes turned to look at Endorsi who stood some distance away.


    Without missing a beat, the shinsu around him reacted again, the waves piling about and facilitating his movements.


    Immediately, his speed which was comparable to Winston turned at least 3 times faster.


    Whooosh!


    His figure dashed right past Winton, leaving a trail of dus behind it, rushing straight


    the Princess who held the badge!


    Suddenly, Winston smiled.


    Shaaaaa!


    Fiiiiiiiii!


    The sound of a rope being drawn suddenly rang out, prompting Quant to stop in his tracks as


    he reached Endorsi.


    His eyes widened as he looked towards his coat.


    The badge silently hung to his cloak. However, slowly, it disappeared into a mystical illusion!


    He hurriedly looked back.


    Besides Winston floated his reel inventory, atop which was a hook that held the badge of the


    ranker.


    With a smile, Winston spoke.


    "Checkmate!" With that said, he pressed the button.


    Serena quietly looked at them with sad smile.


    Then, she looked at Hoh.


    "Why did you have to die... when you have a full life ahead of you..." She shook her head as her


    hand closed the still open eyes of Hoh. Beeeeeeeeeeep! ["Team A failed! Team B passed!"]


    A/N: This was a somewhat difficult chapter to write.


    Anyway, its about 20% longer. Let me know about any misspells in the chapter.


    So, throw some stones. And leave a review please.

 Chapter 32: Talks

    Chapter 32: TalksThe Hide and Seek test ended in the victory of Team B and loss of Team A.


    After the test was over and the injured were escorted out, Winston could not help but notice the slightly despondent feeling everyone held on their faces, especially the bloodied boy, the 25th Bam.


    Winston shook his head, not understanding the source of their sadness.


    "..." Winston looked on as Hoh was carried off, and remembered the list the Scouts were given.


    His eyes narrowed slightly.


    Then, he smiled.


    I suppose he was really so naive to take everyone as his friend... Winston''s mind was suddenly filled with images of Amon, Zarhan and the other regulars he had spent time with on the test floor. He could not help but let his thoughts wander, thinking up the various possibilities the future may hold.


    Then, he closed his eyes and sighed. He felt the progress of his potion digestion, and finally his mood elevated to a certain extent.


    It seems even lying to the ranker about knowing reverse flow control was fine for the swindler potion to trigger digestion...


    Amid every single member of the B team, Winston was the only one that held a smile on his face.


    Winston struggled in his bed, rolling about the covers as the sunlight filtered through the partially closed curtains. He blinked for a few seconds before stretching and getting out of bed.


    Then, he suddenly heard a voice echo through the room.


    "Mic test! Mic test! One two three!


    "Attention all regulars! This is Lero ro!


    Congratulations for making your way through the previous test! I''m sure all of you are very tired by taking the position test, but make sure not to stay in bed all day and have your meals!


    "Because the tests are now over, the meals in the cafeteria are now free, so those that didn''t eat as well to save points can let themselves loose!


    However, I will say, the food here isn''t that great."


    As Lero ro continued to speak, Winston got up and stretched his slightly stiff joints. Then, he practiced some rough cogitation to focus his spirituality and materialized two baangs around him amid the announcement.


    The baangs floated around him in a circle, speeding up gradually. Winston closed his eyes and say down cross-legged on the ground.


    "Now to tell you the reason the announcement is being made, the results for the positioning test will be revealed today at 6 pm in the main hall. Kindly be present on time! Enjoy!"


    With that, the announcement ended.


    Winston kept his eyes closed, not letting his thoughts wander.


    The two baangs around him sped up more and more, spinning around rapidly, even making a slight breeze in the room.


    Slowly but surely, a third baang also began to form around him, joining the other two.


    The third was noticanly smaller than the other two at first, but it rapidly grew in size to match the other two.


    Hooooo~


    Winston breathed out. With a small mental command, the baangs around him stopped immediately.


    Then, he got up and headed for the bathroom.


    Winston sat on the tables of the cafeteria, with Amon and Zarhan to his sides.


    They all had lavish food plates on their table, eating without a care in the world. All three had full confidence for passing the test without trouble.


    Winston not only performed well, but had the highest number if points among the fishermen; not to mention Hex who seemed to favor him. Amon, being the top 3 in the Scout rankings for the test floor, along with performing well in the test against Quant, his position teacher.


    As for Zarhan... he had already passed early. And he has made all the effort to rub it in both Winston and Amon''s faces.


    Winston chewed on the eel meat, his eyes wandering about the room, spotting Endorsi and Khun who were heading for the empty seats diagonally across from them.


    Winston quietly chose to eat his food, not bothering to call out to them.


    As both of them seated, they began to talk.


    "I didn''t know you were so ruthless. Destroying all of your fellow fishermen like them." Khun droned with a chuckle.


    "Weren''t you the one who proposed that you will help me with my ''business?"" Endorsi raised an eyebrow.


    "I was. Didn''t you promise to keep Bam from meeting Rachel?" Khun took another bite from the rice. Winston''s ears perked up hearing this.


    So they did make a deal... so, in exchange for keeping Bam with her, Khun would help her in a ''business?'' Going up the next floor I assume? Winston mused.


    "I did. But I couldn''t stop him." Endorsi chortled.


    Hearing her words, Khun got up immediately.


    "You ruined everything." He said and went in his way, taking his food along with him.


    "That was a disaster.." Zarhan said suddenly.


    Endorsi perked up, looking at the three of them.


    "Were you listening around?!" Endorsi yelled at them.


    "You aren''t exactly subtle with how you talk." Amon said, taking a bite out of the eel meat. "If anything, it seems like you just don''t care who listens in. I''m surprised you didn''t notice


    us." He said.


    That was the truth. In actuality, Winston even suspected that Khun purposefully chose the seat diagonally across from them because he wanted them to hear their conversation; for reasons unknown to Winston. As for why that could potentially be the case, he could not say. But there was one thing he knew for sure, it was the fact that Khun wasn''t so immature or careless to have just anyone listen in to his conversation.


    Winston smiled, pleased at the cunning of the blur haired young man.


    "Are you alright, princess?" Winston chuckled.


    Endorsi raised an eyebrow.


    "Ha! What could be wrong with me? A princess of Jahad!?" She asked boisterously.


    "Ye seem sad. You even have dark circles under your eyes." Zarhan spoke nonchalantly from


    the side.


    Endorsi suddenly froze.


    "What the hell are you saying?! Did you say I have dark circles?! I''ll have you know I take great care of my sleep routine!" Endorsi yelled in a blinded rage.


    Winston sighed, and so did Amon.


    Endorsi was too easily riled up. One had to comment only on her appearance or age.


    "I don''t know about the dark circles, but you do seem slightly despondent." Winston took a bite. "You should smile more. Being all sad isn''t gonna get you anywhere." He commented. Amon nodded at the side. "That''s right! At least with a smile, one can gain strength to face


    the challenges!"


    Endorsi scoffed.


    "Smiling in front of a challenge? Instead of that, I prefer to eat up whatever is bothering me." She shook her head and got up, picking up her plate alongside her.


    Then, she walked away from the table.


    "She''s definitely feeling off." Amon commented.


    "Yep." Zarhan expressed his agreement.


    With that, they continued to eat their food in silence and a bit of idle chatter.


    Winston sat in his room by himself, lost in thought.


    He looked at the time.


    5:32 pm. It was not too long before the test results would be out.


    With the test results out and Rachel being injured, wouldn''t she be declared unfit for climbing and


    therefore fail the test? He mused. Then, he shook his head.


    Whatever happens between her and Bam, that is now their own concern. He concluded. He had made the effort to save Rachel because they were taking a test and she was his teammate. There was no other reason involved whatsoever. Or at least any that he was willing to name.


    He sighed.


    I''m hungry... he thought.


    Just then, a knock was heard on his door.


    He got off the bed and spoke.


    "Come in!"


    The door opened with a strange hum, revealing a young man with bright blue hair and dark


    blue eyes, adorning a plain white shirt and khakhi coloured pants.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "Khun?" He asked.


    Khun nodded.


    "May I come in?"


    Winston nodded and invited him in. Winston sat cross legged on the bed while Khun.ade


    himself comfortable on the chair in front of it.


    "So? What brings you here?" Winston asked with a smile.


    "Nothing in particular. Can''t I just feel like seeing a friend?" Khun smiled back.


    Winston chuckled.


    "I might have believed you if it were any other time during the one month stay here."


    Winston gazed at him. "But not after the small display you put up for us earlier today. You''re


    here for something. You need something from me." He said.


    Khun didn''t object. "Then, I''ll get straight to the point." He said, his eyes suddenly gaining a strange pierce.


    "I want you to train Bam and aid us in something we will do." Winston raised an eyebrow at S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Khun''s request. "Train Bam? Aid you? How so? And more importantly, what do I get in return?" Winston smiled, pleased at having the opportunity to swindle Khun again. Aside from Quant, Khun was the ideal person to swindle, solely because of his sharp mind. The greater the difficulty of


    swindling someone, the greater the feedback.


    Khun smiled mysteriously.


    "The request is exactly as it sounds like. I want you to train Bam. As for the second part, its a


    bit complicated." For a few seconds, Khun explained their next course of action that they had decided upon, and how he was to play a role in that.


    After the explanation was done, a short silence followed.


    "And what do I get in return?" Winston asked, the same smile never leaving his face.


    With a shrug Khun chuckled.


    "How does... a needle from Khun Eduan''s personal treasury sound like?" And along came his


    voice like the devil''s whisper.


    Winston was stunned for a moment, his eyes widening imperceptibly. He was silent for a


    moment.


    Then, he smiled.


    "That''s a bit too less, don''t you think?" It seems even the devil has demons he''s plagued by.


    A/N: A shorter chapter than normal.


    After the first volume is done, I will take a short time off from this to prepare for the next


    volume and stack up some chapters.


    Cheers~~


    Also, throw some stonez and leave a review.

 Chapter 33: Results

    Chapter 33: ResultsThere was banter between Winston and Khun for a whole 20 minutes about the price Khun would have to pay for Winston''s help.


    Even Winston would admit without doubt that Khun was not an easy person to swindle anything of monetary value out of; but eventually, it seemed that the swindler potion won through it.


    Winston looked at the time. 5:54 pm. He smiled and Khun as they both got up and shook hands.


    "Pleasure doing business with you." Winston chuckled.


    Khun nodded in agreement.


    "I look forward to cooperating with you." He smiled.


    At that moment, there was another knock on the door. Knock knock~


    "Hey! Come out!" Zarhan yelled from the other side.


    "Mr. Winston! Let''s go!" And along came Amon''s voice.


    Winston looked at Khun, "Ready to commence, I guess?" He asked.


    Khun gave him a devious smirk.


    "Of course."


    With that, Winston, Amon, Zarhan and Khun headed for the main hall of the mothership, where the test results were to be told.


    Two figures walked along a long hallway, both having a similar yellowish blonde hair. One of these figures wore a blue robe adorned with yellow embossing, while the other wore a white lab coat.


    It was the test director, Hansung Yu and the test administrator Lero ro.


    As they walked, Lero ro broke the silence.


    "It''s finally the time to give out the results for the last test. This time''s regulars were really too good. Honestly speaking, I wouldn''t want to drop any of them." Lero ro chuckled. "I suppose I''ve grown too fond of them." He smiled.


    "Director."


    "Yes?"


    "The ''dangers of the tower'' you mentioned before... are there any among the regulars here?" He asked. Hansung glanced at him from the corner of his eye.


    "...Mr. Lero ro." He spoke. Lero ro looked at him, both continuing to walk still.


    "Did I ever tell you about how tests were conducted before?" He asked.


    Lero ro shook his head.


    "The tests on this floor used to be conducted in a similar format to that of the other floors. A more complex testing format was adopted after the incident with Phantaminum."


    Lero ro''s eyes widened a bit, looking at Hansung Yu in surprise.


    "You do know about Phantaminum''s invasion of the Jahad Castle right? He massacred the best of Jahad''s Rankers. Everyone in the tower was shocked by the overwhelming power he possessed, power that directly propelled him to the top of the Tower''s rankings.


    "And then, there was Urek Mazino. He also displayed monstrous powers, to the point that the group he created, Wolhaiksong, is so strong that even the ten great families fear them." Hansung Yu chuckled.


    "At that moment, the Great rulers of the tower found out that the tower they cherished so much could crumble through the appearance of a greater power. If the individuals who were unsatisfied with the tower and individuals with mysterious power were to enter the tower... then the balance of power would crumble down." He shook his head.


    "But what decides if someone is dangerous or not? If that someone needs to be weeded out at the test floor itself?" Lero ro questioned.


    Hansung''s smile widened just a tiny bit.


    "That''s what we determine here, Mr. Lero ro. What better way to do that than a life and death struggle. What better way to gauge someone''s threat level than to put that person into a competition where their own life and existence is at risk? Don''t you think that''s fair? If they can bear all of that and emerge victorious, it can be said that they''re chosen by the gods and hence, are fit to climb. If they die in between, they were better off not attempting to climb in the first place." Hansung laughed.


    "In simpler words, the floor of tests is a massive sea wall, so save the tower from a turbulent tsunami." He said.


    They both reached a giant red door, beyond which lied the main hall.


    "...I don''t really like that idea.." lero ro droned.


    "Is it really helpful to sort those out who might pose a threat to the rules of the tower? Isn''t everything in the tower subject to change in the first place?" He glanced at the director.


    "An ocean without waves; isn''t that just a pond?" He said. "Rather than to die in slow decay, isn''t it better to live fighting the waves?"


    Hansung was quiet for a moment.


    "If you don''t like it you can quit." He said, making Lero ro looked at him strangely. "The tests on the test floor will carry on. Whether you give your approval or not, whether anyone is dissatisfied with it or not. It simply does not matter what anyone thinks." He shook his head.


    Lero ro narrowed his eyes.


    "Then... test director?"


    "Yes?"


    "What say you? Who in the current batch is dangerous to the tower?" Lero ro asked.


    Hansung chuckled.


    "I can count a couple." He hummed, pinching his chin between his thumb and index finger.


    "But if I had to name a few... I suppose Anaak Jahad, and that small miserably boy... what was his name? Bam?" He laughed.


    "Oh, and I almost forgot." He shook his head.


    "That fisherman. Winston Heath." With that, Hansung opened the doors and walked into the


    hall.


    With a heavy expression on his face, Lero ro followed.


    Winston walked into the hall alongside Khun, Amon and Zarhan.


    His eyes wandered towards every regulars that sat around. Most of them held a nervous expression, some even chewing their nails.


    Winston shook his head and walked to a free bench along with Zarhan and Amon. As for Khun,


    Rak and Bam seemed to have saved him a seat.


    "Excuse me? Did the crocodile... grow smaller?"


    Winston asked with a dumbfounded expression. His eyes were a bit unfocused as he looked on towards the chibi figure of Rak who had shrunk to one third his original size.


    At that moment, Zarhan spoke up.


    "That''s right! He said the test director did this!" He exclaimed, which made Rak turn to him


    with a pissed snarl.


    Then, Amon commented, "Though most regulars that are too big to move around comfortably will chose to willingly shrink themselves down through the Floor guardian''s


    permission." He said.


    Winston nodded in enlightenment.


    As they sat down on their seats, the doors to the front, right beside the giant screen opened


    up, revealing two figure walking in. It was Hansung Yu and Lero ro.


    Lero ro stood at the podium while Hansung sat down on a chair behind a table, calmly sipping tea from a tea cup he had managed to somehow conjure up.


    "Good afternoon, regulars!" Lero ro began.


    "Starting now.. I will announce the results of the position test!" He exclaimed. And with that,


    the screen behind him lit up suddenly, showing pictures of the regulars that had passed,


    based on their respective positions.


    Among the regulars, someone gulped in nervousness.


    Fisherman - Winston Heath, Anaak, Endorsi, Death Ryan(Injured; Failed), Cheonhwa Hong.


    Spear Bearers - Ghost, Rak Wraithraiser, Zarhan Zulasekail, Paracule.


    Scout - Shibisu, Hatz, Amon.


    Light Bearer - Khun Agueri Agnis, Michelle Light(Injurer; Failed), Levin.


    Wave Controller - Phonsekal Laure, The 25th Bam.


    A wave of exclamations washed over the regulars.


    Some exclaimed in happiness and relief that they had managed to pass, while the other


    exclaimed in regret and disbelief, some even in anger that they had failed.


    One regular in particular was especially vocal about it, who was Paracule''s acquaintance who had partaken in the ''Spear Bearer''s Revolution'' with him.


    Because of that, the test director, Hansung Yu got up from his seat and walked to the center of the podium. Then, extending his hand, he called him to the stage.


    The regular walked to the stage amidst everyone''s stares. Winston activated his spirit vision, having a feeling that something interesting was about to happen.


    As the regular climbed onto the stage, Hansung Yu challenged him to get off without losing


    his mind.


    The price was him passing the test.


    Just then, his shoulder snapped. "Aaaarggggh!" He screamed in pain as he fell onto the ground, clutching his shoulder.


    Winston''s eyed widened as he felt the shinsu close to the test director roar and twist in


    unnatural patterns. The waves around him seemed to turn almost ferocious, relentlessly rushing into the regular''s body, shredding it from the inside.


    "Arrrgh! My leg!" The regular screamed again, crawling desperately to get off the stage, tears


    going down his cheeks.


    "Aaarrrgh! My balls! Not my balls!" He yelled suddenly, before passing out from the pain.


    Nobody spoke for a few moments. Winston''s eyes remained wide opened, overlooking the


    strange waves that the shinsu moved. A smile was plastered on his face.


    So this is the sliver of a ranker''s power! He thought.


    The hall was quiet for a moment before Hansung spoke.


    "Is there anyone else dissatisfied with the results?" He asked, throwing a casual glance at all


    the regulars. Every regular that hadn''t passed the test suddenly felt themselves tremble unknowingly.


    No one was willing to speak out, lest they met the same fate as the regular before.


    "Damn..." Winston heard Zarhan mutter from the side.


    Then, as Hansung was about to head back, a lone hand propped itself up, and a voice called


    out.


    "I am dissatisfied with the test results!"


    Everyone looked over towards the speaker, finding none other than Khun, the cunning young


    man standing in his seat. Khun held a smile on his face as his eyes met that of Hansung''s.


    Sigh!


    A tired sigh escaped from Hansung''s mouth.


    "Please come up here." He said.


    Amon who was beside Winston suddenly whispered to him.


    "What could he be trying to do?" He asked.


    Winston shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head as he did so.


    "I don''t know. I can''t tell what''s going on in that devious mind of his."


    Amon looked towards the stage again.


    Khun slowly walked over to the stage, both his hands in his pockets.


    "What were you dissatisfied about? You passed didn''t you? Don''t tell me you want me to fail


    you?" Hansung asked with a tired sigh.


    Khun shook his head.


    "No. What I have a problem with is Michelle Light. I want her to pass on to the next test."


    "Michelle Light? But she''s one of your competitors isn''t she?"


    "She''s important to my friend." Khun smiled. Hansung went quiet for a moment before he burst out into laughter.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t take you to be able to make any friends." He said.


    Khun didn''t mind his comment, only looking on for his reply.


    "But she''s Injured." Hansung said. "By the rules of the tests, she cannot partake in the next


    test and hence cannot pass."


    Khun''s devious smirk seemed to widen at that moment.


    "That''s right. That''s why I will take the administrator''s test." He continued as a wave of


    surprise and horror washed over both the regulars and the position teachers who were seated


    to the right.


    "I heard that although the supervisors carry out the tests now, the administrator has the Supreme authority over any test. The rules can be changed as per his discretion." "That''s right." Hansung nodded.


    "So, I''ll take the administrator''s test and get permission for Michelle Light to join the test."


    Hansung was quiet for a moment.


    "Since you know all that, you must also know why everyone doesn''t take that test right?" He


    asked.


    "It''s because the test is too difficult for everyone else. Though I don''t think it''ll be a problem


    for me." He chuckled.


    "You''re very cocky. But that''s not the only reason people don''t take the test." Hansung continued. "The real reason is because there is a requirement." As he said this, there was silence in the hall for a moment.


    "Requirement?"


    "The requirement for taking the administrator''s test is that, like Jahad and Urek Mazino, you


    have to be an irregular." A large smirk made it''s way onto his face as he whispered in a voice that echoed throughout the hall.


    Winston cringed, seeing Khun''s plan fall apart so easily.


    Well, can''t say he didn''t try. He shook his head in disappointment. Too bad there''s no way I''m


    going to reveal myself, or even... Winston''s thoughts stopped for a moment. He looked at Bam from the corner of his eye. Actually, he might just do that. He thought.


    Hansung instructed Khun to go back to his seat, however just at that moment a voice boomed


    out in the hall.


    "Wait!" Everyone''s eyes turned to the figure of a young boy.


    The 25th Bam.


    "I''ll... I''ll take the test!" He yelled.


    "Mr. Bam, did you not hear me?" Hansung raised an eyebrow. However, Winston noticed a curious thing in his spirit vision. The test director... he seemed...


    almost happy?


    What is this?


    "It doesn''t matter!" Bam yelled.


    "Because I''m an Irregular!"


    With that, Winston saw Hansung Yu''s emotions turning, getting happier and excited. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He narrowed his eyes.


    Something''s... not right.


    A/N: The last sub arc of the first volume has arrived finally!


    Give me your stones! Also, leave a review!

 Chapter 34: Administrators Test

    Chapter 34: Administrator''s Test"I felt something was wrong with Bam... but I didn''t guess that he was an irregular." Shibisu spoke, breaking the silence among the regulars that stood around the stage.


    Bam''s confession came as a surprise for everyone. No one had suspected him for being an irregular, except for Winston who had all but concluded the fact already.


    After Bam''s confession, Hansung Yu agreed for him to be able to take the administrator''s test and sent him to meet the floor administrator.


    As for the rest of the regulars, Hansung gave them a choice.


    Either take the test with Bam, or take the next test separately. Even if one could pass the administrator''s test, that would entail that they had helped an irregular go up the tower. If they didn''t, it would probably result in Bam''s failure as no one would be able to assist him in the test.


    "Excuse me?" A small girl with a backpack raised her hand. "What''s an irregular? And why is everyone so surprised?" She asked.


    Shibisu replied, "An irregular is someone that isn''t chosen to climb the tower. They open the gates by themselves and arrive into the tower. They are considered dangerous as everytime an irregular arrives into the tower, chaos has followed. They are all known to possess strength beyond that of any regular."


    The small girl nodded in enlightenment.


    Then, she turned her head towards the others and asked.


    "Then! What should we do?!"


    Paracule who stood quietly spoke up.


    "Of course we won''t help! We can''t ruin our lives to bring some girl up! What has he done for us anyway!?" Paracule yelled, "Think about it! It''ll be insane to help him! Don''t you agree!" Just when the others were about to speak up, a singular comment shut everyone up.


    "Yeah... I agree." Everyone''s eyed turned to Khun to stood with his head lowered. His eyes couldn''t be seen, hidden by his hair.


    Winston smiled, seeing his calm and collected emotions.


    "I feel sorry for Bam, but I can''t help an irregular."


    Oh Khun. Even now, manipulating people to your liking. Winston shook his head with a smile. Hatz turned to Khun and snarled.


    "Khun! You sick piece of crap!" He yelled. "How can you say that!?"


    "I don''t like it either okay?!" Khun yelled back. "But it can''t be helped?! If it gets out that I helped an irregular, I''ll be ruined! I might even get expelled from my family!"


    Hatz gnashed his teeth in anger.


    However, just as he was about to move, a rough sound rang out.


    Crash!


    Khun fell down onto the ground, his lip bleeding crimson. Everyone looked in surprise towards the small crocodilian creature that had smashed it''s head right into Khun''s face. "What the hell are you doing, you crocodile?!" Khun yelled.


    Rak looked down at him, his eyes filled with unbelievable contempt.


    "Look at you turtles. Cowering beneath your shells in fear." He said. "That''s why you''re nothing but a turtle. You''re too afraid to hold your heads up."


    Khun propped his upper body up from the ground, taking support with his arms. "You don''t know what you''re talking-"


    "I don''t care! The Black turtle is my prey, so I''ll follow him!" Rak declared, his voice echoing through the hall.


    "You turtles keep cowering inside your own shell! I''m following him! I don''t want to lose my prey!" Rak yelled and began to walk out of the hall. As he closed the doors behind him, Winston walked forward.


    "I''m going with him as well." He said, making everyone look over to him.


    His eyes scanned Khun, who was sitting on the ground with a guilty expression. Winston''s eyes were clear as he said with a strange smile, "I don''t think anyone would want to be with a cowering traitor that betrays his friends to keep his family name..." He shook his head.


    Zarhan held his hands behind his head and turned his head.


    "I agree. Let''s go."


    With that, all of three of them began to walk out.


    As they did, many other regulars also followed.


    Anaak, Shibisu, Hatz, Endorsi and everyone else that was in the room, even Paracule at the end.


    Everyone left, leaving Khun laying on the ground at the end.


    "..." Khun looked towards the ceiling, lost in thought.


    His eyes were slightly glazed over, appearing a lighter shade of blue than normal.


    Then, a voice sounded from the side.


    "Hey... turtle."


    Khun''s eyes turned to the speaker, finding Rak standing with his arms crossed.


    "Stand up. All the other turtles are joining the test." He said.


    Khun, with a smile stood up and said, "You''re pretty intuitive... Rak?"


    Rak''s maw adorned a strange smile that looked more menacing than happy.


    "I''m the only crocodile... that knows what''s inside the shell..." He said.


    Khun smiled in response as he looked on towards Rak.


    He could not help but reminisce about the moments they had spent together.


    "You know... you just called yourself a crocodile." He said with a chuckle.


    "W-What?! No, I didn''t! I''m Rak Wraithraiser!"


    Khun laughed, making Rak fume in annoyance.


    However, as he watched on for a few seconds, he too began to chuckle. Then, both began to laugh together. A sweet melody of a deep friendship, reverberating through the test floor.


    Winston stood alone in a hallway of the mothership.


    His eyes were lying in wait, looking around the corner of the path where a door stood.


    After some time, the door opened up and out walked a young man with short brown hair.


    The young man didn''t notice him and walked forward without issue.


    "You should be more aware of your surroundings." Winston chuckled. The young boy jumped


    in surprise and looked back.


    "Ah! Mr. Winston." He scratched the back of his head.


    Winston smiled, "Everyone will be joining in on the test with you. You can rest assured."


    Bam''s eyes widened a bit in surprise.


    "Really?! That''s great!"


    Winston walked towards him, prompting Bam to walk along. Their footsteps were the only


    thing heard in the hallway for a few moments.


    "Everyone was pretty shaken up about you being an irregular." He said.


    "Is that so?" Bam''s face held a rare expression of regret. "What about Mr. Khun and Rak?"


    "They were too in some ways. But they were the ones that didn''t take any time to consider


    following through with you."


    Bam heaved a sigh of relief. Winston quieted down again for some time, before speaking out again.


    "Bam." Bam looked at him. "Are you really sure about this?" Winston''s eyes met his, a


    strange smile still on his face.


    Bam nodded in resolution.


    "I am!"


    "The tower doesn''t take well to irregulars entering it. You could very well be in for a world of


    pain."


    "It doesn''t matter. Because I will take Rachel to see the stars." He nodded. "But is it even worth it?" Winston asked, tilting his head. "Are the stars worth risking your


    life over? Is that girl worth risking your existence on? Is she worth all of that importance you


    place on her?"


    Bam nodded again. "She is."


    Winston sighed.


    He looked at Bam again.


    "...what if the stars aren''t as beautiful as they say? What if what''s up there doesn''t satisfy


    you?"


    "It doesn''t matter. Because Rachel will be there with me."


    "You''re like a lost puppy. You wouldn''t get anywhere with that attitude."


    "Maybe. But I will make it work."


    "How?"


    Bam went quiet for a moment.


    "I will. Somehow."


    Winston''s eyes narrowed at him. He was unsure of what to say next. He wasn''t sure why, but


    the boy''s over dependence on the girl was sure to cause some problems down the line. It didn''t matter what, or how, but it was surely going to cause some, that was what Winston felt


    from his intuition.


    And one thing was for sure, anything Winston''s intuition told him, he would follow through


    with it.


    Eventually, Winston nodded.


    "Then I say good luck to you." He said, motioning Bam to keep walking.


    Bam nodded and walked away without another word, except for a particular phrase.


    "Thank you." He said.


    Winston stared at his back for a few more moments, the same smile on his face still.


    The stars... He remembered how Bam rushed towards Rachel in the Hide and Seek test, his face enveloped by confusion and fear. Fear of losing the person most important to him.


    I suppose you already have your star. Winston reminisced about the sky. The thousands of colours, pale coloured dots littering the sky, covering the black canvas in an ocean of light through which occasional pieces of black space peeked through.


    He remembered himself trotting through lands, barefoot for miles and miles, looking for a place to find food and shelter amid the watchful eyes of the stars.


    He looked over again. Bam had already disappeared at the edge of the hallway.


    Winston''s thoughts were a mystery.


    With Bam getting the permission of the floor administrator to take the test, along with the


    agreement of every other regular to take the test alongside him, the last test for the test floor


    was to be conducted 2 days after.


    Within this day, the regulars were to recover and train for the test, getting ready for it.


    Within this time, Winston got better acquainted with his mystical powers and the abilities shinsu provided him with, getting stronger overall. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had already tried using ritualistic magic to pray to himself, and the results were also somewhat satisfactory. The first thing he noticed was the fact that Macsethian could indeed be used to trigger the power of nature around the user, and could be substituted for Hermes and Ancient Hermes, or any other mystical language in Lord of Mysteries.


    The second thing he noticed, was the fact that ritualistic magic was made stronger through


    shinsu around him, allowing for an increase in efficiency and decrease the expenditure of his own spirituality.


    And finally, the shinsu around him could be substituted for the spirit world of Lord of


    Mysteries.


    He had already had some doubts about it from the moment he had first activated Spirit vision,


    but now, his doubts had been made clear after the use of ritualistic magic. But there were still obvious differences between the two.


    Spirit world and Shinsu in the tower were completely different domains. One was a different


    aspect of reality that transcended the very concept of spacial dimension, while the other transcended reality in some forms.


    Spirit world houses creatures of various forms and could be used to travel in the blink of an eye, while the shinsu does all of that and more pretty commonly all over the tower.


    There were also a lot of differences to name, but all of them were crossed by the utilization of


    shinsu.


    There was nothing the spirit world accomplished that the shinsu could not. The resource seemed almost omnipotent.


    This made Winston conclude one thing.


    The shinsu was not, in fact, synonymous with the spirit world; but only acted as such because


    he needed it to. It perfectly fulfilled the role of the spirit world in terms of both ritualistic


    magic and divination, along with the empowerment of even Mundane language like Macsethian, allowing it to blaze up with power of nature.


    Shinsu truly was, a power source that could be described as ''limitless.''


    It also made him conclude a very important question he had since arriving in the tower.


    The difference between spirituality and Shinsu.


    Honestly speaking, there was no conceivable difference, solely because shinsu could simply


    act as spirituality and more. In fact, his it had somehow managed to transform his spirituality


    to mimic it''s own properties, making it stronger.


    That was the reason there were no differences to name in case of spirituality and shinsu.


    A/N: Throw me dem stonez.

 Chapter 35: Submerged Fish Hunt

    Chapter 35: Submerged Fish Hunt"The submerged fish hunt?" Zarhan said, looking at Hansung with a raised brow.


    Hansung nodded.


    At the moment, all the regulars that had agreed to take the administrator''s test were standing in a room. Hansung Yu and Lero ro stood in front of them, explaining the rules of the test.


    "That''s right. You have to hunt the submerged fish and catch them." Hansung spoke.


    At that moment, Rak exclaimed, "Ha! Hunt some fish!? That''s my speciality!"


    Endorsi and Anaak also expressed their expertise, remembering all the training with the reel inventory.


    Winston stood quietly, listening on to the explanation of the test.


    "Sorry to burst your bubble, but you won''t be the one hunting the fish." Hansung said, instantly making the regulars stop talking.


    "That''s the headers'' job." He pointed behind him where a picture of a black seal like creature was kept. The creature had bright sea green eyes and a layer of fur on its neck of the same colour.


    "That''s the herd fish?"


    "It''s kind of cute!" As always, the reactions were variable.


    "The name of this fish is the Goby Dolphin, also known as the chaser." Hansung explained. The picture behind him changed to now display a strange creature, eerily resembling an elongated jellyfish.


    "At the center of this down hole is the queen of the goby dolphins. And beyond this hole, lies another hole filled with water.


    "Below the deeper hole lies a small tunnel that connects the structure to underground waters. At 10 am, the water level rises, and at 5 pm, it drops due to changes in the tunnel water. Due to the structure''s shape, we call it the wine glass." Hansung smiled.


    "When the wine glass is full of water, the fish will gather here. That''s when it''s meal time for the queen. The goby dolphins can weave a net of shinsu in the water; and when the wine glass is full they will stand around in a circle that will start to narrow.


    "Eventually, the net will reach the mouth of the queen and it will feed."


    Winston spoke out, "That''s how the goby dolphins hunt, but what''s our role?"


    Hansung nodded.


    "What your role is, is to protect the Goby Dolphins?"


    "Protect?" Shibisu asked.


    "That''s right. You need to protect the net until Bam and Rachel, who have become fishes can reach the queen."


    "B-become fishes? What do you mean?" Bam''s voice came with a stutter.


    "When the test begins, you both will be placed in a shinsu bubble that will be placed in the big circle. When the herding begins, the bubble is designed to move along with the shinsu net weaved by the goby dolphins. Your goal is to reach the queen''s mouth and come out through the other end. Don''t worry, the bubble is especially made to withstand the digestive juices of the queen."


    Winston raised his hand.


    "Then what do we have to protect the dolphins from?" He asked.


    Hansung grinned.


    "The goby dolphins are not without their natural predators." The screen behind him changed again, now displaying a strange humanoid monster with a lizard like mouth. It stood around with a worm like organism orange in colour.


    "The first is the Thief." He said. "It''s real name is the Barnacle Goblin. They don''t eat the dolphins but they steal the fish that the goby dolphins have herded. The worm that they grow can extend it''s mouth freely. It can extend it''s mouth through the shallow soil and scoop up water from the wine glass, bringing along the fish with it."


    His eyes looked across the regulars.


    "The thieves get the fish by cutting open their stomachs. If Bam and Rachel are caught by them, everyone will fail the test."


    The screen changed again, now displaying a pig with dark brown fur on its body, stripped by lighter shades of brown.


    "Amother enemy is the Dog. It''s real name is the striped earth pig and it eats the Goby Dolphins. Because of that, it does not get along with the thieves."


    The screen changed yet again, this time displaying a silhouette of a humanoid entity with a long tail behind it, and what looked to be a needle like appendage that it held in it''s had like a


    weapon.


    "The Bull. It''s a strange creature that dominates this ecosystem. It''s named as so because of its ferocious nature and bad temper. Some time ago, some regulars ran into it by mistake and were all eaten." Hansung narrowed his eyes and smiled at the regulars.


    "If the bull wakes up and decides to go on a hunt during the test... things will become very dangerous for you all." He said. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston nodded.


    "Seems easy enough to understand." He smiled.


    Hansung chuckled.


    "Then, let the submerged fish hunt... begin!"


    Winston walked through a cave like structure, the overhead rocks connecting down through gigantic pillars that held them up. One side of the cave structure was open to the outside, making the light filter through the air, dimly lighting up the entire area.


    Winston held a rare expression of annoyance on his face.


    Amon had been assigned with Hatz to keep an eye on the Barnacle Goblins. While Zarhan was with the other spear bearers, stationed up top in order to impale the worms when given the


    signal.


    Khun was in his lighthouse overlooking the entire test, while Shibisu was stationed in another part of the cave, on the lookout for both the Thieves and the Bull.


    As for him... Well...


    "Shut up you freaky eyes!"


    "Who are you calling freaky eyes?! You vertically compromised jerk!"


    He was stationed with Anaak and Endorsi Jahad, the two Princesses of Jahad and standing in station for the possible invasion of the Bull into the wine glass.


    He looked back to see them still arguing. Among the two, Endorsi seemed to be the better one at insults. The only thing Anaak had on her was the fact that Endorsi was easily riled up by comments on her appearance. Though Endorsi was also not too great at throwing insults. She was just better than Anaak, which wasn''t too high of a wall to cross.


    "Would you two shut up already!" He said with a pissed smile, the corner of his mouth almost


    twitching. Almost.


    "You stay out of this!"


    "This is between us!"


    The two princesses shot at him with scowls on their faces.


    Winston shook his head with a resigned sigh. For a moment, he even felt like knocking them out after casting freeze on them, or making them fall repeatedly by casting Tumble over and


    over again.


    But he decided against it. Infighting was something he wanted to avoid in a test.


    Though the offer was always tempting.


    "Winston! Any updates?" Khun''s voice came from the floating pocket near him.


    "Why did I have to be with these two idiots? Shibisu would have been much better company." He said with a hushed tone, not wanting to alarm the two princesses and have them shouting at him. He didn''t think he would lose in a battle of provocation. As he said, he didn''t wish to


    engage in a fight as of now.


    "Well, it can''t be helped. If the bull appears, you guys would be the only wall between the


    Dolphins and it." He said.


    Winston shook his head.


    "It would''ve made sense to spread us out more and have us operate individually. With our speeds, if anyone spotted the bull, we could''ve rushed there on the moment''s notice." He


    sighed.


    "We can''t be underestimating the bull. It is an unknown variable and it can''t be assumed that any of you wouldn''t be injured by the time the other two get there. Besides, the greatest chance for the bull to appear is by the site where the dolphins dive into the wine glass. That''s why you''re all near that area." Khun explained.


    Of course, Winston knew about that. He was just feeling wrong about being grouped with the


    princesses.


    He didn''t know why, but he just did.


    Heh. Is it my intuition warning me? He joked.


    "Whatever." He said.


    Khun went quiet for a moment before his voice boomed from the pocket.


    "Everyone! Bull spotted! It''s near Shibisu''s position! Head there immediately!" Khun yelled.


    Winston''s expression, along with that of the princesses'' immediately turned serious as they all collectively began to rush in a direction.


    Their footsteps echoed in the moderately dark cave.


    "It''s so beautiful... it feels as if we''ve really become fishes." Rachel droned as she looked on towards the waters in which schools of fishes floated. Hundreds of fishes shone with a strange gleam in the shinsu, meakint then appear like magical lights in the dark water. Rachel sat with her back supported by the frame of a bed. She laid there, unmoving, her legs


    enveloped by the bed sheets. Bam stood behind the bed frame, silently looking on towards the water. His eyes were unfocused, seemingly lost in thought.


    Ever since I came here... he thought. It feels... like a strange force is flowing into me.


    He looked down and clenched his fist.


    It feels... weird... He narrowed his eyes.


    Just then, he heard Rachel gasp.


    He turned back.


    "What happened?" He asked.


    Rachel pointed upwards towards the water surface, where strange movement seemed to be


    happenings as holes drilled into the water.


    "The... The thieves are moving!" Bam exclaimed.


    It was a strange place. On a precipice stood a variety of people, one of them giant, one dwarf


    and a boisterous looking young lady.


    There were about 6 people in the group, all looked down from the precipice towards the abyss


    it held.


    "So.. I just have to jump from here to get into the regulars'' testing area right?" The lady asked, her red eyes shining strangely.


    "That''s right." The sliver haired dwarf next to her scratched his head.


    The lady looked back and said, "I recall telling you to lead the way, but I don''t remember


    saying I want to go to hell, Evan." She said distastefully.


    The silver haired man, Evan, flailed his hands around.


    "It''s not my fault. This is the only way to get to the testing spot without getting caught. I


    know it looks more like a cliff thought. But every other way we could have potentially gotten caught by Evankhell." He said.


    "But didn''t you previously say Evankhell wasn''t on the test floor for the time being?" She


    asked.


    "That doesn''t mean there are no observers. Being a ruler of a floor comes with it''s perks."


    Evan shrugged.


    The lady nodded.


    "Then I guess we have no choice but to go from here." She said. Suddenly, her eyes held a


    mischievous glint.


    Then, she kicked Evan in the back, throwing him off the precipice.


    "You go first." She said offhandedly. "Aaaarrrghhh! You crazy princess!!!" He yelled as he disappeared into the abyss.


    The other members of the team sweatdropped.


    "Hmm? There wasn''t a sound of him hitting the ground... The fall''s quite deep." The lady


    nodded.


    A/N: Throw me dem stones.


    Also, is Evankhell a male or female? I don''t think it''s ever been confirmed, or has it? I think Evankhell''s referred to as being a female more often, so I''ll just use that in the future.

 Chapter 36: Submerged Fish Hunt - 2

    Chapter 36: Submerged Fish Hunt - 2A guttural roar echoed throughout the caves, following along with a crazed scream.


    "Help! Somebody help! Please!!!" Shibisu yelled as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him was a large behemoth coloured in red and black. It was a strange creature, humanoid in shape with a tapering tail behind it. From it''s head extended another appendage that it held in front of it, the top of which holding a small light. It''s maw was vertical in alignment with the rest of the body, appearing odd and it held a strange spear like object in it''s hands, something that was an extension of its tail.


    Roooar!


    The roar of this strange creature seemed alien to anything one may try to associate it with; unlike any other roar that could traditionally be recognized by a normal man.


    The creature extended it''s maw, wanting to bite off Shibisu''s head.


    "Wait! Let me tell you something! Let me tell you something!!" He yelled, narrowing dodging the bite.


    Then, the tail of the creature, as if possessed or with a life of its own moved to wrap around Shibisu''s tail and lifted him off the ground.


    Crash!


    The Bull slammed him right back into the ground with a large sound. Cracks spread over the ground as his eyes momentarily lost their luster.


    Then, just as the creature was about to open it''s jaws again to gnaw on his face, it stopped, as if frozen in time.


    "Eh?" Shibisu said dumbfoundedly, looking at the creature that was shaking slightly, as if trying to break out of a binding.


    Just then, a voice called out from the side.


    "You okay?" The voice said.


    With an imaginary tear in his eye, Shibisu looked towards the right, where a peculiar man with dark hair stood tall. The man had a relaxed disposition and a smile on his face.


    "W... Winton! My saviour!"


    "You''re way too happy to be saved. At least pronounce my name correctly..." Winston shook his head and chuckled.


    The Bull wasn''t too hard to freeze. Although it could break free within 30 seconds, he just had to cast reverse flow control again. And along with the Trickmaster''s freeze spell, the deadline was extended to a whole minute.


    Winston himself was very pleased with his rate of progression. Such strength might not have arose if not for the digestion of his sequence 8 potions, enhancing his talent further and making the spells stronger.


    "I''m sorry for pronouncing your name wrong!" Shibisu yelled as he broke free from the Bull''s grasp and ran towards him, his arms spread out as if wanting to embrace the world within them.


    Winston didn''t dodge, letting Shibisu hug him.


    However, after about 3 seconds, it became awkward.


    "Aren''t you getting too comfortable?" He said with a displeased tone, the smile still on his face. However, now, the smile held a slight edge.


    "Sorry..." Shibisu backed off without a word. Then, his eyes shone suddenly.


    "Winston!" He yelled.


    "Yes?"


    "Can I call you my son from now on!?"


    "No way in hell."


    Shibisu slumped his shoulders.


    Then, voices came from behind them. It was two feminine voices arguing over each other. "They''re here." Winston said.


    With that, two beautiful looking young women walked out from the dark, their eyes locked in a crazed battle and their mouths constantly moving in tandem to through insults at each other.


    Stopping for a moment, they looked over towards the frozen Bull as well as Winston and Shibisu.


    "See? I told you he would take care of it." Endorsi shook her head, throwing a glance at Anaak.


    "You just don''t want to move your heavy body." Anaak scowled.


    "Who are you calling fat!?" Endorsi yelled.


    "Did I say fat? Your words, not mine."


    Winston and Shibisu both deadpanned at their display.


    "Winston."


    "Yeah?"


    "I''m glad you came with them."


    "Somehow, me too."


    Both of them breathed out, feeling annoyed at the princesses. Although the duo was supposedly their strongest, save for Winston, they could not work together at all.


    Roar!


    The bull broke free, regaining the command over it''s body. Immediately, it rushed straight towards the biggest threat it could feel, Winston.


    Freeze!


    The bull stopped again, its body in an awkward motion of going in for a bite, the spear it held in it''s hand also ready to be thrown.


    "It''s easy to freeze a target like this." Winston smiled.


    Indeed. When one could make 3 baangs, reverse flow control could turn the tides of the battle


    in an instant.


    Shibisu called Khun from his pocket.


    "Khun, the bull has been neutralized. It won''t cause a problem anymore." Shibisu said.


    Khun from the other side breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the princess duo hadn''t somehow messed everything up.


    "It seems sending in Winston with them was a good idea." Khun nodded to himself, sitting in


    the lighthouse.


    Shibisu chuckled.


    The princesses continued their useless banter while Khun provided them with a status report of the rest of the team.


    The Herders had started to move, while the thieves had started their own shenanigans. The worms, it seemed had already begun to drill into the soft dirt to steal the fishes. When the herding begins, the flow of shinsu would automatically guide the fishes, and possibly Bam and Rachel right into the worms'' stomach, thereby failing the test.


    "And where are the dogs?"


    "70% of the paths have been blocked. They might encounter each other any moment." Khun


    explained.


    The idea behind the test was simple. The little girl they had with them was an anima user, and using Laure''s help, they would find the burrows of the Dogs and crash them, eventually drawing them towards the Thieves and causing conflict.


    With that done, the spear bearers would impale the worms from above and eliminate all


    chances of failure from the equation, securing a victory.


    Feels like a perfect plan... almost too perfect. Winston mused, still feeling a bad premonition in his


    head.


    He looked over towards the Bull, who had been frozen for the 7th time.


    "..." Winston narrowed his eyes at the beast, feeling a bit unsure about it.


    Isn''t it a bit too weak? He scratched his head.


    Just then, Anaak and Endorsi came forward towards him and proposed something. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A short game they could play while they wait for their victory. The prospect was quite simple,


    each one of them would take 5 minutes to battle the Bull.


    Whoever could kill the bull first would win the game and could request something that the


    other two had wagered from them.


    Anaak had already bet the Black March to Endorsi, while Endorsi had bet her freedom to


    Anaak.


    Hearing their words, Winston immediately shook his head.


    "No chance." He declared with a stern expression. The smile on his face, which seldom leaved


    was absent.


    "Why?" They both screamed.


    Winston continued to look on with an uninterested expression.


    "There are several reasons, but I won''t bother explaining them to you. Now run along and


    argue with each other. Shoo!" Winston waved his hand, ''shooing'' them away.


    With that said, the princess duo both had a vein pop on their heads.


    Their eyes held murderous intent. If looks could kill, Winston felt that he might be dead 10


    times over by now.


    "You''re a mood killer!" Endorsi poked her tongue out to him.


    "And you''re an idiot."


    Endorsi froze as she was going back to stand at the side. Anaak snickered.


    Damn... Shibisu sweat dropped at the side.


    Endorsi mechanically turned her head back, a strange smirk on her face.


    "What.. did you just say?" She said calmly.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    ".. you''re stupid." He said. "Wait no. I said you''re an idiot. Not stupid. I mean, it doesn''t


    really matter since they all mean the same." He scratched his chin.


    Endorsi clenched her fist.


    At that moment, Winston suddenly felt weird.


    Why.. am I provoking her? He wondered, his eyes widening a tiny bit. A strange premonition


    again welled up inside his heart.


    However, as he was contemplating, a vision overlapped with his senses. He saw himself


    getting punched right in the face, his body sliding back several meters.


    Winston ducked without a second thought!


    Whoooosh!


    A punch passed above his head, making a whistling sound as it did so.


    Winston looked above. Endorsi stood in front of him, her arm outstretched. "What... are you doing?" He asked, having already cast the freeze spell of lesser intensity.


    Just then, a roar interrupted his thoughts. He hurriedly turned his head, finding the bull dashing right into the darkness. In the moment of confusion just now, the control over reverse flow control had waned, making the creature regain dominion over it''s body!


    He stretched his arm towards it and prepared to cast another spell. Just then, his intuition


    warned him of another attack!


    He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding a kick aimed at his back.


    He turned to the princess with a pissed smile.


    "Are you actually insane?!" He asked.


    Endorsi huffed.


    "Let''s go, lizard! We''ll make do with hunting it like this! 5 minutes!" She yelled and ran into


    the darkness behind it.


    "Wait! That''s not fair!" Anaak yelled in frustration, dashing behind her.


    Winston and Shibisu stood still for a split second, unsure of what had just transpired.


    They looked at each other.


    "The princesses ruined it again..." Shibisu lamented.


    "Indeed, they did." Winston shook his head.


    Then, the shinsu around him moved and reinforced his legs.


    At the same time, he activated his spirit vision and dashed into the darkness.


    Whoosh! Boom!


    An explosion of air rang behind him as cracks spread out from the ground in the form of spider


    webs.


    "Wait for me!" He heard Shibisu yelled from the back. However, he wasn''t keen on waiting.


    As he ran, one thought clouded his mind.


    Something''s wrong... why did I provoke her without reason? He looked on with the help of his night vision and spirit vision.


    .. Is the bull able to influence thoughts and emotions? Turning people rash? Or is it something else?


    As he ran, he prayed that it was the bull that had messed with his thought process and not something else.


    "Hehe hehe hehe." A low chuckle rang out in the cave. A rice ball like being sat atop a rock, a


    burger packet and a drink box scattered at its feet.


    "They took the bait successfully. Though I almost thought I would need to do something


    extensive." The rice ball, the Ranker teacher of the wave controllers shook his head.


    Then, his smile opened up a bit, revealing two pale dots shining in the darkness inside.


    "Let us commence the clean up." He bellowed.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, the first volume would be ending in about 4 or 5 chapters I assume. Perhaps even three.


    Cheers~~~


    PS, Leave a review.

 Chapter 37: Submerged Fish Hunt - 3

    Chapter 37: Submerged Fish Hunt - 3Anaak ran through the dark cave, looking around frantically in an attempt to find where the bull and Endorsi had ventured.


    "That little jerk!" she yelled, using shinsu to strengthen her legs and sped up her search. Her figure rapidly blitzed through the cave, leaving a slight whistling sound as she passed. Hundreds of meters of distance was passed in the matter of a few dozen seconds.


    Anaak huffed in annoyance.


    I need to find the bull before she does... or she might have already found it... She clicked her teeth, jumping across different pillars, avoiding diving into the water.


    I would use shinsu sensing, but the bull is likely travelling through the water, making it hard for me to detect it.


    Just as she jumped towards another pillar, a small light flashed by her eyes.


    Shiiiiing!


    Anaak turned her head on instinct, finding a lone light, like a will o wisp dancing in the air, surrounded by darkness. She smirked and summoned a hook from her reel inventory.


    "Found you!" she yelled, throwing the hook towards the light.


    Whooosh


    The hook dashed through the air with frightening speed. However, it narrowly missed the small light that moved to avoid the attack. The light proceeded to jump across the pillars, getting further away from the attacker.


    Anaak quickly followed.


    "Damn it! Stop running away!" She exclaimed.


    After some time of empty chase, the light eventually disappeared from her vision as she landed on a stone platform that extended further into the cave, no longer surrounded by water. Anaak looked around, using her shinsu sensing to look through the area. However, finding nothing, she shook her head.


    Just as she was about to jump off again into the dark, a voice called out.


    "What are you looking for? Ms. Anaak Jahad?" The voice called out. Anaak''s eyes widened as she turned around. In the darkness, a dim light emerged, and with it a guttural growl too. Something slithered around in the air, something large and shaped like a snake. Then, two dead, cold and unfeeling eyes gazed at her from above.


    Siiiiiiii~


    A strange sound was produced by this large creature. The creature was indeed like a large snake, the only clear difference being it''s head which was like that of a crocodile. It''s golden scales shimmered in the dim lighting, making it appear all the more menacing.


    Slowly, footsteps began to echo around it and a white object, shaped like a rectangular rice ball emerged under the creature.


    "You''re?" Anaak''s eyes widened just a tiny bit.


    "Hehe. Surprised to see me?" The ranker chuckled. "Shinsu sense can pick up any entities and sense the environment with ease. However, for a wave controller ranker, deceiving the senses through false shinsu input is a piece of cake. I can''t imagine any regulars below B rank doing it though." The rice ball droned.


    Anaak looked at him for a moment before shaking her head.


    "Hmph! I thought you were the bull." She turned back, intending to jump off the platform and resume her search.


    "W-wait!" The ranker yelled from the back. Anaak turned with a scowl on her face, her anger and annoyance visible through her expression.


    "What? I''m busy! Get lost!"


    Hearing her words, the rice ball shook it''s head.


    "A shame you''re in a hurry. I felt that we could bond you know? You do resemble your


    mother... when she died in front of my eyes... hehe." The rice ball said crookedly.


    At that moment, Anaak''s pupils shrunk into needles, an expression of disbelief and confusion marring her face. "...What?" She managed to squeeze out. "What... did you say?"


    The rice ball chuckled in response.


    "hehe. Now now, let''s not get too far without proper introductions. I''ll go first." The smirk on the rice ball seemed to get all the more wider as it spoke. "I''m a member of the Royal Enforcement Division, Unit No. 67. My name is Ren." The rice ball chuckled again at the end. Then, it''s mouth opened up slightly to reveal a small pendant. It was a small sphere, emerald in colour.


    "One of... your enemies." Ren said. The pendant flew out of his mouth, somehow floating beside him without falling.


    "Where..." Anaak said as her eyes remained riveted to the necklace he had just pulled out. "Did you get that necklace?" She asked.


    "Hehe. Did you not hear me? It was me." Ren declared. "I was the one that killed your mother." The necklace flew back towards his mouth. A red tongue poked out and held the necklace, pulling it back inside.


    "You want this don''t you? Come and get it."


    Anaak eyes held a crazed look. She summoned her armed inventory and pulled out the Green April through it, placing the other hook back inside.


    "Give it back!" she yelled. The Green April immediately extended as she slammed it right towards Ren. However, instead of impacting him, a low clank of metal rang out.


    Anaak''s eyes widened as a larger version of the rice ball, this one with a gigantic red eye at the place of it''s smile came out from the darkness. Besides it floated a claw like appendage,


    orange in colour.


    "This is my favourite pet. Though I enhanced him a bit too much so he''s a bit dangerous." Anaak clicked her tongue as the claw beside the creature shot out with a large concentrated


    baang of shinsu.


    Booooom!


    An explosion happened, and with it, the entire area behind Anaak was obliterated. Anaak who had dodged the attack at the last moment looked back and then towards the creature. Then,


    she yelled.


    "Green April! Ignition!"


    Shaaaaaa!


    The shinsu in the environment surged with a strange power as the weapon in her hands roared out with strength. The weapon tore through the air and right towards the creature, hitting it


    square in the face.


    Boooom! Crash!


    The attack uprooted the ground, throwing around the rocks and debris and kicking up dust.


    "How''s that?" she asked, a crazed smile on her face.


    "Hmm... That was good but..." Ren droned. Just then, Anaak felt her hair stand on end.


    Hurriedly she jumped forward, avoiding a claw attack from the creature that now stood


    behind her.


    Even an attack from the Green April''s ignition is ineffective?!


    Just then, something clicked.


    Anaak looked down to find a needle sticking out of the left part of her chest.


    She threw up some blood from her mouth as the needle pulled back. Another one of the same creature, both connected by a chain floated in the air.


    Ren came forward and scooped up the Green April without a care in the world.


    "Now... it wouldn''t be fun to just kill you... so let''s make this interesting!" Ren yelled, and from the darkness, a familiar figure emerged. Anaak''s eyes widened as she took in the image.


    There it stood, the bull in all it''s glory. Standing on it''s hind legs it towered at a staggering 7 meters in height. In it''s tail, it held a peculiar figure with short brown hair and an orange dress. It was Endorsi!


    "Hehehehehe!" Ren''s low chuckle echoed through the darkness.


    Winston ran through the cave, jumping from one pillar to the other. As he did, the strange


    feeling in his chest began to amplify, making him feel a bit breathless. The premonition of danger he got from his intuition was unlike anything he had experienced until now, making him realize the severity of the situation.


    This can''t be just the work of the bull... this is something else. He clicked his tongue, not liking the situation that had arose because of his negligence. He had already figured out the way to go using his needle and divination, however, the question remained. Should he continue? He jumped atop a pillar and stopped. His smile had already receded into a small smirk, no longer appearing as prominent. He scratched his head, his expression one of inner conflict. Why do I hesitate? He wondered. Heh. If it were the teenage me, I wouldn''t have hesitated to dive headfirst into danger, like a blockhead. He gave a deprecating sigh, chuckling as he did so. He looked towards the ceiling and sighed again, purposefully delaying making a decision. Shaking his head, he opened his reel inventory and took out what seemed to be a collection of bells, something he had bought from the Evankhell store. As he held them with him; the bells suddenly began to ring with a soft chime. He jumped ahead towards another pillar. The chiming of the bells amplified, now sounding the slightest bit more urgent.


    He again held the look of contemplation.


    Eventually he sighed again, and took out a coin.


    Ding!


    The coin flipped up with a metallic click, spinning around in the air and landing right onto Winston''s hand. He stared at the result of the divination for a moment, his eyes glazed over


    just a tiny bit.


    Shibisu ran through the darkness, his breathing rushed and forceful. He stopped for a


    moment, supporting his body with his knees.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!


    He shook his head. "Those monsters! There''s no way I can keep up!" He yelled, offering an sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    excuse to no one but himself.


    He stared at the pocket and called out.


    "Khun! What''s the situation up there?!" He asked.


    "The Dogs have already encountered the Thieves and the spear bearers have started their


    assault. There was some trouble for a moment but that''s all resolved! What about the Bull!?


    Did you find it yet?!" Khun asked from the other side. Shibisu shook his head with an annoyed click of his tongue.


    "No... They''ve really run off somewhere, they''re even out of range for my observers. I can''t


    find them!" He huffed.


    On the other side, he heard Khun sigh for a moment.


    "...Alright then! Do this-" Just then, the connection was abruptly cut off.


    Shibisu stared at his pocket for some time, hoping for a continuation of his words.


    "Khun? Hey, Khun?" He called out. No answer.


    He held his head and sat down on the ground, feeling all the more annoyed. "Just what the hell is happening?!" He yelled out into the darkness. Just then, he trembled.


    Quickly standing up, he adopted a combat stance, looking over into the darkness. His body


    trembled incessantly, refusing to listen to his commands as his senses were pushed into


    overdrive.


    This pressure.... this absurd pressure... It feels as if my body is about to break apart! He yelled in his


    mind. What is this..?


    Just then, a sudden voice rang out.


    "Hey, you fashion terrorist!" A feminine voice said. And with that, Shibisu''s eyes met two


    shining dots in the dark, gleaming with a baleful red light.


    "I''m gonna have to ask you for directions..."


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Leave a review

 Chapter 38: Submerged Fish Hunt - 4

    Chapter 38: Submerged Fish Hunt - 4Winston walked through the darkness, his destination unknown for the most part. His legs, boosted through shinsu carried him effortlessly through the damp and watery cave. He jumped from one pillar to the other.


    Jumping onto a rather broad pillar, he stopped and took out a standard red needle, and to do with that, he took out one of Endorsi''s hair pins. Then, keeping the needle vertically on the ground, he prompted inside his mind. With that, he let go of the needle that stopped falling after tilting a bit to the right.


    Grabbing the needle, Winston leapt again, going to the right.


    As he went about his way, he could not help but question his decision again. Suddenly, he shook his head and smiled.


    Whatever it might be, I''ll just have to face it with a smile. He chuckled.


    Eventually, he saw faint silhouettes in his spirit vision, various colours that ranged from that of glee, fear, calculating and regret. In truth, there were about three people present.


    Winston raised a brow as he drew in closer. As he did so, he heard a faint chuckle reverberate in the surroundings, along with a gasp of pain.


    Winston''s face contorted a bit as he took in the scenery before him. There he stood, the teacher of the wave controllers with his foot planted on Anaak''s throat who was writhing under him, gasping in pain and for breath. In the left side of her chest was a bloody injury, through which blood leaked out without stop, pooling under her and dripping her clothes in crimson.


    Some distance from them, amid a large crater in the wall lied Endorsi with her back pressed to the rocks. She held her side with an expression of pain and discomfort and gasped for breath too. She looked on towards the spectacle unfolding before her, her eyes widened to the extreme as she yelled at the rice ball to let the green skinned lizard go.


    Winston didn''t quite understand the situation in it''s entirety, but the scenery before him told him one thing; and so did his own intuition. The rice ball was the enemy. And he was dangerous. So very dangerous.


    Sweat poured from Winston''s forehead as he silently waited behind a pillar for a moment, his grip on his needle tightening. The bells that were now tied to his pants did not offer any chimes, because he didn''t want to lose the surprise factor; but he knew that he was about the step into a very dangerous situation.


    The might of a ranker was not to be contended with by a regular on the test floor. And although he stood in the tower as an irregular, he had yet to bloom with his full potential.


    Winston hesitated for a moment. And then he sprang into action.


    Whoosh!


    With a piercing sound of the wind, he strode forward, covering a distance of 50 meters in the blink of an eye! The rice ball abruptly turned it''s head, but then, it stopped mid motion. Winston appeared right in front of him, however, the freeze spell lost it''s effect at the last moment which led to the ranker narrowly avoiding a needle that threatened to pierce right through it''s head!


    Winston felt some annoyance. He had purposefully refrained from using Reverse Flow Control, solely because the fluctuation of shinsu might have been noticed by the ranker and mess up his surprise attack. However, even casting only the freeze spell, the ranker had managed to break free after only 0.2 seconds!


    The rice ball ranker stood some distance away now, having moved away from Anaak.


    ""''Winston!"''"'' Both the princesses exclaimed in unison, their faces lighting up in relief and


    joy.


    Winston didn''t answer them, only smiling at the ranker.


    "A ranker attacking a regular on the test floor? If news of this gets out, won''t your image be rolled into the dust?" He chuckled.


    The ranker, with it''s perpetual smile spoke. "Winston Heath, right? You''re also quite a promising individual. If you could just turn around and leave, I wouldn''t mind sparing you." The ranker shook it''s head. "After all, I had some plans for you to join the Lo Po Bia family."


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "So you''re from the Lo Po Bia family? Isn''t that even worse for your position and image?" He asked.


    "Am I to assume you won''t be leaving?" The ranker said in some regret. Though, Winston noticed in his spirit vision, an unmistakable emotion. Unparalleled glee, excitement and happiness. Winston''s eyes narrowed a bit.


    "Hey." He called out. "Tell me one thing... You''re not a sadist are you?"


    The ranker stopped in his movement and mechanically turned his head. "What gave you that impression?"


    "Just a hunch."


    Sigh! With a sigh, the rice ball''s mouth opened up a bit, and out from it crawled a gigantic snake like shinhueh.


    Winston adopted a combat stance; as did Endorsi who had managed to recover some of her strength.


    Though, from his spirit vision, Winston noticed her bones being badly injured, mainly the ribs.


    "Can you continue with the fight?" Winston asked, turning his body slightly to look at Endorsi. The woman in question nodded with a word. Winston stole a glance at Anaak who was desperately trying to get up from the ground. Winston shook his head.


    Then, he asked the critical question.


    "Where''s green april?" He said. He had turned off his spirit vision while observing the scene, solely because the combined aura of the two weapons were too much for him to accurately see anything else.


    "I have it." Endorsi raised a green hook in her hand.


    "And Black March?"


    Endorsi threw something at him, prompting him to catch it.


    Winston raised a brow as he caught the Black March, it''s black edge shimmering even in the dark environment.


    Seeing the ranker not moving and letting them finish their conversation, Winston opened his reel inventory.


    He smiled and took out a pale blue needle, one with a dark blue handle. The needle had various wave patterns embossed on it, making it appear rather unique and intimidating. Faint ripples of Shinsu bounced off the needle as he took it out, tracing a bright blue phantom


    behind it.


    "Time to dual wield I suppose." He said and broke out with a vicious grin.


    Endorsi also took a combative stance, her eyes glued to the ranker.


    The rice ball ranker in front chuckled with a malevolent tone. The snake like creature that floated above him looked at them with it''s baleful eyes that looked to have been summoned straight out of the abyss. The hulking creature offered such an offensive glare of evil and malevolence that it somehow chilled Winston''s spine.


    There was silence for a moment, before everyone moved as if a starting gun shot had been


    rung.


    Shaaaaa!


    Winston dashed straight at the rice ball, Black March in one hand and the needle gifted by Khun, Cerulean Tide in the other.


    In just a moment, both of their figures met in the air.


    Clang!


    The rough sound of metal rang out as Winston heard someone yell behind him.


    "Green April! Ignition!"


    With that, he felt a giant pressure overtake the surroundings.


    Immediately, he cast shinsu strengthening to his legs and jumped out of the way, just in time for a gigantic attack to slam into the ground, taking the rice ball ranker with it. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the exact moment, the Great behemoth that loomed silently in the air until now moved


    with a frightening speed.


    Hisssss!


    The snake like creature hissed, dashing right towards Endorsi!


    Winston''s eyes narrowed as he focused his spirituality onto Black March.


    Hey lady! Mind if I use you for a bit? He asked, feeling his perception slowing down as he


    accelerated his thoughts with shinsu.


    The response came just as quickly.


    "Oh my! Saying such a thing to a fair lady? Someone might misunderstand if they overhear this you know?" The voice chuckled. "Go on. I''ll lend you my power." The voice continued.


    Then, without skipping a beat, Winston leaped forward towards the beast, yelling out while


    doing so.


    "Black March! Ignition!" He yelled. Immediately, he felt a strange power flow through him, coursing through his entire body and rejuvenating his spirit.


    The needle in his right hand exploded into a whirlpool of shinsu, dark black in colour that enveloped almost the entirety of his spirit vision!


    Without any delay and without any time to ponder over the power, Winston thrusted with the needle, right towards the creature''s head!


    Booooooom!


    Crash!


    Shaaaaaa!


    A series of explosions rang out as Winston saw Endorsi leap back, Anaak held beneath her arm


    like a sac of potatoes.


    Winston landed back onto the ground and looked on into the dust, his spirit vision seeing through the dust. As of right now, his spirit vision worked better than it would have normally, solely because of the weapon he held in his hand. The Black March elevated his powers, amplifying them beyond his limits. His spirit vision, which had partially been blocked by the giant presence of the Black March and Green April now cleared up to better reveal the waves. He could read all the waves all the more better than before.


    Winston broke out with a maniacal grin, looking at the two figures in the dust that were relatively unharmed... Well, at least the ranker was.


    Two figured emerged, one shorter than a normal human, the other a giant snake. The rice ball


    was unharmed for the most part, with the only real damage done being the dirt marring it''s


    surface. As for the snake...


    Drip! Drip!


    Hissss!


    The snake hissed with a gaping hole in its head, leaking blood incessantly that pooled onto the ground. The blood was a sickly purple colour, staining the ground in a strange hue.


    Winston smiled, satisfied at the power the Black March could display when ignited. "My my. That''s pretty dangerous." The rice ball shook it''s head. Then, it opened its mouth


    and the snake was sucked back into its maw.


    Winston raised a brow. "Afraid that your little pet will die?" He asked with a mocking smile.


    The rice ball chuckled.


    "The Black March can really display different dimensions of powers in hands of different


    people... very well." The rice ball spoke. The grin on it''s face seemed to get more prominent and widened. Then, a chuckle rang out in the cave.


    "This is self defence, you know? You attacked me first!" The rice ball yelled, then, a strange


    wave travelled through the air.


    Winston immediately dashed at him, simultaneously casting freeze and Reverse Flow


    Control!


    The ranker froze in his act for a split second, his attack stopping in it''s tracks. "Cerulean Tide! Ignition!" That''s right. The needle Khun had stolen from Khun Eduan''s


    treasury was an ignition weapon. Not only that, it the like that once in the right hand, could


    pierce even the defences of a Barracuda, or better yet, pierce the shell of a mountain turtle on the 78th floor by itself!


    A blue wave travelled along the length of the needle, carrying with it an intense force that ran


    through Winston''s body.


    Without wasting any time, Winston stabbed towards the rice ball, both his ignited weapons simultaneously merging together and working in tandem.


    Booooooooooom!


    A deafening explosion sounded. Endorsi and Anaak covered their ears, wincing at the ear


    destroying explosion.


    The time it took for the rice ball to break out was exactly 0.67 seconds, while Winston had


    already initiated his attack in 0.5!


    A direct hit!


    Winston dashed out from the dust cloud, landing right beside Anaak and Endorsi.


    "Is it done?" Endorsi asked.


    Winston turned to her with a smile.


    "You''re not supposed to say that." He said.


    A/N: I could have ended the fight this chapter itself, but I''m too lazy to do so. So here''s a 2000


    word chapter.


    Cheers-


    Throw some stones and leave a review!

 Chapter 39: Submerged Fish Hunt - 5

    Chapter 39: Submerged Fish Hunt - 5As Winston''s words landed, a giant pressure suddenly descended onto everyone in the cave. Winston suddenly felt his hair stand on edge his spirit vision ''seeing'' the gigantic wave that washed over everything like a tsunami, as if wanting to crush everything in it''s path. Winston did not feel the pressure, yet the waves that pressed onto his body was enough of an indication as to how much oppression the shinsu may have caused; if not for him being an irregular, Winston doubted that he could move.


    He narrowed his eyes as the rice ball ranker walked out of the dust cloud, the perpetual smile still plastered on it''s face. Mimicking the ranker''s costume, Winston also smiled. The condition of the ranker still remained fine for the most part, yet there was a hole in it''s costume, revealing a giant black void inside through which crimson blood flowed out.


    He heard the ranker chuckle, and with it, a plethora of colours appeared around him. It was three spheres of light that surrounded the ranker; 3 baangs of shinsu!


    "You''re really troublesome..." The ranker said, and with that, it''s mouth opened up for dozens of creatures, shinhueh of various shapes and kinds to crawl out of.


    Danger! Winston''s spiritual intuition went into overdrive as the bells on his pants began to ring uncontrollably, even though Winston was not making use of divination at all!


    He stole a glance behind him, seeing Endorsi and Anaak almost crushed due to the pressure. However, being princesses of Jahad, they could still move.


    "I''m surprised you can still move. I''ll just give you one last chance. How about it? Want to join the Lo Po Bia family?" The ranker''s comment accompanied a strange chuckle, bringing a sense of promised pain if Winston dared to refuse.


    Winston was quiet for a moment. He heard Endorsi struggling behind him, wanting to speak something but ultimately deciding against it. Winston''s smile could not help but twitch as he rapidly felt the digestion of his clown potion in such a stressful environment, almost completely having been assimilated. Alas, even if he could digest the potion, there was no way he could attempt a promotion.


    He weighed his options for a bit. Even if he had both the Black March and the Cerulean Tide and two princesses of Jahad, he did not think for a moment he could win against these odds.


    "Well?" The ranker pushed for an answer.


    Black March upon ignition could grievously wound a shinhueh of the ranker. Against dozens, they would be defeated in seconds. And there was also the matter of the ranker himself. The ranker could theoretically makes upto 10 baangs, which was the average for a ranker. However, as someone from the wave controller position, Winston would not doubt if he had more than double that amount. Not to mention the Myun and Soo contained in each baang transcended each and every baang he could make combined!


    Sigh! Winston sighed and scratched his head, looking at the ranker who tilted his head at him quizzically.


    "How should I say this..." He droned for a moment.


    "...Um... How about no?"


    Immediately as his words landed, the ranker attacked without a hint of hesitation. Winston wanted to cast freeze before he could, however, the one of the baangs ran straight through the air and impacted against him; a blow he could barely block by putting Black March before him.


    Boom!


    Winston smiled as he was blown off his feet and thrown back through a pillar, wincing slightly in pain.


    Endorsi and Anaak suffered the same fate as the shinhueh rushed upon them without wait. Instantly, Winston felt something inside him breaking down and merging incessantly with his being. As he felt the all too familiar and addicting sensation of a full potion digestion, he landed onto the ground and stabilized his body. Without having the time to think of the changes he had due to the potion digestion, he jumped to the right, dodging another baang that smashed onto the place he had stood at just a moment ago.


    Winston clicked his tongue, rapidly dodging a plethora of attacks from both the ranker and the shinhueh.


    "You''re pretty nimble for a regular not even past the 20th floor." The ranker chuckled.


    Winston cast freeze and Reverse Flow Control to get out of the encirclement and reach a safe distance, at which point he began to look for the two princesses and formulate an escape plan. However, all his hopes were crushed when he saw the two princesses enveloped by a snake in a


    coil.


    Winston deadpanned at them, wondering why they were so useless.


    He jumped back and cast another spell, lightly dodging another shinhueh. Having cast bounce onto himself, his jumps were more agile and faster, and along with the spell Breeze, the air around him also aided in his movement somewhat.


    Slowly, a faint mist seemed to overwhelm the area.


    It started in some areas slowly, however, as Winston dashed across all the areas, the mist covered the cave more and more.


    "Hm?" The ranker found the particular peculiarity.


    Utilizing his baangs, he fired them off to take care of the mist. Only to see the mist reappearing just a second after.


    "Interesting..."


    "Ignite!" Winston yelled, piercing right through a shinhueh''s head with his needles. At that moment, one of the snakes dashed at him, enveloping him whole in it''s gigantic maw.


    Boooom!


    Shaaaa!


    Winston broke out of its mouth, a shower of blood and gore behind him. He landed only the ground and cast Fog once again.


    The mist seemed almost opaque at this point, appearing pure white in colour. Winston''s expression shifted slightly, feeling the constant drain on his spirituality at having to maintain the mist despite the ranker dispersing it over and over again.


    Winston landed again, surrounded by 9 more shinhueh.


    They''re acting more cautious now... Eventually, I''ll run out of strength and die. I can''t keep up the mist for long, and even if it blocks the shinhueh for now, the ranker remains able to see clearly due to shinsu sensing. The situation is completely against me.


    Just when he thought this, he felt another sense of... strangeness?


    He felt something... something strong heading his way. It was dangerous for sure, but not in


    the same way he felt the ranker to be....


    What is... this? Winston turned his head one way.


    The ranker seemingly also noticed the subtle change in the surrounding shinsu. The shinsu seemed to offer a strange suppression, the waves going out of control and shaking all over; as if the shinsu itself was freaking out.


    Then, a strange red light dashed across the cave, illuminating two bright red dots in the


    distance.


    "Hey. You." The voice called, and with that, the mist dispersed immediately. Winston''s eyes widened, seeing the strange suppression the voice itself seemed to carry. He did not replenish


    the mist again.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" The feminine voice came again, this time with a slight edge. "Those girls you''ve got tied up over there. They''re my sisters."


    The sound of footsteps echoed in the cave, a slow and deliberate walk. And as the sound came closer, in the dim lighting, a beautiful figure made itself visible.


    "Ha Yuri Jahad?" The rice ball spoke, bafflement in his voice.


    Winston raised his eyebrows, surprised at the princess of Jahad and the owner of the Black March arriving here on the test floor, and to rescue them no less. Though he was plenty sure


    she was only here for collecting the Black March.


    Behind the princess came a familiar figure dressed in a purple track suit. Shibisu!


    "You have a nice sense of direction. Unlike my guide." Yuri said.


    Hearing her praise, Shibisu smiled. "Thank you, princess." He said, his disposition like an


    obedient butler.


    The rice ball ranker bowed a bit.


    "My apologies princess. Let me introduce myself." It said. "I am Lo Po Bia Ren, from the


    Royal Enforcement Division, Unit No. 67, here to retrieve the Green April and dispose of the


    enemies of Jahad." He said.


    Nobody else spoke anything aside from these two as they engaged in a conversation.


    "Red?" Yuri asked for confirmation. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ren nodded. "That''s right."


    Yuri raised an eyebrow.


    "And why is a member of Red here? What if the test director finds out? I don''t remember Red


    being able to bend the rules of the tower like this, no matter how important of a duty they are


    on." Yuri declared.


    "Leave right now. Before the administartor notices. I''ll retrieve both the Black March and the


    Green April."


    The ranker was quiet for a moment before he spoke again with a chuckle.


    "Such a pity." It sighed. "I had thought that maybe someone like Yuri Jahad would be mature enough to understand the duty of Jahad''s forces. It was understandable with princess Endorsi who is inexperienced." It shook it''s head. "King Jahad will be very disappointed to hear of


    this."


    From the corner of his eyes, Winston saw Endorsi and Anaak, who were still in the snake''s grasp curse at the ranker.


    And looking at the ranker, Winston noticed the strange emotions it held, especially the glee it seemed to experience at this moment. He narrowed his eyes.


    Yuri, hearing the ranker''s words was silent for a moment.


    But then, an unimaginable pressure descended onto the cave. It was so intense that it felt as if


    a mini earthquake had occurred at the space. Winston felt his muscles spasm from the


    pressure, his body slightly tightening up. It was the first time he had ever felt real pressure


    from shinsu!


    "Hey." Yuri''s voice rang out, laced with a terrible intent.


    Her red eyes that glowed with a malevolent crimson light shone down upon the ranker with an


    unmistakable glare.


    "The name of Jahad is not something to be used so freely..." She said. The pressure on the


    surroundings increased.


    "Threatening a princess of Jahad with the name of Jahad? How foolish. A bit of advice. Don''t


    try this with me." Yuri broke out with a cruel smirk.


    "Or I''ll kill you."


    At that moment, Winston saw Ren''s emotions rapidly going through spasms.


    And then, without any chance for him to react or formulate thoughts, every beast that was


    around them and in the area suddenly turned rabid, rushing towards Ha Yuri Jahad!


    Splat!


    "Hey. Red." Came Yuri''s voice.


    Winston blinked, unsure of what he had just witnessed. In the blink of a eye, Yuri had taken


    care of every single beast that was outside, along with the dozens more that had come out of


    Ren''s mouth! Winston smiled a bit, seeing the power the princess of Jahad held.


    All over the ground before the princess lied blood of all the creatures. They had not just been


    killed, they had been turned to mush through a single attack!


    So this is a high ranker....


    Just then, Yuri appeared right in front of Ren, nobody even noticing how she had appeared at


    that place.


    Then, she extended her hands and made a flicking gesture with her fingers.


    "Now this. This is self defense." She smiled.


    Boooooom!


    A deafening explosion rang out, throwing dust everywhere and destroying everything in front


    of Yuri!


    Winston stared at this spectacle without a change in expression. It had happened so fast he


    did not even have time to change expression!


    "Why did you dodge?" Yuri spoke. However, it seemed to be more of a warning than a


    complaint.


    "Come here." Again came her chilling voice.


    In his eyes, Winston saw the emotions of the ranker going from excitement to fear and


    confusion, turning a bit chaotic.


    However, just as he felt that the situation might turn even more in their favor, Yuri stopped.


    She stared into space for a moment, at which point Winston felt that she was listening to


    something in her ear. And then, she turned towards him.


    "Hey you!" She called out.


    Winston straightened his back, paying complete attention. "Give me the Black March!" She yelled.


    Without a word, Winston threw the Black March over. However, in his mind he heard a distant


    cry.


    No! The voice yelled.


    Alas, he had already thrown the needle. Yuri took the needle from the air and looked at him for


    a moment.


    "You''re somewhat handsome as well." She shook her head and then turned to leave, throwing


    a pissed glance at Black March. "You sexist needle." She cursed.


    She glanced back at Ren.


    "Do whatever you want, I''m leaving." She said.


    Winston stared at her in confusion. However, Ren turned to them with a chuckle, not before


    making a remark about Yuri.


    "This is great princess! I''ll be sure to report to Jahad about this!"


    With that, the ranker turned to them.


    Winston didn''t bother to get into a stance in contrast to Endorsi, Anaak and Shibisu. Instead,


    he smiled.


    You''re f*cked. He lampooned.


    With that, Yuri whispered.


    "Do it."


    At that exact moment, a gigantic pressure came from the ceiling, compressing the shinsu in


    the air into a tangible plate and crushing the ranker right under it!


    Crash!


    "Good job." Came Yuri''s remark right after.


    A/N: Only one or two chapters to volume 1 completion!


    Throw some stones.


    Leave a review!

 Chapter 40: Submerged Fish Hunt - 6

    Chapter 40: Submerged Fish Hunt - 6Silence ensued in the cave for a bit.


    Winston, Anaak, Endorsi and Shibisu, all of them didn''t dare make another sound in front of Yuri. The lady in question turned around again, and with deliberate drawn out steps, she slowly walked over to the ranker that had been crushed under shinsu.


    She smiled.


    "Looks like you''re done here."


    Ren chuckled in response.


    "You''re quite cunning princess. You even brought your crew here. This way, you won''t even leave any evidence against you.


    "Hehe. You might''ve noticed this as well princess. But this isn''t my main body." The body of the ranker had been throughly crushed into a pulp. Red blood pooled around him, dyeing his rice ball suit with a thick shade of red.


    The ranker coughed.


    "Though that''s not to say I''ve lost."


    Suddenly, Winston had a bad premonition.


    "The Bull." The ranker squeezed out.


    Winston''s eyes widened, and so did everyone else''s.


    "Bam!" Endorsi yelled in alarm while Yuri clicked her tongue in annoyance.


    Ren laughed and said, "I do apologize princess. But that irregular is too dangerous for the tower. All irregulars have always brought chaos to the tower."


    Yuri turned around with a scowl.


    "Dammit!" She cursed as the ranker quieted down, this time for good.


    Shibisu turned to Winston.


    "Winston! Can you dive into the shinshu to help them?" He asked. Winston stared at him as if he were an idiot.


    "Are you retarded? The shinsu pressure in there is too large. I would sink right down to the bottom." He replied with an annoyed expression.


    Shibisu''s expression turned dumb founded.


    "Oh... right. Sorry." He said.


    Suddenly, Yuri yelled out.


    "That''s it Evan!" Her voice boomed. "I''ll tear this entire floor apart." She whispered, her soft words travelling all across the air.


    Winston felt a chill travel up his spine as he watched on.


    Suddenly, Yuri quieted down again and stared off into space for a moment, as if listening to something.


    Then, she shook her head in resignation.


    "Hey, regulars!" She said. All of them straightened up unconsciously, except for Winston who held transcendental control over his body.


    "The test is held by the administrator so I can''t provide any help. Sort something out." She shook her head and walked over towards Anaak and Endorsi, then, she genuflected and took the Green April that was in Endorsi''s hand.


    "This is too heavy for you still." She said. Anaak who had stayed quiet until now due to excessive blood loss widened her eyes and screamed in retaliation.


    "When you''ve become a ranker, come and find me. I''ll give this to you then." Yuri smiled and stood up. Anaak continued to yell back at her, despite being stopped by Shibisu and Endorsi.


    Stopping just before stepping into the darkness, Yuri looked back and threw something towards Shibisu.


    "Hey, fashion terrorist. Here." Shibisu caught the small object, which was in actuality a metallic wing.


    "This..." Shibisu''s eyes widened.


    "Wolhaiksong?" Winston mused in surprise.


    "Tell him Urek Mazino is waiting for him on the 77th floor." She smiled. "If he survives of course." She sighed.


    Just then, Endorsi who had been quiet until now spoke up.


    "He will survive." She said. Yuri raised an eyebrow, as did Winston.


    "Why are you so sure?" Winston asked.


    Endorsi only smiled in response and said, "I promised I''ll date him if he comes back alive. I won''t let him miss that opportunity." She chuckled.


    "You''re gutsy." Winston chuckled.


    Without another word, Yuri disappeared into the dark, not even getting caught in Winston''s night vision or spirit vision.


    Bam and Rachel floated along the net made by the Goby Dolphins, their bubble heading up towards the Queen''s mouth.


    Bam stared off into the abyss of water down below, his eyes glazed over still.


    That feeling... it''s getting stronger the more time I spend here. It feels as if a wave is flowing into me from somewhere... Bam contemplated, opening and closing his fist, feeling the power that coursed through his body, relishing in it almost.


    Rachel quietly gazed at his back from the corner of her eye, looking from the side of the bed she was on.


    Suddenly, Bam shook his head and broke out of his stupor. He looked above towards the Goby Queen.


    "Rachel, we are about to arrive at the Queen''s mouth." He said cheerfully. Rachel smiled and nodded in response.


    "You''ve changed Bam." She chuckled.


    Bam smiled. "Well, I take a bath regularly now. I have many friends and have learned to use shinsu." He broke out with a toothy grin. Rachel looked behind her, her face devoid of


    expression.


    "I''ve also gotten some muscle." Bam flexed his arm, chuckling as he did so.


    Rachel smiled.


    "But you still need help from others. You haven''t changed all that much. You still can''t do


    anything without me." She laughed.


    "What?! That''s not true!" Bam exclaimed, then, he began laughing along with her.


    "How are your legs now?" He asked.


    Rachel looked down at her legs in melancholy.


    "They don''t pain anymore, but I still can''t move them." She shook her head in regret.


    "Don''t worry, Rachel! I will take you to the top!" Bam yelled to console her. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rachel smiled at him. And just as she was about to acknowledge his words, something dashed


    out from the abyss.


    Crash!


    The bubble shook apart, as if a gigantic force had rammed into his, almost tearing it apart.


    Bam almost lost his balance but stabilized himself.


    He looked over towards the perpetrator of the act. It was a large creature, with four limbs and


    a tail, its maw vertical with one large eye that shone red. It''s back held large flipper like organs, which in the water looked no different than large, tenebrous wings, dark red in colour.


    "The Bull!" Bam exclaimed in terror.


    How did it even reach here?! He thought, his mind in a jumbled mess.


    As he took in the vision of the Bull turning around to dash at then again, his mind suddenly underwent a cold and unfeeling clarity, turning tranquil.


    It doesn''t matter how it got here! I need to protect us! Bam thought with a grim determination.


    The bull blitzed through the waters, the shinsu bending around it in a way that propelled it forward like a bullet out of a gun.


    It''s streamlined shape when swimming, along with the ''wings'' that seemed to take apart the shinsu around it made it''s speed in water all the more frightening.


    Bam extended his hand, immediately casting reverse flow control.


    Quiet~


    The Bull stilled in the water, its maw spread about, just 3 meters away from the bubble.


    Sweat poured our of Bam''s skin. His legs shook a bit from nervousness and stress. Rachel''s pupils shook, shrinking uncontrollably in fear. She did not say anything, fearful of


    making the boy lose concentration.


    I need to attack! Bam thought, and without missing a beat, he extended his right hand and tried


    to use another baang.


    Crash!


    Shaaa!


    The bull scraped the bubble, dashing forward as the bubble exploded from one side, cracks


    spreading on its side.


    "Aargh!" Bam exclaimed in pain, clutching his hand which bled in red. A giant gash spread


    across his hand, making blood drip out from it.


    "Bam! Are you okay!?" Rachel asked from behind him.


    Bam gnashed his teeth in pain.


    "I''m... I''m okay..." Bam managed to squeeze out.


    Rachel looked over in worry.


    Bam stood up without another word and gazed at the Bull that travelled towards them.


    I... I need to do this... He thought.


    Then, extending his hand, the Bull stopped. Once again, 3 meters from the bubble.


    Huff Huff!


    Bam huffed, sweat pouring incessantly from his forehead.


    He glitter his teeth and concentrated.


    Roar!


    The bull roared as the reverse flow control was thrown slightly off it''s body. And then, a bright


    ray of light flashed across the water.


    Shaaaaaaaaa!


    Shing!


    Boooom!


    A flash of light, and with it, the Bull fell down into the abyss below, disappearing into the


    darkness.


    Bam genuflected, breathing heavily.


    "Bam! Are you okay?! Talk to me!" Rachel yelled from behind.


    Hearing her words, Bam managed to smile through.


    "It''s fine." He said. "The Bull... I took care of it." He laughed.


    Then, he turned back and extended his bloodied hand to Rachel as the bubble slowly extended


    up towards the Queen''s mouth. "Rachel... let me be your legs. I will take you to see the stars." He huffed.


    Rachel looked at him for a moment, and then, she smiled. A smile that reflected off from


    Bam''s eyes, a smile that he would give anything in the world for.


    He smiled in response.


    Then, as Rachel extended her hands to take his.


    Shove!


    "Eh?" Bam blurted out as his feet lost their footing. Rachel stood on her legs, her arms in a


    pushing motion. "Rachel?"


    "Sorry, Bam. But you should stay here."


    The bubble went up above to the light, while the boy fell down into the darkness.


    Anaak finally quieted down and laid onto the floor, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes.


    Everyone ignored her.


    There was silence for a moment as everyone sat down on the ground, getting a moment of


    relief.


    "Well that was dangerous!" Winston exclaimed.


    Shibisu chuckled.


    "You can say that again."


    Endorsi turned her head to look over and asked.


    "How did you find us so fast? I thought we avoided you quite nicely."


    Winston shook his head. "Not nicely enough apparently. Be thankful for that though. It saved


    your life." He chuckled.


    "Ha! We were doing just fine!" Endorsi snorted.


    Shibisu shook his head.


    "Your condition suggests otherwise..."


    Bam!


    And just like that he was booked on the head.


    "Even still, I never expected a teacher to be a member of RED." Shibisu said, rubbing his head.


    "Me too."


    Winston smiled. "I felt something was wrong. Almost made me not come here and stay at a safe distance."


    Endorsi and Shibisu raised an eyebrow.


    Winston explained, "I have good intuition. It works as some sort of danger sense." He


    laughed. "So I made a gamble and flipped a coin."


    "Sigh! And here I thought you fell for me and came to save me like a knight in shining armor."


    "Don''t misunderstand. The result was a tails."


    Winston held a smug look on his face. Endorsi and Shibisu raised an eyebrow. "Then why made you choose coming here?" Shibisu asked.


    Winston smiled enigmatically.


    "Who knows?" He said.


    Endorsi and Shibisu looked at him for a moment before they both smiled.


    "Thank you." Endorsi whispered silently. However, in the quiet environment, everyone heard


    it.


    Winston wanted to make her repeat that somehow, but he decided against ruining the


    moment.


    "What was that? I didn''t hear you." Nevermind that.


    Endorsi turned her head with a smile.


    "It''s best not to make a princess repeat her words."


    "Winston!" Shibisu suddenly yelled.


    "Yes?"


    "Please let me call you my son!" He yelled again.


    "No way in hell."


    Pfft! A low laugh came out of Anaak''s mouth who lied some distance away from them.


    Then Shibisu too chuckled, and then Winston too along with them.


    Endorsi stared at them for a moment before she too began to laugh. Winston''s laughter was contagious, eventually overtaking them all.


    All of them shared a small moment of repose and friendship, a quiet instance that would soon


    become inconsequential. However, none of them cared for what would come next, neither did they bother to think about it. They just laughed, they laughed at the strange plays of fate, they


    laughed at their own moment of joy, they laughed, a smile on each of their faces. It was a happy smile, an exaggerated smile, a ridiculous smile.


    A/N: The next chapter will be the last. Probably.


    Throw some stones.


    Also, tell me your thoughts. Are the character interactions fluid enough? How is the story


    progression?


    Cheers-


    Also, perhaps drop a nice review highlighting why you like the novel? Wink* wink* nudge* nudge*

 Chapter 41: Premonitions

    Chapter 41: PremonitionsHuff! Huff!


    I breathed heavily as the bubble tumbled around within the Queen''s stomach. The cracks on the bubble made me worried the the structure might collapse and leave me to be slowly digested in the stomach acids of the giant shinhueh.


    After some time, the tumbling subsided and the bubble softly travelled through the innards of the beast.


    I sat back down onto the bed, breathing a sigh of relief. My eyes turned unfocused for a bit as a smile stretched itself ear to ear on my beautiful face.


    I had done it.


    I had finally become the heroine of this story.


    Bam, the one that stole everything from me, the one that had no more purpose in life than to follow me, yet still the one that had taken the place of the hero from me was gone.


    I had finally become the heroine, destined to see the stars one day.


    "Ha... haha..." A low laught escaped my mouth, eventually transforming into a full blown laughter.


    Hahahahahahahahahaha!


    The sole sound of my laughter, music to my ears rang in the surroundings. I laid onto the bed, my limbs sprawled about and closed my eyes with a gigantic smile gracing my lips.


    I remembered what the angel had said.


    "The Boy is the one that took the risk, and so did the young man. And so, that Boy will become the Hero of this story, and the man an outlier, a being unbound by it. And what of you?"


    I hummed a sweet tone, shaking my head side to side, unable to contain my excitement.


    I chuckled in a high pitched tone, slamming my face into the pillows, squealing as I did so with my legs rapidly kicking the bed mattress.


    "I will make you the heroine of this story. In exchange, you just need to do something for me." The angel had chuckled at the time.


    My eyes glazed over slightly as images of Bam flooded my mind.


    The giddiness in my heart could not be stopped. Everything I ever deserved would be mine now. That monster was never worthy or everything I would be capable of getting. He was a mistake, something that shouldn''t even be alive. But now, I had done God''s work.


    Then, images of someone else overlapped my vision. It was a dark haired young man with dark black eyes. He stood at a height of 1.85 meters and had an enchanting and laid back disposition. The outlier, Winston Heath.


    I giggled.


    "Soon..." I said to no one in particular, my eyes taking a strange emotion.


    I am going to have everything I ever wanted and will want in the future. After all, I am the heroine of this story.


    Everyone exists only to serve me. I am destined to see the stars.


    Everyone waited at the bottom of a large structure, in front of which the Queen''s anus was exposed from where Bam and Rachel were to be shot out.


    Winston sat onto a nearby bench along with Zarhan and Amon, as did Anaak. The rest of the regulars stood some distance away, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the two people. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They did not have to wait too long, as in just 5 minutes worth of time, the bubble came out along with all of the Queen''s undigested food.


    Splat!


    The bubble cracked upon impacting solid ground and a sole female supported herself on her arms, her hair and body drenched in a green fluid.


    Every rushed towards her, eager to greet them.


    However, as they drew closer, they noticed something.


    "Where''s Bam?" Amon asked, his tone shaking a bit.


    Rachel didn''t speak, only gritting her teeth in response as if holding deep emotions within.


    Winston who was at the back stared at her, his spirit vision activated.


    His eyes reflected the figure of Rachel in it''s entirety, a plethora of colours blazing at her body. Besides her legs, which were blackened in spirit vision, suggesting a lack of operation, the rest of her body was perfectly fine.


    Her emotional colours were in disarray, expression deep sadness and regret.


    Seeing this, Winston had a bad premonition.


    "Hey! Yellow turtle!" Rak yelled. "Where''s the Black turtle!"


    Winston felt Zarhan tightening his grip on the spear, watching on at the scene that was unfolding.


    "He..." Rachel spoke in a sort of hushed whisper, however, it was perfectly heard by everyone.


    "Bam, he.. he fell off the platform while fighting off the bull." Rachel choked on her breath, a singular tear streaming down her face.


    "He... he sacrificed himself to save me..." She said.


    Everyone was quiet for a moment.


    "NOO! TURTLE!!!" Rak yelled out in despair.


    Everyone else felt a weird emotion arising in their stomachs, feeling extremely unsure about


    the situation.


    Winston stole a glance at Khun, whose eyes were covered by his hair.


    "..." Without a word, Winston began to walk back.


    Then, he took out a coin from his pocket and flicked it up.


    Bam is dead. He repeated in his head 7 times.


    The coin landed onto his palm, and as he opened it, the coin displayed a clear tails.


    He closed his palm and kept the coin back into his pocket.


    Everyone passed the test. Apparently, Bam had made a deal with the administrator, which entailed that even if Bam failed the test, everyone else would be allowed to ascend to the next floor and not fail the test.


    That sole fact made everyone feel a great debt towards the boy. Rachel had passed out after she descended from the Queen''s stomach and thereby rested in her room.


    Everyone else gathered in the hall to think over their next course of actions.


    It was at that moment that Khun proposed something.


    He would take Rachel up the tower with him, in order to fulfil one last wish of Bam due to which he was going to pass the test.


    Everyone else also agreed through subtle communication ticks and deception from Khun, though it was hardly needed.


    Winston was the only one, aside from Zarhan who had not outright agreed to the proposal, but since he did not object to it, everyone assumed he would also participate; an endeavor that he was not sure he would partake in at the moment.


    However, as everyone left the hall, Winston was approached by the blue haired young man.


    "Winston." He called out.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "I have something to talk to you about." He said.


    Winston nodded and they headed back to his room for further discussions.


    After they reached his room, Khun continued with the conversation.


    "It''s about Rachel." He said grimly.


    "What about her?" Winston was unsure where the conversation was going.


    Khun''s eyes held a slight edge, something Winston was not used to seeing. Through his spirit vision, he noticed a strange emotion of rage and unclarity flowing through his psyche.


    "I talked with Mr. Ro about her condition. Although the official reports say that she can''t walk and the cure is only on the upper floors..." Khun took a slight pause. "Through Mr. Ro''s own observation, along with a doctor he had asked for a report, her legs are perfectly fine."


    Winston''s eyes widened in bafflement.


    "You mean..." He asked, unsurely.


    Khun nodded.


    "She lied." He declared. "The wound was even that fatal. It did no damage concerning her


    legs, neither did it damage any major tissues."


    They sat in silence for a moment.


    "Then-"


    Winston walked along a hallway, walking in front of doors that led to the rooms of several


    regulars.


    Eventually, he stopped in front of Rachel''s.


    With a strange expression, he gazed silently at the door, his spirit vision peering through the


    wall.


    Rachel who was laying on the bed and sleeping had her entire body clad in white, a symbol of excellent health. The Black colour he had seen was all but gone at this point. Someone... or something... it messed with the information travelling through the ''spirit world''. He


    thought with a rough face. He gritted his teeth as he looked at her emotions. Happiness. Contentment. Cold clarity and glee.


    He shook his head as he remembered what Khun intended to do. Apparently, he planned to


    tell Shibisu about the fact too.


    Winston walked back. His emotions were in a mess.


    Things just got a lot more complicated. His spirit vision scanned his surroundings, trying to see


    through anything that might still be prying at him.


    He put his hand into a pocket and took out the coin.


    Bam is dead.


    Bam is dead... He repeated 7 times.


    Then, he flipped the coin.


    Ding!


    The coin danced in the air and fell towards his hand, however, it fell right off to the ground


    after bouncing off.


    The divination had failed...


    Winston picked up the coin, his face devoid of any real expression.


    Coincidences... so that''s why... Winston felt that he had uncovered some strange secret, a game that was happening constantly in the shadows, which he had somehow managed to uncover. Then, he felt his sequence 7 potion, an object that felt closer to him yet infinitely far away. He shook his head, feeling hundreds of possible explanations arise in his mind. From the forces of Jahad to the strange rabbit, Headon, there was nothing he could confirm at the


    moment.


    He sighed and decided to head back to his room, practice cogitation and calm his emotions. As


    for progression to the next sequence, he decided to do so after ascending to the next floor. For


    some inexplicable reason, the floor of tests seemed like a giant trap, someplace he did not feel comfortable in to try and ascend.


    As he was walking back, he suddenly smiled.


    A smile that carried a million emotions. A smile that masked every other emotion under it. A


    smile befitting of a clown.


    On an unknown floor of the tower, in a dark cave like place, something stirred. A strange red light flashed onto the walls and the surroundings, illuminating the various murals embossed onto the wall and the plethora of statues with demon like faces in a baleful crimson glow. A large hole was in the ceiling, revealing a large moon that shone with a dark light.


    A humanoid figure got up from the ground, stretching it''s arms and body with a groan.


    Then, it scratched it''s back with it''s flexible arms. The figure stood at an intimidating 7 feet tall and was increasingly muscular, making it appear intimidating in the red light. Slowly, the figure walked fully into the light.


    And there he stood, a massive hulking man, his skin a pale silver in colour with albino hair and


    a pair of red eyes. His face was stretched into a wicked grin, revealing white teeth. His face


    held features that looked somewhat similar to a young man, yet he also held various wrinkles on his face.


    Tired, he said, "It''s been long since the directions of fate turned to violently, they''re barely being held together...


    "Man... I haven''t had to move personally since that guy pissed me off." The man bellowed


    with a strange, beast like growl.


    Then, he laughed.


    "I suppose being a silver dwarf isn''t all that great after all huh... but I guess I''ve been inactive


    for long enough." He said and walked off.


    "I wish you all luck regulars." Hansung Yu smiled as he saw off the regulars. "Before you go, I would like you give something to all of you." With his words, a plate floated


    onto the platform where everyone stood. The plate held various black rings. "This is a token of rememberence for all of you. I hope you all achieve great things." He said.


    Everyone took the rings and donned them on their fingers.


    And then, they were teleported to the next floor.


    End of Volume One~ Vistas of the Test Floor.


    A/N: There you have it folks. I will not be beginning with the second volume until I have


    completed all the chapters beforehand, just so you know. Otherwise, I might even drop off the novel due to stress of uploading every day.


    Even so, I don''t want to extend the upload schedule since such a schedule is needed for being a contracted author. So yeah, expect a big break. Also, I didn''t have any plans initially about this novel and this was supposed to be just some side project that I would write for fun, but it has become something way more popular than I had expected. And since that''s the case, it is


    my duty as an author to not drop the novel and provide an ending for anyone that may choose


    to stick with it.


    Still though, no promises~~~


    Throw some stones and see you next volume~~~


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 42: Cicada(1)

    Chapter 42: Cicada(1)Rain littered the sea as the dark clouds ran through the sky, twisting and twirling in tandem with the waves as if they were alive. Gigantic mountains towered over in the eastern horizons and tumultuous waves crashed over the entire ocean.


    A lonesome boat, not too large yet not too small in size travelled amongst a sea of wooden remains, a graveyard of previous ships that had been crushed by the wrath of water and storm. Men glanced over the deck at the barren wasteland that had been made of the previously cheerful fleet.


    Then one of them pointed out in one direction, where lay a lonesome floating piece of wood atop which was mounted a ginormous living creature.


    A net was cast and the living creature was caught. It had a yellow, pale and deathly demeanor with a nose elongated and teeth protruding out from the sides. It''s eyes were a bewitching boundless white and remained almost hollowed in the living creature''s sockets and it''s body was bulbous and rotund with two arms and two legs with claws marring each limb. Warts grew on the living creature in waves and from it''s nose dripped a strange red snot that dripped down it''s obese body.


    The men took it back to the mountains in the horizons, hauling it upto the top upon large wooden rails. They set up the creature onto the front of the shrine of their gods, and the


    creature got up.


    The men knelt in fear while others brandished their weapons in alarm as the creature overtook it''s large blue claws and slashed at its own skin.


    And from it''s skin, poured out treasures. Pearls of quality never seen by them before, blood in a colour of gold and silver nuggets pouring out like water from a dam.


    The men stood in silence, entranced by the riches. The living creature snorted onto the women, turning them beautiful. The malnourished children were fed a small blue bead that the creature pulled out from it''s skin, revitalizing the poor creatures.


    The creature was revered, shrines were made and fishes were fed to it. The living creature brought prosperity and the small village soon turned into a metropolis upon which souls in search of food, shelter and opportunities all the same stumbled into to test their fortune and wits.


    The lost souls guided themselves to the living creature to recieve it''s blessing, each recieving all the successes they could hope just from a small glance by it''s hallowed eyes that peered out from it''s darkened face or from a single touch from it''s clawed hands that could crush a man''s skull whole and pierce through rock without trouble.


    The creature grew larger with the fish and delicacies and the pilgrims continued on. The temples the living creature stayed in cheered with life and vigor as lost souls guided themselves in. Each time the creature slashed it''s skin, gold, pearls, silver and diamonds would rush out, pooling at the pilgrims'' feet.


    Then, a lone man stood, his visage fierce and his figure malnourished with his eyes clouded in greed and in fear. He rushed through the crowd with a knife in hand and slashed at the creature''s skin. The riches began to pool at his feet as the creature in a baleful scream backhanded the man, twisting his nose and blinding him in one eye in the process.


    The guards rushed upon the man as the riches pooled at the floor. The priests fervently chanted scriptures in seek of forgiveness for the greater atrocity commented. The other pilgrims overcame by greed brandished their weapons, their faces contorted in madness and a deranged frenzy.


    They laughed and laughed as they all rushed upon the living creature, tearing it''s body in horror of the priests. Yet the priests were human too, consumed by their own greed.


    The limbs of the creature were cut off, it''s golden blood was drained. It''s teeth were made of diamonds and bones were made of jade.


    Pearls the size of a man''s chest poured out from it''s chest and head and the golden blood flowed through the ground and out into the streets. A strange laughter filled the air still as the creature was dismantled, eventually leaving nothing behind. The priests had their way with women who too were too clouded in their own euphoria; the men peed onto the corpse of the living creature, a being that they once worshipped. The eyes of the creature bred trouble and bloodbath. Dozens fought and one came out victorious that would take the eyes home.


    Everything, was plundered. Everything, was ruined.


    And so, a large storm enveloped the metropolis, decimation in all corners and regression of the area into a perfect domain of nature.


    The mountain raised to the ground, only a plain ground not far from the sea remained.


    The creature, nay, a husk of it stood tall amid the rubble, its body now blackened and carrying red and thin and frail, with bones protruding out as if it had no skin to speak of. It''s face was disfigured and it''s body was unrecognizable.


    And from the clouds above that rained still, a black haired man came out, his long black hair flowing freely behind his back and his body adorned by long flowing white robes.


    The man landed before the living creature and smile.


    "You see now, don''t you?" The living creature bellowed.


    "See what?"


    "People are flawed. Eventually, they all destroy themselves. That is the truth of this world. You and me. We need not concern ourselves with them, for they are below us. Feeble and tiny. Too consumed by their own faults to do anything else."


    "What you created here was an example. Not the proof." The man declared, a simple smile on his face. "If you wish to test the toughness of glass, it is bound to shatter. Reversing the consequence and cause, all that just for the sake of winning. Causing chaos just to prove a point. How absurd."


    The creature stilled, its red eyes gazing at the man.


    "And what of you?" The creature said.


    "What of me?"


    "You came here not too long ago. You do not know how everything works."


    "You see the worst in people. You have seen the worst in people, particularly that insufferable man. Perhaps that''s what bothers you."


    "...Maybe."


    The man chuckled.


    "If the news of this were to get out, chaos would ensue through the tower."


    The living creature turned it''s head to look at the sea.


    "...why?" It asked.


    The man turned simply and smile out to the sea.


    Then, he muttered, "It''s not everyday one can see you in such a state you know? Even High rankers might freak out."


    The living creature remained silent, only glancing briefly at its blackened and red body that looked emaciated.


    "Ahaha! Hahaha!" A childlike giggle rang across the streets. Rain poured down from the sky, tears of the clouds bouncing on the brick roads like musical notes falling on a great instrument.


    Birds perched themselves on trees and under extended roofs, shielding themselves from the pour. Chuckles and giggles rang amid the sound of the rain as a small group of children ran along the streets, closely followed by a pack of dogs that circled around them in giddiness and


    playfulness.


    The children, drenched whole, smiled and smiled and laughed along as they passed many wooden houses and trees.


    Pitter-patter


    Pitter-patter


    Then, as the pitter patter of rain continued to reverberate, the children suddenly stopped, the


    pack of dogs stopping alongside them.


    The kids glanced over to their front, where their path stayed blocked by a large figure.


    It was a large man, standing about 7 feet tall in height. He had bright white hair with a pale silver skin, as if all blood had been sucked clean from his body. His eyes were bright red, mimicking the colour of blood which he seemed oh so deficient of. The man, who was smiling ear to ear had a strangely child like face, yet also wrinkles that ran along it; making him


    appear quite odd.


    If anyone were to describe his features with as little words as possible, perhaps the phrase ''incomplete'' might come to mind. That''s right. The face of the man seemed incomplete.


    Though the kids were none the wiser.


    The man wore a dark trench coat which glistened in the rain. He wore silver cargo pants on his legs and wore dark leather boots. In his hands was a black suitcase of sorts.


    As the man noticed the children stopping at his appearance, his smile seemingly widened, if


    that were even possible.


    "Hello kids. May I ask you for some directions?" His voice was deep, yet somehow not, again, appearing increasingly strange.


    As he spoke, the kids clamoured around and began to run the opposite way. The smile on the man''s face dropped for a second before he shook his head.


    Then he walked along the quiet brick road.


    His disposition was serene and calm, in complete contrast with his hulking stature.


    Walking for a while and passing through the streets of the small village, he came in front of a large house, in front of which were two benches.


    Without a word, the man sat onto the bench. The rain drops and water atop the bench miraculously evaporated and moved away from his seat, as did the drops that were falling atop him. In just a moment, his surroundings turned inert of rain as if it was avoiding him like


    a plague.


    He sat around the bench for a time. The clouds above swaddled off towards the horizons, revealing a bright sun behind them. The petrichor that emanated from the rapidly drying


    grass seemed intoxicating.


    Then, the man turned his head upon hearing footsteps to the left. There, a man of a shorter stature walked along, a large bag full of wood on his back. The man stood at a height of 5 foot 11 inches or 1.80 meters and had light brown hair with a lazy, almost sleep deprived disposition. There was a hint of dark circles under his eyes and he yawned while he walked. The man wore a simple t-shirt with dark coloured pajamas and a pair of crocs at his feet.


    As the man drew in closer, his eyes widened a bit seeing the hulking albino sitting at the


    bench.


    He approached and asked, "Who are you?"


    The albino smiled, "I''m looking for someone."


    "Heh." The man chuckled and walked behind him, heading towards the door to his house.


    "Then you''re in the wrong place, my friend." He shook his head and unlocked the door.


    "Why do you say so?" The albino whispered, yet his words reached the man all the same. "People don''t come here to find anyone. There''s no one worth finding here." He turned back and looked at the albino''s back. He had not moved from his seat at the bench.


    As the man went to close the door, the albino spoke again, this time with volume.


    "I''m here for a Theolis." He laughed. The man stopped in his tracks and widened the gap of


    the door.


    "Theolis Clear. Ring any bells?" The man turned his head slightly and looked on.


    "Who''s asking?"


    The albino stood up and walked up to the door.


    "Myself Samuel Helmons." He said. "Can I come in?"


    The man looked on for a moment in suspicion, yet strangely enough, he let the albino in


    without too much trouble.


    The albino ducked under the door and walked inside, inhaling the slightly musty odour of


    wood and a thick scent of coffee.


    "You seem to really like coffee." Samuel chuckled.


    The man shook his head, "It helps me sleep." He said.


    The albino raised an eyebrow and asked with a quizzical expression, "Coffee helps you sleep?


    That''s odd."


    The man laughed a bit. "No. I farm coffee beans. Brings in good money."


    "May I have some?" "Depends on what you say next. Why are you here and why are you looking for me?"


    The albino, with a compassionate gaze sat down onto a chair. Due to his tall stature, him sitting on the small chair looked rather comical.


    "I''m looking for people. To help me... let''s say to sort something out." Theolis sat down opposite him onto a rocking chair with a glass of water in hand. Then, taking


    a sip, he spoke. "And what will they get in return after helping you?"


    "Haha... it''s the other way around." His eyes curved into a crescent moon shape. "In truth, the


    one that''s getting the benefits first is you."


    "How so?"


    "I''ll get you into the inner tower." His deep yet soft voice bellowed.


    Theolis raised an eyebrow in suspicion.


    "Inner tower? You mean you''ll take the people that agree to climb the tower?"


    "Bingo! You get 10 points!" Samuel laughed.


    "But that''s impossible. Only the regulars chosen by the guardian can get into the tower." He


    said.


    "Heh. That might be the general case, but it''s not the only possibility." He extended his


    finger and shook it side to side. Then a mystical illusion began to materialize in the air. It depicted a large cylinder.


    "Think of this as the inner tower. What the guardian does is transport everyone to the second


    floor, the floor of tests." The bottom of the cylinder glowed. Then, from the bottom a number of lines began to extend into nothingness. Then, even the entire cylinder began to grow with lines that extended out from it''s center and disappearing into the air.


    "However, there are many paths still that one can take to get there. As long as one passes a certain threshold, they will be judged by the guardian and if deemed worthy, they will also be ''chosen''. As long as the guardian offers a tactic approval, there''s no need to be waiting to get


    chosen." Samuel smiled. "It''s a very crude way of going about it, and most of the time, its not very appreciated by the tower populace and hence, the information is blocked about it. But the guardian seems to have no real problems with this."


    "And how did you come to know about it?"


    "I am a silver dwarf, I can see crossroads that others cannot. Finding a path is my speciality."


    Theolis sat in contemplation for a bit.


    "And what if the one that intends to cross the inner tower isn''t chosen?" He asked.


    "He dies in despair, knowing that there is no way from him to reach for the greater beyond.


    He is locked from the tower forever." He said.


    The illusion disappeared.


    "And what of the thing you want in return? That has to weighed into the trade right?"


    "But think of it. What greater favor can I do you than to put you in a place where you can


    ascend beyond your wildest imaginations? What greater good can I do for you than to get you into the tower?" He asked.


    "But still..." Theolis hesitated.


    "There''s no need to be so hesitant. All I will ask you is aid in restoring fate."


    "Fate?"


    "Yes. Someone has been quite riled up recently. Fate is in shambles, its barely following it''s


    original course, as if it will break apart into chaos at a moment''s notice."


    "But isn''t watching Fate something the Red Witches do?"


    Samuel scratched his chin.


    "You''re pretty knowledgeable. Now that I think about it, that would be a power of the red sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    witches rather than the silver dwarfs... I do apologize, I''m not too used to having such


    abilities." He chuckled.


    Theolis looked at him strangely, in puzzlement. Looking at such a large man apologizing to


    him was quite a weird experience for him. However, there was one thing that caught his


    attention.


    "Not used to? That''s quite a weird thing to say." He said.


    Samuel shook his head.


    "Is that really what we''re here to discuss? Are you going to participate or not?"


    Theolis clicked his tongue. Then, he said, "One last thing.


    "Why me?" "Pardon?"


    "Why me? I''m not something special. As a matter of fact, I''m as average as they come."


    "There''s nothing average about you." The man smiled knowingly.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    that


    "I can see paths. And the path has led me here, to you. And since the path has guided me, there must be something that''s special about you." He said with confidence. "Not to mention I''m not choosing just one or two people. As a matter of fact, I''ve talked to hundreds of people.


    I can talk to a random beggar on the streets and offer him a way into the tower. Even if there''s


    nothing special about them, that won''t be the case forever right? Only special people survive


    in the tower. Everyone that''s mediocre gets culled out."


    As his words landed there was silence for a moment.


    If Theolis were to use his common sense, the man was nothing but shady. His motives were


    questionable at best and there was no saying if he was a part of some organ trafficking organization. Any normal man in this situation would surely refuse, as would any intelligent


    one.


    "You wanted coffee?"


    "Some biscuits if you have any."


    "I don''t. They attract rodents." "That''s unfortunate."


    With that, Theolis got him some coffee, unsure whether the decision he had made was the


    right call or not.


    A/N: Hello people! Volume 2, Hunter in the Waves; officially stars from here!!! Strap in!


    I''m not sure if there will be a chapter every day, though that will be the goal. But that can change to a chapter every 2 days. We''ll have to see. And there will be some breaks where I


    don''t upload for the day.


    Also, the first part of this chapter was similar to a chapter in journey to the west, also depicted


    in the third acts ending in Black Myth Wukong. Check out the ending, its real nice animation.


    Also, perhaps read Journey to the West? It''s leagues better than anything one might find in


    the average webnovel fanfiction. Lol.


    PS, check out the synopsis for the rough premise of the 2nd Volume.


    Cheers~~~~


    Throw some stones!!! Get the fic to the top of the rankings!!! We must assemble the previous


    audience!!

 Chapter 43: Ocean Blue

    Chapter 43: Ocean BlueThe sound of ocean waves crashing rang in his ears constantly, as did the chirping of seagulls in the distance.


    Winston looked on towards the horizons where he saw three floating islands silently hovering in the air. The gentle waves washed over the small wooden boat he stood on, rocking it back and forth with the flow of the water. A thick stench of salt lingered in the air.


    Winston wore a black suit, consisting of black pantaloons and a low hanging tailcoat, under which was a white linen shirt. Atop his black haired head, was a half top hat. His eyes were clouded with strange colours as he peered out into the horizon, a signature for his spirit vision. On his face was a smile.


    "What was the plan again?" Someone asked from behind him. Winston turned his head slightly, gazing the the speaker from the corner of his eyes. It was a man with dirty brown hair, sitting down onto the edge of the small boat. His eyes were sleek and held a slight edge and in his hands rested a large red spear, the handle of which was embossed with various strange and alien symbols. The man wore a simple t-shirt with predominantly red colouring to go along with streaks of white running vertically. Below, he wore dark coloured pants. It was none other than Zarhan Zulasekail.


    "Attack." Winston chuckled and put a hand into his pocket; then he took out a bright blue coin and twirled it around his fingers.


    Zarhan raised an eyebrow. "I remember it being a bit more complicated." He said.


    "No need to use too much of your brain. We just need to secure the island." Winston shook his head.


    "Can''t you get us there any faster?" He asked.


    "Bored already?" Winston chuckled. Zarhan clicked his tongue, not answering. Winston shook his head. "Amon, Anaak and Laure are approaching from the other ends. If we mess up the timing, it won''t be ideal."


    Zarhan clicked in tongue again, turning his head away. "You''re no fun. We can take care of it either way." A chuckle sounded in response to his comment.


    "Patience my friend." He said. "It is a virtue of greatness. Besides, proper preparation had been done to device this strategy. Going off course would not be right."


    As of right now, they were taking the test of the 12th floor! It had been 5 months since their ascent to the third floor and they rapidly climbed through the floors.


    The idea was simple, they would speed through the floors until the 21st, where they would become E ranked regulars and would not have any issue for points and would not be on a deadline for tests, a plan that Winston had no issues with.


    Their group was mostly united still, except for two major differences. The first was the fact that Khun and Rachel had chosen to split up from them at the 5th floor, something Winston was honestly thankful for. Staying with the yellow haired girl was infuriating for him, as was putting up with her act.


    There was also the fact that the mysterious patron she had behind her made Winston always at edge. It even made his promotion to sequence 7, which was the barrier of the mid sequences, somewhat dangerous since his emotions were riled up due to stress of being under constant observation and led through coincidences.


    After the last test on the 2nd floor, Winston had always been on the edge for any strange coincidences that could be happening around him. Thankfully, he did not notice anything unusual since then. But that didn''t make it any better for the situation. As much as he wished to get rid of the root problem, which was the freckled girl, his intuition made him well aware of the dangers that could cause. And so, he persisted.


    The second change among their group was the separation of Rak and Paracule from their group on the 7th floor, for reasons that Winston could not begin to comprehend. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rak''s thinking was too complicated for him to understand clearly.


    Another thing worth mentioning was his promotion to the next sequence, along with the necessary digestion he could do.


    The Sequence 7 in the pathway to the Divine marked the area of the mid sequences, a barrier which when crossed offers conceptualization of some of the beyonder abilities. Of course, the conceptualization was not so powerful at this point, at best, a mid sequence could be considered as a small army on their own. With the real strength in the Divine path coming along when the beyonder reaches the barrier of a demigod, and even further than that, an angel.


    Thought that was still too far in the future.


    The best thing about these couple of months was the fact that his acting had bore significant results, propelling his digestion to about 87%.


    Sequence 7 of the Fool Pathway was the Magician. A sequence that significantly enhanced dexterity, flexibility, balance, and his spirit vision. Along with that, it was the Sequence which brought along the most abilities out of the three. In essence, it offered 9 unique abilities, or ''spells'' that could be performed without any concentration of spirituality.


    The spells included damage transfer, a spell that allowed him to transfer damage from any part of his body to the other, turning fatal wounds like heart punctures into a hole in one''s hand. It was worth noting that any wound could be transferred only once and the damage couldn''t be transferred to inanimate objects or other people.


    The next was flaming jump, which allowed a magician to jump through the spirit world by entering into flames to appear in a distance of 30 meters, though the range had been extended to 100 meters due to his overwhelmingly stronger spirituality and potion digestion. And to go along with flaming jump, Magicians possessed flame control which let them ignite things nearby and some immunity to flames up to a certain extent.


    The next was air bullets, which was a bullet of compressed air that a Magician can fire at will using a trigger sound, like a finger snap or mimicking the sound of a gun from one''s mouth. The next one was paper figurine substitution, the most important ability of a Magician, as Winston would argue. It allowed for a Magician to substitute themselves for a paper figurine, avoiding any sort of damage and even avoid curses. After a paper figurine substitution, the Magician would soon appear somewhere nearby.


    In essence, it was the basis of a Fool Pathway beyonder''s cockroach like resilience in the mid sequences!


    After that, there were powers like illusion creation, which allowed him to create wide scale illusions due to increased spirituality, drawing paper weapons and bone softening.


    All of them made way for the Magician sequence to be one of the best milestones in the Fool Pathway!


    As for the next Pathway, which was the Error, its sequence 7 was aptly named, Cryptologist. By far, the best thing this sequence had given him was the knowledge of mysticism and the ability to ''decrypt'' knowledge through small bits of it. It allowed him to finally experiment with ritualistic magics and gave him the ability to make usable charms, although they weren''t


    too great.


    The sequence was named as so because to the ability of Decryption, which essentially allowed them to recreate and Reverse engineer any knowledge and process through which mysticism could somehow be related, going so far as to even allowing a cryptologist to decrypt the honorific names of deities.


    It significantly increased physical ability along with finally providing minor conceptualization to both ''Deception'' and ''Theft''. Now, he could ''steal'' any object from someone as long as physical contact was maintained, along with being able to mask his intentions and lead his opponent through ''Deception''. It was something Winston was exceedingly happy about.


    And finally, the Sequence 7 of the Door Pathway, which was named Astrologer. It was the Sequence Winston was the most disappointed about. The entire powers of an astrologer, which was related to divination through star gazing was essentially useless in the tower because the stars were artifical.


    Though it provided him improved spirituality, intuition and anti divination properties, it couldn''t compare to the other two sequences.


    Regardless, Winston was happy for his progress. The acting for a Magician was essentially easier than the other two, it only included him preparing extensively for a test and being over the top with a performance. And with the ranker watching over a test, it offered great feedback. The next thing was the Cryptologist, which was covered with his research of shinsu and ritualistic magic, boosting his capabilities to the next level through digestion! Through the combined effect of these two pathways, his digestion had been boosted even though he hadn''t actively focused upon these things in the past months.


    The waves swept underneath and the clouds ahead were replaced by others. At that point, they reached closer to the floating islands.


    Winston prepared himself to board the islands as he saw the other boat, atop which Amon, Anaak and Laure were mounted arrive as well.


    "Finally! Some action!" Zarhan exclaimed and Winston nodded in response.


    The test they were given was named ''Holding the Line'' and was a team test, like most others.


    It had an extremely simple premise, which was to occupy an area and defend it for 40 minutes after the start of the test. The thing that made it complicated was the small tweaks made in between. The entire map was a large ocean, amongst which small and large floating islands were kept silently in the air.


    Each floating island gave a variable amount of points after being occupied for a time of 10 minutes; which was divided as 2 points for the small ones, 5 points for the intermediate ones and 10 points for the especially big ones. As such, the strategy that came to mind in such occupying tests, which was to seize an area at the last moment could not be applied here. To further the difficulty, each island, depending on its size, was defended by a variable amount of robots called as ''sentinels.'' The sentinels would attack the ''invading'' team, meaning if an island was unoccupied, the invaders would only need to fight off the robots. However, if it was occupied, they would need to fight off both the robots as well as the regulars holding the line; making it even more important to take hold of an island


    beforehand.


    Along with that, each team was given only four small wooden boats to traverse the entire ocean, with all of them being spawned at the same spot at the starting of the test. The teams had no idea about their location and could only do speculation about it and the


    amount of islands each category held was not specified, neither was it specified which type of island was at which position in the sea with each island being marked only as an ''X'' on the


    map.


    However, with the help of Winston''s wayfinding abilities, they had managed to locate the general direction of two large islands; prompting them to split up into teams of two. Winston gazed at the top of the group of islands, finding two ocean blue flags waving at the top. His eyes narrowed dangerously as his smile seemingly widened.


    "There seems to be people up there." He said. Zarhan''s ears perked up as his words landed. He


    broke into a cheerful laughter.


    "What ''re we waiting for then?! Let''s go!" He said. Then, shinsu rushed through his legs,


    making them stronger and more robust. His legs expanded and with one tremendous effort,


    he blasted off into the air.


    Whoooosh!


    The boat heaved in the water as Zarhan pushed it back. The middle of the boat took a


    noticable dent at this moment.


    Winston remained perfectly still, not at all minding the rocking boat.


    His eyes travelled to the other side, where the others were planning to go up. He saw Laure


    propel the others up using baangs and float up as well.


    Seeing that, he pressed slightly upon his half-top hat and snapped his fingers.


    Snap!


    Crimson flames erupted around him, covering him whole, and he disappeared within them.


    A/N: And so, Winston makes his appearance. Also, I''m working on a patreon to offer 10


    advanced chapters, though it hasn''t yet been completely set up. I''ll also try to upload advanced chapters for my JJK fanfic onto there so after I set it up within a day or two''s time,


    you people can check it out if you wish.


    Also, throw some stones! We must get the fic on top of the ranks!


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 44: Strange Man

    Chapter 44: Strange ManA blazing orange flame erupted within the bushes in the middle of the trees. The large coconut trees swayed slightly in the wind as did the thick overgrowth down below. The fire cast a reddish orange hue on the vegetation, yet did nothing to burn them. Not a second later, the fire began to subside and Winston walked out, his figure completely devoid of any burn marks.


    As he emerged from the fire, he looked around himself. The surroundings were a collection of coconut trees swaying slightly in the wind with dense vegetation at their base. The sand beneath his shoes was slightly brown in colour and was not very hot. Slightly off in the distance, his enhanced vision caught sight of a large structure, dark coloured and built like a castle with two main bodies; each of which held a large ocean blue flag at the top.


    The teams were given randomized colours when the test began. Their teams'' colour was purple.


    He felt someone land behind him and turned around with a smile.


    Zarhan clicked his tongue as he saw Winston already standing in front of him.


    "I still don''t get how you pull off that stunt with the fire."


    "There''s nothing to understand here. I''m just built like that."


    With that, they both began to walk forward. While doing so, Winston summoned his pocket and began to commune with the other group.


    "What''s your position?" Winston chimed.


    From the pocket, Amon''s voice sounded.


    "We''re to your left. I have 3 observers moving forward, there doesn''t seem to be any sentinels probing around within 200 meters." He said. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston nodded in response.


    "I''ll move in first." Winston said without hesitation. He took a step forward and opened the buttons to his coat, letting it hang freely. Inside, there was a bright golden flash, a golden bell keeping still in the underside of the tailcoat.


    Despite Winston''s movements, the bell stayed completely still without sound, as were his footsteps; a testament to a Magician''s control over their body.


    Taking a short breath, Winston and Zarhan both dashed into the greenery, whizzing past the plant life and over towards the structure ahead with a gust of wind following behind.


    Winston''s disposition was relaxed as he ran ahead.


    Just then, a soft chime of his bells, which had stayed quiet despite his movement rang in his


    ears.


    Then, he stopped abruptly in his tracks as he looked on towards figures moving around in the distance. They were roughly humanoid in shape, predominantly dark blue in colour with lighter shades on their bodies. In their hands, they held various firearm like weaponry and patrolled around rigidly. Their faces held no eyes or any visible features, appearing completely robotic.


    "12 sentinels in the distance. 5 to the right, 3 to the left and the rest straight ahead." Winston said to Zarhan, speaking along to the pocket that floated beside him.


    "Copy that." Came Amon''s quick reply.


    Behind him, Zarhan twirled his spear with frightening proficiency, laughing along as he did


    so.


    "Zehahaha! My hands have been itching for a fight! The test on the previous floor was boring!" He exclaimed.


    For someone that liked battle and didn''t like using his brain, Zarhan preferred fighting for a test rather than an intellectual one. He was plenty capable of passing a test that required some degree of intelligence, but he was not as naturally adept at them.


    Without another word, both of them dashed out, the wind breaking behind them.


    Winston''s tailcoat fluttered in the wind as they approached the sentinels. His bells chimed with more aggressiveness but quieted down with a mental command.


    Then, a beam dashed out from the side.


    Shaaaa!


    Winston ducked under it, dodging a bright blue ray of light that was headed for his head and supported his half top hat with his hand. Then, he threw a glance at Zarhan who nodded.


    Whooosh!


    They both ran in opposite direction, going towards the two seperate groups of sentinels. As they held ranged weaponry stronger than any conventional spear, getting up close might seem to be the most logical choice. However...


    Boom!


    Winston jumped out of a large explosion that followed along with a momentary clash with the group of 5 sentinels. His eyes pierced through the dust clouds to see the changed figure of the mechanical marvels. Their guns which seemed to be a part of their body had now merged with their hands, transforming into large gauntlets. Not to mention the rest of their body had underwent a rapid mutation, turning bulkier.


    "Right."


    Winston dashed at them without another word.


    A rough sound of breaking the sound barrier sounded as his speed exceeded the limits of what any regular below the 30th floor could achieve!


    Boom! Bang!


    Almost instantaneously, two of the five sentinels crumbled down into scraps as Winston appeared behind them, his arms stretched out still in a punching motion and small pieces of metal falling off of them.


    The rest of the sentinels turned around and created a strange beeping noise that rang out in


    the air.


    Winston smiled and rushed at them again. This time, the sentinels dodged to the side, saving them from getting destroyed in a single strike, instead only one of them did.


    One of them redirected it''s speed, rushing at the spot Winston had stopped at.


    He tilted his head as the sentinel punched past it, and then, pulling back his fist, he embedded it right into the stomach of the robot.


    Zzzzz*


    Electrical sparks flew out of his fist as the robot flew back and crumbled into a mess.


    The spells of the trickmaster had also been significantly enhanced, though not to the level


    that they would be usable in a battle of firepower. However, such a limitation could easily be remedied through shinsu.


    Looking towards the last sentinel, Winston snapped his finger, and with that the shinsu around him rippled.


    Snap!


    Boom!


    A gigantic hole blew right threw the robot''s head, making it collapse. Naturally, the air bullet could also be augmented through shinsu.


    This was the experimentation Winston had been holed up in for the past months. The assimilation of beyonder powers with shinsu; and the results so far had been particularly


    great.


    After taking care of the robots, Winston pinched his top hat and readjusted it to sit better.


    Then, with a smile he looked over towards the way Zarhan had gone, finding him also having taken care of his share of robots.


    Winston nodded and both of them dashed towards the large structure.


    As they ran, Winston dialed in the current situation to the other team, who, at this point, were also heading towards the castle like structure.


    As they approached, the bells beneath his coat chimed, and a vision overlapped his senses.


    It was the vision of a large castle like structure and in front of it stood a large door with many sentinels guarding it. And further down into the castle stood a team of 7, their faces blurred


    out still.


    Winston smirked.


    The opposing team had stationed all of their sentinels on the main gate to take care of them, somehow knowing that they were heading for the main gate.


    A strange glint carried onto his eyes as they curved in a strange anticipation and mischief.


    Inside the castle, a group of 7 people stood around in vigilance as they looked over towards the gate. 4 of the 7 were male, 2 were female and one had... a strange body type, appearing more like an amorphous blob of jelly than a human.


    One of them men turned towards another, a hulking figure that stood a staggering 7 feet tall, although not too rare in the tower, with a white head and striking red eyes. The hulking man wore a simple trenchcoat and carried a strange suitcase beside him. His face held a small


    smile.


    "Are you sure they would all come through the main gate?" The man asked the giant.


    The giant''s smile widened just a tiny bit, a change imperceptible to the regulars.


    "Of course. After all, your observers too confirmed the fact right? What good would it do for


    me to lie?" He chuckled.


    The man clicked his tongue in response, "I haven''t had the best experience with following silver dwarfs. I''m rather doubtful." He shook his head.


    One of the women spoke out. "Oh please! What does it matter where they come from anyway! The sentinels will be able to arrive in a small time frame anyway!"


    "I wouldn''t be so sure of that." The other woman shook her head, a floating cube behind her.


    "As per the information I''ve gathered, the team we''re facing at the moment if the team of super rookies that passed from the floor of tests some months ago. They have 2 princesses of Jahad and a man with incredible powers on their team. I think Winston Heath was his name?"


    A man that was seated at the far corner of the large hall scoffed.


    "So what? There''s only one princess on the island right? As for the Winston guy, I''ll take care of him!" He exclaimed, twirling around a needle in his hand.


    The hulking man, Samuel Helmons furrowed his brows a bit in contemplation, seemingly wanting to say something. But eventually, no words came out of his mouth.


    Suddenly, a series of explosive sounds rang out on the outside.


    The lightbearer woman immediately straightened her back and the lighthouse behind her expanded in size to turn into a large screen.


    Before long, it displayed a large view of the outside through a lens, appearing like a movie. The screen depicted Winston and Zarhan fighting off the sentinels, though they weren''t able to damage any of them and were only able to dodge the relentless attacks of the robots.


    The robots were too many for them to retaliate with an attack. The melee robots were troublesome to begin with, but when coupled with the ranged ones, they seemed to be more than a match for the two regulars.


    "Heh! They don''t seem too troublesome. I feel like the sentinels will be done in a little more than 3 minutes." The man with the needle shook his head in disdain.


    Just then, a reply cane from behind him.


    "Right? That guy is so uncool. He doesn''t seem like the rumors at all." Chimed the voice. The


    man nodded in response. Just then, he froze, realizing the foreign voice and the fact that all of


    his team stood in front of him.


    Slowly, he turned his head. And then...


    Bam!


    A fist planted right into his face, throwing him back into the ground and knocking him out


    cold.


    Zarhan stood there with his fist stretched out, a scowl on his face.


    Behind him stood Winston who was quietly pinching his top hat and three other people, of


    which included a green skinned woman, a dark haired man wearing a tight robe and another


    dark haired man wearing a white t shirt and wrapped around him a blanket that floated


    silently.


    "Boo." Said Winston with a smile.


    And then chaos descended.


    The regulars clammored about, rushing away from them to take up some distance. The lightbearer glanced at the lighthouse, only to still find the sentinels engaged in a battle with Winston and Zarhan! However, before she could process what was happening, the two figures that fought on the screen disappeared into a mystical illusion!


    The woman''s eyes shrank into needles as she felt her hair stand on end.


    She turned her head rapidly, only to see baangs of shinsu littered in the air, the combined


    effort of the opposite team.


    And then...


    Boom!


    In a single strike, all of their team was eliminated!


    And with that, Laure, with a wave of his hand, went ahead and hoisted up their flags instead of


    the other team''s, claiming the outpost for themselves.


    "That was quick." Amon commented, sitting down onto a small flight of stairs with a leisure


    smile on his face.


    Anaak sat beside him, propping up a green hook on her shoulder. "It was disappointing." She


    said.


    Winston stretched his hands into the air and groaned.


    "I agree. That was indeed a bit disappointing." He droned.


    However...


    Whooosh!


    Tring!


    The bell under his tail coat chimed, and with it, a vision overlapped his senses.


    He saw himself getting besieged with 6 baangs, all from roughly the same direction. The


    baangs impacted his body, although not dealing too much damage to his body, shredding his


    new clothes into pieces!


    Immediately, his focus shifted and 5 baangs appeared in the air to his right. And then, they fired off!


    Shaaa!


    Boom!


    The baangs met in the air, triggering a large explosion. However, one of them was too fast for


    him to avoid, which led to the baangs crashing right into him!


    However, just as the baang impacted through his body, the entire figure crumbled right into


    paper, fluttering along in the wind!


    Winston''s teammates were alarmed, their eyes shrinking in surprise and bewilderment at not having sensed anyone close by.


    "What the hell?" Anaak yelled, getting back to her feet.


    Some distance away, a mystical figure appeared on the ground. Winston had reappeared with


    the paper figurine substitution, successfully saving his new clothes from being damaged! Safe! He yelled in his mind. Then, his eyes turned to the perpetrator of the act. There he stood, a strange man with a height of 7 feet and hair white as snow and eyes that


    shone with a baleful red glint; donning a dark trenchcoat and holding a suitcase at hand.


    There was a smile stretched across his face as he held his hand onto his chest and bower a


    little.


    "Greetings! Myself Samuel Helmons!" He broke out with a toothy grin. Winston narrowed his eyes at him, and immediately, his spirituality straightened out and converged. And so, baangs of shinsu materialized in the air behind him. Without any delay, 5 baangs, with the 6th still forming floated in the air behind him.


    The strange man only smiled further.


    Anaak, Amon and Zarhan came forward, their weapons drawn and ready to engage at a


    moment''s notice.


    Behind them, Laure floated in the air with 3 baangs in the air around him.


    "This is quite a predicament it seems." Samuel chortled.


    And, the suitcase he held at his side trembled.


    Winston''s hair stood on edge as he fired off the the baangs he had made, simultaneously


    casting various spells. Anaak, Amon and Zarhan all collectively rushed at the man, aiming to


    finish him before he finished what he had started!


    Boooooom!


    Crash!


    Shaaa!


    The large dust cloud appeared in place, covering all of their vision, save for Winston''s. Casting a wind spell, the dust cleared out, and what appeared was only empty space with no


    trace of the man.


    A/N: Nice.


    Throw some stones. Also, share what you think. It helps to keep me motivated and engaged.


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 45: 13th Floor

    Chapter 45: 13th FloorWinston looked around in every direction, slowly turning.


    Then, looking in a particular direction, the bells beneath the coat chimed. That was all the directions he needed. With a slight effort of his legs, he dashed out of the castle at full speeds. His teammates yelled something behind him, yet he paid them no mind.


    Dashing right out of the castle and right out of the vegetation that followed after, he reached the end of the island.


    Endless blue was what he saw at the horizons and the water glistened through the air, reflecting the scintillating sun up above.


    And there, approximately one kilometer away in the water was a small canoe, atop which was seated a white haired behemoth.


    Winston narrowed his eyes at him. With his improved eyesight, he could clearly see through the large distance.


    The man who was silently rowing the boat suddenly looked over at him and waved with a compassionate smile.


    The corner of Winston''s lips almost twitched. Almost.


    Then, shaking his head, he headed back to the castle.


    The way the man disappeared was enigmatic for sure, even to the point of almost escaping his own senses and his crytologist observation power, however, in the end, Winston had always remained aware of the strange abilities shinsu could help manifest.


    There were certain things he was sure of, such as the image not being an illusion and no amount of teleportation being involved. That itself narrowed the scope of what could have happen down, and he could simply reverse engineer from there. Besides, there was no merit in chasing a strange man through the sea just because there was a failed attempt at ruining his new suit.


    Winston sighed and decided not to worry about the strange encounter. There were bound to be plenty down the line anyways.


    The rest of the test went without any hiccups. Shibisu''s team was able to secure another large island which made them sit comfortably in the top 3 teams.


    And before long, they had already passed the test and earned the right to get to the 13th floor. Winston walked out of the transport zone of the floors. The transition between all the floors required the permission of the specific administrator that reigned over that floor, ensuring that they had indeed earned the right to ascend. Naturally, it only included the regulars that were ascending for the first time. For the regulars that had already been to a specific floor, not much permission was needed and they could freely come and go, although they were limited in what they could do on a lower floor.


    Winston''s eyes met the beautiful scenery of numerous stone sculptures that floated atop large islands in the sea. What he stood atop of, was a large marvel of mechanical engineering, a gigantic ship that floated in the air by itself.


    Through Winston''s spirit vision, the mechanics behind the floating ship were revealed quite effortlessly. With the crytologist, astrologer and magician potions, his spirit vision had transcended beyond any sequence 7. He even suspected it had reached the potential of a sequence 5 of the hermit pathway.


    "What do you say? Should we take a little time off?" Shibisu''s voice came from behind him. He turned his head slightly, looking at him from the corner of his eye. Then, he smiled. "Is that your own question, or someone else''s?" Winston chuckled.


    Shibisu scratched his head and walked forth, leaning onto the railing that Winston was leaning at.


    "It was the two princesses that wanted the break. Though I can see everyone wants a short one as well. The previous months have been quite hectic for them." Said Shibisu who still wore a track suit, albeit of a different colour scheme. He laughed dryly. "The princesses weren''t too comfortable with asking you..." He shook his head.


    Winston also mimicked his laugh, feeling a bit awkward. Within this short time, Winston had been tacitly elected as the co-leader of the group, right along with Shibisu. And so, the decisions of their group were left to the two of them, with the rest of the members conveying their respective wishes to them.


    And for some reason, the two Princesses had taken it upon themselves to appear more... worthy..? Of the princess title in front of him. For that reason, they followed through with all of his commands in tests and even trained and sparred alongside him.


    As of the current moment, only Winston was capable of somewhat controlling the two tanks on their team.


    He did not know the exact reason, but it was possibly because of him saving the two princesses on the floor of tests. Not to mention the obvious strength gap between them, now that he had ascended to a mid sequence.


    Even at sequence 8, he was particularly stronger than any other regular, the princesses included. Now? Let''s just say he was a little bit stronger. Let''s just say that.


    "Anaak specifically told me to not mention them and approach the topic as my own recommendation."


    Winston laughed a bit.


    "She still seems to not keep you in her eye huh?"


    Shibisu harrumphed. "She cares about everyone in the team. It''s just that she seems to respect


    you a lot more."


    Winston stayed quiet for a moment, silently watching the scenery below.


    Then, after a moment, he spoke.


    "Perhaps we can a take a little break."


    "Yes!" Shibisu pumped his fist in the air, seemingly happy.


    "You seem awfully happy." Winston chuckled.


    Zarhan stabbed ahead with his spear, the tip of his weapon moving like a phantom through the wind. His spear spun around in the air, making enchanting circular arcs with speeds that left after images in it''s wake; making it difficult to predict the next movements.


    He took a step and attacked from the flank with his leg, tearing through the air and stabbed ahead again, a motion that created a whistling sound, akin to a sonic boom.


    With that, he slammed the handle of his spear into the ground and wiped the sweat that had appeared on his head with a smile.


    Suddenly, a sound came from the side.


    "Back to training already? We''ve only arrived onto this floor." The voice said.


    Zarhan turned his head, finding Amon who was heading towards him with a smile. He wore a dark black hoodie with purple embossement and dark black pants.


    Zarhan scoffed.


    "I was getting myself used to the greater shinsu density. Ye ought to do the same." He


    commented with a mocking voice. "Care for a spar?"


    "I certainly wouldn''t mind." Amon smirked, and then, he pulled out a short sword from under


    his hoodie and adopted a combat stance.


    "Where did you keep that?" Zarhan raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    "Less talking more fighting." Amon scoffed.


    With that, Zarhan took on a ferocious disposition and readied himself for a clash.


    The hall they were in was a fully metallic one, somewhere between 200 to 300 meters large,


    both lengthwise and widthwise.


    There was also a second floor railing on the side walls, which housed a view to the outside


    through windows.


    There was no one in the training hall at the moment, leaving the hall to the two regulars.


    They stood in stillness for a moment, gazing silently at each other.


    And then, Zarhan moved.


    With a powerful step, his body instantly covered a distance of several dozens of meters and stabbed ahead. The spear broke through the air without a shred of resistance.


    Amon side stepped to dodge, however, the stabbing moving turned into a sweeping one, prompting him to hold up his short sword and block.


    Clang!


    Amon was thrown backwards into the air with a sonorous clash of metal. His feet skidded


    along a distance of 10 meters, and then, Zarhan was atop him again!


    Shaaa!


    Clang! Shing! Shuuun!


    Various sounds of metallic impacts rang out in the hall as both Zarhan and Amon moved about


    with speeds hardly visible to the naked eye. Their motions were a monotonous blur of


    repeated clashes with each other.


    Clang!


    Zarhan stepped onto the ground and jumped up into the air, narrowly dodging a slash from Amon. Then, taking a stance mid air, the weapon red of battle in his hand was thrown with a


    single swing of his arm!


    Whooosh!


    Boom!


    The spear embedded into the ground below, making spider web shaped cracks spread out from the metallic ground. Amon had already retreated backwards when the spear was thrown, avoiding the attack entirely.


    Zarhan landed onto the ground, however, before he could retrieve his spear, Amon was


    already atop him.


    Amon swung his short sword in erratic movements, appearing incredibly disoriented, however, a trained eye would be able to tell that it was anything but.


    Zarhan moved his body and blocked with his hands, intercepting Amon''s hands before he


    could make a full swing, then, he kneed him in the abdomen!


    Bam!


    However, Amon remained unfazed and even smiled.


    Then with a tremendous effort of his muscles, Amon picked up Zarhan and threw him right


    into the air, a full 50 meters away from him!


    A boisterous laugh couldn''t help but escape his mouth. "You''ve come a long way from simply getting beat up by us!" He exclaimed. "Concentrating you shinsu at your abdomen just before the impact. You mastered that trick earlier than expected."


    Amon''s smile widened just a tiny bit, a change that wasn''t easily visible.


    Then, he again took a combat stance and prepared to burst out in speed.


    A faint hue began to escape his skin, covering his body in a layer of illusory blue mist.


    Ashul Edwardu''s research papers: Of the Tower''s Weapons was one of the things that revolutionized the way shinsu was perceived in the tower. It offered an explanation of widely seen phenomenon and commonly used attack strategies and was widely available to the common populace. At the rich ones, since it was quite expensive.


    Of course, it wasn''t possible go get it before the 20th floor, as the wider tower only opened up


    at that point for the regulars.


    However, after their team passed out from the 2nd floor, Khun, the blue haired fox gave them a very peculiar gift. It was a copy of the book in it''s entirety, something that was also taken from Khun Eduan''s treasury! It was something Winston actively made everyone study and utilized it widely in his own research papers: Tales from the Lake.


    Ashul''s research did not include the various applications of shinsu as a weapon, only covering


    how it behaved in a variety of situations and how it influenced the weapons widely utilized in the tower; which was expected as it was, above all, a research paper. However, Winston had found new ways to utilize shinsu. One of which, was the ''Diffusion


    Boundary!''


    Zarhan''s eyes widened a bit in amazement as he overlooked Amon''s body which was quickly covered by a faint blue mist. He broke out with a toothy grin and a rambunctious laughter,


    getting increasingly pleased with his friend''s progress. "You even learned the Diffusion Boundary!"


    Amon didn''t say anything, only taking a single step forward. And so-


    Boom!


    Whoosh!


    Shaaaa!


    His figure rapidly vanished from it''s place, dashing all the way across the hall over to Zarhan! S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the eyes of any normal regular, he would have only appeared as a momentary blur appearing in the wind, with his speed reaching almost 70 meters per second! "Hahahaha!" Zarhan laughed as they clashed in the air, his hands tightly holding onto the arms of Amon, preventing him from getting out a full swing.


    His eyes glowed for a moment, and then, even his own skin began to get covered by a faint


    illusory layer of blue mist!


    A/N: Throw some stones~~~


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 46: Of the Towers Weapons

    Chapter 46: Of the Tower''s WeaponsDiffusion Boundary.


    It was something that was created by Winston by taking the relatively simple concept of Shinsu aggregation in higher concentration affecting the flow of shinsu in lower


    concentration.


    Although the technicalities of the art were admittedly not easy to understand as it contained several cases as to what could occur, Winston created a little something for each of them. To not get too lost in the intricacies and provide the simplest explanation possible, the art was basically flow control inside the body mimicking the flow control outside of the body.


    By simply branching out the shinsu through one''s body and push out of it, one can mimic how a wave controller could control baangs. It led to the creation of a layer of shinsu on the outside of the skin, held together by strands of shinsu that extended inside the body and therefore, requiring no higher focus and mastery than the normal body reinforcement! One only had to maintain the small connection to the outside shinsu on the inside of their body, and the rest could inherently be controller!


    Boom!


    Shaaa!


    Crash!


    Explosive sounds and metal clashes rang out in the training hall as Zarhan and Amon dashed from one end to the other, one with a red spear in hand while the other had a short sword.


    At one point in their clash, Zarhan had managed to grab his spear back from the ground and was now able to contend with Amon with full power again! S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Clang!


    Shing!


    Clashes of metal and dense flares of red flashed as sparks flew off their weapons.


    Amon stepped onto the metallic ground, and with that simple movement, the ethereal blue aura around his seemed to grow denser.


    Boom!


    Cracks spread across the floor as his body dashed out with increased velocity. Zarhan''s eyes widened a bit seeing him dash straight at him.


    Holding up his spear horizontally in front of him, he blocked a sword strike aimed right at his chest!


    Clang!


    Zarhan clicked his tongue and took a stance with his spear. Then, the aura around him also expanded to mimic Amon.


    The concept of a Diffusion Boundary was simple. It used the shinsu''s water properties, forming a layer around the user through which energy and force was dispersed and transferred. It was a concept inherently similar to the ''Diffusion Boundary'' that cells of the human lungs had which allowed for exchange of gases.


    In the same way, making use of the different properties of shinsu, it elevated the physical properties by drawing in the shinsu from the environment, increasing the physical capabilities of the user indefinitely. This was made possible because in aggregates of higher concentration like a standard baang, shinsu has an effect on aggregations of lower concentration, allowing the Diffusion layer to draw in the shinsu.


    Zarhan and Amon clashed again, their clash sending shock waves through the air.


    Their physical capabilities had already far surpassed anything they could achieve by themselves at this stage; appearing several times stronger than a traditional shinsu reinforcement!


    Naturally, there were limits of control. The more shinsu that gets drawn in, the harder it is to maintain the Diffusion Boundary. But in the end, there was no other drawback. The increase in physical strength would not harm the body, as shinsu would compensate for the same.


    Amon smiled at Zarhan and the Diffusion Boundary around him turned chaotic for a moment.


    It somehow extended outwards, turning into several small droplets of water that shot out at blinding speeds!


    Zarhan stepped back, instantly retreating a full hundred meters! Then the spear in his hand was spun around, deflecting the hundreds of water droplets that had been shot at him.


    As the attack ended, Amon''s shinsu aura stabilized, appearing notably thinner. Zarhan couldn''t help but smile at this and rushed straight at him!


    Whoosh!


    His spear preceded him in reaching the target. Amon tried to block the attack with his short sword, however...


    Clang!


    The short sword flew right into the air, as did the spear that was thrown. And then, a sudden force met his face as Zarhan''s fist slammed right into it!


    Bam!


    Crash!


    Amon flew back and crashed into the walls of the hall, his expression confused and


    flabbergasted.


    He looked over at Zarhan with astonishment.


    Seeing his expression, Zarhan gave a smug smile.


    "You''ve surely grown a lot. But you''re a couple of centuries behind to think of defeating me!"


    Zarhan yelled, flexing his right bicep.


    Amon shook his head with a resigned sigh and a tug on his lips.


    Then, he got off.


    "You have to admit, I had you in trouble for a moment, didn''t I, Mr. Zarhan?" He asked.


    The man in question dodged and question and began to walk out of the hall.


    "Let''s get something to eat! Nothing like a good meal after winning!" And a boisterous laugh accompanied his comment.


    Amon sighed again and followed behind him, shortly after picking up both of their weapons.


    However, just as they left, on the small balconies of the second floor, an ethereal figure


    turned visible.


    It was Winston Heath.


    His eyes held a calculating glint as he contemplated while holding his chin.


    Below him was nothing but a small disc of shinsu.


    Amon is progressing faster than I expected. Then again, diffusion boundary is nothing short of an unfair tactic compared to anything else. He shook his head. The new shinsu art allowed for not only usage of baang like shinsu control and tremendous increase in physical capabilities, but it also accelerated the progress for future baang creation.


    It could only be described as miraculous.


    Winston smiled and got up from his seat, the shinsu disc below him vanishing into thin air. Then, he snapped his fingers. And there he was gone in a burst of flames.


    Winston walked back into his own personal room.


    They had booked a hotel at the 13th floor, one of the best. After all, if they were going to stay here for a break, they could not stay in a lackluster place. Of course even if they weren''t taking


    a break, they would still take the best hotels to stay. It was simply a matter of choice.


    As he walked into the room, his eyes couldn''t help but travel outside through the windows which were unimpeded by the slight drizzle that marred their surface.


    A vast sea stretched out and scattered all around were various islands atop which towering builds stood to touch the sky. The clouds swaddled over the horizons as the afterglow of the evening and a bright golden body, the acolyte of light, the sun loomed halfway down the infinite blue, now stained with an orange hue, to welcome the black night.


    Winston couldn''t help but smile as he gazed right at the setting sun. For with his eyes, he could see the hidden object that took advantage of the bright light. It was a lighthouse that loomed in the scintillating light of the evening, surely something organized by the Tower''s ruling parties to cull regulars in their infantile stages.


    This was something seen on every floor until now. The lighthouses were hidden in all sorts of places, most of the time, there were multiple to cover the blindspots. And oh boy, did they have a gigantic view of the environment around them.


    Although Winston was unsure of how it could manage to analyze such a wide area as it did, he was sure the lighthouse could not analyze everyone all the time. His intuition told him so.


    And so, he stretched his body and calmly went to shower.


    After about 10 minutes and a change of clothes, he was back on his bed, calmly staring at the


    -ceiling.


    Then, he got up and summoned the reel inventory. He took out the ignition needle, Cerulean


    Tide and enveloped it with spirituality.


    Slowly but surely, the spirituality began to leak off the tip of the needle in waves and enveloped the room in a blockade of secrecy and concealment.


    With that, Winston exhaled and sat cross legged onto the ground.


    He closed his eyes and concentrated his spirit with cogitation. Then, lights began to appear


    around him.


    At first, there were 2, then 3, 4 and 5. Slowly, the number increased to 6 and even 7! 7 baangs! By someone on the 13th floor! However, it didn''t stop at that point.


    Slowly, it increased and began to reach 8. The 8 baangs floated around him in a circle, slowly


    bobbing up and down in the air.


    Then, a 10th light began to materialize and then even the 11th! But as it did, the 10th light began to dim considerably.


    At that point, Winston opened his eyes and stared ahead at the 10 baangs.


    10 is the current limit. The goal is to reach 12 before the 15th floor and before the next ascension.


    Winston thought with a nod. This was the main reason he had not been paying much attention to his own acting. The concept was that he would maximize his own shinsu capacities before trying to ascend to the next sequence. As he understood it, drinking a potion to get to the next sequence enhanced his current talents. It was something that could be understood as a collective multiplication.


    Hence, it was the best decision to maximize his own potential before that! When Winston had been at Sequence 8, the maximum baangs he could make was 3. When he ascended, the number was instantly boosted to 7!


    With a thought, the baangs were dispelled into thin air.


    Then, Winston suddenly had a strange expression on his face. He opened up the reel inventory


    again and pulled out a variety of objects, each being completely random.


    One was a bottle of essential oil, some chalk, candles and other strange trinkets.


    He pulled then out and laid them onto the floor before him.


    Then, he smiled.


    I suppose I can make some more charms.


    Of the Tower''s Weapons- by Ashul Edwardu.


    Foreword:


    Dear readers,


    A long time ago, King Zahard came into the uncivilised Tower and taught the inhabitants civilisation and ruled over them. He had said, "This place is too boggy".


    For us, who were born and raised inside the Tower, it is a statement that makes no sense. But


    for the people outside the Tower, the "Irregulars", it is something they know very well. Surprisingly, there''s no shinsu in their world and something called "air" fills their world instead. They said that the Tower filled with shinsu is too boggy and uncomfortable for them.


    I have never seen air, but I have found out some commonalities and differences between air and shinsu by interviewing the Irregulars.


    First, the common point is that they both let beings breathe. And they both flow constantly. It


    is also identical that they are powerful enough to threaten others when they flow harshly. Then the difference? The biggest difference is indeed the characteristics by the concentration. In shinsu''s case, it''s more like a gas when it''s in low concentration and more like liquid when it''s in high concentration. But it seems air is not liquefied even in high concentrations. The second difference is the circulation. The circulation of shinsu is very fluent but there is no common law. (And the movements are all different by the Floors of the Tower.) But it is said that there are set laws in the circulation of air. (I want to study some more about the laws, but the research is slow because none of the Irregulars that I have met is knowledgeable enough about the laws of air.)


    The third difference is consumption. Shinsu exists everywhere inside the Tower. So shinsu


    exists even in a room that is completely sealed. Shinsu does not flow in from somewhere else, but is rather created from the Tower. So, we can live in the sealed places. Air is not created from sealed places and if a being is locked inside a sealed room, the being will consume all of the air and die. (It seems very uncomfortable.)


    You readers may not understand why I, who is not even a Wave Controller, am writing about shinsu on the front pages of a book about weapons. But it is because you are ignorant of the weapons of the Tower. Shinsu and the weapons of the Towers are interrelated. You cannot fully understand the weapons unless you understand shinsu.


    All of the weapons we use are modelled after the weapons from the outside of the Tower,


    which Zahard and the 10 Family Heads brought in with them when they came inside the Tower. Their weapons were, of course, all made to suit air, not shinsu. (Even though some were used in a vacuum.) They had to develop and modify their weapons to suit the properties


    of shinsu. That''s how the weapons we use were born. So it''s essential to know about shinsu to understand the weapons of the Tower.


    For this reason, there''re going to be a lot of stories about shinsu in the following chapters and


    I request that readers place special emphasis on the relationship between the weapons and shinsu while reading.


    Part 4: Baangs and Concentration (A short extract)


    As per one of the research papers by Po Bidau Gustang and my own personal experiences,


    shinsu can sometimes concentrate itself into aggregations most often seen on the floors above 70.


    Such aggregations can affect the general flow of shinsu in a lower concentration, leading to irregular phenomenon. An example of such is the higher aggregation attracting the shinsu around the atmosphere, drawing it closer and turning denser; eventually turning into a large whirlpool that sucks in all the shinsu around it.


    This is also one of the processes that leads to the formation of suspendium, the main


    component of inventories and lighthouses.


    In the opposite case, the shinsu flow reverses from the higher to the lower concentrations,


    siphoning off the aggregation and leading it back into equilibrium.


    A/N: I wanted to try and explain the Diffusion Boundary concept a bit more for the


    intellectuals out there seeking a better and more technical approach to it. Hence, the short extract from "Of the Tower''s Weapons."


    It was made personally by me. You might see more in the future.


    Also, tell me your thoughts so far.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 47: Charms and Dreams

    Chapter 47: Charms and DreamsWith an expressionless face, Winston arranged everything that he had pulled out of the inventory into a clean altar. The chalk had been used to draw a rough circle and cryptic symbols onto a paper parchment that had been spread about on the floor. A set of 3 candles was erected on the parchment on the right and the various trinkets were kept in the center. It was an altar Winston had set up to pray to himself. Since he was praying only to himself, there was no need for any over the top preparations, like incense and essential oils. There was, however, a need to pinpoint his own place in the spirit world through the wall of spirituality. As such, a three line description needed to be constructed for him to mimic as a creature from the spirit world. Winston had spent a good time thinking over and finalizing his own descriptive titles, just to make sure it would not pinpoint something else in the tower.


    Taking his needle, he placed it at one side of the ritual altar and pulled out a blue coin, placing it on the other.


    Then, with a clear mind, he extended his hand and rubbed the wick of the candle. His spirituality extended, lighting the candles with a fluttering orange flame.


    He inhaled slightly, then spoke out.


    "Traveller from the further beyond" He said. The air around him stirred with an unseen breeze as a thick chill suddenly enveloped the environment. Winston felt his spirituality jump around and extend outwards in rhythmic waves, like ripples on the surface of a lake.


    "The thief of science." He said. And immediately, a sudden tremor travelled up his spine.


    Without stop, he continued. "He who dreams to rule over History.


    "The entity named Winston Heath."


    Then, with the reciting of the honorific names done, he moved on.


    "I beseech you. Bless upon these charms the power of your spells.


    "I give you the Cerulean Tide, a weapon of ignition that belongs to you.


    "I give you the suspendium coin, a trinket that belongs to you."


    He closed his eyes as he felt his spirituality turn chaotic and seep off into the spirit world.


    "Sanctify these charms in your name!" He exclaimed, and with it, the charms placed in the center of the altar glowed with an otherworldly light. Faint whispers echoed across his ears as the room''s temperature began to return, no longer feeling cold.


    Following that, he finished up the ritual and cleaned up the altar.


    After everything was said and done, he picked up the charms and laid onto the bed, feeling a bit legarthic.


    Sigh! Winston sighed, quietly musing over the ritual.


    The first part of his honorific name was to solidify his position as an irregular, but still, it left some loopholes that could pinpoint at some other existences which weren''t irregulars.


    Then, the second part "The Thief of Science." It was to pinpoint himself as a man of science and an enthusiast of research. Even amongst the Irregulars and the anomalies that the first line may have highlighted, the probability of anyone being a scientist was close to none. However, even if that were the case, the last line was the nail in the coffin.


    ''He who dreams to rule over History.'' It symbolized his future as a beyonder of the Fool Pathway.


    And finally, he had manipulated the ritual, modifying it with a fourth line that directly corresponded to his name. It was only possible because shinsu was so malleable in nature and the surrounding spirit world could offer it''s power with less rigid conditions.


    In essence, each of the lines did not all have to prompt him. It was fine as long as they all came together to pinpoint him, which was the approach he was going for. If he could be pinpointed at his level with a single line, he would not feel too safe at any time.


    The tower was full of danger, and for an irregular like him, it was especially fraught with traps and hidden enemies. In essence, the entire Tower stood against him.


    And with how truly limitless shinsu was, he would not be too surprised if someone could focus on his existence by reciting his honorific name, at least not until he was at a high enough sequence; and comfortable enough to take on high rankers.


    Speaking of which, he had also thought of the honorific name he would adopt at the higher sequence.


    Shaking out of these thoughts, he focused on the charms he had created. As of right now, he could make charms in three specific categories.


    First included his spells as a trickmaster. All of them could be imbued into a charms and activated at will. It was a good weapon to give to his teammates since he had no use for those.


    The second included his flame controlling powers and illusion abilities.


    It allowed for the charm to burn through the opponent or make illusions that trick the opponent. Again, something that was more useful for his teammates that himself.


    However, it was the third kind that was somewhat useful... Well, kind of.


    The third type of charms included concentration charms and shinsu charms.


    They constituted the ones Winston had some use of. The former allowed for better concentration of spirituality and shinsu under stressful situations, making him able to generate more baangs that he would normally be able to.


    The latter was something akin to a shinsu bomb, a weapon utilized on the upper floors by Scouts and Light bearers which have lower combat capabilities.


    The charms he could make as of right now were not too great, but they were at least operable. Him even being able to make charms of operational ability at his current level was solely due to him being far stronger than an average sequence 7.


    Winston yawned, feeling a bit sleepy.


    And so, he covered the windows with the curtains and headed off into the domain of dreams.


    Winston dreamt of an insurmountable mist, standing before him, above him, below him and behind him.


    The white - slightly gray-mist covered everything in it''s way, to the point that he couldn''t see anything even a meter ahead of him.


    His thoughts muddled by the dream, he walked ahead through the mist, walking and walking and walking and more walking.


    Endless walking.


    At the point where his legs seemed to scream out in pain and his ankles wanted to leap off his body for a moment of respite, he saw a thin illusory figure appearing in the misty void. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The figure, humanoid in shape turned it''s head towards him.


    Winston felt a strange pull from the figure, and then slowly felt his thoughts coming to a standstill and melting down into a bulbous soup. His head caved in slightly and his eyes


    turned crimson.


    His spirituality he felt draining away and disappearing into the mist, as did his consciousness


    and rationality.


    Then, another figure appeared amid the void and extended it''s hand as well.


    Huff!


    Winston got up from the bed, his head and body all covered with sweat.


    He huffed, taking in large mouthfuls of air with his eyes wide open.


    "Huff! What the hell? Huff!" He spoke to himself, trying to make sense of the dream.


    In the empty and dark room, with the only source of illumination being the faint light of the artificial moon that filtered through the curtains, Winston sat in silence, pondering over the revelation.


    "C''mon you twats! We must get the goods loaded up ''til sunrise!"


    A loud yell rang through the air, shaking through the ears of everyone present. It was a giant with 4 arms, skin red as blood alongside eyes that were a clear white. His body donned great colourized attire, most of which seemed suited for battle.


    His head was bald, devoid of any hair as was his face with no eyelashes or eyebrows to speak


    of.


    He looked on towards the labyrinthine ship inside which giant containers were being loaded. The entire ship was composed entirely of metal alloyed with suspendium, allowing it to take bizzare or even eerie shapes. The walkways extended up into the air and curved in irregular patterns. The cabins glued to the side of the ship seemed to stacked atop each other with such little space between them that it seemed to paint a dystopian feeling. The walls were all but covered with steam pipes that blew vapour into the air, as were the cabins.


    There was little light in the entire structure, with the only source of light being the orange glow of a tubelight high up at the ceiling. The man''s eyes traced the containers trailing towards the workers of bizzare shapes.


    The workers shrank their heads in surprise at his booming voice, which, to them, seemed to


    act as a danger signal.


    The red man''s expression turned slightly happier as he watched the workers shrink back in


    fear. His dagger like teeth showed through his mouth as a hallow chuckle escaped his lips.


    He shook his head, turning to head back into his cabin. However, just as he did someone


    stopped him.


    It was a large blue blob with a darkened dot at its center. It climbed up the walkway and softly


    called out to the man.


    "U- um!"


    The man turned.


    "Spit it out ''lready!" He yelled.


    The blue blobs colour drained somewhat, not that it was even able to be discerned due to the


    low lighting.


    "I-It was a reporter! A reporter from the 27th floor! We snuck onto the ship and was able to


    escape!"


    Suddenly, the red man''s body erupted into a brilliant red flame that enveloped the entire


    walkway they were on.


    Aaarghh!


    A scream rang out in the air as the blob tried to jump off of the walkway. However, just as he


    did, a large hand slammed into him, holding him in place.


    Aaaarrrrghhhh!


    The blob''s agonizing screams continued for just another 3 seconds before they came to a standstill. The workers shrank further behind the containers, fearful of somehow catching the


    man''s ire.


    The flames around the red man danced around for a bit before they disappeared back into his


    body. The blob which was at his grip just now was nowhere to be seen, already having been


    burnt to a crisp.


    The red man harrumphed and turned back.


    "Ye ought to find that reporter! I want ''em dead! Ye hear me!? Dead!" He yelled and


    disappeared into his cabin.


    As the man left, the temperature in the ship began to return to normal, a change that no one


    noticed had even happened.


    The workers quickly scrambled about, their destination could not be guessed.


    A/N: A shorter chapter than normal. Gimme dem stonez

 Chapter 48: Intuition

    Chapter 48: IntuitionThe sun shone down onto the tall buildings of the 13th floor vacation islands.


    The entirety of Winston''s team sat around the connected lounge on their floor.


    Endorsi and Anaak were the only ones not present, opting to sit in the connected balcony to witness the new sun rise of the floor.


    The lounge was connected to an open kitchen in which Shibisu and Zarhan were standing, their bodies adorned with cooking gloves and aprons.


    Winston, Amon and Laure were sitting on the sofas in front of the large television screen. Laure, as always seemed to be legarthic, however, Winston too seemed the same. Though not to the same extent.


    Winston yawned, holding a cup of warm water in his hands.


    "You still seem sleepy Mr. Winston." Amon quipped with a smile.


    Winston turned his head slightly and shook his head, simultaneously taking a sip from the cup.


    "I couldn''t sleep properly last night."


    "Why? Bad Dreams?"


    "You could say that."


    Amon nodded in enlightenment and turned to the television screen where some strange love drama between a ranker and a resident woman was unfolding. "High Ranker''s Last Love" was the name of the drama.


    Winston watched the scene unfold with a deadpan. His expression was of such great uninterest that the creator of the drama would find it insulting.


    Without any change in his facial muscles, he picked up the remote and changed the channel, instead, switching to a news channel.


    Information was power. Even more so for a beyonder, though the impact may differ based on the pathways.


    As the channel switched, a mean looking man with a broad forehead came on one half of the screen. The other half was covered by the picture of another man wearing a mask that covered the lower half of his face.


    "-the trafficking of suspendium and people that live in the middle tower has been uncovered by a reporter of ours. The reports tell of 2000 tons of suspendium getting transported across 17 different ships and close to 2,000,000 people getting trafficked from the middle tower connecting to floors 13 to 18. The reports even suggest the involvement of FUG and one of the slayers in the issue."


    Winston raised an eyebrow at the statistics. But he knew such a number only seemed absurd to himself. The scope of the tower was much much larger than Earth ever was and each floor harbored hundreds of millions of residents. That wasn''t even counting the outer tower which had billions and innumerable kingdoms that operated that those scales.


    "That''s something I suppose." Winston commented, drinking all the water from the cup and keeping it on the table in front.


    "2000 tons of suspendium would easily amount to more than 300 million points." Laure chimed from the side. Winston turned to him, finding him wide awake at the news.


    Winston looked at him for a moment before he looked towards Amon.


    "What''s your thoughts on this?" Winston asked. At least he wanted to ask, however, he stopped before the words could flow out of his mouth.


    Amon sat there, hands clenched to the full and eyes concentrated onto the television screen. His teeth were clenched hard and his expression seemed somewhat odd.


    Winston stared at him, all for but a moment.


    "...Amon?" He called out softly.


    Amon didn''t reply.


    "Amon." He called out again.


    Suddenly, Amon broke out of his reverie and looked on towards him in surprise.


    "Huh? What?" He said in puzzlement.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Oh... nothing. Nothing''s wrong." Amon chuckled and shook his head.


    Then, he got off the sofa and began to walk off.


    "I''ll just be in my room. I''m feeling a bit sleepy now. Call me for training in the afternoon." He said and went away.


    Winston and Laure watched him leave without a word between them.


    Winston was never too great at connecting with people or figuring out their emotions. He wasn''t some protagonist of a drama novel after all. That sole fact made him not speak out at that moment and watch Amon simply leave.


    He turned back towards the television, which at this point was broadcasting some other piece


    of news.


    Time passed.


    "You should talk to him." Laure spoke out suddenly.


    "Yeah, I probably should." Winston said with a low chuckle. "I''ll do that afterwards." He declared.


    With that, he picked up the remote and switched the channel.


    Bam!


    A feminine figure flew out from a cloud of dust, landing into a large rock, destroying it in the process. And almost simultaneously, an annoyed voice called out.


    "God Dammit! What the hell?!" Endorsi cursed, her eyes taking on a scary expression.


    She looked towards her opponent, a dark haired man wearing a white coloured t shirt and pajamas. For footwear, he wore a pair of crocks.


    Winston smiled at her, looking on without a word as she got up from the ground and collected herself.


    "I still can''t get over how strong you''ve gotten already!" Endorsi huffed, walking over with a


    defeated expression.


    Winston only shrugged his shoulders.


    "Cheer up. You''ll get there sometimes."


    "But you''re too much of a freak of nature! You already have strength equivalent of a D rank


    regular!"


    Winston raised a brow at her comment.


    "And what''s the basis of your statement?"


    Endorsi, who was already within 10 meters of him stopped for a moment to think over the question. Then, she chuckled.


    "I just said that on a rough understanding of the strength progression. As you are right now,


    no one can even hope to match you until the 40th floor. As I said, a freak of nature."


    Winston shook his head with smirk.


    "That''s not very nice y''know."


    Whooosh!


    A piercing sound rang in the area as Winston tilted his head sideways, narrowly dodging a needle that was aimed at him.


    As he did so, he immediately extended his hand and grabbed onto the weapon!


    "Attacking while someone in the middle of a conversation." He said.


    Endorsi only laughed, rushing straight at him with the speed of a bullet!


    Without any other pleasantries to exchange between them, Winston ducked under a kick aimed at his neck, and then, punched up towards Endorsi''s abdomen!


    Shwoooo!


    Bam!


    Endorsi, without anything to protect herself was hit right in the stomach, throwing her back


    through the air!


    Endorsi groaned a bit in pain as she landed, rushing back at Winston with increased speed!


    Slowly, around her skin a transparent blue aura began to appear, rippling and bubbling in


    intricate patterns like clouds dancing in the blue sky.


    Winston only smiled as he met her. Both of them threw around a flurry of attacks, with


    Endorsi''s meeting only empty air.


    "Way to go!"


    "Get that old woman!" Yelled the two spectators from the side, Anaak and Shibisu.


    Hearing their words, Endorsi felt a pang of annoyance swell in her heart, however, there was


    nothing that she could do.


    Before long, Endorsi lied on the ground, defeated.


    Anaak cheered on the side clapping as she did so.


    Winston shook his head and walked towards them.


    "You guys train for a bit. I''m going back." He said. They nodded and didn''t ask anything else.


    As he walked along the outskirts of the island, he could not help but gaze at the horizon,


    where the sea and the sky met. The sun was high up in the air still, casting a warm blue glow all over. Then, he looked in the opposite direction where a gigantic architectural marvel stood tall, a building that towered at a staggering 700 meters.


    Without a word, he snapped his fingers. And gone was he in a blazing inferno.


    Individual limitations can compensate for favourable circumstances.


    It doesn''t matter how much of a great situation you''re in, doesn''t matter how great of a


    present you have, doesn''t matter how many people and what kind of people you''ve made friends with; if your own limits have marred your spirit and rendered you unable to move forward at full potential, its all for naught.


    The world is a cruel place. Amon learned it the hard way really.


    He never did have a great life at any point. Which made the good moments stand out all the


    more.


    Sigh!


    He sighed as he sat in the shade of the balcony, staring out into the sky. He was having fun.


    Truly, he was.


    For a moment, he had once again found some people he wanted to believe in and stay with.


    However, that also bred fear.


    Fear of losing everything like he already had, two times prior. A man''s greatest enemy is his


    own mind.


    Suddenly, the glass door behind him slid open with a loud noise, prompting Amon to look


    back.


    "Yo!" Said Winston with a relaxed smile and a lazy disposition. He walked into the balcony, sliding the door close as he did so.


    "You didn''t come to train." He asked, taking a seat at right beside him at a chaise chair.


    "You didn''t call me, Mr. Winston." Amon''s reply came quickly, along with a chuckle.


    "You don''t usually miss any training. Is there something I should know?" Winston raised a slight brow, looking at him through the corner of his eye.


    Amon stayed silent for a small moment. "I''m.. not sure if I understand what you''re talking


    about?" "You appeared somewhat disoriented after watching the news earlier today. Is there something you''d want to tell me?" Winston pushed for an answer.


    Truthfully, he had thought of a variety of options. It could have been a family member that


    was trafficked from his family somewhere before, or he himself that was done so. Naturally, he thought of some other possibilities too, but the two weee the most probable.


    He could use dream divination to get an instant answer from the spirit world, but he felt that


    hearing the answer from Amon himself would be better. If he didn''t want to tell him, then only would he resort to using divination.


    The main reason was that Winston had never fully trusted his divination abilities after the incident at the 2nd floor. And he wouldn''t do so in the future, at least not till he reached sequence 4. That didn''t mean he entirely shunned it''s use. In fact, he made exte side use of it everyday. However, in terms of sensitive information like ones related to his teammates, he would only trust a divination after getting some sort of confirmation from his intuition.


    His intuition had become his main source of confidence in terms of divination.


    Amon looked away, staring back into the void for a moment.


    Then, he smiled.


    "It''s pretty pathetic really. I didn''t lead a great life until I came into the tower. I used to live in


    the resident area of the tower and was quite happy." Amon began. "However, when I was 12, I was abducted by a group of traffickers and taken somewhere. Although I managed to escape, I forever lost contact with my family." Winston listened on without interrupting, providing Amon a place to vent. "After that, I wandered around the unknown area for 3 months, finding scraps to survive.


    Luckily, a group of thieves took me in and taught me how to steal to survive. However... before I entered the tower, they were all killed."


    Amon looked over towards Winston, who, upon sensing his gaze met his eye. His eyes were


    somewhat dull in colour, yet they appeared deep.


    "We made a heist we weren''t supposed to. That day, I lost myself another family." He broke


    out with a warm and compassionate smile. How he smiled like that when talking about loss, Winston could somewhat understand.


    He himself had also lost the old man who took him in. Although he hadn''t watched him get


    slaughtered in front of him, loss was loss.


    Amon seemingly reminisced about the good moments he had spent, fleeting vistas that remained as nothing but illusory memories in his mind.


    "I met you guys and... sort of forgot? I forgot how easy it was to lose everything." He folded


    his legs before him and hugged his knees. "I was happy again. And then, suddenly I was


    reminded of it again. I don''t even know how I could take my mind off of it in the first place." He laughed a bit.


    The environment descended into silence.


    Winston sat with Amon, not speaking a word, not even moving. It continued on for a minute,


    the silence persisting throughout.


    Winston... Well, he didn''t know what to say. Actually, he did. Sort of... but he didn''t wish to do


    so.


    Suddenly, he got up and walked over to the balcony door and slid it open. "Get yourself together." He said, turning to Amon with a compassionate stare. "You aren''t a


    kid anymore. You lost people dear to you. I understand that. However, you move on. Simple as


    that. Waiting around and dwelling on what''s passed won''t help it."


    Walking into the room, he spoke again.


    "Believe me. I know." With that, he closed the door and walked away into the kitchen. Rummaging around the drawers for a bit, he pulled out some biscuits to eat and headed out of


    the kitchen.


    And then...


    "That didn''t go too well." Winston heard Laure mutter. He looked towards the sofa where he


    was laying down.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be asleep?"


    "I shouldn''t have told you to talk to him. I should have told shibisu instead."


    "I didn''t talk to him because you said so. He''s my friend now." Winston declared. "Well you didn''t do a very good job. I thought you''d offer some kind of great speech." Laure


    said, yawning as he did so.


    "Amon isn''t a kid." Winston said with conviction. "He doesn''t need anyone to validate his


    own life. He doesn''t need some glorious speech to help get over the loss of his friends and


    family. If he wishes to find purpose and a reason to move forward, he''ll have to do that


    himself."


    Suddenly, Laure got up from the sofa, staring right at Winston. "Maybe he just needed some words of encouragement. A hope." He said.


    Hearing his words, Winston was silent for a moment staring right at Laure. He held his chin,


    contemplating quietly.


    "Maybe that''s just you, sympathizing a bit too much with that boy." He said, and went right


    back to sleeping.


    Winston stood alone in the hall. His eyes unconsciously travelled to the balcony, staring at the


    back of Amon''s head.


    A/N: A slightly longer chapter. 20% longer approximately.


    I wanted to experiment a bit with the side characters and character development. Even though


    I''ve decided to finish the work, it still stands as an experimentation ground for me.


    Throw some stones if you liked it.


    Cheers~~~ S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 49: Shenanigans

    Chapter 49: ShenanigansWinston put a biscuit into his mouth, chewing quietly. Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind, and with it a gleam in his eyes.


    It was a sudden realization, stemmed from his intuition!


    The ships are transporting such a large amount of suspendium along with a large amount of people.


    If I can somehow get even 1000 people outside and save them, wouldn''t that technically count as enhancing my talent towards the next sequence of the Error pathway, Prometheus?


    As Winston understood from the name of the next sequence, the acting principle followed something along the lines of stealing something for the benefit of others. Though he couldn''t be sure of it as acting always required experimentation.


    However, by the Greek legends, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give to humans, suffering by himself in the process. It stood to good reason that a sequence named after the legendary figure would follow through with his actions.


    In the future, I wouldn''t be able to move as freely due to the floors getting more congested with forces of the ten great families. Eventually, rumors might spread about my strength and the possibility of being suspected as an irregular is always there. Though at that point, I would be a faceless, a movement would be a lot easier, its better to enhance my talent to begin with.


    Moving through with the acting of a higher sequence now itself ought to have great returns in the future. Not to mention the feedback I would recieve upon successfully completing the task would be


    enormous.


    However... that''s easier said than done.


    Since the ships were carrying such a large assortment of goods, it was logical for Winston to assume that they had at least one ranker on board. And since the news of them had been revealed recently, it also seemed logical to conclude that reinforcements would arrive to strengthen the ships, meaning even more rankers to deal with. As strong as Winston was at the moment, he doubted he could take on a full fledged ranker.


    Not to mention the foreign territory, the possibility of other forces intervening and the obvious unknown factors in the narrative made it all more difficult that it should be.


    Naturally, it would not be an issue if Winston was of a higher sequence.


    Indeed. If I was at sequence 6, I would not be too worried about it. Whatever. There''s nothing that can be done.


    Winston thought for a moment.


    He walked around aimlessly through the hallways of their floor. As the biscuits in his hands vanished one after the other and an empty packet was left behind, he had decided on a course of action.


    Popping his neck he headed back into his room. To attempt a divination.


    A lone man walked along a seemingly deserted street. The desolate buildings on either side, couple with the slight drizzle that poured down from above shaded the scenery in a shadow of melancholy.


    The man stood at a staggering 7 feet tall, a height not too rare in the tower. His skin was white as snow and his piercing red eyes shone with a baleful glare. He held a smile on his face and a black suitcase to his side.


    Some beggars and ruffians walked along the sides, their numbers in the dozens throughout the entire walkway.


    Everyone seemed to ignore him, as if he did not exist at all.


    Eventually, he made his way to a dock with softly kissed the sea and at the base of which waves crashed into in rhythmic movements.


    The man''s smile widened perceptibly as he gazed out into the sky, seemingly looking through the thick overcast and into the unknown.


    "What do you think?" He asked, seemingly to no one.


    However, suddenly, from out of his trenchcoat, an elongated creature that looked eerily like a snake crawled out.


    It''s face was like a turtle while the elongated body held rough, turtle shell like scales.


    Looking at the sky, the turtle spoke out with a hoarse voice.


    "It''s just clouds."


    The man chuckled softly and extended his hand upwards, the one that held the suitcase.


    The suitcase floated in the air as he opened it and took out a strange stone. Then, closing the suitcase and holding it by his side again, he threw the rock ahead of him. Ripple~


    The sound of a ripple rang out in the air as the stone like object disappeared into the air. Then, the air shimmered with a plethora of colours, and with it, a vision overlapped the air.


    It was a gigantic ship that hovered above the clouds, at the bottom of which highly pressurized steam was getting ejected out of.


    "And what of it?" The snake asked.


    "I sense a disturbance with it. So we''re here to check what it would be." He replied.


    "Is it more important than the previous one?"


    "Hmm. More or less. I suspect it might even be connected. Since every disturbance so far has originated from the same point."


    The snake bobbed it''s head up and down, nodding in understanding.


    "I see." It said and retreated back into the trenchcoat, away from prying eyes.


    The man shook his head and held down onto his top hat. Then, taking a single step forward, he let himself drop into the water.


    Shaaaaa!


    Winston found himself in a hazy dream.


    He saw visions, scattered information from the spirit world travelling through his mind.


    It was a surreal sensation every time he experienced it. Dream divination always left himself feeling as if he was floating. Floating and floating and free and floating. Like a will o wisp. Like a leaf in the wind. Like a fish in an endless ocean.


    A large fleet of metallic battleships floated in front of his eyes, hovering above a gigantic ocean of clouds that poured down rain below. Below the ships was a tube through which pressurized steam was ejected down, which made the clouds that rained water below. Then, suddenly, he zoomed further, somehow looking inside the ships. The labyrinthine structure of metallic paths and containers that floated in the air, with strange humanoid creatures prowling about. Of such strangeness was their visage that they seemed more like untamed beasts than any civilized creature; and of such ferociousness was their disposition that one could only ever associate them with the brutes that knew of nothing but violence. Yet, here they prowled along with such sleekness and quiet that they seemed to be almost fearful. The entire vision was scattered and broken, appearing increasingly odd. This was the result of blindly attempting a divination. Without any information, it was nothing short of a miracle that Winston was even able to get a response in the first place. Divination was all about association of information. It couldn''t be attempted without any


    anchorage.


    The only reason he was even able to get a response was that information flowed uniformly throughout the ''spirit world'' that was shinsu. There was nothing to block that information because it existed because of Winston''s divination in the first place. He drew out information that was transported directly to him.


    Unlike the world of Lord of Mysteries where the spirit world was chaotic and non uniform, shinsu was far better in terms of conduction of information and performing divination.


    Once again, it was proved to be a source of power with limitless potential.


    The labyrinthine inside of the ship was memorized by Winston at a single glance, courtesy of improved memory provided by the Fool Pathway.


    Then, he broke out of the hazy dream.


    Hooooo~


    He inhaled sharply as he got up.


    His eyes were a mix of quiet contemplation and annoyance, yet no other expression could be


    seen on his face. It was completely blank.


    He sat around for a few minute, completely still.


    Then, suddenly, a gleam appeared in his eyes and he smiled.


    "Time for some experimentation."


    "What are you thinking?" A feminine voice came from behind Amon.


    He looked back from the sunset, finding a green skinned girl staring at him. In her hands, she


    held a soft drink.


    "Just staring at the sunset." Amon smiled sweetly at her.


    Anaak nodded and sat down beside him. The sand beneath her shifted slightly as her tail


    swept through it.


    The crimson hue made by the sun shone through the sky, covering the environment with an


    orange glow.


    Both of them sat in silence for a moment, quietly watching the scenery.


    Suddenly, Amon spoke.


    "Ms. Anaak. Do you enjoy watching the sunset?"


    Anaak turned her eye towards him.


    She paused for a moment before she said, "Every evening, me and my mom used to sit outside


    of the house to watch the sunset."


    She turned her head, taking a sip from the drink.


    "What about you?"


    Amon smiled softly.


    "I don''t remember much about my parents anymore... it was a long time ago..."


    Anaak continued to stare at him.


    "I remember my dad was tough on me. Though my mom always saved me from his beatings."


    Amon chuckled softly. "He wanted me to be a better man. Someone stronger. But now that I


    look back at it, he just wanted the best for me."


    Anaak stilled for a moment, then, she looked up at the sky.


    "He was a cook, my dad." She continued. "My mom loved his cooking. Every other day, he S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    would make chicken pies. We all ate it together. My mom used to fight him quite a lot


    though."


    "That sounds nice." Amon closed his eyes for a moment.


    At that time, he felt something on his cheek.


    Opening his eyes, he saw Anaak pushing the soft drink can onto him.


    "Here you go." She said.


    Amon took a hold of the can, looking at her in puzzlement.


    Anaak shook her head and got up from the ground with a smile.


    "Be back before dinner." She said, walking off.


    Amon looked at her back as she walked farther and farther, his face a mix of puzzlement and


    slight surprise.


    He took a look at the soft drink, then back at Anaak.


    With a sigh, he took a sip from the can.


    Winston sat in his room which was darkened through the curtains that blocked all light from


    the sunset. The only source of illumination in the dimly lit room was the group of candles lying on the ritual altar and an ominous blue ball of water that floated above. Winston had his eyes closed and his hands stretched out, manipulating the baang before him, filling it further and further with shinsu. On his skin glistened a transparent bluish aura- the


    Diffusion Boundary.


    Softly, he called out.


    "Traveller from the further beyond.


    "The thief of Science.


    "He who dreams to rule over History.


    "The entity called Winston Heath."


    Then, moving on from the reciting of honorific names, he said, "I beseech you. Bestow a part


    of you to this conduit I hold.


    "Provide a projection of your soul and essence, share it with me through this conduit.


    "I ask you for your astral form that contains a shread of your power.


    "I give you, Cerulean Tide, a weapon of ignition that belongs to you."


    "I give you the suspendium coin, a trinket that belongs to you."


    "Heed my call."


    As Winston finished, faint whispers began to fill the air around him, echoing through his ears


    and into the unknown infinity. In his eyes, the shinsu all around turned chaotic and heavier, getting dragged towards the large baang he had created in front.


    Then, something clicked.


    Suddenly, he felt as if his astral projection had travelled, not completely, but it did still.


    It was something of the sort that mimicked watching two different movies on two different


    screens. Focus was incredibly inefficient.


    And just then, he felt his spirituality reserve get cleaved in half. The shinsu ball before him trembled and bubbled, tumbling around in the air as if life that suddenly been injected into it and it pranced around aimlessly like a headless chicken.


    As it happened, Winston finished up the ritual and got up.


    His eyes flashed with a plethora of colours that glowed eerily in the dark.


    The shinsu ball before him, just now that floated silently began to morph. An illusory air


    began to fill it and appear in his eyes as a man.


    It was another Winston Heath. Winston chuckled. Then, he burst out into laughter.


    The Winston that stood before him too burst out into a fit of cheerfulness, both of them


    displaying nearly identical features and antics.


    A/N: Noice.


    Throw some stones. Cheers~

 Chapter 50: Mysteries

    Chapter 50: MysteriesFlames danced around the edges of the clouds, gently kissing the metallic surface of a mechanical behemoth that rose slowly above the misty canopy. The slightly dirty colour of the clouds and the reddish orange flames tinted the metal of the ship with a strange hue, not unlike that of a sparkling piece of aluminum.


    On the deck of this large mechanical floater, one of the ships that carried people off to unknown destinations, stood a tall and imposing red skinned man, his eyes holding a ferocious look resembling that of a brute.


    His disposition, so alien and unlike anything a civilized person could have, was still gazing down through a gap in the clouds towards the middle tower. Once again they had done one of their missions. 100,000 people this time; 30,000 of which were fresh children.


    The man looked on down as the rain poured under the clouds, drenching the ground under.


    However, without warning, he turned his head to the right, eyes narrowed as if searching for something.


    The flames that danced at the edges of clouds stirred, as if beckoned by a call and reacted dynamically, exhibiting life like behaviour.


    Looking in the same direction for some time, he shook his head, later walking back inside.


    The flames in the clouds continued to dance for a few more moments before they began to dim out.


    However, just then, one of the embers exploded into a blazing pyre.


    Shaaaaaa!


    The yellowish orange flame exploded into a fire of predominantly red colour, mixed in with a tinge of orange.


    The flames that exploded continued to dance as if they had been possessed, slowly drawing closer to the mechanical floater. And as it did, a foot extended from the Flame.


    Step~


    The footstep, although not at all loud and even unaudible due to the plethora of other noises in the air, seemed to echo particularly more than everything else.


    Following the footstep, a full man emerged from the flames, Winston Heath, wearing a full white mask on his face, one that let no feature go uncovered.


    His shoes were slightly higher, making him appear taller along with filling shinsu through his clothes to make him appear more muscular than he was. And lastly, he wore tightly fitting robes, akin to a Magician and a pointed top hat.


    He walked with a slight limp in his steps, appearing somewhat crooked in his gait and held a cane in his left hand, the sign of a fine gentleman.


    His skin, from the bits that could be caught from his hands and exposed ears were of a darker tone, different from Winston''s usual skin colour.


    It was, in essence the perfect disguise Winston could come up with considering he had not yet become a faceless. However, even without that, his current disguise coupled with the ability to change his voice through effective muscular control of the Magician and the illusion abilities of the Fool and Error pathways, he could effortlessly hide his actual identity.


    Not that it would matter, but Winston was never one to take too many risks.


    The man with the crooked gait, Winston walked along, reaching the gate through which he was supposed to enter. Stopping just before it, he looked around himself.


    So high up, reaching here was surely not something Winston could achieve solely through flaming jump. Instead, what he had accomplished was flight.


    Compressing shinsu under oneself to make a platform was easy enough, but 99.9% of regulars are unable to fly before reaching the 90th floor, with only the prodigies in wave controllers being able to do so.


    Why?


    It was not a simple matter of shinsu control or how much strength one could attain through that. The thing was the flow one had to follow to achieve flight, fighting against said flow and being able to suspend oneself with the flow. It couldn''t be achieved through simple shinsu sensing, as that was just observing the surroundings using shinsu.


    One had to see the shinsu itself to move along with it or fight against it. Only at the higher floors would regulars understand the flow of shinsu, though still not able to see it.


    But what about Winston, who could skip all that with his spirit vision? He could of course, achieve flight!


    Though the rain and other factors made it somewhat difficult to maneuver, that could be remedied by making a platform to stand on, and making the said platform move through the air instead.


    And so, he had simply flew up to the clouds and used the Flaming Jump to approach the ship in one fell swoop.


    Efficiency at its peak!


    Naturally, finding the ship itself wasn''t the tricky part due to spirit rod dowsing. The tricky part was actually making his way onto the middle tower. There sceneries on the way were... strange to say the least.


    Without any more delay, Winston passed right through the metallic door. The door pathway was indeed great for sneaking into places.


    As he did so, a super structure of metal pathways, containers and rooms unfolded before his eyes. It was something he had already seen through spirit vision and dream divination, yet seeing it here made no less of an impression.


    He stopped for a moment, his figure turning illusory and disappearing into the air. Now invisible, he looked around.


    Hundreds, perhaps thousands of containers were laying about on the ground and floating high up in the air, all of them filled with people and children as he could see.


    Some of the containers held nothing but suspendium and were bound to the ground using complex chain networks.


    And amid all of these, were workers. Lots and lots and lots and lots of workers. Most of them were humanoid, but many were not, appearing increasingly alien when compared to anything Winston had ever seen.


    Winston didn''t bother with any of that and simply moved forward through the walkways.


    His goal?


    Well...


    Samuel suddenly perked up, turning his head down and smiling as he sat atop the floating


    ship.


    "It has begun." He softly muttered to himself.


    "What are you waiting for then?" A voice came from under his coat.


    Samuel chuckled and held down his top hat as he stood up, his tailcoat fluttering wildly in the


    wind.


    "I suppose it''s about time for me as well."


    Winston, under the guise of invisibility walked through the walkways, exploring the entire ship bit by bit. The entire ship was of a size comparable to 30 football fields stacked end to end lengthwise and 10 football fields width wise. Not to mention the plethora of floors it held. It was a gigantic labyrinth of twisting metal paths and never ending workers and steam pipes to the sides. The gravity too was weird in the ship. Some walkways, while mostly horizontal steeped straight up vertically; and the gravity followed suit, changing as per the needs of the road. The turns on the walkways were too eerie to make sense of. It was a random mesh of twisting straight paths, some turning at every 5 meters, while the other continued on the entire length of the ship. Strangely enough, none of the paths ever intersected each other save for the ones that hugged the walls and the steam pipes.


    Steam pipes were also many, lined along the lines of the tracks and under them.


    As for why they were specifically steam pipes, Winston wasn''t sure. He theorized the structure


    to be running predominantly on liquid shinsu, which would also explain the reason the steam could be ejected out to cover the ship while it flew.


    Maneuvering around the workers would prove to be difficult if he wasn''t so agile due to the clown and magician potions. Of course, the strange structure helped a lot in movement, however paradoxical that may sound.


    Walking around, he kept his spirit vision active, constantly observing everything. The people


    in the containers all expressed a collective emotion.


    Sadness, fear and confusion. There were some that displayed more, but these were the most dominant. As for the workers, the only real emotion he could detect from them was an overwhelming desire to work. Just that. Complete the work as fast as possible, a desire that


    was fueled by fear.


    What could make them have such fear, Winston understood it. It was the ranker, the red skinned brute that controlled flames.


    As he walked, he came across the various engine rooms of the ship. Something he took the


    time to observe quite clearly.


    However, after 3 hours of scouting out the ship and remembering all the spots where the people and the suspendium was being kept, he came across the room of the red skinned


    ranker.


    Truthfully, speaking, Winston had initially thought he would come across more rankers, seeing how the news of the ship was leaked and there was supposedly threat from the ruling classes of the tower. However, that thought was quickly shaken up into oblivion. Why?


    It was the large red symbol of three eyes in a triangular formation embossed onto the metal


    walls. Jahad''s crest.


    At that moment, Winston had been made well aware that this was not, in fact, a FUG operation. It was carried out by Jahad''s own forces.


    Winston silently watched the blood red crest on the wall and started walking away, not before


    taking another look at the room the ranker had occupied.


    There were a variety of emotions he could see, but nothing particularly pointed itself out to


    him.


    Then, just as he was about to walk off; he suddenly stopped.


    Something''s... wrong. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked around himself, feeling a


    threatening glare suddenly lock onto him. It was not to be said where the glare came from,


    but he could feel hostility suffusing out into the surroundings.


    His intuition was truly overpowered.


    Just as he was racking his brain, his hair suddenly stood on edge and his eyes shrank into


    needles as a vision suddenly overwhelmed his senses.


    He saw himself, standing with his crooked gait enveloped by orange flames that sprouted out


    from behind him.


    Then...


    Shaaaaa!


    Winston jumped, a mountain of fire erupting behind him.


    Boom!


    Grrrrr!


    An explosion sounded, the ship trembled and the workers all shook on their feet.


    Winston landed onto the ground and looked back at the fire. There was a dancing silhouette in


    the flames, one that looked roughly humanoid.


    Then, from the heated air, walked out the red skinned ranker, his four arms appearing


    particularly threatening; one of which held a black coloured hook.


    The illusion around Winston slowly withered away, leaving him visible.


    "Too scared to barge right in, wasn''t ya?!"


    "How did you know?" Winston asked, his voice unusually hoarse and deep.


    The red skinned man scowled and clicked his tongue.


    "Ye think of me as some idiot?" The ranker yelled. And with that, his skin lit up with orange


    red flames, spreading out in the blink of an eye!


    Shaaaaa!


    Whooosh!


    Snap!


    As the flames approached him, Winston snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, disappearing S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    from his place by submerging within the fire.


    The ranker''s eyes widened a bit as he watched Winston disappear into the flames, but then,


    his gaze hardened unusually.


    With the hook in his hand, he violently swung behind him where lay still a last few pyres of


    fire.


    And from those same flames arose Winston!


    As Winston appeared out of the flames, his body bent at an impossible degree, something


    that would have torn his muscles and deeply injured all his joints, tearing his tendons and ligaments aside. His back bent inwards as he leaned back while mid air, narrowly dodging the attack aimed right at his torso. A Magician''s ability to soften bones only aided the impossible


    flexibility they had.


    Booom!


    The attack cut through a large arc behind him, smashing right through the metallic hull of the


    ship and making a gigantic gash.


    Winston looked behind him in some foreboding.


    Then, he slowly turned towards the ranker.


    "You''s are some''at useful. Say what. Why don''t ye work for me?" The red brute smiled with


    his crooked teeth, making Winston almost frown. Almost. From beneath his mask came his deep and hoarse chuckle as he spoke. "Why do you think I sneaked in here? It certainly wasn''t to join your little game of pass the


    goods. And now that I''ve figured out this operation is run by Jahad, I doubt you''ll simply let me go." He said. Though, he still wasn''t completely convinced of the ship being Jahad''s property. FUG or any other group could easily just emboss the symbol onto the ship for framing someone else. So, although he was 98% sure, he didn''t eliminate the possibility of


    the ship belonging to some other organisation.


    The red brute clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "Aw man." Then, his eyes suddenly seemed to glow with a baleful glow, appearing increasingly eerie in the brightly lit room covered partially with flames. "Looks like I''ll just


    ''ave ta kill ya!"


    And along came his maniacal smile.


    A/N: Well that''s somethin I guess. Cheers~


    Throw some stones.

 Chapter 51: Mysteries- 2

    Chapter 51: Mysteries- 2Winston passed right through the metallic walls, escaping from the rampaging brute behind him.


    The metal behind him melted, and out came a raging maniac, swinging around a large black hook with one of his four arms.


    "Stop runnin'' ye thief!"


    The air rippled from the heat as steam inside the pipes began to heat up more and more, expanding until it began to leak right out of them. The metal pathways began to turn into fluids, taking the form of molten metal.


    Winston looked at all of this with a smile as he gauged the level of the ranker.


    There was only one thing he could think.


    Powerful. Strong. Overwhelmingly so.


    The moment he got close without flame resistance, he would be burnt to a crisp. Not to mention the physical attacks and speed of the ranker.


    The only reason he was alive still was due to flaming jump, paper figurine substitution and door opening. If not for these, he would have already been reduced to nothing but ash on the floor.


    Winston''s smile widened for some inexplicable reason, yet it could not be seen from under his mask.


    The workers all around, that came in all shapes and sizes scrambled around as a blaring alarm started in the ambience. The entire ship flashed red, more than it had already been due to the fire.


    Suddenly, Winston turned back, looking straight at the ranker. His eyes scanned the hook he held in his hands; it was by no means an ordinary weapon. His Marauder intuition told him that much. But more than that, the spirit world provided him with the information he needed. The hook wasn''t an ignition weapon, but it was perfectly made to move through the higher desities of shinsu, like the one found on floor 100 and above.


    And so, that was the reason. Winston wanted it.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The sound of three sonic booms echoed in succession as Winston used air bullet. The columns of air rushed through the giant wall of fire and rushed at the ranker, however, before they could reach him, the heat scrambled them around, making only a light breeze reach the ranker.


    Without wasting any time, Winston''s body was enveloped by flames.


    The ranker clicked his tongue seeing the display.


    "That again?!" He yelled and began to rush ahead, no doubt thinking that Winston would appear further away. However, suddenly, he froze. His eyes widened, sensing someone within a meter''s distance from him.


    Without hesitation, he swung behind him, aiming to take the head of anyone that dared to get close. However, the slightest expression of surprise he had expressed gave way to a momentary time gap.


    That gap was all that was needed.


    The ranker''s hand grasped air. There was no one before him anymore.


    He blinked, opening and closing his hand in succession and wondering whether he was I a dream.


    However, Winston''s voice interrupted his reverie.


    "Looking for something?" Said the crooked voice.


    The ranker turned back, looking at the intruder. And in his hand, he found a familiar hook.


    "You!" The ranker spat out, the flames around him getting more restless.


    "It ain''t my fault you didn''t have a good enough grip." Winston laughed, summoning his armed inventory and keeping the hook inside it.


    The ranker wasn''t one to stand around and do nothing.


    The air trembled and heated up further. The metallic paths all around turned into vapours as a sea of flames appeared in the compartment Winston and the ranker were in.


    And then...


    Boooooommm!


    Shaaaaa!


    Whoooosh!


    A gigantic hole was blown right through the ship, taking out the entire bottom portion of the mechanical floater alongside it.


    Thousands of compartments fell down, some burning in the gigantic pyre that permeated the air.


    Winston stared at the ensuing destruction as he walked out of the flames completely unscathed.


    The clouds below disappeared as the flames overwhelmed them with heat, making way for the ship to be seen from below.


    Winston''s eyes then travelled upwards. But then, a vision overlapped with his senses.


    It was himself, in a state of free fall. Then, a fist tore through his head before he could even react.


    Winston''s hair stood on edge. He tilted his head in mid air and balls of light appeared around him.


    Whooosh!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The balls of light, baangs that numbered 11 all rushed straight at the ranker whose attack had been dodged. As one would think, the baangs dissolved into shinsu before they could scratch even a single cell on the ranker''s body. On the contrary...


    Winston who was still falling below the ranker crumbled down, appearing like a torn paper. And then, his body was suddenly ripped into shreds, scattering into bits that soon burst into


    flames.


    The ranker raised an eyebrow. He looked up where a sole man stood atop a transparent disc of


    shinsu.


    "Ye ''ave plenty of tricks up yer sleeve ae?" The ranker said.


    Winston didn''t say anything, only prepared himself for the next clash, for he could feel that the ranker was no longer playing around.


    Winston''s head turned clearer and his eyes turned focused. His spirit vision pierced through the thick fumes of fire around the ranker, taking in the shinsu flow around him.


    There was only one phrase he could describe it as. Chaotic. There was no flow to it whatsoever, it was completely chaotic and disordered; meaning he was only depending on his intuition for


    dodging.


    Hoooo~


    He exhaled, and with that, the destruction started.


    Winston immediately crumbled into bits of paper that soon caught on fire. Appearing some 100 meters away from his location, transparent wings, shaped like mechanical angel wings materialized behind him to keep him afloat.


    "Ye can''t even float properly! What balls do ya ''ave to raid a ship I protect!" The ranker yelled out and Winsfon again crumbled into paper as a wave of fire swept over him.


    Appearing another hundred meter away, Winston looked back.


    The ship was sailing in the opposite direction from them. However, that was not what


    Winston looked at.


    Instead, it was a strange man, somewhat 7 feet in height that stood atop the ship and waved


    out to him.


    His eyes shrunk down into needles as he took in the figure of the man. It was the same person that he had encountered in the test. And with his presence came a sudden realization.


    The man atop the ship smiled at him, and in response, he narrowed his eyes, staring at him


    with open hostility.


    This man was the reason he had been discovered by the ranker; his intuition told him so. Something was wrong with this man''s presence here. And he was not one to wish to find out.


    The moment Winston had an opportunity, he would kill that man.


    Just as he thought that, his body was overtaken by flames, only this time, he completely dissolved in them and appeared again a hundred meters in the other direction.


    As he did so, Winston rushed at the ranker with wild abandon.


    The ranker, seeing his target charging at him smiled maliciously with a maniacal grin. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston snapped his fingers, utilizing flaming jump and flame control to gain temporary immunity to the fire. Then, taking out a silver sword, he began to duel the man in the sky.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Whooosh!


    Shaaaaaa!


    Explosions rang out in the air along with hundreds of sonic booms as blows rained from both sides. Winston''s sword expressly cut through the flames and air alike, while the ranker, being bare handed matched Winston in terms of ferocity and speed, perhaps even surpassing him.


    Winston had already taken note of the disadvantages he was at.


    He could not truly express his full strength.


    Diffusion Boundary would be blocked as the shinsu was too chaotic to gather in a stable layer


    around him. Any baangs he made would be ignited the moment they formed. And with how dangerous the flames were, Winston had to keep repeating flaming jump, slowly but surely slashing down his shinsu and spirituality reserves just with that.


    There was little he could do to counter the ranker. Even with the sword, his attacks dealt little damage. The shinsu reinforcement of the ranker far outclassed his own, a fact that he saw through immediately. It was not even a matter of finesse or technique. It was simply a matter of volume. The amount of shinsu the ranker could utilize at once was more than 10 times his


    own, further putting him in a tough spot.


    And so, despite all of this, why did he choose to rush at the ranker instead of retreating? What was bubbling up inside that mind of his that he would take such a great risk?


    Whooosh!


    Fooorrrrrrrrrr!


    Winston ducked under another punch from the ranker and snapped his fingers, disappearing


    in the fire that burned around them. The fire had already turned into a gigantic ocean above


    the clouds, making all the rain clouds disappear and leaving a singular sphere of red and orange hanging in the sky.


    The ship had drifted off amid their clash; evidently, the workers did not wish to get caught up


    in the cross fire. Winston crumbled down into paper as he accidentally took a hit right to the chest and


    appeared some distance away. He slashed at the ranker, an attack that was ignored and


    countered.


    He vanished in a puff of fire again.


    "Stop disappearing!" The ranker yelled in rage.


    Just then, everything ceased.


    "Hehe." A low chuckle permeated the sky, overwhelming the sound of the crackling flames all


    around and ringing directly in the ranker''s ears.


    He turned back, looking at the illusory figure of Winston that had appeared.


    Then, the figure began to fade away into a blur, leaving behind nothing but a blob of shinsu


    that soon disappeared due to the fire.


    There was silence for a moment. Nothing but stillness in the ranker''s eyes as the fire calmed


    down and retreated back into his body.


    Whoooosh!


    Then, his body rushed out without wait, heading right towards the direction the ship had


    headed towards!


    "Hehehe.." another low chuckle sounded in his ears, making his eyes turn a shade of crimson


    red.


    A/N: Gasp!


    Here''s another chapter.


    Throw some stones plz. Need more popularity.


    Also, I saw some criticism about the exposition, so I''ve decided to fix some of it. Sadly, I''ve


    already written like 10 more chapters in advance so that''s that. But I tried to edit the chapter to make it not seem as repetitive anymore. Do keep the criticism coming. It helps me improve my writing which is the main reason I do this and comments in general keep me motivated.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 52: Mysteries- 3

    Chapter 52: Mysteries- 3The Error Pathway''s Angel ot Deciet, Amon.


    An acolyte of all things wrong and the Thief of destiny, who stands as one of the most feared existences below the True Gods in the Lord of Mysteries Universe.


    Fallacy of Fate.


    The Trojan Horse of Destiny.


    The Slug of Time.


    The reason for "His" infamy was due to many reasons.


    "He" could simply, on a whim, decide to steal your destiny, your identity and your existence. Anyone you have ever known, all your family members, all your loved ones and acquaintances will refuse to acknowledge your existence, seeing "Him", as ''you.'' All the while you get sidelined, losing even the ability to be acknowledged by the people you oh so cherished. The worst part? "He" could simply pull it off to prove a point, or play a ''harmless'' little prank.


    However, that stood to be only one of the reason "He" was so feared. If there was one Amon near you, there wasn''t. There were hundreds of "Him", perhaps even thousands of "Him."


    "He" could be anything. A member of your family, a beloved friend, the birds in the sky, even the bacteria in the air could be replaced by Amon. If you could see Amon, you were the target. If you couldn''t, you were most likely the collateral.


    The ability to make avatars, autonomous version of "Him" at his own wishes, an ability that defined the Error pathway. The ability of a true virus and a bug. Multiplication to infinity.


    And that was something Winston Heath, at this moment, managed to make a cheap imitation of with Shinsu!


    Of course, the true ability was still too far away from his hands. He could not even copy a sliver of its true power, but it was still shocking in and of itself that he had managed to make it. He had made an avatar.


    The concept was simple. It followed the same principles that astral travel followed, only this time, only a part of his astral body was ''bestowed'' onto an ''entity'' made from shinsu.


    He had read on the Box that Enryu was famed for being able to make life from shinsu. And with that idea, he had encorporated it into ritualistic magic. The first step was pinpointing himself as a creature from the ''spirit world.'' The next step included the offering of the ''entity'' to the pinpointed existence and finally, asking the existence to offer up a part of their astral body to possess the shinsu.


    It was akin to the possession of beyonders by evil gods through the mirror divination, like what had happened to one of Melissa''s friends in volume 1 of Lord of Mysteries; only this was far easier as the entity to be possessed was being rightfully offered to the existence solely for the sake of possession.


    And finally, when the possession was done, a part of Winston''s astral body was given to the shinsu for as long as Winston wanted.


    Of course, there were a lot of downsides to this.


    The first and foremost being that the avatar, unlike the marionettes of the Fool and the avatars of the Error, lacked information procession and could not operate autonomously. It made Winston have to split his focus, like operating at different levels in a hierarchical arrangement, controlling the actions to two different sets of bodies.


    In layman terms, it was like trying to learn Chinese through one ear and listening to Mozart on the other. Incredibly disorienting.


    The next thing was that it halved Winston''s spirituality reserves. And not only that, the half of the spirituality that was given to the avatar couldn''t even be used fully. It was not Winston after all, only a small part of his astral body. And hence, it could hardly utilize any of his true beyonder powers. Even the ones that worked were weaker in comparison to his main body and took just a little longer to activate. The physical strength of the avatar was also far weaker. So weak that he would even lose to Endorsi and Anaak, as Winston saw it.


    And finally, atop all of that, it was impossible to have multiple of them.


    Every time Winston made an avatar, his spirituality reserves would be halved, leaving him weakened, not to mention the avatars, even if he were to make multiple, would hardly be considered stronger than him, even in those numbers. And that''s even considering the fact that he would too be weakened. All in all, it was not worth it for combative purposes. However, for a distraction...


    That takes care of that. Winston smiled as he watched the ranker zoom away in the direction the ship had supposedly followed.


    Except it hadn''t.


    As Winston, with his enhanced eyesight that could peer hundreds of kilometers away, lost sight of the ranker, a strange shift happened in the air.


    The air hummed and rippled as a gigantic illusion was taken down. Immediately, Winston felt a weight off his shoulders as the spirituality drain to cover such a large structure was indeed


    ginormous.


    Truthfully speaking, such a large illusion was something he should only be able to do at the level of a demigod, which corresponded to the Sequence 4 of any pathway.


    However, the synergy between Fool and Error, of which illusion creation was a great part of in the lower sequences, along with the spirituality increase of the three pathways and finally, the boost provided atop all that through shinsu, such a wide scale illusion did not seem to be a pipe dream anymore. Sure, it was still a daunting task.


    As the illusion cleared, Winston saw the ship emerging. It had already begun to descend from the sky and towards the ground, hovering just 200 meters from it''s destination.


    The crates and suspendium that had fallen down?


    They too had been secured soon after they crossed the clouds, the people within which had been released already in the nearby megacity.


    Winston looked down at the mega city, the residents of which gazed up at the floating behemoth in fear and trepidation.


    Sweat poured from most of their faces as they gazed upon the giant structure. The warriors of the city gathered around, weapons in hand as they waited for the ship to make it''s move.


    There were hardly any rankers here, even though most of the population in the middle tower was filled with families and family trees of rankers.


    There were always such cities on the lower floors where rankers didn''t frequent. And the traffickers took advantage of the absence of strong people which could offer resistance to carry on unabated.


    However, that had changed at this moment.


    As Winston continued to gaze down, he spoke out.


    "Take out and containers and free everyone." His crooked voice was still ongoing. But to the workers, within whose ears the voice rang like an alarm, it sounded as the voice that promised pain. The few workers that were atop the ship looked at him in terror, for in their eyes, he


    looked to be exactly like the red skinned ranker.


    An illusion that had been targeted only at them.


    Winston smiled softly as he watched the workers scatter about and pull giant chains from the ship, slowly carrying down the containers used to traffic people. As for the suspendium? Winston was going to take a couple of containers for himself. Think of it as his ''fee'' for


    helping out.


    He chuckled, and then held his arms out as if to embrace the world and boomed out with his


    voice.


    "People of the city! The men, women and children that had been abducted from here are


    being returned to you! Worry not, for the captain of this ship is now gone! And as the last of my gift to you, I provide you with these!" Winston yelled as if proclaiming a holy decree. And then, he signaled the workers to also throw down the containers of suspendium.


    Of course, there was the matter of the major forces coming here to raid the suspendium, along with the more imminent threat of the ranker returning. Winston cared little about that. The thing needed for acting was the cause and the consequence. As long as he did not know about it, the aftermath had no relation with it. After all, Prometheus helping the humans did not


    turn out great for the titan.


    There was also the reason that the avatar of Winston had not yet been completely suspended, at least not the astral projection. Funny thing about the way he created avatars, due to a loophole, the astral projection could persist for as much as 3 days, as he calculated, after the possession was cancelled. After which, it would return and merge again with his body.


    It was still following the ranker, taunting it and leading it further and further away. And with the added in ''deception'' from the avatar that allowed him to lead opponents of lower intelligence without them suspecting anything, the ranker was in for a trip. If the ranker came back here before the city could get reinforcements he would no doubt slaughter everyone; then, it was simple a matter of bad luck.


    All in all, Winston would not bother with them longer than he should. In the first place, he was


    not a saint. He knew bad things happen all the time, he could not be a hero and stop everything that''s bad in the world. In the end, it came down to a matter of self interest.


    As the crates of suspendium were thrown down, crystals, bars and coins, pale blue in color poured out of them. The city folk were staggered seeing such a large amount of wealth.


    As the people rushed forward to carry the riches and meet back with their loved ones, Winston could not help but look at them in pity. The Jahad forces would no doubt wipe this city off. If not, they would be in for a world of pain. It was tragic either way.


    "Causing chaos for the sake of it. Do you enjoy it, perhaps?" Suddenly, a familiar voice


    sounded behind Winston.


    And without turning back, Winston knew exactly who it was.


    "You seem plenty relaxed. What might be the reason I wonder?" Winston asked the 7 feet tall


    man who floated atop a suitcase behind him.


    The man held a smile on his face with his tooth showing. His wrinkles were more enhanced at the cheeks while the rest of the face looked frieghteningly plain.


    Winston could not help but want to comment on his strange features, but he held himself


    back.


    He could feel that the man was more than he let on. He was enigmatic. But his intuition told


    him one thing. He was not to be underestimated.


    I guess I''ll get the chance to test out my prowess.


    "Why would I not be? Have I done anything wrong here?" The man asked, his smile widening


    ever so slightly.


    "I would say giving away my position is a good enough reason." Winston replied.


    The man held up his hands in a gesture of ''what can be done?" "I do apologize. Just couldn''t


    help myself. Though that doesn''t change the fact that you''re here causing chaos."


    "Chaos? Perhaps you''re right." Winston chuckled slightly.


    The man continued on with the same smile.


    "Do you find this to be comedic? Not that I have anything against it. Chaos has always been a


    crucial part of the Tower''s progression. Everywhere in the tower can be described to be


    chaotic after all."


    "Not comedic no. Just tragic. The life of the masses can really be messed up by the ruling


    classes. Even if someone were to rebel against it, the masses would suffer nonetheless. And so, it is logical to better yourself through them. Go with the flow and break out at the crucial S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    moment to seize the power." He explained.


    Then shook his head, not willing to continue on with the conversation anymore. He continued, "Enough talk. It is pointless to continue on with the conversation."


    As the words landed, Winston took a combat stance midair. The cane he held at his right hand


    was put into the arms inventory that appeared by his side, and from that, a peculiar hook was taken out. How did the hook get to him when it was the avatar that had stolen it? The armed inventory worked on an ''owner'' basis. With the avatar, it recognized both of them as owners and would follow either one. With the avatar gone, the armed inventory returned to him.


    "I haven''t yet gotten the chance to test this out. Neither have I gotten the chance to fully test out my own capabilities yet. I suppose you will do quite nicely." He said.


    The man in front took off the hat from his head and held it at his chest. Then, he did a curt


    bow.


    "It would be my pleasure to be of use to you." The sarcasm in the man''s voice couldn''t have been more obvious. But he continued. "But before we start, why don''t we introduce ourselves? Myself Samuel Helmons." He said.


    Winston raised an eyebrow at this and smiled. Though it was all hidden beneath the mask.


    "You may refer to me as... Mysteries."


    His voice reverberated in the air, echoing through the city.


    The man''s eyes scanned Winston, gleaming as he did so.


    "Mysteries..."


    A/N: Do tell me your thoughts so far.


    Do take the time to donate some power stones. It helps the story get into the rankings and


    become popular.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 53: Mysteries- 4

    Chapter 53: Mysteries- 4The mechanical floating ship had already been moving away as soon as Samuel appeared behind Winston.


    Because Winston had stopped maintaining his illusion after the containers were transported down, the workers had realized their blunder and opted to get out of here as fast as possible. Of course, there was also a bit of ''deception'' mixed in with their panic that made them run. Winston and Samuel looked at each other, silent and still. No one moving before the other.


    Winston could feel that the man was strong. Not to the extent of a ranker, far below it, but he was, strangely, stronger than the two Jahad Princessss. It was not clear how such a thing were possible and only made the man seem more enigmatic. It was at times like these that Winston wished his intuition and divination ability was stronger.


    At that time, a sudden thought came to Winston.


    Curiosity needs to be quenched. I''ll just perform spirit mediumship after I kill him.


    That''s right. Winston had already decided that the man would not leave here alive. Seeing the man two times, at such massive distances apart within the course of a month was more than enough reason for Winston to conclude him as a target for direct elimination.


    The silence persisted for a bit more. The people down below who had already calmed down now looked above them with a deep sense of foreboding. The air around them had gotten heavier, appearing difficult to breathe even.


    The shinsu, although there was no fighting yet, was starting to become chaotic solely because of the presence of Winston''s intent to kill. Samuel on the other hand seemed to only be observing him, not appearing too keen on fighting.


    And then, from the clear sky, fell a singular last drop of water, right between them in the sky and down to the ground.


    And that was the ice breaker.


    Whoooosh!


    Boom!


    Immediately, a sonic boom rang out in the air, deafening the ears of the unguarded people below and causing the ears of some to rupture.


    Winston dashed out with speed surpassing the speed of sound and swung his hook right at the man''s head, aiming for a quick finish to the fight.


    Freeze! He added in his mind, casting both the spell and Reverse flow control.


    And as the hook''s point neared the man''s temple, a vision suddenly enveloped Winston''s mind.


    At that moment, Winston tilted his body mid air and turned the attack to the head into a sweeping motion towards his chest. And at the same instant, something dashed out from under the man''s trenchcoat... it was a small snake like being with scales that resembled a turtle''s shell.


    The snake''s tail travelled to intercept the original trajectory of the hook while in it''s mouth grew a small ball of shinsu. However, just as quickly as it had appeared, it noticed it''s blunder and shifted it''s trajectory, shielding the man from danger.


    Clang!


    Shaaaaaa!


    The baang shot out towards Winston who dodged the attack by a hair''s width and used his momentum to kick outwards towards Samuel''s chest!


    Boom!


    The man flew back uncontrollably, as did the snake that was with him, eventually falling down and down to the ground!


    The man landed atop a large building, crushing it as he did so and taking a few dozen lives in the process.


    As the dust settled, the man came out from under the rubble, the snake hovering around him and a shimmer of blue covering his body. A shinsu barrier.


    Winston smiled as he got closer to the man.


    So he''s like Sunwoo huh... an anima. What is he using as the fish bowl? Is it hidden beneath the trenchcoat? Or is the trenchcoat itself the fishbowl? Winston mused.


    As he drew closer, Samuel smiled at him and said, "It''s not too nice to steal from others."


    Winston gave out a small chuckle and twirled the suitcase in his left hand.


    "You mean this? I have to take some souvenirs y''know?" The short moment of contact with the man during the kick was enough for Winston to steal the suitcase. Actually, even direct contact wasn''t needed for Winston to steal something, only a distance of 20cm had to be maintained. But it took an entire second in such a case as opposed to the instant that contact provided. And when you''re so close already, you might as well touch the thing, right?


    The man shook his head, "Forget it, you can keep that." Then, he held his hand up, around which the snake began to twirl around.


    "What next?" As his words landed, Winston already stood in front of him.


    Whooosh!.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Successive sonic booms and explosions rang out in the area as both Winston and Samuel dashed through the air, smashing through buildings and destroying the infrastructure.


    It was a bit weird for Winston since he had just helped the city folk so much, but here he was, personally aiding in most of their demise.


    Well, collateral is collateral. Can''t do anything about it.


    Winston thought as he observed the barrier that enclosed the man. It prevented him from getting direct contact to the man, and made him particularly more tanky.


    A cruel glint passed Winston eyes as he got in close to the man once again. Baangs appeared in the air, seemingly numbering in the dozens. More than half were from Winston, the other half were the combined number of the man and his pet snake.


    The baangs rushed along, impacting each other mid air before they could reach the intended target, however, one baang, one of Winston''s reached the barrier despite the snake''s defence.


    Crack!


    The barrier cracked, and Winston''s hook reached the man.


    Slash! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man stepped back at the last second, suffering only a graze at his arm. However, there was one critical thing.


    "It seems the shinheuh doesn''t need a fishbowl to be controlled." Winston said as he held the trenchcoat in his arms. Due to his increased spirituality and enhancement from shinsu, the reach extended beyond just his body, extending from any objects that connected his body to


    the other.


    He was plenty sure the trenchcoat was the fishbowl, and even if it wasn''t, considering how the snake crawled out of it, it was bound to be at least inside the garment.


    Samuel stood with a single black shirt and black trousers. The snake still floated around him as he looked on with a smile.


    "Memphos isn''t like the uncivilized shinheuh. He doesn''t need to be controlled." He


    commented.


    Winston shook his head and threw away the trenchcoat, getting ready for another clash.


    He closed his eyes for a moment, then, a terrifying force erupted from his body.


    Dun!


    Samuel froze, as did the snake he held by his side. Both ensnared by a Freeze spell and Reverse


    flow control!


    And so...


    Slash!


    Blood, the colour of crimson seemed out from the man''s neck. His eyes widened and trembled


    in disbelief as he looked on towards the man that had just stabbed him. Never had he expected the fight to end so... anticlimactically?


    He had underestimated his opponent based on the qualities he had shown, and so he paid the


    price.


    Bam!


    The man fell to the ground as the snake became active again, lashing straight at Winston.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Seeping air into his lungs, Winston mimicked the sound of a gun three times in a row, throwing compressed air bullets at the snake.


    Sparks flew around as the power bounced off it''s scales.


    Boom!


    Just then, a massive amount of shinsu flew out of the snake''s body, a desperate attempt to get Winston away. Naturally, Winston didn''t dodge. His shinsu resistance was fairly heightened at this point, and with the Diffusion Boundary around him, he resisted the shinsu wave with minimal effort. After all, the power of the wave wasn''t directed as an attack, but merely to buy time.


    He moved, slashing the hook right at the snake''s head who twisted around and around as if it itself had been turned into an amorphous form of the same Divine water that fueled it''s


    powers.


    As the shinsu wave disappeared, from the side, 7 more people, resembling Winston appeared with varying weapons in their hands!


    They all collectively snapped their fingers, making sparks of fire erupt from their hands which soon enveloped them whole and combined to form a blazing pyre that Tra formed into a


    flaming tornado!


    Boom!


    Whiiiirlll!


    The tornado''s fiery winds swept across the buildings of the city, effortlessly destroying a


    circular area of 100 meters radius around Winston, charring it black and leaving all but air, for even the ashes disappeared as the raging flame of a Magician''s flame control ravaged through


    the area!


    However, there appeared an opposition! Slowly but surely, a bluish hue appeared at the heart


    of the pyre, a stream of water shinsu that expanded around the snake and covering it in a thick layer of protection! Down below, where Samuel lay still and holding his neck to stop the crimson of life from flowing out, there too was a protective barrier made from the same blue


    shinsu.


    The snake hissed around it, seeing many Winstons, now numbering in the dozens all around


    it.


    Piercing through illusions was it''s master''s job. It was only the tank and the attacker, it failed to cope up with the illusion, blindly attacking all around as the flames still burned the shinsu


    around it. Winston, whose actual body stood outside the Flaming tornado in a veil of invisibility smiled slightly as he watched them struggle.


    Better to nip the problem in the bud than to watch it grow and slowly devour it''s way through my life.


    He thought. And then, holding the hook with him, he dashed right through the flames and towards the shinsu serpent whose protective layer had grown considerably smaller in the fire. Holding the hook in his hand, Winston silently cast reverse flow control and Freeze, simultaneously casting a lightning spell onto his weapon, making it crackle with a blue and baleful light.


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Clang!


    Sparks started to fly out from the snake''s body from all directions. With the many illusions distracting the snake, the invisibility that Winston''s own body held and the occasional stop to it''s movements, the snake had no way to resist. It was thoroughly crushed without any chance


    of resistance!


    Pierce!


    Slash!


    Fresh blood poured out from it''s small frame as it lay limp, stabbed atop the tip of Winston''s


    hook.


    He looked at it for a moment before turning his eyes to the man down below. Without the protective covering of the snake, the man would no doubt burn in the fire in


    seconds. For that reason, Winston toned down the Flaming tornado causing it to disappear.


    Slowly, he descended to the ground.


    "I don''t like to have problems grow at my feet." He said with a chuckle. Samuel, who was miraculously still alive, spoke with difficulty as he pressed down harder at


    his neck.


    "Hehe cough! I never thought it would end so fast. If I hadn''t underestimated you, cough! perhaps the outcome would''ve been different, Mysteries. Cough! Cough!"


    As the blood pooled beneath him, he continued. "Though cough! I am curious, what made you


    wish to attack me so suddenly? Cough!"


    "Just a hunch." Winston shook his head, unwilling to elaborate.


    "Cough! Hehe. That''s rough." Samuel managed to squeeze out one final time before the light


    left his eyes.


    Seeing him laying still on the ground, Winston checked his condition thoroughly to ensure


    that he truly was, dead.


    And finally, after confirmation, he pulled out a suspendium coin.


    Samuel Helmons is dead. He repeated seven times.


    Ding!


    The coin landed atop his hand, showing a clear heads. Nodding to himself, Winston took the body and disappeared into flames, heading to a safe


    place to perform spirit mediumship.


    Winston didn''t manage anything interesting from the spirit of the dwarf.


    He was simply a dwarf that was following a path he could see. He saw a change in the usual


    paths, and so he tried to stop the changes. It just so happened that the changes led him to cross paths with Winston twice. And Winston wasn''t one to ignore a bad premonition. Pitiful. Winston mused as he shook his head.


    He looked towards the hotel where the team was staying at. After a whole 3 days of travel, he


    had arrived again to rest for a bit.


    He had burned the body after spirit channeling, just to make sure, along with the body of the


    little snake. The avatar had also been completely dispelled two days prior, so he was plenty sure that the


    city might have been raised to the ground at this point. But he cared little about that.


    He stretched his body, feeling the strength of his body having returned and hearing a satisfying ''pop.''


    I suppose I''ll relax for a few days. For real this time. He chuckled.


    A/N: Throw some stones.

 Chapter 54: Undercurrents

    Chapter 54: UndercurrentsScribble scribble~


    Scribble scribble~


    A dimly lit room, illuminated only by a singular light over a desk, housed a male humanoid. In his hand lied a feather pen of which he made use of by writing away on a notebook that was opened up before him.


    The man wrote with patience and thought, stopping occasionally to take a good look at the contents he had completed before nodding along and writing the next passage.


    There was silence in the room. The only sound was of controlled breathing and the scribbling of pen on paper.


    An unknown amount of time passed as the man closed the notebook. As he leaned back into the comfortable chair, his face finally, came into the light.


    It was Theolis Clear, the newly passed regular from the floor of tests, now climbing the tower in hopes of becoming a ranker.


    It had been some time since he passed from the 2nd floor. He was on the 4th floor now, climbing on with a team of somewhat competent people. Although they weren''t too great, they took care of each other''s weak points. And Theolis in particular, who was blessed with a strong physique since birth was the strongest fighter in their group, a fisherman that lead the team in battle.


    He stared at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating the thoughts of the strange man he had met. The one that changed his fate and allowed him to climb the tower.


    The way to get to the test floor was... strange. It was anything but safe, even bizarre in the types of sceneries and creatures he had seen and heard while on the journey.


    But by far the most eerie thing he had seen in his life was Samuel. The silver dwarf was heartless, yet he was childish. His way of speech was extremely polite, to the point that you would skim over the speech that left his mouth only to realize he was talking about brutally skinning someone while they were alive and then slash out brain to feed it to a shinheuh.


    It was somewhat absurd, his situation. It wasn''t until he was in far too deep into the path that he realized there wasn''t truly a chance to turn back.


    If he had refused at that point, Samuel might have left him there to die or killed him outright. And so, the only chance for him was in moving forward and dealing with anything that might trouble him in the future. He had to help the strange man no matter what.


    Regardless, there was a small part of Theolis that wished he didn''t come back. The tower was expansive. Maybe they would never run into each other again.


    But the chance of that was slim. For a silver dwarf who could see paths, there was no chance he would lose his way to never find him.


    His eyes inexplicably turned towards a small bag that was on the bed. The contents of the bag were unknown, but the sight of the bag brought a look of contemplation to his face.


    Theolis sighed, feeling tired. He leaned forward and closed the notebook, his journal that he was writing.


    "Boo." Suddenly a voice sounded behind him and a shadow loomed over his head.


    "Aah!" Theolis screamed, his chair tipping over and falling to the back. However, he quickly got up and backed off towards the wall, adopting a boxing stance.


    "Who goes there?!" He yelled before observing the figure that had invaded his room.


    And as he laid eyes upon the man, his blood instantly chilled.


    The figure put it''s hands up, appearing harmless.


    "Now now, I don''t wish to fight. After all, we are now partners. Don''t you say?"


    Theolis sighed, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.


    "Hello, Mr. Samuel."


    "Please. I feel that we''re beyond referring to each other with such pleasantries right? Just call me Samuel." The 7 foot man admitted with a compassionate smile. He walked over to the bed and sat down.


    Theolis straightened his posture and cleared his throat before speaking.


    "Ahem! What brings you here?" He asked. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Samuel''s eyes were clear and focused as he replied to the inquiry. At that point, Theolis noticed a missing part of his attire. He wasn''t carrying the suitcase he always had with him. As a matter of fact, all of his clothes seemed to be different, appearing new and of different, slightly lighter colours.


    "There has been a change of plans. I am especially pleased to announce that I have located the anomaly."


    Theolis'' eyes widened just a tiny bit.


    "So soon?"


    "Why? Did you think it would take time?"


    "No. That''s not what I meant." Theolis tried to explain.


    Seeing his flustered state, Samuel chuckled.


    "To tell you the truth, the way I found the perpetrator was less that ideal. It almost resulted in my demise. However, I was able to escape." Samuel flashed a brilliant smile.


    Hearing his words, Theolis felt a chill travel up his spine. They were going against someone stronger than this dwarf before him. That alone made him feel an oppressive and foreboding feeling.


    He was clearly not up to par for it.


    "What happened?"


    "Let''s say I got stabbed and burnt. I also lost one of my companions but that''s not


    important."


    "And your suitcase."


    "Let''s call it collateral damage."


    "What of the others you chose?"


    Samuel shook his head, his smile faltering and turning into a small frown.


    "The results so far have been disappointing. Out of the hundreds that I approached and led to the tower, only 3 made it out of the 2nd floor. And of those three, only you managed to get


    past the 3rd."


    Theolis'' eyes widened a bit.


    "It can''t be that exaggerated, can it?"


    "Oh, but it is. The tower is such a place. The person''s will, not only his body and mind is tested all the same. Blood sweeps along each floor and millions of regulars die every month to climb the tower. As I said, the others get culled out, only the special remain."


    There was silence for a few seconds as he finished.


    Then, Theolis said, "Which floor do I need to ascend to?"


    Samuel raised an eyebrow.


    "What''s this? Feeling excited?"


    Theolis shook his head in denial.


    "No. It would just be better to have a goal to look forward to. I''d rather finish this business


    while the ''target'' is still climbing the tower right?"


    "You''re not wrong about that. However, by your speed, the target will long surpass you. The gap as of now isn''t large, but it will only grow.


    "As for now, the target is on the 13th floor and preparing to get to the 14th. I suspect they would be on the 20th floor in a little less than 2 years."


    Hearing his words, Theolis, somehow, felt a wave of relief wash over him. Maybe he didn''t


    have to face the man.


    However the next words that left Samuel''s mouth crushed that thought.


    "And so, I will personally join your team and train you for that time."


    "Um... that''s a bit much don''t you think?"


    "Not at all. I''d like to safe guard at least one of my investments."


    "Well, I don''t plan on dying either way. I feel that you can rest assured." Theolis said, trying


    to escape the situation.


    Samuel laughed a bit. "No one plans on dying. Everyone always wants to survive. Aren''t we all just fighting to survive another day? Waiting for another day to pass and witness the


    beginning of the next? That doesn''t work out for the majority."


    "Uh..." Theolis couldn''t find any argument to refute his words.


    And there began the bad days for Theolis. And as he would later write in his diary entries, the training was ''Like snatching a fish from the mouths of a white steel eel.'' Whatever that meant was up for debate...


    Samuel sat atop a large stone monolith that stood alone at the top of a building. The 4th floor was a peculiar floor. The main district where the regulars arrived at was filled with all sorts of Gothic architecture. Stone spires rose up from the ground, long and turning hallways alongside ancient looking Gothic buildings and manors.


    But that too was mixed in with high technological advancements of the tower, making up for


    a particularly striking scenery.


    Samuel looked up towards the overcast sky. The night was blanketed completely as a soft


    drizzle poured down to the ground.


    Samuel could not help flash a smile as he looked on towards the far end of the clouds, where a


    whirlpool of sorts seemed to be forming.


    "You still draw attention whenever you appear." He said suddenly, speaking to seemingly no


    one but the darkness.


    Then, a humanoid figure walked out from the darkness. In front of the monolith that stood at


    a large height of 20 meters, the figure seemed tiny. Puny even.


    The face of the figure couldn''t be seen, thickly veiled by darkness.


    "I can''t help it. Being subtle and hidden isn''t the best of my talents. And when you''re as infamous as I am, that administrators needs to pay extra attention. They don''t want anything


    to do with me."


    Samuel laughed a bit at his reply.


    "That is true."


    "So, what are you planning this time?"


    "Oh nothing. Just found something interesting."


    "Imteresting? Something that interests you? That''s new."


    "New indeed. I haven''t seen something like this for centuries."


    "And what of that new companion you''re raising?"


    "That''s just a pass time. New toys are always good to play around with."


    "Play?"


    "Play. Playing around in a large game. They aren''t needed at all. Just spices in a dish. After all,


    food doesn''t seem appetizing if there are no spices in it."


    "And here you call me chaotic."


    "I merely follow destiny. Even without my meddling, those people would not survive long.


    And even if they do, they wouldn''t achieve anything. Isn''t it better to be part of something


    big?"


    "That''s all it is to you? A big game?" The man shook his head, walking further into the dark.


    "Not exactly no. I can change it, overwrite it, but why do that? Better to add to the pages of


    Fate."


    The man chuckled.


    "You''re still just as sociopathic as ever. And yet you go on and on to talk all philosophical."


    "Is that wrong?"


    "I think you just want to appear smarter."


    "Damn right I do."


    The man laughed. Then, he turned to Samuel.


    "I wished to see what the fuzz was all about. The thing that caused you to be active had to be


    good. But turns out, its just a farce." The man shook his head and his body began to blend into


    the darkness.


    "I''ll see you soon." And with the final words, he disappeared.


    As the shadowy figure left, Samuel could not help but narrow his eyes.


    "Not a farce, no. It is far more important than that." Again, he spoke to no one in particular.


    "It is something that can change the tower forever."


    A/N: Please take the time to donate some stones.


    Also, tell me your thoughts until now. Anyway to improve my writing would be appreciated.


    Things like you to keep engagement throughout the story?


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 55: Mundane Life

    Chapter 55: Mundane LifeWinston woke up early, feeling a strange sensation at the back of his mind. He looked out of the window where the sun was rising, casting the glorious morning rays over the horizon where the sun kissed the sea and a blend of yellow and black extended from the water into a shadow of the sun stretched across hundreds of meters.


    After the previous shenanigans with the floating ship, his current potion had also been boosted in digestion.


    It was due to the Magician potion, feeding off the hundreds of thousands of people that offered feedback to his ''performance,'' and added in with how he had fooled the ranker with his avatar, the potion had reached 99% digestion, standing at the precipice of complete assimilation.


    The strange sensation he felt was also due to this. A weight that had been on his shoulders for so long had waned, making his spirit feel a lot more relief.


    He got up from the bed and stretched his body. Then went to the bathroom to freshen up.


    The team had been thrilled when he came back from his trip. Winston had not told them of the purpose of his trip, only mentioning that he wanted to explore the area around the hotel a bit and maybe scout for new teammates.


    Naturally, no one was to suspect him. It wasn''t even a matter of his increased charisma and natural deception prowess. It was simply a matter of the respect he commanded in the group.


    Anyhow, after he was back, Amon was back in full spirits again, returning to normal. And strangely enough, Anaak was a lot more tame compared to when he had left.


    Previously, she always fought with Endorsi on the smallest things, only listening to Winston and sometimes Shibisu on things. But now, she became a lot more sociable.


    Curious. Winston had thought at the time and chosen to not worry about it. He needed not to worry about the internal struggles of the team too much. After all, he had his own to worry about. Besides, he was never too great at offering moral or emotional support.


    He was the type to deal with everything before it started. And if it reached a tipping point, he would get to work to improve the situation. He never bothered with other people. And now, when he actually had to think over such things, despite the Error pathway giving him better socializing skills, he honestly did not know how to. So he decided to not worry about it.


    Doing something one was not adept at could cause more problems than good. He knew that much from experience.


    Without anything much to do this morning, he headed out of his room to the breakfast hall, meeting up with Endorsi and Shibisu on the way.


    "So, where did you explore on the floor?" Endorsi asked as they sat down on the table. In front of Winston was steel eel curry while Shibisu and Endorsi had a Sandwich with coffee and rice and omlet respectively.


    "Nothing much, just explored around the different cities in the inner tower. There''s not much to see on this floor." Winston said uninterestingly. His expressions displayed dissatisfaction


    with his travels and a wave of disappointment.


    "Heh- seems boring."


    "Tell me about it. It was far more disappointing than I could ever had imagined." Winston shook his head with a bitter smile. It was not all lies. While travelling from the inner tower to the middle tower, he had seen many strange and bizarre things. But they were all within the realm of stuff he had already seen. He had heard of the journey between the inner and the middle tower to be strange and eerie, filled with all sorts of sceneries. Even more so for the paths and places where shinsu behaved differently. However, he had not seen anything too crazy.


    Shibisu took a sip out of his coffee and smiled at him. "What do you say? When should we resume climbing?"


    Winston looked at him.


    "You tell me. Has the break been good enough for you yet?"


    Shibisu smiled sheepishly.


    "I''ve already relaxed to my heart''s content. Same for the others. I don''t think we should delay any longer. It could cause a dip in our points."


    Endorsi also expressed her agreement. "That''s right! Can you imagine a princess of Jahad having to take loans?! The rumors would be all over the tower and I would be ruined!" She exclaimed.


    Winston and Shibisu nodded, throwing her comment to the back of their heads, not giving it the slightest piece of mind.


    "Then I suppose we can resume the climb in 2 days. Tell everyone to get ready." Winston said.


    "Are you sure? You just got back from the trip." Endorsi said.


    "What do you think I gave the 2 days for?" The response came with a smile.


    The rest of the breakfast passed in random small talk.


    "Give that back, you witch?!"


    "What did you call me!? You jerk!"


    Anaak and Endorsi fought over the television remote while Zarhan and Amon watched them rumble.


    "They do feel like sisters when you look at them." Zarhan whispered to Amon.


    "That''s true." Amon could not express any more agreement. The two princesses, although on


    the surface seemed to hate each other''s guts were all too caring for each other.


    To their left sat the little girl, Sunwoo Nare and to their right laid Laure in his ever present sleeping blanket.


    Sunwoo laughed a bit, seeing the two sisters destroy the table in a quarrel.


    "Don''t say that to their face haha. They''ll never admit it."


    Zarhan and Amon nodded at her words.


    At that moment, Shibisu came into the hall, wearing his signature tracksuit.


    However, seeing the brawl between the two princesses, his smile quickly froze, as did his feet.


    "What the hell?!" He exclaimed and tried to stop the two.


    "Stop it you crazy ladies! Everything you break will have to paid for when we leave!" He


    yelled, trying to get into the fight. However, one backhand from Endorsi sent him flying out


    and towards the group.


    Shibisu landed before them and got up with a comical tear in his eye.


    "Why am I so pitiful." He sobbed.


    "You shouldn''t be trying to get between them Mr. Shibisu." Amon said with a chuckle.


    "That''s practically a death sentence for you y''know." Said Zarhan.


    "If you persist, they might just open up your head with a brick." And of course, Sunwoo was not one to be left out in a conversation.


    Practically everyone in their group was here as of now, save for Winston. The rest of the regulars that had ascended alongside them had been separated and chose to walk their own


    paths.


    Shibisu sighed, getting up to sit alongside them.


    "What was on the TV before?" Shibisu asked, looking at the screen where a show about


    forbidden love between the princess of a kingdom and a normal boy that wanted to climb the


    tower was running.


    "It was the interview of Yuri Jahad."


    "Interview?"


    "Something about being the first princess in centuries to be able to get 2 of the 13 month series. Anaak seemed to be really into that." Amon shook his head as he replied.


    At that moment, Zarhan spoke up.


    "So, what''s the plan?"


    "The plan... Well, I''ve yet to have that discussing with anyone. A meeting needs to be called to


    decide."


    "Shouldn''t you two just decide between yourselves?" Sunwoo chimed from the side, placing a finger at her chin and tilting her head to the side as if contemplating.


    "The decision needs to be between the entire team. It''s better that way."


    Zarhan chuckled at the side, "Any decision you two take will be followed. That''s how we


    operate in the first place."


    Shibisu shook his head with firm conviction. "That might be the case. But it is absolutely


    crucial to hear everyone out."


    Zarhan shrugged his shoulders, not minding his way of operation.


    After a while, the sisters calmed down and everyone was able to sit down and watch something else on the TV.


    In Winston''s room, a baleful blue glow was cast onto the walls as a giant ball of shinsu hovered in front of him. It was nearly 3 times the size of Winston, almost touching the ceiling with a radius of 2 and a half meters.


    The shinsu sphere rippled and changed, sprouting tendrils and various forms of amalgamated extensions that merged back into it. The liquid mass of shinsu moved as if it were alive, observing the surrounding and moving as per the observation.


    Before it, Winston sat onto a stool with one hand drawn towards the ball and the other scribbling away onto a notebook. The Tales from the Lake.


    With his potion nearly digested, Winston truly felt he only needed a small push to achieve full assimilation. And although he had thought about doing something about that in the next test he would take, he decided to change that.


    And so, at this point, he was trying to trigger the digestion of the Cryptologist potion through


    engineering about shinsu and it''s various forms.


    The form before him?


    Making a brain is both theoretically and practically possible with some effort and intelligence. However, it doesn''t act as I had intended. The flow mimics the brain signals in a biological organism.


    At this point, the flow isn''t just simple laminar or turbulent. It has turned into thousands and perhaps even millions of extensions of itself. The flow autonomously adopts laminar and turbulent properties to sense, compute and act as would a living organism.


    "Interesting." Winston could not help but mutter.


    He had created a brain. A system of shinsu where each particular ''droplet'' of shinsu in the collective whole acted as a seperate neuron, living, computing and sharing information with


    each other.


    Of course, it wasn''t truly ''living.'' Winston was not at that level yet. After all, the shinsu was still getting regulated by himself. It was but an imitation and an experiment to see how shinsu was able to autonomously able to arrange itself into a functioning unit based on a


    simple command. Envisioning was the key with shinsu. And Winston, being a scientist could envision things far better than someone that had no knowledge of the intricacies of such matters.


    A self sustaining computing unit that can operate by itself... that was Winston''s vision. And although he had laid the framework well, like arranging the shinsu in a mesh like structure and starting the process of information exchange, the brain... evolved. It simultaneously arranged itself into a state where efficiency was the maximum that could be at the current


    stage.


    As he wrote along the pages of the diary, his spirit vision scanning the shinsu sphere with frieghtening concentration, he could feel the weight on his spirit disappearing slowly. Cryotologist wasn''t a scientist. Merely finding out new theories and testing them couldn''t perform digestion. One needed to decrypt obscure pieces of information.


    And as it turns out, Shinsu was perfect for that. The sheer amount of ways shinsu could morph itself and transform to achieve various function was astounding. And since no one except for a selective few had done much research about it, it was the quintessence of something he


    needed to decrypt.


    Ashul Edwardu and Po Bidau Gustang had their research, but it was widely limited to their own respective domains. Gustang established a system around shinsu and found various ways it could be used in both combat and mundane ways. He underlined the limitlessness of shinsu


    as described by the Tower''s inhabitants.


    Then Edwardu only focused on how shinsu in different concentrations could affect weapons and their usage.


    The common knowledge was limited only to that.


    As Winston continued to scribble away, he lost track of time. And by the time he finished


    writing the last word onto the notebook, he felt something breaking down and fusing with his essence, transforming his spirt and body and truly becoming one with him.


    He closed his eyes, feeling the blissful stimulation that he was able to feel only upon the total


    digestion of a potion.


    Sequence 7, pass. He smiled.


    .


    .


    .


    . S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A/N:A lot of people were dissatisfied with Samuel ''returning,'' and one even left a review


    saying that the fic was ruined because of him lol.


    But seeing as how things are and realizing I might actually lose readers because of an "antagonist" that has "come back", I will give you a slight spoiler. Well... a major spoiler.


    Spoiler warning!


    Samuel Helmons is dead. He isn''t coming back. But that''s not to say the same about who is


    behind him.


    If you all remember, when the first chapter of volume 2 was released, he said something peculiar, which was not being used to his abilities. I was going to use that point to later reveal that he was an avatar of someone. And that avatar has died.


    And now, since I have revealed that he is an avatar, the identity of the one he is an avatar of


    should also be out. I wouldn''t outright say it, but there you go, to every that was dissatisfied.


    Cheers-

 Chapter 56: Cicada(2)

    Chapter 56: Cicada(2)The sky was clear. Giant hills and mountains scaled the earth far and widened and created valleys that stretched on for hundreds of kilometers. Dense vegetation littered the mountains and the top was covered by a bright splash of snow that rested serenely.


    Rivers flowed from the crevice through the mountains and down from the valley to join in to the sea that was in the horizon, a place where the sea kissed the sky and both blended into a monotonous blur.


    Amid this serene and untouched landscape, there was a particular direction where a lone man stood atop a pile of stones holding a giant sledgehammer in his hand.


    Raising the hammer above his head, he slammed the hammer right down into the stones, pulverizing the stone almost 3 times his own size and breaking it into pieces. The man, as he stabilized himself, looked back. And there it was, the destruction he had caused. Rows of mountains laid broken, reduced into mere dust. The dirty face of the man, marred by cuts and mud couldn''t help but morph into a smile.


    He shook his head and again got back to breaking the mountains.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Each swing of the hammer brought dust onto the eath and reduced the size of the stones.


    Then, with a small trinket he held beside him, several gnome like robots burst out of his pocket and carried the dirt and small stones away, clearing the way for the man to do more excavation.


    Each swing brought more destruction. Each swing dug a tiny bit deeper into the mountain. Each swing brought him joy.


    Just then, amid the sound of his hammer, he heard the sound of footsteps.


    The man turned, seeing two peculiar figures, dressed in well made clothes coming towards him.


    Their faces were obscured, but he could see one of their hair''s was black and eyes of the same colour. As for the other, the hair was blocked by a hat but he had eyes that shone red.


    He observed them as they got close, eventually deciding to get back to smashing the mountain. And then, the men got close.


    "Excuse me dear friend! May I ask what you''re doing?!" The man with the dark hair spoke. His voice was heavy.


    "Who''re you lot?"


    "We are but humble travellers. We roam through the different floors simply for the sake of exploration." The man smiled and kept a hand onto his chest, offering a short bow.


    The hammer in his hand was raised again, and with the smashing sound of crumbling stone, he said, "What does it look like I''m doing? I''m smashing a mountain."


    "Why?" This time, it was the one with red eyes that spoke.


    "Why? Why not?" He laughed. "I used to be one of the regulars that wanted nothing more than to climb the tower. But then, I was thrown out in the 2nd floor itself. Tragic."


    "And? Does that explain why you are breaking mountains?"


    The man sighed and looked towards the sky, propping up the hammer at his shoulder.


    "My late father and his father before that, and even his father before, all spoke of a buried treasure that can offer power to the holder. I''m simply here to look for it." He said.


    The dark haired man chuckled.


    "So why break an entire mountain for it?"


    "Ahahaha! What better way to have a thorough search! This way, I won''t leave any blind spots that I miss!" He laughed.


    The red eyed man commented, "This is pure idiocy. Why break entire mountains based on a simple story told by your ancestors?"


    Shaking his head, he replied with conviction.


    "This is the way, my heart tells me so. I have nothing left anymore. After coming back, I married and had three kids. But my wife has died due to illness and the kids are all grown up now and headed into the tower." The man flexed his biceps. "So now, I break mountains! No matter what, I''m getting back into the tower!" Again, another strike impacted the mountain, this one slightly shaking the entire structure.


    "And when I reach the top, I''ll bring my wife back and meet back up with the kids! Then, I''ll live the rest of my life in peace!" He yelled, smashing the hammer into the stone again.


    The hard haired man looked at his companion with a smile, one that the other person didn''t seem to appreciate.


    With a strange expression, the red eyed man asked.


    "Why not ask someone more capable to do it?"


    "Like you?" The man looked at the travellers with a smile. "You''re strong right? I can feel it. You might be able to clear the entire mountain in seconds even." He nodded.


    "But what good would that do for me? Hehe. A true man''s worth is always judged by his work."


    "And where do you find the strength to do this? Return here everyday?" The red eyed man asked.


    "This is love." The man stopped the hammering, his face taking on a look of melancholy. "First it was with the tower. Then, it was with my wife." Then, he smiled and waved ahead. "Now, it is with the mountains!"


    With that declaration, he again slammed the hammer into the stones, pulverising them into


    dust.


    The two men watched this strange person hammer the mountain with a smile.


    Slowly, they walked away.


    And as they did, the one with the dark hair turned to the other.


    "What did I tell you?"


    "What?"


    "You need not judge everyone based on how you have judged just one of them. He does not


    stand as the representative for everyone in the tower."


    "Funny that you would say that." The red eyed man looked at his partner with a sarcastic


    smile.


    In response, the target only shrugged his shoulders.


    "I admit I got pissed off at one point, but that doesn''t mean I judge everyone based off of that


    one encounter. You have rarely seen the tower yet."


    "I have much more experience than you do here."


    "Hmm. True. But not all experience is the same." The man laughed.


    The eyed companion could do nothing more than stare at him.


    "Why did you even bring me here?" He asked.


    "Do you not remember the last time? When you decimated an entire village to prove a point?"


    The red eyed man rolled his eyes at him.


    "This travel is to show you how much compassion a man can hold. Now carry on with me. You might see some stuff that you like."


    "That won''t change my mind. People are inherently flawed. Just one exception won''t change


    anything."


    "My friend. Exceptions are not only on the positive side. The bad examples are also exceptions." He continued. "Majority of the people will never commit a major crime in their life. Besides, how does one even define a crime in the first place. How does one define something as evil, when there is no good involved?"


    "Evil is other people." The red eyed man replied tersly.


    "Tsk tsk tsk. Then let us consider a child. A child, in his own world can simply point his fingers at someone and say ''bang. You''re dead."" The man mimicked the movements he described


    while doing so.


    "There is the fact that he does not yet understand the concept of death. He has not yet come to terms with it. But it does not change that he has the thought of genuinely killing someone. A child does not know evil and he does not know good. A man while walking steps on the ants. Is that evil? A god, like you, destroys an entire village to prove a point. But just because he does not even consider, or put to mind the feeble existence of the village folk, can that be considered good or evil? Or simply nothing?


    "Good and Evil arises from empathy. Empathy that grows and matures across the years. And both are equally extreme examples in a society. Exceptions."


    There was silence for a moment.


    "What''re you trying to say here? Do you wish to establish a middle ground?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I merely wish to help you understand the world from another perspective. There is no merit


    for me in establishing a middle ground. After all, I do not care for such things."


    "And yet you concern yourself with them all the same."


    "It is the duty I have taken upon myself. And I must follow through with it."


    After that, the silence persisted.


    A/N: Can anyone guess who these two might be?

 Chapter 57: Prometheus

    Chapter 57: PrometheusHopeless whispers echoed from the surrounding spirit world, right into Winston''s ears. His eyes were closed. And then, a blinding light extended from his eyes, piercing through the shinsu. An ocean of waves and lights exploded before his eyes revealing the secrets hidden everywhere.


    With the digestion of the Sequence 7 potions, his abilities had been completely attuned to his body. The spirit vision had been buffed and the ability to see through lies and deception was gained. Although he could already do that through the combined effect of intuition, spirit vision and his Marauder senses, the ability was much more literal now.


    Winston popped his neck and felt the next advancement potion. The Sequence 6 potion for the three pathways of the Fool, Error and Door. Namely, Faceless, Promtheus and the Scribe.


    He closed his eyes to feel the next sequence potion. Once again, it felt as if it was infinitely far away yet all around him at the same time. He could not help but chuckle.


    The urge to consume the potion to advance immediately was abject. The logical part of his mind weighted the pros and cons to consuming the potion right now.


    Although I want to increase the number of my baangs before I ascend to the next level, that was only the case if I had yet to digest the potion completely.


    But now...


    Winston smiled and sat down on the bed mattress. He took out the needle from the inventory and made a spiritual barrier to shield all distractions and possible interventions. Stretching out his hand, he called out from his mind and a potion bottle materialized in thin air before him.


    It was a standard potion bottle, yet the contents were getting increasingly strange.


    The current potion was a dark shade of purple mixed in with shades of blue. Inside the potion, where there stood a homogeneous mixture was various lights of a lighter colour that appeared like fireworks. These lights changed their colours, appearing in a shade of all colours imaginable. Above the surface of the mixture, the potion bubbled with strange faces that screamed and popped.


    The bottle was cool to the touch.


    Winston stared at the potion for some time before taking off the cap and gulping it down in one go.


    And then, he waited.


    There was no activity in the room. Everything was still. After about a minute had passed, Winston wondered if the potion had even done anything. He tried to stand up and analyze his state, but then, a sudden unadulterated pulse of pain shot up from his chest to his neck muscles.


    His body froze in the motion of getting up. The pain made his body turn cold and a thick pour of sweat rolled off from his head. Then, he fell back onto the bed.


    Argh!


    He managed to say before quieting down. The cry of pain came out as a whisper. Even his larynx was too pained to be useful. All of his muscles, nerve endings, bones and skin; he could feel everything as if it were all burning in the deepest pits of hell where the devil itself stirred him in molten hot lava.


    Various cracks began to appear on his skin, elongation across his body like a drought had swept across a barren landscape. From through these cracks, red blood began to leak out.


    Whispers flooded his psyche and a pure, extreme desire to close his eyes and sleep poured into his soul. He wished to scream from the pain, not because the pain was too unbearable to experience without being vocal, but because he wished to keep himself awake. Closing his eyes would be a death sentence. He knew that much.


    His skim slowly began to melt, but strangely enough, also turn into a metallic luster that resembled steel.


    He felt his muscles pulled to ad infinitum and snap back into position while everything around him was ran again and again into his brain, an infinite series of process being repeated over and over to make him remember.


    Winston broke out of the reverie caused by pain and abrupt shock. He steeled his resolve. He could not see for the eyes had melted, nor could he hear, speak, taste of feel. But he knew he was dying.


    A moment spanned interminable seconds, no doubt the closest Winston had ever been to being consumed by the potion.


    Then, the skin returned to normal. It lose it''s metallic luster and popped back into position. All his senses returned as his face regained his features, the pain disappearing like a fleeting dream.


    Huff! Huff!


    Winston breathed heavily.


    He laid on the bed for some time. Laying in stillness.


    He breathed in a large amount of air and suddenly sprang to his feet, causing a small burst of air to travel through the room.


    His eyes turned a shade of every conceivable colour that lay on and beyond the concept or colour theory. So alien that all notions of familiarity drained the moment one laid eyes upon it. Yet there was no one to witness this strange transformation.


    Winston''s field of view had changed. He was... viewing himself in a sort of 3rd person perspective. He could see himself standing in his room, completely upright. He could move normally and function in any way he would be able to. Only the position by which he viewed himself changed.


    His vision soon returned to his eyes and he clenched his fist tightly. The resulting air causing a whistling sound to travel through the air. Just the simple act of closing his fist now caused such powerful waves to sweep the area.


    Winston breathed in and out, calming himself down.


    It was as he had expected. The potions had already been digested to 37%. Enhancing his talent for Prometheus had done the job.


    Winston smiled and snapped his fingers. Fire enveloped his body and he instantly appeared 2700 meters away at the far edge of the island!


    Flaming jump had already become able to cover a distance of 3 kilometers!


    Winston felt the tremendous increase all of his other abilities had gotten. His spirituality, which before if taken as a small bucket, now seemed to be worth a large pool. His physical prowess had jumped ahead, far ahead from his previous state.


    And speaking of the mystical abilities?


    Winston again appeared into his 3rd person point of view. And then, his skin morphed and began to transform. His height increased a couple of inches and turned darker. His hair extended to flow down his shoulders and eyes became sharper. His stature turned more robust, gaining more muscle mass and a slight uneveness appeared in the length of his legs. As the transformation ceased, in place of Winston stood an entirely different person! This was the primary ability of a faceless. The power of transform their body parts freely. Of course, there was the problem of body mass disparity, by which he could not change himself too radically, but the synergy between his pathways allowed him to bypass that limit pretty


    comfortably.


    He could alter himself to appear two times as taller and as short as a garden gnome. He could make eyes, ears or a mouth appear at any part of his body and effortlessly remember the mannerisms, gait and disposition of anyone he had ever seen. Even the ones he had


    momentarily glanced at while walking.


    Every other ability on the Fool Pathway had been enhanced by at least 70%. A far better increase than what Mr. Fool had gotten upon his ascension to sequence 6!


    Winston''s body morphed again, returning to his usual appearance.


    Then, he extended his hand towards a coconut tree 73 meters away and flicked his wrist.


    Instantly, a coconut appeared in his hand.


    He smiled maliciously. The Error pathway''s ability to steal things had gained the first level of conceptualization. Now, he could steal material things, immaterial things such as beyonder powers and even mundane psychomotor abilities like the ability to walk! S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston turned his head to the soil beneath hum. Some distance away, a small cricket was minding it''s own business. Then, it stopped.


    Instantly, Winston felt a strange sensation on his limbs, almost unnoticeable.


    He had stolen the cricket''s ability to ''walk'', adding it to his own. Shaking his head, he


    returned the ability back.


    Further into the Error pathway, the power of Deception and illusions had been greatly


    enhanced.


    And finally, for the Door Pathway, the Sequence 6, Scribe gave him the ability to ''record'' any


    and all abilities he could grasp. Of course, there was a limit as to how many he could record at


    a certain time and the power level of the recorded powers couldn''t be too disparate from his


    own.


    For a Scribe, their soul was the paper and the astral projection was the quill. They wrote onto their soul to record the beyonder powers, which were gone once they utilized it. However, with the Decryption of the Error pathway, Winston could simply reverse engineer


    the ability to make his own through shinsu!


    It was, in essence, the perfect synergy of abilities!


    The Door pathway will begin to shine through from this stage. Although until the 6th sequence, the


    Door Pathway is the weakest of the 3 pathways of the LoTM, after it crosses that threshold, it''s difficult


    to gauge how powerful they are in comparison to each other.


    Winston nodded in satisfaction, feeling all the abilities and boosts he had gained. And finally, there was just one more thing to check.


    He closed his eyes and breathed in. Instantly, the air around him seemed to go through a transformation, growing restless.


    And so, in the air there began to materialize spheres of light. Baangs made of shinsu.


    Quickly and without wait, they passed the previous threshold of 11 baangs and continued on


    beyond even 20!


    25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31!


    31 baangs was where it stopped! A regular that had not yet become an E ranked regulars,


    creating baangs on par with a ranker!


    If news of such got out, Winston could no doubt be instantly thought of as an irregular. Either


    that, or a freak of nature!


    Winston turned his head to the clouds, his eyes taking on an icy demeanor.


    There it was, a giant in clouds peering in from somewhere.


    It was the floor guardian to the 13th floor, quietly watching Winston. Observing.


    Winston could only pass it a smile and shrug his shoulders.


    His power level was not at the point any regular should have. It was natural he drew the


    guardian''s attention. Even though he was still below the level of an Asvanced Ranker, much less the High rankers, he was, after all, not a ranker.


    Waving to the guardian that watched him, he snapped his fingers again, disappearing in a puff


    of fire.


    A/N: And there you go people. He has reached sequence 6.


    Throw some stones. Cheers~~~

 Chapter 58: Year

    Chapter 58: YearTime elapsed in the blink of an eye. Not too long after Winston and the group had decided to continue on with the journey up the tower, they had already made their way upto the 20th floor, just a year and 2 months after.


    It was surely sooner than they had expected. By the speed they had yet been going at, they had expected to reach floor 20 by the next 2 years. Supposedly, Winston''s improved strength had something to do with that.


    Speaking of, Winston''s sudden development of new abilities had brought another great wave of shock, surprise and even suspiciousness in the group. Who was Winston even? Why did he always develop such strangene abilities? What was even the concept behind them and how could he even in the first place?


    Naturally, this suspiciousness was something Winston had thought of adressing soon after his advancement to Sequence 6.


    "I''m an irregular." Winston had admitted. With such non chalance and finesse was the statement simply thrown out of his mouth that the others had almost skimmed over them. It was not until a whole 10 seconds later that they had finally reacted with a collective expression of flabbergast.


    The things from there on were of course, somewhat annoying for Winston to explain. But with his natural charisma and the the respect he commanded in the group alongside their developed trust, he managed to pull through. After that, none of the two princesses seemed to mind his abnormal strength, even though they had tons of problems with it before. It seemed coming out as being an irregular had it''s own perks. No one questioned any strange abilities you might have. But then again, the cons often times outweigh the pros in terms of public opinion.


    It was not all smooth sailing though. That day stands to be one of the more hectic ones in Winston''s life ever since he arrived in the Tower. An experience he would like to not have to go through again, if possible.


    Anyway, on that note, Winston also had his opinions about revealing to the public the fact that he was an irregular. It would no doubt have to be when he became a demigod. Anything before that and he would not feel too comfortable about it. Knowing how the Jahad forces looked at irregulars and the previous three not having the best reputation, he didn''t wish to take any chances.


    And now, after a year, they had passed the test of the 20th floor, the Boundary which marks the E ranked regulars.


    And so...


    "I''m leaving." Winston dropped the bombshell.


    "What?" Came the collective thought of the group from a Shibisu''s mouth.


    "I said I''m leaving." Winston said simply.


    "What do you mean you''re leaving?" Hatz asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Exactly how it sounds. I have to leave for a while." Winston explained. "Now that we''re E ranked, we are allowed to take on jobs in the middle region, so there''s no rush to ascend up the tower. On that note, I''m looking to increase my powers a bit. Prepare for the Strom that''s about to take the tower."


    "Wait a second! This is going too fast for me!" Endorsi exclaimed at the side. She turned towards Winston and asked with a clear voice.


    "What made you come to this decision? Why are you suddenly so adamant on leaving?"


    Winston shrugged his shoulders.


    "I''m not leaving permanently. There''s bound to be a time when I reveal that I''m an irregular. I''m only preparing for that moment.


    "Besides, information exchange is a lot more prevalent beyond the 20th floor. Once the news of a new irregular goes up the tower, its bound to cause some chaos."


    Everyone was quiet for a moment.


    "Is there any way we can talk you out of it?" Zarhan asked.


    "No."


    "Then there''s nothing to talk about is there?" Zarhan said, getting up with a smile. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A wave of displeasure at his nonchalance stirred in the group, with Endorsi and Sunwoo even getting up to reprimand him about it.


    However... "What''re ya''ll getting so worked up for? If there''s nothing that we can do, might as well play along."


    And that was the end of the discussion. It was pretty anticlimactic as far as big reveals and leaving of teammates go. Winston wondered why Zarhan had not said something like this when he revealed he was an irregular, just to save him from the drama.


    With that, after everyone got over and on to the 21st floor, it was time for him to leave.


    Winston bid everyone farewell, again, without too much unnecessary drama. Something he was deeply thankful for. After hugging everyone goodbye, Winston used flaming jump to travel in a particular direction while observing the state of his potions.


    The digestion of his potions had not been the main target of his focus for the last year. It was instead focused on the new revelations he could achieve through Shinsu experimentation and increasing the number of baangs he could create at once. That fact made his total digestion stay mostly static, reaching just below 40%. However, that would soon change.


    Flame jumping right into an alleyway, Winston''s face started to morph, turning almost into an amorphous liquid like state that wished to melt off his face and onto the stone floor below. His features morphed, as did his height and muscle structure. His gait changed and his hair increased in length, turning into large locks which weren''t too disparate from his usual hairstyle. His eye colour, previously a shade of dark black now turned completely void, appearing as black as the darkest night without a hint of stars.


    And as his appearance changed, a man came into view. He had a broad forehead and a thin face that had a scholary feel to it. Alongside that, a strange appendage, which was also made through the Faceless ability hung over his right eye. It was a clear and bright crystal monocle. The man smiled and pinched the crystal monocle on his right eye, narrowing his eyes in the process. Then, taking out a piece of garment from his pocket, he was prepared. It was a pointed top hat that rested gently over his head.


    It was his new identity. Amon, the Angel of Theft and Trickery. The God of Deceit. Error of all


    Things.


    Winston could not help but curl his lips into a baleful smile, thinking of everyone that was going to get a crippling fear of monocles from here on out.


    "Hehehe." A low chuckle rang out in the alleyway.


    It was always quiet here in Yunskeet''s local Bar. Being a small town somewhere along the middle region of the 21st floor, not many people frequented here. At least not the regulars. To the townsfolk, the bar was a place of respite and relief.


    It always got cheerful at the evenings, even though not a single soul could be seen here in the mornings or the noon. It was an anomaly why this town even provided the regulars with payment for working at the bar, but that didn''t matter as long as the pay was good. Many regulars that had lost points in the 20th floor tests would frequent the town to work at all sorts of places. The Bar, the sawmill or the hunting squad.


    Almost everyone picked the hunting squad. Not Roy though.


    He was a... a blogger if you will. Being a lightbearer, he had his own personal blog on the Box. Mind you, it recieved one hundred thousand weekly views; which although paled in comparison to the true behemoths out there, it made Roy feel accomplished if nothing else.


    He had gained popularity when he was stuck on the 20th floor. People seemed to enjoy his daily shenanigans, scrounging for help and points, doing all sorts of odd jobs just for another try at the test. It didn''t strike any sympathy with the others, but it made them relate to him. Most of the regulars had been stuck there at some point in their journey. Anyways, enough about that. It was a normal day. Roy was cleaning the glasses behind the counter. As any other day, the bar was completely empty. It was morning still and the solitude one could feel here made one question their own sanity. The place looked to be deserted for


    ages.


    It made him wonder why they even kept it open in the day. But it made him free enough to work on his blog, so he was happy.


    However, unlike the usual course of events, when he was working on his lighthouse, the doors


    to the bar opened.


    And in came an imposing man that stood at a height of 6 feet and 2 inches, wearing a long


    robe that extended just below the ground and a pointed top hat. This man who had a gentlemanly feeling to him donned a crystal monocle that hung just over his right eye. Roy was surprised to say the least, but he welcomed the man nonetheless. "Welcome! How may I serve you today?" Roy asked the man as he sat at the table before the


    counter.


    The man in question smiled. It was a normal smile for the most part. But the strange thing about it was that his eyes and almost every other part of his face remained completely static. Only his lips moved to stretch into something that would roughly resemble a smile. It honestly made Roy feel eerie and somewhat threatened.


    "A glass of champagne please." The man smiled, adjusting the crystal monocle. Roy got him the champagne without too much thought. But as he did, he noticed the door still ajar. Which was weird since it was supposed to close by itself. It was made in a way that allowed for unidirectional flow of shinsu, as were most wooden doors, making the door close


    by itself if no force opposed it.


    After giving the man his glass of champagne, he went over the closed the door and moved back to the counter. However, he noticed something peculiar yet again.


    There wasn''t one man sitting there. But two.


    The second man looked mostly identical to the first one, yet only he had a tanner skin, was somewhat shorter in stature and wore a standard t shirt with baggy pants. But the thing about him was, he also wore a crystal monocle on his right eye.


    Both of the men looked at him as he went behind the counter.


    "A glass of champagne please." The second man ordered.


    At this point, Roy was feeling a bit strange. He did not see the man come in after all. But he tried not to think too much of it.


    He got the second man his glass of champagne but as he turned to hand him the glass, there


    again, he noticed something.


    Not one, not two, but three people were now sitting before the counter. This third man also wore the same crystal monocle on his right eye but had vastly different fashion than the other.


    Curiously, this man did not order anything, but began to ask questions about the various things that went on about town. The culture, the tradition. And although Roy knew all too little, he gave him the small bit of knowledge he could.


    At some point in the questioning, the other two had joined in, asking all sorts of strange


    questions to him.


    The first one, who had been the most silent, out of the blue whispered at him. "You''re just a fucking disappointment aren''t you?"


    It left him feeling more than uncomfortable and he wished nothing mote than to tell them to leave. But his logical fear overwhelmed his impulses and reflexive actions. He knew the men before him were strange and not to be messed with. There was a Mysterious air about them that made one not get too close.


    Luckily, after a bit more questioning, the people left.


    Roy inwardly sword to document the entire thing word for word in his blog later. Thinking of


    that, it was a shame he had not managed to catch any of their names, but he was sure he could make a cool sounding sobriquet.


    And as Roy watched them leave, he noticed something peculiar laying about the bench. It was


    a clear crystal monocle.


    Those eerie men must''ve forgot about it.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, I wanted to experiment a bit with this chapter and lay the foundation for the Amon


    shenanigans that will be pulled off. But I''m skeptical about calling him Amon since a character already exists with that name. So, I wanted to ask for some suggestions. How does Bartholomew sound like?


    And do tell me if you liked the vibe of the second half of the chapter if I should continue writing chapters like this. It was the first time and I wanted to keep it a bit tame still.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 59: Theater

    Chapter 59: Theater"Did you hear? People with monocles have been appearing all over the middle region of the 21st and 22nd floor."


    "Monocles? Why monocles?"


    "Nobody knows! But everytime they appear, something strange happens around them."


    "And I heard one of them always carries around a book into which he records the local customs and folktales! It''s so strange!"


    "Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"


    "It is a big deal! Picture this, you''re just doing your work and all of a sudden, someone you know walks up to you and starts acting all strange! Soon after, other people also appear and start questioning you about the local tales and customs! And guess what? They all have a


    crystal monocle hanging on their right eye!"


    "That''s creepy..."


    Four regulars sat around a circular table on the outside of a cafe. Before them various sweets and coffee cups were laid out neatly, but by the looks of it, none had been touched.


    "The first appearance of these people was 3 months ago! It started with a man named Roy who ran a blog on the 21st floor!"


    "It all started recently huh?"


    "Do you think it could happen to us?"


    "Nonsense! Ever since it appeared, the strange happenings have been confined to the two floors. We''re totally fine!"


    They were currently on the 23rd floor, a group of regulars that had ascended from the previous floor just a year prior.


    Winston smiled as he heard their discussion. He quietly sipped his coffee while sitting just beside them on one of the benches. While acting as a faceless, he figured it might also do well to do well to enhance his talent for Bizzaro Sorcerer. Playing as Amon, it was bound to be marked with plenty of strange things right?


    Speaking of Amon, his avatars had also gotten an upgrade.


    He turned his eyes sideways, glancing at the plethora of members that sat alongside him.


    To his right was a young woman with unblemished golden hair. Her pupils were shining like jewels of the finest sapphire and cheeks that were tinted with the shade of a morning ray. Her lips were like a blooming rose and her chin was slanting and cute. Her nose says don''t you dare. And eyes say why don''t you? S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was one of Winston''s avatars, one he had taken the time to experiment with. He wished to see just how pretty he could make an avatar. Suffice to say, it got the job done. It was to the point that she got a fan page made about her on the Box the first time she made an appearance on the 22nd floor test. After that, Winston always kept her in a layer of illusion, away from prying eyes. Though it was still strange to say the least. Having himself openly checked out by the other regulars as a woman, when he was actually a man.


    Though he had finally figured out the limits of his shapeshifting. He could not truly reverse his gender, but he could completely get rid of the current one. Meaning, that this particular avatar was genderless.


    The woman wore a white corset with a flowing red robe that covered her legs.


    Then, opposite to Winston sat a tall and imposing man. He was 6 feet 5 inches tall, with a neatly trimmed beard and muscles that were clearly visible even under his shirt. His eyes were slanted and sharp, appearing a majestic brown in colour as was his hair.


    And finally, to his right sat another man. This one wore a long dark robe and a pointed top hat. On his right eye hung a crystal monocle. As Winston glanced at him, the avatar smiled and pinched the monocle on his eye.


    Figuring out the brain made of shinsu was a matter of great importance for Winston. It allowed him to bestow some degree of autonomy to the avatars, lessening the burden on his own mind.


    "Seems like we''re getting famous." The hulking man, Bruce as Winston had begun to call his avatar, spoke. Although talking like this served little purpose since he was always connected to the avatars like a hivemind, it offered a sense of normalcy in the environment. To the others, only two people were sitting on the table. And to offer the final sense of normalcy and perfecting the act, he was simply playing along.


    Of course, since the avatars now had their own evolving brains to work with, there were always some things and facts that could be gleamed from them. Talking to intelligent people always bore benefits, and as of the current timeline, Winston had yet to meet anyone smarter than him. Although Khun might be competition.


    "It was bound to occur. All the more feedback for us once we get to Sequence 4."


    "It''s also done well with the digestion of faceless." The young woman, Charlotte, said with a clear expression.


    "Right. But we should move on to playing characters that are familiar with someone. Playing Amon will only bear fruit after it gains significant traction." Amon said.


    "Didn''t you do that already?"


    "Someone more influential is needed. Perhaps a princess of Jahad." Amon''s lips curved into a mischievous smile.


    Winston smiled back and shook his head.


    "Too risky. A princess candidate like Endorsi would be alright."


    Amon visibly deflated as he heard his words. But he bounced back quickly.


    "What''s our next move?" Asked Charlotte.


    "Send out some avatars to make two beacons in the lower floors. Until then, we ascend further."


    There were no mermaids in the tower. Well... there were mermaids but they were on the 76th floor and above. Winston was not going to find any as he was. And even if he did, there was no saying if the singing of mermaids would have the same effect.


    As for the ritual of the Prometheus, he had no idea what it was so he could not attempt it.


    So that left the ritual for the Door Pathway, which was to set up 4 beacons at far away places in the spirit world and consume the potion.


    Winston had thought about it before. Did he even need to consume the potion with a ritual? There was no will of the original creator in the potions. He had understood at least that much. But the potions themselves still contained the corresponding divinity. It could make him lose himself. Not to mention consuming the potion itself and the transformation that followed were always dangerous. A Beyonder''s spirit and body were molded all over again to suit the potion. One could easily lose himself in there.


    And so, Winston needed to make the preparations for the ritual.


    After a bit, Winston and his avatars got up from the cafe and left.


    The group of regulars that were sitting around and chatting were still discussing about the strange happenings on the floors below. Just then, one of them noticed a glint on the table, just beside his coffee cup.


    He turned his head and picked up a strange crystal monocle.


    "You mean to talk to him?"


    "I want to try."


    A dark light fell atop the brick walls in a dimly lit cave. The surroundings seemed saturated with a bluish hue around which water like waves floated around.


    In this cave, two people stood around.


    One of them was a middle aged man. His hair was sprawled about and in his mouth lay a single cigarette. He wore a black shirt and caramel pants.


    The other was a young woman with bright red hair. On her face was a mask that covered one of her eyes and she wore a flowing dress and held a golden pole in her hand.


    "You sure?"


    "Can''t say. But if we can get him, it would be for the best."


    "Didn''t you previously say his fate was elusive? That it was better to not get in his way?"


    "I did."


    "Why the sudden change."


    "Fate has underwent sudden change. Even if he doesn''t join, it would be better to try."


    "And what of Bam?" The man pricked his ear with his pinky finger.


    "He needs not know."


    "And if he finds out?"


    Hwaryun smiled.


    "I leave that to you then. Mr. Jinsung."


    Jinsung Ha, the slaughterer of the Ha family scratched his hair.


    "What has Khel Hellam seen all of a sudden. He of all people should be more careful with


    following fate."


    Hwaryun chuckled.


    "Sometimes, in the face of Fate we are unable to do anything. But that shouldn''t be


    considered synonymous with inactivity right?"


    Jinsung raised an eyebrow.


    "And what did you see?"


    Hwaryun shook her head.


    "It''s still clouded." She turned back and began to walk away. And as she did, she left another


    comment. "But whatever I might see, or whatever Lord Hellam has seen... it might shake the


    tower for years to come."


    Jinsung Ha was the only one left in the cave. Stranded with only his own thoughts. Eventually, he sighed and headed off to another area of the cave. An area where he could hear the sound of


    combat.


    Winston dreamt of a movie theater. He was only one in the entire theater, sitting in the middle row and watching a movie he had watched when he was little. The movie that was


    playing was ''Awaara,'' an old classic of Indian Cinema. Winston sat still in the dream, quietly watching the movie.


    Somewhere before the intermission, the doors to the theater opened up and a man came


    inside. He could not see the face of the man, nor could he take account of any other features


    like hair, height or way of walking.


    The man came to the middle row, walked to it''s center where Winston was sitting and sat


    right beside him.


    Nobody talked and as the dialogues of the actors on screen began to disappear, leaving only a resounding echo in their ears, they began talking upon the arrival of the intermission. Winston was not even sure of the contents of their talk. Perhaps it was something about


    friendship or maybe it was something about his opinions on how different stories suit different actors, or perhaps it was something completely different.


    They talked beyond the intermission, extending even into the second half of the movie.


    As the movie continued and they descended back into silence, time passed in the blink of an eye. After the movie ended, the man said something.


    Again, Winston was not sure what he said. But if there was a single word he could catch in


    there, it was ''years.''


    Winston woke up in the middle of the night, his face and back drenched in sweat. Immediately, he performed a ritual, asking himself to provide him the strength to remember


    the contents of the dream.


    Again, the details were cloudy.


    There was little he could remember except weirdly vivid descriptions on how the scenes of the


    movie played out.


    He could not remember anything about the man, his words or even the layout of the theater


    itself.


    Winston was left musing about the dream. In the end, he summoned all his avatars and they all sat in the room, discussing about the possible implications of the dream.

 Chapter 60: Scribes at Work

    Chapter 60: Scribes at WorkThe next day, all the Winstons were to take on the 24th floor test. They ate some food, freshened up and all decided to head out.


    Winston could create 7 avatars now, which totalled to 8 of him that could be active at a time. For now, 3 of his avatars were with him, helping him climb up the tower. And the rest were on the lower floors, spreading the fear of the monocle in everyone.


    After they set off and hopped onto the local transport, which was actually a fish atop which a giant seating station was built, they all made themselves comfortable.


    The 23rd floor was curious in it''s nature. Most of the cities seemed to be above clouds. The shinsu density was peculiar on this floor, making it seem like everything was enveloped by clouds. That also meant that one couldn''t see the ground when they walked, if there even was one. Most of the floor was filled with charms of liquid shinsu or simply steep drops, which made transport through such shinheuh extremely popular. It was the same for the floors 24 and 25.


    Then, Winston got a call from his pocket.


    It was from someone from the same occupation as Winston, the blue haired swindler, Khun Ageuro Agnis.


    Raising an eyebrow, Winston answered the call.


    "It''s been a while, Winston." Said Khun from the other side.


    "Indeed it has. How''ve you been? Did you make a decent team yet?"


    "It''s been good. The team I made is decent at best but some of them are useful." Then, his voice took on a slightly mischievous tone. "What about you? You''ve been quiet famous recently."


    "Famous?"


    "You don''t know? It''s related to the test you took on the 22nd floor." From the corner of his eye, Winston glanced at Charlotte who was closing her eyes and leaning back into the headrest.


    "Right. I didn''t expect it would attract so much attention."


    "I always knew you were a ladies man, but to think you''d become so bold was beyond me." A chuckle accompanied his comment. "Where did you even find her?"


    "If anything, she found me I suppose."


    "You sure she''s not a princess of Jahad? Her abnormal strength and beauty does seem to suggest."


    "No, she''s not a princess."


    Winston shook his head, not wishing to elaborate more. Let''s just say the 22nd floor test was more than just cleared by her. She had decimated every single opposing team in the test, leaving no resistance.


    As of yet, her fanpage on the Box had reached 3 million followers. It was crazy.


    And because of that, Winston, who was already plenty known because of his abnormal strength and travelling with two Jahad Princesses was gaining even more attention. "Are you sure they''re trustworthy?"


    "I can trust them as much as I can trust myself."


    "Hmm. Well, I respect your decision. But do be wary."


    Winston laughed a bit. "Isn''t that ironic coming from you? You have the biggest traitor right next to you."


    The line went silent for a moment before Khun spoke again.


    "That''s true I guess."


    "How''s she been? Has she made any weird moves yet?" There was a slight edge to Winston''s tone now. Now that he had become a Sequence 6, he was more comfortable with tackling the Rachel problem. That is if his intuition didn''t stop him beforehand.


    "Not yet. But she has been getting quite restless recently. Just a couple of days ago, she told me she had a nightmare about how Bam fell from the platform while trying to save her."


    Winston scoffed. "What a farce."


    On the other side, Khun''s face underwent a change. His eyes darkened considerably and all motions of expression disappeared into the ether. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She''s going to pay for what she''s done. I will make sure of it."


    "Then why don''t you?"


    "...I want to find out why."


    Winston could only nod and say nothing else. Bam was an enigmatic one for sure. He was naive and not too intelligent. In essence, he had something everyone else that wished to climb the tower had lost, at one or another point in their life. Maybe that was what connected people to him. He had something to protect.


    Although Winston himself had not gotten too comfortable with him, he still could not help but pity the poor creature. Betrayed by someone he thought the world of. In a way, it reminded him of himself, back when his caretaker had died. Lost.


    But that was all. It was all he felt. A strange sense of connection and a feeling of pity. He had not connected too deeply with the boy. He could not afford to. He still had a purpose to find in the tower.


    Now that I think about it... somewhere along the lines I had forgotten that I''m here for a purpose. Winston''s eyes glazed over momentarily.


    I suppose... I should take a small rest on one of the floors up above.


    Shaking himself out of his reverie, he said, "Anything else you wished to talk about?"


    "There was." Khun continued. "Rachel talked about you yesterday."


    Winston raised an eyebrow, feeling an inkling of suspicion.


    "Talk?"


    "She saw the fanpage on the Box. Then she went on to talk about how she wanted to meet the


    team again."


    Winston pinched his chin in thought. Then, not too long after, he commented.


    "Anything else that she said?"


    "Nothing I could hear." Khun''s tone could not be any less disgusted. He knew this must be some sort of scheme underway. But for the life of him, he could not figure out what or why. But if there was one thing he knew, as long as Winston was involved, it would not matter.


    He only wanted to make Winston aware.


    Winston listened to him for a moment. At the corner of his eye, he saw Bruce take out a silver


    coin and flick it into the air, performing a divination.


    As he got the answer, he turned back to the pocket.


    "Say... Khun. Let''s meet up."


    The line went silent for a moment, "Okay. When?"


    "About 7 months from now. Don''t worry, I''ll visit."


    "Got it."


    The next couple of minutes passed in some more talking until Khun hung up.


    After that, Winston stared out the window.


    Let''s see what she''s planning next.


    Just then, the pocket rang again.


    It was Shibisu.


    "Hello?" Winston said.


    Instantly, a banshee like screech echoed from the pocket.


    "Winstooonnn! Who is that goddess! Can you introduce me?!"


    It seems Shibisu had also joined the fanpage.


    Four men with monocles walked along a deserted city. The colour of bright golden was reflected in their eyes as they all travelled along a straight road, on each side of which were giant monolithic buildings made out of hardened clay and stone.


    One of them held a book in his hand and each of their appearance was identical.


    It was the four avatars of Winston that had been sent to document various places.


    It was the Scribes doing their work.


    As it stood, Winston could use his avatars to perform digestion. And each avatar elevated the


    speed of digestion by a level. Meaning, each avatar he had performing digestion would only speed up his digestion.


    It had made his life so much easier. And so, he had spared 4 avatars to go and document places in the middle region of the tower.


    One of them turned to look at the right. Inside of the monoliths, hundreds of square windows were erected. Evidently rooms for people to live in.


    "The colours are too saturated here." One of them spoke, adjusting the crystal monocle on his


    right eye.


    The other three expressed their agreement. The colours were indeed saturated. Too saturated


    even.


    "And there''s no noise." Another spoke.


    "Except ours that is."


    "The shinsu flow here is expectionally fluid."


    "The shinsu flow here does not create any sound. It is devoid of it."


    "Then why us?" "Maybe because of our composition? Our body is created from shinsu after all."


    Each of them expressed their opinions. Then, one of them walked somewhat further. All around them were monolithic buildings, each of them having hundreds of windows. He turned his head to look. There it was, on one of the windows a hand so white it looked identical to snow. And the possessor of that hand stared at the talking avatars with eyes wide


    open.


    The Avatar smiled. Then, turning ahead, he brought his hand to his mouth and used the


    shinsu in his lungs to....


    "Everyone!!! Come out! You have visitors! We just need to ask you some questionsss!" He


    screamed at the top of his lungs.


    The voice was of such loud proportions that the other avatars reflexively closed their ears and


    looked at him with animosity.


    However, they had other things to worry about.


    Now, on each of the hundreds of windows across the dozens of buildings, many people


    appeared. Each of them was a pale white in colour and looked at them with a beastlike


    fixation.


    The Avatar smiled and yelled out again, this time louder.


    And that broke the straw.


    The windows cracked. But none made a sound.


    Each window, thousands shattered all at the same time and along came the people crashing


    down to the ground. The first man impacted the ground, still completely silent and started running at them. Then another came followed by another and another.


    A fall of hundreds of meters seemed to hurt them little as they collectively rushed towards the avatars. Their mouths were open in a silent scream. Their eyes held such a ferocious, barbarous look that any civilized man would do better in hell than to be stuck between brutes


    like these.


    The eyes of every avatar widened as they hurriedly flew into the air and suspended themselves hundreds of meters in the air.


    The people below them, thousands, stomped atop each other to make a giant hill; slowly but


    surely trying to climb up to their height.


    "They want sound." Said the avatar that had yelled. The other three looked at him with a


    looked that could kill, but he cared little for it.


    "They''ll get right upto anything that makes sound and shred it into pieces, wanting the sound


    to themselves. Unfortunately for them, that''s not happening today."


    He took out a dairy from under his robe and started to write into it.


    The other three, although were unsatisfied with his methods began to do the same.


    The people still tried to climb up to their height, but alas, they could not reach.


    "It''s crazy the type of things the tower holds."


    """Hm."""


    A/N: I recently listened to the Creepcast podcast of the Left/Right Game. And if you haven''t,


    I''m telling you, its peak! The second half of the chapter was one of the situations mentioned in the work and it is such an interesting visual que. You will enjoy it, trust me. Give it a try.


    Also, I read a comment that said beyonder abilities mutate inside a dual pathway beyonder. I haven''t yet read the second book beyond the first volume, so I am unaware of how that works. Anyway, give me some examples for the mutations that can happen and I will try to add them.


    If not, we''ll just keep going like we have. Throw some stones- cheers~

 Chapter 61: FUG

    Chapter 61: FUGA spark. Oftentimes, a spark was sufficient to ignite a forest. A fluttering flame may become a raging inferno and a small wind may transform into a tornado.


    It wasn''t the best of analogies, but Winston felt it was sufficient for the craziness everyone was displaying when their team walked into the test administration office. More specifically, when Charlotte walked into the test administration office.


    At times like these, Winston found himself wondering about the idiocy of the mind and it''s inability to veer off the things it considers beautiful. In a way, morality was also based on it; but that would be getting off topic.


    Charlotte was an experiment. Seeing just how far he could push his abilities and make the most beautiful woman he could possibly consider.


    And seeing the hundreds of people that were leering at his companion, or better yet, another him, he would say it was plenty successful. And not just that, all sorts of shouts accompanied their looks. Ranging anywhere from "Marry me, my goddess!" To "Leave those bums and join us."


    In a way, it was humorous for him.


    "That''s going to get annoying." Charlotte said, clicking her tongue.


    "Better get used to it." Said Bruce with a hearty chuckle. Winston looked at the final member of their team, the would be Amon. Only now, he was different. He resembled nothing that Amon stood for, even getting rid of his monocle. Winston felt that revealing Amon to the world now as a regular on the 23rd floor would undermine the legacy he was trying to create. Hence, a change in appearance.


    "Let''s get on with it." Charlotte said with palpable impatience. Even though it was Winston himself, as was all of his avatars, the situation seemed all the more humorous. Perhaps he was developing schizophrenia, talking to himself and making fun of essentially other versions of himself.


    But they''re my avatars, and they have their own brain and autonomy now. So, it doesn''t count. Winston mused.


    It seemed he had missed that his avatars were not like Amon''s avatars who were completely autonomous. His avatars were completely controlled by him at all times. Giving them autonomy only reduced the burden. The decision making was still entirely in his own hands. So he was, in essence, talking to himself and making fun of himself.


    After getting a place in the test about to occur, their team had to wait for 15 minutes for the test to start. And so, they waited.


    As the time passed, they were even approached by many regulars that wanted to try their chance. To be specific, they were approached by a total of 37 regulars, all of which confessed their love to Charlotte.


    Luckily, they didn''t have to wait too long and the test started soon after.


    As they walked into the testing zone, Winston suddenly turned and looked at a particular team, also here to take the test. Then, he smiled.


    "It seems things are getting interesting." Said Bruce.


    "Indeed they are." With that, they walked into a large hall. There was an elevated stage in the front and seats were erected all around the walls opposite to the stage. And on the stage stood a ranker. He was long and thin and wore a dark suit that stuck closely to his body. His cheeks were sunken and his long hair was tied into a pony tail.


    As the teams arrived and sat on their respective seats, the ranker finally began to speak.


    "Welcome all regulars. Congratulations on getting so far." He continued. "The test you will be taking to get to the next floor is simple.


    "It is named "Key Hunt". The rules are simple." The lighthouse behind the ranker lit up, showcasing a large map.


    "Five teams will be dropped into the map in their own ''bunker''. Each team will be given a total of 2 keys. To pass the test, all you need to do is get into the other team''s bunker and insert the keys into their vault." The ranker said.


    "Any team that is able to use both of their keys passes the test. If your own door is captured, the only way to recover is to conquer the door of the opposing team. The moment one of the teams win, the game will be continued among the remaining four and so on until 3 winners are there. Every time a team passes, the keys and the doors will reset, but the position of the regulars therein will not.


    "Naturally, if a team is incapacitated before a winner is announced, that team is disqualified from the test."


    Winston nodded at the man''s explanation.


    The ranker''s eyes shone momentarily as he extended his hands.


    "Then, let the test begin!"


    The tests on the 2nd floor were evidently more complex than most others. There were expections to this, but the order of tests on the 2nd floor, coupled with it being the starting point of the journey made it far more difficult to get through than any other floors. Except maybe the floors the family heads ruled over.


    Anyway, after the explanation was done, everyone was quite literally dropped onto the battle ground.


    Winston and Co expertly landed onto the ground without too much trouble.


    After that, they quickly made their arrangements and a plan of battle was decided.


    Bruce and Amon were to stay were and ''defend,'' if it were needed. While Charlotte and the


    original were to go with the keys and destroy the other teams.


    "Along with that." Said Winston, breaking out with a toothy grin. "I''ll pay a visit to that one." With that, both of them stormed off, leaving a gust of wind behind them.


    Winston''s intuition had become far stronger after getting to Sequence 6. As such, he could perform spirit rod dowsing simply by moving in a particular direction. Utilizing a stick was no longer needed.


    Before long, he had already reached the base of one of the unsuspecting teams who had only begun to make themselves comfortable after the fall and prepare a method of attack.


    And before any of them could react, baangs rained down on them. 4 to be exact.


    Boom!


    An explosion rang out in the forest and a dust cloud followed. Winston walked calmly, dressed in a black suit with a half top hat and a tail coat, accompanied by a half top hat. He had his hands in his pockets.


    As the dust began to clear and the after math began to grow visible, Winston smiled fondly as he took on the figure of the last regular on the opposite team. Their fifth ''member'' and one of Winston''s acquaintances.


    A young lady with bright red hair that flowed to her back walked out from the dust. On her face was a mask that covered her right eye and she wore a white dress that flowed down her legs.


    "Hwaryun. What brings you here?"


    "I''m surprised you recognized me." Winston''s eyes travelled behind her, where, on the ground rested a blonde coloured wig and a face mask.


    "I just have good intuition." He smiled.


    Hwaryun only nodded in response, making the surroundings dim into an awkward silence.


    "You.. were you looking for me?"


    "Why do you think so?" Hwaryun inquired.


    Winston''s smile widened, appearing a bit mischievous. "Guess." He said.


    "...is it your intuition?"


    "Bingo!" He snapped his finger and nodded.


    A smile blossomed on her face.


    "I suppose I was, yes." She continued. "I take it you also know why?"


    "I''m just a good guesser. Not a prophet."


    A chuckle could not help but fall from her mouth. Her left eye, bright red in colour gazed at


    him with a strange emotion.


    "I''m here to invite you."


    "To where?"


    "Do you know of FUG?"


    Winston stared at her for a moment, taking in the implications of her words.


    "I might have heard of them in passing."


    Hawryun''s lips stretched into a faint smile, a contrast to her stoic expression.


    "We should have a talk after the test."


    Sip~


    The red witch calmly sipped the coffee in her hands. The room was mostly empty, hosting


    only the two individuals.


    "Are you not going to introduce me to your team?" Hwaryun chuckled.


    "Consider yourself introduced already. They know about you."


    "You told them already?"


    "More or less." Winston shrugged his shoulders. "Now what''s this about FUG I''m hearing?"


    Hwaryun''s gaze turned serious and she put the cup back down to the table.


    "As you might know, FUG is an organization that actively opposes Jahad, the King of this tower and seeks to kill him."


    Winston nodded for her to continue, already having an inkling to her true intentions. And connecting the dots, he already had a feeling he would not like the big reveal.


    "But each of the family heads is absurdly stronger than anything the tower has seen. Not to


    mention regulars like Adori Jahad within the Jahad forces that rival the family heads. And finally, there''s Jahad himself who is contracted to be unkillable by anyone born inside the


    Tower."


    An eyebrow was raised at the last line. Hwaryun continued unabated.


    "And that means, an irregular is needed to kill the King."


    Winston stared at her for a moment.


    "Was it Headon?" He asked. "A Guardian is involved with FUG? Shouldn''t that give you guys


    much of an advantage?"


    A glimmer of shock travelled through her face for a moment. "Headon does not support any


    particular group. His only harbors a distaste for irregulars. That is the reason he gave us information about you."


    "So the coffee addict was involved in that?" Winston chuckled, connecting the dots.


    "That''s right."


    Suddenly, the surroundings chilled and a wave travelled through Hwaryun''s spine.


    "Let me ask you one more thing... was Bam''s fall also a ploy by FUG?"


    Hwaryun''s eyes widened. And that was all the confirmation he needed.


    He chuckled. And then, he laughed.


    Leaning back into the couch, he kept laughing.


    This situation... this is... somewhat displeasing... A plethora of thoughts came and went as he


    calmed himself down through cogitation.


    "Why did you approach me then? And why should I not kill you here?" He asked.


    Hwaryun had regained her composure, appearing extremely calm.


    "Our elder, lord Hellam had seen something about you. It was not clear what, but he made the


    decision to invite you to us. And so he has sent me."


    "Is that all there is to it? You saw a prophecy and decided to follow through with it?" He


    continued. "Give me one reason to let you go."


    Hwaryun was silent.


    Winston mirrored her silent state, quietly contemplating the next course of action.


    "Bam is alive, correct?"


    "Yes,"


    "And what use would he be to you? Just a weapon to kill Jahad?"


    "No." She shook her head. "He will be our God. Someone that makes our wishes come true."


    "And you wanted me to be the same?"


    "Hopefully."


    A dry laughter accompanied Winston''s next words. "I suppose you should leave them. I''m no


    God."


    He got up from the sofa.


    "It was nice connecting with you. But that ends here." With that, he motioned towards the


    door.


    Hwaryun got up without any words and began to walk out.


    But just before she left, she spoke.


    "The allegiance of the red witches does not lie with FUG, it lies with fate. And Fate demands


    the blood of the King." She looked back to him. "Bam is already on that path. As for you,


    Winston. I can only see a fog at the end of your path."


    With that, she was gone. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston was the only one left in the room, along with his own thoughts.


    A/N: I re-wrote this chapter, THREE TIMES! The entire chapter! And it still didn''t come out as


    I''d planned! Sometimes, the characters just do whatever they want I swear.


    It wasn''t even in the plan to reveal Bam to him yet, but it just.. wrote itself? If that makes


    sense?


    Anyway, tell me your thoughts about this chapter.


    And as always, donate the stones.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 62: Timeskip

    Chapter 62: TimeskipAt that point, two years had already passed since the fall of Bam. Winston barely cared about what happened on the 2nd floor. But after realizing Headon and Hansung Yu were in on the conspiracy, it brought a displeasing taste to his mouth.


    Did the life of that naive and innocent boy hold no regard to these people? Well, he certainly wasn''t one to talk. Nor could he give any opinion about it or express displeasure. He too had alienated the fates of hundreds of thousands of people when he raided the ship, solely for the sake of enhancing his digestion.


    But now that he looked back at it, it felt... weird.


    He didn''t regret his actions. At least not yet. But now, there was a certain... doubt. Was all of that really necessary when he could have simply digested the potion through travelling and documenting different places?


    Was it necessary to destroy so many people?


    Winston, truthfully, had no idea. Morality had always eluded him. He was someone that would have fought to the death over a can of bear in his youth. And now, he was someone that would alienate countless people for a momentary boost. In a way, he felt he had grown. Just, not in the right way.


    And so, he decided to take a break.


    From everything.


    "We''re not gonna tell Khun?" Asked Bruce.


    "Tell what?"


    "About Bam." It was Amon who replied. Though the smile on his face suggested he was more than happy not to. It made Winston think that perhaps he had made the avatar too much like the one it was based off of.


    "No." Said Charlotte, commenting in place of Winston.


    "Why?"


    "Because."


    Winston did not know why he talked with himself like this. Perhaps it provided a bit of solace. Or maybe it was just his developing schizophrenia acting up. All things considered, he did not deem it right to tell Khun about it now. After all, he had always known of Bam being alive, didn''t he? And dint he refrain from revealing it because of the mysterious backer?


    Now that I think about it, is there any possibility of the backer being Headon? His eyes narrowed dangerously. But she said Headon does not side with FUG. There was no lie in her words. Then who could it be?


    Winston arrived at a conclusion. He would not worry about it.


    Turning to his avatars, he delivered the final declaration.


    "Let''s get to the 25th floor and chill out for a bit there. I wanna take a break."


    The avatars agreed readily.


    Time passed by. And before long, another year and a half passed. Winston sat on a window sill of a small house by the beach. In his hands was a coffee mug, of which he took small sips of periodically.


    Of all his avatars, four were still on the lower floors, documenting various places and their customs. It had bore great results, making his digestion get boosted to 96%.


    Even with all of his avatars doing the job, the digestion was slow. But it would eventually reach the next sequence. He had all the time in the world.


    He looked outside to the sand where the 3 of his avatars were training. Knowledge and experience was shared across the hive mind, so having them practise constantly on shinsu manipulation and experimentation was effective. All while he could relax and think about life.


    As of now, any one of his avatars could make 50 baangs each, a number that would only grow larger the closer he went to godhood.


    He inhaled a large breath of air. Despite his initial judgement to stay put for a small time, he had ended up going from the 25th floor all the way to the 30th, just at the edge of becoming a D rank regular. Their team was plenty successful as much as it was famous.


    They were practically celebrities in the regular community. Their team was widely recognized as the strongest e ranked team, closely followed by Shibisu and Co.


    I suppose it''s about time I visit them. He thought, remembering Khun and his team.


    It ought to be interesting...


    Hansung Yu calmly sipped the coffee from the cup. It was already his 37th cup for the day.


    He stared at the one before him with silent foreboding. Jinsung Ha, the slaughterer of the Ha family and a High Ranker.


    "You should be glad Master Evankhell is still absent from the floor. Otherwise, you would have been in for quite the trouble."


    Jinsung laughter lightly, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and releasing a puff of smoke.


    "I doubt that. Although Rulers are required to confront a High Ranker, it doesn''t mean they are required to fight. Besides, Evankhell would have liked to avoid a fight as much as me."


    "I suppose that is true." The coffee addict shook his head with a light chuckle. His yellow eyes looked at Jinsung, "How is his training going?"


    "Oh? It''s going quite well. The boy learns frieghteningly fast. Although I was skeptical at first, his progress is astonishing."


    "Irregulars are born to defy common sense. Their very existence stands as an opposition to the rules of the tower." Thd coffee addict shook his head.


    Jinsung released another puff of smoke.


    "Then would you be so kind to tell me why you''re here?" He asked, eyeing the high ranker.


    Jinsung chuckled.


    "Nothing. Just wanted to ask you a few things."


    "Ask?"


    "Not too long ago, Hellam saw something. About the other irregular, Winston Heath. He discussed it with you, right?" He asked.


    Hansung could not help but narrowe his eyes, his smile widening ever so slightly.


    "He might have."


    Jinsung leaned back, throwing his head up to look at the ceiling.


    "Let''s just say, Hwaryun saw something. Something at the end of his path. She''s locked herself in a room ever since and would not come out." He looked at Hansung again, a dangerous glint shining through.


    "I suspect it might be something Hellam has also seen. Tell me. What did he see?"


    The coffee addict remained still, seemingly unperturbed by this ancient monster before him.


    "Would it not be better to ask Lord Hellam directly?"


    "He wouldn''t open his mouth, I know it. That''s why I came to you."


    "And why do you think he absolutely shared it with me?"


    "One. Hwaryun told me so some time ago. Two. You literally admitted to it."


    Handung tilted his head.


    "Yeah... fair enough."


    "Spill it then."


    He took another sip of his coffee and plopped the cup onto the table. Then, wiping his mouth with a tissue, he said, "Might I ask. Do you know what lies beyond the 134th floor?"


    "No."


    "Most rankers say godhood. They have plenty of reason to believe so." He continued. "But


    there is no godhood for the regulars. For the guardians are the ones that hold the true power over the floors and the tower itself. Even at the ''top of the tower'' where any wish can be gained, who''s to say it can even be reached?


    "The true Gods are the Guardians. And beyond them, it is the irregulars."


    Jinsung stayed quiet, listening to his rambling.


    "The irregulars are the ones that stand above us all. So high up above that they can kill even


    the Guardians, as Enryu did so on the 43rd floor."


    "And?" Jinsung asked, not seeing the significance of the yap session.


    Hansung''s face turned dead serious. Any expression was voided and what remained was an


    inert face.


    "What Lord Hellam saw was another aspect of such power. A storm that eclipses all, hidden behind a layer of grey fog. He didn''t explain what it was. But he did say a peculiar word."


    "What word?"


    Hansung smiled enigmatically.


    "Mysteries."


    "Mysteries?"


    "That''s right."


    "That doesn''t explain why Hwaryun would lock herself away behind a door."


    "Glimpses of power are not in anyone''s capacity to witness. And for a Red Witch, vistas of


    Fate that hold such significance to the tower as a whole should be seen in caution. There have been many witches driven to insanity from glimpses from the beyond."


    Jinsung was quiet.


    "And what does that mean for the King?"


    "Who knows? Lord Hellam has yet to tell me anything about that. He certainly didn''t see


    anything related to it."


    "That''s convenient."


    "Indeed it is."


    An awkward silent followed before Jimsung Ha got up.


    "Well, then I''ll be on my merry way."


    "Goodbye." Hansung smiled and waved him off.


    After he left, he took another bag of instant coffee from under the table and begun to prepare


    another cup.


    A/N: very short chapter.


    I realized a fact, due to how slow everything is going, the story seems like it''s not moving at all. There was the issue of his potion digestion so I thought of making some content up myself to fill in the time gap and refer to his potion digestion, but then I decided to fuck it and


    do a time skip.


    There would be just two or three more chapters before another big timeskip and where the


    main plot will kick off again.


    I still realize I need to keep up the engagement throughout the chapters and it''s not a very


    easy fix. Any tips? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anyway, might do another one today. Might not. Who''s to say? Cheers~

 Chapter 63: 2v1

    Chapter 63: 2v1Khun walked along a long winding corridor, on one side of which was glass that allowed one to peer outside. The soft light filtered through it, casting a shadow onto Khun''s face.


    His hair was tied into a bun and he wore what looked to be similar to a boy scout''s uniform.


    As he walked through the corridor, he could looked out through the window where his new team was. There were a total of 5 new recruits, the strongest of which were Novick, the Spear Bearer and another member of the Khun lineage, Ran, the Fisherman.


    Besides them, there was Apple, the Data collecting scout. Evangelist Michael, the doctor and Wave Controller and finally, Gyetang, a chicken who was the spear bearer and a cook.


    The strength of the team couldn''t be compared to his previous team as the only heavy hitters were Novick and Ran but it was still a strong team. Stronger than the majority of E ranked teams, for sure.


    However, thinking of his previous team, Khun could not help but smile considering Winston would be visiting them today.


    It was quite pleasing to talk to the man. A conversation with an intelligent individual was always great for Khun. Not to mention the reason he would be here.


    Khun glanced up towards the ceiling. The room in which Rachel was living in.


    I wonder what he''s planning.


    He shook his head and made his way to the outside.


    The training field was at the back of their temporary residence while the front of it was


    occupied by a chasm of dense shinsu covered by clouds; making shinheuh transport the only


    real way to get here. Of course, there was always the alternative to fly over.


    Just as he walked out of the front gate, he felt a hand on his shoulder.


    "Hello there." A voice. A familiar one.


    Khun smiled through his momentary shock and turned back to gaze at the man.


    Winston Heath, in the flesh.


    Khun shook his hand and greeted him. Then, they both headed back inside for some time, talking all the while.


    They had some things to talk about. All sorts of topics. It was strange since none of them liked to say a lot of things. Well, Winston didn''t like to say a lot of things to others. With himself he was perfectly fine talking the whole way.


    After some idle talk and catching up on stuff, they took to the training field for Khun to ''introduce'' Winston to the team.


    As they walked into the training field, Winston instantly felt all eyes turn to them. More specifically, towards him.


    Of the five people present, there wasn''t one that was looking elsewhere. Everyone was focused on his figure, scanning him head to toe. Additionally, he felt a sixth gaze, coming somewhere from behind him.


    Undoubtedly, it was Rachel.


    "Hello, everyone. I''d like you all to meet someone." Khun smiled at the others. He motioned towards Winston and said, "This here is an old friend of mine, W-"


    Before Khun could introduce him, he was interrupted by the blonde haired woman.


    "Winston Heath." She said in a clear voice. She smiled at him with a strange glint in her eyes.


    "I know of you. You''ve become pretty popular on the Box, and lately, even Emily is all talkative about you."


    Emily? Winston noticed a peculiar word in her speech but didn''t ask about it.


    Khun shook his head and began to introduce the characters.


    "That is Apple, the Data gathering scout." He pointed at the yellow chicken that was standing on a rock by the lake.


    "That one is Gyetang, a spear bearer."


    Next, he pointed over to the dark skinned and white haired male.


    "That is Evangelist Michael, our Wave Controller. And finally-" He gestured to the two people that were talking towards them in slow, deliberate steps.


    Their eyes never left Winston since he walked into the yard and shinsu wafted off their bodies. "Those are our heavy hitters. Taller one is Novick, a spear bearer specialized in Hurling. And the shorter one is Ran, one of my many cousins and a fisherman with lightning type shinsu." He finished.


    As his words landed, Michael, the wave controller was the first one to speak.


    "We have heard Khun talk about you a lot. Your reputation precedes you as part of the strongest E ranked team." He chuckled.


    "I am flattered." Winston only gave a pleasant smile in return.


    Before the man could ask anything else, the chicken intervened.


    "Excuse me! Is the goddess good friends with you?!" He exclaimed, making Apple and Michael chuckle at his antics.


    "Goddess? You mean Charlotte?"


    "That''s right! Aren''t you one of her servants!? Can I ask you to arrange a meeting?!"


    Hearing him, Winston was suddenly at a loss for words.


    "Ser...vant?" He raised an eyebrow and felt like laughing.


    "That''s right! Can you make arrange a meeting?! Please!" The chicken''s cheeks got redder and smoke bellowed out of the front end of his beak.


    Winston shook his head.


    "We can work something out. But you might have to take care of your health. She has a particular preference for stronger people. And you seem like you''ve seen thinner days." He


    chuckled.


    At that point, the so called heavy hitters reached closer and closer still.


    Eventually, as they got within the distance, Khun pointed at Winston and introduced him. Strangely enough, both of the regulars stared at him without blinking.


    Naturally, Winston had to do the same.


    It lasted for but a moment. Perhaps longer.


    But it ended when Khun waved his hands before the 2 regulars'' faces.


    "Feeling competitive are we?" He chuckled. "You''re welcome to try, but don''t blame me for


    not waning you. He''s not someone to be messed with."


    Novick shrugged his shoulders and offered him a side eye.


    "Right." Then, turning towards Winston, he spoke.


    "I am Novick. This is Ran. You are Winston Heath correct?" He asked.


    Winston nodded. From behind him, he heard hushed whispers of Gyetang speaking in


    Michael''s ears.


    "They''re starting again. It''s probably not a good idea to intervene."


    "It''s good to meet you." Novick extended a handshake, one that Winston had no problem


    taking.


    As their hands met, Winston noticed the strength of his grip.


    A strong hand. Pretty good for a spear bearer. He concluded.


    As for Novick, it was unknown what conclusion he had drawn from the handshake but he


    nodded and said, "Would you like a spar?"


    "Of course, with me as well." Ran said from beside him.


    Winston''s eyebrow raised. "One on one? Wouldn''t that be unfair to you people?"


    Ran instantly had a look of displeasure on his face but a hand on his shoulder stopped him


    from speaking out.


    "You speak big. Don''t regret your words afterwards."


    "The only thing I''ll possibly regret is making a fool out of you in battle." Winston grinned


    with a challenging tone.


    Unfortunately, it seemed Novick was of above average intelligence as his provocative words


    didn''t seem to break his cool.


    His eyes narrowed and he said, "Fine. Your choice."


    Ran stared at him with judgement, "What are you doing?"


    Novick only shrugged his shoulders.


    "If he wants to have a 2 on 1 fight, he''s welcome to."


    And so it was decided.


    There were no more pleasantries offered. Everyone simply got back and made room for the


    fight. Winston and his two opponents moved to the center of the training field.


    "I''ll signal the fight!" Khun exclaimed as his lighthouse hovered in the air above them.


    Novick summoned his armed inventory and pulled out two weapons. Not the traditional spear, but what looked to be curved blades.


    "Ready?" Khun''s voice came and went. Everyone present felt a weight clog their chest as they


    stayed riveted to the battle about to ensue.


    "Start!"


    With that declaration, the fight started.


    Boom!


    Vrrr!


    Immediately, before Winston had even begun to move, a blue lightning travelled at half the


    speed of light right to his face!


    He threw his head back, his spine bending at an unnatural and impossible degree and


    narrowly but expertly dodged the attack!


    Getting back into form he looked at the blue haired young man, Ran, with a smile.


    The momentary pause was not to be stretched, however.


    Novick, sensing an opportunity dashed at the opponent, instantly shortening the distance S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    between them and attacked with his curved blades!


    Winston ducked under one and backhanded the other, earning a look of surprise from the


    man. With that, he dashed right at him!


    Whooosh!


    Foooo!


    With a clenched fist, he appeared before him with the speed of the wind! It was too fast for


    him to react. Too fast for him to even think of a counter. Only fast enough for him to have his


    face twist into an expression of dumbfoundedness.


    And-


    Boom!


    Winston punched out, his fist embedding into the poor man''s abdomen and throwing him


    into the air.


    Sensing an object, he stomped onto the ground.


    Crash!


    Shaaaa!


    Debris and dust flew around in the air, stopping Ran who was rushing at him in his tracks, just


    in time for Winston to jump into the air with a smile. "Crimson soul fist- Seal!" Novick yelled, seeing Winston jump towards him. Immediately, the shinsu around him gathered, overtaking a fiery red tint and covering his


    body in a dome like pattern. However...


    Crash!


    Shatter!


    A singular baang smashed into the seal, shattering it into countless pieces and throwing


    Novick 50 meters away!


    Winston landed on the ground again, just in time to duck under a sweeping kick and counter


    with his own.


    Sizzle!


    "Electric type shinsu huh..." Winston chuckled as he saw Ran back off from him. The electric


    shinsu had the peculiar effect of stunning both attackers and defenders when it came into


    contact with them by jamming the shinsu in the other party''s body.


    Unluckily for Ran, he had met Winston.


    Without giving them any time to rest, Winston dashed at Ran. Behind him were 5 baangs


    suspended in the air, all in line for an attack.


    Ran got into a stance and an amorphous black blight began to materialize in his palm.


    And just as Winston neared, he threw the strange substance onto the ground!


    Foooo!


    The black substance spread out to cover both Ran and Winston within it, shielding them from


    prying eyes. Using his spirit vision, Winston located the young man and fired off his baangs.


    "Mascheny Style- Deadly Lightning!" He heard a yell, and with it, a vision rapidly overlapping his senses.


    His lips couldn''t help but curve into a smile as the shinsu around him changed and coalesced


    into a giant dome around him!


    A series of explosions sounded and a body rushed out of the smog screen! Sliding some distance into the mud, Ran got up with some difficulty.


    He dodged all of them? Winston raised a brow. But then calmly retracted his statement as he


    saw the state of the man from the Khun family.


    His clothes were tattered and a streak of red dripped down his forehead. With a deadpan face, he looked towards the writhing black clouds that were steadily retreating into the ether. Winston calmly walked out with his hands held behind him, a mocking smile plastered on his


    face.


    "You''re a bit bothersome." Ran said, wiping some of the blood that was dripping off his face. "It''s not my fault. I thought you''d be stronger." Winston shook his head, heaving a heavy sigh. His facing expressions came together to paint a picture of genuine disappointment and regret. A vein threatened to pop on Ran''s head as he held himself back from rushing straight


    at him and piercing him with lightning.


    "It''s a shame really. One would expect someone from the Khun family to at least have


    acceptable skill level. You? I can only say skill issue man."


    There was silence in the area for a bit. Ran''s eyes were shadowed by his baangs, but the


    slightest tremble of his hands, the way his feet shifted in the soil, the quickening of his breath and the raging heartbeat gave away all his inner feelings to Winston. He chuckled in silence. A


    quality of a good fisherman was to set the bait. The bait had been set. The next step was to take the fish out the water and crush all resistance.


    Ran looked to the sky and sighed. Then, his deadpan face stared at Winston. "Fuck it. I''ll just crush you right here, right now." A ripple suddenly traveled through the surroundings; slowly growing into a wave, a turbulence and an effervescence! Lightning began to emanate from his body and coloured him in a neon blue hue. At the same


    time, Novick who had been thrown back returned while holding his stomach in pain.


    "Be careful." He said, taking a stance beside Ran. "He hits hard."


    "Even for someone from the Ha family?"


    "That''s exactly what I''m saying."


    "All right people! Let''s stop with the yapping!" Winston clapped his hands, yelling out into


    the air. His mocking words only fueled the fire as Ran gave him a death glare. "You say he hits hard?" He whispered to Novick beside him who looked at him from the


    corner of his eye. Ran squeezed his hands together as the lightning retreated back into his body. After just a second, his hands opened up to reveal a small ball of lightning shinsu! "I''ll finish him without getting too close then." He said, putting the ball into his mouth.


    To his side, Novick also took a stance, a fiery red shimmer of shinsu blaring around him and suffusing into the air.


    To the side, Gyetang, Apple and Michael all sweat dropped.


    "Are you sure he''s going to be okay?" Apple turned to Khun who was sitting quietly with a box


    of popcorn and 3d glasses on his eyes.


    "Who? Ran?"


    "No! Your friend Winston!" Gyetang exclaimed in alarm. "Ran might even kill him


    accidentally! He''s not holding back anymore!"


    Hearing his words, Khun only laughed and chose to stay quiet. Watching him leisurely


    munching on popcorn and laughing, the rest of them didn''t know what to feel. For starters, it


    was the first time they had seen Khun acting so jolly.


    They turned back to the training field in resignation.


    A/N: Give me stones. Also, leave a review please. Criticism is always welcome. But please not


    those spam reviews or just retarded ones which don''t even say anything.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 64: More Fighting

    Chapter 64: More FightingAn eclipse of lightning exploded out of his body and spread out quickly, writhing, turning and twisting in an effervescence as if he was nothing short of a god of lightning descended upon the world to deliver heavenly retribution. The grass around him burned up into the air as the air began to vibrate through reaching temperatures not normally found in such environments. Winston''s eyes gleamed as he expressed his elation with an exaggerated smile. He had seen what the young man did. It was a baang of lightning shinsu, concentrated into a material sphere that could boost his power tremendously for a short period of time. And from what he could learn from his eyes, his power was still increasing, getting stronger and stronger; but there was just one flaw to all of it. The rapid influx of shinsu put strain on his muscles, tightening them beyond what he was normally built for. Not only that, all his bodily functions were dialed to the maximum and his brain had been forcefully turned into the state of ''zone,'' all of which would render him incapable of fighting some time later; that is if the slowly spreading black colour through his body could be taken as an indication.


    That''s a useful little trick. If it can be improved, using it on an avatar might come in handy. Winston mused. But before he could have any more time to analyze, Ran opened his eyes. There was a minor change on his face. It was a small black mark on his cheek, just below his eye. A manifestation of the shinsu influx, no doubt.


    There was no more delay. A sound rang in everyone''s ears. The sound of impending thunder and a blue light flashed. And there he was. Ran had reached Winston in the blink of an eye, covering a distance of 100 meters instantaneously! With a leg laced in neon blue lightning that promised pain to whoever it touched, Ran performed a sweeping kick towards Winston''s head.


    bam!


    A voice of an impact. Winston''s head rolled clean off his body before he even knew how to react. The lightning burned away at his open neck, cauterizing the wound before a fountain of blood could spurt out to paint the grass red.


    Ran''s eyes widened, and so did everyone else''s. Khun stopped in his tracks, holding a fist full of popcorn just before his mouth which was wide open. His eyes couldn''t be seen but there was no doubt that they held an expression of shock. All the members of the team slowly turned their eyes from Winston''s now dead body towards Khun.


    What in the hell? Weren''t you so confident about him?! How did he die from one attack!?


    There was a pregnant silence in the area. A popcorn fell from his hand and back into the basket.


    At that moment, someone chuckled. Everyone turned to look at the source, seeing Winston all good and well standing some distance from Ran. The curious thing was, his headless body was still standing beside the fisherman from the Khun family.


    "Why are you all so surprised?" The Winston whose head was still intact said with a smile. "It''s all good. No tragedy happened here."


    Apple who was sitting beside Khun spoke with a mutter. "H-How in the-"


    But before she could finish her sentence, the headless Winston waved to everyone and crumpled down into a burnt pile of paper. Every was silent again.


    "Yep. That''s Winston." Khun smile knowingly. Of course, he had no idea what the hell had just transpired. But he did know Winston was an irregular, as did everyone else in the original team save for Rachel. And irregulars come with all sorts of strange powers and Khun was not one to doubt them.


    Of course, this was a usage of paper figurine substitution; and possibly mixed with a bit of illusion.


    Ran who was standing in a dumbfounded surprise instantly regained his composure. Now, his anger seemed to only be enhanced.


    Boom!


    A sonic boom, and with it, Ran appeared high in the air with lightning at his fingertips. "Mascheny style." He said, the lightning at his hands growing restless. Winston smiled at him and prepared to clash. Just then, a vision overlapped his senses and he turned around, just in time to block another attack from Novick.


    "Crimson Soul Fist- Crimson Bell Shock Seal!" He yelled slamming his punch enveloped by a bellowing red flame right into Winston''s crossed arms. Contrary to Winston''s expectations however, it launched him right into the air instead of back, leaving his back open for an attack. At that moment, he heard Ran''s chilling voice.


    "Grand Electrica Perla!" Yelled the voice.


    The lightning in Ran''s hands expanded instantly, transforming into a giant spear that stretched dozens of meters long! And it dashed at Winston, who was in the air still with half the speed of light!


    Boom!


    Crash!


    Shaaaaaa!


    A giant dust cloud covered everyone''s eyes, preventing them from seeing the battlefield and barring them from knowing the true state of the clash. Then, a gigantic gust of wind blew across the entire field and Novick appeared from inside it, holding a curved blade above him. He swung the blade downwards, sending another gust of wind that cleared out the battlefield completely. And as he did, his eyes could not help but widen. There stood Ran on the ground, a flabbergasted look on his face and his eyes fixated on Winston''s still standing figure. And in Winston''s hands rested a spear of blue lightning, thrown comfortable above his shoulder as he looked towards Ran with a smile.


    "It''s quiet easy to catch lightning shinsu if it''s concentrated like that. Simply encasing it in a veil of similarly charge shinsu is enough." He explained. Although here, the concept of electrons and like and unlike charges was technically invalid, any explanation he could give was ultimately true. Shinsu acted as he envisioned it.


    If only he envisioned it to behave as he deemed it to, it would behave as so. Of course, it wasn''t so simple in practice. Simple envisioning could not achieve the effect, far from it; if it could, everyone would be a God. There was also the matter of two antagonistic envisioning clashing with each other. How would that be solved? Shinsu was far more complex than any explanation could have it. It was a matter of continuous experience, something Winston had done.


    As Winston''s words landed, both Ran and Novick began to move. Novick hauled his arm back and with a tremendous effort, he threw the curved blade in his arms, right towards the back of Winston''s head!


    The throw broke the sound barrier. Winston ducked at the last moment, making the projectile pass right over him. He narrowed his eyes at Novick. "That''s dangerous." Lightning dashed around him as Ran appeared, a needle made out of pure lightning in his hand. Winston and Ran began to exchange blows, rushing all over the battlefield in a rough contest of strength and speed; but above all skill. Since it was a spear in his hand and not a needle, Winston had some problems with adjusting at first, but he quickly adapted. At that moment, Novick also appeared to fortify their defenses and put pressure on him!


    Whooooosh! Fwoooo!


    Baaaam! Boom!


    Hundreds of blows rained from both sides. At a point, Winston was even caught between their skimirish and almost hit. But considering beyonders at the mid sequence were able to dodge light beams quite regularly, it would truly be a work of wonder if he was hit.


    His feet skid along the dirt, drawing a long trench as he skidded to a halt. Without any rest, Ran was over him again. The lightning in Winston''s hand had waned, disappearing into the ether. As of now, he was fighting only with his fists. Lightning roared atop Ran, transforming into various electric baangs that coalesced before him.


    "Mascheny Lightning Spear Style-Grand Espada de La Luz!" With a yell, a giant lightning beam descended from his hands and rushed towards his torso! Winston tilted his body at the last second, narrowly avoiding the bolt and letting it pass right through. Then, with a smile and extended his hand towards Ran. He flicked his wrist and a ball of light dashed out from


    Ran''s body and merged into Winston''s.


    Whooosh!!


    Novick appeared right beside him, his hand held in a stance and punched out without a word,


    a fiery red glow around his body!


    Winston retaliated with twisting his body and simultaneously, 7 baangs appeared in the air


    around them!


    "Shi-"Novick didn''t even have the time to get a single word in before getting bombarded


    with baangs, throwing him far away and making him incapacitated for the rest of the battle.


    As that was done, he held a warm and compassionate smile on his face and looked over


    towards Ran.


    "You don''t seem to have enough time here." He said, seeing clear through his body condition. The black had now spread through most of his muscles and was clouding over his organs. Normally, something like this would be considered quite fatal for an individual, however, Ran was quite alright because the leading cause of this was his own shinsu.


    He raised an eyebrow and scowled.


    "I have more than enough time to deal with you." He said and lightning began to blaze once again. He held out his hand beside him and spoke. "Mascheny style-" Then he paused. He stared at his hand for a moment before his hair stood on end.


    Rapidly, he backed off and looked towards Winston who only smiled with a baleful expression


    and held out his hand just like Ran did. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mascheny style- Lanza de Relampago." He spoke with a clear voice, the words resounding throughout the training field and beyond. Then, neon blue came to life and coiled like serpents on his arms. A bright light materialized and elongated along his hand, taking the


    shape of a giant sword.


    Although the theft of thoughts and knowledge could only be done at the level of a Dream Stealer, which was a Sequence 5 of the Error Pathway, this was, in essence, neither a theft of knowledge nor a theft of ability. It lied somewhere in between. And who would be better to exploit such a loophole than him? It was a simple fix. Use ''Deception'' on the shinsu and enhance his ability using it, now allowing him to steal the ability clean. Naturally, Decryption had already worked its magic and now, Winston had begun to emulate the spear throwing style with greater precision and power than Ran himself.


    Smiling at Ran who had took a stance and prepared to defend himself, Winston could not help but be pleased at his adaptability. He had realized something was wrong. He had lost the ability to use Mascheny style and now Winston was the one using it. But he had neither the time nor the opportunity to think it over, so naturally, he improvised. It was better than how most people would do in his situation.


    Seeing him be so attention, Winston simply snapped his fingers and appeared right behind


    him in a puff of flame. And now, seeing him still fixated on an illusion he had promptly left


    behind, he struck the regular right on the back, triggering a giant explosion of blue lightning and knocking him right out.


    His illusion ability had also been upgraded, now being able to easily fool natural shinsu sensing, something that took a lot of concentration before.


    After everything was done, Winston turned to the onlookers and gave them a bright smile.


    A/N: Take the time to donate some stones please. Also, tell me your thoughts until now. How do you think the second volume is coming along?

 Chapter 65: Disgust

    Chapter 65: DisgustAs the light filtered through the windows barely covered by curtains, a person gasped inside the dimly lit room and held a hand to their mouth. The person was a young woman, looking anywhere between her late teens and young adulthood. Her face held a collection of freckles with yellow eyes and hair of the same colour and she stood by the windowsill, her eyes widened in disbelief. There floated a small yellow cube behind her, making a constant whirring sound as one of its faces displayed an overhead view of the training field.


    It was none other than Rachel.


    Her eyes expressed wonder and surprise as she scanned the figure of Winston Heath, the outlier as the Angel had described him. It made waves in her psyche and filled her with an inexplicable and strange sense of foreboding and perhaps even a fleeting insecurity.


    Is that how an irregular is supposed to look like? Effortlessly outperforming anyone near them? She clenched her fist and a resolute expression marred her facial features.


    Suddenly, she shook her head. Winston...


    She observed the group outside for some more time and watched as the rest of the onlookers crowded all over Winston and rained him with praises and admiration. There were also a lot of questions about his strange powers that he had displayed and how he had managed to do what he had done. Of course, Winston played around with his words and avoided answering any of them.


    And after about an hour, within which the two regulars of the team, Novick and Ran were taken by Michael to be treated, Winston and Khun headed towards the building.


    Rachel calmly watched all of this, part through her lighthouse and part through the window. With a strange expression marring her face, she sat down onto the bed and covered herself, continuing to watch their movements through the lighthouse.


    Some time passed, and after half an hour, it occurred to Rachel that Winston and Khun were both heading up the stairs to her room. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing that, she sat up on the bed and made herself presentable for the act.


    Winston and Khun walked up the stairs with relaxed dispositions. Although in Khun''s gait, there was a sense of dissatisfaction and rage that Winston could visibly see. His ether body was displaying emotions of anger and disgust the closer they got to their destination.


    When they got to the room, Khun stepped up and knocked on the door.


    "Rachel? It''s me Khun." He said.


    The response came with a second of delay.


    "Come in."


    Khun opened the door and peered inside. Then, with a smile he addressed the young girl. "There''s an old friend that came to visit today." He chuckled. Rachel tilted her head at him, expressing puzzlement.


    Khun opened the door completely, revealing Winston who was wearing a long flowing tailcoat with a white linen shirt underneath and black pants. He flashed a charming grin as he stepped into the room.


    "Do forgive mu intrusion. How have you been?"


    Rachel''s eyes widened a bit in an act of shock but just as quickly, a smile overtook it''s place. "Ah! It''s Winston! When did you arrive here?!" She asked with a cheerful fit of laughter. Before Winston could reply, Khun spoke up from behind him, "Winston is here to check up on us. More specifically, on you. He wants to see how you''ve been fairing up after... The incident.


    "Anyway, I''ll be downstairs in the mean time. You guys catch up." Khun waved his hand and turned back to shut the door behind him.


    As he left and silence returned to the room, Winston chuckled and said, "I just arrived some time earlier. It hasn''t been too long."


    Rachel smiled and nodded.


    "How have you been? I saw articles about you on the box. You seem have gotten very competent teammates."


    "Well, yes. They are truly fascinating people." Winston grabbed a chair from beside the window and sat down after dragging it over to the side of the bed.


    "But enough about me. What about you? How are you fairing after everything?" Winston flashed her a charming smile. Rachel lowered her eyes and seemed to contemplate something. "Truthfully, I''m still a bit hung up on everything. It all happened so fast. I can''t still bring myself to accept that Bam''s gone." She said with a slight hiccup.


    Winston shook his head, "You can''t be too hung up on the past anymore. Bam was what brought us together. You must be strong enough for him at least. We will take you to the top of the tower and fulfill your wish, and Bam''s."


    As Winston''s small speech landed on Rachel''s ears, Winston saw her emotions get brighter. Elation. Joy.


    Suddenly, she sprang up and exclaimed.


    "Really? You''d do that?" Saying so, she sprang towards Winston with her hands and her hands embraced his shoulders. Winston''s eyes widened as he so wished to recoil in shock and disgust. Her head nestled into his chest as her chest heaved up and down, giving the feeling that she was crying.


    Winston could not help but narrow his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her with a strange robotic motion. He expertly controlled his facial expression, displaying a deep sense of sympathy and encouragement.


    "It''s all right." As he said this, he could not help but flash a grin.


    It''s all right. All your problems will be solved when I become a Parasite. At that point, all you''ll have to


    do is wear a monocle.


    Suddenly, Rachel pulled back and looked at his face with a strange look.


    "Winston..." She called out.


    Winston raised a brow at her, motioning her to continue.


    "Will... will you truly take me to the top of the tower? Will you be my companion? Will you..." Her words clogged in her throat. Then, she continued. "I admire you. I do deeply admire you."


    Winston almost extended his hand and killed her. Almost. But he stopped. Why? It was his intuition. It screamed at him to stop.


    ''Not now. The time will come.'' It told him. And so, he did. He did not still have any idea of what entity Rachel had on her back, but it was above the level of a ranker at the very least, it


    seemed.


    "Where is this coming from?"


    Rachel chuckled self deprecatingly. "Truth be told, even I don''t know. I suppose I am a bit too


    hung up on Bam''s death after all, to be honest with you."


    Winston stared at her for some time before he got up and walked to the door.


    "You do seem a bit too tired. Have some rest." Saying that, he left.


    As he stood outside her door, he could not help but glance at his shoulders. He felt plenty disgusted right now. The magnitude of emotion was so large it didn''t even make sense. He wanted to ask her some things, but in the end, he just walked out.


    Shaking his head, he headed down.


    "What did she say?" Winston heard Khun''s voice as soon as he stepped down the stairs.


    "Nothing too useful. Just rambling about how she''s been unwell after Bam''s fall and how she has trouble sleeping sometimes." Winston lied through his teeth as he watched Khun who was staring at him with a dead serious face.


    "That''s disappointing. And here I was thinking you would be able to figure out her


    intentions."


    "I can''t read minds."


    "You can''t?" Khun had a genuinely surprised reaction.


    "Not yet anyways." Winston mumbled under his breath and quickly shifted the topic.


    "How long are you people going to stay here?"


    "Probably another 2 years. I want to be prepared for the next floors. I also have to be


    completely sure I can take on whatever she has to offer and that she has no chance to escape


    once I decided to take action."


    Winston nodded in acknowledgement. "That''s fine, I guess."


    "What about you?"


    "I was thinking of continuing the small break for another half a year before moving on. I hear


    the workshop battle''s drawing near too. I missed the previous one, might as well focus on this


    one." He said.


    They continued to talk about the next course of action for some time before Winston decided to take his leave. Khun did try to convince him to stay for a few days, but Winston was not comfortable with that.


    And so, after that, Winston left the residence and started heading back to the 29th floor. The digestion was going to be completed soon. And the ritual had been prepared. He would ascend


    to sequence 5 soon.


    A/N: Very short chapter. Only 1500 words this time around.


    Honestly, I may have projected some of my hate for the yellow haired bitch in this chapter.


    The exact words I had planned for her was "I think I love you." By Rachel to Winston, both in an attempt to bring him to her side using her pitiful appearance as an excuse and using an


    emotional leverage.


    Of course, it wouldn''t have worked regardless, but I just couldn''t bring myself to write that man. I''m above that at this point.


    Anyway, as always, do take the time to drop some stones and maybe leave a review?

 Chapter 66: Introspection

    Chapter 66: IntrospectionHow often do you dream?


    Most would say often but not everyday. Some would say they dream everyday and each time they are asleep. Others might say they rarely get any dreams. But there truly exceptional ones in the world and those deemed the most unfortunate ones are the ones inherently unable to dream; perhaps through some strange twist of fate or through a constant state of alertness of their surroundings that has crushed all states of dreams under their weight.


    Winston in particular had to learn the hard way. He had to learn to dream all over again in his adulthood. A luxury offer without a word or struggle, a basic human necessity was something he had lost the ability to do when living under his father; a failure of a man who had not even taught his own son anything despite being a teacher and whose mouth uttered never a word about his dead mother that had been forced into passing through his very birth.


    And so, it was suffice to say he was always pleased when he had a natural dream, not a lucid dream that he had trained himself to do. This one in particular reminded him of his time back on Earth. He had attempted to find a woman to marry when the old man that took him in was on his death bed. The man wished to see him marry and find his way into a happy life. Alas, that was too late.


    He never managed to find love. Only empty promises in the words of vain women. He had experienced it soon enough in life too. His very own brother had been swayed by such a damsel. It was not until 5 weeks later that he had managed to sneakily hear a passing remark from his father, something about his brother being found dead in a ditch.


    Such dreams have been frequent lately. I barely even remember this part of my life. Winston watched in silence as he sat down onto the restaurant table, a fair lady in front of him. The face of the woman couldn''t be seen, but it was quite clear she was quite the looker.


    The small meetup ended after a while and Winston escorted the lady to her home. She invited him inside, but he declined. Winston calmly sat in the back seat of his car, watching the woman leave and the him from his memories to start driving.


    He knew what this was. This was his intuition trying to make him remember the different memories he had spent and experienced. It was a way for him to familiarize himself with his humanity, something that would soon be put in danger through the divinity held in the potions.


    Although the potions did not contain any underlying consciousness of the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth, it did not mean that it lacked divinity. The divinity could still corrupt him, make him unfeeling.


    And with that thought, Winston''s eyes could not help but widen. It seemed... the divinity had already taken a hold of him from sequence 7. It was not like him to endanger the lives of thousands of people to further himself. He fought to the death for simple beer before, but it was not to the extent that he would engage himself as such. Fighting to the death in a bar was more personal, however, this... this was not. It was akin to pressing a simple button and firing a nuke onto a city, not at all caring about the lives of everyone it would impact, but only of the immediate enemy it would force to surrender.


    The divinity of three combined potions is far more controlling than I had anticipated. I had theorized the divinity to act up only beyond sequence 4 but it seemed there was a miscalculation on my part. Winston mused.


    Just then, he heard a low chuckle.


    He could not help but stare at the Winston who was driving the car.


    "So, you realized it now, huh?" He said, peering back through the rear view mirror.


    "I did." Winston nodded. It was also him talking to his own self, his subconscious. His intuition had been sharp enough to do so. In a way, it reminded him of talking to his avatars, but this was something of a deeper level of introspection. Thoughts that did not yet arise in his mind when in a normal conversation.


    "What now?"


    "Huh?"


    "I said what now?" The past Winston asked, stopping the car by the side of the road and looking over the seat to stare him in the eye. He offered a slight smile on his face.


    "I see you''ve gotten rid of the small scar." As the past version said this, he pulled up his hair, revealing a short cut that barely peeked over the hair line, almost unnoticeable but the only evidence of Winston''s previous violent years, "You''ve enjoyed the faceless ability quite a lot huh. Everything about you is now perfect." He chuckled.


    Winston stared at him wide eyed. He held up his hand and gently caressed the top left part of his hairline. He had indeed gotten rid of the scar, not to mention any blemish, however small that was on his body. He had done so instinctively.


    "I..." For the first time in a long while, Winston was at a loss for words.


    The past him sighed and fully turned in his seat. He slung his arm over the headrest and tilted his head at him.


    "What? Cat got your tongue?" He asked with a cheeky smile.


    Winston stayed quiet. Seeing this, the past him shook his head. "You''ve really been corrupted by divinity. The past you would''ve definitely smiled and engaged in a competition of insults


    at that."


    Winston''s eyes could not help but tremble a bit.


    "You can let go here you know?" The past him said. "There''s no one here to judge you. No one to take advantage of you. No one except yourself. Now if you want to hide from your own feelings, be my guest and wake right up. But I know you don''t want that now. You might be considering it really deeply though right?"


    The past him raised an eyebrow and grinned toothily, "That''s what you''re the best at right? Running away?" He continued. "You did run away from home. You ran from Charles, your only friend and you ran from that one girl you had a crush on. You ran away from marriage when the old man wanted to find a bride for you. And you didn''t bat an eye when you were transported to the tower because you wanted to run from the world."


    He shook his head with a sigh. "When will you realize, running away is not the answer. You can still run away. But where will it lead you? Only to loneliness and more regrets."


    And so, for the first time since a time Winston had long long forgotten and put into the deepest parts of his memory, a single tear fell from his eye.


    "I..." He spoke. "I regret running away when I shouldn''t have. I regret not doing things the way I wanted. I always knew that." His eyes held a strange emotion. "I didn''t even realize when that fleeting regret and loneliness would mingle with divinity and rid me of feelings so clearly."


    "But you do now, don''t you?" The past him smiled and rang out with a slight chuckle. "I''m just a figment of your imagination, man. Your intuition realized something was wrong and have warned you. What will you do? I ask again, what now?"


    Winston was quiet for a moment. Then, he looked at his past projection.


    "Any bright ideas?" He inquired.


    The past him smiled and scratched his head. "Luckily for you, you''re asking the smartest person you know." He laughed. Then, he extended his hand and flicked Winston''s forehead


    with his finger.


    "Live a little. Love a bit. Learn to trust others beside yourself you know? What''s life without a bit of adventure?" There was a slight pause. "Maybe this time, find an actual companion for yourself and give the old man''s wish a fulfillment?"


    "What for? I''ll be a pile of worms eventually."


    The past him held up his hands and shrugged, "Hey man, that''s all you. I can only suggest. It''s entirely your fault if you won''t have a dick by that point. Maybe find someone that would enjoy higher dimensional worms going inside her?"


    Winston laughed, genuinely.


    "Thanks man."


    "Don''t you find it weird thanking yourself?"


    "Meh. I live with 3 of me. I guess I''ve grown accustomed to it."


    The past him smiled.


    "Hit me up anytime you need advice okay?"


    "I will." Winston said, then, he looked outside the window. There was a faint grey fog outside. Taking one good look at his projection, he opened the window and walked out.


    Winston woke up early that day. He was still on his temporary residence on the 29th floor. It was like any other day. Only this day, he felt comfortable and light. Resisting divinity huh... I suppose I should finally have some of my avatars worship me. That ought to take care of the growing divinity for now. Though, with the rapidly gaining popularity, I can turn the attention into some form of worship through the use of ''Deception.'' I should try that sometimes.


    Winston got out of bed and stretched his body.


    He smiled. It was not like his usual smile that signified the clown, but a simple smile of a man.


    As he walked to the bathroom, he could not help but switch to his 3rd person pov and glance at the upper left corner of his hairline. There, a slight scar that extended above into his hair was


    visible.


    Winston could not help but think again in his mind. His body felt lighter today.


    While Winston was doing that, his avatars had already done it. They had set up the ascension ritual. Four monocles that acted like beacons had been spread across different points in the ''spirit world'' that was shinsu.


    As for the potion digestion? It had reached 99%, just short of reaching a full 100%.


    It would seem Winston would be ascending soon. This time, with greater care and caution. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A/N: Alright, tell me your thoughts on the chapter. This was a more important chapter as it refers to some of the key points that make Winston, Winston.


    He had always been running away from things and harbors regrets. He is afraid to place trust in people and cannot express his feelings correctly. That is also the reason he cannot connect with people and has little friends. It is also one of the reasons he sympathizes with people like Bam and Amon who are, in some way or form, in a similar situation.


    He never did truly grow up from his younger days. He yearns to somehow have his regrets turned right, but he cannot do that because he is still afraid.


    Anyways, enough of that. Throw some stones and leave a review please.


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 67: One Step Closer

    Chapter 67: One Step CloserLocated somewhere infinitely far away yet everywhere around him all the same. That was what he had always felt the potions were located whenever he digested the potion and was ready to summon the next one.


    It did not need a genius to figure it out, only someone that had previously read Lord of Mysteries to figure out where the potions were coming from.


    The Sefirah Castle. The Sephirot that pertains to the Lord of Mysteries and holds the essence to ascend not only to the level of a Great Old One, but to ascend to the level of the Pillar of the Universe.


    Winston smiled as he felt the next potion laying infinitely far away yet right next to him. It was something he had figured out when he got access to the Sequence 8 potion, but he had never once been able to tap into the sefirot.


    Of course, he had tried the incantation using Macsethian, given that he did not know how to speak any of the Chinese dialects, he had hoped that Macsethian would do the job. But it hadn''t. And so, he could only wait to ascend beyond the level of a demigod and eventually find his way into the Sefirah Castle.


    He looked at the 7 avatars assembled before him. His avatars were an extension of his spirit, not something he had necessarily created with a beyonder ability. As such, each of them had to be joined back to him before he could attempt an asension.


    With a thought, each of the 7 avatars turned into liquid shinsu before him and rapidly dissipate into the air. Since a long time, Winston again felt himself at full strenght.


    I could get used to this... It feels better to have a full astral body. He mused with a smile. And then, with a thought, a crystal bottle appeared in the air in front of him. Without missing a beat, he extended his hand and caught the bottle.


    The bottle was warmer than the other potions, this time appearing in a pale blue colour. The edges of the fluid were of a darker shade and the center of the potion seemed to hold hundreds of bundles of miniature threads that extended outwards to the edges of the bottle. The surface of the liquid was uneven and seemingly phasing in and out of itself, making various whirlpools. And to top it all off, the entire potion was bubbling from the bottom to the top. Winston stared at the potion for a moment before he closed his eyes and reminisced about the dream he had the previous night. A moment of contemplation followed.


    Then, without wait, he opened his eyes, snapped open the cap of the bottle and drank the entire potion in one go! With that, he kept the bottle away and waited with his eyes closed. The ascension in the subsequent sequences had only yet gotten stranger and far more dangerous. This time around, with the ascension marking the penultimate step to demigod, it was bound to be hazardous, not to mention the existence of rituals that was only going to complicate the process.


    Winston waited with bated breaths, a strange foreboding assaulting his mind as he looked towards the change about to begin.


    And sure enough, it started soon after.


    At first, it started with a strange stiffness at the back of his spine. Slowly but surely, it started to spread outwards towards the rest of his body and it all began to freeze. Through his eyes, he could see hundreds of transparent black threads extending on from infinity towards him, or perhaps they were extending from him and to infinity.


    His thoughts started to slow down. Then, a strange phenomenon appeared to occur. He entered a dreamy state, his body of heart and mind extending outwards and entering the spirit world, something it wasn''t supposed to do. The Body of Heart and Mind looked outwards, seeing the hundreds of thoughts and dreams wandering about. They rushed towards him, incessantly merging with his being. Instantly, Winston felt himself losing his self, assimilated by the uncountable thoughts and psyches.


    But only if it stopped at that point. His body of heart and mind, that had somehow entered both of what he deemed to be ''spirit world'' and the ''sea of collective subconscience'' was immediately flung outwards towards the unknown. Winston immediately traversed through an unimaginable distance, or maybe he hadn''t travelled at all. But there was one thing he knew of. He was lost. Oh so very lost. The body of heart and mind travelled farther and farther from his true body, which would eventually render him unable to get back and eventually cause him to lose control.


    After just a couple of seconds, he had already almost lose his own self freedom, almost assimilated into the minds of hundreds of thousands of people and gotten lost in the spirit world and the sea of collective subconsicence combined.


    Compared to the previous ascensions, the ascension to Sequence 5 was truly different and far more dangerous. But there was another fact, it was that it could not be purely resisted by will. External factors were required to fight the corruption and the after effects of the potions.


    And sure enough, as soon as it all started he felt a distant light, gazing at him from beyond the infinite distance that lied between himself and anything he knew of. There, he was 4 distinct objects, more specifically, he saw four clear crystal monocles; gleaming intently in the spirit world, attracting his attention.


    Everything calmed down in his eyes, there was no longer a sense of alienation of the surroundings and the surrounding thoughts that were getting transmitted directly to his mind stopped. The invisible threads that were extending from his body retreated back into him, no longer triggering his thoughts and body into a state of induced lethargia. Winston felt the clarity return to his mind and a state of euphoria and elevation was what followed. With that, he felt an indescribable pull towards his own body.


    Without question, he allowed himself to follow it.


    Not long after, he found himself back at his body and merged with it. Then, he opened his eyes like an enlightened buddha.


    Ho00000~


    Winston breathed, and clenched his fist. Then, without missing a beat, he disappeared from his place and appeared outside instantly. Feeling the place he stood at change, he was surprised but then adjusted as per the requirement.


    The Fool, Error and the Door pathways'' Sequence 5 were named Marionetteist, Dream Stealer and Traveller respectively.


    Of the three, traveller was the ultimate travelling ability, granting him the power to directly travel through the spirit world at will! It was definitely the best ability in the door pathway, one that made it one of the most powerful pathways to name. Travelling itself might not sound busted, but in the later stages, Winston knew exactly the kind of things he could achieve. Perhaps at the level of an angel, he could directly teleport himself to the top of the tower!


    Winston braced himself and then, he was gone with a flicker of an afterimage!


    Whoosh!


    Dozens of Winstons, or more accurately, his afterimages flashed all over the distance in the general area of his temporary residence! It was the combined effect of the increased dexterity, reaction time and focus from the Fool pathway, synergizing with the travelling ability of the door pathway, allowing him to ''blink'' all over the place in the matter of moments! The funny thing about the door pathway was, after he blinked away, there would always be an afterimage left in his wake, lingering just a little longer than a second! Meaning, if he could do 50 blinks in the matter of a second, he could still surpass a hundred effortlessly in a drawn out fight. And that was only the case if only he himself was fighting.


    After testing the travelling ability for a bit longer, Winston decided to test the long distance travelling some other time and stopped. As he did so, he extended his hand and focused on an apple tree far away. With a mental command, the apple flung into his hand! It was one of the overshadowed abilities of the Sequence 5 of the Door pathway, named the Invisible hand! Taking a bite out of the apple, Winston decided to focus on testing out his other abilities. For a Fool Pathway beyonder, becoming a Marionettist is also one of the most important milestones in their journey. A marionettist does exactly as his name suggests, he controls marionettes. Their main ability is the spirit body thread manipulation. Spirit Body threads are illusory threads that extend from the spirit body of any live being.


    Once a Marionettist gets the control of these threads, the target loses all sorts of freedom and completely dies off in spirit, leaving their still live body to be controlled. There were of course, limits to such a thing. The Marionette could not venture too far off from the main body and they could not possess any of the beyonder''s own abilities. Furthermore, the possession of a Marionette''s threads could only be attempted from a distance of 5 to 10 meters and took some time depending on the spiritual strength of the target. The stronger the spirit, the greater the time required.


    Winston walked some distance and looked to the ground. Before long, 3 bugs crawled out of


    the ground and laid still before him. Bugs were, of course, easy to control since there was no such thing as spiritual strength to them. For such simple minded creatures, controlling them required nothing more than a simple thought.


    Winston made the bugs dance around for a tad bit longer before getting rid of them using flames. There was no use to keeping them since there was a cap to how many marionettes he could have at a particular time. And that cap at Sequence 5 amounted to 3. Shaking his head, he thought of the third and final Pathway, the Error. Dream Stealer was a strange sequence for sure, but it was also where the error pathway truly began to seem eerie and downright scary. The ability to steal thoughts, knowledge and any surface memory was what marked the sequence. Of course, the new ability manifested was the ability to invade dreams by travelling through the sea of collective subconscience. It allowed him to plant certain things in the target''s dreams, leading them into deception and tricking them into thinking certain thoughts are being led through their own will.


    All of these made the Dream Stealer one of the major milestones of the Error, as was Marionettist and Traveller to the Fool and Door. It was where the true strength of the Error pathway, as something powerful in the traditional sense, but more in the eerie and downright


    disturbing sense came to shine.


    But Winston was not about to test such things right now. Nor was he capable of, since such things required people to be tested. Nay, what he wished to focus on was something he had


    not realized could even happen.


    It was... how to say..?


    Well, a Mutation? It was a mutation in the sequence abilities.


    A/N: What type of abilities should he manifest? Gimme some ideas. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Throw some stones.


    Cheers-

 Chapter 68: Mutations

    Chapter 68: MutationsBeyonder characteristics can actually fuse. Who would have known?


    Winston certainly didn''t. He was a triple pathway beyonder, but all the separate


    characteristics stayed that way. He had never heard or predicted a mutation occurring through the fusion of the different beyonder characters.


    But here he was, looking at himself exhibiting those very mutations.


    The abilities of the Three Pathways of the Lord of Mysteries were made to synergize to begin with. But they had been boosted far higher.


    The first and most obvious mutation, which although it hadn''t exhibited it''s own separate ability had managed to boost one of his most significant abilities sky high. The ability to turn people into marionettes, which had a limitation of 4 to 10 meters was no longer limited by distance, Instead, it extended as far as he could actually sense the Spirit Body Threads! The closer the target was to the body, the faster was the conversion rate, which was a slight bummer but Winston was happy nonetheless.


    The rest of the abilities were something entirely new, a culmination of all three of his pathways.


    There was an ability he had decided to name ''Reset.'' It was the combination of the Deception and Physical Fitness from the Error pathway and the record ability from the Door pathway. It allowed for him to, ''record'' the current state of his body, thoughts, motivation, dream, or spirituality and later, ''paste'' the state onto himself using deception. It had a limit however. It consumed a lot of spirituality, even by his own standards; but it was alright since it was something sort of a last resort ability. if something managed to blow his head off without him being able to react, something that was highly improbable, he could simply reset his body back to peak condition.


    It was one of the abilities that wasn''t going to be of any use, at least until the higher sequences where it could simply be used for whatever he so desired.


    Another ability arose from the combination of Error''s Theft, Fool''s Divination creation and Door''s Star Gazing. He decided to name it ''Destiny''s Robber.'' What the ability did was quite simple to be truthful. It allowed Winston to steal a part of fate. Simple as that. Anything he could divine, or anything that was fate''s providence, he could simply steal it from that vision. But of course, it only seemed simple on the surface.


    What the ''theft'' of a part of fate entailed was nothing. Because nothing was stolen in the first place.


    Confused?


    Imagine you''re dreaming. And by some miracle, an object that you really like from that dream, or an ability or even an event comes true in the morning. Now, whatever that thing is from your dream, it will never appear in the dream again because it has been turned into reality. In the same way, the visions one experiences that may point to the future, Winston could steal anything he deems of value within it. And that specific ''thing'' will appear before him in some shape or form.


    Nothing has been ''stolen'' from fate because that thing most clearly exists in front of Winston now. It''s just that whatever was bound to happen will now not happen. Imagine he dreams of an Immortal King murdered by a very specific dagger. If he ''steals'' the dagger, it''s now in front of him and the king can no longer be murdered. It hasn''t removed the piece from the equation, but it''s just that the previously set course of action will not happen anymore; effectively changing fate.


    This was another ability Winston saw no reason to test out immediately. Perhaps in the future he would, but he wished to contemplate any troubles beforehand.


    There were 2 more abilities that had arisen as a result of the mutation. The first was the combination of the Fool and Door''s Spirit Vision and the Error''s Deception and Dream Invading.


    It allowed him to very effectively judge any sort of deception, find any loopholes, see through all illusions, make large illusions, create dreamscapes for sleeping targets, manipulate the environment, decrypt any sort of mystical phenomenon and simultaneously record it and other miscellaneous stuff. Winston aptly decided to name it, ''Gaze of Fallacy.''


    Finally, the last one among the mutated abilities was a combination of the Fool''s Spirit Body Threads, Error''s Decryption and Door''s Astronomy and Travelling.


    It allowed him to extend his spirit body threads into the spirit world through the door pathway''s travelling and gather knowledge, secrets, and anything that might be travelling through it. By extension, it also allowed him to sense changes in his own fate and the fate of anything he wishes to see; just like how Amon in the original series was able to do so.


    He named the ability ''Spectral Threads,'' because he couldn''t be bothered to think of another name for it. He didn''t like naming his abilities anyway.


    Winston popped his neck seeing all the abilities he had gained.


    With a smile, he thought to himself. It seems I''ve really gotten too strong for the lower floors at this point. Any moment I decide to reveal myself, it won''t even matter.


    He shook his head and headed back inside the home. He would soon test how many avatars he could make at this time. Then, he would also establish his own church at this point to combat the divinity. Just like Amon, he had no desire to make a church. He himself would be more than enough.


    "Lord Hellam." A soft voice echoed in a dimly lit hall. The soft light of the silver moon shone through the large windows on the side, sketching long shadows of the few figures that stood in the room. Various chairs were erected on either side of the hall with a single throne erected on an elevated platform at the front of the hall.


    The hall wasn''t too populated, only occupied by less than ten people. At the throne in the front sat a large man, his skin grey as ask with eyes completely whitened over. He had long hair that came together as a point behind him and purple horns atop his head that curved backwards and almost blended with his hair. Around his spotless eyes was a purple outline. He supported his head with his right hand, keeping his right elbow on the armrest. And with an expressionless gaze, he looked ahead where another man was standing with a group.


    The man at the forefront was strange. He wore dark black robes with bright red outlines and was completely covered in greyish white bandages. Mixing in with his comparatively shorter stature than the rest of the group, he appeared quite strange and even a bit silly.


    "Karaka."


    "Are the preparations not done?" Karaka asked with a higher pitch.


    Hellam stopped for a moment before he nodded.


    "Indeed. The preparations are all done. The boy has been given the foundation of the needle.


    At the next workshop battle, Jue Viole Grace will be turned into the ignition needle to kill


    Jahad." He said.


    "Then why have you called us here?" Karaka questioned. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hellam paused again, not doubt stopping to consider his words carefully.


    "It is because an unforeseen event has happened."


    Karaka raised a brow, or at least it seemed that he did. Seeing him quiet, Hellam continued, "I watched another vision to prepare for the event. Just to make sure nothing would go wrong.


    But here it was again. That accursed grey fog."


    Karaka shook his head and scowled.


    "That''s what you called us here for? Because your vision sees a fog?"


    "Keep some respect, Slayer Karaka." A man said from one of the chairs, getting up to look


    down at the Slayer. Karaka didn''t seem to pay him any mind.


    "Isn''t it the fourth time this has happened in the past 2 years? You keep seeing the ''grey fog''.


    Are you sure it''s not just your age catching up?"


    Hellam didn''t reply. But then, he snickered.


    Karaka raised his eyes to meet his.


    "What''s so funny?"


    "It''s just that..." Hellam said, "Slayer Karaka. It seems you''ve gotten far too used to your position as being above others. You might feel like you know everything now. But that isn''t the case. There was things... far too many things that you do not know in this tower." "I am well aware of it. But how does that relate to the conversation we were having?" "It has everything to do with it. That fog I keep seeing, I can feel it. It has to do with all the secrets, all the knowledge and all the strengths and powers of the tower. I do not forget the dread I felt when I tried to peer too deep into the fog and was met with that one word." There was a slight quiver in his voice. He didn''t dare finish his sentence.


    "Mysteries?" But Karaka did.


    Hellam nodded. "Mysteries."


    Karaka turned back and scowled.


    "If you like to waste the time of Slayers like this, Lord Hellam, I suggest you simply send a


    message and do not call for a meeting like this." With that, he began to walk out.


    As Karaka left and the door closed behind him, Hellam stared into the empty air.


    "Lord?" A questioning voice spoke.


    Hellam turned to the speaker.


    "What do you think will be the result of this?" The man that had stood up to correct Karaka


    asked.


    "Whatever happens from here, I can no longer control. Perhaps anywhere I see such a fog, I should try not to intervene and let the other elders handle it. I have been tricked before. I would prefer keeping myself free from all other such idiosyncrasies of fate."


    And so, silence again overtook the hall.


    A/N: I spent a whole 15 minutes trying to think of those abilities. I think they turned out


    alright.


    Throw some stones and leave a review.


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 69: Words of a New Slayer

    Chapter 69: Words of a New Slayer"Have you heard? There''s a new slayer candidate from FUG currently climbing the tower." "They say in every test that he takes, he is the only survivor."


    "I don''t buy such baseless rumors."


    "It''s not just the rumors. There''s plenty of news on the Box. Even Emily is all talktive about him. His name is Jue Viole Grace. Word is, he recently cleared the 20th floor to become an E- ranked regular."


    Gossip was plenty common in restaurant''s and other such places of social gatherings. Most of the discussions were obnoxious and loud, but they were the ones that discussed the hot topics in the tower.


    Such a discussion was taking place right beside Shibisu who was calmly sipping from a mug of coffee.


    "That''s something, I guess." Shibisu quipped, throwing a glance at Hatz who sat before him. "It''s interesting right?"


    "The Slayer Candidate has nothing to do with me. Word of him being real is questionable at best." Hatz shook his head, not bothering to take the rumors to heart.


    Shibisu chuckled. "Even if he were real, that wouldn''t concern you regardless."


    Hatz eyed with a piercing glare, one that Shibisu didn''t seem to mind.


    "Any news of the Devil''s right arm?" He asked suddenly.


    "You want the rumors? Or the fact?"


    "Tell me."


    "Well, people on the box say he''s been sighted on the 23rd floor, with his previous sighting being on the 24th. Based on that, it''s logical to assume he''s going down. Maybe to meet someone? There was also supposedly a picture of him taken at the Hand of Arlen on the 28th floor. Which rumor is true still remains to be seen." Shibisu took another sip and looked through the window to the clouds above.


    "And the fact?"


    "Nobody knows where he is." Shibisu continued. "There''s no definite information on him. If there were at least some pictures or something, we could confirm his location but there''s not."


    Hatz heaved a heavy sigh, reminiscing about past memories.


    "Khun is also searching for him. Everyone was pretty pissed when he defeated you." Shibisu spoke with an absent-minded gaze, as if thinking deeply about something.


    "That will not happen again." Hatz nodded with a firm smile. "It happens once, I buy it. It happens twice, I doubt it."


    "Doubt won''t solve your problem here. I discussed a bit with Winston. Your sword. It needs to be replaced."


    "What?" Hatz''s words took on an icy undertone.


    "The shinsu density your sword is made to operate at isn''t the same anymore. The further we get up the tower, the worse it will impact your fighting power. The blade will only grow duller from here on out." Shibisu couldn''t help but shake his head looking at his friend who was all too steadfast in his belief of honor and weapons. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hatz stayed quite for a moment before he slowly nodded.


    "Speaking of which, how''s Winston? We haven''t heard from him for a long time." Hatz commented.


    "Winston? He''s still on the 29th floor. He''s planning on moving to the 30th floor soon but he said he will hold off on extensive climbing until the workshop battle."


    "That''s not too far is it?"


    "Nah, just 5 months off."


    "Then we''ll be able to meet up again I suppose." Hatz broke out with a rare smile. Seeing the small tug at his lips, Shibisu also felt his smile growing.


    "Right. I suppose we will."


    Hand of Arlen was a strange structure that resembled a hand pointing upwards. It lied on the edges of the main resting area of the regulars on the 28th floor.


    It was mostly quiet at night here. And not a lot of people visited even in the day. The tower has enough strange sights to see, so nobody would waste their time to see a large stone hand.


    However, this time, as the darkness of the sky, illuminated only by the glint of the artificial moon, overtook the environment, a battle was ensuing in beneath the mega structure.


    Boom!


    Crash!


    Explosions and crashes rang out in the air as dust and debris was thrown around as if a child was destroying pieces of Lego bricks.


    A young man, not too large in height with blue hair on his small head jumped around with lightning in his hands.


    Alongside him was a larger man with a mean look and a fiery red glow of shinsu around his


    arms.


    They were Ran and Novick, members of Khun''s team - who were at this time, battling against a particular man with long flowing hair tied into a ponytail. The hair draped over his eyes, covering them and concealing his complete face.


    It was none other than Jue Viole Grace, the slayer nominee of FUG. Beside him was a fair skinned bunny girl, behind whomst was a bloodied man laying down on the ground.


    "I can''t use spear of light, but I can use something similar. I want you to create an opportunity." Ran called out to Novick who only nodded in response.


    Without another word, both of them rushed at the opponent, their respective shinsu types blazing at the fist.


    In a split second, Novick reached the slayer nominee and punched out with his fist.


    "Hayeol Style- Crimson Bell Shock Seal!"


    A wave of shinsu exploded out from his body, coalescing into a dome that pushed everything around him. The shinsu moved with a strange fluidity that made no more pleasantries than to rush straight at the opponent and throwing him into the air!


    Shaaa!


    Viole who had his arms crossed to defend couldn''t help but widen his eyes. At that moment, he felt his hair stand on edge as a blazing blue fell onto his head from above.


    "Mascheny style-" a chilling voice whispered. "Lanza de Relampago!"


    A giant lightning spear flashed, and not even an instant later, the shinsu in the air surged into an effervescence, boiling and writhing by the temperature achieved in less than a millisecond! Lighthouses, 3 in number that revolved around Viole from the beginning came to the front at his command the moment he sensed himself getting flung into the air. And as the whisper landed on his ears, they adopted a triangular formation!!


    The lightning spear that dashed at half the speed of light slowed to a crawl upon passing through the thin veil of shinsu and disappeared!


    Reverse Flow Control, enhanced through lighthouses!


    Ran''s eyes widened mid air as he saw the spectacle.


    Whoooooooo~


    5 baangs appeared instantly and as Viole landed, each of them was fired!


    Boom!


    Shaaaa!


    Crash!


    As the dust cleared, Ran and Novick lay atop the rubble - defeated.


    Viole stood up, a slight limp is his steps - whether due to injury or rage couldn''t be told.


    "Why did you kill him?" He asked, nay, whispered. His bone chilling voice reached their ears and a chill travelled up both of their spines and as if their blood had been frozen solid they felt a strange stiffness in their body.


    "He had a place to return to. People that waited for him..." Viole continued in the same tone. Novick and Ran got over their initial surprise and stared at the stone ceiling expressionlessly. "Why?! Why did you kill him?! Now he can''t return!" Viole yelled into the air, partly to convey his rage, partly to rationalize his blooming desire to kill the two people before him. Such primal force of emotions surged inside him that he did not care anymore. Novick took a moment to speak, "I''m sorry to say, but even though we fought him, we didn''t


    kill him." He said.


    Viole stopped in his tracks.


    "It was him. The one under that rubble. Dig him up and ask him about it." Novick pointed to


    the rubble at the opposite side of the structure.


    "That''s the others Devil''s Right Arm."


    Viole''s eyes grazed the rubble before he was interrupted by the bunny girl that was with him.


    "Wait! They''re clearly lying. I saw them kill him! They''re doing this to buy more time!" The


    bunny girl, named XiaXia said with a small tug at her lips.


    "So... before they have the chance to attack, you should kil-"


    Just then, before she could finish her sentence, a booming voice sounded in the structure. A


    voice all too familiar.


    "Ran! Novick!"


    There was a noise of skidding of shoes and a blue haired young man immediately slid into


    view.


    Khun huffed and ran inside.


    "What is going on here?!" He yelled.


    But before he could go further, XiaXia pulled out a button and yelled into the air for everyone


    to stop.


    After that, she continued in length, proclaiming the young man with the ling hair as the newest slayer nominee and the next slayer to be; their "God."


    Jue Viole Grace, the Slayer Nominee listened without so much as a word. After which, she


    continued to explain their ''evil'' plan to ruse to fame by killing none other than Khun Ageuro


    Agnis.


    Khun looked at this is shock.


    It was a set up from the start?! Apple... no, not only her. Michael ans Gyetang might as well be


    involved! They wereall working WITH FUG!


    Although his thoughts were in turmoil, none of it showed on his face.


    "So what now? Mr. Slayer Nominee?" Khun smiled at the young man.


    The Slayer in question stopped to contemplate his words. But then, strangely enough, he


    turned on a voice changer from the lighthouse and explained in length why he wouldn''t kill


    Khun.


    FUG people really like to monologue huh? With that passing thought, Khun continued to do the unexpected and call him out on his bullshit.


    And that was the opportunity!


    Ran flicked his finger, zapping the button right out of XiaXia''s hand, just in time for Novick to


    grab it!


    But right as he did so, Viole turned up and froze him right in place.


    Cassano Beniamino got up from the rubble and picked up Horyang, joining in with the FUG


    group.


    And then, XiaXia went ahead and blew up the entire structure.


    Booooom!


    But as the structure went down, there was a sudden shout.


    A shout that was all too familiar to the outcast of the Khun family.


    "Mr. Khun!"


    "Hehehehahahahahahahahaha!" A low chuckle slowly transformed into a boisterous


    laughter.


    A dimly lit room was covered in blood as a man laid still with various holes in his feet, legs


    and arms. The crimson of life pooled at the floor and slithered down the walls as the still warm body of the near dead man rapidly lost heat, soon to be gone into the oblivion of death. His companion, the talking chicken had already lost his life by the hands of the betrayers.


    And the one at the center of it all, a yellow haired young woman with freckles on her face laughted at them.


    Two other people stood around the room, namely Apple and Michael. "You... hehe... You know nothing." Her maniacal laughter came to an end as he began to huff,


    drawing large breaths of air and calming her drumming heartbeat.


    "I... I haven''t done anything wrong." Her eyes held a strange expression as they trembled


    within their sockets in a deranged frenzy.


    She turned to Apple, the blonde haired woman and said, "Give me your phone."


    Apple didn''t ask why. She only handed it over.


    Rachel opened the mobile without haste and reached a particular app, namely ''Emily.''


    Opening a new chat, she typed.


    Emily: Hello, I''m Emily! I love to talk about all kinds of things!


    Rachel: Winston Heath.


    Emily: I know about him! He''s widely known as the strongest E ranked regular and is waiting


    for the workshop battle on the 29th floor!


    Rachel: Do you want to know a secret about him?


    Emily: Sure! I promise I don''t snitch! Rachel: He''s an irregular. There was silence in the room for some time.


    "So you''re committed now?" Apple smiled at the side.


    Rachel returned her words with a glare.


    "There''s no going back from here. Khun had to die. And Winston... that man will no doubt


    become a hindrance to my goal."


    Michel, with his ever present smile chuckled.


    "Why does it matter? He''ll never even know where we are."


    The other two nodded in agreement and they headed outside, to leave for someplace else.


    A/N: Damn. I''m saying this now, future updates will be slower. As you might know, I gave the


    NEET exam, but that turned out to be a disaster this year. So, I have only 6 months remaining for the re exam now.


    So yeah, do not expect there to be a chapter everyday. There might be a chapter every three


    days or so.


    Also, I feel like my writing just takes a dip when I write too much of one thing. So, I''ll try and


    work


    that out too.


    Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


    Leave a review if you liked the fanfic till now. As always, throw some stones.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 70: Meeting

    Chapter 70: MeetingIrregular.


    A normal person understands not the significance of such a term, but merely the fear it invokes; and that alone is enough.


    An irregular is a being that provokes fear and chaos everywhere it goes. A being unbound by the rules of the tower and those that exist therein, someone that stands as the sole opposition to everything the tower stands for. A true Error in the tower.


    The sole meaning the word ''irregular'' holds, and the latent strength it harbors was obvious. Just the label of that term was enough for the entire Tower to turn it''s head and look over in awe at the new God that had entered it''s confines. The very notion that such an insurmountable being, a mountain of power was climbing the tower was enough of a reason for millions of regulars to stop their climb for centuries to come.


    Irregulars breed chaos. Irregulars breed change. Irregulars breed a new era.


    And all of those stood as an opposition to everything that Jahad Empire wishes to establish!


    Floor 134, Ranker Administration Headquarters-


    Robert Aisand calmly sat inside a meeting room, calmly overlooking the entire hall filled with rankers and high rankers.


    He sat at the forefront, guiding the discussion and getting along with the daily procedure.


    Just then, someone burst through the doors of the hall, making all the members of the hall to lock their eyes upon the poor man.


    The man who had broken in trembled under their gazes.


    Aisand stared at him without blinking and spoke, "What is it?"


    "S-sir! A-a new i-i-ireegular! A new irregular has been revealed to have entered the tower!"


    The air in the room chilled instantly.


    Aisand blinked expressionlessly.


    "And?"


    Hearing his nonchalant tone, the man was at a loss for words.


    "...Umm. Sir, its a new irregular. An irregular has entered the tower. Not only that, it was more than 4 years ago.."


    "So? Quit wasting my time." Aisand scowled at the man who felt a chill travel up his spine.


    All the High rankers and rankers were quiet in front of the behemoth that was Aisand. There was only the sound of their own conversation.


    At that moment, the man again felt the authority this man commanded- the unfeeling man named, "Robot" Aisand.


    "U-ummm.. It was Emily sir. She was the one that leaked the news" The man pulled out a mobile phone from his pocket and showed Emily on it. It was a chat about Winston Heath and how he was an irregular.


    Aisand''s face that was without any semblance of an expression until this point soured instantly.


    "You interrupted a board meeting just to show me a rumor spread from an app? You can''t be serious." The man''s blood chilled as he felt his mind turn heavier.


    Hastily, he explained himself.


    "No, sir! This is not the main news actually!" He continued, "The main news happened afterwards."


    A lighthouse appeared behind the man, of which one of the screens displayed a man standing on a precipice of a large hill, dressed in a long tail coat, a half top hat and dark pants. He also held a cane in his hand.


    "T-the so called irregular, Winston Heath who has yet to pass the 29th floor actually admitted to being an irregular! He started a live stream and has challenged one of the Jahad''s forces'' High rankers to a duel!"


    A wave of exclamation instantly went through the room, like a ripple disturbing the still surface of a lake.


    Aisand raised his hand and everyone quieted down instantly.


    "He wants to fight a High Ranker?"


    "Y-yes!"


    "And has anyone accepted?"


    "T-thats the thing sir!" Sweat poured from the man''s temples.


    "Many High rankers in the Jahad Forces, even ranging from Khun Maschenny Jahad, Ha Yuri Jahad, multiple High rankers from the Lo Po Bia family and even Corps Commander Kallavan of the 4th Army Division offered to fight the irregular!"


    For the first time since the man had begun to speak, he the slightest of changes within Aisand''s facial features. Just the slightest flicker of his eyelids that signified his surprise.


    "I see. And he''s live streaming this?"


    "Yes... he''s currently waiting for a high ranker to arrive." The man said, now feeling confident again.


    "Then get out."


    The man ran without any words and closed the doors behind him.


    Aisand was silent for a moment, an action that came as a surprise for the people present.


    Then, he did something that chilled their spines to the core.


    He smiled.


    That one smile made them freeze in place as if a phantom threat was looming over them. Aisand never smiled. He never even showed any expression. His face was a constant blur of


    nonchalance.


    But here they saw something they had never imagined even in their wildest dreams.


    "...Sir?" One of the High Rankers spoke.


    Aisand turned to him.


    "What?"


    "What... what do we do of the news?"


    "What''s there to do? Watch the livestream and proceed from there."


    With a shake of his head, Aisand resumed the compulsory meeting for the day.


    While people worked as they usually did at the Ranker Administration Headquarters, the entire Tower was taken up by a Storm. An Irregular on the 29th floor, livestreaming a fight with a High Ranker. Not only that, it was one of the big shots, a high ranker from the Jahad


    forces!


    But the perpetrator of this sat on a cliff that faced the ocean. The observer and the lighthouse


    floated before him as he calmly read through the chat.


    [XHyedioX: @Winston Heath, Are you really an irregular?


    OneMorePebble: Fight! Fight!


    Danherus: What is happening? Why does this stream have 10 million people watching?


    NoSignificanxe: Charlotte My Goddess!


    GuutionThe Destroyer: I heard the irregular is fighting Commander Kallavan! Chat, is that


    true?!


    Lookstothetop: @Winston Heath, please don''t die! Take my points!


    DogShit: lol, why is he just standing there?


    OneMorePebble: Fight! Fight! Fight!


    Radhan: What is happening?


    Tsukuneo: Huh?


    RegularSlayer: Irregulars are lame!


    HunterofGod: Ban the irregulars!


    NoSignificanxe: Charlotte! Leave this man and come to me!


    JahadSimp: You''re going down! I already disliked the Stream!


    Lookstothetop: TAKE MY POIIIIINTTTSSS!


    XvudoltuX: REEEEEEEEE


    HumanHunterof78thFloor: Is the stream frozen? I keep seeing a catatonic man simply


    smiling at the camera. I do admit he looks good though..


    BeautyGoddess: @Winston Heath, what are your thoughts on marriage?


    OneMorePebble: Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!]


    The chat blizted ahead without any chance for a normal person to make out the contents.


    Most of it was gibberish, but there were some curious ones. One proclaimed how FUG was the true saviour of the tower and would soon crusade to destroy all the irregulars. One confessed his love for Charlotte and suggested her to leave the time bomb that was the irregular... okay,


    not one but multiple.


    Another said the word ''Shit'' 428 times in a single message without space.


    Truly, the streaming services were strange no matter where you were.


    This was the consequence of his identity as an irregular being revealed overnight. It was not


    known how exactly it was revealed.


    Well, to the rest of the tower that is. For them, the only source was Emily who began to tell everyone a deep secret about a famous E ranked regular.


    But of course, Winston knew exactly who had done so.


    Who could it be but Rachel? Spectral Threads, his new ability, was tailor made to draw out such information from the spirit world.


    Of course, there was also the news of the new slayer nominee Jue Viole Grace, who Winston had found out to be none other than the 25th Bam, ''killing'' Khun Ageuro Agnis to gain traction. A plan that had failed however, considering how Khun was still very much alive as per his divination and Spectral Threads and the fact that they had stupidly chosen to reveal his identity as an irregular amidst their endeavour.


    Why would they reveal such a shocking news - on Emily no less - and expect everyone to pay attention to a regular getting killed by a slayer nominee? Winston lampooned while watching the chat roll


    by.


    In any respect, it couldn''t have been a calculated move... Maybe Rachel and the main group of FUG is operating differently? But that wouldn''t make sense considering the ambush Khun recieved... Winston shook those thoughts away and focused his spirituality.


    All of his avatars across the tower, that now numbered 10, had already been assimilated back


    to him.


    In a fight with a High Ranker, getting in without full strength was bound to be a bad idea. As


    for using Reset to get his full strength while maintaining the avatars, it wasn''t possible. He could logically do it, but the state was transient because of the large spirituality drain; lasting only 30 seconds.


    In comparison, it was better to be at full capacity and have the ability as a trump card in case of a serious injury. Winston sighed, spiking a wave in the chat about him finally moving.


    I do wonder who they''ll send. I don''t want to do divination and spoil the fun. He smiled and stood up


    from the small rock he had been seated at.


    Then, he looked towards the ocean, from where a gigantic fleet of hundreds of airships was


    sailing towards


    him. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It seems they won''t keep me waiting." Winston said, turning the observer in the same


    direction.


    [MyNameis-: It seems like an entire fleet! Maybe a Corps Commander is coming! Kallavan?!


    Junghunsoon: OMG! It''s starting!


    Pie: Die already!


    Thresha: They''re here!


    XHyedioX: HYPE!


    Lookstothetop: HYPE!


    GuutionTheDestroyer: HYPE! DuNg: HYPE!


    OneMorePebble: Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!]


    Winston smiled as his spirit vision activated. His eyes saw through everything, piercing through the truths of the world and monitoring the shinsu flow in the area.


    It was chaotic. Hundreds of behemoths were mounted atop those warships, each of them


    coming towards him at this moment for a fight.


    Slowly but surely, the warships drew in closer and Winston took in more of the people on


    board. The rankers rummaged around everywhere, their emotions riled up and nervous as they approached him.


    As for the High Rankers, he could feel their gazes locking onto him, filled with malice, interest and a strange elation.


    And there, at the forefront stood two distinct figures.


    One of them was a curvaceous and beautiful woman. Her hair was flowing long and bright blue in colour with eyes like the darkest shades of sapphires. She has a broad forehead and fair skin with a small redness at her cheeks. At her lips was a smile as she looked at him from the


    main hall of the leading battleship.


    And not only her. Right beside her was a man. He was large and muscular with blonde hair cut


    short and a rugged appearance. He too was fair skinned and had a piercing glare. His gaze was of such enmity that Winston doubted if he had some previous ties with him. They were, of course, Khun Maschenny Jahad and Corps Commander Kallavan! There was word of them wishing to appear in a battle against him, but who would have


    guessed it would be to this extent?! And not to mention Jahad sent both of them at once! "Khun Maschenny Jahad and Kallavan." Winston whispered beside the observer to let the


    people watching know. At this point, the view count had reached a staggering 50 millions and


    climbing! It was as if all regulars had dropped what they were doing and immediately hopped onto the livestream to do check the battle!


    The Chat went absolutely ballistic as they registered Winston''s words. But the next comment


    riled them up even more.


    "This ought to be fun."


    Aisand sat in his office with a hardened expression, his silver hair flowing down to his feet. In front of him was another man that sat leisurely and laughed at the lighthouse that too was displaying the same stream. He was shorter than Aisand and did not boast a strong presence, yet before him, he was increasingly confident unlike anyone else.


    It was none other than Tommy, the director of the ranking administrator office.


    "That man''s quite something isn''t he? Aisan." The man said. Aisand threw him a small glance before he returned to the live stream.


    "Such a wide scale fleet requires the permission of the floor administrator. Not only that, the


    battlefield itself needs the permission of the guardian so it can commense. If the administrator has not been notified beforehand, it makes it impossible to fight since the


    administrator will appear and kill everyone involved.


    "That means the administrator is in the knowhow of the battle, and in doing so, he has also


    offered the tacit confirmation of the man being an irregular." He concluded.


    Tommy narrowed his eyes a bit. "What do you mean to say?"


    "Winston Heath. That man says that by defeating two high rankers as an E ranked regular, he


    is proving himself as an irregular. But that itself was already made clear the moment the Administrator offered his agreement and the Jahad''s forces came to the battle."


    "And?" "The fight isn''t taking place to prove that he''s an irregular. Though it will take care of the


    naysayers, its not the main intent behind it." Aisand''s expression changed, now appearing somewhat impressed. A small tug at his lips proved that.


    "The main reason is to make a point..." He gazed intently at the lighthouse, feeling a strange


    intrigue at the irregular. "Interesting..." Tommy chimed with a small laugh.


    A/N: Nice.

 Chapter 71: How to be a Good Streamer 101

    Chapter 71: How to be a Good Streamer 101A gigantic behemoth stirred in the air and the clouds twisted around it.


    Winston turned off his spirit vision and threw a glance behind him, suddenly feeling hundreds or even thousands of eyes locking onto him. There, in the sky floated the administrator in his personal space. Winston threw the administrator a smile.


    Just then, he felt the administrator turn his eyes towards something in the far distance.


    So he''s noticed already huh... can''t Fool a guardian yet I suppose.


    "It seems the administrator is also watching." Winston whispered, not to himself but to the observer. He could see the numbers rapidly rising, now, it had reached a staggering number of 70 million concurrent viewers!


    Good... Winston turned back to the airships. The presence of the floor guardian meant he would be limited in his ability to use spirit vision. But that would be alright still.


    Winston''s smile only widened as the airships drew in closer and closer and closer still.


    His eyes stayed locked with the two people at the forefront.


    A Jahad Princess and a Corps Commander... Looking at the Princess from the Khun family, Winston felt a bit regretful. He had actually thought of pursuing the next princess of Jahad he sees, if the said person caught his interest that is.


    The Tower was expansive as is and there was an abundance of pretty girls, but he had to chose someone that could actually keep up with him. His teachings could only propel them so far. The perfect remedy for that was a princess of Jahad. Anaak was out of the equation, since Winston saw her more as a Little Sister. That, and he was somewhat sure of a blooming romance between Amon and her.


    As for Endorsi... Well, she was Endorsi. Enough said. She did not catch his interest in such a way.


    Winston sighed and popped his neck.


    There''s really no cure for loneliness...


    Holding his cane, he walked to the very precipice of the cliff and spread open his arms.


    The observer behind him transmitted the scenery. Him, spreading his arms wide open as if welcoming the airships and relishing in their presence. As if the entire ordeal was nothing more than a pass time for him. That was the impression he gave off.


    Winston smiled at Kallavan whose glare turned stronger seeing his confident visage.


    Without having to wait too long, the airships finally reached him.


    There was unrest in the lodging as everyone waited with bated breaths.


    The two princesses of Jahad, Shibisu, Hatz, Amon, Laure, Verdi the anima and finally, Vespa the Scout; they all sat in the hall silently staring at the Television that was displaying Winston welcoming the airships.


    They were plenty spooked when they heard of Winston''s true identity as an irregular being revealed. But then, they found out about the live stream... where he would be fighting a High Ranker. No, not a normal ranker. Not an Advanced Ranker, but a High Ranker. The very pinnacle of strength in the Tower.


    Endorsi clenched a needle in her hands as she stared at the screen in a fit of rage.


    "What the hell is that guy thinking?! Is he mad?! Challenging a High ranker like that!" Her outburst wasn''t met with any comment from the others.


    They all felt the same way in some way or form. Ranker. A being that had climbed to the top of the tower. Such a being was no longer mere flesh and blood, but something more.


    Advanced rankers were overwhelmingly more powerful in that regard. A single advanced ranker could slaughter hundreds of rankers without batting an eye.


    A High Ranker? A High Ranker laid at too high of a mountain for mere regulars like them to even look up to it. High Rankers were the true Gods of the tower. A fight between two High Rankers could devastate a large portion of an entire Floor, it was the reason why administrators didn''t like High Rankers causing trouble on their floor.


    And here, their teammate had went ahead and challenged a High ranker to a battle. And not just any High Ranker, but one that was in the Jahad''s Forces.


    It was pure madness no matter how one looked at it.


    Shibisu held a rare look of seriousness on his face. More than that, he seemed almost dejected. Perhaps he didn''t think Winston was going to survive this, or perhaps he thought of something else. But he was on edge like everyone else.


    At that moment, the only remaining member of the team, Zarhan Zulasekail walked into the room holding a sandwich in his hand.


    "What''s happening? Why is the air so tense in here?" He raised an eyebrow as he took a bite out of the sandwich.


    "Winston''s fighting a high ranker. Didn''t you hear?" Hatz was the one that replied.


    "Oh right, that." He said nonchalantly and sat down onto a nearby chair.


    "What''s with that reaction? He''s going to die!"


    "Aren''t you even a little bit worried?!"


    Endorsi yelled with Anaak following in her footsteps. Both of them seemed pissed at him for being so unbothered by the entire situation.


    "What''s there to worry about?" Zarhan inquired taking another bite. "Winston''s not the one to take on stupid decisions like this. He''s smart enough to not be an idiot. If he has taken the chance, it means he has a plan." His explanation calmed down the two tanks and the room once again descended into a pregnant silence.


    Now, hearing Zarhan''s words, there was a collective doubt in their minds.


    Could Winston actually defeat a High Ranker?


    "That guy''s pretty bold! Openly taunting them like that! Hahahaha!"Tommy guffawed as he watched the stream. With a simple click of his pocket, he donated a total 300 million points to


    the stream!


    Seeing the gigantic donation of points, the chat vent ballistic!


    [MyNameis-: WHAT THE?!


    Who_is_Me_Son: 300 MILLION POINTS?!!


    NoSignificanxe: He''s rich!! Maybe I too should start such a stream.


    Appoflife: That''s more than I have ever made in my life. And I''m here sitting on the 86th floor.


    Rumino: MARRY ME!!


    OneMorePebble: FIGHT!!!!!]


    "That should get him motivated to at least put up a show." He said.


    Aisand raised an eyebrow at him.


    "You don''t think he can win?"


    "You do?" Tommy returned Aisand''s question with his own.


    "I don''t think anything. There''s no information to go off of."


    Tommy chuckled and said, "You were plenty sure when Urek Mazino kidnapped you though."


    "That was that. Phantaminum is truly the strongest irregular to have entered the Tower. This Winston Heath however is largely an enigma. Before being declared as an irregular and pulling this stunt, he had a reputation to have the strength of a D rank as an E rank regular.


    Nothing more than that." Aisand explained.


    Tommy shook his head.


    "I think he might surprise us all..."


    "We will see."


    With the eyes of more than 70 million people on him, Winston could not help but show a crooked smile. The elation he felt at such a large scale performance and the feedback that would be gained through it... it was enough to send a shiver down his spine.


    But more than that, the thing that chilled his body was the increasingly fearsome gaze of the hulking man that has drawn near to a meager distance of 400 meters. Kallavan. Meeting his eyes, Winston could not help but have a strange premonition in his heart.


    That''s... dangerous. He mused with a smile.


    I wasn''t expecting such a big shot to come here. Kallavan... Can I beat him? Winston thought. The abilities of Sequence 5 were good, but would it be enough to deal with him?


    Turning him into a marionette will ultimately fail. With the strength gap between us, the approximate time will probably be a minute. Within that time, if my power is interrupted, the time will reset.


    Maschenny Jahad is the same. And there''s no guarantee if they will truly fight me one on one. Although there''s so many viewers, that''s no shield from their fanaticism towards power and authority. Some challenging the might of high rankers... that''s bound to get them mad. "Winston Heath!" Interrupting his inner speech, a booming voice called his name.


    Winston spanned back to reality.


    There they were, Kallavan and Maschenny flying in the air right before the ship.


    Khun Maschenny Jahad, one of the Princesses with the Thriteen month series floated with a large yellow spear in her hand. The spear was largely unimpressive, being a large yellow pole made out of an unknown metal and a pointed tip that seemed to be made out of gold. The craftsmanship of the spear was impeccable; one could tell at a glance.


    And above all, Winston sensed a large aggregation of shinsu around it, ducking in everything


    like a whirlpool.


    The Yellow May, one of the 13 Month Series.


    She''s already pulled that out? Is it just to showcase or does she plan on going all out from the start?


    Winston narrowed his eyes. Logically, there was no reason for her to bring it out from the start. As such, it was, in all possibility, a showcase of the power of Jahad.


    That''s right. Just as Winston was using the opportunity to prove a point, so was the Jahad''s forces. Using the event as an example; showcasing the power of Jahad so that none will think of challenging their power.


    "Winston Heath." Kallavan spoke, drawing Winston''s attention. He extended his hand and pointed his finger at him, his eyes riveted to Winston''s own.


    "You have committed a grave crime by challenging the power of Jahad." His voice boomed


    into the air, stirring the shinsu along merely by his words.


    Winston felt his back soaking wet with sweat. He felt it. Pure strength that emanated from


    this being in front of him.


    He smiled.


    "And so, I will accept your challenge, as will Khun Maschenny Jahad. Choose. You would you


    like to die at the hands of?"


    Silence reigned in the atmosphere, for but a moment.


    The chat started going too fast for even Winston to read through, let alone anyone else. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And what broke the silence was a low chuckle.


    "I wasn''t expecting such a large reception. Say, am I to assume only one of you will fight with


    me?" He asked pressing down on his top hat.


    "Of course." Maschenny was the one that replied. Her voice was sweet, but yet it seemed cold and unfeeling as if she was above anything she could observe with her eyes. "We are not so


    petty as to bully a poor man like yourself. Choose away, whose hands would you want your death to be spelled out from?"


    "And what of the fleet behind you?"


    "Here to bear witness. How a heretic irregular like you shall be executed for stepping out of


    line." Winston''s laugh that followed couldn''t have rang louder.


    Then, he kept a hand to his chest and bowed his body a bit.


    "Then, M''lady. Do forgive me, for I have to leave you be for now." Winston commented. His


    eyes, hidden by the hat were drawn towards Kallavan.


    "And I''m going to have to ask the Corps Commander here to a humble battle." Winston was indeed knowledgeable about being a good streamer, for the live view counter


    had already exceeded 100 million!


    The best way to gain attention was to be bold. Being bold and doing something surpassing


    the expectation of thr viewer. That was the essence of an engaging stream.


    And Winston was going to flip their expectations over their heads!


    A/N: This one took a long time since I read ALL of the Hell Train Arc and am about to get into


    S3. It''s been a long time since I read it and I left off at about ep 60 of s3. Anyway, I wanted to get Kallavan''s character and abilities right for the upcoming fight, but then I realized he''s just a simple Jahad Fanatic. There not much to say about his personality, just that he''s expectionally strong, has a high sense of duty and holds Jahad above all. Even I don''t know how Winston will pull this off man. Kallavan is hella broken. But hey, there''s a clue in this chapter about the true intent behind the match. If anyone can find and


    comment it, I''ll release a bonus chapter. Throw some stones and cheers-

 Chapter 72: Destruction

    Chapter 72: DestructionKallavan stared him down from hundreds of meters away. As his words landed the air stilled, as did the waves of the ocean and the soft fluttering of the grass blades under him.


    The shinsu in the air seemed heavier, making it difficult to breathe. For regulars, that is.


    The chat only seemed to go by faster as millions of people joined in to comment.


    And then, it started.


    Booom!


    Whiiirrrrr!


    Ho000000!


    The shinsu blazed with the intensity of a volcano, exploding into the air and right towards Winston! The bright blue shinsu, mixed in with saturated colours of yellow and red transformed into an ignition of flames that spread out in the blink of an eye! S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston almost widened his eyes. Almost.


    Without any wait, the explosion appeared around him and blanketed him in the destruction within!


    Boooom!


    The hill that Winston stood on disappeared before anyone could react! The observer was hovering in the air still, a good few hundred meters away from the battle zone.


    Kallavan stared at the blast zone for a moment. And then, he turned his head upwards.


    "That was rude." A chuckle, accompanied by a mocking voice rang in his ears.


    Winston floated calmly in the air, his wooden cane held over his shoulder and the other hand inside his pocket.


    The hat on his head was gone, revealing the dark hair hidden underneath.


    "An after image?" Kallavan whispered to himself.


    "Bingo!" And along came the reply.


    Kallavan snorted and clenched his fist.


    And so, he attacked.


    His figure rapidly dashed out, far surpassing speeds that the eye could follow and reaching the speed of lightning!


    Whooosh!


    In an endlessly small time, the entire distance between the two was traversed!


    Kallavan adopted a stance mid air and punched out, the shinsu around him rippling with pressure!


    Winston calmly stood on the air and tilted his body to the right.


    Shaaaa!


    Crash!


    Shockwaves travelled into the air and turned the otherwise benevolent ocean into a tumultuous nightmare.


    Winston dodged the attacks, of which hundreds were thrown in the blink of an eye! His movements, erratic as they were made it seem as if there were no bones in his body, allowing him to move however he desired.


    One to his left cheek, another to the right side of his abdomen, another to his arm and another to his neck.


    Hundreds of such blows rained in the air, each carrying a shockwave that shook all across the battlefield like an acolyte of destruction.


    The mere aftermath of Kallavan''s blows reshaped the landscape and stuck therein was Winston who still donned a smile.


    As expected. Even the slightest graze from his hits can be lethal. I can''t close the distance.


    Vision; vistas of the immediate future, overlapped his normal sight as he predicted the next attack and moved accordingly.


    He saw him move forward, as so he too moved towards him, shifting to the right. Next Kallavan would attack with a leg sweep, and so he ducked under it. He saw him descend towards him, and so, he leapt into the spirit world to appear above.


    Everything happened before anyone watching the stream even had the time to react.


    Without any delay, Winston retreated back. The cane he held in his hand had already long disappeared; to where it went and when it had happened were unknown.


    "You''re pretty strong!" Winston exclaimed with a slightly crazed expression.


    His hand retreated into the void and pulled out a large blue needle. The ''Cerulean Tide 2.0,'' as he had named it.


    "I haven''t had the time to test this out. So I''ll just use you as a test subject."


    Kallavan punched at him again, blowing a thin line of pressurized air towards his body!


    This time, however, Winston stood his ground and stabbed ahead with his new weapon.


    "Ignition!"


    An effervescence of shinsu fulminated in the air, triggering a large explosion. Winston who stood his ground was instantly evaporated into hundreds of fragments of thin paper!


    "That was dangerous." A whisper sounded in Kallavan''s ears. His eyes widened and he attacked with his elbow, hitting Winston right in the chest!


    However, just like the previous one, this too disappeared into fragments of paper.


    Kallavan grabbed one of the fragments and stared at it.


    "What''s wrong?" Winston said.


    The Ignition doesn''t compare to even a normal blow from him... though that''s to be expected.


    "It seems you have some tricks up your sleeve. What was that? A protection spell?"


    "Hmm. Guess." Winston chuckled.


    Kallavan didn''t say anything, only getting into a stance.


    "Not much of a talker are you?"


    Seeing Kallavan ready to attack, Winston also prepared himself. However, just when he did so,


    a strange premonition welled up in his heart.


    Danger!


    His instincts screamed at him from all angles, telling him to leap into the spirit world lest he gets swallowed up by the strange power that would soon erupt!


    And so, he did.


    Boooooooom!


    A tsunami of pure power, a flood of light that enveloped the entire sky within it appeared in the battlefield. The short island that Winston had sat down disappeared into the air, leaving behind not even the dust from a single rock!


    The ocean for hundreds of meters to come evaporated instantly and the steam dispersed as soon as it formed!


    Winston leapt out of the spirit world, his left arm completely gone and dripping blood.


    That was...strange.


    Winston mused as he looked towards the battlefield.


    There it was, a gigantic sphere of blue, yellow and red light that swirled around and around, never extinguishing and only getting bigger.


    The attack had come out of nowhere. Winston felt the premonition, yet he was just a slightest moment too late to react. Something he hadn''t expected would happen. The attack had only grazed his hand, yet it took his arm all the same.


    "What''s wrong?" Kallavan''s voice spoke from within the sphere. Slowly, he walked out and Winston observed his visage.


    There was nothing that had changed about him, yet everything had at the same time.


    He no longer felt to be someone whose blows he could avoid with little discomfort. Winston saw it. If he got close to him, he would be hit. There were no blindspots around him, nowhere he could approach from as if Kallavan had seen every movement known to man and leaned how to counter it.


    But above all, the greatest threat he felt from him was from a strange flame like energy that emanated from inside him. It appeared at the top of his forehead, appearing like a third eye and powering his fists which blazed with blue energy.


    What''s that? Winston thought.


    "Why aren''t you smiling anymore?" Kallavan spoke, his monotonous voice ringing out in his


    ears.


    At that moment, Winston realized he had subconsciously stopped smiling.


    On the other hand, the stream chat was going absolutely ballistic. The speed was still just as fast. No one was able to tell what anyone was even saying anymore.


    Khun Maschenny Jahad chuckled and kept her Yellow May back into the inventory. It was not needed anymore. Kallavan would take care of the irregular and bring fear and reverence among the masses about the power of Jahad.


    Though it was still sad that she did not get to kill him herself. It was quite regretful.


    Winston looked at his injury and shook his head. Slowly, shinsu droplets began to coalesce


    around his shoulder and transformed into a fully functioning appendage!


    "That''ll do, I guess." He said.


    "Useless!" Kallavan''s yell was accompanied by an explosion of shinsu.


    "Essence of Bravery! Transcendent skill-" Winston''s hair stood on edge as he prepared


    himself for the upcoming attack.


    "Atomic Explosion!"


    White. Pure boundless white overlapped his vision as he activated flaming jump. The


    explosion of shinsu, the properties of which he was still figuring out burned through towards


    him, even beyond the spirit world!


    Winston''s eyes shrank into needles. His entire body was enveloped by fire that soon turned


    into ash.


    Right beside the Corps Commander, Winston appeared again.


    "That''s enough." He said.


    Boom!


    Whooosh!


    Hundreds of baangs were thrown around, becoming a mesh of shinsu that closed in on their


    location. Kallavan began to pummel Winston with punches, most of which he parried with his


    weapon and shinsu reinforcement.


    Winston had not needed to use shinsu reinforcement for a long time, using only his physical


    strength to pull through most situations.


    In this situation however, he was forced to use both reinforcement and the Diffusion


    Boundary, lest he gets obliterated with a graze.


    A flurry of attacks went by both of them as explosions and beams of light appeared all around.


    "Shinsu skill-" Winston spoke, flicking his wrist and thrusting the needle towards Kallavan''s


    throat.


    "Beam of Light- Murderous Thorns!"


    As his voice sounded, the beams of light all around, formed out of hundreds of baangs that


    had been given their own ''life'', to free them of his conscious control, dashed towards them! Then, they expanded.


    The beams of light exploded into bushes of thorns that shot towards the Corps Commander!


    Clang!


    The thousands of thorns that had sprouted from the attack embedded themselves on his skin. And though each and everyone of them failed to pierce it, they held him in place.


    Kallavan narrowed his eyes slightly. But then, they widened in surprise.


    Bzzzz!


    "Shinsu Skill-Beam of Light" Winston directly appeared behind him, holding a gigantic


    lightning spear in his hand and taking a hauling stance.


    Maschenny who was watching in the distance widened her eyes.


    "That''s..." She whispered.


    "Wrath of Lightning!" Winston exclaimed and threw the lightning bolt in his hand. The


    lightning instantly expanded to an ungodly size, slamming right into Kallavan without


    resistance who did not even bother to dodge.


    Winston smiled, having anticipated the reaction.


    Fwoooooooossshhhh!


    Crack!


    Cracks of lightning littered the air as the shinsu disappeared and so did the water underneath.


    Kallavan stood still for a moment, lightning arcs on his body, stunned by the attack.


    "That''s it." Winston smiled.


    Kallavan activated the Essence of Bravery and instantly recovered. But just as he did, he felt


    his thoughts beginning to slow down.


    What... is this... He thought. His joints instantly felt as if they had been bolted to stillness and it


    took an eternity to form any cohesive thoughts. Even the instinct of attack, one that had been


    drilled into his very core took all too long to activate.


    "Gotcha." And the Devil whispered on his ears.


    However, the strange condition was not to last.


    Boom!


    His Essence of Bravery, his strongest power had activated by itself and proven essential in


    blowing him up.


    It had reset him to his previous state.


    Bam!


    Boom!


    Without a second of delay, he punched out and destroyed Winston Heath another time, or at


    least trying to. Winston disappeared in place, leaving an after image and reappearing another


    hundred meters away.


    "That''s wasn''t very nice."


    "What was that? That definitely has to be a spell." Kallavan narrowed his eyes as he, for the


    first time since the fight started, felt a genuine threat.


    "Guess."


    He gnashed his teeth, and instantly, the essence of Bravery exploded out. But before he could


    react, Winston extended his hand and flicked his wrist.


    Immediately, a time that was all too fast for Kallavan to react, a blue light flew from his body


    towards Winston and merged with his body.


    Huh?


    Kallavan felt something. Something missing.


    He looked towards Winston, and what he saw shocked him.


    There he stood, the irregular. But on his forehead, there burned a strange blue fire. He


    emanated a strange aura, one that made Kallavan sure he would be hit the moment he got too


    close. Or perhaps he would be hit in the next moment, without even having the need to be in


    range.


    "Let''s start from the top shall we?"


    A/N: Like three of you managed to guess right, so congrats I guess. I wasn''t going to write this


    chapter since I have a fever, but a deal''s a deal.


    Tell me your thoughts on the fight and throw some stones.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 73: Spell

    Chapter 73: SpellWinston had a dream. A vision of the past.


    There, he saw a man. The man had his back turned to him, displaying his enormous body of which each muscle was perfectly aligned and trained. He had long and wild hair and wore nothing on the upper part of his body.


    He seemed to be someone from a time so far gone that wars were as frequent as a bar fight.


    In the vision, the man fought.


    He fought and fought and fought and then fought some more. More and more and more until rivers turned to blood at his feet and the carcasses of his enemies amassed below him to form an insurmountable hill.


    His skill, his power; everything was refined. He had witnessed every attack that he could, he had thought of a counter to every move that he could. Yet, there he sat.


    When his eyes finally met Winston''s at the end, Winston saw regret inside them. Regret and a deep sadness.


    At the end, the man sealed himself inside of a crystal; something that the next generation would come to call- The Essence of Bravery.


    Harboring the memories and power of a man thought to have reached the pinnacle of Bravery, it truly was a great power.


    However, just as the vision was about to end, the man spoke to him.


    "You..." his voice was hoarse, as if he was not used to speaking.


    "You''re not... the one... that inherited my power..." He squeezed out.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "Are you more than just a memory?"


    The man looked down at his fist, "I... am merely a projection..."


    He looked back at him.


    "What... have you... done?"


    Winston didn''t display any change in his expression and continued on nonchalantly.


    "I stole it. The Essence of Bravery from the previous wielder."


    "How... is that... possible?"


    "You don''t need to know." He continued. "Simply surrender yourself. You won''t be with me long anyway."


    They stared at each other for a moment.


    Without warning, the man''s body began to turn into streams of light.


    "Whatever... if you stole me from... The other man... you have... every right to use... this power." As he uttered his final words, his figure completely merged into light.


    Knowledge, information, experiences; flooded into Winston''s mind.


    This is... Winston narrowed his eyes as he saw everything that the man had experienced


    through his life. Just from the assimilation, Winston had gained all of the man''s knowledge on fighting.


    However, something peculiar occurred.


    Thump!


    Hooo!


    A heat rose from his core. Winston placed a hand at his chest as he felt a strange... change happening to his body.


    Nay, it went beyond that. It was more fundamental. More primal, even.


    Winston''s eyes widened as he realized the source of the heat.


    His second gift. Instinctual Fighter.


    Now this is a pleasant surprise.


    He smiled.


    Stealing was a power that operated on information.


    The more information he has on the opponent, the better the chances of the Theft gets.


    Of course, if the gap between strength is too big, the theft would fail anyway, even if he understood something to the very core.


    Luckily, however, in case of Kallavan, the Spectral Threads were perfect for the job.


    Taking the time to gain information and then steal his greatest strength in one fell swoop.


    "Let''s start from the top, shall we?" Winston grinned at the Corps Commander who stared him with an expression of dumbfoundedness.


    "What the?" He muttered unconsciously.


    Then, he stared at his fist that burned with a blue light.


    Of course, the other downside to theft couldn''t be forgotten.


    If the ability to the target he wishes to steal was already in use, it would not cancel the ability. Such a thing was eliminated at the level of an angel, but it proved to be an inconvenience for


    now.


    Because-


    Boooom!


    "What the hell have you done?!" Kallavan screamed at the top of lungs. The air in the area heated up and rippled as the shinsu all around them turned into flames and explosions.


    "Guess." Of course, Winston, as always, was well suited to be a beyonder from the Red Priest pathway.


    And that was when Kallavan fully lost it.


    Thousands of explosions happened, all in the span of a single second.


    Winston blizted across the entire battlefield, leaving after images as he leapt in and out of the spirit world.


    This heat.... Winston smirked as he blinked through yet another attack from Kallavan.


    His senses drowned out the ensuing chaos, leaving only a stillness that was hard to replicate.


    The explosions, Kallavan''s yelling, Maschenny Jahad preparing to intervene upon seeing Kallavan''s strange state; it was all drowned into a sea of stillness and calm.


    I''ve never felt something like this... Winston thought. It feels... pleasant.


    He sensed Kallavan appearing above him, armed with the blazing blue flame and ready to pummel him into a bloody mess.


    "I don''t know how you did that. But I need it back."


    Bam!


    Shaaaaaaaa!


    Fwoooo~


    The shinsu in the air turned turbulent as their figures were once again encompassed by a


    white cloud of shinsu.


    However, when the cloud cleared, there appeared a weird sight.


    Winston had met Kallavan''s fist with his own.


    Not only blocking the attack, but matching it with his own power.


    All around Winston was a thin film of blue fire. The Diffusion Boundary, modified for the


    essence of bravery.


    "I can get used to this." Winston''s eyes held a strange light to them, as if capable to seeing


    through all attacks.


    Kallavan gnashed his teeth and so began the clash.


    Hundreds of blows rained on Winston who matched then with almost equal strength and


    ferocity.


    However, drops of blood poured out from his hands as he did so.


    Even the new power isn''t enough to match his physical ability? What type of a monstrous physique does he have? Winston grinned as the essence covered his still organic arm, strengthening them beyond what any of his reinforcement techniques would allow for.


    "What is that spell?!" Kallavan question again through the attacks.


    "I''ll tell you just this once." Resisting the urge to say ''Guess'' once more, as he felt that phrase


    was being used a lot in the fight, Winston finally decided to give Kallavan a hint.


    His hands moved like an afterimage as he blinked right in front of Kallavan. Then, he clenched


    his fist, hard!


    [Essence of Bravery- Modified Skill- Hundred Hands of Sky!]


    Hundreds of blows, all thrown before Kallavan could even react.


    Bam!


    Bam!


    Bam!


    All of them connected.


    Boom!


    Kallavan''s body was thrown like an arrow leaving a bow. With a terrifying speed, he smashed


    right into the sea down below.


    "I stole the essence of bravery from you." Winston broke out with a toothy grin.


    "It''s pretty handy, I''ll tell you."


    Before long, Kallavan stepped back out of the water, his figure appearing unharmed.


    He''s one durable man... Winston mused.


    Kallavan''s eyes were now bloodshot. He glared at him with such a hateful gaze that the devil


    itself might shy away at seeing his infernal eyes that spelled out nothing but his desire to


    inflict harm. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "...You are dangerous to be left alone." He said, taking a stance. "I will eliminate you right


    here. Before you can become a nuisance in the face of Jahad."


    "Heh. Why don''t you try?!"


    Aisand and Tommy continued to watch the chaos unfold with a strange expression.


    This had... certainly exceeded their expectations.


    "Heh. What did I tell you, Aisan? The youngsters these days are terrifying."


    Aisand narrowed his eyes.


    "Well, Irregulars are." He continued. "Not sure about everyone else."


    Aisand turned to Tommy.


    "This will have a lot of after effects."


    Tommy raised a brow.


    "Elaborate."


    Aisand turned back to the stream where Winston and Kallavan were engaged in a duel.


    "Essence of Bravery- Lethal Move!" Kallavan yelled, throwing his hand back.


    "Hurricane Shaker- Backlash Bomber!"


    Seeing the attack Winston attacked with the same one! It had been copied the moment he had


    used it!


    Boom!


    Winston blinked again, appearing right behind Kallavan.


    "Shinsu Skill- Incinerating World!" He yelled.


    Flames. Flames of the brightest red and orange appeared, transforming into a gigantic


    tornado that engulfed everything in between. The ensuing heat was so strong that the warships standing in the distance had their metal melt from such a distance!


    "Aargh! The ship is melting!"


    "What the hell?" "The Tower is made up of people that hate change. Every single person that has the power to shake


    the tower has chosen to stay inert."


    "Idiots." Maschenny Jahad clicked her tongue as a spear made out of pure electricity appeared


    in her hand.


    Hauling the spear above her shoulder, she got into position.


    "I''ll do it myself." She smiled. "I''ll pierce his heart in one motion."


    The shinsu around her moved, concentrating more and more inside the spear. She poured


    shinsu worth hundreds of baangs into a single one!


    On the other side, Kallavan punched towards Winston, hitting him eight in the chest and


    throwing him back several meters!


    "Your still as strong as before!" Winston said, wiping a small strain of blood off his lips. They charged at each other again, aiming for a clash as they readied their attacks. Dozens of baangs moved around in the air, mostly Winston''s preparing to intercept Kallavan.


    Each of them had been modified by the essence of bravery too!


    Just then, a vision overlapped his senses.


    He saw himself, right as he clashed with Kallavan. Then, a spear came from behind him. He


    tried to leap into the spirit world but a strange tug pulled him down! It was a spell casted by a ranker on the warships! The spear blitzed towards him and stabbed him in the heart! Winston smiled.


    I''ll take that. He extended his hand and leapt into the spirit world before the spear was thrown. Maschenny, as she was pumping shinsu into the spear, felt something missing.


    Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder. Her hand grasped nothing but air.


    Destiny''s Robber!


    "Perhaps it comes with age? People resist change. Not because they fear it, but because they have grown too accustomed to the monotony of their life."


    "Maschenny Style-" Winston said, appearing behind Kallavan.


    Kallavan turned instantly, wishing to intercept the move. But then, he stopped. His intent to


    ''attack'' was stolen! Then, the baangs around them exploded into thorns!


    Shaaaaa!


    Blood, the crimson of life seeped out of a small wound on Kallavan''s shoulder. There, dozens


    of spines had targeted a single point.


    I finally went through that thick skin of yours. Winston smiled with a maniacal grin, appearing


    like a demon.


    "Deadly lightning." As his words landed, so did the spear of lightning.


    "But change is something that has always been a part of the tower. It arises from the strangest areas.


    And here, when an irregular openly challenges the Jahad''s forces and even comes out on top..."


    On the war ship, the ranker that was going to cast the spell of immobilization on Winston stopped.


    "W...ha...t?" He managed to squeeze out, but no one paid him any mind.


    His thoughts slowed down uncontrollably as did his body movements. But there was no one


    that watched him, as if he had become invisible. He thought of attacking himself, but the


    thought was instantly stolen!


    "It is bound to shake the tower."


    "But Jahad isn''t someone to be taken lightly. Simply being an irregular does not equate to being able to


    trigger change." Tommy argued.


    The ranker suddenly got up from his seat, his expression one of stillness.


    The others around him finally noticed his strange state.


    Alas, it was all too late...


    Kallavan stood there with a small hole on the right side of his chest. Strangely enough, the


    hole did not bleed, but it was glowing.


    Kallavan began to move again and Winston moved to counter it. But then, a premonition


    stirred in his heart.


    Without waiting, he leapt into the spirit world and appeared a hundred meters away!


    And sure enough, at the stop where he just was, a wave of lightning snapped by.


    Winston narrowed his eyes at the Princess. "What''s this? Were you not supposed to fight me one on one?"


    "Things have changed." Maschenny said, fully stepping into the battlefield with a spear in


    hand.


    "Seeing the blood of the Corps Commander... it''s gotten me in the mood for a battle."


    "Irregulars. Regulars. Family Heads and Kings. All of them will become inconsequential. The times deem it so."


    "What times? What''s so good above these times in particular?"


    Aisand smiled.


    Winston stared at them for a moment before he turned his head.


    "Man. If you spoil the fun like that, I have no choice but to finish the battle."


    Kallavan charged at him without a word. Maschenny took a stance to support him.


    Just then, Winston blinked right towards the Corps Commander. Then, keeping a hand on his shoulder, he again, leapt into the spirit world. Hundreds of colours flashed in Kallavan''s eyes, momentarily disorienting him. But before he could make any sense of where he was, he appeared again in the real world.


    There he appeared right above the ocean, where the original hill was supposed to be.


    Kallavan moved, but then, he stopped with a dumbfounded expression.


    His thoughts had once again been stolen.


    Maschenny charged at then from above, but Winston went ahead to intercept her.


    As Kallavan regained his thoughts, he again made way to rejoin the battle. However..


    His body froze midway! As if ice had been embedded into his joints! Reverse Flow Control, coupled with the Freeze spell!


    "The current times are times of change. An irregular entering the tower... I don''t doubt that a war is


    underway. And that war will sweep up the rankers." Aisand stared at the screen. "The current times...."


    Meanwhile, the ranker back on the war ship extended his hand and pointed at the Corps Commander.


    "Immobalize." He muttered listlessly.


    Kallavan, who had already been frozen solid was frozen yet again.


    Then, chuckle came from behind him.


    "Well well. What do we have here?" Winston walked out from the spirit world behind him, in


    his hands was a blue needle. Cerulean Tide 2.0!


    "I finally have you right where I want you to be." He smiled.


    Kallavan, if he could, would widen his eyes. There were two Winston''s all along! "That guy you were fighting. It was a marionette, sorry to say."


    Winston had found a very convenient glitch.


    Since he could make working brains with shinsu, he could also give them a ''soul''. Of course, it


    was not an actual soul, but merely something that had Spirit Body Threads, for Winston to


    latch onto. The procedure after that was simple. He could gift his power to the marionette and operate as he would normally! Giving his powers to marionettes would be possible only at the demigod stage, but here, he had managed to accomplish it without trouble!


    And so, the plan was successful.


    The rankers and Maschenny noticed the two irregulars, but alas, it was all too late.


    Winston kept the needle at Kallavan''s back and spoke softly. "Ignition."


    Shinsu instantly exploded from the needle!


    Kallavan, upon whom the effects of the freezing were beginning to wear off, shakily turned


    his head.


    "A.... spell?!" He turned his eyes downwards, where a gigantic black spell circle was suddenly


    lit up.


    The eyes of every ranker there widened in surprise.


    The entire thing... it had always been a trap.


    "Checkmate."


    "The current times are..."


    A brilliant flash of light enveloped the entire battlefield as the spell activated.


    Spells had very specific rules of follow. First was that the caster had to abide by the rules of


    the spell itself after it had been cast. The second was to have a powerful medium or a Divine entity. And that the rank of the spell was determined by the power of the medium. There were a lot more, but Winston had none to worry about.


    Because now, he spell had already activated. It had very specific conditions. The first was that


    the target had to be on the spell circle. The second was that the target had to be hit directly on


    the back with the item connected to the spell. And the third was that the item had to be an


    ignition weapon.


    And so, his Cerulean Tide had been enchanted with a spell.


    The Spell of Sealing.


    "See ya."


    "W...Winston Heath!!!" With a final yell, Kallavan disappeared into the separate space created


    by the spell.


    The marionette of his crumbled as he felt the strength return back to him.


    Then, he looked towards the warships and the observer.


    He spread his arms out and spoke with a clear voice.


    "I am the Beacon of Destiny." He said, his eyes meeting the warships.


    "I am the Uncontrollable Cosmic Error." His clear voice resonated in the air, ringing in the


    ears of the rankers.


    "I am the Traveller of the Endless Worlds."


    He smiled, and in an over the top way, he brought his arm down and bowed to the audience.


    "And that concludes the performance."


    "The current times.. they are the worst of times... but they are also the best of times..."


    A/N: I wrote this on my mobile because my laptop is broken. I apologize for any misspells or if


    the pacing is strange as it is a 3000 word chapter. It''s harder to organize the words when you''re writing on a phone. Not to mention I have a natural trouble writing fight sequences.


    Anyway, there ya go. That''s his honorific name. I might change it when he becomes an angel


    but that''s that.


    Tell me how the chapter turned out. And as always, throw some stones.


    Cheers-

 Chapter 74: Road to Divinity

    Chapter 74: Road to DivinityMarionettist. The Sequence 5 of the Fool Pathway. It had the curious acting method of orchestrating events through marionettes and watching on the sidelines, controlling everything in the shadows. It was a sequence that worked especially well with spectators, for the feedback was especially prominent; with the events unfolding following a similar scheme to that of a play on a stage.


    That was made even more clear in the ascension ritual to the next sequence, which needed for the beyonder to orchestrate the killing of a demigod level creature in front of a large audience of spectators.


    Winston appeared in a darkened room and popped his neck. He had expected the Jahad''s forces to not take him too seriously and send in someone of a lower stature. That was the reason he had set up the stream. Partly to digest the potion and partly to prepare for the ritual. However, just in case, the spell had also been marked beforehand, just in case the Jahad Forces decided to send in someone above his current level.


    And lo and behold, they had done exactly that, which made Winston prepare for the ritual of the Door pathway''s sequence 4, which required him to seal a hostile creature at the level of a demigod. The lesser the outside help, the better the effects.


    Winston smiled, feeling the potion completely digested and the Sequence 4 potion all around him.


    He turned back to take a look at his latest marionette. The ranker that was going to cast the spell of immobilization on him.


    He observed him with his spirit vision for a few moments before he sealed the entire space, both with his door abilities and with pure spirituality.


    The preparations are complete.


    He thought. Then, something appeared in the air before him. He extended his hand and caught the potion bottle without trouble.


    The potion bottle contained a bright blue liquid that looked not unlike water. Bubbles extended from the bottom to the top, but there was nothing else to it. For a potion that facilitated the ascension to a demigod, it seemed surprisingly ordinary.


    Winston reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a coin. Then, keeping it on his hand, he flicked it up and grabbed it mid air.


    Moderate danger... He nodded, feeling the level of hazard acceptable.


    Then, sitting down onto the bed nearby, he downed the entire potion in one go.


    77th Floor, Headquarters of Wolhaiksong.


    A gigantic sprawling array of mega structures littered the ground. Large coalitions of metal and concrete coming together to form interconnected buildings that pierced into the sky up above.


    Within such a building, in the room of the highest floor, sat two people opposite each other. The only thing between them was a table and adjacent to the table lied a large floating screen.


    "I am the Beacon of Destiny." A chilling voice came from the screen.


    One of the figures chuckled.


    "What do you think? Pretty good right?"


    "He''s acceptable for an irregular. If it were any worse than this, I would have doubts of him being from the outside." The albino man grinned. Atop his head was a cap and his upper body was entirely naked.


    "But isn''t this too extravagant, even for an irregular? Were you also this strong?"


    "I am the Uncontrollable Cosmic Error." The voice from the television rang again.


    "Not to that extent no. At most, I would have been able to take on a ranker." The albino shook his head.


    "Then should we extend an invitation?"


    The albino laughed. "Sure. Send someone in. I''ll be glad to hear the type of stories he has in store for us."


    The man nodded in agreement.


    Just then, the television spoke again.


    "I am the Traveller of the Endless Worlds."


    The air in the room froze for a moment as the red eyes of the albino met the screen. On the screen, Winston was bowing to the observer with a grin on his face.


    "And that concludes the performance."


    The silence persisted, for but a moment.


    "Y''know what. Scratch that." The albino laughed and stood up from the chair.


    "I''ll go and invite this baby myself." As he got up, his back became visible. On his back, a large tattoo was made. It was a collection of wings atop various symbols and words were engraved. Yet the most prominent were the ones that lied in a horizontal line from the left part of his back to the right.


    MAZINO, it spelled out.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Of course." The albino smiled, showcasing his sharp canines.


    The other man sighed for a moment. "Be sure not to overdo it."


    The albino began to walk out of the room and waved behind him.


    "Sure sure. I''ll be back in a bit, yeah?"


    As he slammed the door behind him, silence overtook the room.


    The man looked at the screen, where a paused image of the new irregular, Winston Heath was


    showcased.


    "Insteresting."


    Winston felt as if he were floating. Higher and higher and higher until he ended up someplace... different. His mind was in the clouds and soul was up above in the heavens while the body remained still.


    He saw visions of the spirit world; hundreds of thousands of colours blended together to form a single mesh of a monotonous blur that came alive to carry his power up and above. Unbelievable power, he felt. Unbelievable power was flowing into him, arising from the watery liquid that he had drank and then was assimilating with.


    He felt... free.


    And then, everything was gone. Enveloped by a grey fog beyond which nothing could be seen or heard, travelling beyond even seemed an impossible dream the likes of which were dreamt not by the humans, but the gods that wished to have themselves elevated to the beyond.


    Grey Fog.


    More.


    And even more grey fog.


    It felt as if he had ventured into a strange corner of the world, which he was not yet meant to see. His mind kept drifting off as he wandered further and further, not at all caring for getting


    lost.


    Eventually, silhouettes of strange sceneries began to appear. Silhouettes that felt familiar, but he was unable to put his hand on it.


    As he approached them, they disappeared and drifted away into the same fog that had birthed


    them.


    An unknown amount of time passed.


    And then, the fog cleared out.


    And what appeared in front of him was a barren land, some distance from which lied a large woodland beyond the initial Boundary of which lied the howls of wolves and the laughter of


    foxes.


    The barren farmland had a strange cottage built atop it. Extending further in, was another


    smaller room that was connected to it.


    Winston stopped for a second.


    Then, he clenched his fist and walked ahead.


    Taking a hold of the door handle, he pushed it open.


    The inside was dark and dilapidated. The windows were broken in a lot of places, but the somewhat preserved furniture told of a time when the cottage resembled a traditional house. The floor creaked under his weight, something that was not supposed to be possible because


    of his ability to move perfectly.


    What.... is.. this? His drifting thoughts came together to form a coherent sentence.


    Just then, he heard a loud smack from the one rooms.


    Bam!


    Thud!


    Something fell. Winston walked over to the door and entered.


    There, he saw a normal kitchen, save for the entirely dilapidated counters and furniture. There was a sink at the opposite corner and a table at the middle. On the table sat a large, yet emaciated man who seemed to be in his forties.


    He held a broken bottle in his hand from which some blood dripped out from.


    "Bloody flith." He scowled, looking at a sorry figure that laid on the ground. There on the ground was a small boy, not more than 10 years of age. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His clothes, if they could be called that, resembled the rags of a street rat and his arms were thin. His face was gaunt from malnutrition and his eyes were small beads in his hallow sockets from which tears flooded out from.


    He held the right side of his forehead in pain from which blood dripped out from yet not a


    single expression of pain escaped his lips. Right beside him lay a few broken pieces of glass.


    "Ya should have died instead of your mother. Look where you''ve doomed us to be. Filth!" The man spat out with a disgusted look and got up from the seat. Then, pulling his leg back, he hit the back of the boy hard!


    The boy crashed again into the ground. This time, he didn''t try to get back up.


    "Bloody mutt. You truly are a curse." He said and walked out of the room, passing Winston by


    on the door.


    Winston stayed still, unmoving. He stared at the boy and extended his hand up to his head.


    Then, he grazed the upper right corner of his forehead, right where the hairline started.


    The silence was obvious in the room. Just then, Winston turned to leave. "Sniff! Where are you going?" A hoarse voice came from behind him. The voice of a child.


    "What does it have to do with you?" He said.


    "You''re just a vision I''m having. Probably the result of the divinity attempting to consume my


    psyche."


    "Then... why don''t you wake up?"


    The question lingered in the air, prompting Winston to stay silent.


    "Does this... feel familiar?"


    "Hardly." Winston turned to the boy and spoke. "I don''t even remember this place. Neither


    the event." "And yet, the first thing you erased when you became a faceless was the mark."


    The boy let go of his hand on his forehead, revealing a bloody wound inside which a single


    shard of glass was embedded.


    "His father was not gentle to him when he was little. And just as so, he was not gentle to me


    either."


    "But he''s gone now right?"


    "Yes. Just like his own father. But what did they leave behind...? I don''t know... but definitely


    not happy memories."


    Hearing these words, Winston walked closer to the boy.


    Then, getting a chair for himself, he sat down.


    "You''re walking the path of divinity. Why?" The child asked, in the same hoarse yet innocent


    voice.


    "Why did you never cry?" Winston asked, completely unrelated to the question.


    "I don''t know... if I cried, father would only hit me harder." The boy looked to the window, where the stars were beginning to appear atop a canvas of black.


    "Everyone survives one day at a time and then fades away... I guess I wanted to do the same. I didn''t have a thought of living a long life. Just surviving one day would have been enough." "...It was hard. That was why I ran away from home. I don''t want to run away anymore. Now...


    I have the strength I need." Winston closed his eyes.


    "...Then why aren''t you waking up?"


    Winston looked at him with a questioning gaze.


    "Why don''t you return?"


    He continued to stare at the young boy, who only returned the same blank look.


    "...I wonder why."


    And then, everything faded into gray fog.


    As he came to, slight pain flooded his mind, returning the clarity to his thoughts.


    Winston observed himself.


    And there he saw a strange change.


    Worms. That was the only thing he could describe his spirit body as. Countless worms, some transparent, some white, some resplendent like the stars.


    He knew what they were. His mythical creature form.


    A/N: Leave a Review and Throw some stones.


    Also, I just had a thought about reading a clash of clans story. But there''s just no good ones


    man. Someone make a clash fic.


    I would make one myself, but being an author is just a completely different experience than


    being a reader.


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 75: A Minor Increase

    Chapter 75: A Minor IncreaseThe news of the defeat of Jahad''s forces travelled throughout the tower. Everyone was shook. The upper echelons of the ruling classes turned their heads to the event and gasped in surprise at the arrival of a new contender. The masses were flabbergasted, shocked and fearful of such a powerful force arising out of the blue. The greatest part that fueled their fear wasn''t the fact that another irregular of such strength had come; but the fact that he was still a regular while doing so.


    And that entailed a sense of freedom. By the rules of the tower, the rankers were barred from interfering too much with the regulars, which provided a bit of solace to the climbers. But here, with such a strong being climbing the tower, it was bound to turn some heads.


    The various family heads, specifically, head of the Poe Bidau, Arie, Ari and Ha families all collectively and openly expressed their interest. The rest did so in secrecy. As for the King of the Tower, no one knew about his thoughts, neither could anyone speculate.


    As for the one that was responsible for such things?


    Well...


    He was visiting an old friend.


    Hushed whispers rang in Winston''s ears as he probed through the 28th floor.


    His body flew through the spirit world with such ease that he felt he could traverse an infinite distance without a sweat.


    Sequence 4. The threshold of divinity where one becomes something more than a mortal. A demigod. It was no longer fit to refer to a demigod as a mere ''beyonder'' at this point.


    Divinity was what had changed within them, turning them into entirely different breeds.


    Bizzaro Sorcerer, Parasite and Secrets Sorcerer. There were the names of Sequence 4 of the Fool, Error and the Door pathways.


    Bizzaro Sorcerers, as the name entailed, required the beyonder to act bizzare and conduct strange performances that surprise the audience.


    They were plenty equipped for it as well. Although they did not manifest any new abilities, almost all of the existing ones were dialed to maximum; exhibiting nearly 10 times more effectiveness!


    The ability to control Spirit body Threads and marionettes was extended to a full kilometre! However, even that restriction was turned nil thanks to the Door pathway''s Traveller powers. The marionettes could be as far away from him as they wanted. But he could only make new ones in a range from himself.


    Of course, the marionettes themselves, who could now possess Winston''s abilities due to him being able to "gift" them the maggots he was made out of, could also make other marionettes, effectively turning his ability into an ever growing mesh of marionettes. But he could only sustain so many marionettes at a time. The limit was not certain for now because of a...certain mutation.


    The Parasite was a strange sequence.


    The main power it manifested was simple. It allowed the beyonder to latch onto a target, living or inanimate. There were two levels, deep parasitism or controlling mode, and surface parasitism or concealed mode.


    The gist of it was exceedingly simple. It allowed him to control the other party completely, so long as the parasitism was successful.


    Winston felt a shiver travel up his spine when he remembered Mr. Fool''s journey with Amon through the Forgotten land of Gods. It was truly a scarring experience. A parasitised host has no secrets. They are at complete mercy of the Parasite. The Parasite, at any moment and merely at a whim, decide to steal everything from the user and go away.


    It was truly a busted sequence. But the things he recieved from the Error pathway did not end there. Theft could now be applied to life, position, distance and a plethora of other things. It would only get stronger from here. And of course, Deception and Decryption had followed suit.


    And finally, for the Door Pathway''s Sequence 4- The Secrets Sorcerer. Like everything else, it was also very simple. It had the power of secrecy. It could access the power to make and maintain Secrets and imbue them into objects, living things, events and even the space itself. Other abilities included the ability to seal things, exile them into a separate space for a limited time, and of course, Door substitution. The beyonder could seal the distance between an attack and themselves in a layer of doors. This would effectively shield the beyonder from the attack by making the door take the hit.


    Another thing to mention was the record ability. He could now, record states of an object and essentially, reset something to the previous state. It was an ability increasingly similar to the reset ability he had manifested, making him come to the conclusion that it was merely an extension of the said record ability.


    Destiny''s Robber was conceptualized as well. He could now steal a thought, emotion, dream, distance, life, or even a whole person from his divination.


    Now, that would be the end of the discussion in terms of powers.


    But course, it was even mo


    busted.


    Mythical creature form, the true form of divinity. All of the cowardly trio pathways manifested as worms. And for him, who was an amalgamation of all of them... Well...


    He was made of worms, that''s for sure..


    But the structure was a little off.


    His spirit body was made out of hundreds of worms of time, which were the creature form of the Error. But each of those were made from about 50 worms of spirit, worms that signify the Fool Pathway. And even extending down from there, those in turn, were made out of numerous other worms of stars, the door pathway worms.


    It was a chain that allowed him to... pull off some interesting tricks.


    Say, if he made a marionette, he could gift one of his worms to give him all his abilities. It was the standard way of Bizzaro Sorcerers. But then, you realize, that''s not a normal worm of spirit. It''s a worm of time that''s made out 50 of them. Meaning, each marionette that he makes, they could make 50 more. And wait, it gets crazier.


    Each of the marionettes, which now was a worm of spirit is, in actuality, made out of dozens of worms of stars. And the way door pathway makes use of them is curious. Each worm is basically a computing unit that can be assigned various tasks.


    Say, for example, one worm could be assigned with recording the opponent''s abilities, and another worm could be assigned with spamming the said ability. Imagine that, but with


    dozens of them.


    And not only that, each of them could be ''gifted'' to an afterimage.


    Meaning each marionette that he makes can make 50 marionettes. Each of whom can act as micro computing units that can spam afterimages which not only linger for more than 3 seconds, but also consciously attack the target.


    If you wish for a more practical approach, picture this.


    Your an angel walking down the street and get into a fight with a demigod. But then, the said demigod pulls out 50 marionettes, which soon turn into 2500! And then, each of those 2500 marionettes make dozens of afterimages, each of which spams your own goddamn abilities at you from every single angle!


    But of course, that was only on paper. There was a limit to how many marionettes he could have. If he didn''t strictly abide by that, he would develop schizophrenia. Permanently.


    It doesn''t take a genius to realize that, for a beyonder, being schizophrenic is one of the most disastrous things that could happen.


    The mind was a delicate thing in the beyonder world where madness is at every corner and lurking at every door step.


    There was no other mutation that occurred at this stage, something he was quite


    disappointed about.


    Shaking his head to rid himself of these thoughts, he smiled.


    He had reached his destination.


    Wangnan stood on the top of a residential hotel. The soft wind fluttered through his yellow


    shirt and threw around his messy hair. He held a melancholic look on his face as he


    remembered the things that had happened.


    Viole and Horyang were taken. The Hand of Arlen collapsed. And then, there was that guy


    from the Khun family here.


    That guy had been betrayed by his teammates and one of his teammates was injured. It was


    truly a tragic sight.


    Wangnan sighed and looked at the sky listlessly.


    What am I doing...


    Caw! Suddenly, a strange piercing noise came from the left.


    Wangnan perked up as he turned his head. There, at the edge of the railing sat a black bird. It


    was a crow. Or was it a raven?


    Whatever it was, looking at it sent a chill down his spine.


    Why?


    The bird felt... wrong.


    As if the proportions were too messed up. It''s head was disproportional to the rest of its body


    and the left wing extended down the railing while the right did not even reach it''s own legs. Above all, the raven had a tuff of feathers on it''s right eye, forming what looked to be a large


    circle.


    Caw!


    The bird cawed again.


    Wangnan stared at the bird for a few moments, his eyes slightly widened with a strange


    premonition welling up in his heart.


    Caw! Caw! Caw!


    All of a sudden, it felt as if dozens of voice slammed into his head, disorienting him for a


    moment.


    He looked up. A murder of crows was up in the air, each increasingly disproportionate in their


    own right. The only thing common between all of then was a tuff of feathers they all held at


    their right eye.


    Just then, a soft voice muttered behind him.


    "Don''t worry about that." The voice said.


    Wangnan jumped forward and turned around.


    It was another crow that silently floated in the air. Although it flapped its wings, it made no


    sound whatsoever.


    "W-what are you?"


    "We? We are the envoys of the lord." The crow spoke. His voice was strange, as if a billion


    insects were speaking at the back of its throat.


    "What lord?" "That need not concern you." The crow shook his head. Then, landing on the ground, it began


    to morph.


    "We are merely here to deliver a message."


    "We?"


    "We are the collective. We are the legion." As the morphing continued, Wangnan watched in


    horror as the joints of the crow cracked and the skin split open in many places, eventually


    rearranging themselves into the figure of a man. The man had his back turned to him. "Khun Ageuro Agnis is inside correct?"


    Wangnan gulped and nodded, unsure if the man would catch his non verbal response.


    Surprisingly, the man began to walk towards the door.


    Then, without even opening the door, he phased right through it.


    The crows disappeared as if they were never here.


    What the hell man...


    A/N: Wangnan has been scarred for life.


    Anyway, I made a Clash of Clans fanfic. I don''t really have a plan, but I suppose I have a feeling


    I can work this out.


    Cheers~ S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 76: Khun Ageuro Agnis

    Chapter 76: Khun Ageuro AgnisA man with bright blue hair sat on a chair beside a bed. On the bed laid another man, only this one had long dark hair.


    It was none other than Khun and his newly recruited teammate, Dan.


    "It''s not so bad that you can''t walk, but... it won''t be the same anymore." Khun held a rare look of melancholy on his face as he talked to the man. His eyes failed to meet the figure of his teammate as they trailed towards his hands.


    "...I''m sorry, Dan." He said. "It was my fault. Maybe if I hadn''t invited you to begin with..."


    "Hey Khun." Dan interrupted him before he could go on. Khun looked towards him.


    "Please.. Can you take me to the workshop battle?"


    Khun''s eyes couldn''t help but widen. "B-but with the state your legs are in-"


    "Rachel kept me alive on purpose." Dan''s soft voice silenced him. "She wanted to see me despair and see me live with pathetic legs. That was the only reason she let me go. She''ll be expecting me to go in misery.. and give up on everything."


    "Dan..." Khun muttered.


    "The truth is... on the last test before I met you guys, I lost all my teammates." He continued to speak, his soft voice somehow reverberating in the entire room.


    "We met some strong opponents and thought we could take them... Unfortunately, all of my teammates were murdered. I... escaped from the test area by myself.


    A slight tremor could be felt from his voice.


    "At that moment... my fast legs felt so pathetic... so pathetic that I couldn''t stop myself from weeping. And the true reason that I didn''t betray you wasn''t due to some loyalty... I just couldn''t forgive myself if I became even more pathetic than I already was... It''s funny-"


    Just then, as Dan was continuing on with his emotional speech, a loud voice suddenly rang out in the area.


    "Hey bro. That''s crazy and all, but can you speed this up."


    Khun''s hair stood on edge as he hurriedly got up the chair and turned to look behind him. Three lighthouses instantly appeared in the air to make a shield while Khun pulled out a knife from under his clothes.


    "Who''s there?!" He yelled.


    The room was silent for a moment.


    But then, a momentary shift in the wall appeared. The wall turned illusory, almost see through. And then, a door formed in it''s place.


    Khun watched in horror as the door formed and slowly opened with a creaking sound. The surrounding lights seemed to dim dangerously as a reddish hue emanated from the surroundings. Hushed whispers rang in his ears and bombarded his brain with a light headache.


    Creak~~


    As the door opened, beyond it appeared darkness. Pure pitch darkness.


    "What the hell?!" Khun yelled with a strange expression. What exactly was he dealing with here? Was it someone from FUG? Here to complete the job?


    "You have some nerve pointing that knife at me." A deep voice, accompanied by a strange and eerie sound of a millions insects sounded in the room. Then, slowly, from the darkness, a foot stepped into the room.


    It wasn''t a human foot by any means. It was avian. Pitch black in colour, almost blending in with the darkness behind the door if not for the slight contours at it''s edges, which, strangely enough, gave it a cartoonish feeling.


    And then, the other foot stepped inside and along came the full body.


    It was a gigantic crow, it''s eyes coloured a blood red and almost protruding out of it''s eyes. Half of it''s torso was missing and it''s feathers were metallic at a lot of places. And finally, at it''s right eye was a tuft of feathers that created a circle around the beady eye.


    "Greetings." The crow spoke in the same eerie voice.


    "Did you miss me?"


    "I don''t even know who you are." Khun said, sweat pooling at his back. He would be lying if he said that the imagery didn''t the least bit affect him. He was plenty scared at this point. "Well... let me give you a small clue." The Crow said, and then, right before them it began to morph. It''s flesh and blood shed away as the sound of cracking bones rang in their ears. Dan, at this point in time, was already scared shitless.


    The crow continued to morph. Eventually, a man came into view.


    And as he did, everything clicked for Khun.


    "...Are you serious?"


    "Damn right I am." Winston smiled as he lifted his top hat to meet Khun''s gaze. Needless to say, Khun was pretty pissed. That is, if his attempts at trying to stab him are anything to go


    by.


    "Stop that. You know it isn''t going to work." Winston laughed as he dodged the knife. At this point, everything in the room had already returned to normal.


    "Then, let me stab you! Just once!" Khun yelled, still trying to get a single stab in.


    "Suit yourself." Winston shrugged his shoulders and stood still. And as the knife reached his body, a metallic ring sounded.


    Khun looked at his knife, which had been snapped clean off it''s handle.


    "See what I mean?"


    "Right." Khun nodded in agreement.


    "Jeez man. You just saw me solo a Corps Commander and you''re acting like that. Props to you." Winston said. He meant it, truly. It took guts to do something like this to someone so much stronger than you. Even if that person was a friend.


    Only complete trust would give anyone the courage to attempt something like this. Either that, or downright insanity. One of those.


    Winston smiled, genuinely.


    "Hello, Khun."


    Seeing his smile, Khun dropped the stink eye and returned the gesture.


    "Hello, Winston."


    They extended their hands and locked their arms.


    "I just can''t leave you alone huh. Stirring up an entire squadron Commander."


    "You''re one to talk. You went ahead and almost died I hear."


    "Um. Excuse me. Who?" Dan said with a dumbfounded expression.


    Khun turned to him with an awkward smile.


    "Ah, right. I should probably introduce you right?"


    "What the hell..." That was Dan''s reaction after he got to know of Winston. A simple


    explanation wouldn''t have hit the mark, so Khun figured he should at least show him the stream on which Winston fought Kallavan.


    And guess what? It sort of... Well, it left him shocked.


    "So... you''re an irregular."


    "As per my knowledge, yes." Winston nodded, but then, his eyes turned to his legs.


    "Wow. You really got the short end of the stick."


    Khun clicked his tongue, some in annoyance and some in regret.


    "I never realized half of my team was filled with traitors."


    "I really thought you were smarter than that." Winston sighed. "I guess Rak really was the


    true leader."


    Khun turned to him with a strange expression.


    "Are you... serious?"


    "Very." Winston said with confidence.


    Khun sighed heavily.


    "Enough of that. What''s done is done. What will you be doing now?" Winston asked with a


    raised brow.


    Khun thought for a moment before answering.


    "We are going to the Workshop battle." He continued. "I talked with Hwaryun. Oh, she is a guide who works with FUG, also, Jue Viole Grace, the infamous slayer nominee is actually just Bam. Hwaryun was also the one that helped FUG capture Bam at the 2nd Floor, but now she


    has agreed to help us." He explained in a single breath.


    "...right." Winston nodded.


    Is it fortunate that I already knew that? Khun''s old habit to wish for a reaction in people hasn''t waned


    I see. He lampooned.


    Then, his eyes again travelled to the sorry figure of Dan.


    "Well, I suppose if you''re going to the workshop battle, as your friend, I can''t have your


    teammates looking like this."


    Khun looked at him questioningly.


    Before anyone said anything, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper figurine.


    Then, leaning down, he placed his hand on Dan''s chest.


    "Behold." He said. And just like that, the legs of the paper figurine began to crumble.


    Winston retreated his hand and threw the paper figurine into the air.


    Suddenly, Dan''s eyes widened.


    "Huh..? Huh? HUH?!" He got up from the bed in a hurry.


    "Wait, Dan. You shouldn''t get u-" Khun tried to get him back, but the man was quicker.


    Whoosh!


    In a split second, he dashed to the other side of the room!


    "How did you... do that?" Dan asked in puzzlement.


    Winston smiled and put a finger to his lips.


    "Guess."


    "I''ll accept your offer!" Khun announced as he walked into the hall. In front of him sat


    Arkraptor, Wangnan, Miseng, Yihwa, Prince and Goseng on a couch while Hwaryun, the red


    haired guide stood before them.


    "I''ll go to the workshop battle with them! And I''ll be sure to win it!" He declared.


    Wangnan was the first to react.


    "What? What do you mean?! You can''t possibly be considering taking us to the workshop


    battle right?!" He yelled.


    Just then, two men walked out of the room.


    "What the?! Ghost! It''s a ghost!" Prince pointed his finger at Dan who was gotten up and was


    looking all healthy.


    "I''m not a ghost." He said awkwardly.


    "How did he heal so quickly?" Asked Yihwa.


    Khun and Dan shook their heads collectively.


    "The reason is also a big part of why I''m agreeing to this." Khu said and pointed behind him.


    "Let me introduce you."


    It was at this point that they took in the final person to have exited the room. Winston didn''t have his full face visible. His eyes were slightly hidden thanks to his half top hat.


    "So you''re here too. I was wondering why the paths were getting all blurry and covered with


    Fog." Hwaryun smiled at Winston.


    Seeing this Khun raised a brow.


    "You''ve met before."


    "Never seen her after the test floor."


    "His involvement makes everything blurry. It''s happened on the test floor before."


    Both of them lied as naturally as they breathed.


    There seemed to be a tacit agreement to not mention their precious meeting.


    "You?" Yihwa narrowed her eyes.


    "Me?"


    "I feel like I''ve seen you before." Yihwa had a small blush on her cheeks as she spoke. "That''s a clever way to spark a conversation." Winston smiled. Then, taking a hand to his


    head, he promptly removed the hat. "How about we get to know each other better? If you want to after seeing my face that is." He chuckled.


    And as he revealed his face, the colour drained from everyone''s faces.


    "Yo-you!" Wangnan pointed at him with a shaky finger while Prince hid behind Arkraptor and


    Miseng hid herself behind Goseng.


    "You''re Winston Heath! The Irregular!" Yihwa exclaimed.


    Winston chuckled.


    "Correct."


    He bowed a little.


    "Pleasure to make your acquaintances. I hope we can work for a long time." He smiled. "Now


    that I''ve revealed myself, I have no reason to stay hidden."


    A strange light escaped Winston''s eyes, sending a shiver down everyone''s spine.


    "I plan to stick around."


    There was silence in the room for a bit.


    "That''s great!" Khun gave him a thumbs up and turned to Hwaryun.


    Seeing that, she smiled.


    "My abilities will practically be useless with him involved. But even so, you''ll be just fine."


    She shook her head. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The next month will be spent on training for the competition. Winston will also be


    overseeing the entire thing." Khun laughed, "We will bring back Viole. But, you guys better be


    ready for a world of pain. What do you say? Are you in?"


    Wangnan walked forward and looked at Lhun''s outstretched hand for a moment.


    Then, without a word, he went ahead and took his hand.


    "Then it''s final." Winston popped his neck.


    "We''ll be going to the workshop battle in a month. Let us do our best everyone!" Dan


    exclaimed.


    "Um, Excuse me. Master Winston." Wangnan interrupted the conversation by raising a hand.


    "Hm?"


    "Um. If I may be so bold to ask... were you the one I met on the terrace?"


    "What are you talking about?" Winston raised a brow with a quizzical expression. "I have no


    idea what you''re asking. I didn''t even arrive on the terrace."


    As he heard his words, a chill suddenly travelled up Wangnan''s spine.


    A/N: I just read the first 100 chapters of season 3. Meanwhile, I forgot to update the chapter. I


    apologize for the delay.


    But holy shit man. White just made it to my list of great antagonists. Goddamn that was good. Anyway, do remember to leave a review. And if you''re interested, check out my new fanfic(Though it will largely be like an original work, so if anyone''s interested, do check it


    out).


    Throw some stones. Cheers~~

 Chapter 77: Collateral

    Chapter 77: CollateralThe spell Winston had trapped Kallavan into was by no means a simple one. Once a spell has been completed, it is very difficult to break. That is one of the rules of a spell. You can''t just cancel a complete spell.


    As such, High Rankers of the Po Bidau family were called in and the spell was taken down within a time of 2 days.


    At that point, the damage had already been done.


    The name of Jahad, someone whose power had rung undisputed for centuries in the tower was, for the first time in a millenia, tarnished with a stain so large it could not be ignored.


    The name of Jahad, which had been imbued with unspeakable power until then was ruthlessly dragged into the mud. And by whom? All by the acts of a single irregular that had challenged Jahad''s forces.


    The damage control couldn''t be performed. Everywhere in the tower, discussions of the fight were taking place. Blogs were made of the irregular, Winston Heath, to theorize about his abilities and powers. Fan pages were created, gaining more and more traction. And along with that, Winston''s surface account of Charlotte had gained even more popularity for reasons that couldn''t be explained. Perhaps people found it more attractive that the ''Goddess'' was climbing the tower with an irregular.


    As the popularity rose within only 3 hours of the fight, the Commander in Chief of the Army, Adori Jahad officially announced a statement.


    Kallavan was demoted from his position as a Corps Commander and the entire 4th Squadron would be disbanded, to be built from the ground up again.


    A tower wide revolution went underway in the army. The leader of the Lo Po Bia family, Lo Po Bia Traumerei openly sent 3000 rankers to the Jahad army, 250 of which were advanced rankers and 3 High Rankers.


    Meanwhile, the Ha, Arie, Ari and the Khun families were all invited to send more recruits to the army.


    And contrary to everyone''s expectations, they had actually agreed.


    A total of 10,000 rankers were sent out to join the Jahad Forces from the various families, with even the Tu Perie family joining in.


    Everyone was on edge. A war was on the verge of breaking out.


    One ones that were looking to overthrow Jahad''s rule in the shadows... were now starting to surface from the depths again. The previous irregular, the slayer nominee Jue Viole Grace, was no longer a priority for them!


    And so, all the major forces including Jahad'' Army, the Ten Great Families, FUG, Wolhaiksong and various others began to pay attention to the next moves of the one who changed it all.


    Winston Heath.


    The various forces and the masses had already begun to call Winston Heath by a sobriquet. Silent Leviathan. But of course, Winston''s own honorific names were booming in popularity. Practically every other person referred to him as - "The Beacon of Destiny" or "The Uncontrollable Cosmic Error" or "Traveller of the Endless Worlds.''


    In the ranking administration headquarters, when the news reached them, Aisand and Tommy arrived at a specific conclusion.


    They would include Winston Heath, the irregular onto the rankings. It was a composed decision on Aisand''s part. For one he had already sent a confirmation notice to Jahad.


    The entire thing was still hidden. But then, just 3 days after Winston''s stream, Jahad finally came forth.


    Aisand''s notice had been affirmed and he had been told to go through with it.


    But not only that. Winston Heath, the irregular was offered something. The position of a ranker without even needing to climb the tower.


    The news again shook the entire Tower.


    A regular had been offered the position of a ranker. And by the King himself, no less.


    But the one it was offered to had no reaction. 2 weeks passed in silence. There was no other movement on behalf of the other party.


    Seeing that, Jahad promptly withdrew the order, but the bill to include Winston in the ranking had already been passed.


    His position?


    Rank No. 345 ''Silent Leviathan'' Winston Heath.


    "Damn..." Shibisu couldn''t help but mutter as he scrolled through the various blogs that had been made about Winston. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It had been a month since Winston took on Kallavan and the heat from the battle was still going strong.


    "Are you looking at pictures of that woman again?" Suddenly, a pissed off voice came from behind him, and then, a small fist slammed into the back of his head.


    Bam!


    "Ouch!"


    Anaak walked over to the front and took a peek at his phone.


    "Huh. Look at that. It''s actually not Charlotte." She said.


    "Of course not! I''m trying to gather information on the slayer candidate!" He yelled.


    "Then how''s it going?" Another voice rang in their ears as Hatz entered the hall.


    Shibisu sighed and slumped back into the sofa.


    "Not well. There was barely any information beforehand. Now, every other page can''t help but go without mentioning Winston. He''s become a celebrity." He shook his head.


    "That''s to be expected." Spoke Anaak as she took a seat beside him and switched on the television.


    "He fought a High Ranker and was even included in the rankings. It''s something that has never happened before." She continued.


    Hatz sat beside Shibisu on the other side, his sword by his side.


    "Weren''t there rumors that he would appear at the Workshop battle?"


    "There were. But anything beyond that just isn''t there." Shibisu said. "Not to mention


    Winston suddenly disappeared. This is all turning into a big mess by now."


    "It''ll be alright... probably." Hatz nodded.


    Just then, Shibisu''s pocket rang with a familiar caller ID.


    "...Mr. Lero ro?" He raised an eyebrow.


    Anaak and Hatz at the side instantly became interested.


    Without waiting, Shibisu picked up the call.


    Lero ro''s face appeared on the pocket.


    He smiled at Shibisu.


    "Long time no see."


    Shibisu smiled, "Hello Mr. Lero ro. I didn''t know you had my contact info."


    "I can pull some strings. It''s fairly easy to hijack a regular''s pocket." Lero ro chuckled.


    You hacked my pocket? Shibisu said silently.


    "I see Anaak and Hatz are doing just as well."


    Anaak and Hatz jumped into the viewing frame and smiled at the ranker. They greeted him


    with smiles and sat back into their respective positions, listening in to the conversation.


    "Why did you contact me?" Shibisu inquired.


    "It is because of a particular task I have been assigned with."


    "Task?"


    Lero ro closed his eyes. "It is from the Wolhaiksong. And the subject is..." He paused.


    "Winston Heath."


    Winston''s name rang in their ears like a thunderclap.


    "Winston? Is the Wolhaiksong trying to recruit him?" Shibisu asked, instantly guessing the


    organisation''s motives.


    Lero ro nodded. "That''s right. After his reveal as someone from outside the tower, Wolhaiksong, whose entire goal is to leave the tower have been getting restless." He said.


    "Furthermore, the issue has even reached the upper echelons of the organisation."


    Shibisu raised a brow.


    "You mean...?"


    "Urek Mazino." Lero ro confirmed. "Mazino himself has left the 77th Floor to have a meeting


    with Winston. But in the month that followed the stream, there was no guessing where he had


    disappeared to."


    "And you contacted us because..?"


    "It is of course because you ate Winston''s friend. We simply wish to get his coordinates from


    you. Even the floor that he''s on will do."


    Shibisu turned quiet for a moment before he sighed.


    "I would have helped you, but even we don''t know where he is."


    Lero ro looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. "That''s surprising, but not


    something we hadn''t expected." He nodded.


    "I apologize for wasting your time. Though if you happen to get anything on him, do contact


    me."


    Shibisu nodded in agreement. "Will do."


    Just then, Lero ro''s tone turned serious.


    "Also." He said. "Are you thinking of joining this year''s workshop battle?"


    "That''s right?"


    Lero ro didn''t say anything. The air turned quiet for a moment.


    "I see. Be careful. There''s something very troublesome about to unfold at the Workshop. Along with that, it would be good for your to lay low for a while. With how popular Winston had been getting recently and the fame it comes with having two Jahad Princesses, Zarhan and Hatz on your team, I wouldn''t be surprised if someone were to target you." He said and cut


    the call.


    Anaak looked at him from the corner of her eye.


    "That was strange."


    "It was." Hatz joined in. "What do you think is the reason for his warning."


    Shibisu stopped, seemingly to organize his thoughts.


    "It doesn''t matter. We''re going there either way, aren''t we?"


    While the entire Tower was in disarray, a previous myth was again starting to rise.


    People with monocles on their faces were beginning to rise on the 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd


    floor in waves.


    Hundreds of people in public places would all of a sudden pull out monocles from some


    compartment in their clothes and keep the monocle on their right eye. Then, they would all smile enigmatically towards the people without and not speak a single word.


    Over the course of a month, hundreds of such stories began to circulate all across the Box.


    People shared their own personal experiences with the ''infection'' as they were beginning to call the strange and eerie phenomenon.


    There were a number of prevailing theories as to why this was occurring.


    One of which was that an ancient Parasite had been awoken on the 20th floor, one was


    possessed it''s host and spread through the use of ''monocles.'' To confirm that theory, various Anima''s were called by the floor Rulers to check the state of the floor.


    Needless to say, the theory was quickly debunked. From there on, the entire thing spiraled out


    of control.


    Hundreds of different stories about there being a large bacterial or fungal hivemind located


    somewhere on the 20th floor were thrown all over the blogs. Other described the entire thing as some sort of a mass hysteria, relating it to some of the old historical recordings like the ''Dancing Plague of the 37th floor.''


    There was even one that preached the entire thing as a call to join the messiah, a God that


    would lead everyone to eternal paradise where everyone was part of a larger whole. It was a


    future where everyone was equal. Naturally, this quickly became a cult. Curious thing about the cult, everyone involved donned monocles over their eyes. Whether it was due to actually succumbing to the infection or merely as a way to pay their respects, it could not be said. But it was also probably because of that, that the cult capped out


    at a total number of 300 members.


    People were afraid. Even more so when the infection actually began to reach the 24th floor.


    This sparked a crazy theory. Perhaps the infection was actually a regular climbing the tower?


    Of course, none could confirm anything.


    The one that could confirm, however, was... experimenting.


    A/N: I experimented a bit with this one. Tell me how it turned out. Would you like more of


    such chapters where the after effects of Winston''s actions are explained in a brief analysis or


    not?


    Anyway, leave a review if you''ve read until now. I feel that the story deserves at least that


    much.


    And as always, donate the stones.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 78: Archimedes

    Chapter 78: Archimedes"It''s huge!" Wangnan exclaimed in surprise as he plastered his face onto the glass of the ship. "Is that the Archimedes?!" He yelled.


    "It is. It is one of the top 5 floating ships that the workshop has made. It''s practically a miracle we get to ride on it." Khun replied with a smile.


    "Will Endorsi Jahad be on there?" Prince asked with stars shining in his eyes.


    "That''s right. We''ll be fighting against her." Khun explained.


    Surprisingly, none of then objected against the idea.


    I guess Winston''s hellish training has done a number on them. Practically anything will be better than that.


    "I have a question." Yihwa said from the side, glancing at Khun.


    "Where is Master Winston?"


    Khun raised an eyebrow and pretended to think for a moment.


    "He''s experimenting with something. He''ll be with us when the battle starts."


    "Will he even be allowed into the battle?" Asked Arkraptor.


    "There shouldn''t be a problem considering he''s still a regular. By the rules of the tower, you can''t stop a regular from taking a test unless you also belong to the same category. Of course, no other regular can afford to take on Winston." Khun smiled and gazed at the Archimedes.


    "Though he did say he might be too busy with his experiments. If so, he might send in another helper."


    "Another helper?" Wangnan suddenly turned his head, a shiver going down his spine. "It wouldn''t happen to be... a crow right?"


    "No? Why would it be a crow?" Khun stared at him weirdly.


    "No reason... yeah. No reason." Wangnan avoided eye contact and awkwardly gawked outside to the various floating ships heading towards the Archimedes.


    "I don''t really have an idea of what type of helper he''s talking about. But if Winston himself had vouched for them, they certainly won''t be weak." Khun said with a relaxed smile.


    "This time... we''ll win the battle and take Bam with us."


    Shinsu coalesced into a thousand shapes, appearing and disappearing, merging within themselves and dissociating therein. Innumerable droplets of shinsu rained onto the ground and soon floated upwards to join the coalition.


    Faces and limbs appeared on the shinsu and rang with a silent scream.


    And there, at the center of it all stood Winston. He held out his arms and his eyes were closed. The shinsu moved as if imbued with a life of it''s own, gathering into hundreds upon hundreds of orbs, each having enough soo to rival a normal High Ranker''s.


    Winston kept his eyes closed as the shinsu continued to move. He could feel it.


    Through his control, the shinsu was... evolving.


    Life was an adaptable thing. Life perceives the changes around itself and changes to cope with them. Evolution forms the basis of life.


    The baangs in the air came together, transforming into a mesh that constantly exchanged shinsu through their connections. Informational exchange continued every single second, getting faster, stronger; more and more and more and more; evolving with each drop of shinsu exchanged.


    A brain as large as a world. That was what Winston had imagined. And the shinsu moved to fulfil his wishes.


    With each progression in sequence, his ability to control and dominate the shinsu in an area only continued to get stronger.


    Upon his ascension to a demigod, the ability had only gotten stronger.


    By himself, he could operate with a whole 200 baangs! And when combined with each of his worms, that only worked to be a separate computing unit, that number quickly ramped up. Now, he could simply will the shinsu to do something. And so it shall happen.


    Winston opened his eyes to look at the spectacle. Innumerable droplets of water hung in the air, connected with thin blue threads that flashed every time information was exchanged. Slowly but surely... a consciousness is forming. Winston mused as he stared at the large spectacle. He had not yet been able to create life from shinsu. But he could simply emulate the processes needed for the same.


    He would create a Divine sea fish for himself.


    One that was tailor made for his shinsu.


    Speaking of...


    Winston extended his arms, and out came three baangs of shinsu. Each baaang was shaped differently. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first resembled the shape of innumerable doors, turning inside out and merging within themselves. The space slightly distorted as the baang came into existence. The various doors had intricate patterns embossed upon them in metal and in wood. Some if the doors were open, either revealing a blend of colours that signified the spirit world or complete darkness and fog.


    The second was a television static that desired to spread out uncontrollably, turning the shinsu around it into a chaotic blend of colours. It was pure chaos. Nothing could be gleamed from looking into the baang.


    And the final one was a rough sphere made out of shards of broken glass. From within the glass, the reflection of a marionette could be seen, one that had constantly shifting features and from the limbs of which illusory threads spread out of the mirror and into the air.


    They were his shinsu qualities. Three of them, signifying the door, error and the fool. The discovery of such new shinsu qualities was what sparked his curiosity and his desire to experiment. And along came the curiosity about a divine sea fish made from his attributes. Of course, such a large experiment was bound to be noticed and interrupted by a floor administrator. What Winston was attempting spanned a whole 50 kilometers in all directions. It was not something that could simply be ignored.


    And so, he had created a separate space for himself, Sealing himself within. Still, he could feel the drilling gaze of the administrator at the back of his head.


    Still can''t hide from the administrator. Winston mused, dispelling the three baangs he had made.


    Speaking of which he had actually tried to look at the administrator with his spirit vision. An endeavour that resulted in severe brain damage. But it was nothing a good reset wouldn''t fix at this point. It also allowed him to confirm one thing. Administrator''s were at the level of angels. They weren''t quite at the level of a God. If they were, even at the Demigod stage, Winston would have been turned into a pile of worms without a second to react the moment he gazed upon it''s true form.


    Winston looked at the shinsu network he had made that resembled the neurons in a brain.


    I don''t think I''ll be leaving this place for a while... I suppose I should send an avatar over. I did say I would send someone to help. Winston nodded his head. But then, he had an idea.


    ...I guess Shibisu will be able to finally meet Charolette. He can''t blame me if he gets rejected though...


    It would seem Winston''s mischievous nature had only grown with his ascension.


    A large battleship floated through the air, followed closely by hundreds of smaller ones.


    The entire structure of the battleship was modified to include various housing spaces upon which hundreds of buildings were erected.


    The entire battleship was covered by a large glass dome from the top while the front of the ship had a giant needle that spearheaded it''s charge.


    It was the Ark of Knowledge, the Battleship of the Po Bidau Family.


    And in the air of the battleship, there floated a man who wore glasses. He wore a white trenchcoat that fluttered in the wind and wore a white suit underneath. With his white gloved hands, he held up a cigarette to his mouth, from which he took momentary puffs from.


    Behind him stood another creature.


    It was a giant silver haired creature with two long ears, horns and round glasses. It had the face not different from a deer and looked extremely wise and intelligent. It wore a long white robe and held a book beside him.


    "Proust, I''ll leave for a bit. Until I return, take note of what Bellerir does while I''m away." The


    man with the glasses spoke with a clear voice.


    The creature stayed silent for a moment before he spoke.


    "Forgive my question, sir. But is your sudden leave related to the happenings of a month


    ago?" Proust asked.


    The man with the glasses glanced behind him, meeting the creature''s large figure.


    "Perhaps. But not necessarily. It is merely an experiment."


    "Experiment?"


    "That''s right." The man smiled as the wind picked up, throwing the back of his trenchcoat in


    the air.


    "Something interesting might happen this year... at the Workshop battle. I might even meet


    the ''Silent Leviathan'' that''s been on everyone''s tongue for the previous month." He said.


    Proust nodded with respect.


    "Then, I will take care of everything in your absence." He said.


    The man with the glasses nodded.


    Then, his threw the cigarette he held in his hand into the air. Without falling, it silently


    burned away in a strange flame. Then, the man stepped before him in the air. Instantly, a


    blinding flash of light enveloped him, and there he was gone.


    His destination was unknown.


    The floating ship Archimedes was truly one of a kind. It offered the greatest luxuries to the


    ones that board it.


    But to even get onto the ship, where the workshop battle was to be conducted, there would be


    a test.


    A gorgeous woman walked on the streets of the temporary ship that had been called.


    It was where the tickets to the Archimedes were going to be given out through the means of a


    game. Given the importance of the place, it was strange that there was only a single woman


    that walked here.


    The woman had bright golden hair that shone in the light. Her eyes were tinted with the


    colours of the finest sapphire and her cheeks were gleaming with the shade of a morning ray.


    Her lips were like a blooming rose and her chin was slanting and cute.


    Her nose affirms don''t you dare, yet eyes that challenge why don''t you?


    She wore a short skirt the colour of sea blue and a bright top that exposed her gentle


    shoulders.


    It was none other than Charolette, Winston''s avatar.


    "Now where are those guys?" She said, her eyes flashing with a strange glow.


    Slowly, illusory threads began to spread out from her body, siphoning information from the spirit world.


    "Found you." A flash of flames enveloped her body, and there she was gone.


    Khun sat in his room, talking to the team about their plan. The test for the tickets had yet to


    be revealed. As such, he was giving them a short speech to boost their morale. Though he wasn''t sure if it was even needed. After going through training, they seemed to be filled with


    a strange confidence.


    That confidence can be fatal. It won''t be strange for then to crumble the moment they meet someone


    much higher than them. Khun thought silently.


    Just then, there was a knock on the door.


    "What the?" Arkraptor was the first to voice his confusion.


    It was strange anyone would come to their room.


    The test was about to begin shortly. As such, every other regular was waiting in their own


    room to take a look at the criteria.


    Khun stayed silent for a moment.


    "Be on guard." He said and got up.


    At the corner of his eye, he saw Yihwa and Wangnan get up to take their positions.


    Standing right before the door, he asked.


    "Who''s there?"


    "Winston sent me." It was the voice of a woman.


    The tense air was instantly deflated.


    Wangnan, Prince and Miseng were instantly ecstatic. While the others were still not


    convinced.


    Khun signaled for them to stay quiet.


    "How can we know for sure."


    "Is anyone else supposed to know that Khun Ageuro Agnis is alive?" The melodious voice


    spoke again.


    Khun thought for some time before he opened the door.


    And as he did, Charolette came into view.


    "Hello there." She grinned. "Ready to win?"


    A/N: Bro I tell you. The family heads hosted a drip or drown contest and Gustang WON.


    Goddman does the man have the drip.


    Anyway, throw some stones.


    Also, do take the time to leave a review and chapter thoughts. It helps keep me motivated and


    gives me that dopamine to keep going.


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 79: One Shot! One Opportunity!

    Chapter 79: One Shot! One Opportunity!There was a deafening silence in the room.


    Everyone sat in shock at their new teammate.


    Right beside Khun sat Charlotte, the most beautiful woman that team Sweet and Sour had ever seen. She sat with a smiling face and without a single word. Perhaps she enjoyed the awkward atmosphere. Or maybe she simply enjoyed the dumbfounded looks of everyone present.


    Wangnan, Arkraptor and Prince had a deep blush on their faces, with Wangnan''s nose even bleeding a bit. As for the ladies, they only stared at Charlotte''s almost perfect features, enamored by her beauty.


    Perhaps this guise is a bit too much... Charlotte thought with a smile.


    "Ahem!" No doubt bothered by the silence, Khun was the first one to break the ice.


    "Everyone... I''d like you to meet Charlotte. Winston''s old teammate and the one that will be helping us on our little quest." He said.


    As if shaken out from a deep sleep, everyone twitched back and shook their heads.


    "I- I know of her! Goddess! I mean Charlotte! I- I can call you Charlotte right?" Wangnan screamed the first part of his sentence, yet turned quiet at the end.


    Charlotte didn''t care and nodded.


    "You can call me by name. We''re going to be teammates here anyways." She said in her melodious voice.


    Arkraptor and Prince collectively got up from their seats and went over to her.


    Then, they both extended a piece of paper.


    "Can I have an autograph?" Said Arkraptor, his face dead serious as if trying to not convey any emotions; in fear of making the lady before him feel uncomfortable. An endeavour that was, unironically, ruined by that same expressionless visage.


    "Can I also get a picture!? I''ll keep it with me until I die!!" Said Prince, having literal stars in his eyes as if meeting an age old crush.


    "Hey no fair! I also want a picture!" Wangnan soon joined then. Charlotte looked at them with a wry smile.


    Seeing their excitement, the ladies present couldn''t help but smile wryly.


    Yihwa clenched her fist with a pissed expression.


    "Damn these guys... can''t you see perfectly beautiful women that have been right beside you?" She said.


    "What? Who? The only beautiful woman here is Goddess Charlotte!" Wangnan exclaimed as if proclaiming the word of the lord.


    Smack!


    Needless to say, it got him smacked on the head.


    Charlotte smiled at their shenanigans and chuckled.


    "There''s no need to be so excited. As I sad, we are teammates now." Her eyes flashed with a strange expression.


    "I''d like to see the results of the training had on you.. The one Winston had you go through, I mean." She said.


    Suddenly, Wangnan felt a shiver travel up his spine. But then, he shook his head and ignored


    it.


    "Can we take a picture?! It will look great on my WeChat account!"


    "Sure."


    "I want one too!"


    "You can take one."


    "Would you like some nachos, Goddess?"


    "I wouldn''t be opposed to that."


    As the men fluttered along her and the ladies watched with strange expressions, Charlotte couldn''t help but have a thought in her mind.


    I should''ve just been Amon. It would''ve saved the trouble...


    Alas, it was too late now.


    It didn''t take long for the sun to fall beyond the horizon, shrouding the entire structure in a shade of darkness.


    Charlotte continued to he pestered by Wangnan and Co.


    But between that, while Miseng was watching a strange movie by the name of ''Quant''s Adventure'', the television screen abruptly switched off.


    Not a second later, the television flashed with light.


    "Hello, regulars at the Workshop battle." A voice spoke from the TV.


    "I am Io, one of the hosts of the workshop battle. Are you enjoying the beautiful nights of Sephia islands?" The voice said, echoing the in the room.


    "The beach here is one of the most beautiful places on the 30th floor middle area. So don''t miss it. Now, let us move onto the more important points.


    "As you may already know, only so many people can partake in the workshop battle. The vacancies are really few and between, so we have organized a short game for you." Game? Charlotte narrowed her eyes and illusory threads spreads out from her body. Not even a second later, she smiled.


    She took a step back and disappeared like a phantom. Nobody noticed her leaving.


    "And the prize of the game... is the 248 tickets for the Archimedes that will depart in two


    days!"


    The team''s eyes widened collectively as they looked towards Khun. Just then, they all heard


    Yihwa yell out.


    "Wait a minute. Where did Charlotte go?!" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Khun instantly turned around and scanned the entire hall. He could have sworn Charlotte was with then right when the broadcast had started.


    Where could she have gone? He thought, a small suspicion growing in his heart. Could it be... No, she wouldn''t have betrayed us. She has no benefit in doing so. If she did, that would only antagonize Winston for her. Unless...


    His eyes narrowed dangerously. She couldn''t have been from FUG too right? But then there''s no reason for her to introduce herself. If she did so to earn trust, then there''s no reason to disappear at a critical moment. But there is one scenario... could it be that she only came to confirm if I was alive? So that she can relay the information back?


    Damn! I''m growing a bit paranoid after the betrayal I suffered at Michael and Apple''s hands... Khun''s mind spiraled down into thoughts; his developing paranoia getting the best of him. But before he could continue going down into the spiral of thoughts, the announcement continued.


    "Only those that have a ticket will get onto the Archimedes! And those that don''t will not! Now! Use the item that we shall provide you... and win a ticket for yourself!" The announcer exclaimed. And then, a bright flash of light occurred in front of every regular in the area.


    "The name of the game is..."


    As the bright light subsided, a firearm came into view. It was a silver revolver with a wooden


    grip.


    "One Shot! One Opportunity!"


    30 minutes before the announcement.


    FUG''s temporary base-


    Reflejo, the servant of the slayer Karaka stood atop his residential building.


    His figure was draped in a dark, shadowy robe while his face was covered by a mask.


    He looked up into the sky, where the workshop''s ship, the Archimedes floated.


    He was silent.


    Just then, his pocket rung with an unknown caller.


    Reflejo looked at the pocket and picked up the call.


    "Greetings." He said. "Lord Karaka."


    "Reflejo." A hoarse voice came from the pocket. The surrounding darkness seemed to get thicker and more threatening, as if something would pounce out of the shadows and devour


    one whole.


    "How can your humble servant be of use to you? My God?" He asked, keeping a hand to his


    abdomen and bowing his head to the pocket.


    "How is the plan coming along?"


    Reflejo nodded and began to speak, his head still in the bowing position.


    "The Slayer Candidate is ready. The workshop battles will begin in the time of 2 days. When


    the finale of the battle arrives, Jue Viole Grace will be converted into the ignition weapon. The seed has already been planted." He explained.


    "Very well. Make sure this doesn''t fail, Reflejo." Karaka''s voice suddenly took on a vicious


    tone.


    "For it won''t be a slayer that would gey the weapon... it would be the newest variable." "Variable?" Reflejo lifted his head a bit.


    "Winston Heath." His voice strangely enough, seemed to reverberate in the wind. "The elders have been discussing his potential as a slayer. With his strength, it wouldn''t be just a


    dream to finally end Jahad.


    "So make sure this doesn''t fail. Understand?"


    Reflejo nodded respectfully.


    "Yes, God! It won''t!"


    With that, the caller hung up.


    Reflejo stayed in that position for another minute before he got up.


    "Winston Heath..." His voice had a weird longing to it.


    "If only I was as talented... The Gods are truly cruel."


    He said. Perhaps it was to the wind. Perhaps it was to himself, trying to offer the last bit of


    solace to his heart. Regardless, one thing was certain.


    All people are born equal, yet some are born more equal than others.


    Gustavo hovered over the Archimedes. His trenchcoat, whiter than snow fluttered wildly in


    the wind. In his hands was a cigarette that he took momentary puffs out of.


    "What''s this?" He narrowed his eyes.


    Down below, at the hotel area where the game was to be conducted, he saw something


    strange. There, on the tallest building, and even above that, there was a woman.


    She had bright blonde hair and was breathtakingly beautiful.


    She floated silently in the wind, her entire visage hidden through what seemed to be an


    illusion. But what was stranger, was a thin string, barely noticable even through his special eyes extending from her body and disappearing into infinity. The string was of such unimaginably thin diameter that he wouldn''t have been able to spot it; or perhaps that was just how it''s nature was. Not to be spotted. "Interesting." Gustang said, taking another puff from the cigarette.


    Just then, something even stranger happened.


    The woman, who had been smiling while looking down turned to look up. Her eyes met


    Gustang''s, something that surprised him since he too, was invisible.


    Then, flashing him a wide grin, she winked at him.


    "Very Interesting."


    A/N: You''re only getting 1600 words today.


    I have a crushing stomach pain. I can''t think properly.


    Anyway, do take the time to donate some power stones and leave a review.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 80: Sylvain

    Chapter 80: SylvainA man moved across the middle areas of the 25th floor. He had a symmetrical face that was rugged and rough.


    His muscles, that were not too visible under his clothes were bulging and packed with power. His overall figure was quiet lean as he stood at a height of 6 foot 5 inches. An eerie glow was in his lava coloured eyes.


    All around his body was a cloth so red it seemed to be draped in blood. The crimson robe, extending below his feet and dragging in the air behind him seemed to shine with a fiery glow. Various accessories donned the robe along the neck and the waist as well as the chest.


    Underneath the robe, on his legs he wore bright red pants that seemed muddy in complexion as compared to the robe. And underneath the robe, right at the waist was a red needle.


    Yet the greatest and most eye catching feature about this man was his fiery red hair that extended down to his waist. And alongside that, a blazing crown floated gently above his head, burning with the embers of war.


    In his hands, the man carried a book, outlined with blood and embossed with the glyphics of battle.


    His eyes were focused before him, right down towards a giant pit that extended further than the eye could see. An unimaginable void.


    "Hmph!" The man snorted with a disdainful expression.


    Then, the shinsu around him changed.


    All the shinsu, down to the most insignificant droplet turned into a blazing pyre that soon rushed upon the man as if to devour him whole and burn him into the landscape.


    Yet, all the Flame only got absorbed into his body.


    The muscles on him expanded and emitted a shade of red as the blood vessels constructed and heat waffed off the man in waves. Steam began to rise from his body.


    Suddenly, the man turned his head to look at the sky.


    There, a giant behemoth stirred. It''s serpentine body slithered in the air and hundreds of thousands of eyes suddenly cast their gaze onto the man.


    The man, standing like a God of war before this giant entity, sneered and turned his head back.


    "Administrator... what monsters." He muttered to himself before shaking his head.


    "I still don''t understand why I had to be the testing dog. What a load a shit." The man said in a clear voice.


    Then, without a sliver of fear or hesitation, the man jumped into the pit.


    The administrator continued to watch as he descended down into the darkness that was gradually illuminated by the fiery red glow of the man.


    "That looks tasty..." A deep bellowing voice rang in the air. And then, the administrator disappeared.


    Along Winston''s hand swam a small fish, not unlike the shape of a normal sweetfish.


    It was a sheen silver in colour and it''s scales glitched at the ends, making it seem as if it were in a permanent static.


    As the beast swam in the air, it left behind a trail of distorted space and a network of transparent threads hung from it''s lateral fins. Along with that, two tentacle like appendages, not unlike the moustache of an Asian Loong, came out of the top of it''s head.


    "I guess that was successful?" Winston raised a brow at the creature.


    It had taken a whole month for the operation to finish.


    A brain as large as the city of New York came together to form a super computer with a single purpose. Design a lifeform that can evolve into a divine sea fish. Shinsu worth hundreds of high rankers was utilized in it''s making. Considering all that, the end result came out surprisingly... cute.


    "I shall name you... let''s see.." Winstin pinched his chin, watching the Divine shinhueh nuzzle up against his palm.


    Considering that Winston had been it''s creator, and the source of the shinsu quality it was made out of, it had quickly proclaimed him as it''s master.


    "How would... Sylvain? How would that sound like?" He asked the sweet fish.


    The sweet fish swam around his arm and swam to the top of his head, gently resting it''s body.


    You don''t seem like you care.


    Winston smiled and then, with a flick of his hand, the entire space shattered.


    He appeared in the real world, veiled by an illusion and out from a door.


    Winston stared at the fish for a second.


    Then, a smile appeared on his face.


    "I''ll deliver you to the workshop. Let''s make Charlotte an anima." He chuckled. And so, he promptly leaped into the spirit world, avoiding the eyes of the administrator that had locked onto him the moment he stepped out of the confined space.


    Charlotte floated atop the residential ship, overlooking the entire event with a smile. She already knew how the event would function. Information gathering was never a problem for someone of the Cowardly Trio. Even more so with spectral threads.


    As the host, Io continued to explain the rules, she suddenly felt a chill travel down her spine. Her eyes almost widened. Almost.


    Charlotte looked up the meet the gaze of the one that made her feel an inkling of danger.


    There in the sky was a man floating in a white trenchcoat. He had glasses on his face while he smoked a cigarette.


    She narrowed her eyes imperceptibly and grinned at the man. Then, she winked at him.


    She had no idea who this man was. However, her intuition told her not to find out using spectral threads. For the man could actually ''see'' the threads that attached her to the main


    body.


    Curious... that feeling of power... pure and unadulterated power waffing off of that man. Charlotte mused. It''s enough to send shivers down my spine.


    At that moment, her intuition told her.


    This was a family head.


    What''s a family head doing here?


    Just as she thought that, the man stepped into the void and disappeared into a spacial


    distortion.


    She raised an eyebrow.


    Curious indeed.


    She shook her head, deciding to have the worms of stars inside her think about the encounter


    and the possible consequences to a family head of all people leaving his abode and coming to


    a workshop battle.


    Then, with a smile and clear eyes, she turned her gaze back towards the people. Right in her hands was a silver revolver with a single bullet.


    The gist of the test was simple.


    You only get one bullet.


    You can either shoot a person for elimination and pass yourself or shoot another person to pass them, leaving you to search for other people and to raid their bullets.


    In the end, to get selected, you either have to get your teammate to shoot you with a good bullet or to have eliminate another person by the confined of the rules. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Charlotte didn''t think too much. There was hardly any need to when you were so overwhelmingly powerful than the others.


    She raised her hand that was grasping the revolver, and then, fired off into the void.


    A ripple travelled through the space, and the bullet disappeared, passing right through an


    illusory door.


    Instantly, a message arrived at her pocket.


    It was one of the tickers to the Archimedes.


    Her eyes curved into a mischievous crescent shape.


    Let''s just have some fun. She looked towards a far corner of the area. And I know just where to go.


    Just then, as she was about to leap into the spirit world, the space around her rippled. She stopped and looked to the right. A door appeared and opened in the air, and from beyond the door, where only light was visible, came out a silver sweet fish.


    "Ah. The experiment was successful."


    Although Winston''s marionette and avatar network functioned as a hive mind, collecting


    information and processing it, there was always a momentary lag between the avatars because of them being situated on different floors. This led to the hive mind splitting off, creating a different mind of operation for a specific floor so that the information could be


    better organized.


    "What''s your name? Sylvain?" She petted the sweet fish gently.


    Well, anima it is.


    Feeling a strange connection to the sweet fish, she ''gifted'' it one of her worms; essentially


    turning the sweet fish into a parasitised being.


    It was not one of controlling nature.


    It would be more comparable to Pallez Zoroast parasitising Leonard. It was quiet a common


    practice between the beyonders of the Error pathway. Simply gifting one of their worms to a sealed artifact could lessen the risks and bring out subservience in the artefact. The same was


    true for creatures.


    The air around the sweet fish instantly became thicker. The shinsu in the air seemed to glitch with static effect and threads and doors appeared around it in miniature forms. "That''s a good synergy." Charlotte extended her hand to the sweetfish. The fish in question gently nuzzled against it and flowed further to hide into her sleeve.


    Then, Charlotte again looked towards a certain direction.


    Shaaa!


    With a burst of flames, she was gone.


    Endorsi Jahad had never felt more satisfaction.


    "I heard that the slayer nominee had long hair and was breathtakingly scary in appearance.


    But looking at you, you''re quite ordinary." She said, keeping a gun at Jue Viole Grace''s head.


    "Tell me. Are you really Jue Viole Grace?"


    Viole was silent.


    Just then, a droplet of shinsu appeared in the air in front of them. And as it popped, a revolver


    came out of it.


    "A Gun?" Said the Traveller.


    "What?" A momentary distraction was made on Endorsi''s part. One that didn''t escape Viole''s


    notice.


    With a frighteningly fast reflex, he swatted away the arm and pointed right at the Princess.


    Damn! I got distracted! Endorsi yelled, moving to subdue the slayer candidate.


    However, she stopped.


    He stopped me? Endorsi''s eyes widened.


    Not missing the opportunity, Viole instantly got down and sweeped her off the ground.


    "Damn!" Endorsi cursed and kicked the slayer candidate away, sending him flying a full


    twenty meters.


    "Mr. Traveller! Do you have any more bombs!" Viole yelled at the Traveller while in mid air.


    "I do! But they''re for tanks!" He yelled.


    "There''s a tank coming at us right now! Throw them!" Viole landed and pointed at the Princess of Jahad that was rushing at them with a pissed off expression.


    In a panic, the Traveller chucked 9 of his strongest bombs right at the Princess.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Various explosions sounded in a single moment, enveloped the area in a thick smoke and


    flames. "Cough! Cough! Dammit! Did they escape?!" Endorsi cursed again. She looked at the large hole in the metal walls before her.


    "Tch! How dare they call a slender girl like me a tank!?" She stomped her foot onto the floor.


    "Are they wrong though?" Suddenly, out of nowhere, a feminine and melodious voice rang in


    her ears.


    "Who''s there?!" Endorsi yelled, turning back to meet the possessor of the voice.


    Tap! Tap!


    The sound of walking rang in the room, echoing off the walls.


    Out from the darkness came a gorgeous woman. Her hair was a bright golden and eyes of


    sapphire. Her face was perfectly symmetrical and her cheeks were tainted with a slight natural


    blush.


    Endorsi''s eyes widened, recognizing this woman.


    "You''re... Charlotte? Winston''s teammate?" she asked.


    Charlotte smiled.


    "Guess."


    A/N: I was immensely disappointed only one of you''s got the animal farm reference in the


    previous chapter. Shout out to Nowhere Man who got the reference.


    "All people are born equal, but some are born more equal than others." It''s a quote from


    animal farm by George Orwell.


    It signifies how the government advocated equality to all people but gives certain privileges


    to the ones in a higher position. It outlines the hypocrisy of the government and how it manipulates the masses.


    In the context of the tower, it underlines how everyone is born ''equal'', yet the irregulars or


    the ones born of their blood are ''more equal'' than others, reflecting Reflejo''s dissatisfaction


    with the way things are.


    Animal farm is one of my all time favourite reads. You people should try it.


    RANT AHEAD! WARNING!


    A/N: I was thinking of doing a mass release some days after, but I figured I might as well have


    some cliffhangers to off this.


    Anyways, do leave some suggestions as to what the sweet fish''s powers should be. And it''s


    still in it''s infancy stage and has a metamorphosis coming up somewhere down the line. Suggest some designs for it as well.


    And finally, do take the time to comment and share your thoughts. It keeps authors like me motivated. PS, I was thinking. You know, random things and I read the chapter of Demon Slayer: Silent Journey(I apologize if the name is wrong, this is a rant at the top of my head), and it hit me.


    the


    Why don''t fanfic writers just try and make their own stuff? Like, most fanfics are a bunch of 14 year olds, though it''s not too different for the official authors I''d assume considering oversaturation of smut and harem fictions- which just tells me the authors really don''t care at all about the realism of a story and just care about a wish fulfilment fantasy. And I cannot


    stress this enough, there is nothing wrong with that. My fanfic is also like that in the first


    place. It the whole concept of a fanfic. Escapism.


    They are fulfilling a demand. People, of which edgy teenagers are a big part of, like to imagine


    themselves in such scenarios of escapism.


    But it always eludes me that why are we missing peak fiction the likes of Emanuel Capricorn or


    various other people could make with their skills.


    I mean, I realize that monetary gains is a big part of it. Patreon as a platform is a good way to make money if you aren''t comfortable with making an original project.


    But still, we could probably see a lot more Peak fiction if half of the decent fanfic authors decide to make a novel. But I guess creators give what the audience demands. So, that''s that.


    Anyway, I am working on an original. It''s going to come out somewhere along the next year( if it can be completed until then, no promises.) Anyone that read the entire rant, you deseve a thumbs up


    Cheers~~~

 Chapter 81: Skirmish

    Chapter 81: SkirmishGuess? Endorsi raised a brow at the woman''s words.


    "So... are you Charlotte or not?"


    Charlotte smiled and chuckled.


    "I am. How are you? Endorsi Jahad." She said.


    Endorsi rolled her eyes as she scanned her up and down. Then, she clicked her tongue.


    "What are you doing here. This is a restricted area. Didn''t the robots stop you?"


    "Oh, you mean the scraps of metal?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders.


    "They aren''t too difficult to take care of. Especially for someone like me. Though they might give someone like you trouble."


    A vein grew on Endorsi''s forehead as she stared at Charlotte.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" She commented in a low and dangerous tone.


    "Oh nothing. A simple clue is sufficient for the intelligent ones. It doesn''t seem like you''re one of them though." Charlotte chuckled.


    Whoosh!


    Just then, a kick came flying at her face.


    Charlotte ducked at a strange angle, her back bending to an impossible degree.


    Crash!


    Endorsi crashed behind her into the wall and bounced right out.


    "That wasn''t very nice."


    "Your remarks remind me of someone. As a matter of fact, that someone happens to be one of your old teammates." She said, popping her knuckles with a glare on her face.


    "Oh. Haven''t you had a good history with Winston? He''s a pretty great guy. Chill dude." Charlotte said, shamelessly praising her original body.


    "Yeah right." Endorsi scowled. "He''s a buffoon. He might be a good leader and a fighter, but he works us to the bone!"


    Suddenly, Charlotte broke out with a mischievous grin.


    "He wouldn''t have done that if your abilities were up to par. That was the case for me at least." She chuckled.


    And so, Endorsi started attacking.


    "What the hell did you say?! You''re talking to a Princess of Jahad!"


    Charlotte''s grin couldn''t help but widen as she jumped away from a punch that soon slammed right into the ground where she stood at.


    A crater formed in it''s place, spreading out like cracks in a spider web.


    Endorsi exhaled, suffusing a short burst of mist from her mouth.


    "You have a weak punch." Charlotte looked down at the ground and glanced back at Endorsi.


    "I''m surprised Winston was even travelling with you." It was unknown why Winston was trying to piss her off like this, but one thing was certain. He was enjoying it a lot.


    And that broke the last straw.


    Endorsi dashed out, cracks spreading in the ground behind her and a thin veil of blue around her body.


    The shinsu around her roared and dashed at her body, coalescing more and more into the veil and strengthening her physical abilities beyond the limits of shinsu control.


    Shaaaaa!


    Boom!


    Charlotte blocked a kick with her arms, one that send her flying into the wall behind her.


    Bam!


    Without a second of delay, Endorsi was atop her again, on her face a vicious grin.


    "Let me teach you some manners!" A barrage of attacks began. Hundreds of punches were thrown in the blink of an eye, each breaking the sound barrier and creating shockwaves throughout the structure.


    It was plenty clear that Endorsi wasn''t one to hold back during a grudge.


    Boom!


    Concrete and debris flew around in the air, carving a pit in the area where each attack had landed.


    "Hmph!" Endorsi snorted as she looked at the pit. "What a dumb woman. Challenging a princess like that." She shook her head.


    Just then, a familiar voice graced her ears.


    "Wow. So you''ve learned that as well?"


    Endorsi''s eyes widened. She threw her gaze at the pit again, seeing a faint blue light glowing


    at the bottom.


    "Diffusion.. Boundary?" She muttered.


    Whiiiiirl!


    Charlotte jumped out of the pit in a single leap, landing just before Endorsi. All around her body was a layer of shinsu.


    "I was also his teammate for 4 years you know." She gave her a toothy grin.


    Endorsi also smirked with a murderous glare.


    "It seems I went too easy on you. It won''t happen again."


    Charlotte laughed at her remark.


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way." She said.


    Endorsi snorted and pulled out a hair pin from her hair. Magically, the small pin transformed


    into a needle!


    "Let''s dance." Charlotte commented.


    Boom!


    Endorsi instantly broke the sound barrier, heading right towards Charlotte who only put out her arm to block.


    Endorsi ducked down at the last moment, using her leg to sweep Charlotte off the ground.


    Crack!


    Wham!


    Charlotte, as well as the ground she stood on were thrown into the air by the force of Endorsi''s


    leg sweep.


    Then, without any time of relaxation, Endorsi stabilized herself and stabbed at Charlotte with


    her needle.


    Shaaaa!


    A bright light flashed in the area, throwing Endorsi back and caused the roof of the building


    they were in to crumble.


    Boom!


    A low and melodious chuckle rang in the area.


    "Shouldn''t you be trying to secure a ticket for yourself?" Charlotte said, stepping out of the rubble with a bright ball of light floating behind her.


    Endorsi who had somehow managed to avoid the blow entirely looked at her with a deadpan.


    "I have my ticket right here." She said, pointing a needle at her.


    "Is that so..."


    [Warning! Surrender Peacefully! Or we will use suppressive firearms!]


    A robotic voice rang in their ears. Endorsi turned around, only to meet two red glowing orbs,


    smashed atop the face of a behemoth of a metal robot.


    The robot had various guns mounted on it''s shoulders and arms.


    Behind the robot were several other of the same kind.


    "What a pain." Endorsi clicked her tongue.


    Just then, Charlotte spoke.


    "Sylvain."


    Flames.


    Boundless flames enveloped the robots, and the shinsu in the area roared as if beckoned by a S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    greater calling.


    In just a second, the robots were turned to dust and scrap metal.


    Endorsi widened her eyes and looked over to Charlotte.


    There was a silvery sweetfish floating around her, leaving a trail of transparent strings that


    burned with a red colour.


    "You''re... an anima?" she asked.


    "That''s right." Charlotte gently petted the sweetfish, "This is a divine sea fish. I call it


    Sylvain. As for its species, they are largely unknown."


    Endorsi squeezed the needle in her hands and took a battle stance.


    I need to finish this before the sweetfish can display any more power. This woman... she''s dangerous. Endorsi glanced at her hip, where a silver revolver was gently resting.


    One Shot and it''s over. There was no more time to waste. Nobody wanted to anyway.


    Endorsi again broke into a sprint, her speed going at a frieghtening 700 meters per second!


    A gigantic door suddenly appeared behind Charlotte as the silver sweetfish shone in a blinding light.


    Endorsi thrusted her needle without a sliver of hesitation, yet the attack never reached


    Charlotte.


    What is this?


    Endorsi''s eyes widened. Her needle was stuck. Not in Charlotte''s flesh as she had aimed for,


    nor in any type of physical material that she could name.


    It was stuck... in space.


    A door had materialized around it right before it struck, stopping the needle in it''s tracks.


    Endorsi didn''t have too long to think though. For just a second after, a fist slammed right into


    her face.


    "Ouch! Are you crazy!" she yelled.


    "Maybe."


    Hundreds of punches were thrown by both parties, neither willing to back down. Shockwaves


    rang across the area and robots soon swarmed them. However, they were soon taken care of


    by the sweetfish.


    Charlotte kicked at Endorsi, hitting her abdomen and pushing out the air from her lungs!


    Boom!


    She slammed into the building behind her, reducing it to mere rubble.


    "Fuck!" She cursed. However, just before she could get up, Charlotte was over her.


    Charlotte slammed her foot onto her chest, keeping her down.


    "You better stay down princess." She said. The sweetfish came behind her, shining with a


    strange light and the embers of flames surrounding it. "I would hate to mess up your face. Not that it matters anyway. I''m obviously the more beautiful one."


    "Hmph! You think this is enough to keep me down?" Endorsi said, though she made no


    remarks about her beauty in comparison to her.


    "It should be." Charlotte chuckled. Sylvain moved immediately, its threads forming an


    illusory net around the Princess and keeping her in place.


    "All better." Charlotte said and removed her foot.


    Then, she began to walk back.


    "Wait! Stop! Get back here you jerk!"


    "See you again, Princess. Perhaps we''ll face each other in the workshop battle. Also, that


    binding will free itself in a minute."


    "Stop! Fight me, you bitch!"


    Alas, Charlotte had already left through a door.


    Well that was productive... I guess. Charlotte scratched the back of her neck, wondering why she


    took such pleasure in annoying Endorsi. But could anyone resist? She was riled up very easily. It was like serving oneself on a silver platter to her. Charlotte stared at the sweetfish. She did not know what it''s capabilities were in essence. It


    was still very much a small baby and was made to go through a metamorphosis when it gets old enough. The truly strong abilities would only manifest then.


    But as it was, it could make use of a lot of abilities from the Fool and door pathway; namely,


    flame control and door openings.


    And it seemed that although it could not make marionettes, it was able to freely bind other


    people with the threads. Since the threads were merely extensions of the spirit that suffuse into the spirit world, they were mostly unbreakable on the lower floors.


    The Error pathway has not yet displayed it''s abilities on the sweetfish. Perhaps it will be able to


    multiply at one point? Like a virus? Charlotte mused, pinching her chin with her hand. But then, she decided to not worry about it.


    Another task for the worms to think about. She popped her neck and headed back to Team Sweet


    and Sour.


    Not long after, the alarm for the completion of the test rang.


    A/N: There''s only 1700 words here as well, but another chapter will be uploaded along with it.


    Throw some stones and leave a review. Cheers~

 Chapter 82: Cicada(3)

    Chapter 82: Cicada(3)I had a dream last night. When Raymond, my son and the son of his mother asked me what it was, I told him that I was 54 in my dream; reliving the best moments of my life.


    "Was mother with you?" He asked. I only could chuckle and answer positively.


    In the dream I walked out from a train and approached a kind lady, my lover who I had met just a day prior. There was no surprise in her eyes when we met, such emotionless was the entire meeting. It were as if we had already been married for years and all too accustomed to each other''s presence. People walked out of the train in waves of hundreds, but none bumped into us as I felt the lady''s lips overlap mine and held her in my arms. The world was still and I knew I had to spend my life with this woman. And so, we were married.


    Raymond told his mother shortly after, who, despite me not having talked eye to eye to her in almost our entire married life looked down for moment and huffed at me. "You have made be angry." She said with a smile and a blush.


    Oh, I wish not for there be a way by which I could tell them that it was not Raymond''s mother that I danced around with, chose to marry and lead a happy fulfilled life with in the dream. Such a woman was too perfect to be in the real world. And dreams follow not into the waking realm.


    His mother is a great woman, not someone that I deserved to have. Her laughter is very much like Raymond''s, who, I dare say I could tickle all day long to hear the laughter of. I could say that she put her laughter into him. Her voice is like that of an angel and kindness that eludes me exists in every corner of her heart. Although she does not speak to me being a woman who speaks less in general, she walks happily like the buoyancy of her soul carries her off the ground and to the skies, her arms spread around like her wings that wish to take the world under them. Her face is a mystery of charms. Her cheeks are tinted like moonlight on the white marble and lips as pouty as a blooming rose, soft yet speaking out with allure. Eyes that say you never must, nose that says why don''t you? Her hair is flowing like a river to her soft and alluring back, dark and shimmering like black jewels coiling like a serpent.


    Indeed, Raymond gets a lot of qualities from her. For such a young age, teetering at the brink of suddenly growing up to find the world much more unsettling and uninteresting than they had hoped, he still holds a lot of hope in his heart.


    Anytime that you let go of his hand at the park, he would dash around like he wished to fly into the clouds with the fairies and the birds; another quality he got from his mother. Everyday, my son feels more and more like his mother to me. The only quality he gets from me is my hair, which are bright brown.


    I watch as he plays with the other kids in the park, running around with a smile stretched out from ear to ear and laughing and laughing without a care in the world. I savored each piece of it. Eventually, the child would grow up.


    A child dreams to grow older, yet when they do, all they can think of is to be a child again. I wished to cherish his small moments, before I no longer could.


    The clouds in the sky swaddled off to the horizons and the blue ceiling of the world took on a orange tint.


    At that point, both I and Raymond decided to head back to home. It was not until 10 minutes later, when we were still somewhere about distance from home did Raymond demand to be carried on my back. Naturally, I was not one to refuse. However, just as I leaned down for him to climb up a bright gleam impacted my eyes. I narrowed my eyes for a moment, looking towards the right corner of the street where a small golden light shimmered. It was not too prominent. Something one wouldn''t even notice if not for the peculiar angel of the light rays that reflected off to my eye.


    I picked Raymond up and walked over to the shining object. And as I loomed over it, the sight left me a bit speechless. It was a golden coin, shining with a bright shimmer simply laying there on the ground. It was not known how it had gotten to that point.


    I leaned down and picked up the coin, glancing around cautiously to seek out anyone that might be prying.


    The coin was slid expertly into my pocket and off we headed over to home.


    "We''re home!" I said cheerfully. The reply from a feminine yet shy voice came quickly.


    Raymond''s mother came to greet us at the door and looked fondly at us.


    "Did he grow so tired?" She laughed.


    At that point I noticed that somewhere down our journey, Raymond had fell asleep on my back.


    I nodded and headed off to his room to put the child to sleep.


    I did not deem it right to ruin his sleep when he slept so peacefully like so.


    His mother, Elise was her name, had made dinner. It was delicious.


    Not long after, we headed off to sleep.


    I dreamt of a man. Of myself.


    Theolis Clear was his name and he was an average man in all respects. He was never too great at anything he did, always falling behind.


    He inherited his father''s talent for carpentry, but failed to chase that occupation. From his mother he inherited his looks.


    His nose is like a keel which he rides while he dreams.


    Before long, the projection of myself disappeared. I rode on the keel, higher and higher until I ended up at a foggy space.


    There was nothing in the vicinity. Just gray fog and two chairs situated opposite each other.


    I wondered how I had ended up in this situation.


    As if driven by instinct, I walked and sat onto the chair. It was at that moment that I noticed that there was another man seated on the chair right in front of me.


    The man had short red hair and wore a brown trenchcoat. His eyes gleamed red like his hair and his body was lanky and thin.


    "Who are you?" I asked.


    Red. Crimson droplets were the next thing I saw. It started raining with blood and the clouds


    took on a shade of bright red.


    My eyes couldn''t help but widen.


    "Who are you?!" I screamed.


    Yet the man stayed seated. Unmoving.


    And then, I woke up.


    §¯§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú!


    I inhaled sharply, finding myself laying on a bed. I looked around myself, looking at the


    surroundings.


    I threw the sheets aside and went outside.


    Sure enough. We''re still on the Archimedes. I thought to myself.


    It was not clear how it had happened, but the white dwarf had somehow managed to get


    himself on the Archimedes. And naturally, I was included too.


    I held my temple, feeling a strange headache.


    "Damn." I cursed.


    Just then, I noticed something peculiar at the corner of my vision.


    My hand. The shinsu around it was turning red.


    What is... what the hell is this?


    I couldn''t help but widen my eyes.


    I stared at my hand for a moment. The few droplets of shinsu spun around my hand, as if they


    were true and sentient creatures. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well ain''t that something."


    "WHAT THE-?!"


    I jumped, hearing a voice right beside me. It was an albino man with red eyes. He wore a dark


    trenchcoat and held a smile on his face.


    "That''s really something. You unlocked a shinsu quality."


    "Shinsu quality? Wait. In the first place, what are you even doing on my balcony?!"


    Samuel shrugged.


    "It''s not too difficult to traverse the ship. Enough of that. Let us adress this." Samuel pointed


    to the red shinsu around my arm.


    "Now, you can fight even more effectively." He smiled.


    I raised a brow.


    "How so?"


    "A shinsu quality is something that is suited to a specific person. It is the one that you are most attuned to. If one can channel their own quality, the baangs will form quicker and easier. They will also have more power compared to normal." Samuel explained.


    "That''s... certainly convenient."


    "It is, truly. Even more so now that the target is nearing us."


    "The target? Who?" I asked, intrigued. Samuel had never explicitly stated the name or the


    abilities of the target.


    Samuel tilted his head and looked at me.


    "Well he''s not here right now. But I feel we''ll be able to encounter him in some time. By last


    year, most of our problems will be solved. And if you can survive through it, you''ll be a free


    man and be able to climb the tower through your own volition."


    I raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah, I get that. But what''s the name of the target?"


    Samuel held a finger to his chin and narrowed his eyes, as if contemplating.


    "Hmm. It doesn''t hurt to tell you actually." He broke out with a toothy grin. "It is... The Silent


    Leviathan, Winston Heath."


    And that was when I confirmed it.


    Samuel Helmons was not only the Spawn of the Devil and a certified psychopath, but also a


    suicidal maniac.


    A/N: I went a bit too poetic on the earlier parts of this chapter.


    Anyway, throw some stones and drop a review.


    Cheers-

 Chapter 83: Workshop Battle - 1

    Chapter 83: Workshop Battle - 1Turns out, Jesus Christ is canon in Tower of God. No, this is not a joke. The hands of Christianity reaches even the great Tower.


    Yes that is a fact. Just read s3 chapter 190 if you''re wondering where I got that information from. One dude from Lo Po Bia legit yells at Bam to ''Stay Down for Christ''s sake.''


    That somehow seems so awesome but so confusing at the same time lol. Like, I imagine Jesus coming in during the genesis era and preaching about the Lord to Jahad and Co.


    The first day of Archimedes'' departure.


    The main operating room of the ship-


    The two hosts of the workshop battle, Punk and Io, sat on chairs that overlooked a large collection of screens. Punk had a red helmet on his head while Io had one that was blue.


    "The sales were great this time around. The total profits have reached over a billion points already." Punk said, looking at the large number on the screen.


    "Well, that guy is indeed a businessman." Io said, looking behind his shoulder to gaze at a silver skinned man wearing a dark suit. The man held a cane in his hand and had a curving smile.


    It was the High Ranker, Madoraco.


    Feeling Io looking at him, he broke out into a chuckle.


    "Hehehe. Although it''s just the 30th floor, we have the slayer nominee, the mad dog of Yama, Princess of Jahad and now, even a teammate of the recently popular Winston Heath. There''s bound to be some profits involved." He said.


    "In this battle, people will place their bets with all they have. You can expect tens, no, hundreds of times more profit than this." Madoraco began to walk back into the dark.


    "Of course, most of that money will be put into your ''research'' that you''re so excited to complete. Don''t worry. I am a man of my word."


    "And what if this gets leaked?" Asked Punk.


    "Whatever happens on the ship stays on the ship." Madoraco''s reply came quickly. "If anything goes wrong and your ''teacher'' finds out, they too will be presented with the efficiency of point collection. There will be no more problems."


    With that, he walked completely into the dark and out from the control room.


    Punk and Io stayed in silence for a moment.


    "He''s suspicious." Said Io.


    "That, he is."


    "What''s even more suspicious is that strange guide he invited to the ship. That guy scares me man."


    "Eh. Can''t do anything about it. It''ll be alright if the research can be completed." Punk shrugged his shoulders. Then, he turned to his fellow host.


    "But that woman, Charlotte is really something huh. Just the news of her involvement in the battle raised the total profit by 27%!" He exclaimed.


    Io nodded, "Well, she is indeed beautiful. That''s the largest part of her popularity. Coupled with being a teammate of an irregular? You can consider that an instant celebrity."


    "Hmm. You''re right. You know what? I might just ask her out after everything''s over." Punk said with confidence.


    "Hah! You think she''ll get with you with your status? Dream on! I''m obviously more suitable for her!"


    "We have the same status!"


    "I''m more handsome than you!"


    "I have a bigger **** than you!"


    The Archimedes was a large ship. One of the largest that the Workshop had ever produced. It had many floors, most of which were meant for quality of life purposes. Pools, theaters, restaurants, it had everything that was needed for a luxurious lifestyle. And for the regulars that had arrived onto the ship via the game, everything was free!


    Of course, other people were allowed onto the ship as well. But only at a hefty price! And the crowd would only increase on the day of the battle; for the spectators would arrive in waves!


    Shibisu laid onto a sunlounger with a glass of cold drink in his hand. With a smile on his face and black sunglasses donned over his eyes, he looked at the various girls playing around in the pool.


    The second floor of the Archimedes had the largest pool on the entire ship. The second floor was practically famous for its pool.


    "This is heaven..." He sighed.


    Girls in bikinis... cold drink in hand, no worries and no one to yell at me. This is truly heaven.


    Shibisu stared up. On the top of the wall to the right, there was a large television screen embedded into the wall. And on the screen was a very particular piece of media playing. In specific, it was an interview of Charlotte.


    "How was it like to be a member of his team? There''s rumors of him being a giant jerk who works his teammates to death! He''s also said to be the incarnation of the devil!" A paparazzi asked with wild excitement.


    Charlotte, who was wearing a summer dress and a sunhat. She too had dark sunglasses on her face.


    "Ah! Who''s spreading such misinformation! God no! Winston is a very great individual! He''s very caring of his teammates and gets along with everyone. As a matter of fact, he does most of the work as the team leader." Charlotte exclaimed. "Anyone that''s spreading such rumors should be punished severely." She crossed her arms and sagely nodded. Her expressions and mannerisms were expertly manipulated to put up the best act.


    "Ah... I see." I reporter was momentarily stunned, genuinely wondering if he should continue the interview. Seeing the woman in front of him get mad at the rumors, he did not wish to make her more angry. It seemed to be his natural calling.


    Alas, his paparazzi nature won in the end. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I do apologize for the misinformation! You heard it people! Stop spreading such lies!" The reporter turned to the camera and pointed at it.


    "Now, Miss Charlotte, another question that a lot of people were wondering is... What are your thoughts on dating?"


    "Dating? Well, I''m not opposed to it. I''m certainly looking for a partner you could say. Loneliness is never great for anyone." Charlotte smiled sweetly at the camera. Then, she


    turned around.


    "No more questions please." She said and walked away. The reporter did not follow her.


    Ah... The Goddess Charlotte is here too... I wish I get to meet her. It would probably work in my favour since I''m a friend of Winston right? Shibisu had a silly smile on his face.


    Just then, a kick landed on his face.


    "Stop daydreaming!" Anaak yelled with an angry expression.


    "What the hell?!" Shibisu subconsciously yelled. But then, he instantly covered his mouth and


    backed off, realizing it was Anaak who had thrown the kick.


    "Hmph! Staring at girls all day. You don''t deserve such luxury after losing to the slayer


    nominee!" Anaak snorted and took a seat at the sunlounger beside him.


    "Relax." He said. "We''ll get our chance. That''s why we came here."


    He stared at the pool.


    It was unknown whether he was thinking of revenge or gawking at the women.


    "Well, look at that. You look like shit." Charlotte said, walking towards Khun. He stood at the


    large balcony to their joint room, staring at the sky.


    "I leave for one minute and you get into a fight with your friend. Talk about being a kill joy."


    Khun looked back at her.


    "Where did you run off to?"


    "Taking part in the game of course. I didn''t want to waste any time."


    "I didn''t see you getting the Blood Tamara then."


    "Well... let''s just say I got into a fight with a princess."


    "You fought Endorsi?"


    "Let''s not stray off topic here." She shook her head. "Wasn''t that guy your leader back there?"


    "Leader? What gave you that impression?"


    "Winston talked about your group. He said you were led by a crocodile." She chuckled.


    Khun also chuckled alongside her.


    "No. We''re nothing like that. We met on the test floor, that''s all."


    "Don''t lie." Charlotte took off her shades, staring at khun with her sapphire eyes. "You were


    happy, weren''t you? When you saw him."


    Khun stayed quiet.


    "I had the same problem you know." She continued. "Talking to people, connecting with


    them, forming bonds with them. It was all so frustrating. But now I realize, if you get too cautious to approach people or take too long to make decisions, those people will leave you


    behind." She said.


    "What are you talking about?" Khun gave her a sidelong glance. "I''m just... waiting for the time. So I can crush FUG and take back my friend." He said.


    "Hiding behind half truths will do you no good." Charlotte chuckled again.


    "Make up with that Alligator. You need to realize your own feelings. Lying to others is fine.


    But why do you lie to yourself?"


    Charlotte said and began to walk away.


    "Think about it. Learn to be truthful for once. It works."


    And then, the atmosphere became silent once again.


    The night came quickly. Team Sweet and Sour were thrilled to have her back. Rak, not so


    much.


    He called her ''Scary Female Turtle'' because somehow, he felt a ''scary'' feeling from her. Though it didn''t stop him from trying to pick a fight with her.


    At the moment, Charlotte walked along a large strip of road. Both sides of the road were lined


    with bushes.


    Just then, a strange premonition welled in her heart.


    Oh Great... he''s finally getting out.


    Something jumped out of the bushes, landing right before her.


    It was... a man in a gentlemanly suit!


    It was Shibisu!


    He wore a neatly pressed black suit with a red bowtie.


    In his mouth was a red rose and he genuflected on the ground with one of his hands held


    upwards and his head held down.


    He pulled out the rose from his mouth with his free hand and looked at her.


    "My Goddess. Miss Charlotte. Will you please accompany me on tomorrow''s dance?"


    "...How did you even find me?"


    "I... I''m not ashamed to admit that I was stalking your room. When you left the room, I instantly changed my clothes and came here!"


    Of course, Charlotte already knew that. It was hard to put up an act.


    "You stalked me just so you could ask me for a dance?"


    "Not only that, I also defeated about a dozen others who were stalking you with bad


    intentions!"


    Charlotte raised her brows in amazement. She had to pay her respects to this man''s dedication


    and hypocrisy.


    That''s kind of impressive I guess.


    "Oh." That was all she could say.


    Shibisu held up the rose to her and asked with a smile, "Will you grace this humble man with


    some of your time tomorrow?"


    At the end, he added. "I''m a friend of Winston by the way. So in a way, we''re kind of


    acquaintances already."


    Charlotte stared him down for a moment. Shibisu had asked her with such a fervent affection


    in his voice that woman would find it hard to decline.


    Charlotte extended her hand and took the rose from his hand. Then, she gently held it up to


    her nose and took a sniff.


    Shibisu''s lips curved into a slight smile, feeling hopeful.


    Then, Charlotte smiled sweetly.


    "Sorry, but no."


    A/N: The worst she can say is no. Rest in peace Shibisu.


    I wrote this on my phone so there may be a lot of spelling errors. Throw some stones and leave a review. Cheers~

 Chapter 84: Workshop Battle - 2

    Chapter 84: Workshop Battle - 2The next day was when the official workshop battle began.


    The Archimedes had a large stadium built in for the battle. As a matter of fact, several stadiums were present inside the ship for various different events. The number, as predicted by the critics, ranged from anywhere between 50 to 70 stadiums all inside a single ship. Just from that estimate, it could be imagined the unreal size of the Archimedes.


    Such a stadium was, at the moment, packed with spectators. Shouts and cheers saturated the air with a cacophony of sounds and noises as the spectators expressed their excitement for the upcoming battle. Many people hung banners on their backs about the person they were supporting in the competition. There were only a few key figures, including Endorsi Jahad, Jue Viole Grade, Varagarv - Yama''s mad dog, Anaak Jahad and finally, Charlotte the Goddess.


    The ground of the stadium itself was filled to the brim with clear water. At the center of the watery expanse was a single pillar atop which stood two people with helmets on their faces. "Regulars that will take the test, Residents of the Middle Areas, Distinguished Guests and even some Rankers have come to attend this year''s Workshop Battle! We are truly blessed to be able to accommodate you all!" The one with the red helmet, Punk spoke.


    "As of right now, the workshop battle will start!" Yelled the one with the blue helmet, Io. "I''m your co-host, Io!"


    "And I''m your other co-host, Punk!"


    "Let the battle begin!"


    Various fireworks went off in the air above them, proving to be a dazzling display for the people. At the very least, they were interesting to the middle area residents who had never seen large scale battles like the ones climbing the tower.


    "Let us explain the rules of the battle!" Spoke Io.


    "The workshop battle will be played in two stages. First is the individual matches and the second is the team matches!" Said Punk. They spoke alternatively to make the commentary more engaging.


    "The first part of the workshop battle, the individual matches will be played in a simple order."


    "Those regulars that pass the individual rounds will be eligible to take part in the group matches. The teams of the tournament will be chosen as the team leaders, and the team that wins is the winner of the entire battle! Now! Let us introduce the ten gamblers!" As Io spoke, a holographic screen of ten people lit up behind him. "These leaders are the regulars that scored the best in the one shot one opportunity game! And gamblers won''t have to partake in the individual matches!"


    "They''ll bet money on the regulars that they think are going to win. The 6 people with the most amount of points will become a team leader in the team matches! With the money earned from betting, they will be able to buy teammates and items to win the tournament!" "Also, the gamblers cannot leave the waiting room until the end of the individual matches!"


    "So now, we''ll start the battle right away. This game is called the ''Plug''. Teams of 8 contestants will be called onto the stage. And as you can see, there''s a collection of three holes on the platform that we stand on." Io pointed to the center of the platform. Then, Punk pulled out a large stick from his pocket.


    "This right here is the ''plug''. Out of the eight regulars in a match, the 3 that can put their plugs into the sockets will win." He placed the plug into one of the holes. "Try any possible means! However, if you drop your plug or fall out of the stadium, you fail."


    "Of course, dying will also lead to automatic disqualification. Just a disclaimer." said Punk. "Even if there are less than three regulars on the stage, the game will only end after all three plugs have been filled!"


    "So now, let us begin!"


    The first round of the individual matches started. Charlotte watched from the viewing stands with a smile. She could feel hundreds of gazes at her. Some from the other contestants in the viewing gallery, other from the spectators that had a good eye.


    Is this how pretty girls feel all the time? Feels pretty uncomfortable. She said in her mind. Then her eyes traveled to the group of regulars that were summoned to the stage.


    There was Wangnan, Arkraptor, Miseng and Prince on the same round.


    This''ll be over quickly. She thought. With the training they had received from her, it would be quite disappointing if they were to lose from a bunch of nobodies. Of course, defeating someone like Varagarv was still out of their league.


    Surprisingly, Miseng was the first one to attack everyone and get it over with.


    No one else stood a chance. Everyone was surprised by the strength this little girl seemed to have within her small frame. After that, Team Sweet and Sour decided the winners through drawing lots.


    It was a surprisingly anti-climactic end to the first round, but not one that Charlotte hadn''t expected. Of course, the same couldn''t be said for the gamblers. Aside from Khun who knew of the team''s power up after being trained by Winston, the rest of them had bet against them, osing points in the process and putting Kh in the lead.


    Bingo! Khun thought to himself happily.


    As the round ended, various other platforms arose from the water.


    "To speed things up and put pressure on the gamblers, we will be having several rounds all at once!" Said Io.


    "Now, reveal the teams!" Punk exclaimed.


    And so, team 2 to 10 were all summoned to the arena. Which team was Charlotte in?


    Well... team 9. The same team as Varagary, the mad dog of Yama.


    "Is the Goddess against the Mad Dog?!"


    "My Goddess! Don''t be scared! I will protect you!"


    "I will skin that dog alive!"


    "Fight! Fight! Fight!"


    "Charlotte my beloved!"


    "Go Varagarv!"


    "Marry me!"


    Hundreds of remarks were thrown all over the stadium as they realized that Charlotte was participating in the match. Endorsi and Yihwa who were also partaking in team 7 and 5 were completely overshadowed by Varagarv and Charlotte.


    Seeing the excitement of the onlookers, Endorsi couldn''t help but click her tongue in slight S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    annoyance.


    That woman... I swear to God if I get my hands on her. She cursed under her breath.


    Khun sat in the gambling room with narrowed eyes. He was a bit split on who to bet on here. On the one hand, he knew how strong Varagarv was. And word was that he had also gotten the Blood Tamara. He had no information on any of Charlotte''s abilities, only her word that she had supposedly fought Endorsi.


    After a moment, he made up his mind. I''ll trust Winston again. It seems to have worked so far.


    "Well, this is nice." Charlotte, on the other hand only smirked as she was teleported to the stage. There was a blue plug in her hand. She immediately turned her eyes to her right, where the Mad Dog, Varagarv was standing.


    "Well hello there. You don''t seem to be the talktive type." She said.


    The large man looked at her with his red eyes.


    "I don''t care that you were teammates with an irregular. Get in my way and I''ll blow off your head." He said with a monotonous voice.


    Charlotte''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    "Hm... Considering your words, I must say something." She said, crossing her arms below her bosom. "Junior! It seems you have failed to see Mount Tai! Get on your knees and call me grandmother and I''ll spare your next 10 generations!" She suddenly screamed at him.


    Her melodious voice echoed through the entire stadium.


    Silence~~~


    An awkward silence filled the air. The people on the other pillars also stopped fighting after hearing the strange remark. Even the hosts were stunned.


    What the hell is this woman talking about? That was on everyone''s mind.


    "... That sounded better in my head." Charlotte muttered. Winston had read 3 novels with a cultivation theme. Such slangs were not of his understanding. He had little idea of the situations he was supposed to use them in. And this... it seemed to her that it was not one of


    them.


    Varagrav looked at the woman before him. The contents of her speech, although they seemed ridiculous, were of course meant to insult him.


    Whooosh!


    Instantly, his free hand swung itself towards the woman.


    Splat!


    And then, her head exploded like a watermelon, spreading viscera and blood flying


    everywhere on the stage!


    "What the hell!?"


    "No! My goddess!"


    "What just happened!"


    "Fight!"


    Varagarv looked at his hand and narrowed his eyes.


    That hit... felt strange.


    Just as he thought that, he heard a voice behind him.


    "Man, that wasn''t very manly of you. You aren''t supposed to hit pretty ladies you know~" The


    sing song voice called out. Varagrav''s eyes widened and he jumped forward in surprise, turning to see the woman he had just killed standing unharmed.


    He looked towards the corpse. It was of a man. Another contestant that had been on the stage.


    His eyes widened. "A spell?" He muttered.


    "Something like that." The response came quickly. Behind Charlotte, a fish slowly floated up. It was a sweetfish, silver in colour and had various illusory threads floating along it''s fins.


    "You''re... an anima?"


    "Exactly." Charlotte smile sweetly. "let us put on a nice show."


    And so, the entire stage erupted into flames.


    Shaaaaa!


    A flaming tornado enveloped the stage, shielding the onlookers from guessing what was


    going on. The Hosts franctically tried to commentate everything that was going on. The situation had exceeded what they had expected!


    Inside the flames, Varagarv had immediately activated blood tamara, using it''s power to


    shield himself from the flames.


    Without a word, he stepped onto the burning platform and dashed right at Charlotte!


    Whoooosh!


    Whiiirl!


    He swung the plug that was in his hand right at Charlotte''s head!


    Everyone else got blown away the moment she activated the flaming tornado. She won''t have the


    opportunity to cast the same spell again.


    His eyes held absolute confidence as he swung the plug. But it stopped.


    It was as if it had been frozen in time.


    A strange door appeared halfway down it''s shaft, holding it in place.


    Charlotte grinned.


    "Sylvain. Roar!" She yelled.


    The sweetfish swam up in the air, opening it''s mouth and letting out a cry that seemed more


    cute than terrifying.


    And then, the threads spread out in the arena, tearing everything to shreads!


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Explosions happened on the entire platform, turning it into rubble. The platform crumbled into dust and fell into the water. All except a single chunk of land. The three holes. Charlotte stood atop them, holding her plug above her head and looking down at the water.


    There in the rubble, Varagrav genuflected. All along his body were various cuts and wounds, made from the sweetfish''s attacks. In his hand, he still gripped the plug.


    "Hoh? You survived that?" She narrowed her eyes. "Interesting." She grinned, and inserted


    her plug into one of the holes.


    Cheers and shouts echoed in the arena.


    In a dark room where nothing could be seen, a man laid on a bed, curled into a ball. He had


    bright green hair and wore a large coat that looked oversized than something that was supposed to fit him.


    Suddenly, he looked up, revealing his bright green eyes.


    "I hear... an exotic beast..." He muttered beneath the strange mask he donned on his mouth.


    Then, he stood up.


    "Cobalt."


    A/N: I''m not really enjoying writing this arc as much as I''d hoped. I have something planned


    out of course, but I thought the process of writing would be more enjoyable. So I''ll be finishing this one quickly.


    As a matter of fact, I don''t think the second volume will have nearly enough chapters as I''d


    expected it to have. But anyways, drop a review, throw some stones and enjoy your life.


    Cheers!

 Chapter 85: Workshop Battle - 3

    Chapter 85: Workshop Battle - 3The first day of the tournament ended in disaster. Everything was going well for the gamblers. A total of 130 rounds of the individual matches were performed. And at the 129th one, every gambler had sizable amount of points to their names.


    However, the disaster struck at the very last moment. One had to wonder, was Murphy''s law really so powerful?


    The last round contained Ran and Anaak in the same stage. Naturally, with there being an inherent rivalry between them, they were not going to miss the chance to establish an


    undisputed hierarchy.


    Almost every gambler went all-in in the betting that follower, either choosing Anaak Jahad or Khun Ran save for only two.


    Unfortunately, the ones that had bet their entire savings on the battle included Khun Aguero Agnis, who had amassed 2 million points, which was the largest sum out of all the people.


    The last battle started off as normal. But then, Anaak and Ran proposed a deal to the hosts. A separate arena for them to fight in, and whoever wins would be able to get back onto the main stage.


    Surprisingly, the hosts agreed and the separate arena was set up.


    It was a tough battle for both parties, though Anaak seemed to be mostly at a disadvantage considering Ran was a natural spear bearer.


    But in the end, it all ended in the blink of an eye.


    From the rubble that floated on water and atop which Ran and Anaak were engaged in a final clash, emerged a creature. A Green Humanoid, dressed like a messiah and yelling a particular word. "Revolution."


    Unexpectedly, he toppled both of then over; and the two rivals who were too tired from fighting each other lost at the same time.


    There was no winner. The gamblers lost all their money, save for 2. That being the team of the Mad Dog and FUG.


    And so, since not all of the gamblers could be deemed to fail solely because of the unseen interruption by Paracule, the hosts gave a solution.


    "The Growth Tournament?" Wangnan asked, raising an eyebrow in the process.


    Khun nodded, "That''s right. Tomorrow, at the same time that the team Battle between Varagarv''s team and FUG''s team will take place, the other half of the entire battlefield will be given to the 8 gamblers who lost.


    "They will each be given 100,000 points and may choose one regular to represent them at the start. For the rest of the game, the teams will progress and fight the others while


    simultaneously growing their own team through the points that have been provided. Each regular in participation has been given a certain ''value''. Through the course of the game, one can buy each contestant." Khun explained.


    "Arrgh! That makes it too complicated to get to Viole!" Wangnan scratched his head in annoyance.


    "Not necessarily." Charlotte chimed in with saturated chuckle. "You''re missing the entire point of the game. The moment a strong member of a team can be summoned is the moment they can hold the upper hand. But one can also assign the strong member right at the very start to eliminate everyone all together." She continued.


    "But here''s the loophole. What if we don''t go ahead to fight Viole... but instead, we summon him through the rules of the game."


    Suddenly, everyone''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Hmm. That''s certainly an interesting proposition." Khun pinched his chin. But then, he looked back at her.


    "But how can you be so certain that Viole will be able to be summoned in the first place? He is a member of FUG''s team after all."


    Charlotte gave him a knowing smile.


    "I know he will be available. But not as a teammate no... but as an "item"." Everyone''s eyes collectively widened as her words reached their ears.


    "What do you mean?" Asked Khun, his eyes taking a dangerous flare.


    "I''ve found some... interesting information through some channels." She said. "The reward that the winning team will recieve in the workshop battle is not something common made by the workshop itself. It is the ignition weapon. Jue Viole Grace."


    Khun stayed silent for a moment.


    "How can we know this for certain?"


    "Because I said so." Charlotte said simply. "I cannot prove it to you in any way. FUG will betray their new slayer nominee and try to fuse him with another weapon kept inside the stadium itself."


    "What weapon?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The needle to kill the king... The Thorn of Enryu."


    A feeling of dread suddenly overtook everyone in the room.


    "That makes it... troublesome." Khun narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.


    "How come your here? Perfect one?" Beta sat onto the highest tower of the 5th floor of Archimedes.


    He wore bandages over his eyes and a red cap over his head. Yet, even beyond those bandages, he glanced over his shoulder at Viole as if he were able to see him clearly.


    "I want to ask you about the thing FUG put inside me." Viole said, his baangs covering his


    eyes.


    "Ah, the Thorn." Beta chuckled. "What do you wish to know? How to ignite it?"


    "That''s right."


    "Truthfully, even I have no idea. In the first place, I''m not certain if it''s even possible for you to do so." He chuckled. "But that''s only when talking about the one on the ship. The one


    inside you is impossible to ignite."


    Viole''s eyes widened a bit.


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s a fake." He said. "The one on the ship is real one. The stadium that you''ll be fighting


    in tomorrow has a chamber where it is kept. They gave you the replica for you to get used to


    it."


    He got off the ledge and walked towards the slayer nominee.


    "Do you want to know how to obtain it?" He asked.


    Viole stayed quiet.


    "It''s easy." He broke out with a toothy grin.


    "Just steal it."


    Viole stayed deep in his thoughts.


    Unbeknownst to both of them, a pair of fiery red eyes watched them from the darkness,


    hidden behind a layer of shinsu.


    "Tch!" The hidden being clicked his tongue as he heard their talks and disappeared from


    place.


    "You took your time, didn''t you?" Charlotte got off the bed and looked at the one that had appeared in her room.


    The man was tall, standing at a height of 5 feet 5 inches and had blazing red hair that extended down to his back. All around his body was a red robe that burnt with flames and his


    lava coloured eyes shone with a wild glimmer.


    At his hip was a large sword and in his hand he carried a book, outlined with blood and embossed with the glyphics of battle.


    "Red Preist." Charlotte smiled.


    The man was another interation of Winston. One he had taken another deep dive into experimentation with. With the limitless nature of shinsu, Winston wished to not only be limited to the Lord of Mysteries sequences, but branch out into the 22 different pathways! And of course, the Red Priest pathway was the first one to be tested. For its nurturing, he had sent the avatar to possess a ranker''s body and travel to the 107th floor. There, in the middle


    areas, he engaged in war.


    War and more war was the true nature of the Red Priest.


    And truth be told, the experiments had born fruits. As of right now, even more avatars were


    given the responsibility of cultivating different pathways.


    "Well well, if it isn''t the woman." The red haired man smirked.


    "How come you remembered me?"


    "Don''t act like you can''t feel it." Charlotte closed her eyes and said with a stern tone. "My


    intuition has been warning me. Something strong is approaching. It would probably be her


    tomorrow."


    The Red Priest scratched his head.


    "Ah, so that''s why. You were too scared were you? That''s fine." He nodded as if he


    sympathized with her.


    Charlotte gave him a sidelong glance and walked over to the window, glancing to the sky.


    "I figured that we might as well test put your powers in front of a strong foe. Who knows? It might make you stronger." She chuckled.


    "Yeah yeah. Make me the scape goat again." He clicked his tongue and also walked to the


    window.


    "And what of the Thorn?"


    "You want to steal it?"


    "Perhaps." Red Priest smirked.


    "As a matter of fact, we haven''t stolen anything in a long time have we? It''s quite a pitiful


    existence for thieves like you."


    "You mean us?" Charlotte looked at him.


    He snorted boastfully. "Talk about yourself. I am a noble existence."


    "And apparently a hypocrite as well."


    "Nothing wrong with that."


    There was silence in the room. Until there wasn''t.


    They laughed.


    They felt giddy, for reasons unknown to them. Perhaps it was the schizophrenia finally


    -catching up....


    "Let''s just discuss it over with the original first." Charlotte shook her head.


    "Tch! Little sissy..." He clicked his tongue.


    Winston''s Avatar collection no longer shared a hive mind like it did before. At least not in the


    same sense.


    It was still there and information gathering and discussion was still possible. But because


    each avatar was made out of hundreds of worms - each functioning as a super computer - the need to exchange information constantly and decide on the next action was lessened considerably. "We might steal it, we might not. Only time and the mood will determine." She narrowed her eyes. "And we might get something better to steal before that. You never know."


    "You thieves and your shitty ways of thinking eludes me." Red Priest shook his head with a


    mocking grin and laughed.


    "You''ve grown quite the tongue now."


    "And you''ve grown softer acting as a woman. Maybe you''ve always been one at heart."


    "You''re indirectly mocking yourself with that."


    Red. Boundless Red.


    The shinsu all around him was turned crimson and Theolis floated between all of it. It looked


    like an ocean of blood upon which the rain that fell was also bathed in red.


    "So much red..." Theolis muttered.


    Then, he saw something.


    An Angel descended from the sky, opening a large door behind him.


    He has short and messy red hair and wore a suit. It was the same person he had seen before.


    "You again?!" Theolis yelled at the man.


    The man looked at him with his glowing beads of red eyes and gave him a slight smile.


    "Wake." He whispered. And the shinsu trembled with his mere words.


    Then everything broke.


    Shatter!


    Huuuuuu!


    Theolis sucked in a breath of air as he leapt off the bed and slammed right into the ceiling.


    "Ack!" He screamed as he fell down. Then, he looked at the room.


    Red droplets of shinsu were now floating around all over. It''s getting stronger. Theolis had a strange looked of worry on his face.


    His abilities... they were growing. That too at an incredible pace. Everyday he woke up to be


    stronger than he was. The strange red shinsu quality was getting more and more prominent.


    He sighed and got up.


    He had an inkling of the identity of the man he kept seeing in his dream.


    Someone who turned the tower crimson upon his descent.


    The Red Tower, Enryu.


    "Boo." Theolis jumped as he heard a voice behind him.


    "You again?!" He yelled at Samuel.


    "I couldn''t help myself. The changes your going through are too fascinating." He chuckled.


    "Well, enough about that. Pack up. We''re getting out of here."


    This made Theolis raise an eyebrow. He for sure thought that they were here to needlessly sacrifice their lives to Winston Heath.


    "What? Why?" He asked, genuinely surprised.


    "Because I''ve already set everything up." He said. "It won''t be enough to harm him in the


    long run, or perhaps it will be. We can only leave it up to fate. I''ve arranged everything upto


    the best of my abilities." "What exactly have you set up?"


    Samuel looked at him with a smile.


    "Getting more comfortable with me are you?" He asked.


    Theolis shifted under his scrutinizing gaze.


    "Well, its nothing too crazy. I just... transported the call of a beast to the ears of a collector."


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    I might double upload if I can make the chapter in time. And if it reaches enough stones, I


    might do it regardless. Let''s say... 500 stones in a day?


    That seems pretty unreachable right?


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 86: Workshop Battle - 4

    Chapter 86: Workshop Battle - 4The team match of the Worlshop Battle was about to start. Excitement was in the air and the wind bubbled with the cheers of the onlookers.


    "Sorry to keep everyone waiting!" Io announced as he floated in the air.


    "We will finally begin the team tournament to decide the winner of the workshop battle! Let me briefly explain the rules of the tournament to you!"


    As he spoke, a holographic screen appeared behind him. The screen held the image of an island from above, at the center of which was a large volcano. The entire island was coloured in two. One being blue and the other being orange.


    "Team Mad Dog and Team FUG''s game will be in the North while the other teams will be playing in the South! Once a winner has been decided from either side, the two teams will participate in a final match to determine the winner!"


    The screen zoomed towards the southern end of the island which was coloured in blue. The entire area was then divided into two by the virtue of a river that run through the entire part, cutting it horizontally.


    "All the participants will be dropped off at the southern most end of the map! That area is a no battle zone and gives the teams necessary time to prepare! Following the developments of the game, the spearheader of each team with move towards the north! And when they cross the river using the bridge, they will be permitted to fight!"


    Io exclaimed dramatically.


    "If you eliminate the spearheader in your opposing team, you will be granted extra points! And such points will be used to gather teammates and useful items! You can choose to not fight the spearheader of the opposing team, but to get to the next round, it is compulsory to do so!" He said.


    "Further information has been given to the respective team leader through the lighthouses provided! Any team that fails to make it to the battle zone in the first 30 minutes is eliminated!


    "At the same time, in the northern region, the semi final round between team mad dog and team FUG will take place!"


    Then, he spread out his arms and exclaimed as if proclaiming a holy decree.


    "Let the battle of growth... begin!"


    "Okay..." Wangnan muttered to himself as he moved through the jungle like terrain with -caution.


    No enemies until now... he looked ahead of him, where light pierced through the trees and where a large bridge to pass a ravine was erected.


    The Bridge!


    It had not been long since the battle started. Only 4 minutes. He had wasted no time and had directly used Diffusion Boundary to dash through the area. As such, he was naturally the first regular to have made it to the bridges.


    "Get to the calling center quickly." Khun''s voide echoed through the observer.


    "Got it!" Wangnan exclaimed and ran ahead, leaving a faint blue trail in his wake.


    Endorsi sat in the waiting hall of their team, clicking her tongue in annoyance.


    Jue Viole Grace had been Bam all along. FUG had tricked them all.


    This can''t get any worse. Shr thought to herself and angrily changed the TV channel.


    She sighed. She was the only one sitting here in the waiting hall.


    Everyone was outside in the viewing gallery, watching the workshop battle and how their team was progressing.


    "What a load of shit..."


    "What is?" Just then, a familiar voice sounded in her ears. Her eyes widened a bit as the door to the hall opened up.


    And in came a regular. He had dirty brown hair and carried a red spear over his shoulder. Zarhan Zulasekail.


    "The tournament." Endorsi said simply. Zarhan was one of the teammates she actually held some respect for. Solely because he was a very ''straight to the points guy. He was just a chill dude.


    That, and his strength. In their team, he ranked just below herself and Anaak. If the conditions were right, he might even win from them.


    "What''s wrong with it?" He asked while coming over and taking a seat beside her, eagerly watching a divine sea fish documentary.


    "...I don''t know." Endorsi huffed, not willing to tell him.


    "Okay." He said simply.


    They sat in silence which was only interrupted by the occasional shouts of excitement from the outside or from the TV itself.


    "Are you not gonna pry?"


    "No."


    "Why?"


    "If you don''t want to say, why should I waste my breath?"


    Tch! Endorsi clicked her tongue again. It was at times like these that she felt he was a bit too


    chill.


    "Speaking of, didn''t you say you had a strange feeling earlier today?" She asked suddenly, throwing him a glance at the corner of her eye.


    Zarhan turned to meet her gaze and nodded.


    "That''s right."


    "What''s that about?"


    "Just... The instincts of a hunter." He continued. "Something is going to happen here. That''s why I didn''t participate in the final round, even though Khun wanted me to be the Spearhead." He said.


    ..


    "Also this." Suddenly, he raised his hand and gathered a baang over it.


    Shaaa!


    Endorsi watched in slight curiosity, but then, her interest was piqued.


    "What is this?" she asked.


    "I don''t know. It seems to be a shinsu quality." Zarhan said simply.


    In his hand rested a red spear made entirely out of shinsu. Droplets of red water gathered around it and slowly spread outwards, as if colour had been thrown into a pond. The spear slowly gathered the surrounding shinsu towards it and turned it red.


    "Shinsu quality? That seems good?" She raised an eyebrow.


    "It should." Zarhan smiled. "This is something only the most talented of the Zulasekail family can awaken! It''s the quality of the red spear!" He exclaimed.


    But then, the smile on his face faltered.


    "Even so, it is one of the reasons for my worry."


    Endorsi looked at him as if he were an idiot.


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know." He said.


    Endorsi clenched her fist in slight annoyance. Zarhan had gotten one of Winston''s traits. It


    was to piss off the Jahad Princesses without trying too hard.


    Endorsi sighed.


    "Sigh! Well, you watch your sea fish documentary. I''ll be outside." She shook her head and left


    him alone.


    Zarhan remained seated on the sofa, his eyes riveted to the miniature red spear in his hand.


    Red Priest sat atop the roof of the Archimedes and looked towards a fleeting point in the S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    distance. It was a strange point in space. One that contained a malevolent green shinsu, taking the form of a flame.


    "The Jahad Simp is here." He muttered, not to himself but as if to alert someone not even


    present.


    Superior senses was a large part of the Red Priest. Even more so than the Error pathway.


    He watched in silence. His inner thoughts were drowned by the voices of the masses under his


    feet that still danced around the Archimedes by watching the battle.


    The rustling of air in his ears, the slightest shift of the clouds in the sky, the smells of a million different people and of the metal and the blood; it was all so vivid in his senses.


    ..


    But then, everything stilled.


    Everything simply... stopped. The noise stilled and the scent ceased to exist. The rustling of


    the wind he felt on himself disappeared and was replaced by a transcendent emptiness, as if the shinsu had been forced to a static.


    The world did not know how to react. A momentary stop in reality occurred as something so powerful and so ancient traversed the space and tore through it as if it were made out of


    paper.


    A bright light flashed.


    Wal-Mart door ability... Of course, as someone from the Red Priest pathway, he would never lose the chance to say something, even if it were only in mind.


    From the bright light came out a large blue frog. The frog had six limbs, four of which he held


    in the air and made gestures with using his digits. And around his neck was a necklace that extended into the air, one that was constructed out of snakes bitting at each other''s tails.


    Red Priest knew what this was. A Divine Sea Fish of the Head of the Lo Po Bia family.


    He waited for some more time.


    Luckily, he did not have to for long. Just 10 seconds after, another light flashed.


    His eyes widened with disbelief as the shinsu itself seemed to grow thicker and harder to


    breathe.


    Power. Unadulterated Power was appearing.


    He broke out with a nasty grin. His canines were visible for the world to see as his lava


    coloured eyes shimmered with intent and excitement.


    Shaaaaaaaaaaaa!


    From the bright light, came out an acolyte of destruction and of power.


    This creature that was all too removed from the concepts of mortals from the other tower inhabitants stepped onto the air as the door, the rip in space, closed behind him.


    The man had bright green hair and had a mask on his face that covered his mouth and nose. He


    wore a large coat on his torso that was all too big for his frame and hung needlessly down


    from his legs. On his legs, he wore a baggy robe.


    Lo Po Bia Traumerei!


    Head of the Lo Po Bia family and one of the Original Irregulars to have climbed the Tower!


    His visage was relaxed and uninterested.


    His green eyes that seemed to be slit at the pupils gazed down at the Archimedes as if he were


    looking at ants.


    Suddenly, his eyes travelled up towards the Red Priest.


    "Hmm?" The shinsu rippled, as if beckoned by his voice. "Who are you?" He asked.


    Red Priest froze, for but a moment.


    Then, he broke out with a small chuckle and a grin.


    "Who else? Your father."


    Winston walked through the middle areas of the 30th floor with a small smile on his face.


    Suddenly, he felt a shiver travel up his spine.


    His eyes widened and his hair stood on edge.


    He looked above him towards the sky and waited as a large fissure tore up in the firmament


    and a metallic behemoth came flying through.


    It was a ship travelling through a warp drive. Somehow, the shop had gleamed the exact


    coordinates of him. Well, at least his avatar.


    He narrowed his eyes and instantly, the marionette was switched with the main body.


    Slowly but surely, the metallic airship travelled through the fissure in the world and showed him it''s entire structure in all its glory.


    It looked to be a star wars battlecraft, white in colour with blue colouration in various places. "That''s interesting." Winstin said as he observed the peculiar symbol below the ship. It was a


    symbol of various wings.


    Wolhaiksong.


    He thought and grinned.


    Just then, the door to the ship opened up and a man stepped out.


    The man wore nothing on his torsi and had a cap on his forehead. His white hair and red eyes


    were some features that instantly struck a chord in Winston''s mind about the man''s identity. That is, if he had not already figured it out by his mere presence alone.


    The man walked into the air and floated beside the ship. Yet, small as he was, he seemed to be


    infinitely larger than anything an airship could ever hope to match.


    He, with his imposing figure and ripped muscles, extended his hands outwards as if to


    embrace the world.


    And then, he spoke in a cheerful voice.


    "Hello there. Baby~"


    A/N: Here ya go. I was able to write a bonus chapter.


    May I ask for some power stones?


    Also, I''ve been thinking about the love interest.


    Just a warning, I''ve never written any romance, like ever.


    Yuri fans out there, I apologize. I can''t see Winston getting along with her. I can see how it can


    work, but the starting point of it is just so steep that I can''t see any believable way to do it.


    The same is true for almost every other TOG waifu except for the ones he''s already met, like Endorsi and Hwaryun. Endorsi, he just doesn''t see her that way. And seeing her wondrous feats of intelligence in the 3rd season, I''d say it''s better for Bam to deal with her.


    As for Hwaryun, he doesn''t trust her. Nor is she, in any way, suitable to be with him. As a


    guide, she''s especially susceptible to visions of Fate. And Winston''s mythical creature form is no joke.


    I was thinking of going the route of Garam Jahad by making an AU where Urek doesn''t have a crush on her. Or even Po Bidau Tiara.


    I have no other reason to include Tiara except that I like spectacled girls. Anyways, if something is confirmed, go expect some romance. It would be the first time


    writing romance for me so I don''t know how it would turn out. Not very well, I assume but


    we''ll have to see.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 87: Workshop Battle - 5

    Chapter 87: Workshop Battle - 5"Hello there. Baby~~"


    Winston narrowed his eyes, carrying a serene smile on his face.


    "Urek Mazino." He called out the name of the beast.


    His mere presence felt as if it were reshaping the flow of shinsu on the entire Floor. It was gigantic. Instantly, Winston felt the deadly glare of the administrator.


    Both of them were irregulars. The Administrator was especially worried about them than any other High Ranker. But it was also because of that same authority that they could go out just a bit more than most High Rankers.


    Is he here to fight? Winston racked his brain, trying to think of the reasons Urek Mazino of all people had come to see him. Both him and the leader of Wolhaiksong were apathetic of everything that happened in the tower. The outside was the only thing that interested them. So, to Winston, it became increasingly clear why he had been approached by the man.


    "How did you find out where I was?" Winston asked him.


    Urek gently floated down from the atmosphere, his figure relaxed as if there was nothing in the world that could hurt him. Of course, it was true. No one could defeat him in a life or death struggle. No one that he had personally confronted at least.


    "I used a guide." He smiled.


    "A Guide?" Winston raised a brow. Guides were inherently unable to see him, as he had found out through Hwaryun. "They were able to see me?"


    "Nah." Urek shook his head. "We figured something out. Your presence makes fog overtake all the paths. Following that, we just had to tell them to look for Fog." He smiled, showcasing his teeth.


    "I see." Winston chuckled. "Were you looking for me?"


    Urek landed on the ground without sound. He was the same height as Winston and looked to be the same age. Yet Winston knew he was far from it. Standing in front of him was the 4th strongest in the entire Tower.


    An Irregular that surpassed everything. An ancient being that had survived for centuries. "That''s right." Urek gave him a silly smile.


    "I wanted to talk to you. Bro to bro you know?" He continued. "Only if you wanted to that is. There''s no way for me to force you after all."


    Winston thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. He could feel hundreds of rankers on board the ship. But none posed a threat. The only real threat was Urek.


    And Winston was plenty sure that he held no ill will towards him. Error pathway''s ability to sense deception was no joke after all.


    "Sure." He said.


    "Will you invite me to the ship?"


    A ranker that was dressed as an accomplished butler poured wine for them both and left the room. They needed privacy after all.


    They were in Urek''s personal hall.


    Behind Urek was a large bed which was in a mess. To their right was glass through which everything on the outside was visible, not the other way around and behind Winston himself was a large screen. Below the screen were hundreds of gaming consoles.


    To their left was a large double door that led outside.


    As the ranker left, Urek Mazino, who was sitting on a bean bag smiled and looked at Winston. "Help yourself baby! Everything''s free for you! I''m a rich man after all!" He exclaimed with joy.


    Winston relaxed his shoulders and slumped back into the soft sofa and let out a small groan. The chairs were indeed comfortable. As he understood it, shinsu had been used for their making to give them extra comfort and a feeling of relaxation.


    "That''s comfortable." He said, suppressing a silly smile. Then, he extended his hand and took the wine glass into his hand. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s been long since I''ve had good wine." Winston reminisced. The last time he had wine was the night he was whisked into the tower.


    "Help yourself." Urek waved his hand with a shake of his head.


    Winston took a sip of the wine and was pleasantly surprised.


    That''s... nice. Winston was a wine enjoyer. He really liked wine. It had slipped his mind how one


    of his most enjoyed concepts had never been tried ever since entering the tower.


    "So, what did you want to talk about?" Winston asked the man before him.


    Urek Mazino leaned forward on his bean chair and crossed his fingers together as if he was going to give Winston a deal he could not refuse.


    "I want to learn about what lies outside the tower." He said. "Everything about where you lived before this. How the outside world is. Their customs, their stories, the sky and the infinite exploration." He spread out his hands and closed his eyes, imagining himself below an infinite blue sky.


    "I want to know everything."


    "Everything?" The devil whispered into Urek''s ears suddenly. He stared ahead at his fellow irregular.


    "Everything."


    "Are you sure?" Winston smiled, feeling a bit mischievous.


    I wonder what it would be like if I gave him a 7 hour lecture about Quantum Physics and string theory...


    He thought with a smile.


    "I always am, baby-" Urek Mazino agreed without missing a beat.


    Winston had a clear look in his eyes as he nodded and said, "Fine."


    His black eyes met Urek''s red ones.


    "I will tell you everything you need to know. Everything about where I came from and everything that I have knowledge of." He said.


    Suddenly, he propped up one of his fingers.


    "But first." He looked to the glass on the right, looking outside the carrier.


    "I need you to help me with something."


    Zarhan laid on the sofa in the waiting hall, gently twirling a few drops of red shinsu in his hand with a blank expression.


    Suddenly, his instincts feared up. His hair stood on edge and he felt the shinsu in his lungs become heavier and press down onto his abdomen.


    "What the hell?!" He yelled and got off the sofa. Then, he ran outside where everyone was.


    "Everyone!"


    The people turned to stare at him.


    "What?" Asked Amon.


    "Don''t you feel it?" Zarhan asked, seeing their relaxed postures.


    "No?" Anaak was the one to answer.


    "You''re not going Schizo are you?" Endorsi chimed.


    "Uh...." Zarhan held his head and headed back inside.


    Am I really going schizo? He thought. Maybe it''s because I''ve been too paranoid about this power.


    He eyes again traveled to his hand where a few drops of red shinsu were gathered.


    Yet, deep in his heart he could feel it still. That unsettling feeling was not just about this new


    power.


    It was something else...


    And something else it was!


    Above the Archimedes, Red Priest and Lo Po Bia Traumerei engaged in a standoff.


    "Who else? Your father!" Red Priest yelled with a grin.


    Traumerei suddenly felt his eyes twitching and an insurmountable urge to attack this strange


    person welled in his heart. However, he stopped.


    Strange... He thought with narrowed eyes.


    "You have quite the tongue on you." He extended his hand upwards. Around his hand, a sleek


    silver eel appeared to circle his fist.


    "Why don''t I cut if off for you?" He said, and suddenly, his shinhueh, Fandore Harpe dashed


    out!


    Whooosh!


    Shiiiiiiing!


    The eel expanded in the air, transforming into a larger form of itself! The eel was sleek and


    agile, unbearably fast for its size!


    The shinsu in the air split apart, torn by its figure moving through it!


    Red Priest''s eyes widened considerably and instantly, his right hand that was free travelled to


    the red sword at his hip!


    Clang!


    The sound of metal clashing with metal echoed in the area.


    Red Priest stood exactly where he was with his sword extended out. Not only did he manage to


    repel the Eel, he managed to stand his ground.


    He''s strong... Red Priest thought. It was not information he gleamed from the small clash. It


    was something he understood inherently.


    Traumerei seemed a bit surprised as if eyes that rarely saw daylight expanded just a tiny bit. It


    was almost imperceptible, but enough for him to notice.


    "Well look at that. You''re actually a bit competent."


    "Heh. Competent? Nah. It''s just that you''re too weak." It seems this man knew not the thin


    line between being a menace and being suicidal.


    Traumerei tilted his head in bafflement. He had never met someone as strange as this fellow.


    Why was he so toxic?


    "Well... an ant is still an ant." He said, a green hue suffusing out from his figure.


    Haaaaaaaa~


    Red Priest breathed out steam from his mouth as his lava coloured eyes shone with light.


    "I''ll ask you again. Who are you?" Traumerei asked in his monotonous voice.


    "Heh." He chuckled. "Let me introduce myself then." He said.


    He extended his sword to the sky and opened the book that he left in his other hand.


    "I am the Symbol of all Iron and Blood.


    "I am the Angel that is Red of War.


    "I am the Fighting Man of Crimson Tides.


    "I am the Great Medici."


    With that said, his book emitted an eerie glow that symbolized strife.


    "And I am also a humble servant of our God - The Embodiment of the Sefirah Castle."


    Traumerei looked at him with interest.


    "You''re interesting. I''ll deal with you as well. But before that." He looked behind him.


    "Cobalt. Bring me the fish."


    The frog croaked and made a gesture with his hands.


    A green flame instantly extended out from his body and disappeared into the air.


    Just then Medici also made his move.


    The Book that he held in his hands shone with blood and screams filled the vicinity.


    "I don''t think so." His whisper carried itself into Traumerei''s ears.


    "This isn''t part of the plan. But I suppose I will have some fun while I''m at it." He broke out


    with a vicious grin.


    "Hereby, by the Authority of the God of War, I seal this area and deem it as my battlefield!"


    He yelled. And the world answered.


    The shinsu in the area came alive and rushed towards him, encasing him and Traumerei,


    alongside the entire Archimedes in a static void that was a battlefield.


    Everything stopped. The shinsu flow in the area was no longer there.


    It had become a war space.


    Then, before anyone could react, his book shone yet again!


    Blood.


    Thousands of liters of blood poured out of the book and coalesced around him, burning away


    into a glorious orange red flame.


    Traumerei didn''t stop it from happening.


    Eventually, the Red Priest came out.


    "That''s more like it."


    All around him was an armour made of blood. His sword had increased in length and a sense


    of foreboding accompanied his every step.


    "I''ll make you taste some Dogshit." He said.


    Traumerei, for the first time, was a bit agitated by his words.


    "Let''s see you try." Behind him, multiple eels, numbering in dozens appeared without a


    sound. "Try not to get ripped apart."


    While he said this, he could not help but have a strange thought in his heart.


    I was only here to collect a divine sea fish. Where did this cartoon come from?


    A/N: Here''s another one.


    Traumerei seems to be getting more talktive with a Red Priest around lol. He''s trying to catch


    his raging emotions that get stirred up everytime Medici opens his mouth. That''s why he''s so


    talktive and has not attacked Medici with full power yet.


    Also, Place your bets.


    Medici


    Or


    Traumerei


    Or my favorite


    No conclusion.


    Throw some stones and leave a review plz.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 88: Workshop Battle - 6

    Chapter 88: Workshop Battle - 6Short Disclaimer: I have not read COI yet, so the way Hunters fight is still very much a mystery to me. The following fight was made through the information I could get from the LOTM wiki and the way I could imagine them fighting within the confines of power that I see Winston to be at.


    Medici, The Red Priest that brings destruction.


    The Great God of War, the Embodiment of Chaos and Strife.


    He was the ruler of flames and iron. The acolyte of blood and battle. Each swing of his sword brought down his enemies and he swerved through enemy attacks with the nimblesness of a cat.


    Winston''s Avatar could not possibly hope to match a King of Angels of the Red Priest pathway.


    It was simply a matter of order of life. The Order of Life of an Angel was so far removed from anything Mortals or even Demigods could think of that comparing them was like comparing a caricature to a human.


    Mortals and Demigods, when in comparison to an Angel or a higher being, might as well not be real. It was the natural difference between an ascended being and a mortal one.


    The same held true for Winston himself.


    At the level of an Angel, everything, every ability that a beyonder held would become an authority. Comparing the spells of the lower sequences to it was not viable. They were merely cheap imitations.


    Huuuuuu!


    Medici breathed out, exhaling a cloud of smoke and dust. Flames littered the atmosphere around him and heated up the area.


    The Archimedes had already entered an emergency mode. The fight that was about to commence here was felt by every single ranker, the small amount of High Rankers, the residents of the Middle Areas and the regulars below.


    It was Chaos.


    The only sound in Medici''s ears was of fire and wind.


    Until it wasn''t.


    Whoooosh!


    Fui! Fui!


    Something fast. Cutting through the air.


    Medici swung his sword which had already become red due to the heat. Metallic clangs rang out in the area as the steel bodied shinhueh, dozens in the number dashed at him from all


    sides and attempted to cut him apart.


    Medici broke out with a maniacal grin.


    His knowledge of battle had been increased. Since Winston''s fight with Kallavan, his body no longer performed wasted movements.


    Every move was calculated, performed with the highest precision and accuracy to deliver the deadliest blow. Each move was ingrained into his very bones.


    Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!


    Hundreds of metallic whispers split the air and the flames tore themselves apart by the movement of behemoths within them. The silver bodied shinhueh twisted in the air and attacked Medici with their bodies.


    Even through this short exchange, it was evident that Medici was holding his own pretty well. But he would be pushed back. There would come a time when his defence would be breached.


    "1st Virtue of War." Medici whispered. The Book in his hand opened, displaying the first page, draped in red.


    Traumerei watched in interest as the Fandore Harpe rushed at this... strange man.


    And then, they all fell.


    They simultaneously split apart.


    They were there, and then the next moment, they were not. The sword had sliced them too fast. The cause came before.


    "First Strike." Medici''s whisper came after.


    A deafening roar reached Traumerei''s ears as he watched the carcasses of his Fandore Harpe littered the air and fall down towards the ground.


    His face was not as expressionless as before clearly displaying his surprise, and his hand clutched his ear.


    "That was an annoying roar." He said.


    "Deal with it." Medici grinned and the next moment, various sonic booms rang in the air.


    Boooooom!!!!


    His lean but built figure appeared above Traumerei, as if he had always been there!


    His sword was pointed straight at his eye, with his body extended horizontally in the air and he grinned with sadistic glee.


    And then- there was light...


    Shaaaaaa!


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Craaaaaaaa!


    A gigantic green flame enveloped them both, burning them within! Medici, although he


    wasn''t burned was pushed into the air.


    His smile never faltered as he again looked down towards the target.


    A demonic yet humanoid giant with the head of a goat floated under Traumerei. The thing had chains all around it''s head and wielded a giant staff.


    [Lazy Elgore- One of Traumerei''s beasts]


    "Fire ain''t gonna work on me! Loner boy!" Medici yelled.


    And that smashed the nail into the coffin.


    Traumerei''s expression changed. No longer was it of a monotonous calm or that of mild


    annoyance.


    His eyes narrowed and his forehead constricted. With his spirit vision, Medici saw anger flood the man''s spirit as he lost reason.


    "That''s enough!" A guttural roar reached out from his throat as he extended his arm.


    And then, destruction ensued.


    Rankers and High Rankers had already begun to make their way to the outside of the ship. Yet, when they did, flames consumed them whole!


    In the air, various draconian beasts roamed with a ferocity only seen in the likes of a Ray Barracuda. Blazing flames of all coloured surrounded them as they tried to burn a single target and held no regard for anything else.


    [Enraged Rapid]


    [Poison Dragon Vanquish]


    [The Arrogant Kraken]


    [Megalodon]


    [Giant 16 Horned Crocodile]


    [Fandore Harpe]


    Utter Chaos descended, and at the center of it all was Medici.


    Yet the ship itself wasn''t suffering any damage.


    It was one of Medici''s power. By deeming a place as a battlefield, not only does he and his


    allies recieve a buff and the enemies recieve a debuff, but he can choose a ''fort'' to defend. So long as he were alive, it was impossible to destroy the fort. It was a spell made through raw


    shinsu usage and his door pathway''s ability to record states.


    For the people that leave it though... that''s a tough thing to say. Excellent... everything is as strong as I''d thought. Medici thought as he dodged and parried another set of attacks that would have decimated any normal High Ranker instantly.


    Any one of those attacks is enough to deal lethal damage. He''s cutting off my escape route with the Eel. Their defence has been boosted through loner boy''s shinsu. The octopus is trying to limit my movements. Every time I cut it''s limbs more grow in it''s place.


    He continued to cut through everything, the flames of battle fueling his stamina. Traumerei continued to watch him with his rageful expression. Yet Medici knew he had regained clarity long before the attack even began. At this moment, what Traumerei was feeling was cold clarity and a sense of absolute curiosity.


    He grinned and merged into the flames of the dragon, appearing directly above one of them!


    Then, holding his sword in one hand, he slashed down.


    He ''Reaped'' the Dragon''s life.


    "Cull." He muttered.


    And the dragon exploded into viscera and blood.


    Spuuuurttttt!


    Shaaaa!


    Crack!


    Three consecutive strikes.


    Three comsecutive strikes layered themselves over and over again, striking at different points


    in the space that he had deemed as his battlefield!


    Armor and scales cracked as his blade found the weakness in their builds. Blood and viscera


    burned up in the flames that layered his blade.


    Everything was over in the blink of an eye.


    Medici spread out his arms and held himself in the air in a T pose. His lava coloured eyes


    looked down at Traumerei.


    "12th Virtue of War - Layered Destruction." His voice that left his mouth as a whisper came to life


    and reached Traumerei as a roar!


    BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!


    Explosions. Explosions numbering in the hundreds and in the thousands occurred all behind him as the Angel Red of War stood with his arms unfurled.


    Delayed Explosions. One of the Mid Sequence Abilities of a Red Priest.


    The remains of the beasts exploded in fire, burning away in the pyre made by the Red Priest.


    "Sigh!" Traumerei sighed.


    "You''re troublesome." He said.


    Medici''s eyes instantly widened as he felt his hair stand on edge.


    Instantly, he leapt into the spirit world, using the door pathway''s abilities to escape!


    Appearing dozens of meters away, he saw a transparent green disc in the place he was just at. "What the shit?" He narrowed his eyes. Then, he clicked his tongue.


    I wasn''t supposed to use my actual pathways. He face palmed. But due to the sword in his hand, a


    metallic clang rang in the air.


    Just then, he felt the remains of the beasts moving again.


    "If you think you''ve taken care of my animals, you''re sorely mistaken." Traumerei spoke with


    a clear voice, unlike his previous tone.


    The chunks of flesh appeared and coalesced before him, taking the form of a sphere of flesh.


    Slowly, the flesh started to mold itself into shape.


    Interesting. Medici narrowed his eyes, curiously studying this strange phenomenon.


    The souls of the beasts. They had no dissipated. Nay, it would be more accurate to say their


    bodies did not have a soul. Traumerei had their soul trapped within his fishbowl.


    But where us his fishbowl? Medici looked through his spirit vision, gazing at the man.


    "Die." A clear voice rang in his ear suddenly.


    And green was all he saw.


    "What the hell is happening?!" Theolis yelled as he held onto the railings of the ship hallway


    for his dear life.


    He didn''t know what the hell was going on outside, only that it was better that he stayed on


    board.


    He had only finished packing 10 minutes ago, and then everything went to shit!


    He could not help but silently cry in his heart.


    Climb the tower they said... it would grant your wishes they said... I was happy back at my coffee farm!


    "Buckle up." Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him.


    He turned his head to look at Samuel.


    "What do you mean?! We aren''t going anywhere! Don''t you feel the intense vibrations!" He


    yelled.


    Samuel gave him a reassuring smile.


    "Even space warping has become difficult to achieve here. The entire thing had been sealed."


    He closed his eyes.


    "But I have a feeling a short window will present itself."


    Jue Viole Grace, the slayer nominee laid still on the ground, bound with strange bindings that sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    sucked him of all his strength.


    The ground shook from the occasional tremors. Viole''s face which was covered partially by his


    bangs turned up to look at the large structure.


    The Needle of Enryu.


    I feel... a strange pull...


    His brown eyes flashed with a strange red hue.


    Droplets of shinsu, red in colour floated up from the walls and went towards the Thorn.


    "What is this?" He couldn''t help but mutter.


    He felt something... Something huge. Something powerful.


    He had never felt so... alive?


    Shaaaaa!


    A blinding light shone into his eyes.


    And then, a voice reached his ears.


    "So you''re the one who will take my Thorn."


    The voice was fleeting and far. It seemed almost fake. Viole opened his eyes.


    There, in the air above the Thorn floated a man.


    He had red hair and red eyes and wore a coat.


    He smiled at him.


    "Take it then."


    And so, the Thorn disappeared, merging into him.


    A/N: Red Priest pathway is op. Like every other pathway I mean. But this one is just built for


    hands bro.


    The High Sequence Abilities just triggered so many ideas in my head but I couldn''t include


    them because Winston doesn''t have enough power to manifest them yet.


    Maybe in the future.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 89: Climax

    Chapter 89: ClimaxSlash!


    In an instant, Medici lost his right arm. It was cleaved straight through the middle, taking the sword alongside it!


    Slash!


    And then his left leg.


    "Damn!" Medici cursed silently as he merged into flames to escape the relentless assault of attacks.


    Traumerei. He was indeed strong. His beasts were able to be taken care of. They didn''t take much to kill.


    But the real problem was the family head himself. He could infinitely remake his beasts. And as far as Medici was concerned, he wasn''t sure if he even needed to.


    His shinsu quality could cleave space. Or more appropriately, it could separate two different spaces through a two dimensional sheet.


    This lead to a separation in whatever it was that lied in the space which was isolated.


    Thousands of sheets of green shinsu littered the sky all around and flew everywhere to create a gigantic maze. The sheets took the shape of pins and dashed across the maze, trying to hit any unfortunate soul that was caught up inside it.


    Medici looked at this with his lava coloured eyes. His hair which seemed to be on fire swayed gently in the wind as fire erupted again from his wounds.


    A new arm and a new leg arose from the flames.


    I guess I gotta bring in the big guns.


    Medici looked on towards the loner boy who looked at him with the same monotonous expression.


    He raised his flaming right arm into the air and opened the book with his left one. The pages fluttered wildly in the air as he spoke clearly, word by word.


    "Last Virtue of War; Subjugation." His voice rang in the air as the shinsu around him trembled.


    A large part of his spirituality, something that had begun to matter little at the level of a demigod was drained instantly as he stood in the air.


    Traumerei felt a strange premonition well inside his heart. He felt something.


    And he didn''t like it.


    Instantly, he pointed his hand and willed the shinsu to attack.


    Medici gave him a smile. And just as the spell was about to reach it''s completion, something occurred.


    A momentary pause in time.


    And then, his battlefield shattered.


    Traumerei paused, or he was forced to pause.


    A gigantic door appeared in the air, and alongside it, a threatening and overwhelming presence overlapped the entire region!


    Vrrrroooooom!


    Swoooooshhhh!


    A gigantic airship travelled through the door, hoisting itself from the void beyond and appearing here without a warp drive.


    "You''ve been having fun. Medici." The God of War heard from behind him. He smiled.


    "I was about to. Until your sorry figure interrupted me." He turned back to look at a man that was just a bit shorter than him. The man wore a black gentlemanly suit and a half top hat on his head.


    "Is that so? Then, perhaps I should have left you be slaughtered?"


    Medici didn''t answer. He, after all, would only be arguing with himself. And who argues with himself?


    Yep, a schizo.


    Traumerei''s eyes widened as his eyes beheld the new irregular. The Silent Leviathan.


    Yet, the more important part of it was a gigantic presence, something that even gave him shivers.


    "What are you doing here... Urek Mazino?" He asked, his eyes turning to one of the founders of Wolhaiksong.


    Urek Mazino smiled at him.


    "When have I needed your permission to be anywhere?" His words carried a strange pull.


    Traumerei could feel the shinsu trembling. The mere presence of this man had shifted the flow of shinsu.


    Urek smiled at him.


    "I know this is out of the blue, but I''m gonna need you let those guys go, okay?" He gave him a toothy grin.


    Traumerei''s eyes lingered on him for just a moment longer before he turned to the Red Priest.


    "...Alright. I didn''t come here to fight them anyways." He shook his head.


    "I came here to take something else." His eyes travelled down to the Archimedes.


    Just then, a feminine voice sounded in the air.


    "You don''t need to look down there. I''m right here." The voice said.


    Traumerei looked at the source. Right beside Winston stood a beautiful woman, her golden


    hair flowing with the wind and draped over his shoulders like a flood of brilliance.


    She stood atop a large sweetfish.


    The Sweetfish!


    Traumerei stared at the woman and pointed at the fish.


    "Give me that fish." He commanded.


    "No can do." Charlotte shook her head. "This one is my partner." She passed him a beautiful


    smile.


    Traumerei was silent. The his eyes widened.


    How is this possible? He silently exclaimed in his mind.


    He didn''t need anyone''s permission to take a beast under him. He was the best anima in the tower. Yet here was something that no matter how hard he tried to command, he could not


    seize control.


    Nay, that was not the case.


    He could control this fish. The fish simply didn''t react to any of his orders.


    There was something inside it... something that transcended his own power to command all


    lower beings in the tower.


    "What is this?"


    "Surprised?" Charlotte''s mocking tone reached his ears. "This fish is special, you can say. It''s bonded to me. No one else can control it until they take care of that bond."


    "Then I''ll just have to take care of you." He said.


    "I''m afraid I can''t let you do that."


    A shadow towered above him.


    Urek Mazino


    "What is it this time? Didn''t I already agree to let those two go?"


    Urek smiled. "Sorry baby. It''s my duty to protect all beautiful ladies in front of me!" He exclaimed while extending his arms and showcasing his muscular back.


    He looked over his shoulders and winked at Charlotte.


    Traumerei stated at him as if he were an idiot.


    "What are you talking about??" Genuine confusion was in his voice. "You''ll protect these


    pests at your own volition?"


    "That''s right." Urek matched his gave with equal strength.


    Neither of them backed down.


    The tension in the air reached an all time high. The shinsu itself seemed like it would


    suffocate everyone present.


    Red eyes met green.


    Neither of them was willing to submit. Urek was just strong, he would protect who he wanted


    to. While Traumerei could back down here. Doing so would not be becoming of his status and


    the power he commanded.


    Yet, neither of them moved, waiting for the other party to make the first move.


    Just then, a strange power suffused into the surroundings.


    And words and pages floated from the unknown beyond and all around them.


    "Take a rest, Traumerei." A gentle voice spoke.


    Winston''s smile widened inexplicably as he peered into empty space.


    Traumerei also followed his visions, as did everyone else.


    There in the air appeared a bright flash. And as it ended, a man walked out of it.


    He wore a white suit with a trenchcoat and had white gloves on his hands. He wore glasses on


    his face and held a cigarette in his hand.


    "This is not the place for you to fight." He said. "Neither are these people you should be


    picking it with."


    Traumerei and everyone stared this person down.


    He emitted the same overwhelming aura of power.


    Everyone knew who he was.


    Po Bidau Gustang, leader of the Po Bidau Family.


    "What do you mean?" Traumerei asked. "Are you saying I''d lose?" His voice carried a strange


    edge.


    "Badly." Gustang replied simply.


    Medici also wanted to speak out, but he controlled himself.


    Gustang stared Traumerei down.


    "That divine fish that you''re after. It is one of the Irregular''s beasts. If you decide to take it by


    force, you will be antagonizing him. Seeing his potential, are you certain you''d like to do


    that?"


    "Positive." Traumerei replied quickly.


    Gustang shook his head.


    "Always so hard headed."


    "Hey hey. Why are you acting like I''m not here?" At that moment, Urek interrupted their talk.


    He pointed at his chest and looked at them with an arrogant expression.


    "These guys, they''re under my protection. If any of you want a piece of them, you''ll have to


    go through me." He smiled. "Do you have the guts?"


    Gustang also turned to Traumerei and looked on with a patient smile.


    Traumerei was silent for a few moments.


    Then, he shook his head. "Fine." He said. "I won''t take the fish. And I''ll refrain from attacking them this time."


    Gustang nodded at his friend.


    With a soft smile on his face, he looked at Winston and his avatars. His eyes held a knowing


    look as his glasses glowed in the light.


    "Winston Heath." He called out. "I have heard much about you. Your recent endeavours have


    shook the tower more than you realize."


    Winston looked at him.


    "I''m perfectly knowledgeable about the consequences of my actions."


    "But not quite." Gustang replied.


    "The ten families and the upper ranks of the tower have been getting restless about you. You


    have no idea about the inner workings of the ten great families yet."


    "No, I have some knowledge." Winston gave him a slight smile.


    In his head, he thought of the various people he had already parasitized within the families, most of which included the Khun family, the Eurasia family and the Ari family.


    Should I send some worms on these guys as well? It would be fun seeing their reaction to all the family


    heads pulling out monocles and donning them on their right eyes.. He lampooned inwardly.


    "Is that so..." Gustang muttered.


    Urek and Traumerei stayed silent for the moment. Though, Traumerei looked as if he wished


    to speak out, he refrained from doing so.


    "Then, based on that knowledge, Mr. Winston; I would like to offer you something." He said.


    Winston raised a brow.


    At that moment, Traumerei floated up to their level and spoke.


    "I would also like to offer you the same proposal." He said.


    "And that is?" Winston had a hint of what they would say. ""A Marriage into my family."" Both of them said at the same time.


    "Since I have found you here, I might as well get this over with." Traumerei narrowed his


    eyes.


    "Marriage?" Winston said with a dumbfounded expression. Of course, he had already been expecting such a thing.


    It was simply the most logical thing to do.


    The power balance between the ten families was fragile. The only reason it had been surving


    until now was that Urek Mazino and the other irregulars that entered the tower had chosen to stay unaffiliated with any of the major powers.


    And now, when a wild card like him had appeared, there were only two options.


    Elimination or Subjugation.


    Between the two, getting him to join through marriage was obviously the better choice.


    "That''s right." Traumerei said. "I want you to marry into my family. Any female that catches


    your fancy in my family will marry you. It doesn''t matter who it is. It can be a family head or a normal resident. It can even be a princess of Jahad. You only need to choose.


    "If you do, you would have authority second only to me."


    "I also offer you the same. But in my case, I particularly offer you the Po Bidau Princess."


    Gustang smiled.


    "Po Bidau Tiara. I would like you to marry her. If you do, the Po Bidau family would always be your ally. You would share the same authority in the family as a Head Librarian."


    There was silence in the air. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The wind had stopped through the weight of the presence that the three behemoths shared.


    Absolutely no sound was present. The rankers and high rankers on the ship were shaking in


    fear at the people standing outside the Archimedes.


    Winston took some time to think.


    "Hmm. That is indeed a good offer." He scratched his chin.


    "But, I refuse!"


    A/N: I''m sick... again. I wrote this chapter with a fever and on my phone.


    So that might explain why it feels like a fever dream trying to read it. This is one of the chaotic


    chapters I''ve written I feel.


    Anyway, I do want to add some romance in the book. I don''t want Winston to have a sad


    existence like Mr. Fool bruh. And given my personal preference of spectacled girls, I think


    Tiara might be a viable option.


    Of course, I am still open to suggestions, if people can suggest a possible way for it to work


    out that is. It might change to Grama Jahad, or someone else entirely. Anyway, throw some stones and tell me your thoughts until now.


    Your comments keep me motivated.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 90: Attachment

    Chapter 90: Attachment"But, I refuse!"


    Gustang and Traumerei quieted down, their expression a constant deadpan as they took in Winston''s words.


    He refused.


    "Unfortunately, that''s not an option of any of the parties involved." Traumerei spoke with measured words. Gustang didn''t express his thoughts into words, yet it was plenty clear he had similar thoughts about it.


    Winston calmly met their gaze.


    "Oh but it is. As it stands, neither of you have the capacity to truly kill me. Even if Urek here is overlooked, I have plenty of tricks which I can escape by."


    "But for how long?" Gustang asked, probing.


    "Until I can kill you." Medici met his question with a striking remark.


    Winston nodded with a smile.


    Gustang and Traumerei narrowed their eyes, feeling a dangerous premonition welling up in their hearts.


    "Let''s not get to that point." Gustang intervened before Winston could continue down that conversation.


    "You understand the current dynamic enough. We simply cannot allow you to roam free, unless and until you also decide to stay out of the Ten Families'' business and stay unaffiliated with any of the big powers." Traumerei continued. "It is not a matter of paranoia, but a matter of cautiousness. Any drop in the lake will cause an effervescence. And an irregular like you is like a giant bomb."


    "And how is that supposed to help me?" Winston shot back. "Is that supposed to convince me to join you? Because you care about some power balance? Get over yourself. You people stay in your own bubble of make believe happiness.


    "Just because you''ve attained power over others and have grown accustomed to everything going your way, you now desperately latch onto any semblance of hope that will allow you to maintain the status quo.


    "The world might have seemed to revolve around you until now, but it won''t do so anymore." "Pfft!" Urek stiffled a burst of laughter and looked the other way.


    "And who will be the one to overthrow our reign?" Traumerei suddenly cut Winston off, spreading open his arm as if to embrace the sky.


    "Every else in the tower; everyone else was merely born in this world. We were welcomed into creation.


    "The same goes for you. You are meant to be above everyone else." His green eyes met Winston''s, sparking a competition of will.


    "Nobody else in this world is fit to stand alongside you. We are of your kind. We are the only ones that can stand by your side." He extended his hand to Winston.


    Gustang also joined in.


    "The strong will always stay above the weak. It is the way things have always been." Gustang said, yet Winston noticed a slight hesitation in his words.


    "I know that you aren''t completely against the prospect of marriage. Tell me, what is it that bothers you?" Gustang said, as if seeing right through Winston.


    Winston stared at his eyes for a moment. Then, a light bulb went off in his head.


    He realized what Gustang was doing. In essence, his abilities were not unlike that of a


    Visionary. Well... a very downgraded Visionary.


    He could read information in the shinsu. The flow of shinsu and the information could be seen reflected in his very eyes.


    I see. Winston nodded in his head.


    He smiled mischievously.


    "Hmm. Let''s see. It doesn''t seem right for marriage to be forced upon anyone right?" His eyes held a strange glint.


    "It would''ve been better if the parties got to know each other first. Getting with someone based on pure looks and liking isn''t something I''m comfortable with. I''ve tried that enough times to know it leaves a pit in your stomach."


    "Nice!" Urek gave him a thumbs up at the side.


    "But beyond that." Before any of them got to speak, Winston continued.


    "I don''t wish to join any of you." He said simply. "It''s not really in my bucket list right now. A personal preference." He smiled.


    Gustang and Traumerei stared at them with an unreadable expression.


    Just then, Urek stepped before Winston.


    "Now that that''s done, shall we head off?" He stared at the two family heads with a smile.


    "Or do you wish to fight us here?"


    Gustang shook his head.


    "No, fighting you is not something we have come here to do." He looked at Traumerei from the corner of his eye. "Isn''t that right? Traumerei?"


    The green haired man nodded in agreement without a word.


    And then, both of them turned back and disappeared into a flash of light.


    Urek Mazino turned around with a wide smile on his face.


    "That takes care of that." His red eyes scanned the Winstons present.


    "Let''s have a talk. Baby~"


    "Has it ended?" Endorsi asked Zarhan as they looked out of the windows in their hall.


    The outside situation seemed like something they were not permitted to be a part of.


    Neither did they feel the need to.


    "Hah! There goes Winston... doing some insane shit again." Zarhan sighed.


    "But it''s nice to see that he''s okay." Amon chimed in.


    "Where did you even come from? I haven''t seen you in ages." Endorsi huffed and walked back


    over to the sofa before slamming face first into it.


    "Well... I had something to deal with." He said. "Are you people aware of Jue Viole Grace?"


    Viole, or better yet, Bam, Wangnan, Yihwa and Rak ran across the stadium.


    Amid the chaos, Bam had managed to escape from his team''s clutches and managed to get a hold of the Thorn. After which, he had gotten back together with his teammates and escaped.


    However, there was another problem.


    Hwaryun had been captured.


    "Mr. Khun! We need to save her!" Bam yelled at his pocket, from which Khun''s voice was


    transmitted through.


    "Damn.." Khun muttered silently before speaking.


    "Got it! I''ll get the others! You make your way over there!" Khun spoke. Just then, he froze.


    "There won''t be a need of that." He heard behind him.


    Unconsciously, a smile bloomed on his face.


    He turned around and saw the owner of the voice.


    Winston Heath. The pillar of their team.


    Or rather, it was yet another Avatar; a freshly made one too.


    "How''ve you been? Khun." Winston couldn''t help but flash him a smile.


    Then, he turned to the lighthouse.


    "Hey, Bam!" He called out.


    "What? Is that Mr. Winston''s voice?!" Sure enough, the boy instantly recognized his voice.


    "That''s right." Winston said softly. "Stay where you are. I''ll come get you. We''ll all go back


    together now."


    The line went silent for a small moment before Bam''s voice surfaced again.


    "Okay."


    That single word conveyed a hundred emotions.


    And that was all Winston needed to provide his help. Without any wait, he stepped into the void and disappeared into the spirit world.


    And as Khun watched him go, he couldn''t help but have his shoulders relax and lean back into


    his chair.


    For he knew, as long as his friend was here, everything would go right. He placed his trust into his hands, no longer caring about the workshop battle or any instance related to it.


    Winston would take care of everything.


    Bam stopped in his place.


    His feet were rooted to the ground.


    The others looked at him in question.


    "What''s wrong black turtle?! Why did you stop!?" Rak with his chibby legs stomped on the


    ground.


    "What''s wrong Viole?" Wangnan and Yihwa also looked at him in concern.


    "It was... Mr. Winston." Bam said.


    Involuntarily, a single tear rolled down his left cheek.


    "I... I''m finally going to be together with you guys..." He sniffed. "I''m finally... home..."


    Wangnan and Yihwa smiled at his figure.


    Rak looked at him with his red eyes before walking up to him.


    Then, with his short and stumpy arms, he hugged him.


    "Welcome back. Black Turtle..."


    "Now now, don''t celebrate just yet..." A blinding flash of light occurred right before them.


    And then, a man walked out.


    "I still have some FUG members to kill." Winston smiled at them. Of course, the light flash


    wasn''t necessary, it was just there for the added effects.


    He landed just before Bam and put a hand on his shoulder.


    "It''s been a while... Bam." He said softly.


    Bam stilled. Then, his features exploded into a smile.


    "Long time no see, Mr. Winston!"


    Winston nodded and turned back.


    Then, he flicked his wrist and a door appeared in front of them all.


    "Walk through that door. It''ll take you to an airship. Don''t worry, it belongs to a friend." He


    said. "I''ll send the rest right after you. And care not about the red witch. I''ll be sure to take her


    with me as well."


    Without a word, they all nodded at his words. All except one that is.


    "Hey, scary turtle..." Rak said.


    Scary turtle?


    "What?"


    "... You don''t happen to be a hermaphrodite right?"


    "No?" Winston tilted his head quizzically.


    What is he talking about?


    Rak shook his head and walked over to the door where everyone else was waiting.


    "Nothing!"


    He yelled and crashed into the rest, pushing them all through the door. The wooden structure disappeared behind them.


    "Now..." Winston turned towards the center of the arena.


    "What was that guy''s name? Reflejo something?" Taking a step into the void, Winston disappeared into a puff of flames.


    Hwaryun laid on the ground, completely bloodied and without strength.


    Her eyes were slightly clouded over and she had lost too much blood.


    A dark shadowy figure loomed before her. Reflejo, one of Karaka''s servants.


    There was silence in the environment.


    Then, a soft chuckle, akin to a fleeting whisper reached her ears. "You''ve seen better days." The tone was one of sarcasm. She knew exactly whose voice it was.


    She turned her body to look up towards the ceiling. A man looked down at her with his


    trademark smile. Even though he was bending down at a 90 degree angle, the half top hat


    didn''t fall down as if held up by a spell.


    She knew who he was.


    He was now her God and the God of every being that pledged themselves to fate. The next God


    that would shake the tower. He was the one that ripped apart fate and destiny.


    Winston Heath.


    "Winston..." Hwaryun managed to say.


    "Shh." Winston kept a finger on his lips. "Rest." He said. And immediately, drowsiness began


    to overtake Hwaryun''s mind.


    She slept with a clear and relaxed mind, knowing that she and everyone else she was leading


    was safe.


    Winston materialized a door beneath Hwaryun and sent her in before looking at Reflejo.


    The man had not noticed him at all. And he wouldn''t even notice his own death, nor the death


    of all his lackeys.


    Winston looked at them all and flicked his wrist. Instantly, a flame overtook their bodies, burning them away instantly.


    With a shake of his head, he again disappeared into flames.


    Team Shibisu waited in their waiting hall. They knew the workshop battle was a lost cause


    now. Yet they didn''t hurry to escape.


    It was because Khun had contacted them at the last second.


    ''Stay in the waiting room, someone will come to pick you up.'' He had said. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And so they did. Endorsi, Anaak, Amon, Zarhan, Hatz, Vespa, Shibisu, Laure, Verdi and Alexai. They all waited


    patiently in the room.


    Nobody spoke.


    And then, there was a flash of light.


    Shaaaaaaa!


    And then of flames.


    And out walked a well dressed man.


    "Did you miss me?" Winston spoke with a toothy grin.


    Everyone froze as they took in his figure.


    Winston would be awkward, if he did could not see how their emotions were changing at the


    moment.


    The next instant, a wide smile blossomed on each of their faces. """""Winston!!!!"""They all yelled, rushing at him and blanketing him in a sea of bodies.


    The ones at the forefront were Amon and Zarhan.


    "Mr. Winston!"


    "Winston!"


    Their smiles couldn''t be more obvious.


    Winston''s mask of control crumbled, and beneath the weight of the bodies, he couldn''t help


    but give himself to their force and be carried down to the ground.


    "I missed you guys." Winston admitted, "How have you been?"


    And for the first time in a long while, a genuine smile, one full of emotions tore through his


    persona and was out for them to see.


    At that moment, Winston realized.


    Somewhere along the lines of his travels; between the test floor and the years spent with and


    without his teammates; he has grown fond of their presence and more critical of their


    absence.


    He had grown attached to them...


    He smiled under their weight.


    They all laughed. It was laughter of joy and emotions and smiles of elation and


    companionship.


    Maybe... this isn''t so bad...

 Chapter 91: Contemplation

    Chapter 91: ContemplationCompanionship was a strange thing. Friendship that arose out of companionship was even stranger.


    It left one feeling a sense of fullness. Like a good meal after days of starvation, or like a good night''s sleep after staying awake for weeks.


    If one were to ask Winston about it, and he were to answer truthfully-which he would rarely do- he would answer; ''It reminds me of my time with Old Man.''


    Indeed. It was a strange feeling.


    A feeling of home.


    And in the tower, home was a foreign concept to most of the residents.


    "I''m telling you, that stream was absolutely insane! When Tommy from the RAB(ranking administration bureau) donated those points, everyone was shocked!" Zarhan spoke with enthusiasm as the trio walked along the halls of the ships.


    The regulars had not met Urek Mazino yet. Urek had gone back to his chambers on Winston''s request. It was solely because he wanted to record their collective reactions to meeting the dude; he did not want to spoil the experience by splitting them up and having Urek meet them one by one.


    In the meantime, the regulars gathered in one place and took the time to catch up.


    There were a few outliers in between, like Vespa and Verdi who were not originally a part of their group, but they didn''t let it bother them.


    Everyone got along nicely.


    They talked for hours about what both Winston and Bam had been doing. Needless to say, everyone was pretty angry at FUG for doing what they did and some, like Endorsi, even blamed Hwaryun for it.


    To everyone''s surprise, Bam protected Hwaryun and told them to leave her alone.


    Although it was weird, it brought a smile to everyone''s faces. Bam had not changed even now.


    Winston, naturally had nothing to hide. He was too conspicuous for his own good now. Any move he made was closely monitored by almost everyone in the tower.


    Naturally, it didn''t matter with his avatars being spread all around.


    After that, everyone addressed the elephant in the room.


    Charlotte.


    People had a lot of ask about her.


    Especially Endorsi. She seemed to have developed a strange rivalry with her. Khun and Wangnan were under the heavy impression that Winston and her were dating, for some strange reason. Naturally, the misunderstanding was cleared up.


    Another thing that Winston noticed during it all was Rak the Alligator.


    His gaze was alternating between Winston and Charlotte.


    It was plenty obvious that he had figured it out. Rak''s animalistic instincts were sharper than he gave them credit for. Winston would absolutely not bring it up with the Alligator, and it seemed he too was content with being non vocal about it.


    Perhaps he was too scared to speak about.


    After all that was done and everyone headed off to rest for a while, Winston, Zarhan and Amon were the only ones left.


    And so, they decided to take a stroll around the ship.


    "The way you fought the Corps Commander was amazing!" Amon said from the side, excitement palpable in his voice.


    Winston scratched the back of his head and smiled.


    "Well, it was nothing really. I can teach you some tricks if you like." He laughed.


    "Hell yeah!" Zarhan clenched his fists and roared in elation.


    Amon also looked at him with stars in his eyes.


    Suddenly, Winston looked at him and wiggled his brows.


    "Also, how''s the relation between you and Anaak coming along?" He smirked.


    Amon seemingly froze in his steps before he coughed and adopted a stoic face.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    "Ah, quit it!" Zarhan slapped his head with a chuckle. "You never care to admit it!"


    "I really have no idea what you mean by that."


    Winston shook his head and spoke with a teasing undertone.


    "Well, if you don''t wanna admit it, that''s fine too. What''s love, if it isn''t accompanied by a bit of secrecy, eh?"


    Seeing their smirks, Amon felt a blush creep up on his face.


    "We''re just friends that all." He said in a finalizing tone.


    "Don''t tell me... you were friendzoned?"


    "Really?" Winston also expressed his shock.


    "Wha!? No! Of course not!"


    It wasn''t until he snapped out of the momentary confusion that Amon realized he had walked into a trap.


    "Hehe. Well, as long as your relation hasn''t turned static, I advice you to keep pursuing her!" Winston gave him a thumbs up.


    Zarhan also mimicked his motion.


    "Also, you shouldn''t wait too long. Letting it marinate is one thing, but don''t take absurdly long like decades you know? You must seize the opportunity." Winston nodded sagely. Amon felt a burst of heat from his head as his cheeks were overtaken by a shade of red.


    "...I''ll keep that in mind."


    Hmm. I can''t say I haven''t missed this... Winston held a serene smile on his face and mused.


    Their idle chatter had been something he enjoyed at the test floor and even some floors after it. It gave momentary respite from his own thoughts and gave him the time to take a rest.


    And now, it seemed all the more enjoyable.


    They made their way to the top of the airship.


    It had already become night time by now.


    The sky was darkened with a layer of clouds and a slight drizzle poured down. The sussurus of the wind rang clear and wide, throwing their clothes around and making them feel chills.


    They were still on the 30th floor. They couldn''t go up the floors the normal way from a warp drive, since Wangnan and Co still hadn''t gone beyond the 30th floor.


    As for Winston, it was a special case. Since he had parasitized so many rankers, he, in essence, was now allowed to go to any and all unlocked floors on the tower.


    It was not something that made sense in the traditional manner. It was basically Winston taking the place of other people or ''stealing'' their place in the tower. He embodied their


    identity.


    And since he and his avatars were one and the same, he naturally attained the ability to freely travel through all the floors. And the more people he parasitised, the more people he ''embodied'' in the sense of the guardians.


    And so, even though he had never climbed the Tower, he was considered equivalent to a


    ranker.


    But funnily enough, his original body was still a regular, and that also meant that each and every avatar was also as such. It was a very weird connection.


    "It feels like it''s about to rain." Amon shielded his eyes from the wind as he walked.


    They were all wearing simple T shirts, shorts and sandals.


    It was a very simple way of clothing that Winston rarely ever wore. But it was comfortable. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Administrator''s watching us." Winston suddenly dropped a bomb, making both Amon and Zarhan turn to him with a deadpan.


    "What do you mean he''s watching us?" Zarhan was the first to ask.


    "Did I stutter?" Winston chuckled. "Irregulars are a big deal, even for Administrator''s... and


    let''s just say I have a special place even among those."


    "So you''re like a super criminal?" Amon raised a brow.


    "...See when you put it like that..." Winston had no words. Guardians were the Gods of the tower. The undisputed powerhouse, standing atop every other being in the tower. And someone that Guardians had to be vary of could indeed be marked as a criminal. It was simply


    a way of words.


    Not to mention Irregulars were viewed in a negative light in the first place.


    "... Yeah. Basically a super criminal."


    Winston did not feel the word to be definitive, but he just chose to go with it. He did not wish


    to spend brain power to refute that.


    "Well, that''s surely gratifying, I imagine." Zarhan said. "Being so strong even the Gods of the


    tower need be vary."


    "Eh. It''s a pain really. Having hundreds of eyes constantly watching you isn''t a pleasant


    sensation I tell you." He chuckled.


    "Can''t relate."


    "Can''t relate." They both said at the same time.


    Suddenly, Winston had a peculiar thought in his mind.


    "...Say." He said, making them turn towards him.


    "Would you like to get powers similar to mine?"


    Amon and Zarhan raised a single brow.


    "Powers like yours?"


    "How so?"


    "Let''s see... I can''t be sure if it''ll work really, but if I can succeed." He extended his hand,


    making the illusion of a small bottle appear at his hand. "I could make you some handy


    things..."


    Amon and Zarhan looked at each other and then to Winston and then back again.


    Then, he collectively smiled and rain towards him.


    "Hell yeah!"


    "Of course!"


    They jumped into the air and towards their friend. Who only smiled and gotnout of the way,


    casting a silent tumble on their sandals.


    Bam! Bam! They both fell onto the metal floor, Amon on his face and Zarhan on his butt.


    Ouch!


    Winston gave a silent laugh seeing them.


    He looked out to the air and where the administrator was watching them.


    "...it seems the tower will get even more chaotic soon..." He said.


    As if in response, the wind began to pick up and soon became a Storm!


    Seeing that, they all headed inside.


    They walked back to their respective rooms and headed inside for rest.


    And as Winston laid on the bed mattress, he felt thoughts drifting in his head.


    This team... it had indeed become precious to him.


    Amon and Zarhan were like little brothers he never had. Endorsi, Anaak, Shibisu, Khun, Bam


    and Rak... it was all like a dysfunctional family that somehow, worked.


    A bottle materialized in the air above him.


    The other potions.


    Since shinsu was limitless, he felt it would also be possible for him to create beyonder


    characteristics. However it were possible, he wished to take his teammates with him.


    He did not want to outgrow them, however much he might need to.


    His eyes held melancholy.


    "But should I?" He asked himself.


    He left the question to drift in the air, unanswered.


    Some answers need not be said.


    And so, he closed his eyes, taking a rest and letting his thoughts go adrift and into the sweet


    domain of dreams.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    And tell me how this chapter turned out.


    And do take the time to leave a review. It keeps me motivated.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 92: Phantaminum

    Chapter 92: PhantaminumThe Ark of Knowledge floated proudly floated in the air as it strode forth without stop. The dome shaped airship, the residential area and the battleship of the Po Bidau family looked majestic as always.


    The people went about their ways, this day only more in number. For one of the head librarians was going to do a public reading today. It was always a festive atmosphere when that happened. The normal librarians had little substance when it came to reading. Knowledge was welcome to everyone in the Po Bidau family, barring a few secret books that only the family head and a few members of the family knew.


    But there was a hierarchial arrangement based on status that determined which types of books one was allowed to show at a public reading. The Higher the rank, the larger and more grand the public reading that could be held.


    For that reason, the various head librarians held a pivotal role in the family; extending further than them being a leader of a branch or a strong member to fall back on. They were also a source of entertainment and bliss.


    Various people with glasses and monocles walked along the rarely seen busy streets of the Ark. They all held a look of joy and excitement on their visage.


    Gustang stood atop the tallest tower of the Ark and looked down at all of this with a solemn expression. His feelings were hard to decipher. He had a scholarly air around him and had the disposition of a poet. His glasses shone in the ambient light, giving him a particularly striking look.


    He thought back to the conversation he had with the new irregular. From the short exchange of words alone, Gustang knew his intentions all too well. He wasn''t the type of stay down. People like him would stir up trouble anywhere they went; anything that came in front of him would be forcible removed.


    And with the strength he had shown at floor 30 alone, Gustang didn''t doubt for a moment his ability to do so. Eventually, he would catch up. And that time wouldn''t be too far off...


    That ability of his.... Gustang narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the uncanny ability of the irregular.


    The Power to take others'' place.


    It was a frightening power. One that seemed weirdly familiar to Gustang. As a matter of fact, it hit a little too close to home.


    Once again... my ignorance is coming in the way of my decision making. His eyes glossed over. Something that had been happening far too often these days.


    There doesn''t seem to be a limit to his ability... But should such a thing even be possible? Infinitely multiplying, with each clone being exactly as powerful... it seems too far-fetched to even be considered real... and yet... He remembered the words of one of his clones.


    ''Until I can kill you'' he had said.


    Gustang remembered the strange shiver that had gone down his spine at that very moment. It wasn''t something that happened randomly. He couldn''t help but realize it. He had to. Something was very very wrong.


    And it would only get worse if it were allowed to fester.


    "Proust." He said, softly.


    Instantly, a large cyan humanoid creature appeared in the air behind him. The creature had a head not unlike that of a dear and donned glasses on his face.


    "Sir." His deep voice bellowed.


    "Send Tiara to my office. I have something to speak to her." Gustang declared.


    "Will do, sir." Proust said and disappeared.


    Gustang spoke, seemingly to the air, "You wanted to know your marriage partner before marriage right?"


    Surprisingly, a smile blossomed on his face.


    Chaos will again grace the Tower... He looked towards the sky.


    And perhaps... the stars will finally have a chance at shining through.


    Gustang felt the spell on his office room activate. Someone had arrived outside.


    He leapt through space and instantly arrived at his office.


    Then, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket, he said, "Come in."


    The door opened without sound, and in came a beautiful young woman. She was fair skinned and glamorous. Her pretty yellow hair cascaded down her head and dropped down to her back, supporting two braids at the front that extended to her bosom. Her face donned clear glasses that stood over her yellow eyes and she had the disposition of a typical bookworm.


    Her attire was proper, including a long white dress and brown shoes. In her arms, she cradled a large book and pressed it to her chest as if afraid to let go.


    It was none other than Po Bidau Tiara, the Po Bidau''s Princess.


    Entering into the room, she smiled at Gustang.


    "Good evening, Father. How have you called me today?"


    "You were pretty quick getting here." Gustang joked, taking a puff from his now lit cigarette. However, with his monotonous tone to go along with it, it sounded more condescending than


    light fun.


    "Of course. It is my duty to follow your orders as efficiently as possible." Tiara said without missing beat.


    Gustang only nodded and began.


    "I have a task for you."


    "Task?"


    "That''s right." He said. "You must have heard about the Silent Leviathan correct?"


    Tiara''s eyes lit up with a strange excitement.


    "I have. Winston Heath, if my memory serves me right." She said.


    "That''s right. I want you to find him." He continued. "Find him and get to know him. That is what you must do."


    Tiara stared at him for a split second with a blooming confusion.


    "By getting to know him, father, what is it that you mean?" she asked, her face still impassive, barring the strange expression that her eyes conveyed.


    "You are going to be married to Winston Heath." And so, Gustang dropped the bombshell without even attempting to ease her in. "I spoke to him. He''s a strange person, as are all irregulars. And the way things are currently, I hold no doubts that he would become an enemy. To stop that, I wish to have him by our side permanently.


    "But he said he would not like a marriage without getting to know the other party first. So this


    is how it turned out." Gustang finished his speech and met Tiara''s eye. He extended the


    cigarette to his mouth and took a puff.


    "And so, you will get to know him. Eventually get him to our side."


    Tiara was quiet for a moment before she spoke.


    "May I suggest something, Father?" She said.


    Gustang stayed unmoving; a signal for her to continue.


    "What if I eliminate the threat entirely?" Suddenly, a slime bloomed over her lips and her eyes held a fiery luster. "What if I can kill that man? Then I won''t have to marry him and your


    worries will be solved."


    Gustang narrowed his eyes in thought.


    "If you can accomplish that, you may. But exercise caution." Gustang said simply. He would not outright deny her suggestion. It would only lead to some complications later down the line. It was better for parents to let the children follow through with their crazy plans. Especially so for someone like Tiara. Something batshit insane like this might just work in


    favor for the cracked ones.


    Tiara giggled at his response and bowed.


    "Thank you father!"


    "Then, you may leave." Gustang nodded and took another puff from his cigarette.


    Tiara didn''t linger. And the door closed with a soft thud.


    The man stood in his office with a still face; deep in thought.


    Hwaryun found herself stranded amidst an infinite ocean of gray fog. She stood over it, yet the fog continued to impede her vision. She looked around herself with a cold clarity. Then,


    her eyes widened. That''s right. Eyes. Plural.


    She touched her right eye which had been damaged at the test floor.


    "Is this a dream?" The thought instantly covered her mind, calming her nervous psyche.


    She looked around herself, finding her thoughts getting more chaotic the more she looked


    around.


    This is just like that time... She thought to herself in foreboding. Some years ago, she had found herself in a similar scenery. Only then, she had seen something she wasn''t sure if she should have. She had seen the harbringer of all secrets, the one that lords over all the mysteries in the


    Tower.


    She had seen ''him''. She had realized at that time why Lord Khel Hellam had been so overwhelmed by what he had seen. It was simply too much to process.


    And that was also the day she had locked herself up for weeks to come.


    That''s right. This must also be related to Winston somehow... She thought. Before passing out, she


    remembered herself repeating his name.


    The Beacon of Destiny.


    The Uncontrollable Cosmic Error.


    Traveller of the Endless World.


    And now, she was here.


    She braced herself, preparing for whatever vision she was going to be shown this time. And


    yet, nothing came.


    She waited and waited and waited. Then she waited some more. Did she mention that she


    waited?


    Yet there was nothing. No change in the grey fog, nothing.


    She narrowed her eyes and walked forward. The grey fog shifted as her feet probed it. She strode forth in the sea of mist like a lonesome boat across an insurmountable ocean.


    And after some time, the area began to change.


    The monotony of the fog was broken by large monolithic structures growing out of it as if


    trying to escape the clutches of whatever if was that held them. One of them Hwaryun tried to read send shivers down her spine.


    It was written in Macsethian, but also the ancient languages that the Family Heads had


    brought along with them from outside the tower along with every other that already existed S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    inside it.


    If she had to describe it, it was an amalgamation of every single language ever witnessed in


    the tower. It described a scene. One in history where Phantaminum had murdered his way through the Jahad forces. It was explained in vivid detail, down to the last movement as if someone had


    personally gone there and written down every last detail.


    And then, her vision expanded.


    Her eyes darted around, finding herself at the hallways that had been painted red by the blood


    of the Jahad forces. She widened her eyes and looked in a particular direction. There, she saw a


    man.


    She could not accurately judge his features. Even the colour of his hair or his height. It was all


    covered by a layer of fog.


    But then, the man turned to her.


    She knew who he was.


    Phantaminum.


    What? When? Where?


    Why had she come come? How did she even arrive here? Who is she? What is her name?


    Questions flooded her mind as the ''being'' before her smiled at her.


    "You aren''t supposed to be here." He said.


    And then, Hwaryun woke up with a jerk.


    Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!


    She took heavy breaths, trying to calm down her heart that seemed to want to jump out of her


    chest.


    She looked around her. She was laid onto a neat beat. The room itself was pretty sizable and


    not too noteworthy.


    Just then, her eyes widened. Yes. Eyes. Plural.


    She looked beside the bed where a small table was. And atop was table was a small paper


    figurine with a hole in its head and a note at the side.


    She took on the note and opened it.


    [I healed your eye. Come outside when you wake up. Tell one of the rankers to guide you, or you know,


    just do it yourself. Cheers~~]


    It was Winston''s letter, no doubt.


    Inexplicably, a smile stretched out on her face.


    This new God of her''s... well, he brought plenty of dangers but at least he had a heart.


    A/N: Throw some stones and leave a review.


    Volume two will soon enter it''s final arc, the Hell Train!!!!!


    Stay tuned for that, I have big things planned.


    Cheers~~~~

 Chapter 93: Army

    Chapter 93: ArmyThe happenings of the workshop were not turned a blind eye to.


    After all, two family heads had appeared at the Archimedes and one even engaged in a short battle against an unknown assailant, resulting in the collateral of 71 rankers and a High Ranker!


    The entire tower, was once again shaken to the core. Family Heads had not personally moved since the ancient times. It was very rare for people to even catch a glimpse of their revered forms. And here, some unknown man, flaming red in colour had challenged one of them and caused another head to intervene!


    The masses were scared. The Tower was turning chaotic again.


    After prolonged peace, the Jahad Empire once again teetered at the precipice of war.


    The various reporters of the major news channels didn''t miss the opportunity to bite into the tender and tantalizing news. Just a way after the workshop battle had been put to a forceful end, the entire tower heard of the news. It differed based on the sources, but the main points were all the same.


    The head of the Lo Po Bia family and an Unknown High Ranker (suspected to be an ancient war time ranker) engaged in battle. The Leader of the Po Bidau family had to come and intervene to save his fellow head. And later, to even the scales, Urek Mazino made his appearance.


    The news openly spit on the majesty of the family heads, questioning their hitherto unquestioned might and sowing the seeds of doubt. The Lo Po Bia family was enraged. How dare the puny news channels disrespect the family head like that? They thought. And so, a purge commenced. Although the Po Bidau family tried to intervene and clear out the misunderstanding to quell their rage, they were not having it. Every news channel and piece of media that had bad mouthed their family head was tracked down within the course of 5 days and their respective heads were all executed.


    Strangely, every single one of the news heads had a monocle on their right eyes.


    The Lo Po Bia organized a special unit, revealed to the public which would track down and hunt the ranker that had dared to put a stain on their names and reclaim their honor.


    But even after the purge, the masses had been moved. Unrest and chaos ensued in the lower floors where administration was not too widely placed. The rulers of the floors scurried to control the chaos, but it left lasting impacts.


    Riots began to form, led by the enemies of the ten families. Floor wide protests about getting rid of the family heads were underway! The leaders of the respective groups argued how the family leaders were not fit to lead and protect them anymore. If they were getting jumped by a random High Ranker from the ancient times, how were they supposed to protect the people? Some groups, led by rankers even attacked the family bases of the various families!


    In the end, various families, including the Khun, Ari, Arie, Ha, Eurasia and Tu Perie had to get involved in the entire thing.


    Tension filled the hearts of the various floor rulers and the people. They knew it. It was no use telling oneself otherwise.


    War was on the horizon. And it approached with haste.


    ...


    Before the situation could derail into something unsalvageable, Jahad gave an order at one of his prominent outposts. It followed his traditional style of issuing orders, giving out three orders where one had to be followed.


    1. Control the riots, crush all opposition.


    2. Kill the Irregular, Winston Heath.


    3. Destroy FUG.


    The order was announced publicly on the orders of the supreme commander of Jahad forces, Adori Jahad along with her own ominous words.


    The words were:


    ''Every single order will be fulfilled, starting with the riots.''


    And then, there blood pooled the streets.


    The entirety of the 2nd and 3rd Corps along with the 4th and 5th division of the 1st Corps of Jahad Army were moved. The riots which raged on the floors 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30, 33, 47, 48, 49, 50, 77, 79, 81 and 82 were all crushed in 3 days.


    While Adori Jahad herself hadn''t participated in the movement, many of her subordinates had stormed the FUG outposts that had popped up by themselves, destroying everything within. It was a display of power unseen since Urek Mazino.


    The things calmed down quickly afterwards.


    Everything was arranged properly.


    And the one responsible for everything?


    Well....


    1 day after the Workshop battle ended.


    Wolhaiksong''s floating ship, 30th floor.


    Inside a large room that hosted a King sized bed and various seating places, three people sat with varying expressions.


    "I can''t get over how you managed to put a scratch on Urek..." Winston stared down Bam with a dangerous gaze. Part of him wanted to parasitize the boy and explore what it was that made


    him special.


    Winston knew it himself; without his beyonder powers, he could never hope to get through Urek''s tough body. It was his intuition. Unless he used his error pathway abilities or his door pathway abilities, he wouldn''t be able to harm the man.


    There was of course the broken Fool Pathway which could theoretically allow him to turn him into a marionette, but it was easier said than done.


    The stronger the soul, the harder it was to parasitize or turn into a marionette. Of course, things like surprise attacks would work wonders. Anyone could before a marionette given enough time. But the essence lay in the opposition.


    Anyways, Winston had half expected the entire team to be surprised at Urek''s appearance. But instead, Shibisu''s team stayed somewhat nonchalant about it all. In their words, they were


    already teammates with a freak irregular.


    Wangnan and Co had already met Urek before, so their reaction was also not very impressive.


    Bam was the only one with a sizable reaction, but not in the way one would consider normal. He was happy. He was happy to see a man who had almost killed him.


    Apparently, he wished to know more about the outside of the tower.


    And so, he was also called to the room.


    Imagine Winston''s surprise when he found out Bam had managed to scratch Urek''s skin.


    Mind blown.


    "I know right? With my strength, people would imagine me to be invincible; which admittedly I am." Urek shook his head with a smile. His face was a painting that screamed


    ''I''m too strong for my own good''.


    Bam laughed awkwardly, not sure how to respond.


    "Enough about that." Winston clapped his hands and brought the attention to him.


    "Let us get to the main point. The outside."


    Winston said with deadly seriousness. From words alone, it felt as if some socially awkward good for nothings were discussing their worst fear- Going outside.


    But that could not be further from reality.


    "Ah right." Urek leaned fowards and propped up his elbows against his knees. He held his


    hands and looked at Winston.


    "Now, tell me. What was the outside like for you?" Urek asked.


    Bam also leaned in to hear clearly.


    Winston smiled and started his explanation.


    "That''s... quite a lot different from what I''ve seen." Urek tilted his head in puzzlement while


    Bam continued to praise the ''outside world'' more after hearing everything about it.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "Why? What was it like for you?" Winston took a spare glance at Bam.


    Bam had already told Urek about his experience outside the tower. Just darkness and a girl.


    That was all he had for memories.


    "Well... as your accounts and mine don''t exactly match..." Urek''s eyes narrowed as he continued. "The way I have experienced the outside is an infinite blue sky and an infinite world in all directions." He spread his arms wide and closed his eyes as if envisioning the


    place.


    "The world outside is never ending. The blue skies lead on to infinity. There''s isn''t a system of such countries, although they do exist. Nobody can put a number on how many there are.


    "Although the Ten family heads are stingy assholes, some did tell me about somewhat similar stuff. But what amazes me is the similarities. Languages, folktales, myths and stuff. It


    all seems interconnected somehow." Urek finished.


    Winston also scratched his chin in thought.


    That''s right.. all the similarities are indeed a bit uncanny. It can''t be just a coincidence... or is it?


    He felt a shiver go down his spine.


    It might be something else. Parallel worlds, which have all but been proven by now, can have matching myths and folklores. It''s not that big of a deal... Lord of the Mysteries too was only a thing of fiction. Yet they might very well be real. He said, trying to calm his nerves. It was surreal that the multiverse theory might be real, and amid an infinite series of universes, two having the same mythos was no big deal.


    But it was still uncanny for it to be so. What were the chances that the world he was mysteriously transferred to had the same myths and various languages as his old world? Just then, a light bulb just when off inside his head.


    What if... The tower was also another story like Lord of Mysteries? That would explain everything...


    Another shiver went down his spine. He imagined Visionary Adam or some other big shot sitting down and eating a burger while simultaneously writing a story where the tower existed and everyone in it was only a character.


    .....Terrifying... May Mr. Fool protect me... He silently prayed in his heart.


    "Well, enough about that. Now that you''ve told me about the outside, there''s something else


    I wanna ask you." Urek smiled.


    "What''s this fuzz about ''Traveller of the Endless Worlds?"" He asked.


    Winston raised an eyebrow.


    "Ah, that." He gave a cryptic smirk and flicked his wrist for the dramatic effect.


    Just then, a door appeared some distance from them.


    "What the?!" Bam exclaimed, startled by the sudden appearance of a door.


    "What''s this?" Urek asked.


    "It''s a door."


    "I can see that. What does it do?"


    "It does it''s best."


    An awkward silence followed. Winston wasn''t the best at joke delivery.


    "What do you think it does? It does what it''s supposed to. It connects two spaces together.


    Like a door." Or maybe that wasn''t a joke.


    Suddenly, Winston smirked.


    "I mean that literally. It can literally connect any two places that I want. Of course, the range


    is still very limited and under various different factors. I''m not powerful enough to operate at infinite range yet." He said as if it were a mere parlor trick to him.


    "But when I get strong enough... perhaps we can have a chat again... about connecting some


    place in the tower to the ''outside.'' At a reasonable price of course. I swear I won''t swindle


    you."


    Hearing his words, Urek''s eyes widened and a grin graced his face.


    "That''s what I''m talking about! Baby!"


    The same day, at the Ark of Knowledge.


    Tiara walked to the very edge of the Ark, where the airships were located. She looked around sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    for a bit as her butler followed her. Then, finding an empty spot, she spoke.


    "Tell them to open the gates." She said.


    "But princess, what about the ship?" The butler asked.


    "I have one right here." Tiara smirked and pulled out a golden pen. Then, opening her book,


    she wrote into the pages.


    Metal envelops the outside and inside it supports a powerful spell.


    Ancient power fills the engine and a roaring intelligence finds the man named Winston Heath.


    This handkerchief will transform into an airship.


    Then, she pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and threw it into the air.


    The piece of cloth contorted in the shinsu and metal lined it''s surface.


    It expanded by a thousand times, becoming a giant oval shaped air ship!


    "Specially made to find who I desire." She smiled, her glasses glinting in the light.


    "Tell them to open the gates. I''ll be taking my leave."


    A/N: I feel like there''s been an awful lot of translated works these days. It amazes me that you


    can make money like that, by offering a translation on a patreon.


    I had my mtl arc in 2020 and there''s still a lot of trash on there. But at least there can be some


    occasional gems.


    As always, throw some stones and leave a review.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 94: Monocles

    Chapter 94: Monocles"Mr. Winston!" Bam''s voice reached his ears, echoing through the long hallway.


    Winston turned to looked over his shoulder, seeing the boy with long hair coming at him with a smile.


    "Mr. Winston, I have a question to ask." Bam spoke, his voice a bit shaky and laced with tension.


    "Shoot."


    "You... you Saud you were from the outside... so, how are the stars like?" His voice reduced to a mere whisper at the end as if he was afraid to ask the question.


    Winston didn''t showcase any change in expression as he said, "Stars huh. To me, they were a source of light." He closed his eyes.


    He remembered his younger days, when he would travel for days upon days through empty roadways on a stolen bicycle or a bike. The road would lengthen towards the interminable horizons and the night sky would be dotted with stars that covered the darkness so extensively that looking for the dark spots was harder than spotting the stars themselves.


    "Their light in the sky propelled me forward during my most vulnerable time. They were so numerous, so out of reach and so beautiful." He shook his head, his lips slowly reaching out to form a smile but stopping just before it.


    "They were scattered across an unimaginably huge canvas of black. But the stars were so numerous that they almost blocked out the canvas itself." He opened his eyes and gazed at Bam, who, now stared at him, looking somewhat lost at his explanation.


    "I see." He continued. "Do you... do you think Rachel chasing the stars is worth it?" He asked. His tone was unsure, as if he didn''t wish to ask the question in the first place.


    Winston adopted a thoughtful glint in his eyes.


    "Here." He said and touched Bam''s forehead.


    And instantly a vision appeared in his mind.


    There he stood at plain ground overgrown with grass and sod. The few white flowers that marred the green expanse shook in the gentle breeze and the light from above reached Bam''s eyes.


    His eyes widened, gazing intently at the infinite cosmic sky.


    The stars glistened with a magical allure, pulling him in and not letting go.


    It was... beautiful.


    Too beautiful to be true.


    A magical canvas of otherworldly beauty that surpassed anything Bam had ever seen.


    So these are... The stars? Not the imitations made by shinsu... but the real stars...


    "The night is beautiful today." He heard a phrase beside him.


    He looked to his left and saw Winston standing there.


    "This is one of the places I visited. The stats shone especially bright here. I constructed this place in your mind through illusions and invaded the space therein." He smiled at him.


    Bam didn''t care that his mind had been invaded; for he was too lost, too deep into reverence for the cosmic behemoths above.


    "They are indeed... breathtaking..." He huffed.


    "So you tell me now." Winton said, gaining Bam''s attention. "Is it worth it for Rachel to chase the stars? And is it worth it for you to go up behind her when she alienates everyone to have a chance at seeing this? Do you think it''s worth it?"


    The surroundings turned quiet, as if to give him time to think.


    And then, came his most honest answer.


    "I don''t know..."


    "You should."


    And then, the illusion shattered.


    One month after the Workshop Battle Incident.


    Khun family''s Main Battleship-


    The Khun''s battleship was one of the more eccentric ones among the ten families.


    It mainly consisted of various housing spaces predominantly featuring the colour blue. Various tower of gigantic proportions were erected at the various sides of the battleship and thousands of weapons laced the outer edges of the ship. At the forefront was a large electric spear.


    In the center of the battleship was, as one would expect, a large assortment of superstructures that towered over everything else in the ship; also featuring the various shades of blue.


    The people were numerous on the battleship. The Khun family never had the problem of low family members, for there were always more children to go, always more people in the branches or the main family.


    As such, the Battleship contained an army of rankers that went about their daily life. Amidst all of this, atop the superstructure of the battleship stood a peculiar individual. He had large muscles but had a lean build. His eyes shone with an electric intensity and had dark blue hair that extended down to his waist.


    He wore dark blue robes that too burst with strange bouts of energy and a mocking grin plastered his face as his hands held a gourd through which he took momentary sips from.


    Khun Eduan; the Leader of the Khun Family.


    The Blue Swordfish, ranked 6th on the Tower''s Rankings.


    The recent happenings in the tower had made him personally take over thr administration of the family. Of course, he was merely a supervisor. The children worked harder when he was personally watching over them. It wasn''t too much work in the first place, he just had to stand somewhere or carry a portable floating bed with him.


    As he overlooked the ship, he felt a strange shiver travel up his spine.


    His eyes drew towards the main square of the complex, feeling the source of the chill coming from there. It was strange that he was feeling such chill in the first place.


    He narrowed his eyes that blazed with an electric intensity.


    There was nothing wrong with it.


    The people went around the square, going to their usual workplaces. The adults followed their usual routines while the children either headed off for training or for loitering around.


    But then, suddenly and out of the blue, everyone stopped.


    It were as if a switch had been flicked. Everyone simply stilled, as if frozen in time.


    Eduan''s eyes widened a bit as the strange, creeping sensation strengthened.


    "Curious..." He muttered unconsciously.


    Just then, as he was focused on the frozen people and was about to leap ahead to check it out,


    they all turned to looked at him.


    All 300 people in the square and even some beyond that turned to look up at the top of the


    superstructure.


    And then, holding clear and serene smiles on their faces, they all collectively put their hands


    into pockets or under their clothes and pulled out a small object.


    They extended their hands and donned crystal monocles on their right eyes, each of them


    holding eye contact as they did so; eerily calm.


    Eduan''s blood chilled instantly and a shiver went down his spine.


    And then, a sound.


    Caw!


    He looked behind him. He had felt something coming towards him. It was a strange crow with


    gigantic proportions.


    The existence of a crow in the battleship was surprising. It was not supposed to be here,


    neither was it supposed to be anywhere near 100 kilometers from the ship.


    Eduan narrowed his eyes and the shinsu around him turned restless.


    The crow held a tuft of feathers over it''s right eye.


    His eyes instantly widened as lightning exploded.


    Shaaaaaaaa! Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Explosions suddenly riddled the entire square as lightning smashed down on the entire thing


    like the wrath of God!


    The blue plasma tore through everything in it''s path, scorching the land and melting the


    metal in the blink of an eye!


    Instantly, screams filled the entire battleship.


    They felt it all. Their family leader''s power.


    The entire square along with all the people inside were obliterated without any chance at resistance. As did the crow.


    "Who the hell did this?!" He yelled into the air, an electric boom rushing out into the entire battlefield, momentarily stunning the machinery which was especially made to tackle electric


    type shinsu.


    A bunch of High Rankers appeared in the air beside Eduan, "W- what''s the matter?! Father?!" The man spoke in a shaky voice.


    Eduan spared them a glance filled with rage in his eyes and bloodlust suffusing out of his entire body. He turned ahead to look at the battleship again and spoke.


    "Someone is attacking the ship." He said, his voice suddenly unnaturally calm.


    "Find him."


    Just then, one of the High Rankers behind him spoke.


    "But family leader, we already have." Eduan glanced behind him, and instantly, his eyes


    widened.


    All of the High Rankers that arrived, 7 in number pit their hand into their pockets. Then, pulling out a crystal monocle, they all donned it on their right eyes.


    "We''re right here, Father..." They all said in unison.


    Skrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!


    Lighting blazed once again, blowing off the entire top of the structure as if it were made of


    paper! "Forget it..." Eduan''s chilling whisper echoed in the entire battleship. More High Rankers began to float up to stop him somehow, but they stopped. Nay, they were forced to. Eduan extended his hand and pulled out an orb made out of electricity. The orb was gigantic,


    almost ten times as big as Eduan. Then, taking the orb in his hand, he stretched the orb ahead


    to form a spear!


    A shinsu black hole, taking the form of a sphere.


    "Destroy every single invader..." He said, not to himself or anyone else, but to the shinsu.


    "Leave none alive." And so, he threw the spear.


    GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!


    SHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!


    §¯§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú


    Eduan calmly breathed out in the air as he watched the state of the battleship.


    Half of it had been obliterated under collateral.


    The superstructure was still intact, but the residential areas were scorhed like the deepest pits


    of hell.


    Most of the intruders stepped from that very space. Eduan looked down at everything and looked at his hand.


    One of Winston''s avatars which was orchestrating the entire thing looked at the direction of


    the ship and snickered.


    Eduan just had the most significant, generational and century defining crashout in the history


    of irregulars.


    Which was understandable to some extent. He was sure anyone that saw Amon would react


    like that and get rid of the problem asap.


    Although he was disappointed that he didn''t get to even say most of the lines which he had


    prepared for the performance, he was happy nonetheless.


    All Winston could think was...


    What was that strange orb?


    A/N: Throw some stones.

 Chapter 95: Po Bidau Tiara

    Chapter 95: Po Bidau TiaraWinston found himself in a dream.


    With his recent escapades at Khun Eduan''s battleship, the Bizzaro Sorcerer potion digestion had been coming along nicely. Needless to say, Parasite''s potion digestion was the most prominent among the 3, with Secrets'' Sorcerer coming at last.


    Turns out, acting as a Secrets'' Sorcerer was a hefty thing. There''s all kinds of things you have to do and frame yourself as a Sorcerer in the eyes of people.


    It was all kinds of fun to attempt this with his avatars, but it was also the one that yielded the worst results.


    And now, his potion digestion lay on the precipice of digestion; reaching 97%.


    But that also meant he had something else to worry about.


    The ritual to ascend.


    The Sequence 3 of the Fool Pathway was aptly named Scholar of Yore and the ascension ritual for the Sequence was to be separated from the outside world for 300 years and come back to consume the potion when the beyonder is no longer part of the current time.


    As for the Error pathways''s Mentor of Deceit and Door pathway''s Wanderer; he had no knowledge of their advancement rituals, hence, he could not attempt them.


    Which left him in a difficult situation to say the least.


    In hindsight, 300 years was not a lot of time for the tower.


    But he knew better than to wait.


    War was on the horizon. And there was also the threat of the strange presence behind Rachel, that he had felt on the 2nd floor itself.


    As such, he had to improvise.


    Instead of sealing himself for 300 years, he would instead find someone that had already been sealed and take over their body. That way, it wouldn''t become a problem of time, merely of the person.


    To find said person, Winston naturally thought of Divination.


    He looked around himself. He seemed to be in some sort of train. The entire carriage was empty and looked not unlike the train compartments seen during the steam revolution.


    The entire compartment was clear and shiny, appearing peaceful to look at.


    That is if one ignored the harrowing scenery on the outside.


    Red light filtered through the windows on one side. The shadows lengthened and a strange cry tore through the light and reached his ears.


    He looked outside.


    A pictorial representation of a hellscape was what greeted him upon entering. But instead of flames, red water pooled out of the rocks and a sea of flesh stretched towards the horizons.


    "That''s an interesting one." He commented, feeling a bit humorous about the dream which was a blend of symbolism and real visions. More visions than symbolism that is.


    The train moving through a hell scape likely represented the Hell Train while the ocean of flesh outside likely pointed to the floor of death.


    In the world of LoTM, the spirit world and the astral world, even extending into the real world were all distorted to some levels by symbolism and authority of the various entities that inhabited those dimensions. That was part of the chaos of that world and made divination extremely unlikely to succeed when no anchorage of information was provided. Even further, it could actually harm the user by showing them something dangerous even though they divined something completely unrelated. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The problem was not an issue here. As mentioned before, information flowed evenly through shinsu. It was incredibly efficient. For that reason, information was rarely, of ever symbolic. And when it was, it was extremely literal, like this time.


    The visions tells me to board the hell train and through there, head to the floor of death... Does this mean heading there without boarding will not hold the same result? I was thinking of sending some avatars there, but I guess I''ll have to hold off on that. Winston mused while pinching his chin and making a humming sound.


    After observing some more, he woke up.


    Winston got off the bed and opened up the curtains to his room. He stared outside, yawning while he did so.


    A beautiful scenery of a tropical island greeted him.


    It was the 31st floor.


    In the month that followed the workshop battle, they had moved on to the 31st floor by taking the test.


    Winston was an oddball since he didn''t need to take the test. And not take the test he did, only to make it more fair to the others.


    Well, fair is a rather subjective word. Since the teams had people personally trained by Winston along with Princesses of Jahad and another Irregular, well, the other teams stood little to no chance.


    It was a complete massacre.


    Even though I won''t be climbing with the others, chilling around with them won''t be unwelcome. I have to wait around for a year to board the train anyway.


    Winston thought.


    The only problem was what to do next. He could always try and pester the big man Jahad himself using monocles, but he wanted to get to Sequence 3 before attempting that, solely to give the ''king'' more of a spook.


    Other than that, he was mostly free.


    I can try scouting for a potential wife... but I don''t think it''ll be too successful. Most women would be afraid of me by this point. I wouldn''t want to change my appearance and betray their trust. As for the ones that wouldn''t be afraid will likely try and mooch off of me. Sigh!


    And that leaves the last group. The kind that would now try to kill me. I suppose it may include the various Jahad Princesses and so. Strangely enough, Winston had a thought.


    ...nah, that would be crossing boundaries into the Mother Goddess of Depravity''s territory. He felt a blush creeping up on his face as he imagined the situation he had just thought up.


    Oh, what''s that? You''re curious?


    Well... let''s just say it has something to do with Charlotte.


    Definitely not doing that.


    Winston swore to himself never to think of such heresy again.


    Suddenly, he felt something.


    "What''s this?" He narrowed his eyes.


    And then, disappeared from his place.


    The Garbage Dump with the red ceiling.


    That was the name of the place, as his avatars had found.


    The entire space was situated between the spaces of the Tower itself, the empty dark places that had nothing else to fill them up with.


    And so, the Great Families, who, evidently were not so great, and the King of the Tower, Jahad decided to use the place to banish all of their mistakes and things they didn''t want into the


    space.


    That was the Garbage Dump.


    A place for rejects of the Tower to be locked away and hidden from all.


    The Avatar that found it, whether by chance or choice was elated when he did.


    Immediately, every single avatar of Winston was alerted.


    There was an opportunity.


    Why didn''t the divination show me this place? Is it because the information is blocked by the seal? Winston thought, overlooking a gigantic expanse of irregular hills and dumps. There was a pungent stench in the air, resembling that of blood. In the distance, Winston could hear the explosions and destruction of a battle.


    And above all, the most striking feature of this place was not the tens of thousands of mechanoids that littered the earth, nor was it the flesh pits that marred the ground of the


    literal pits that led to the void.


    No, it was the ominous red light that shone down from above.


    "Why don''t we try parasitizing these guys?" The avatar spoke.


    Winston narrowed his eyes, thinking the same.


    But then, he found his answer.


    The ritual could not be attempted with these people.


    Why?


    While they were isolated from the rest of the tower, which should, in theory, could to be


    isolated from the world, there was a miniature world right here. Societies, no matter how


    crude and on the brink of anarchy were still present.


    A seal that harbors a person completely devoid from society and one that lasts at least 300 years. That was what was needed.


    "Regardless, this is something very interesting. You will have higher position in the next meeting. Your vote will count twice as much."


    The avatar puffed out its chest with pride.


    The meetings were a usual occurrence. The avatars would come together and decide at


    something important.


    The thought of Medici being the one to make the red priest pathway and adopting the same name was also a result of the meeting.


    As a matter of fact, the rest of the pathways were also given out like this. By the power of


    drawing lots in a meeting.


    With a simple thought, Winston made two Marionettes somewhere deep into the place, and


    instantly, his worms began to spread.


    This''ll be insteresting... very interesting...


    Tiara calmly waited in her small ship. She simply sat and read a book as her small ship


    navigated itself and blitzed across a floor at breakneck speeds.


    Suddenly, the ship began to slow down.


    Tiara raised a brow and looked outside the window.


    A man walked across a desert. His face wasn''t covered, displaying his features completely.


    And one look at his face was all it took for her to recognize him.


    It was the Silent Leviathan, Winston. Only he wasn''t wearing the typical suit.


    He wore a pristine white robe and a necklace at his neck. A cross. His eyes were a clear golden yellow instead of the usual black and his facial features were mainly impassive.


    Tiara smiled and opened the gates to the ship. Winston stopped and looked at this without


    blinking.


    As the door opened, Tiara immediately jumped down, still holding a large book in her hand.


    "Hello there." She smiled sweetly.


    "You''re Winston Heath, right?" She said.


    Winston mimicked her smile, only his smile seemed warmer and more inviting.


    "That''s right. But I''m donning a new identity for now." His voice was sweet and pleasing to


    the ears.


    A new identity?


    Tiara expressed her interest.


    "Oh? Do tell."


    Winston''s smile seemingly widened, although it wasn''t noticed by Tiara herself.


    And as he looked into her eyes, he spoke.


    "I go by Adam these days."


    Tiara''s ship had taken her to Visionary Winston.


    A/N: Bruh, Traumerei''s end hit the feels man. I didn''t think it was possible to redeem his


    character anymore. Well, that''s the joy of being a plain reader. You just get shocked by the things a creator can pull off.


    Also, the new cliffhanger is killing me. Not to mention SIU said he''s going on a hiatus.


    Anyways, throw stones, stay hydrated and get some sleep.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 96: Visionary Tales

    Chapter 96: Visionary Tales"I go by Adam these days."


    The words chilled the air and an chaotic sensation diffused into the shinsu in the air.


    Tiara froze, feeling a dreadful sensation begin to creep up her spine.


    Anxiety suddenly begin to fill her mind. Winston, or better yet, Adam smiled softly at her.


    Instantly, her mind cleared.


    A spell? Tiara though to herself, not voicing out her inner machinations.


    "Adam? Why the sudden change in name?"


    "I just deemed it fit for the performance."


    "Performance?"


    Tiara felt a strange intrigue blossoming in her mind.


    Adam''s eyes never left her''s as he spoke again with his sweet and pleasing voice. "Enough about that. May I inquire why such a beautiful young lady is here to see me?"


    There was something about his words. Something dangerous. Tiara could feel her stomach churn in anticipation of what was to come, yet her brain sent no signals that may warrant such a thing. Adam himself seemed perfectly harmless without a hint of malevolence in his visage. Tiara snorted with a chuckle.


    "You might have heard of me. I am the Princess of the Po Bidau family, Po Bidau Tiara." She said, a dangerous glint in her eye.


    Adam bowed a bit, his hand extending to his chest and taking hold of the cross.


    "My greetings to you, Princess." Still having his head held at an angle, he looked up to meet her face. "Am I to assume you''ve come here for... revenge, like the Lo Po Bia have been vying for?"


    Adam rang out with a soft chuckle, and holding his head high, he said, "I assure you, you''re wouldn''t like the end result of that venture."


    Tiara inwardly nodded at his speech. It seemed that this Winston fellow was not too bad in manner of speech. At least he appeared to be a finely educated gentleman.


    However.


    "Hardly. What I came here to do has nothing to do with the happenings of the Workshop Battle. Instead, it has something to do with what happened after."


    A subtle glint appeared in Adam''s eyes, yet that too failed to reach Tiara. It felt as if all her senses, no matter how trained were purposefully preventing her to gleam any information about this man from his expressions. Not to say his expressions gave away any information in the first place.


    "And that is?"


    Tiara''s smile widened.


    "It was a marriage proposal. One that my father suggested. The target of that was none other than you."


    Realization seemingly dawned on Adam''s face who held his chin in quiet contemplation.


    "I see. Then what was your opinion on that?"


    Tiara hesitated. It was not for long, but a flicker of hesitation, or perhaps doubt ran through her visage. A momentary pause that didn''t go unnoticed by Adam.


    And then, a flower bloomed.


    Fiiiisssshhhh!


    Adam looked to his right.


    His right arm had just been cleaved straight through by a red circle which made out of intricate carvings.


    "That''s a useful spell." Adam chuckled.


    Instantly, dozens of such circles began to form all around his body, turning him asunder!


    Fisssh!


    Spurt!


    Splat!


    Blood spurted and fell onto the sand below, turning it a shade of red as the previously pristine robes lay dyed crimson on the ground, tattered and torn.


    Tiara stopped, in bafflement.


    "That''s it?" She muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "I was expecting a more beautiful flower to bloom." She smiled, her eyes momentarily glazing over as she looked at


    the mutilated body of the Irregular.


    Her glazed eyes took in the silver cross that shifted the sands with it''s weight.


    Well... it was better than most rankers at least... She thought with a smile.


    "You''re quite a psychopath. Can''t say I like where this first meeting is going." Suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder.


    Her eyes widened as she jumped back in alarm.


    As she did, a spell materialized around her, sending hundreds of circular shinsu blades flying


    at the voice.


    Boom!


    Shaaa!


    "Yeah. This isn''t going well at all." Adam''s voice came from the dust cloud. And before long, with measured steps, the man walked out with a smile.


    "Quite a predicament we find ourselves in." He said.


    "How?" Tiara raised an eyebrow, calmly observing the place where she had just shredded his


    man. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In that place, no sign of the previous murder lay.


    Her eyes narrowed in alarm.


    "Aren''t you an interesting fighter." She smiled at him and then opened her book. "I dont know what you did and how you did it. But I will continue to personally obliterate you!"


    Adam broke into a smile and chuckled.


    "Then be my guest and try." He said.


    In Tiara''s hand, a golden pen materialized out of thin air.


    Adam stayed calm, not interfering with the way things were progressing.


    Without haste, she wrote into the pages.


    Fire fills my stomach and scales lines my body.


    I breathe destruction and walk the path of anarchy.


    I transform into a Fire Breathing Dragon!


    Adam watched in pleasant surprise as her words noted down onto the book, overlapping with


    reality and turning inside out.


    And so...


    Roaaaaarrrr!!!


    Writing turned into actuality. Fiction descended into the real world.


    Adam''s growing smile, the only change in expression told volumes about his surprise.


    To think there was... such abilities one could manifest through shinsu.


    He of course knew it now, since he had transformed himself into the Visionary, but to think


    others could also manifest the same.


    Shinsu, as always, continued to surprise him.


    Tue Dragon roared into the sky, announcing it''s presence in the desert.


    Then, an incinerating flame was released from it''s mouth, turning the surrounding sand into glass and scorching the already got landscape with the flames of hell.


    Booooom!


    Explosions of flame cut through the sand as Visionary Adam again appeared in a different place. This time, he held his arms out and spoke like he was speaking out a holy decree.


    "I can do that too you know." He smiled.


    And as the dragon once again turned to him, again vying to release it''s flames, he opened his


    mouth.


    "I turn the heavens asunder, with electricity in my veins and lights in my eyes; I conquer the the mind through calculations and facts.


    "I become, that which I desire. I form structures that harvest the stars."


    With the one description, Winston poured out one of his wildest dreams.


    "I become a Machine God."


    As his voice rang clear into the sky and to the horizons ahead, the Dragon stopped and


    widened its eyes.


    What it saw baffled it.


    It saw the image of it''s father. The way his writing turned true.


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye. And then, it appeared.


    It took the form of a large mechanical nightmare. It was large and like a behemoth and had thousands of appendages, made entirely out of mechanical parts with cogs and steam coming


    out of various places.


    It was a Machine God.


    She had heard of Machine God. It was one of the old gods of the tower when the Ten Great


    Fanily heads still climbed the Tower and led the Mechanoids.


    But this... this wasn''t it. It was something else.


    Something different.


    Something beautiful.


    The Dragon''s eyes glistened and gleamed as she saw the beauty in writing she wasn''t sure she


    could see anywhere else other than her father''s.


    It was breathtaking.


    It was glorious.


    It was... ineffable.


    And then, the machine moved.


    It jutted out all of appendages and an omnious light glowed inside them.


    Realizing what this meant a little too late, the Dragon fired it''s breath nonetheless.


    Shaaaaaaaaaaa!


    A sea of flames tore through the air to envelop the machine within, yet, as the flames cleared


    out there it emerged unharmed.


    Tiara''s eyes couldn''t help but widen.


    This... was impossible. Her flames were second only to her father''s. This couldn''t possible be


    true.


    Amid her thought, the machine gathered the shinsu. And it fired.


    B000000000000000m!!!!!


    As the dust and sand cleared, Visionary Adam walked calmly through the expanse.


    He looked ahead, where lay a beautiful woman on the ground. A hole in her stomach.


    He had refrained from killing her. Why? Because there was something he found very


    interesting.


    Walking to her barely breathing figure, he spoke.


    "You. Are you aware that you are Gustang''s writing?" He asked.


    Tiara''s bloodied eyes widened.


    "H-how?" she asked. But then, she chuckled.


    Of course he knew. With his strange abilities which were similar to her father''s, it would be a


    miracle if he did not realize it.


    But as she quieted down, Adam leaned down and touched the hole in her stomach.


    Just a second later, all injuries on her body healed, as if they did not exist.


    Tiara laid on the ground, unmoving. In Utter bamboozlement.


    "Huh?" She said after a momentary pause.


    "You''re a bit interesting. Tell me." Adam asked, smiling like the devil.


    "Would you like me to give you humanity?"


    At this point, Tiara wasn''t even surprised he could do such a thing.


    "What does that mean?"


    "I don''t mean you aren''t human. You are as human as anyone else. But your personality is


    determined by Gustang''s writing still. It is dominated by it." He said. "Tell me. Do you want me to give you humanity?"


    A/N: This is the way things will be progressing. I don''t have any plans for romance, but things


    will be made up as I go along and hopefully it''ll all turn out well.


    Throw some stones.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 97: Coincidence? I think not.

    Chapter 97: Coincidence? I think not.Tiara was a complete psychopath.


    And Adam understood that. It would be an insult to his Visionary status if he couldn''t.


    But he needed to admit, he had underestimated the extent to which her psychopathic tendencies affected her mindset and actions.


    "I wonder what type of a beautiful flower would bloom from your body." Tiara licked her lower lip, gazing at his figure with narrowed eyes.


    Adam could not say that he was comfortable with such a gaze.


    It did not take too much thought for her to decide her answer. She agreed to be granted humanity. Naturally, the change was not instantaneous. For the most part that is.


    Now, she seemed even more obsessed with ''making flowers of blood bloom in his body'', than before.


    If she had found any other variant of Winston other than the Visionary, she would most definitely have been killed without a second thought. But Adam toon interest in her due to her nature as writing.


    Was it a coincidence?


    Perhaps. But he liked to disagree.


    Of course there was a reason behind it.


    If you were to ask Adam''s own theory behind the coincidence, he would mention something along the lines of the Law of Beyonder Character Convergence working here.


    Of course, there were no actual beyonder characteristics in the tower. What ticked was the similarities in their powers. Tiara''s ship was also created from writing, as was herself. When the ship was made for the sole purpose of finding Winston, it might have locked onto Visionary Winston, not only because of their similar abilities, but because Winston''s abilities far outclassed Tiara''s.


    Again, it mimicked the Law of Convergence in a way. The stronger the beyonder, the stronger the convergence.


    Winston, who at this point, was wearing his standard gentlemanly suit and a top hat looked at her with a smile.


    He would Don his Visionary Adam outfit again after this small thing was over.


    "Now that you have humanity, what are your plans now?" He asked.


    Tiara broke out of her reverie and made herself proper again.


    Winston continued, "We''ve already established that you are neither prepared nor powerful enough to kill me. Which, mind you, was your only motivation to come and find me." He said. "Well of course I''ll try again." She smiled. Her eyes scanned his figure, her eyes narrowing again.


    "You appear more and more like my Father and his Companions now. I really do wonder how beautiful of a flower would bloom from your body." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Giving her humanity had indeed enhanced her psychopathic tendencies.


    Then, she walked up to him and scanned his figure.


    "Though you are quite handsome. You look better in this suit than that silly robe." She smiled at him. "Though that isn''t to say I''ll marry you still."


    With a deadpan expression, Winston pointed at her and said, "Well, better luck next time I suppose. Find another version to pester. Be gone."


    Just then, before Tiara had time to react, Winston spoke again.


    "Banishment."


    And so, Tiara was banished from the space, sent somewhere else in the Tower.


    Winston donned the Visionary Adam fit again and changed his appearance this time to match the part as well.


    Then, with a smile, he looked ahead and began to walk.


    The tower would soon be swept by a Storm. And with the Visionary''s ability to know all who utter their name, coincidences would soon befall everyone.


    Winston stood atop a large building atop the 33rd floor.


    Suddenly, he turned his head to look into a certain direction. His eyes flashed with colour, peering beyond the confines of the current floor and into the floors beyond.


    Gaze of Fallacy.


    He smiled.


    Well what do you know. Gustang seems dead serious about the marriage proposal. He pinched his chin and adopted a thoughtful expression.


    I wouldn''t be opposed to a marriage eventually, but she seems.... awfully homicidal... she doesn''t pose a threat to me as is, but it might get annoying if I marry her and she tries to kill me in the middle of the ''act''. Winston shook his head.


    He wasn''t an advocate of the ''I can fix her'' cult like a lot of his, let''s just say ''coworkers'' were. They had extreme fetishes and strange tendencies to go towards deranged women.


    Not him though.... for the most part.


    But this was marriage they were talking about.


    Well... I''ll just have to see where this leads.


    Shaking his head, he again began to gaze into the spirit world like an enlightened sage. His trenchcoat, a new choice of fashion, fluttered in the soft wind and his top hat, despite being on the edge of falling, never did.


    Behind him, a red haired woman slowly made her way forward.


    "Winston." Hwaryun called out softly.


    Winston turned around and greeted her.


    "What will you be doing now?" Hwaryun asked, her face impassive but her body language telling Winston everything she felt and more.


    She was nervous and afraid.


    Of him.


    The slight angel she stood at told him of her still not being used to her vision, the way she stood with her hand slightly clenched told him of her unease, the gap between her feet, the slight incline of her neck, the slightest variation in her clothes, it all told him something.


    One might think it''s overthinking at first. But no. It was the spectator pathway''s abilities. Winston could share some of the abilities his avatars could develop by recalling one of his worms of stars from the avatars body.


    Shinsu abilities that the avatars developed weren''t inherent to themselves. As such, unless he called them in entirely, he would not be able to use them completely. But he could still use some of them by recalling parts of their worms of stars.


    Winston gave her a reassuring smile, which seemed to work as he saw her microexpressions


    ease out.


    "I aim to board the hell train in a year''s time." His voice rang clearly in the air.


    Hwaryun nodded and said, "When you weren''t in the vicinity, I looked at Viole''s path." Her red eyes met Winston''s, "He is going to meet Rachel at the Hell Train in a year''s time too."


    Winston''s face was impossible to read. His features hadn''t changed upon hearing the news. "So he''s made his choice huh." He said, turning to look away into the distance. He remembered the question he had posed him.


    ''Is it worth it for Rachel to chase after the stars? And for you to chase after her?''


    It seems, according to Bam, it was.


    And what was enough reason.


    "It''s Bam."


    Hwaryun tilted her head quizzically.


    "Sorry?"


    "His name is Bam. The 25th Bam. Don''t refer to him as Viole again." Winston peered over his


    shoulder, meeting Hwaryun''s eyes.


    "Jue Viole Grace is dead. Bury him. 25th Bam lives on. He isn''t related to FUG anymore. Don''t


    you dare say otherwise." He said.


    He felt fear emanate from her eyes, but there was another thing he noticed. Winston narrowed his eyes, his expression changing for the first time as he dropped his smile.


    "If there something I should know? Or more specifically, is there something you''re not telling


    me?"


    Hwaryun froze. Her limbs seemed to be filled with ice as they refused to move no matter how


    much she willed them to.


    Slowly, she opened her mouth.


    "B-bam is... Ahem! Th... There is indeed something you should know."


    Instantly, the pressure of her body lessened as Winston turned to her once again, this time,


    not smiling.


    "Go on."


    A white dwarf moved through a large labyrinth, behind him a young man.


    The young man looked around in paranoia as the dark circles under his eyes told of his not so pleasant time in these dungeons.


    Theolis had never felt more compelled to end himself. Why prolong the suffering?


    It was one thing to travel through a dungeon filled with eldritch monstrocities and machinery


    that must never see the light of day. It was another to travel through it alongside a maniacal white dwarf that would no doubt kill you in your sleep just because he felt like it.


    His hair seemed to have turned red at the corners, a courtesy of his growing shinsu quality. Something he wasn''t sure he appreciated to be honest.


    Climb the tower they said. It''ll be fun they said. You''ll get all your desires come true they said...


    Samuel walked with confident steps until they arrived before a large futuristic door.


    The door pulsed with neon blue energy and shinsu suffused from it outside and materialized


    as small droplets of water on the surface of metal.


    "What''s this?" Theolis asked with a tired tone.


    "This is a God." Samuel spoke with a clear voice. "A God of the old tower that is. Now, new


    Gods have taken over. But this... this will reshape the power balance. When the family heads


    were climbing the tower, this guy wasn''t awake. And neither did he wake until now." He explained.


    His eyes took on a curious glint, "The God of Mechanoids. The Broken God." "Mechanoids? Wasn''t their God called the Machine God?" Theolis asked, remembering the


    history.


    "That''s right. But the Machine God has been shattered. It shattered it''s arm and it''s torso to create the Mechanoids. Each and every mechanoid is an extension of it''s own body." He continued. He spread his arms wide and spoke, "That''s why I call it the Broken God. Even the Mechanoids alone were able to push the family leaders back at multiple points in their


    journey, even on the 100th floor. It was to the point that the Family Heads permanently


    decided to get rid of them. But the Broken God survived."


    "But would the family leaders still lose?"


    "No. They''ve only grown stronger as the time passed. Not to mention they have the power of


    the Administrator''s contracts. If I had to tell you, it would rank something between top 20 of


    the rankings."


    "And how do you know of it''s existence?"


    "I have my ways." He said. Without another word, Theolis put his hand onto the door and spoke something. Then, a deep


    gash appeared in the door as it opened up with an influx of steam!


    Fissshhhhhhh!


    As the door opened, Theolis'' eyes couldn''t help but widen in surprise and bafflement.


    A large expanse, thousands of cubic meters in size stood before them. And within it was a


    spectacle.


    Thousands of machines. No, all of them were part of a single one.


    The entire structure wasn''t something that could be explained in mere words. The bundles of


    wires made out of unknown metals, the cogs and wheels that skipped and turned in various


    places, the lights and fibers that moved in tandem, it all came together to form a strange


    scenery.


    It wasn''t humanoid in the slightest. It wasn''t even any concrete shape. Hell, even associating


    it with a shape would be to throw mud onto it''s true nature.


    This... this was a Machine in it''s truest form.


    The quintessence of machines.


    The very concept given form.


    "You... want to wake up that thing?" His eyes trembled and his heart tightened. He felt the


    shinsu growing restless.


    Samuel smirked, but it was hidden from Theolis'' eyes.


    "Now... Winston Heath''s demise will commence. In a year''s time, he would be forgotten."


    Just then, Samuel''s smile fell as he felt a gaze lock onto him.


    Without even a shred of time to waste, he extended his hand and muttered something.


    Instantly, the entire thing got sealed.


    Samuel clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "Let''s go, we don''t have a lot of time."


    "Why?"


    "The Silent Leviathan is coming." Samuel said grimly. "And he doesn''t seem too happy."


    A/N: The average web novel readers are just braindead horny teenagers bro. I was reading


    some books and any time any author decides to do something even remotely different, everyone stars hating for no reason. It''s so bad that it''s funny to me lol.


    Like literally, what the hell is even up with the people either wanting a harem or no romance


    at all.


    And it''s not only the case with normal novels. With fanfictions it''s worse.


    I''d forgotten what NovelFire readers were like since I hadn''t recieved such comments but it


    goes to show the dominant group in webnovel.


    Most people only want escapism I guess.


    Anyway, Throw some stones. Cheers~

 Chapter 98: Flame oh flame

    Chapter 98: Flame oh flameVisionary Winston peered through the abyss and his eyes fell atop a large mega structure, futuristic in appearance situated somewhere on the 122nd floor.


    He looked at the one who had uttered his name, but before his eyes could fully lock on, the entire space was sealed. The shinsu itself, something which had never hampered his divination or travelling moved to create chaos and disorder, making everything difficult for Winston to see.


    But he already knew all about him.


    The White Dwarf. The same he had killed with his own hands.


    Without hesitation, Winston leapt into the spirit world and appeared on the 122nd floor.


    The shinsu in the area was chaotic, making direct teleportation feel like a distant dream. But it served little obstruction to Winston who held the Door pathway.


    With a simple step into the void, his figure blinked into the abyss and appeared above a mega structure full of sprawling metal behemoths and spires that towered over the landscape.


    As he appeared, the knowledge of the White Dwarf began to flood his mind again.


    Yet this time was also the same. Just like when he had performed spirit channeling on the dead carcass of the man.


    No, it was even more weird.


    It was a simple blank slate. A white void, if you will.


    It felt as if the dwarf were not a person at all.


    Instead, they were something else entirely, devoid of any history, thoughts, or memories. The one beside him however... he was peculiar.


    Visionary Adam extended his hand and smiled compassionately. Then, he opened his mouth and uttered.


    "Burn."


    A single word. A profound declaration. A command upon the world and the shinsu around him. Fantasy overlapped with the real world. Make Believe turned into reality.


    His tone was monotonous. The word was thrown out without any build up and with such speed that most might not even catch it.


    But then, a small spark appeared in his hand and fell down.


    At that moment, every single being in the vicinity felt something. A primal fear of flames, consuming them from the inside out.


    It felt as if all the heat in the world was concentrated to a single point and left to burn forever. A single touch would incinerate anything.


    And as the spark fell upon the megastructyre composed of metal, chaos descended.


    The shinsu that had been thrown into chaos calmed, and then it exploded into a shower of flames and magma.


    Flame. Oh flame. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beautiful glorious flame.


    I study it, I control it, I am it. It completes me. Every night, every day, every moment of the Tower it works it''s magic. It''s majesty is unmatchable, its workings too complicated for others to understand.


    It baffles me how you can be considered a force of destruction.


    How can you, the most beautiful and the most enchanting be considered horrid?


    But it doesn''t matter. For you are one with me.


    The other people that wish to control their flames hold no power over you. They might call themselves masters of flame, but I alone stand as your very incarnation. Your lover.


    Blossom was always afraid of her flames. Only if she could see the beauty inside them. It would have stopped her from going down the rabbit hole of depression in her own mind.


    My eyes glisten in the dark room as I watch the dim candle burn with a small wisp. So small. Yet so powerful. Such was the nature of flames. They were not to be feared. They were to be relished in.


    As I watched the fire dance around the wax, my eyes suddenly turned, drawn somewhere. Somewhere on the 122nd floor.


    My eyes flashed, overcome by a strange heat as they yearned to burn. And burn they did.


    The glorious and majestic fire enveloped me as I melted a hole through space. And taking a step, I went inside.


    The light blinded me for a moment. And perhaps it was by coincidence, but despite not trying to, I appeared right before the perpetrator of the disturbance I had felt.


    The disturbance in the blaze.


    My eyes scan the strange figure that floated before me. He wears unblemished white robes and a silver cross on his neck. He has golden yellow hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His gold eyes that shine in the light hold a strange allure yet seem dangerous all the same.


    I smile at him. A charming smile, formed unconsciously on my lips by the spectacle around us. Magma, fire and flares of heat marred the entire landscape, turning everything one could see into a never ending burning sea of heat.


    She knew where they were. At least she had an inkling of it. It was where they fought the mechanoids for the last time before they were able to get rid of them entirely. Only now, the entire thing looked a bit too worse.


    The metal structures that stood proudly in the ground for untold eons even before they had climbed the tower now burned to the ground. The magma pooled into the crevices of rocks below as the rock itself burned and transformed into liquid heat. Nothing was spared. The last few mechanoid corpses and the smaller creatures that now inhabited the land disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was a frightening display of firepower; one that although surprised her, failed to reach her level still; much less that of Blossom''s flames of destruction that consumed all rules in the tower.


    For what reason this man had released such destruction below, it remained to be seen.


    "Yeon Yirang." A sweet and pleasing voice rang in my ear, soothing the mind.


    A spell? That thought rang in my mind.


    "Indeed." I said, meeting the eyes of this... strange man.


    "I thought the ten family heads were mostly inactive." I chuckled at his remark. He was not afraid of me. He wasn''t even being courteous or showcasing the least bit of respect that comes only from fear. That was curious.


    "The current happenings in the tower have prompted us to come out from our inactive states. Recently, I even got wind of Hon getting back up." I said, trying to read his expressions. But no matter how much I tried, it remained a mystery. His features were complicated, but they


    proved unexpectedly hard to see through.


    His face only held a compassionate smile that calmed the mind.


    "And what brings you here?" He asked.


    I stop, for, but a moment.


    "I sensed something. That flame and thought it was interesting. Tell me, young man. Are you perhaps a beholder of the ancient powers?" I raised an eyebrow and ask.


    The man chuckled warmly and shook his head.


    "No. Far from it."


    I nod at his words. "Then let me ask you. Why did you do this?" I pointed to the ground which


    had turned into a sea of lava. There were no more rocks or metal. Only liquid that promised death through incineration.


    The man tilted his head and pinched his chin for a moment before he again met my eyes.


    "I was trying to swat a flea." he said. Then, he shook his head.


    "No, perhaps it was not a flea. Maybe it was a large worm that I''ve ignored long enough for it


    to become a problem." He said, correcting himself.


    "I see. And how has that turned out for you?" I ask, feeling a strange sense of intrigue.


    "I didn''t succeed." He said without missing a beat. "He is... how to say..." The man grinned at


    me.


    "Let''s say he''s like a zombie. Getting up after dying. Like that old enemy that comes back even though it makes no logical sense for him to. Even if you kill them by your own hands."


    My eyes narrow at his words. He seemed to be hinting at something.


    And I wasn''t sure I liked it.


    "You don''t happen to be from the age of genesis would you?" My words suddenly became


    cold and my eyes took on a murderous hint.


    "Hardly." He chuckled and shook his head. Then, he looked to the ground. "I''m a bit pissed.


    Your sudden appearance made him get away." He said.


    I stare at him coldly.


    "Is that supposed to be a warning?" I ask.


    "No. But you''re welcome to speculate. You may as well take it as a warning or you may take it


    as a sign of my first greeting to you." He smiled.


    "My name is Adam. And I am the Visionary." The man clutched the silver cross hung on his neck and looked to the sky. "And he is someone I like to call the Hanged Man."


    I raise an eyebrow. He? Who was he talking about.


    Just then, a ripple travelled through the shinsu.


    My eyes widened sensing the sudden arrival of some being. Something that felt ancient.


    Something strong.


    And everything broke.


    Crack!


    Shatter!


    The space around me shattered like glass and what I saw made me widen my eyes. Flames unconsciously materialized around me as I saw a being of pure Degeneration and chaos.


    It was a man, naked and with a single eye at his head. He spread his arms into a T-pose as he


    hanged upside down upon a large cross. All around him was a blinding black light as the


    shinsu turned black and corrosive.


    Flames instantly began to dance, threatening to burn everything around me. At that moment,


    I realized something.


    Perhaps it was not by chance that she had appeared directly before this man. Perhaps


    everything had been a trap.


    But before I had a chance to attack, the degeneration stopped.


    Adam and the Hanged Man stood still in the sky and looked at her.


    "I told you not to make such a dramatic entrance. See? You scared her?" "What is the meaning of this?" I ask. The heat in the area that had started to cool after the


    man''s earlier attack at the ground again started to rise. I was pissed.


    Adam smiled at me again. And in his hand appeared a deck of cards.


    "Let me introduce us again." He threw two cards at me.


    It was the two cards of the major arcana. Justice and The Hanged Man. "Myself, Justice of the Major Arcana. And this is Hanged Man of the Major Arcana." The man


    grinned at me and threw the rest of the cards at me.


    "And here, I declare war." His eyes shone with light and flames instantly covered the entire


    area, extending even to the inner and the outer tower from the middle area that we were in! "War towards the Jahad Empire!" He spread his arms open.


    "All in the name of the Lord, The Embodiment of the Sefirah Castle and the Dominator of the


    Spirit World." He said.


    My flames rushed upon them, but something was wrong. They were in a separate space, a


    pocket dimension that was only visible to me.


    My eyes cloud over with flames as the curiosity I had felt at first transform into rage.


    "Until we meet again. Do tell your friends." He smiled at me.


    "It''ll be a glorious battle." He said and disappeared into the void.


    As the separate space that had created crumbled before my primeval flames, they were


    already gone.


    I stood there. Unmoving.


    Wrathful.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 99: Mischief

    Chapter 99: MischiefBam''s past had come as both a surprise and a piece of good news to Winston.


    Surprise because he had figured out Bam''s past and what it entailed. A child born and raised for revenge. A being that had been dead, but was granted life again by a God from the outside. And what concerned him was the power inside him.


    V. His supposed father and the promised one that would become the fall of the ten families and Jahad alike.


    It left some... doubts in his mind.


    And good news because it was an unmistakably big part of history, something he could soon when he got to Sequence 3 and became a Scholar of Yore.


    But it was not only that.


    Another thing was the ascension ritual problem had finally been solved. He could parasitize Bam like Pallez had done to our dear Poet Leonard. Following that, the problem would be solved in it''s entirety.


    Bam had been outside the tower for millenia. He was, in essence, the perfect target for the ascension ritual. And considering the nature of concealed mode, he would not harm Bam in any way and he might even solve the matter of Vinside him entirely.


    It was indeed a good plan. And one that had all the room for errors.


    And so, he held off from immediately going through with it. And from Hwaryun''s own words, Bam would eventually get to the floor of death, where his ''mother'' Arlene Grace had took refuge in and his official birthplace, and find out all about his past. Well, for the most part that is.


    And apparently, there was also something called the ''revolution road'' inside the Hell Train which every irregular must experience to find their full potential with shinsu. Considering all of that, Winston devised a plan.


    And by a stroke of luck, a lucky coincidence happened. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yeon Yirang took note of his Visionary Avatar.


    Winston smiled as he bathed in the sunlight atop one of the hotels on the 33rd floor. On his face was a set of shades and his torso was completely naked with shorts covering his lower half.


    If she''s smart, she should make the other family heads aware of the new organisation that has come out of nowhere. A group of 22 people, all holding a position by the names of the Major Arcana that serve an Old God called the Dominator of the Spirit World and the Embodiment of the Sefirah Castle... It''s the ideal grounds for ascension to Godhood.


    He smiled. He had always remembered the ascension rituals to sequence o. For the Fool pathway, it was to fool Time, History or Fate.


    And for the Error, it was to take possession of someone undergoing their apotheosis ritual and replace them to ascend to sequence 0.


    Both were plenty hard to figure out. As for the Door, he had no idea of it''s ascension ritual, so he could not attempt it.


    Although that was the main intent behind his supposed declaration of an all out war, he also simply wanted to take down the Jahad Empire. Why would he let them prosper when they wished to take down his friends? It was as simple as that. And with how things were progressing, the moment Yeon Yirang told the others of Adam and his organisation; all of them would become targets for coincidences as more information would become known to the Visionary.


    The more you know them, the more they know you. It was the scariest ability of the spectator. To know all that know thee.


    He hummed a peculiar tune and relaxed in the recliner chair.


    This is life... just relax and have your avatars take care of everything for you...


    Just then, he felt a disturbance in the space around him. And a vision overlapped his senses. Realizing who this was, Winston shook his head with a wry smile.


    In the air behind him, a rip in space occurred as a very familiar airship made it''s presence known.


    And then, from within the airship came a pleasant chuckle and a comment.


    "I found you again."


    It was none other than Po Bidau Tiara.


    Winston smiled at her.


    "Congrats. Would you like an award?" He said, sensing her jump down from the ship in her usual white dress. The sunlight reflected off her golden yellow hair, making them glow and her glasses to shine through with reflection.


    "Heh." She chuckled and walked up to him.


    "I wasn''t expecting this. After the storm you''ve kicked up, resting like this on the 33rd floor is the last thing one would expect of you." She said.


    "Why? Is it such a crime to take a rest?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I''m human too you know. I''m not impervious to getting tired. Not yet anyways." He smiled.


    Tiara shook her head and made herself comfortable beside him.


    "Considering our previous meeting where you transformed into that Machine, I wouldn''t be surprised if you were to be honest."


    "Speaking of, how''s true humanity been treating you?"


    Winston, for the first time since she arrived turned to her. Extending his finger, he lowered his shades, just enough for his pupils to meet her''s.


    Tiara stopped for a moment and said, "Right. I still have to thank you for that. If anything, it feels kind of liberating. It''s like I gained something important that I didn''t know I was


    missing.


    "Besides that, it''s still too early to decide. It''s only been a few days since then you know?" "Eh. Can''t relate. I''ve always been a complete human you know."


    "That''s a bit mean."


    "But it''s the truth."


    A strange silence persisted between them. Winston''s casual and dismissive remarks about her made Tiara feel at a loss.


    It wasn''t something that was too extreme too. In fact, it seemed as if it were playful banter between common friends.


    "You''re weird." She said, finality echoing in her tone. Her eyes curved upwards as he looked at Winston''s figure with a curious expression.


    "I expected a lot of things. But you... are plain weird."


    "Weird is good." Winston guffawed. "Weird is interesting. It''s better than monotony at least. Better than being common." His eyes again met her''s, "You''re not quite normal yourself you


    know."


    Tiara dodged his gaze and closed her eyes, "I have my own reputation among the families." "And how come you found me again? Is it to attack me again?"


    "It was supposed to be. I could at least try with another strategy I figured. But now, as I''m here, I can''t help but think of that ambition as a distant dream."


    Winston took off his shades and stared at the sky. There, he could see a flock of sea gulls flying


    north.


    "...This is the first time I''m seeing sea gulls here." He said.


    "Avian species are rare to begin with. Most of them lie on the upper floors and are extremely aggressive and predatory." She said, adjusting the glasses on her face. "You seem to have seen


    them on the outside."


    "I have." Winston said. "Birds are... one of my favourites, you can say. They''re so free. Gliding


    above everything in the sky."


    A short silence followed.


    "You hungry?"


    Tiara looked at him in shock, but then, a mischievous smirk made it''s way across her face.


    "What''s this? Are you inviting me on a date?"


    "Eh. Maybe, maybe not. What do you think? Princess?" Winston grinned at her, who only met his mischievous smile with her own.


    A wheel spun rapidly at irregular intervals as it stood amid a world made out of shinsu. The never ending loops of wager, fire, roots, metal and every other ancient element mingled in the air, all performing cyclical movements as per the directions of the wheel.


    The wheel was irregular in it''s appearance. The outer lining of the wheel was a silver snake with irregular scaly patterns. On it''s outskirts, eight irregular symbols, unknown in origin were embossed with an unknown material that glowed a dark black.


    From the center, 8 points extended and pointed to each of the symbols, forever shifting in length and size. Sometimes, the arrows would go beyond the radius of the wheel and sometimes would disappear completely.


    Below the wheel was a red humanoid creature, wrapped around the edge of the wheel and


    held it up with his lanky arms.


    And above the wheel sat a winged creature that resembled closely, the description of a Sphinx.


    The wheel spun and spun and spun. The world around it shifted with each turn. The infinite loops of elemental shinsu that were around the wheel also shifted their flow and creatured platforms, soon to be destroyed by the next spin.


    It was the Wheel of Fortune.


    The Snake of Silver that grants Luck.


    The King of Misfortune.


    It was unknown where it was. But it was arranging, not only it''s immediate environment, but


    also all of the tower. Seizing control over everything, the fate and destiny of all beings in the


    tower.


    But such a thing was still too far to be held. The natural order of life needed to sustain such a thing would be nothing short of an angel. Before that, the Wheel could only do what would amount to parlor tricks in front of someone like Ouroborous or Will Auceptin; the angels of


    Wheel of Fortune path.


    However, that didn''t mean it was entirely useless.


    "Hah!" Someone huffed at the far edges of it''s area.


    A pilgrim had arrived.


    And not just any pilgrim...


    "Wow! This is sick, Evan!" "Language, Princess!"


    It was none other than Princess Yuri and her trusted Companion, Evan Edrock.


    The first pilgrim of the Wheel of Fortune were these two.


    The wheel hummed in delight, even though it was perfectly able to form speech as an avatar.


    Most probably trying to appear as an ancient figure that controls fate.


    The two High Rankers in the distance slowly began to grow closer, their eyes scanning this


    strange scenery.


    An ocean of shinsu lay before them. It was to the point that even powerful rankers would find


    it hard to move around, yet, to these two monsters, it was nothing of the sort.


    Evan expertly stepped onto the different structure the spins produced, his eyes figuring out


    where the next structure was going to form.


    And as they reached just 100 meters distance from it, Yuri Jahad began to gush over how cool


    the wheel looked.


    As for Evan, he was stunned.


    "...beautiful." A singular word came out of his mouth.


    "Truly beautiful." His eyes shone with a light. He looked upon this... strange thing with a sprt


    of reverence one could only hope to give to their gods.


    Yet, Evan, for all he was worth, knew this wasn''t a true master of Fate.


    It was something that had just begun to form connections with it.


    Is it... no.... that can''t be. There''s no way this is an ancient God right? One that governs over Fate? It


    wouldn''t make sense for that to be the case.


    Evan though, continuing to look at the wheel while ignoring Yuri.


    But then again, it can''t be confirmed. The old times had many gods that simply went into hiding or


    went dormant. Evan pinched his chin. But then, his thoughts process was interrupted by a quick


    smack to his head.


    Smack!


    "What the hell?!"


    "Why are you looking at that?! You aren''t even replying! You seem like you''re enchanted!"


    "I was thinking! You dumb Princess!"


    "What did you call me!?"


    "Aaah! Sorry!"


    It would seem the first pilgrims of the Wheel of Fortune were as eccentric as they were strong.


    A/N: There might not be another chapter until 22. I have an important test coming up so we''ll


    have to hold off on that.


    Besides, the next one will be chapter 100! It''ll be the first time any of my stories have lasted so long, so I''ll try to make that 2 to 3 times as long if possible.


    Anyway, the hell train arc will start in just a few more chapters, where I''ll do a time skip and


    start with the arc. If I end up going as planned (which is highly improbable), the entire arc won''t be that long and I''ll be ending the 2nd Volume in some time as well.


    So throw some stones and drink some water.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 100: To know all that know thee

    Chapter 100: To know all that know theeI just watched Cyberpunk Edgerunners.


    I felt a part of myself die after finishing it.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!


    The sound of shallow breaths tore through the thick overcoat of humidness of the morning. A rhythmic tap of feet accompanied the sound as a man ran down a long strip of road.


    The road was broken in random places. Various holes marred the surface of the asphalt and metallic monolithic jut out of the ground.


    Huff! Huff! Huff!


    The man continued to run beyond the road, his legs paining beyond anything he had experienced. His muscles felt as if they were on fire, his lungs pained like they would rip themselves apart and his heart continued to beat like it would jump out of his chest.


    His vision was blurry, yet he continued to run.


    And then, as he reached the point where the asphalt merged into dirt and the road ended, leaving only barren soil to tread upon, he stopped.


    Huff! Huff!


    His shallow breaths turned deeper, his muscles greedily sucking in the oxygen.


    And then, a single tear fell from his eye.


    He fell upon his knees and crouched over, slamming his balled fist into the ground.


    Huff! Huff!


    Still, he laid huffing.


    And then, a God appeared before him.


    Shaaaaaaaaaaa!


    A brilliant light. One that blinded the eye.


    His eyes wanted to close. Yet he refused to do so.


    Looking upon the Almighty God, a pained groan escaped his lips.


    "Why? God?" He asked.


    The God stared at him without a word.


    "Why did she have to die?" He asked again.


    The God continued with his silence.


    "Why not me? Why her?" Again, he inquired.


    The God met his gaze, the slit on his head widening to display a blue eye.


    The staff in his hand pointed upwards.


    "If you wish to find the answer, go up." He said. "Everything in the world is up there. Anything you desire can be attained."


    The man stopped.


    His thoughts were a mystery. But then, he shook his head.


    "No." He said. "I won''t climb the tower."


    And so, the God gave him a disappointed nod and disappeared in a burst of light.


    Man... that was quite an old memory. Theolis thought as he got off the bed.


    He brushed his hand through his hair which had turned half red at this point.


    He looked at the circular clock that hung on one of the walls and sighed.


    It was another day.


    And along would come more problems for him to face.


    The white dwarf beside him had gotten increasingly stranger after the encounter with the machine god. It was the closest Theolis had been to dying... Well, not closest, but seeing hundreds of kilometers being reduced to scorched earth of lava and flames was pretty shaking to say the least.


    But after that incident, the White Dwarf''s behaviour was... odd.


    He seemed on edge. As if a deep rooted paranoia was gnawing at him from the inside. There would be instances where he would simply be looking into the air without speaking for hours. When asked about it, he only replied with a short, ''Fate is being tampered with.''


    It was certainly ominous, but it was also something he was secretly happy for. Maybe he would actually get a rest from the machinations of the suicidal maniac.


    All things considered, Theolis was not sure what he brought to the table when they were trying to pursue such a strong character. Winston Heath was a monster in all but name. He wasn''t someone the likes of him could face.


    Even with his now frightening abilities, he could only comfortably take on C ranked regulars. Fighting a ranker, much less someone ranked in the top 400 of the tower was nothing short of a day-dream.


    He sighed and stared at himself in the mirror. Unlike the other mornings, he was naked from the waist up. His now chiseled physique appeared all the more prominent with the soft sunlight filtering through the windows.


    Around his neck was a golden chain which extended up to his heart and held a small orb at the bottom.


    It was something that was always hidden under his clothes, unknown to anyone.


    His eyes held a hint of melancholy before he shook his head and opened up the messages in his pocket out of habit.


    However, his eyes quickly widened in surprise as he saw a message from his friend white


    dwarf.


    Samuel Helmons: I''ll be going away for today. Do whatever you want, I don''t really care.


    Theolis stood still for a moment before a small smirk bloomed on his face.


    "Hell Yeah!" He screamed out.


    "Well aren''t you cheerful." Just then, a voice came from behind me. One that chilled him to


    the bone.


    He froze, not out of fear or shock, but because he was forced to.


    The pressure on his body was unlike anything he had ever felt. He could not move. He could


    barely even breathe.


    No, pressure wasn''t the right word. It was something internal. His body itself refused to listen to his commands as if it were frozen in time.


    Through shallow breaths, he managed to squeeze out a few words.


    "W-who... are you?"


    "Aw. That breaks my heart. You don''t recognize the person you''ve been trying to hunt down


    all this time?"


    A tremor of terror rang through his spine and his eyes shrunk into needles.


    Fear. And more than that, dread began to creep into his veins.


    What the hell is he doing here? How did he even find me?


    "Finding you wasn''t the hard part really. It was getting aware of your existence." The voice said with a chuckle. Theolis stayed quiet, now, even his mind entering a state of inertness.


    The figure behind him laughed heartily and said, "Now now, no need to be so wary. I wasn''t even in the knowhow of there being a group targeted to hunting me down. Even if the sole


    members of that group are 2 regulars."


    Theolis stood still for a moment. Not that he could move anyway.


    "What have you done to me?" He said, feeling his jaw lighten up.


    "Nothing much." The voice said, not caring to elaborate.


    "Will you kill me?"


    "Nah." The response was quick, but it made Theolis feel at ease. "I''ve already seen through


    all of the happenings in your life. Quite a pathetic existence you are." For a moment, Theolis felt as if the future behind him was truly feeling sorry for him. The words and tone he had used conveyed such transcendent feelings of pity that he himself was left baffled. "Don''t feel too bad about it." He said with conviction. And as he felt the limits on his movements recede, he clenched the orb that hung at his heart and turned around.


    "I''ll be sure to bring them back when I get to the top."


    As he turned, he met the eyes of a young looking man. Though it was anyone''s guess what his


    real age was. One couldn''t tell on the tower.


    He had dark black hair and similarly dark eyes. His face was what one could describe to be handsome. Yet his gaze carried a dangerous edge.


    He wore a standard gentlemanly suit with a tailcoat and a half top hat. In his left hand, he held


    a wooden cane with a silver laid handle and on his right, he held what looked to be a


    suspendium pocket watch.


    The man, Winston Heath in all his glory opened the pocket watch and with his compassion filled eyes, he again looked at him.


    "You are aware that there is logically no way to get to the very top correct? The Jahad Empire


    permits entry only upto the 134th floor. The door to enter beyond is opened by a key lost to


    time." He said.


    Theolis stood his ground and met his eyes. Although everything about him seemed non threatening and prompted him to be relaxed, it only made him feel more nervous.


    Is it a spell?


    "Hardly." Winston replied. "Spells, as they are, are hard to master. They do come from the


    incomplete side of the world." He smiled. "As such, having a spell that had such a simple effect as making me appear non threatening would be a waste of resources."


    Theolis again went into overdrive, clearing his mind of all thoughts so that nothing would


    escape from him.


    Winston snickered at his attempts.


    "Now now, I won''t harm you. I already have most of the information I needed." Winston said


    simply. He shrugged his shoulders and spoke, "Your head could split open right now and I wouldn''t bat an eye. You have nothing to do with what the White Dwarf has done or wants to


    do. In fact, you seem almost pitiful."


    Theolis nodded.


    "But. That doesn''t mean you have no use at all." Winston smirked. He extended his hand to Theolis'' face and said, "You''ll make an excellent double agent." And then, he snapped his


    fingers.


    Huff!


    Theolis woke up, feeling an icy sensation at the back of his neck alongside a slight sense of


    deja vu.


    Looking around a bit, he opened up his pocket out of habit, seeing an unread message from the White Dwarf.


    "So he''s away for today huh... How should I make the most of this?"


    A candlelight stayed between them both and they ate in the glistening light of the setting sun.


    "This is quite romantic." Tiara said, eating the plethora of dishes that had appeared seemingly out of thin air.


    They were still on the rooftop of the hotel. No one came to bother them, because Winston didn''t want them to. There was, of course, the possibility of a fight breaking out at any point. And while he was confident he could seal the space, or steal her thoughts, or turn her into a marionette, or steal her abilities, or freeze her with shinsu or spells, or a lot of other things before she even had the thought to move, it never hurt to be safe.


    "I hoped so." Winston said.


    Tiara snickered.


    "You''ve gotten more expressive after gaining humanity."


    "And how can you compare?"


    "I have gained in depth knowledge about you. I can know all that know me." Winston replied,


    casually revealing one of the broken abilities of the Visionary. Though, to be honest, he cared very little. Spreading more knowledge about the Visionary, regardless of what it was, or Winston in general would in turn make him more aware of the possessor of the knowledge.


    Tiara''s eyes widened in surprise before they returned.


    "That''s... overpowered."


    "I know right?" Winston said, patting his chest with a smile. When it came to humility,


    Winston didn''t make the list. He was quite a vain person, to be truthful.


    The silence again filled the area.


    After a couple of heartbeats, Winston broke the silence.


    "Princess." He called out.


    "Hmm?"


    "May I ask, what is it that you desire?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "What I desire?" Tiara held her chin in thought.


    "Yes. I mean like, what is your dream? Your aspiration?" He asked.


    Tiara narrowed her eyes for a moment.


    Then, she met his eyes.


    "If I had to say... I suppose I wish to see the top of the tower."


    "The top of the tower? You mean the stars?"


    "Not only that." Tiara smiled and shook her head. "I mean to say the entirety of it. What is it


    that lies at the top? Surrounded by stars and celestial bodies. The cosmos has always been a subject of speculation. I would love nothing more than to find out such a mystery." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Winston nodded knowingly.


    It was not her writing that compelled such a wish. Although it had a small role in it. Gustang,


    as he had come to find out, was also someone that yearned for the stars. And that was


    reflected in his writing too.


    But this wish wasn''t the by product of that.


    This was a genuine desire of the woman in front of him.


    Winston smiled. Tiara was evolving. Not long after humanity had been given to her, she was


    already starting to have her own thoughts and dreams, ones that were dictated solely by her


    writing.


    "Well, cheers to that." Winston raised the wine glass in his hand, and she too did so.


    Cling!


    The soft chime of the glasses touching rang in the air.


    And at that time, the door to the top floor opened up.


    "Hey, Winsto-" Zarhan spoke. But then stopped.


    He stood in silence for a few moments, his eyes alternating between Winston and Tiara.


    "Oh. I didn''t know you found yourself a girlfriend too!" He gave him a thumbs up.


    "Good luck! And enjoy your date!"


    With that, he disappeared back through the door. Tiara, contrary to Winston''s expectations laughed cheerfully.


    "Well, don''t you have some loud friends." Her laugh was genuine. If it was her before she was


    given humanity, she would have no doubt been angered by such a claim.


    "The best." Winston returned her smile.


    And so, they continued to eat amid the setting sun.


    A/N: I got bored so I wrote this anyway. I wasn''t going to upload as per the announcement,


    but one of my bros told me to, so here ya go. Anyways, WE REACHED CHAPTER 100 BOYS!!! LETS GOOOOO!!!!


    This is the first time any of my stories has gotten to chapter 100, so thanks to everyone that


    has stuck with the story until now. It wasn''t a long journey, but it takes trust in a story to stick


    with it until chapter 100.


    In celebration, I implore you to write a review. Or you know, wait until the end of volume 2. I


    hold absolute confidence that most of you will write a review after reading the ending


    chapter.


    Throw some stones.

 Chapter 101: Year

    Chapter 101: YearAfter the ''date'' they had at the rooftop, Tiara began to stay with them.


    Everyone was plenty spooked when she met up with them; some more than others. And more than that, they were also very skeptical about Winston having found an actual girlfriend for whatever reason. And their skepticism came to be true when Winston cleared up the misunderstanding.


    She wasn''t his girlfriend. She was his to-be-not-really-fiancee.


    Of course, that raised a lot of questions.


    Endorsi, in particular, was extremely aggressive towards her. But her being a high ranker, there was little Endorsi could do about her presence.


    Another thing to mention was that Team Shibisu decided to hold off on climbing further before Bam and Co were at their level. Which meant, that until next year, when Bam and team Sweet and Sour were supposed to go to the hell train, the entire team would stay together. And even after the hell train, they would continue to climb together.


    It wasn''t something Winston was too worried about. In fact, he even welcomed it.


    He had nothing to do until then anyway. His potion would digest in time. In fact, it was already almost digested.


    He wouldn''t rush the matter with the ritual. Bam was only a singular option. He felt he could still explore more options. And perhaps on the hell train, a place he had seen in his divination, he would find a better candidate.


    Although, from the divination and what he knew now about Bam''s past, he increasingly felt that the divination was pointing to him. Hell Train was one thing, but the floor of death was another.


    His intuition hasn''t failed him until then. But he still felt like waiting.


    Speaking of waiting, he had actually offered to save Horyang. He had seen what was wrong with him. His soul had been taken.


    With his Visionary powers, he had managed to use the tint link his body still held with the soul to forge a bond with the Body of Heart and Mind; making the man exist in a state of lethargic awareness. He wasn''t able to do much beside eat and sleep, but it was enough to go by.


    And Winston was ready to go beyond.


    With his body right here, pinpointing the location to his soul was easy.


    But Team Sweet and Sour said no, strangely enough.


    Something about, already having enough favours to fill on their part. Which was, in all


    honestly and Winston''s own opinion, incredibly stupid. Why decline free help?


    But regardless, since they insisted on not wanting his help, like, a lot; he wasn''t going to force his help on them.


    And so, started his next year with the team.


    "What is it that you do all day?" Tiara asked him.


    "Laze around." Winston replied with a smile, calmly sipping a drink from a plastic straw as he sat on the balcony of the 34th floor''s hotel.


    "Seems pretty boring."


    "Not in my eyes it ain''t." He smiled and looked at her. "Wanna see?"


    Tiara looked at him with a smirk.


    "How so?"


    "I might show you what I''m capable of. If you were to offer the right price that is." He laughed.


    Tiara puffed her cheeks.


    "You want something for that?"


    "Why not? I''m a swindler at heart." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And what about the beautiful woman right next to you?"


    "Where?"


    "Shut up!"


    Both of them burst into a short fit of laughter.


    ...


    "I never really thought such a monotonous life could be so interesting." Tiara said, walking along a large lake with various shinhueh travelling above and below the water level. She held a book in her hand, titled ''Tales of the Old Ones.''


    "I thought you found it boring." Winston asked, his eyes covered with shades and in his hand a banana.


    "To be true, it''s you that I find interesting."


    "Heh. That''s a good way to flirt." Winston chuckled in a mischievous fashion as he wiggled his eyebrow at her.


    "Take it as you will." Tiara turned the other way, watching the doves that floated over the water. Only to see them be devoured by a snake shinhueh in the lake.


    "Yikes." Winston said and began to walk away.


    ...


    "What the hell is this?!" Zarhan yelled, pushing his leg into Amon''s face as he furiously tapped every button on the controller.


    "Hey! Stop cheating!" Amon exclaimed, throwing his own leg towards Zarhan''s face.


    "Geez people. It''s just a game. No need to get violent." Endorsi said, watching them play a game Winston had created. It was a co-op game, one that was... Well, supposed to be played as a team. But clearly that wasn''t working.


    "Hah! I won!" Winston exclaimed, throwing his fist and the controller into the air.


    "You cheated!"


    "Yeah!"


    "No evidence."


    "F*ck you mean, no evidence?!"


    Anaak watched from the side with a can of coke in her hand.


    "What''s happening?" Tiara asked as she walked into the room.


    Endorsi shook her head and shrugged.


    ...


    "Gah!" Endorsi yelled as she was, once again, thrown ruthlessly into the ground with a punch from Winston. "This isn''t fair! You''re as strong as a high ranker!" She threw an accusatory


    glare at him.


    "I don''t see Bam complaining." Winston pointed at the boy who had already lost consciousness after being smashed 17 times into the dirt.


    "He''s dead!" Wangnan exclaimed, clawing at his face as he looked to Bam''s body in a


    dreadful glare.


    "No he''s not... probably." Winston shook his head and looked at them.


    "Now get to training!"


    "Die!" Zarhan yelled, stabbing at him from behind.


    "Pro tip." Winston said, blinking right behind Zarhan, making him stab at the air. "When


    doing a surprise attack, don''t yell. You look like an idiot."


    Saying that, he balled his hand and bonked Zarhan on the head.


    ...


    Winston sat under the moonlight, his eyes gazing at the construct of shinsu. The transient- ness of the structure made it difficult for him to take in it''s full beauty, but it was a spectacle


    still.


    He felt someone trying to sneak up behind him.


    Smiling a bit to himself, he spoke, "I advise you put down the thought of using that spell. We


    all know how that ends."


    He heard a feminine voice click her tongue before the perpetrator came up and sat beside him.


    It was Tiara. It was always Tiara.


    In the time they had spent, she had tried several times to catch him off guard like this.


    Claiming that it was for ''research purposes'' and that she merely wanted to ''see the blood


    bloom.''


    But luckily, her psychopathic tendencies were now getting far and between, a far cry from when she had started out.


    "I only came to check up on you." She said, puffing out a side of her cheek.


    Winston smiled at her antics.


    His eyes travelled to her figure as his spirit vision peered through her soul, seeing everything


    that she was made of. Information. Words. Stories.


    And now, a blooming bud.


    Humanity.


    It was a foreign concept for Winston to use his Visionary powers as he did. In fact, it was more


    of a test run than anything when he started out; opting to use his assailant as a test dummy.


    But now, he had begun to see something else.


    Blooming humanity was beautiful. Who could have guessed?


    "What?" Tiara asked, meeting his eyes.


    "You." Winston said, simply.


    Seeing his extreme gaze, Tiara felt a blush creep up her cheeks but hid it within a heartbeat.


    "Me what?"


    "You feel real now." He said. "Now that I see you, you feel all too real." A smile blossomed on


    his face. "And it''s beautiful."


    If before she was able to hide her blush, now she wasn''t.


    Her lips tugged back a smile as a hint of pink was on the extremes of her cheeks.


    Then, she chuckled.


    "Are you falling for me already?"


    "Relax, Princess. I was talking about the humanity I put inside you."


    "...You''re terrible with ladies you know."


    "You''d be surprised by how wrong that is."


    ...


    "You can do it!" Winston stared down everyone as hundreds of baangs made of shinsu rained


    down from the sky.


    Endorsi, Anaak, Shibisu, Hatz, Amon, Zarhan, Rak, Khun, Bam, Wangnan, Arkraptor, Yihwa,


    Prince and Miseng all hid under the little cover they could find in this secret space Winston


    had created for their training.


    "Are you trying to kill us?! Scary Turtle!?" Rak yelled and threw his Mad Shocker at Winston. An attack that resulted in his getting hit by a bolt of lightning.


    "I told you not to attack me." Winston shrugged as he threw the mad shocker down.


    "You''re extremely sadistic you know." Tiara spoke, sitting beside him with 3D glasses on her eyes and a bag of popcorn in her hands. As she ate the popcorn, a low chuckle emanated from


    her lips. A chuckle that was slowly turning into a wild laughter.


    Winston eyed her from the corner of his vision.


    "Is that right?"


    ...


    It was not long after that the team finally decided to split up.


    8 months had passed by after the Workshop Battle Incident.


    And with the Hell Train boarding coming close, Hwaryun felt that it was better for the team


    members to prepare by themselves. Winston had nothing to say about it.


    He could not keep babysitting them forever. There was a limit to what he could teach them as


    well. Especially now, when he had the ability to make so many baangs, any shinsu art he used in battle would not suit them.


    Not to mention training could only bear fruits so long. Real battle that test their resolve had


    to be done. Life and Death struggles would only improve them.


    Winston could not provide the same. He could promise pain lest they half assed their fights,


    but deep down, they held trust that Winston would not truly kill them.


    Everyone had to grow on their own.


    And Winston had the perfect plan for that.


    As he watched then leave one by one in airships, he could not help but grow a malicious,


    almost malevolent smile.


    Maybe it was time for his teammates to meet the Monocle Man...


    "You''re thinking of something sadistic aren''t you?" Tiara questioned him, narrowing her


    eyes.


    "Maybe, maybe not. Want to join in?"


    "Really?" She smiled, excited.


    "Well, I wouldn''t mind a small donation for it though." He laughed.


    "Tch!"


    A/N: This was a very experimental chapter. Do tell me how it turned out and if it read okay.


    Also, the romance has begun. Though it''s barely left infancy stages yet. At this point, neither


    Winston nor Tiara think of each other in the romantic light yet.


    Or so they tell themselves, that is. It''s hard to say really.


    Throw some stones.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 102: Hell Train

    Chapter 102: Hell Train"Have you heard? There''s word that a super strong regular is going to get on the hell train this year?"


    "Who told you that?"


    "Emily! She said it''s going to be a strong regular and their team!"


    "I heard about that too! She also mentioned something about the Silent Leviathan! Apparently, there''s a possibility he might appear as well!"


    "You still on with that nonsense? I''m telling you man, the AI will take over the tower one day."


    "Pfft~ As if. Lord Jahad will never let anyone else take command. His Empire has stood for time immemorial."


    A group of regulars sat around a train cabin. The entirety of the cabin was empty, holding only the 4 of them.


    The outside blizted past them in a constant blur of motion, turning into a static mosaic.


    One of the regulars, holding a cup of tea in his hand, snickered.


    "Jahad''s rule is as thin as paper when talking about irregulars. Don''t you remember Phantaminum? I didn''t see Jahad when he stormed his castle."


    "Shhh!" One of then immediately shushed their brave, or perhaps idiotic friend. "Don''t stay stuff like that aloud. You never know when a concealed light house is around. What you''re saying can be considered a form of treason you know?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man only shrugged.


    "Heh. What of it? It ain''t like the army can interfere with regulars anyway." He chuckled. "Enough about that." One of them exploded, making the others quiet down.


    His sharp eyes, the kind that seemed to stare into your soul, wandered around their figures.


    "You people seem awfully prepared."


    The others snickered.


    "Relax. We have everything you said you wanted. It''ll be alright."


    "We know how to carry our weight." The one who held the tea cup took another sip, his lips shivering with a barely concealed smirk.


    "Is tha-"


    Silence graced the entire cabin.


    Layers of stillness draped over the area, creating a tense sensation that kept everyone from speaking aloud. The shinsu in the air seemed strange; with a particular density almost.


    They felt the weight of the ''air'', their movements turning frighteningly sluggish. One of them glanced at the windowsill. From the metallic surface, a single red droplet slowly oozed out and floated up the glass.


    The seats began to bleed red, the shinsu jutting out of them as if trying to escape the clutches of it''s captors.


    Their blood was frozen solid, held in place by a transcendent feelings of fear. No, more than that. Dread.


    The door at the end of the cabin opened up with a mechanical sound.


    §´§Ñ§â. §´§Ñ§â.


    And with the hallowed sound of lone footsteps, a man came into view.


    His hair was as crimson as blood and his striking red eyes that scanned the surroundings with the sleekness of a predator did little to alleviate the deep foreboding in their hearts.


    The man calmly, without haste walked up to their seats and smiled at them.


    "Gentlemen, may I have your tickets?" His words were calm, almost serene in how he said them.


    The silence persisted. And the man sighed.


    "Well, that''s another cabin cleared I guess." He shook his head.


    The four regulars tightened their jaws and clenched their fists hard. Their eyes rapidly turned blood shot and through the nose of two of them, blood spurted in waves.


    Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!


    The shinsu which was slowly turning red was then saturated with very real blood.


    The heads of everyone present popped like watermelons, the shinsu pressure having proved too much for them.


    The man looked into the window; a far cry from it''s previous unshaded and transparent appearance. It had taken on a deep tone of black, from which the man''s face could be seen clearly.


    He brushed a hand through his hair and sighed again.


    "Still can''t get used to the colour change." He shook his head and walked towards the next cabin.


    And as he stepped through the gate, an announcement stopped him in his tracks.


    "Attention all regulars! The train is arriving at Train City! Prepare to leave!"


    The man smiled.


    "Isn''t that great." His toothy grin was once again reflected in the rapidly darkening glass.


    And as he once again took a glance at his reflection, he felt the sudden urge to pinch his right


    eye.


    Strangely, the urge disappeared as soon as it came.


    Weird...


    Ran''s team, comprised of himself, Dan, Novick, Beta and XiaXia stepped into the entrance floor.


    His eyes scanned the surroundings. A strange pressure culminated in the area and a lone figure that stood beyond the large ravine seemed to be the cause. The man had his back turned to them. His long hair draped over his shoulders and extended to his back. He held his hands still and down while various dark spears floated in the air around him.


    "What is that?" Ran asked, seemingly to nobody.


    His remark sparked a number of comments from his team, who also wondered about this


    man''s origin.


    "Is he strong?" Novick asked, scratching the back of his head.


    Ran felt a frown grow on his forehead. He walked forward and just as he did, something dashed through the air, cutting through the shinsu!


    Whooosh!


    Boom!


    Ran jumped into the air, as did his teammates. Landing squarely on the ground, he eyed the


    strange figure with vigilance.


    "The entrance is closed. Come back tomorrow." A deep voice bellowed.


    The silence persisted for a few moments.


    "So... now what?" XiaXia asked, sweat already growing at her temples.


    "What else?" Ran answered, popping his neck and creating a shinsu lightning pill.


    "We break through with force." He said, placing the pill into his mouth.


    Zzzzztttt!!


    Lightning exploded. The shinsu rippled with electricity as plasma formed into arcs upon arcs, rippling through the transparent droplets of the shinsu and causing an effervescence to brew!


    Novick and Dan jumped back while Beta grabbed XiaXia and also retreated.


    "Taking a lightning pill right off the bat?!" Dan exclaimed in surprise.


    But there was little time to speak about anything.


    Ran jumped again into the air, arcs of lightning jumping around at his feet. He held out his


    hands and rapidly, a gigantic spear of plasma gathered!


    "Mashenny Style - Shinsu control skill." A faint whisper.


    "Lightning storm: Spear of Light!"


    Lighting burst forth at half the speed of light, reaching the figure in mere nanoseconds!


    And so, the lightning spear, as large as a bus, exploded at a singular point!


    Booooommm!!!


    Zzzzzzzttt!


    Shaaaa!


    Dust clouds covered the other side of the gap, concealing the figure in a veil of smoke.


    Ran landed back on the ground.


    "Is he dead?" XiaXia asked with a smile, feeling confident as Ran''s display of power.


    However, as the smoke cleared, her expression fell.


    The figure emerged unharmed and still in place. He had not moved an inch.


    Ran''s eyes widened, "No damage?" He muttered in disbelief.


    But without any time to think, the five spears of the figure extended towards him, and fired.


    Ran jumped back, trying to warn his teammates.


    "Get back! Take co-"


    Boooooooommm!!!!!!


    The entire area was uprooted. The metal turned into molten lava right off the platform and


    the door behind them was charred beyond recognition.


    Yet, somehow, Ran''s team emerged unharmed.


    How?


    In front of them, like an unshakable wall, stood a figure draped in a black robe.


    The figure had blood red hair and had his back turned to him.


    "Now now. You shouldn''t be doing this." The man looked over his shoulder, staring at them


    with his red eyes. He smiled.


    "That''s the Guardian of the Train. Or to be more specific, he''s an extension of the guardian. In


    simpler terms, he''s not real." He explained. "No attacks you make on him will work. He will simply shrug them off. There''s nothing you can do except wait for tomorrow. He will be gone by then."


    The man turned around and walked upto Ran.


    Then, he extended his hand with an easygoing smile.


    "Myself Theolis." He said. His smile seemed to widen. "And I''m currently working with


    FUG."


    A/N: I''m going on a Holdiay Trip people. So sadly, there won''t be a chapter until 30th. Maybe


    I''ll try to make a mass release on new year to make up for that.


    Anyway, throw some stones!


    And happy holidays!!!


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 103: Aboard

    Chapter 103: Aboard"FUG?" Dan raised a brow, posing himself to react at a moment''s notice.


    The rest of the team also went on edge. Novick, in particular felt his fists heat up with a flaring red shinsu while XiaXia mobilized the lighthouses under her control.


    To the side, Beta began to growl at the man, his green eyes glowing eerily, a flaming hand- the size of a car- appearing at his back.


    Ran stared at his hand with a blank expression.


    He contemplated his words for a bit before he opened his mouth.


    "With FUG? Not for?" His words brought a strange sense of relief to the tense air, which swiftly returned as the man before them snickered.


    "That''s right. The man I work for is somewhat of a weirdo. And he has thrown me with FUG for the time being." He spoke. He held up his chin and pointed to the guardian with his thumb. "That guy you''re fighting? He''s a projection. Not worth the time or the effort. He''s practically invincible for folks like you."


    "And what of you?" Ran questioned, getting right up to him and staring him dead in the eye. But due to the height difference, it looked somewhat comical.


    Theolis grinned, his teeth showing through his barely concealed glee.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m a cut above the rest of you."


    The shinsu stiller, getting thicker, almost tangible.


    The air seemed to come to their heads with a strange density, making it harder to move and water droplets of crimson began to seek through the cracks in the ground and on their clothes.


    Beta''s green shinsu arm bled with red, overwhelmed by another.


    Everyone felt a deep chill go down their spine.


    This man... he''s dangerous.. They thought collectively.


    Out of nowhere, the man chuckled; and the pressure vanished.


    XiaXia released a breath she didn''t know she had been holding as the man once again opened his mouth.


    "Go to your rooms. The station will open tomorrow. Prepare until then." He walked past them towards the door and glanced over his shoulder.


    His toothy grin never left his face.


    "And don''t expect getting into the train to be easy."


    Fwish!


    The elevator door closed with a mechanical slide and the group was left in silence.


    Ran took another glance at the Guardian. Then, he looked to his hand.


    "I wonder..." He muttered. In his mind appeared the fleeting image of Winston. His eyes narrowed and lightning began to gather. But then, a hand clasped at his shoulder.


    "...Let''s go. Ran." Novick spoke, his tone leaving no room for defiance.


    With a moment of stillness, Ran nodded.


    "What a great day..." Winston said as he stepped through the gates of the train.


    His appearance was not of himself. It was a young man with curly black hair, with a thin face and a broad forehead. His nose was sleek and on his dark eyes rested a clear crystal monocle at the right side.


    Atop his head was a pointed top hat and he wore dark robes with dark blue outlines, the kind which would make one appear like a Scholar.


    It was none other than Amon, his monocle laced persona.


    His eyes exploded with a thousand colours as his vision pierced through the world around him, unveiling everything he could see and beyond.


    "Perfect time for styling on these guys."


    He scanned the thousands of figures he could on in train city. Various emotions unfolded before his eyes, each masked with an air of tension.


    And beyond that, he saw the whole structure of the Train City.


    Truth be told, the entire structure of this so called ''city'' was in actuality a labyrinth so expansive that he wondered if anyone was ever meant to cross through it.


    Of course, to someone like him, or anyone with good enough divination, it wouldn''t pose much of a challenge. But to the normal regulars of the tower, it was a nightmare.


    Winston smiled and calmly began to walk. He pinched the crystal monocle and stepped through the elevator door.


    Then, he calmly tapped the hell train station.


    Slowly, the doors closed and the elevator moved.


    Readily, a vision overlapped with his eyes. He saw an illusory figure standing before a large door, guarding it. The entire hall in which the man was standing was destroyed, marred with the signs of a recent battle. And around the man were 5 dark spears.


    He smiled.


    And then, 5 spears appeared at his side, floating silently in the air.


    Destiny''s Robber!


    Winston grabbed one in his hand and observed it.


    They weren''t real when I grabbed them from the vision. But now that I have them, they''ve become real... Winston narrowed his eyes, pleasantly surprised at the revelation. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though it seems they don''t have the same effects. Now, they''ve been reduced to mere chunks of metal. Only durable enough to be considered a weapon, but not strong enough to play a role in a fight.


    Amid his thoughts, the elevator door opened before him and before him lay a large destroyed platform.


    He stepped out into the open and looked at the seated guardian up front. He had no spears now. He had only his own body as the weapon.


    And there was no way it was going to be enough.


    Winston popped his neck and stepped forward. Instantly, his body blinked and appeared right


    before the man.


    With a smile, he continued to walk.


    As he passed the door to the other side, a small ember fell from his robes.


    Shaaaaaaaa!


    A blazing pyre suddenly erupted, engulfing the guardian in it''s entirety! Continuing on with the crackling sounds of flames, Winston walked with the sole tapping of his own shoes. His shadow lengthened before him, cast by the large blaze behind him.


    Strangely, his crystal monocle shone with a white gleam.


    His feet carried him to a staircase, looping up in unending height and a lone light at the top


    that cast a single shadow at his feet.


    Not feeling like climbing all the way, he simply took a step.


    And disappeared.


    Winston appeared at the top of the stairs.


    A blinding light hit his eyes. The light cast by the miniature sun in the sky and of the blue and


    expansive sky.


    His gaze travelled about, scanning the surroundings.


    It was a large metallic expanse with little details, most probably created to hold lots and lots of regulars that desire to board the train.


    Far to the side were collections of buildings that extended up from the labyrinthine city. And off to the right, where the platform ended prematurely, leading to a precipice off to which was a drop of 400 meters, floated a giant.


    It was a cuboidal beast of metal, stood afloat by the usage of suspendium powered engines and floating rigs at the bottom. The expanse of the entire structure could be estimated anywhere between 3 to 5 kilometers in length with easily 100 individual compartments. And with what his intuition and knowledge of space told him, each compartment was bigger on


    the inside, than it was on the outside.


    There was no doubt.


    This was the Hell Train.


    And his ticket to the next sequence, for it was on this train that he would finally ascend to the


    next step of godhood.


    "Man. That''s a beauty." Winston''s eyes practically shone with excitement as he looked upon the train. Such a large mechanical marvel, it was a thing to behold.


    "I should''ve brought the Paragon version here. Too bad he''s busy studying the mechanical ruins at the 88th floor." Winston shook his head, feeling a bit regretful.


    I can always study the entire thing myself. He snickered.


    His head turned to look around once again before he put a hand into his pocket and flipped a


    coin.


    Ding!


    The coin flung into the air and spun around, landing squarely into his palm.


    "Hmm. I''ll just enter anyways." He flashed a carefree smile.


    At the moment, he had no spare worms on himself. All his avatars that could be made had been made. Of course, he always had his singular worm that could split into 50 at a moment''s notice, so he wasn''t too worried anyways.


    Not to mention the poor regular he had parasitized. He too would be boarding the Hell Train.


    "Then let''s roll." He grinned and stepped into the spirit world again, appearing right before the door to the train a second later.


    Taking a sleek ticket out of thin air, he placed it at a narrow slit at the side and watched as the


    door opened without sound.


    The white void that could be seen from the outside seemed to crumble before his eyes as he watched the inside carefully. With a carefree smile, he adjusted the crystal monocle again and


    boarded the train.


    Instantly, as he set foot into the compartment, he felt a gaze at his back.


    He turned to where he had seen the gaze, and smiled, his monocle shining with a baleful light.


    "Well aren''t you a cute one." He chuckled.


    And then, his figure vanished.


    A neat Mexican-looking man with sharpened cheekbones and a moustache sat atop a chair in


    a dark room. He had piercing red, almost mechanical eyes and his brown hair draped down to


    frame his face. He wore a green jumper over a green shirt and brown gloves over his hands coupled with brown trousers.


    The various lighthouses around him shone light onto his thin face.


    It was none other than Pedro, the conductor of the Hell Train.


    "Where did he go?" His eyes widened in alarm as he rapidly scanned the different lighthouses


    in search of the man.


    "You might want to look behind you."


    His spine instantly chilled, but he didn''t react.


    Slowly, he looked over his shoulder. The cold gleam of a single circular object met him.


    He knew what it was. The monocle on his face.


    "Are you a ranker of the Po Bidau''s? A monocle seems like a fashion choice only they would


    adopt. Why have you boarded the hell train? Where did you even get the ticket?" Pedro asked,


    his words measured and calm. His neon red eyes looked over the man''s body, scanning his darkened features clearly. It wasn''t anyone he could recognize at a glance.


    "Po Bidau''s? Hardly. As for where I got the ticket, isn''t it obvious?" The man stepped into the


    light, smiling ear to ear.


    "I''m somewhat of a regular myself."


    Pedro snorted.


    "You? Regular? I find it hard to believe."


    "What''s there for you to believe? I''m still a regular. Ask the administrator if you want." He


    shook his head and took a seat.


    Wait. Was that chair always there?


    "I don''t need to confirm anything. If I find you suspicious, I have full authority to throw you


    out."


    "Only if I''m a ranker. Which I''m not." He replied. "I, on the other hand, am not subject to your whims." Suddenly, the man''s features began to shift. Tendrils began to extend from his face


    like wax melting in reverse, taking a different form and shape, transforming his face down to the very base.


    Slowly, his features morphed and transmute to form a different face. One he very clearly


    recognized.


    "You...?" Pedro''s eyes, trained and modified to let no expression leak widened, just a bit. A microexpression that told all too much.


    One that Winston caught through his eye.


    He shifted the monocle on his eye.


    "I''d appreciate it if you could keep this a secret you know? I''m trying to blend in. It''s kind of


    supposed to be a prank." He chuckled.


    Pedro stayed silent for a moment.


    "This is... an interesting turn of events." He said. "Who would have thought that the Silent


    Leviathan would be here at the hell train. Wouldn''t it be a shame if he were to be ambushed by a Jahad Squadron somewhere down the line?"


    Winston met his gaze with his own.


    "If that''s supposed to be a threat, I advise against it. There''s nothing stopping me from


    reaping your life here."


    "I''m well aware of that." Pedro leaned back into his seat.


    "I only ask that you do not interfere too much in the progression of the Hell Train this year.


    Please keep this... ''prank'' within controllable limits."


    "No promises."


    "So what brings you here?"


    "I felt a spy and I followed the connection to you." Winston said, calmly pouring himself a


    glass of wine. Then, pouring the same into another glass, he extended it to him.


    It was unknown where he had gotten the bottle or where the table between then had come


    from. Even Pedro failed to notice.


    "No, I mean the Hell Train." Pedro, said, taking the wine glass. "Guess?" Winston wiggled a brow. Pedro swirled the wine and opened his lips. "Perhaps it is the slayer nominee that interests you?"


    "Oh? You know he''s getting on the train this year?"


    Winston took a sip and continued. "FUG really has their information network huh." Pedro didn''t question how he came to know of his association with FUG.


    "Curisity really. But more business than anything."


    "Business?"


    "That''s right."


    The silence persisted.


    "And how do you intend to continue?"


    Winston shrugged his shoulders.


    "I suppose I''ll explore for a bit." Saying that, everything vanished. There he sat, Pedro, alone in the room.


    The only real indication of Winston having entered was in his hand. The half filled wine glass.


    "How terrifying." He laughed. Slowly, it turned louder and louder, echoing in the dimly lit


    room and out into the maze like compartment he resided in.


    Some wine spilled over his lap, yet he didn''t mind. He continued to laugh, finding some


    twisted humor in having such a calamity on board.


    "Lord Karaka... this have taken a troublesome turn..." He looked at the ceiling and sipped the


    rest of the wine. And as he did, the wine glass too disappeared from his hand.


    "How terrifying." He repeated.


    A/N: Hiya People.


    Throw some stones.


    There might be a double upload at New Year. But no promises.


    Cheers.

 Chapter 104: Inside the Ricepot

    Chapter 104: Inside the RicepotHe felt a strange pull. A rhythmic drumming in his intuition that fueled his steps in a certain direction.


    Interesting... Winston mused as he walked past the different monsters situated in the different areas of the Train.


    Travelling through the structure wasn''t hard. He could simply pass through the enemies using illusions while the doors that had to be unlocked by defeating the said enemies could be passed right through.


    None of the enemies posed a threat to him in the first place. After all, the entire thing was made for regulars.


    Even if the train held the title of ''Hell'' for its difficulty, it couldn''t hold a candle to his level.


    Before long, he reached a large dome shaped metallic hall.


    And in front of him was a large humanoid giant. He had blonde hair and stood at a height of 20 meters, wearing red-black armor.


    As Winston stepped out of the illusion that bound him, the giant turned to face him.


    "Hmm?" He raised his brows. "Who are you?"


    As his words left his mouth, his eyes immediately went wide with shock. As if he had seen something out of his wildest dreams.


    "You''re... from the outside?"


    "Hoh? You can tell?" Winston asked, pleasantly surprised.


    The Giant nodded with a thoughtful look. And with a clear expression, bordering on thoughtfulness, he replied.


    "I can sense the rules of the tower. Anyone that doesn''t adher to the same is naturally from the outside. A non-native. Or how the newcomers call them, ''irregulars''." He continued. "But I''m surprised. Not even Urek was as strong as you when he first met me. At least not until he completed his revolution."


    Winston nodded, inwardly feeling a bit incredulous at Urek''s absurd strength. He knew about the so called ''revolution''.


    It was something the 10 family heads, Jahad and the other two had gone through when on the Hell Train. Supposedly, it unlocked their true self and made them stronger than before. A power up unlike anything before, bordering on an enlightenment.


    And to think that Urek, before even getting to the 50th floor, right after taking the revolution rivaled his current strength was astonishing.


    Of course, he doubted the guardian took note of the hacks provided by the potions.


    "I assume you''re the ''God of Guardians'' I''ve heard so much about?"


    "That is what the others call me, yes. But my status is anything but of a God." He replied with a disappointed shake of his head.


    He extended his arms towards Winston, as if showing him shackles that weren''t really there. "We are all chained by destiny and function. My function is to guide regulars and test them. That is what I live by. I am merely a slave to what I must do."


    Winston smiled. "And I assume you will guide me as well, if I ask for it?"


    The God of Guardians stared at him, for but a moment.


    "That''s right. If you wish to seek the road of revolution, I hold neither the judgement nor the power to deny you of what you have the right to claim."


    Winston held a thoughtful look pm his visage. His mind processed the guardian''s words carefully.


    "Say... can I ask you something?" He inquired.


    "Go on."


    "Who was it that created you?" He said.


    And the air stilled. The shinsu flowing naturally through the metal walls became stagnant, stopping in it''s tracks. The air seemed to overtake a particular density, and turned boggy.


    "I..." The Guardian opened his mouth. The tension rang in the air, becoming almost tangible. "I have no idea."


    "Huh?" Winstin raised a brow. "You don''t know?"


    "That''s right. I don''t know."


    "...Okay."


    Winston didn''t pry further. He sensed no deception in the words of the guardian. And since he had no idea of the creator of the different structures that stood for time immemorial in the


    tower, his plan to gather pieces of history was ruined.


    "It doesn''t matter." He shook his head and his dark eyes met the Guardian''s blue ones. He had reverted back into his Amon persona.


    He shifted the monocle on his eye and smiled.


    "Then, let us begin the revolution. Shall we?" He grinned.


    Without a word, the Guardian grabbed his body and leaped into the smaller dome shaped structure behind him.


    Once inside, he kept him back down and began explaining.


    "This is what everyone, including me, calls the ricepot. It''s a place where every irregular that I''ve encountered have undertaken their own revolution and came out different." He said. "In here, my powers are at their peak. And this place can also force a person to confront their inner self." He explained.


    "I see." Said Winston.


    "Then, let us begin."


    And with that, darkness overtook his vision.


    The Wheel of Fortune spun rapidly in the air.


    It appeared tall and unmoving, reshaping the very land it was situated to it''s desires and manipulating the thin strands of fate; or at least trying to.


    It was unbothered by the rapidly approaching warship fleet in the distance...


    Say what?


    Thud!


    A heavy sound, and wheel jammed itself, stopping forcefully it''s otherwise perpetual motion. The snakes that lined the wheel turned their eyes, staring down the gigantic fleet of 279 ships.


    Colours exploded behind their eyesockets, and the world unveiled itself before them. They


    saw everything.


    And as their eyes zoomed to figure out the people that were on the ships, they met the eyes of S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    a beast.


    His electric eyes flashed with plasma and his hair flapped wildly in the wind. His thin robes fluttered too and as he stood atop the leading warship. Beside him was another man, his golden hair, short compared to his companion also seemed strikingly apparent.


    He knew who they were.


    Two of the family heads.


    Khun Eduan and Ari Han.


    Eduan''s mouth opened, spelling out a specific phrase.


    And though no sound reached so far, the Wheel heard it all too clearly.


    "10th of the Major Arcana." He said. And then grinned. "The Wheel of Fortune."


    The corners of the snakes'' mouths seemed to curve upwards in a disgusting smile.


    A declaration of an all out battle.


    A response to his provocation.


    It seems the Ten Families are finally making their move.


    Winston''s avatars had been waiting for when the battle between the two would commence.


    For the same reason, he was not too surprised that they had managed to locate the Wheel of Fortune instance of himself, associate the same with the cards of the major arcana, and come knocking to the door. Part of it was also because his Visionary self was the one that pushed the


    act.


    The power of coincidences was truly terrifying.


    As the warship fleet continued to draw near, the wheel crumbled and the snakes separated from each other, transforming into two distinct entities of sheen silvery scales. They had wings on their back, also draped in silver feathers.


    The rest of the wheel disappeared into thin air. The snakes didn''t speak still, maintaining the


    persona.


    One of them hissed at the surrounding space, while the other hissed at the shinsu.


    The ripple of shinsu traversed the myriad distance between the two opposing forces, resonating with the metallic hull of the warships and stopping most in place.


    The only operable ones remained to be the ones at the forefront. Following that, the space surrounding the snakes began to crack and shatter, forming deep


    gashes that loomed large enough for a person to pass through.


    And from within one of them, stepped forward a man.


    He wore a pure white robe and carried a pendant at his neck that resembled an eye. His hair


    was pure white while his eyes gleamed silver. His disposition was of a Scholar that had gleamed all the secrets of the Universe.


    The surrounding shinsu began to constitute itself into its most fundamental forms, having


    lost its previous forms and separating into droplets. Information flew out of the spirit world to flow into his eyes and as his gaze travelled to the warships, he scoffed.


    It was the White Tower. The 16th of the Major Arcana, and a pathway that corresponds to God


    Almighty.


    Through another gash, another man stepped forward.


    He had a weighing scale in his right hand and a small wooden hammer in his left. His eyes were dark and he wore a dark robe.


    Immediately, the world seemed to still. Everything seemed to arrange itself in order, destroying the previous chaos that had been the truth. The shinsu droplets arranged into a constant flow that travelled in controlled directions. The laws of the tower seemed to


    juxtapose together and loop in on themselves.


    Everything was in order.


    It was none other than the Justiciar. The 20th of the Major Arcana and the pathway that


    corresponds to The Anarchy.


    And finally, through the last gash walked out a blazing existence.


    His form was vast and fiery, draped in pure light that seemed to blind the world. In his eyes


    were two balls of light, miniature suns.


    The shinsu evaporated, turning into a burning mesh that wanted to fly high up and burn


    through the sky as well. But it was stopped by the order in place. The burning shinsu, mostly light and heat dissociated into even more information that too arranged itself into order. This was the Sun. The 19th of the Major Arcana and the pathway that corresponds to God


    Almighty.


    As they appeared in the air, Eduan and Han''s faces changed. Their previously smug expression now became eerily serious and their bodies tensed.


    The White Tower spoke with a clear voice.


    "Eduan is more focused on using his left hand for attacks. And when doing a spear throw with


    powerful shinsu, he will step forward with his right step. So moving to his right while attacking will be the best if you choose to go in physical." His eyes travelled to thr justiciar who nodded softly in response.


    "His right back muscles also seem less developed than his left ones. There''s a very small gap


    between his left knee cap, possibly the result of a previous battle. Also the reason why he steps with his right leg. He uses shinsu to fill up the gap though, making it physically stronger than his other leg." One by one, the White Tower listed out the different weaknesses he could


    see about the man.


    And then, he moved onto Ari Hon.


    "His shinsu black hole sphere might be troublesome. It would pierce right through any rules


    and order that we might establish. As a matter of fact, it might even pierce right through luck and misfortune." He listed.


    This didn''t come as a surprise for any of them.


    Irregulars could interact with concepts for the most part. That much had been made clear


    from his interactions with Urek, Traumerei and Gustang. But it was the first time they had seen such a combat oriented shinsu black hole sphere.


    And of course, after seeing Eduan use a black hole sphere to instantly take care of every avatar


    that infiltrated his ship, Winston had taken the time to study Shinsu more thoroughly; by making the White Tower, Hermit and the Paragon meet up to research.


    The result was more than satisfactory, with many new things such as the black hole sphere, tension, flow rate, conceptual affliction and plethora of other stuff coming getting discovered. Some of them were even stuff the ten families did not know.


    "Ari Han is adept at using both hands equally. His muscles are perfectly aligned on both sides.


    But he has trouble attacking in a wider area unless he uses the black hole sphere." Like a Scholar studying a new subject, White Tower looked at the two subjects in fascination.


    Truth be told, they had little to no weaknesses. Everything could be covered with shinsu. Han''s weakness of range was only superficial. With his weapon arrangement and shinsu, he could effortlessly take down an entire Floor within seconds. But that didn''t mean they were invincible or that they were perfect.


    The slightest tilt in their muscle structure, a bone joined a millimeter too low or high, a


    congenital error in the bone density. Even though they were covered by shinsu, they hadn''t


    been taken care of by the root. Partly because they weren''t aware of such faults in the first


    place. Like Eduan''s knee cap, even though the White Tower framed it as a ''gap'', it was only a few micrometers too wide. The shinsu film Eduan applied on it was also only on instinct. But because they were small, it didn''t mean they were useless.


    As the still functional warships continued to get nearer, the Snakes of Mercury hissed at them,


    inflicting the ones left behind with calamity.


    And so-


    BOOOM!!


    They all exploded in a shower of flames and destruction, a malfunction in their barely


    functional engines and the warp drives of others.


    The Avatars watched as the people on board began to contact the Jahad Forces and forces from


    their families for reinforcements, however redundant they might be when family heads were involved.


    It would provide solace to their minds if they had ''reinforcements coming'' even if they did nothing in the long term.


    Or maybe it was all just manipulation on part of a certain Priest, pushing them to make more


    casualties. Regardless, as the Warships neared them and arrived within a distance of 300 meters, The Sun stepped forward in the air, his firm blazing and illuminating.


    "Let us begin."


    His declaration echoed in the air and the space beyond, marking the moment as one that


    would go down in the history of the tower.


    A/N: Throw some stones.


    Also, I just realized just how op having the three LoTM pathways in one body is. Not even the


    three. Just the Fool and Error.


    Let me explain, those that don''t want to read power rants may skip this.


    In the series, Amon''s avatars are extensions of his beyonder characteristics. Meaning, every


    time he makes an avatar, it''s actually splitting the beyonder characters. That is also the reason he can''t just make all of his avatars sequence 1, despite himself being a King of Angels.


    Eventually, he will reach a limit if he doesn''t devour more characteristics of the same or neighbouring pathways. The limit might be somewhere along a million or so avatars, but it will still come. Of course, it is removed once the man reaches Error. And as for the Fool, he can make marionettes and gift them his worms. Each worm carries the


    same characteristic so they have the same strength but they''re less in number. This is, again, removed at Sequence 0.


    Now, when you combine the two like I''ve done, it makes something interesting.


    Because all the worms are one and the same, each marionette is an avatar and each avatar is a marionette.


    And that means, when splitting off an avatar, the avatar isn''t splitting the beyonder characteristic, but taking the same characteristic within the worm. Making the problem of reduced power redundant as each avatar will be just as strong as the main body.


    And not just that, because each marionette is an avatar, even if the spirit body threads are no


    longer attached, they will continue to function normally.


    Imagine an infinite army of ever increasing Amon''s. And each of them is at the level of a King


    of Angels. That is what I''ve created.


    Now, I''m realizing just how extremely busted Klein is.


    Combine all this with the Door pathway''s record ability and he can basically graft the same


    ability to himself and use the abilities of every pathway simultaneously with each of his


    avatars in the Endless clone army.


    Terrifying.

 Chapter 105: Eve of War

    Chapter 105: Eve of WarThe drumming of shinsu turned into a rapidly forming effervescence, tossing and turning into orderly vibrations that tore through the eve of battle.


    The Sun stood at the forefront, followed closely by the Snakes of Mercury. Primordial flames and miniature suns appeared in the area, illuminating the entire Floor in an ever present haze of light, like an eternal noon overtaking the world.


    Extending his hand, the Sun started the assault.


    A large ball of burning plasma started to form in his hand, growing larger and larger until it was the twice the size of his torso. And so, it fired.


    Fiissssshhhh!


    Whooooorrrr!


    Eduan extended both his hands in alarm, blue lighting phasing in and out of form around the extreme heat exhibited by the attack.


    And then, there was explosions.


    BOOOM!


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The warships exploded into a million pieces, falling like dominos caught in a shockwave. One explosion led to another, causing a chain reaction that quickly became uncontrollable!


    "God says it''s effective." The Sun smiled as he muttered some words in an unknown language. Hermes.


    BOOOMMMM!!!


    A dust cloud, one that looked eerily similar to a nova bloomed in the area, quickly covering even the avatars. The Justiciar simply extended his hand and the stellar dust arranged themselves again, forming into various burning balls of plasma.


    The Snakes of Mercury rapidly dashed out into the air, rushing towards the dust! Zzzzzttt!


    Shaaaaaa!


    An eclipse of lighting and a long needle tore through the dust and stabilizing the chaos! "Damn you!!" Eduan yelled in rage, his eyes clouded over with electricity and energy! Both the family heads arrived out of the explosions with nothing more than singed clothes.


    Ari Han threw back his arm, shinsu coalescing at his fingertips and rapidly transforming into a needle!


    "Die." He muttered softly.


    Shiiing!


    "God says it''s ineffective!" The Sun spoke, right before the attack hit. And right after, the Snake of Mercury hissed, inflicting both the attack and the attacker with Misfortune!


    The attack missed with a hair''s width, even though The Sun made no effort to dodge. A deafening blow followed, ringing in the background and triggering a deep sense of tinnitus in the ears of everyone present, one that disappeared soon after.


    A deep gash extended behind them, one that moved on for dozens of kilometers! Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately after, Eduan smashed his hands together and fired a beam of lightning! Grrrrrrrr!


    The entire sky lit up with blue neon lights as arcs of electricity began to rain down upon the ground like the wrath of God!


    The ground charred and the heavens split! Molten magma began to flow from the cracks and the ground turned into liquid heat!


    Yet, as always, The Sun and the Snakes of Mercury cast their respective spells!


    "God says it''s ineffective!"


    Hiss!


    Inexplicable, as Han was charging yet again another attack, one of the lightning bolts landed right atop his head, catching him off guard and stunning him!


    "Lightning is prohibited here." A clear voice interrupted the fight before Han or Eduan had time to react.


    And then, Eduan''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    The shinsu which had been teeming with arcs of plasma died down, forcibly suppressed by some strange power.


    The Justiciar extended his hand again as if proclaiming a holy decree.


    "Flight is prohibited here."


    And everyone fell.


    The snakes of Mercury, whose wings flapped to carry them towards the two assailants quickly lost their function as they cascaded down into the artificial ground they themselves had created; as did everyone else!


    Eduan, although momentarily stunned stabilized himself in the air, cold air waffing off of him in waves!


    Han who had been more startled than anythint by his friend''s lightning also shook his head. Just then, they felt a sudden weakness wash over them, suppressing their shinsu while strengthening the shinsu of the opponent!


    The Sun smiled softly as he too fell to the ground. The power of justice worked all too well. "Enough." Han interrupted, his tone cold and laced with a strange and sudden edge.


    His blonde hair fluttered wildly in the wind and he held his hand out, summoning his armed inventory.


    "Armed Inventory- Methalabarocdena!" He yelled. Something opened, crashing into the world like a rock into glass.


    Yet, the White Tower wasn''t having any of it.


    His eyes flashed, as did Justiciar''s.


    And both of them simultaneously opened their mouths.


    "Artificial weapons are prohibited here." Justiciar exclaimed, landing safely on the ground.


    Instantly, Han''s armed inventory got sealed, with whatever he was vying to take out remaining a mystery. His eyes widened, but something else quickly followed.


    "Mysterious Needle- Methalabarocdena." The White Tower''s words rang clear despite the chaos.


    As his words landed, Justiciar again extended his hands, this time, carrying a smile on his face.


    "Let''s have an orderly battle."


    The world around them fell like dominos. Squares in space began to overlap with another, as if falling into a void. The laws of the world didn''t shatter.


    They simply stopped.


    Gravity seemed to be more like a suggestion now and as the world vanished into an ocean of ink, White Tower finished his sentence.


    "Open."


    And then silence.


    Eduan swam out of the ink. But perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was thrown out.


    He appeared in an expansive plane that looked more and more like a colloseum. All around the sides of the giant arena, which was anywhere between 2 to 2.5 kilometers in radius were hundreds upon hundreds of needles, red and black in colour.


    They lined the outer edges, forming an impenetrable wall.


    Up above, at the sky was a similar wall, but here, the needles pointed straight down to the ground, as if they would fall any moment to impale any poor soul trapped here.


    "Methalabarocdena''s realm?" Eduan raised an eyebrow, not feeling the slightest bit of concern. "No. It''s different." His electric blue eyes calmly scanned the surroundings, taking in


    the shinsu flow and the structure of the beams.


    "The rules have been morphed. It''s a spell that takes after the realm." He concluded.


    "Correct!" A booming voice, teeming with optimism answered his words.


    And with a bright flash out light, from the black ink appeared The Sun, blazing and


    illuminant.


    "And the way to get out?" Eduan smiled at him.


    Before the Sun could speak, another ink spot opened in the air as a slithering body came out.


    The Snake of Mercury hissed, it''s silver eyes staring right into Eduan''s soul, studying it to it''s


    roots.


    The Sun smiled compassionately.


    "Your analysis is correct. This is made through the White Tower''s spell creation. It mimics the realm that the weapon would have opened, but more in balance towards us." He held out his


    hands, a miniature sun in both.


    "Both of you have been separated as to have a fair nettle between the parties. It''s the order


    that the Justiciar operates by. Isn''t it fair?"


    Eduan snorted with a short burst of laughter.


    "Fair? How can facing against a family head be considered fair in any way against you?"


    "Hmm. True." The Sun couldn''t help but agree. As it stood, the power of each of his avatars was far below a family head''s. But individual fighting was never the concern of a Lord of Mysteries beyonder is it?


    Not to mention the hacks each different sequence provided them.


    Eduan clenched his fist, short sparks blazing, slowly transforming into arcs of plasma.


    "Anyways, care to tell me who you people actually are?"


    The Sun gave a grin.


    "God says it''s effective." Instantly, the lightning shinsu that had begun to act up again died


    down. The Justiciar''s power had been amplified.


    The Snake of Mercury hissed, further affecting Eduan with misfortune, lowering his chances


    of overpowering the Justiciar''s prohibition.


    Eduan narrowed his eyes with unconcerned curiosity.


    "Interesting." "Don''t you already know who we are? Isn''t that why you came to attack?"


    "More or less. Yirang told us about the so called ''God'' you people worship. Furthermore,


    you''re all based on the 22 cards of the Major Arcana." Eduan shrugged his shoulders and poked his ear with his pinky, appearing increasingly relaxed. "It''s all very interesting. There''s still mysteries of the tower that we aren''t yet aware of. Not to mention the strange powers you all got. It almost feels like ours." He snickered.


    The Sun walked around, choosing a random direction to wander.


    "That''s right. We worship the Dominator of the Spirit World, the Embodiment of the Sefirah


    Castle." He spoke.


    "Do tell me what you call him. Or is that long ass name the only way to refer to the guy."


    Eduan joked.


    The Sun laughed cheerfully.


    Then, the laughter died out, leaving cold truth. "You''re hardly qualified to hear his name."


    "Heh. If I''m not qualified, ain''t nobody in the tower is."


    "Perhaps." The Sun spoke. His bright eyes, holding suns inside them stared at Eduan.


    "War is on the horizon. You have chosen to attack first. And we will be the ones to finish


    everything."


    Having said that, The Sun turned to Eduan and blazed instantly. Flames danced around him in arcs, like stellar storms around the Sun.


    The Snake of Mercury hissed again. The world around it seemed to distort, turning almost


    wavy and fluid.


    Eduan locked his fingers and popped them by inverting his hand. He snapped his head in both directions before his otherwise easy going tone disappeared.


    "Before we start, there''s another thing I need to know."


    The Sun stayed silent, prompting him to continue.


    Eduan''s eyes narrowed, rage inside them.


    "Does your organisation have a member that wears monocles and possesses other people?"


    His words chilled the air. A cold wind blew through the arena, dimming out the flames a bit.


    The Sun''s grin widened, almost maliciously.


    "That would be the Lovers. Sixth of the Major Arcaan. Or how we refer to him, The Error."


    Eduan chuckled.


    Nothing else needed to be said.


    Everything around him began to freeze, and both the parties dashed at each other.


    Ari Han appeared in a similar arena. Having more knowledge about his own weapon and


    arena, he instantly knew of the differences in the realm.


    "A fine creation." He admitted. "But it falls short. It isn''t meant to hold the likes of us."


    He turned around, meeting the eyes of the Justiciar.


    "Perhaps." The Justiciar''s reply was terse and to the point. Seemingly not wanting to waste


    time talking.


    A sentiment that Han himself was fine to share.


    Behind Han, the White Tower quickly formed, his form illuminated by pages and words that disappeared into the ether.


    "This is your plan? Separating us both?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Not a very good one."


    "What does it matter?" The White Tower was the one to reply. Han turned around to listen.


    "The end result would be our victory. Overwhelming power does not dictate the results of a fight."


    "You''re an idiot to say that."


    "Hmm. Most people would consider me quite wise."


    "People are also retarded." Without any more words, Ari Han mobilized the shinsu, forming a giant needle in his hands.


    "Let''s start, shall we?"


    His glowing eyes glared at them like the eyes of a beast.


    A/N: I was not, in fact, able to write a second chapter.


    Anyways, enjoy this one.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 106: Eve of War - 2

    Chapter 106: Eve of War - 2Something shattered.


    Amid reformation, it shattered again.


    Black ink dripped and leaked into the world, repairing all the damage, only to shatter once again.


    Eduan had an impassive look on his face as he utilized ice shinsu to rain down hell.


    The Sun, held out his hands, utilizing flames to counter the shinsu.


    "God says it''s ineffective." His words imposed themselves on the world, doubling down on his own power while reducing that of Eduan.


    The Snake of Mercury slithered, rushing straight at Eduan.


    Eduan welcomed the challenge, adopting a stance and putting forward his right foot. He held his left arm back and a spear of pure ice appeared at his fingertips!


    He stabbed.


    The spear tore through the cold and heat alike, manifesting itself not as a physical entity, but rather a conceptual one.


    The Snake''s eyes couldn''t help but go wide.


    At that moment, ice cracked, and Eduan''s footing trembled a bit.


    Whooooshh!


    Boom!


    The spear narrowly missed the Snake, prompting it to go ahead and take a bite out of Eduan''s hand. Yet before that could happen, the spear stabbed into its jaw.


    Huh? The Snake thought.


    The spear was behind me to the right. Now it came from the left? Luckily, the spear grazed his scales, drawing a thin line of blood before the Snake slithered back.


    Or at least tried to.


    Eduan''s spear expanded, getting larger and larger until it dwarfed the entire arena itself.


    "Spear taller than the largest mountain." He whispered, and fired.


    The Sun intervened, appearing before the Snake.


    A Hiss from the Snake augmented his luck and he smiled compassionately.


    The power of Justice was utilized, transforming anything he deemed to be ''just'' into a stronger variant, while simultaneously, anything that may impede the venture was deemed ''unjust'' and therefore suppressed!


    Hundreds of suns formed before him, exploding with the force of miniature nuclear bombs, all going off at the same point!


    "Stars are fueled by miniature thermonuclear explosions. This is no different." He spoke, calmly explaining the concept of his attack. Instantly, the attack''s potency increased several folds! Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Contract!


    Eduan, seeing his ice spear blocked smiled calmly and smashed his hands together.


    Then, out of his outstretched fingers, a thick cloud of darkness and frost began to gather, momentarily bursting with sparks of plasma!


    The cloud instantly spread out, turning the arena inside out! Everything froze, and then shattered.


    Cracks began to spread out, extending beyond the realm and spreading out into the real world!


    The Snake of Mercury hissed and curled it''s body mid air. With a blinding flash of light, rivaling the light from the Sun, a giant clock appeared in the air behind it, rewinding as it did so!


    And with it''s appearance, the cloud disappeared as if it was never there. Eduan appeared back on the ground, in his hand a small ice spear.


    His face split into a vicious grin as he laughed madly.


    "Hahahahaha! That''s what I was talking about! Those strange powers!" He twirled the spear in his hand.


    "Come on! Make me try more! Reveal more about yourself! And eventually submit to absolutely power!" He screamed.


    The world again began to freeze. But just as it did, something invaded the space.


    Something powerful.


    And words graced everyone''s ears.


    "Ice shinsu is prohibited here."


    Ari Han held the shinsu needle in his hand, his eyes scanning Justiciar and the White Tower. They stood still. Silence permeated the air.


    Until it didn''t.


    Booom!


    Multiple sonic booms sounded, breaking the arena like it was made out of Legos. The metal and stone crumbled under Han''s foot as he strode forth, needle in hand.


    His needle stabbed the air, stopping just before the Justiciar.


    Yet, both of them knew how close he was to hitting him.


    Wait.


    Had he already did?


    Spurt!


    Boom!


    Shaaaa!


    Blood spurted, a hole blowing itself right into Justiciar''s chest! The ink boundary of the realm crumbled as a building sized holed also formed behind him, directly in trajectory to the


    needle!


    Han pulled his hand back, instantly preparing to go for his head, yet he stopped.


    "Gleipnier." The words interrupted.


    Metaphysical words, letters and sentences all embossed upon pages upon pages that


    crumbled into books flew out of himself and the world around him. The White Tower


    expanded, appearing daunting and powerful.


    "Ugly Duckling." He called out. And the spell bloomed.


    Justiciar glowed with otherworldly light, growing white wings behind his back as his wound


    healed up.


    His eyes lit up with power and flashed with lightning.


    "Urgh!" Han stumbled, holding his head in pain.


    Not missing the opportunity, White Tower appeared beside him, words coalescing into a


    large gun which he made no delay in pointing to his head.


    Han recovered, pulling back.


    Boom!


    Explosions littered the area as the boundary cracked and shatter under the weight of Han''s seemingly invisible barrage. Only the White Tower saw clearly what had happened. While Justiciar was up to speculate based on intuition.


    Han''s arm had blurred, transforming into hundreds or even thousands of needles. It was his


    shinsu shape and quality. The quality of piercing while the shape of a needle. The perfect combo for a close combatant.


    And before they were able to move, they were skewered with attacks.


    Spurt!


    Shaaaa!


    Bam!


    Their forms fell on the ground, bloodied and defeated-


    "Useless." Han scoffed, still holding the needle in his hands.


    "Going beyond the speed of sound is prohibited here."


    Or so it seemed.


    Han felt his movements turn sluggish, as if surrounded by a particular density.


    "Blood loss is prohibited here."


    "Instant death is prohibited here."


    One by one, words stemmed out of Justiciar''s mouth.


    Such extreme commands weren''t something the Justiciar could command yet. But they worked nonetheless, via a combination of deception, spell creation and luck.


    Of course, the prohibition was still largely weak and prone to error. It could easily crumble


    under enough weight, unlike the prohibition of a true Justiciar.


    And with that, the White Tower got up.


    Words trembled around him, weaving themselves into his wounds, filling them up and


    healing him.


    The Justiciar also got up, holding a battered paper figurine in his hand.


    "You used wound transfer." White Tower berated.


    "And?" Justiciar shook his head. He turned back to Ari Han.


    "Shinsu quality of piercing is prohibited here."


    Han, for the first time raised an eyebrow.


    "That''s a neat trick."


    He looked at his hand and clenched his fist.


    "Unfortunately, I''ve had it with playing around.''


    His eyes glowed golden. A restless chill travelled down the avatars'' spine as they instantly


    leapt into the spirit world.


    Yet, it was too late.


    Ari Han pulled out a large sphere and shaped it into a needle.


    A shinsu black hole sphere.


    "Black hole spheres are prohibited here!" A voice yelled, but it held no effect.


    With a calm expression, Ari Han stabbed the air.


    And everything crumbled.


    Shatter!


    The barrier had no time to crack, shattering instantly upon contact with the attack.


    The power of the shinsu black hole sphere reverberate through the entire Floor, turning the


    laws inside out!


    Every law that ruled the floor simply stopped, as if they had grown tired of upholding their end of the bargain. And the cracks extended along the ink, travelling through to the other side. Justiciar and White Tower, who had somehow been pierced right through the chests despite


    standing nowhere near the opponent fell through the cracks into the second arena.


    And as they did, Justiciar opened his mouth again.


    "Ice shinsu is prohibited here."


    Eduan also turned to them, as did the singular Snake of Mercury.


    The cracks didn''t stop, extending further until the entire realm was obliterated!


    A lone Snake of Mercury sat outside the fractured realm, overlooking the various destroyed


    warships and the people that had been killed.


    A fair match up was the same for the entire army as well.


    And truth be told, it was a bit too easy to crush them.


    Perhaps they had thought they didn''t need to bring any Squadron commanders or more high


    rankers considering they were bringing around 2 family heads. And they would be right in


    most cases. It was too bad they had met Winston.


    The Snake stared at the crumbling realm, hissing as is did so.


    And then, chaos instantly descended upon the world again.


    Grrrrrrrrr!


    Lightning flashed.


    Shiiiiing!


    And a needle pierced the world.


    The Sun held his hands into a T pose, imposing contracts and the power of Justice.


    "God says it''s ineffective!"


    At the same time, Justiciar and White Tower also spoke out.


    "Black Hole Spheres are prohibited here!"


    "Vajra Kavacha!"


    Hiss!


    Alas, the needle pierced through the concepts, as lightning burned through them, effortlessly


    shredding the different beyonder powers they had cultivated.


    Contracts, Words, Prohibition and Luck, all of them failed.


    And their forms were instantly enveloped by blazing plasma and piercing light.


    Shaaaaaaaaaa!!!


    Silence reigned in the air, broken only by the occasional gust of wind that travelled through


    their robes. "Man, that was disappointing. I was expecting a bit more considering Yirang told us about the


    ability to become immune to damage. But the moment we pulled out the big , they lost all resistance." Eduan clicked his tongue in annoyance. "They talked all smack, but in the end, I didn''t even get to use my spear."


    "You can''t expect old god worshippers to be strong enough to do so. Perhaps this ''Dominator


    of the Spirit World'' might be interesting." Han spoke, his tone measured and calm. "Hmm. You''re right." Eduan scratched his head.


    "Man. I''m pissed. That ended a bit too early. I''m getting some booze when I get back." He


    said and turned to his friend.


    "You wanna join?"


    "I''ll pass for now."


    "Suit yourself."


    With that, both of them disappeared in a bright flash of light, ripping apart space to travel.


    Unknown to them, three individuals were beside them all along, watching without


    interfering.


    It was none other than Visionary Adam, Darkness and Red Priest Medici.


    Adam was hidden by his psychological invisibility, while Red Priest and Darkness opted to use


    Concealment.


    "Tch! We should''ve joined in. With my powers, we might even come out victorious." Medici


    clicked his tongue. Adam calmly spoke, unhurried and unfeeling.


    "This was merely a test. Now we know for sure the level we stand on and the threat we might


    experience."


    "Seems to me that you''re a little bitch." Medici snarled.


    "Language." Darkness, who took the form of a woman spoke with a melodious voice.


    "Now now, don''t start a fight here." Adam chuckled.


    "Our original powers are stronger than our manifested ones. That''s a fact. With enough


    avatars, we might be able to take down a family head quite easily." He continued. "But the essence lies within individual improvement. Each pathway has different things to exploit. Not to mention we have to prepare for the ritual."


    Darkness nodded, with Medici following soon after, albeit with some doubts.


    Slowly, his smile widened.


    "I suppose I''ll sow some seeds of doubt among the families. By the next year, you can expect


    an all out war between different leading parties."


    "Shall we arrange a meeting?"


    "But the main body is on the Hell Train." Medici interrupted.


    "We''re all the same anyways, albeit with somewhat irregular personalities." Adam chuckled


    again. "The meeting will be held in 3 days. Inform everyone." Having said that, all three of then leapt into the spirit world, travelling to unknown


    destinations.


    A/N: Brother, it is so very difficult to write high sequence beyonder fights.


    Speaking of which, I wanted to prolong the fight, but that would have been equivalent to all of the earth gods in lotm fighting against an outer god for 3 chapters. It''s just not happening. They''re getting crushed in half a chapter, give or take. Maybe even a couple of sentences,


    considering the way Adam suppressed Aucuses, Leodero and the third God whose name I can''t remember.


    Anyways, throw some stones.


    And updates will slow down tremendously.


    I have 3 months for the exam preparation and I really want to focus well on it. There will still


    be chapters, since I''ll write when I''m bored or burnt out, but they will be far and between.


    Hope you understand.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 107: Hell Train skirmish

    Chapter 107: Hell Train skirmishHuff! Huff! Huff!


    Bam ran up the stairs, his legs carrying him as fast as they could.


    Faster! I need to go faster!


    His brown eyes stared at the back of Yura Ha and her accomplices, Daniel Hathchid and a girl with wings he didn''t know the name of.


    6 baangs of shinsu appeared in the air, shredding through the metallic shinsu, moving and changing positioning mid air as if they were alive.


    Daniel, the yellow haired man grinned with a malicious satisfaction.


    "You! You gave the shinsu a soul!" He laughed maniacally.


    Daniel dropped down, his arms held in front of him, ready to challenge.


    "Come on then!"


    Bam grit his teeth, reeling back his arm and throwing a punch as hard as he could!


    Wham!


    Whooosh!


    Boom!


    The stairs crumbled under the force of his punch, destroying a large portion of them. Daniel grinned as he felt the weight behind the attack, his arms caving towards his chest just slightly. "Not bad! You''re getting stronger!" He yelled, throwing a kick at Bam''s head, promptly followed by an attempted elbow strike.


    Both of which, unfortunately, were blocked by Bam, who turned his hands and slammed them forward!


    "Floral Butterfly, Piercing Technique!" He yelled, his hand stopping just before the man''s chest.


    Shinsu exploded.


    A wave of ripples tore through his body as Daniel was flung back into the wall, creating a giant crater.


    He groaned in pain.


    "Damn.." Daniel cursed under his breath. His eyes suddenly took on a dangerous glint, but then they receded.


    "Let''s go! We must get to the top!" He suddenly yelled to the woman who only nodded in response.


    Without pleasantries, they began to run again.


    Bam quickly followed, not willing to let then get away again.


    The light at the top approached rapidly, and soon, they all stepped atop the platform!


    Silence reigned for a moment, before Bam''s eyes went wide in shock.


    His eyes drilled at the figure on the other side of the station.


    A young woman with yellow hair and freckles-


    "Rachel?" He muttered.


    -and standing over her was his friend with a knife in his hand, ready to plunge it into her chest.


    "Rachel!" Bam yelled, as if on instinct.


    ...


    ...


    Boom!


    The ground under him crumbled as if he was crushed with a large pressure. Red shinsu darted around the area, keeping him under.


    Bam grit his teeth, his eyes turning up to see the one that had him in this position.


    It was a man with red hair and striking red eyes.


    He smiled mockingly.


    "So you''re the Slayer Candidate. Jue Viole Grace..."


    The situation atop the platform hadn''t been great.


    Rachel''s team which consisted of unknown members moved by FUG was troublesome by themselves.


    But there was also another man, one with red hair, Theolis Clear, a regular that had been getting increasingly popular lately as one of the strongest talents in the tower to have come in centuries.


    His reputation wasn''t unfounded. Being a D rank regular, he was able to contend with even those in B rank, a feat rarely heard of before.


    And so, Khun and Co were in a bit of a stalemate.


    His own team consisted of himself, Wangnan, Prince, Miseng, Yihwa, Amon and finally, the strongest of their current team, Zarhan.


    Amon and Zarhan had decided to come along at the last moment, saving them from being overwhelmed in this fight.


    "Come on! Come on!" Theolis yelled with glee as he clashed with Zarhan.


    Both commanded a strange red shinsu, Zarhan''s taking the form of a spear while Theolis'' was mostly still formless.


    Zarhan stabbed at Theolis, his spear blurring in strange patterns, ripping apart the shinsu barrier he held around him, all while Theolis commanded 7 baangs of shinsh to attack from all sides!


    The metal below them cracked and split apart, turning the area into a ruined battlefield. On the side, Amon and Yihwa held off an unknown regular which battled with a particularly thick needle. He too was laughing maniacally, as if he found a sick pleasure in battle.


    At the same time, Wangnan, Miseng and Prince held off Cassano, who had become the true Devil after taking possession of Horyang''s soul.


    And finally, there was Khun himself, preoccupied in a short spar against Rachel.


    It was quite literally a spar. Calling it anything more than that would be a vast overestimation


    of Rachel''s capabilities and a vast underestimation of Khun''s.


    In fact, even calling it that was an insult.


    Rachel was getting thoroughly crushed, both in spirit and in body.


    "You''ve always been like this Rachel." Khun taunted with a mocking chuckle. "Always so useless and weak. Too weak to have your own legs carry you. And so you latch onto other


    people like a leech."


    Rachel glitter her teeth, mobilizing her lighthouses to trap Khun into a reverse flow control


    prison.


    Yet, as soon as the barrier was put up, it crumbled, all 3 lighthouses overwhelmed by information from Khun''s single lighthouse.


    "You see? You don''t deserve to go up." Khun walked ahead with measured steps, fending off


    any more attacks Rachel tried to do.


    Her light house expanded, turning into a large cube and crushed down onto Khun.


    And yet again, it was foiled. The lighthouse split apart into 4 clean pieces, cut by a thin knife


    made of ice shinsu in Khun''s hand.


    Rachel''s eyes widened.


    "Shinsu?" Her lips quivered. How could he use shinsu?


    "You are a speck on this world, Rachel. You want to see the stars. What makes you think the stars want anything to do with you? Would they really permit someone as twisted and useless as you to behold them?" Khun smiled, still walking forward calmly.


    "No... no no no no no! Shut up!" Rachel screamed, mobilizing the lighthouses again in a last


    effort.


    And as expected, it held no effect. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rachel stared at him with quivering eyes.


    "It is my duty to eliminate people like you. Even if Bam wants to chase after you, I won''t


    allow someone like you to lead him astray any longer." The knife in Khun''s hand flashed again. He grinned toothily, his eyes shining with a baleful light.


    At that moment, Rachel laughed. Her laugh wasn''t cheerful or sarcastic or mocking. It


    seemed... pitiful.


    Khun raised an eyebrow.


    "Have you finally lost your mind?"


    "Puff! Hahaha!" She threw her head up, looking at the sky.


    Explosions happened around them from the ongoing fights, yet they paid them no mind.


    "You call me vile and twisted. What about you? Khun Aguero Agnis?" Her tone held an edge to


    it.


    "What about your sins!? I haven''t done anything wrong! Everything I did was to have my dream come true! Everything I''ve done doesn''t even come close to what you have done!" She


    spread open her arms.


    "Look at yourself! You sold out your own sister for what you wished for! You led your family


    to shame! How many people have you killed to get to where you are?! Don''t speak as if you


    have a moral high ground! You''re no better than I am!"


    She yelled out all she wanted to say, or rather, all that she could say.


    "Are you done?"


    Rachel flinched, hearing Khun''s tone.


    He stood over her, his eyes dark and his face clouded with shadow.


    "I don''t care what you think or how you rationalize yourself. I am here to teach you the consequences of your actions. If you have the power, you can do the same to me... do you?"


    Rachel stayed quiet, her feet inching backwards.


    Taking her silence as her answer, Khun raised the ice knife into the air, poised to strike. And at that moment, he heard someone yell.


    "Rachel!" And his hand twitched, and stopped.


    He saw Rachel who was within striking distance slowly blossomed with a smile, a smile that


    seemed to mock him. He could not describe how truly ugly it was. It felt as if the creator had


    poured all of the ugliness in the world into this single smile that she seemed to project on


    him.


    She had won. The smile held that clear meaning.


    She would live to see another day, and it was not Khun''s time to finish her yet.


    His eyes turned to where he had heard the voice, sensing Rachel rapidly back off.


    And as his eyes met Bam''s, something fell atop him.


    It was a large pillar of red, crushing him under!


    Boom!


    "Bam!" Khun yelled, eyes widening in alarm.


    Unconsciously, he began running towards his friend.


    A man appeared before the red pillar, chuckling mockingly at the figure held underneath.


    "So you''re the Slayer Candidate... Jue Viole Grace..."


    Not another second later, another figure landed beside him, holding a red spear in both hands.


    Booom!


    Booom!


    Shaaaa!


    The red pillar crumbled in an instant. Zarhan stabbed with the spear, forcing Theolis to


    dodge.


    The spear shone with a red light, tearing through the land and leaving a 40 meter long gash in


    the ground! "Where do ya think yer going?!" Zarhan spoke, his expression one of extreme annoyance.


    Theolis stood calmly, his hands held behind his back.


    "What''s the issue? I was only saying hello to the little Slayer Candidate. Is that so bad?"


    At that moment, he tilted his body to the right, narrowly escaping the downward trajectory of


    a knife held in Khun''s hand. Or so it seemed at first.


    Watching the knife skim past him, Khun''s grip changed, instantly shifting to the left that


    stabbing at his throat!


    Theolis smiled, moving out of the way. But at the last second, his movements turned


    sluggish!


    Triple flow control!


    Theolis stopped, the knife grazing his neck and stabbing itself in!


    At the same time, a spear pierced his chest!


    "Kuh!" He couldn''t help but groan.


    And then- BOOOOOM!


    A wave of shinsu expanded from his figure, pushing everyone back a distance of 50 meters!


    In the dome of red, he dislodged the knife from his neck, immediately covering the wound


    with shinsu and did the same with the spear.


    Slowly, his tissues mended back together, enough to keep going for the time being.


    He rubbed his now shinsu hybrid neck.


    "Damn. Normal weapons can''t even scrape my skin, yet that knife managed to slide right in."


    He cursed. Maybe it really is a mistake messing with the Silent Leviathan''s friends. They''re all increasingly


    strange and powerful. He added in his heart.


    At that moment, he felt a wave of danger wash over his bones. He trembled, instinctually.


    His eyes were drawn towards the slayer candidate he had thrashed.


    There, upon his back was a large needle. Theolis'' eyes widened. "Time to dip." He muttered silently.


    A/N: This was a satisfying chapter to write. Though, in the end, Rachel also isn''t totally


    misplaced in what she says.


    Throw some stones.


    Cheers-

 Chapter 108: True Self

    Chapter 108: True SelfThe world bled crimson. The skies were darkening with rapidly forming mist. Winds blew south and cleared out the air which had been saturated with a red humidity.


    Slowly, a red droplet fell on the platform.


    Following that, a slight drizzle began to pour on the world, soon to transform into sheets of rapid downpour!


    "What the hell?!" Zarhan yelled, seeing red shinsu drown out his vision and sense of hearing. The symphony of howling winds and battering rain filled his ears as red enveloped his eyes.


    Everyone stopped their fight momentarily, shocked by the sudden, almost instantaneous change in the weather.


    What had remained as a clear day now transformed into an apocalyptic downpour!


    Theolis cracked a smile, his hair drenched in water as he stared at the boy, Jue Viole Grace. That''s it... there''s no denying it now... my power is of the same nature as that Thorn!


    He thought, partly with a grim foreboding and partly with an unreal excitement.


    Rapidly, he dashed towards his temporary ''team'', covering them with a barrier of red, shielding them from the battering of the rain!


    "What?!" Rachel screamed as she looked on at the changing scenery. Her eyes travelled to the strange red haired man. He was supposedly colluding with FUG and was an ally.


    And seeing his strength...


    Rachel''s eyes shone momentarily.


    Khun covered himself and his teammates with a lighthouse, sending one towards Team Sweet and Sour as well.


    As he did that, he looked towards Bam.


    Red shinsu trickled down from his head. His eyes were glazed over, overcame by the surge of power. His entire being seemed to have gone in a state of shock.


    "Damn it! Bam!" Khun screamed, violently shaking the boy. Yet, nothing seemed to work.


    Zarhan who stood beside him tightly clenched the red spear in his hand. His eyes shook, staring intently at the Thorn that floated with a humm.


    Khun''s eyes caught the figures of Rachel and her team, slowly heading up the ladders to the hell train, accompanied by a worker from the station.


    When did he get there? Khun narrowed his eyes. As of now, getting atop the train or merely stopping Rachel wasn''t the priority. The priority was to wake Bam up.


    "Bam! Wake up!" Khun took a hold of his shirt and screamed at his face.


    No reaction.


    Whack!


    Suddenly, a punch landed on Bam''s face.


    Khun stood in shock, looking at Zarhan who had thrown Bam down.


    "...what the hell?!"


    "What else am I supposed to do?! He''s tweaking!" Zarhan yelled in his defense.


    And almost immediately, miraculously, the rain began to slowly down.


    And then, they heard a groan.


    They turned to the figure of Bam, slowly getting up.


    "Bam-"


    Whooooosh!


    Boooom!


    Bam broke through the sound barrier, the Thorn by his side extending and getting stronger!


    His figure travelled up, up and above and to the floating pieces of stairs that Rachel and the others were going towards!


    His eyes glowed red and he balled his hand into a fist!


    Shaaaaa!


    But just as he was about to attack the red haired man, who in turn, also prepared for the clash, something flashed before him.


    The young woman with yellow hair, Rachel stood in front of her group protectively.


    "No!" She screamed.


    Bam, who had lost all reason felt the cold grasp of clarity.


    And then, as he landed on the platform, a shot shove pushed him off.


    "Sorry, Bam. But you just stay here. You aren''t meant to follow me up there." Hearing those words, Bam fell down.


    ...


    Zarhan watched Bam gey shoved off from the platform. His clicked his tongue.


    "Not again!" He yelled and poised the spear in his hand!


    "Die!" With a yell, the spear was thrown.


    A red line, frighteningly fast in it''s wake rushed at the platform!


    And then-


    BOOOOOMMM!!!


    Winston was floating.


    On and on, higher and higher within a grayish white fog. He felt himself ascending constantly, walking through the fog as if he were walking up the stairs of ascension.


    Every step he took, he felt a part of his mind free itself.


    Every meter he covered, he felt his existence cry out in elation.


    Every breath he took, every action he made, every thought that crossed his mind, everything


    fueled his soul, his essence.


    His momentum was unreal as he dashed through the void, tearing through the gray fog.


    He wasn''t sure where he was.


    He had thought about being in the vicinity of the sefirah castle, but he eliminated that


    thought.


    It was unlikely that the God of Guardians could force him into the sefirah castle; one of, if not


    the hardest sefirot to invade in the Lord of Mysteries Universe.


    And so, the only other place he could theorize was his own mind.


    His self. His soul.


    Endlessly he walked. An eternity passed without a word, slowly but surely, he felt himself


    draw closer to... something.


    The God of Guardians told him to find ''himself.'' But he wasn''t sure what that even entailed.


    Was he not himself already?


    Was he someone else?


    He did not think so.


    He was himself fundamentally. What was the need for him to define it?


    Lazily, he took another look around.


    Nothing but fog, blocking out all senses.


    How long have I been here anyway? He thought. Of course, there was no real way to tell.


    The mental world that he had created was entirely sealed off from the outside world. Only a stimulation from his main body would be able to break him out. Either that, or he could


    forcefully get back into his body.


    Regardless, neither was something he wanted to do just yet.


    Finding oneself was something that God of Guardians had expressed to be revolutionary, hence, the ''revolution road'' and stuff. In fact, he knew it had transformed the irregulars that


    went through revolution, turning them into entirely different beasts.


    As he walked, the scenery, after all this time, finally began to change.


    And his vision shifted.


    A horse trotted in the middle of the desert. Red soil beneath the hooves splashed around as


    the horse strode forth, carrying a young man on its back.


    Winston widened his eyes, looking down at the body of the horse.


    "What the?" He couldn''t help but mutter.


    Then, his eyes travelled up.


    As expected, he saw the vast canvas of stars, innumerable and bright, covering the entire


    night in a glimmer of radiance.


    The milky way was brightly visible, and replaced the absence of the moon with it''s own light.


    Winston''s eyes shone.


    I''m back here?


    He looked around.


    He couldn''t pinpoint the existence of this place, neither could he think of it''s possible


    importance.


    Curious


    Not minding the situation one bit, he let the horse take him away.


    But just as he had begun to adjust, his vision changed again.


    Now, his frail body lay atop a bed. By the side, stood the old man.


    Winston''s eyes widened.


    "Huh?"


    His vision changed again.


    And he appeared atop a large tower.


    His eyes looked down on the city lights. His arm was wrapped around the waist of a gorgeous


    woman.


    Behind him, a banquet was underway.


    Then, it changed again.


    He stood alone now.


    His body was covered by a thin robe while rain poured down.


    A glass of wine was in his hand.


    The day before he was transported... ...curious indeed... Winston narrowed his eyes. Although he was a bit shocked at first, he adapted


    quickly.


    And then, his vision changed again.


    One by one, visions of the tower enveloped his eyes.


    His time on the second floor, 4th floor, 5th floor, 8th floor, 13th floor, 14th floor, and all the


    others in between.


    His eyes were glazed over, taking in each and every vision.


    And as everything ended, here he stood again, in the same grey fog.


    "Is that it?!" He yelled into the fog, seemingly referring to someone.


    "At least give me something more!" He yelled again. "I haven''t gone through the so called


    ''revolution'' yet!"


    "What do you want?" Suddenly, there came a voice behind him.


    Winston turned, finding another him.


    Only this one was him from the past. The accomplished Scientist. He held a stern look on his


    face, as if scrutinizing each and every movement made by his counterpart. His eyes, held high


    were eternally judgemental.


    Winston smiled.


    Which version?


    Both.


    "Well well. What are you doing here?"


    "Am I not supposed to be here? I am you."


    Winston rolled his eyes.


    "Cut the crap. I''m here to find the ''real me'' supposedly."


    "I am the real you." Winston, dressed in a white lab coat spread out his arms. "I am the best


    version of you. The result of all your efforts. What else do you wish for?"


    Just then, another version of him appeared.


    "Perhaps me?"


    Both Winston''s looked at the newcomer.


    He wore a gentlemanly suit, as opposed to the lab coat and the shirt worn by the other two.


    On his right eye, he supported a crystal monocle. His lips slowly stretched into a smile, deliberate and forced. His expressions seemed something not made from his own emotions,


    but merely something trying to imitate human behaviour.


    This was the Divine version of Winston. Undoubtedly, the strongest version of ''him.''


    "And what are you doing here?" The lab coat version snarled. Seeing his expression, Winston laughed, in mock cheerfulness. "Well, what say you? Original? Will you take my hand?" He extended his hand, smiling


    expectantly at Winton.


    Winston stared at the outstretched hand for a bit, momentarily glancing at the other version.


    And then-


    "Nah." He shook his head.


    Both or the versions stared dumbfoundedly.


    "What?" Both spoke at the same time, overcome by a strange shock.


    "Nah." Winston repeated. "I''m not gonna take any of you."


    Suddenly, he turned to a certain direction. The other two followed his gaze. The fog rapidly cleared out, revealing a large shack.


    The door opened, creaking. And in the corner, huddled a small child. Trembling, afraid.


    Winston walked into the shack, standing just before the trembling child who held his head with his hands, hiding from whatever it was that terrorized him.


    "So you''ll choose the weakest version of you?" The scientist barked.


    "Questionable." The Divine version commented.


    Winston didn''t pay them any heed. Gently, he squatted down and stroked the head of the


    child.


    Feeling a touch, the child twitched, but then relaxed at the gentle feeling.


    Slowly, he peered out.


    "Y...you are?"


    "I''m you." Winston said.


    The child stared at him, confused.


    "I didn''t know you still existed you know." He smiled. "Hidden away in some foggy corner of


    the mind. I suppose traumas do have some effect on beyonders." He shook his head in


    resignation.


    Then, his eyes again met the child''s.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Winston." "No last name?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I... I''ve never had one."


    Chuckling a bit, Winston said, "Call yourself Winston Heath."


    Slowly, he watched as the child blossomed with a beautiful smile. "Fine then! Take his hand! I don''t care anymore!" The scientist yelled. He could not, for the


    life of him rationalize this decision. He, himself, would have chosen the Divine version


    without doubt. It was the best decision to make. The one that promised the most power.


    The Divine version said nothing, yet his silence was all that was needed. The child stood up, and with a beaming smile, he extended his hand. "Thank you for choosing me!" He laughed. It was a cheerful laughter, not something Winston


    had the luck of enjoying.


    And as everyone watched with bated breaths, waiting for Winston to take the child''s hand, he


    spoke.


    "Nah."


    ...


    ---


    ...


    """WHAT?!""


    All there versions collectively questioned him.


    "What do you think? This ain''t a story of heroism where the main protagonist accepts parts of


    his troubled past and gains a hidden powerup through that. Do I look like an idiot to you lot?"


    Winston pointed to himself.


    "I alone am enough."


    His declaration echoed into the void.


    "I''ve never been at odds with any of my past. Any lingering troubles that may have persisted


    have long been solved. There''s no ''one'' version of me." He said. "Humans are bound to be undescribable. Every encounter makes us grow. There no way for


    me to limit all of myself to a certain version. There''s no real ''real'' me."


    His eyes slowly scanned the figures.


    "This? This is a joke." He declared.


    And so, the space crumbled.


    ...


    Winston opened his eyes, looking around, first thing.


    "Oh? You''re finally awake." He heard the God of Guardians.


    But that was not the first thing that caught his interest. "Bam?" He raised an eyebrow. What the hell was he doing here?


    He walked closer to the figure of the boy. He was standing some distance away.


    "Oh, this boy came here sometime after you entered." The God of Guardians answered in a


    matter-of-factly tone.


    "Wait." Winston suddenly felt a strange premonition.


    "How long has it been, exactly?" He asked.


    "Hard to say. If I had to guess, about 7 months."


    "..." Winston''s silence was deafening.


    "Normally, I would have woken you up when the train was crossing through the floors. But


    you already had the qualifications to get to the next floors, so it was no big deal." He continued. "Speaking of which, your awakening isn''t anything like I''ve ever seen before." He


    held his chin in thought.


    His eyes scanned Winston, taking in his form.


    "You don''t seem to have gotten any terrible increase in power like Jahad or Urek. But you are


    still peculiar."


    His eyes glowed.


    "It''s the strangest awakening I''ve ever seen. Matter of fact, I''m even debating if this actually


    is an awakening."


    Winston shook his head and sighed, silently looking though his own state.


    As he did, he spoke.


    "Which floor are we on right now?"


    "We''ve passed through the 42nd floor and are about to enter the 43rd."


    The Floor of Death!


    A/N: The awakening process was originally going to be three chapter long, but I wasn''t sure if


    it was going to be enjoyable to read, so I wrapped it up sooner.


    Anyways, I''ve been cooking up a LoTM fanfic. Though because of how expansive the work is,


    it''s going to take more than a enough time for it to be released. For now, it''s merely an idea.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 109: Monocle Man

    Chapter 109: Monocle ManThe Hell Train travelled a total of 9 floors, starting from the 35th and ending at the 44th. Between them, 43rd floor was the place which was the most dangerous.


    It was the Floor of Death, where the Irregular, Enryu- the Red Tower had killed the administrator of the entire Floor.


    For the first time, a God had been slain in the tower.


    The administrator''s flesh broke down, torn apart and fell upon the floor. The impossibly gigantic body of the administrator that spanned the entire floor was ruthlessly destroyed by the rain of spears, killing it.


    And when the administrator died, the shinsu of the floor was left without a master to hold it.


    The carcass formed a new floor, full of winding tunnels and giant caves, while the administrator''s blood pooled above, forming a gigantic ocean all over the floor.


    Food was scarce, as was shelter.


    Rogue shinsu was poisonous to the inhabitants, and Jahad''s forces, eager to hide the truth of the matter killed anyone that came out of the floor.


    And so, the inhabitants supposedly came up with a solution.


    They sealed themselves by a spell, turning themselves Immortal in exchange for not having their soul, as well as never being able to leave the 43rd floor.


    The entire floor was indeed what you could call the floor of death. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, hundreds of years later, the shinsu which had went rogue was calmed down, though it could still pose dangerous to even high rankers.


    Not to mention, shinsu manipulation for any and all regulars was impossible. There was no contract, and hence, nothing to command.


    The only thing that could work was weapons and shinsu constructs like lighthouses, probes and observers.


    Winston calmly analyzed the information he had attained from Hwaryun at that time, smiling in thought.


    His eyes travelled to Bam.


    According to the God of Guardians, it would take half a day to arrive at the floor of death. Something he was thankful for. He could not imagine waking up after the entire trip was over. It would have been less than ideal.


    "Well, I suppose it''s time to head out and meet everyone." Winston stretched his arms and popped his neck. His joints, which were feeling stiff after standing around for so long, unmoving, instantly loosened themselves up; making him feel as if he were floating.


    That felt great! With a cheerful smile, Winston took another look at the God of Guardians.


    "Goodbye, God of Guardians. I don''t think we''ll meet again, but I thank you for your help." He nodded at the Guardian who smiled back in return.


    "Just make sure you don''t become like Jahad had become. He was tempted by the allure of power and sacrificed himself for it. Now, you already know what the state of the tower has become." His tone seemed to be overcome with a strange grief.


    "Alright." Winston smiled. Then, walking over to the wall of the rice pot, he walked through the wall.


    The God of Guardians was left alone in the rice pot, left still with his thoughts and the other irregular boy.


    A group of people walked around one of the compartments of the Hell Train.


    Khun was, once again, going towards the rice pot to check on Bam. And as Bam had come to find out, there was another person in there with him. He did not know who said person was, only that the person wore robes and a monocle on his eyes.


    Hearing the description, Khun immediately remembered the monocle plague that had been getting super famous recently, spreading all throughout the lower areas of the tower, even reaching upto the 33rd floor!


    Apparently, it materialized monocles out of thin air and prompted people to wear it on their right eyes. It was extremely surreal, and without a doubt, dangerous.


    For that reason, Khun had recently developed a habit to momentarily check the vicinity of the rice pot every now and then, just to make sure nothing too crazy occurred. Although, he was sure nothing unforeseen would occur with the God of Guardians in there.


    Khun sighed, staring listlessly at his improved lighthouse. It had become an enna-core, made out of many smaller lighthouses by splitting a single one.


    The concept itself was pretty simple. Lighthouses were unique, individual computing units, where each face of the lighthouse pertained to more computing units. A lighthouse had 6 faces, each observing the surroundings, collecting data and interacting with the shinsu around it. Naturally, that meant the more surface area a general lighthouse had, the stronger it''s computational abilities and the stronger it''s shinsu control.


    Simply dividing the lighthouse to make more faces, in turn, increasing the surface area seemed easy enough in theory.


    In practice?


    It was nightmarish.


    But all things considered, it was nowhere as difficult as Winston''s training, where they were forced to run through fire and ice, fight constantly against strange shinhueh and battle all kinds of strange phenomena- including but not limited to- a talking cat that asked questions, a harmless book that wrote onto itself, a special wheel chair that wanted people to sit on it and finally, a living brick.


    Khun sighed, remembering the year long training montage.


    Indeed, the previous year had been the craziest in his life. Winston truly was a strange man. A true irregular in the tower.


    Speaking of, he said he would eventually join us on the hell train. But so far, nobody seems to have gotten wind of his activities. What is that guy even doing?


    Just then, as Khun was lost in his thoughts, he saw something move in his peripheral vision.


    "What the?" He muttered, instinctively.


    He headed towards a certain direction.


    Walking along a path, he saw something shiny glint on the ground. As he approached, he made out the full structure of the small object.


    It was a clear, crystal monocle, lying on the ground.


    "What''s this?" He said, narrowing his eyes as he picked up the crystal monocle from the ground. With the enna-core, he silently observed the monocle, looking through it''s


    composition.


    Just then, he heard a voice behind him. The voice was eerily soft, as if one were speaking to a child; yet, at the same time, it sounded mischievous, even malevolent.


    "I think that belongs to me."


    Khun turned, slowly. Sudden movements were prone to error.


    As he turned, he came face to face with the person.


    He was tall, taller than Khun. His hair was a mess of curly black hair, partially covered with a pointed top hat. His body, which was no doubt well built was covered by black robes, marked


    blue at the sides.


    His face supported a calm, serene smile. His forehead was broad and his nose was sleek. His eyes, like the deepest, darkest jewels soaked all light from the surroundings, making them


    appear unmistakably alien.


    "Hell there."


    Yuri Ha Jahad, the Princess of Jahad, originating from the Ha family had sharp instincts.


    In fact, one would even argue she had the best instincts out of all the new generation of princesses, which wouldn''t be entirely wrong.


    "Evan, how long until we reach the floor of death?" Yuri asked her trusted guide, who was


    tinkering with his lighthouse.


    "Who knows?" Evan replied, unbothered.


    Hearing his tasteless reply, she kicked him in the back, throwing him off his chair and onto the


    ground.


    "What the hell?!"


    "That''s what you get for ignoring a princess!"


    "Damn you, you crazy princess!"


    "What did you say?!" "Argh! Sorry!" Just as they were about to engage in another fight, they stopped.


    Their pupils shrunk dangerously, feeling an unsettling feeling grow in their hearts.


    "What is that? Evan?"


    Yuri asked, her tone heavy and laced with an edge.


    "I don''t know." Evan admitted. His vision suddenly seemed to cloud over with an


    insurmountable cloud of fog, gray in colour.


    And then, without a word, both of them dashed out!


    Boom!


    The room exploded beneath their force, crumbling down into a mess of debris!


    A black and gray blur blitzed through the area! Their destination?


    To the danger!


    White and Co, who were walking around aimlessly, waiting for the time to enter the floor of


    death froze.


    Karaka too stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide.


    "This is... a strange sensation." He couldn''t quite tell what was wrong, but he knew


    something was.


    Something was so, so very wrong.


    He couldn''t pinpoint the location, neither could he think of the danger. But he felt a strange


    shiver in his bones.


    White, in particular, felt a deep chill going down his spine.


    He narrowed his eyes. "It''s been a long time since I''ve felt such an emotion." He smiled, and licked his lips.


    "Once I get my power back, the first thing I''ll be cutting down is the source of this fear."


    Back to Khun, he stood face to face with the strange man.


    The temperature suddenly began to drop. A thick layer of ice began to form around the walls,


    with Khun at the epicenter.


    Frankly speaking, Khun himself didn''t know why he reacted this way. It was just that seeing


    this man appear before him, with a smile, triggered all the warnings in his head.


    Shaaaaaa!


    A thick humidity lingered in the air. Khun breathed out a thick plume of vapour.


    "Who are you?" He asked, eyes riveted to the man.


    The man''s expression didn''t change. He merely held his hand in front of his body and bowed a


    bit.


    And so, he smiled.


    "The Lovers from the Major Arcana." He introduced himself. His eyes clouded over briefly.


    "I am the Slug of Time. The Clock Hand that tampers with Fate. The Angel of Deceit."


    He gazed straight into Khun''s eyes.


    "Myself, Amon."


    A/N: Here''s a bonus chapter cause I got good marks on a test.

 Chapter 110: Small Mishap

    Chapter 110: Small Mishap"Myself, Amon." The man spoke, getting up from his small bow.


    Khun''s back was suddenly soaked with sweat. A deep sense of foreboding rang incessantly in his mind, screaming, yelling- telling him to have absolutely no association with this man before him.


    This was, of course, Winston''s ability to create illusory thoughts, mixed in with his natural order of life as a demigod.


    Just like how lower lifeforms cower under the might of an apex predator, trying to make themselves smaller to not be noticed, the presence of a demigod, a naturally higher and transcendental being, the senses of mortals would go haywire. It wasn''t often that Winston used this ability, much less on his friends.


    Partly because it was in this exact moment that he had decided to save it for.


    He grinned and extended his hand. Khun''s body tensed up.


    "May I have that back?"


    A pregnant silence hung in the air, deafening and palpable. Slowly, Khun nodded, and without wait, he threw the monocle to the man before him.


    Smiling harmlessly, the man caught the monocle and without haste, donned it over his right eye.


    "That''s better." He said.


    Suddenly, Khun chuckled, prompting Amon to look at him.


    "It''s strange. One of my friends has the exact same name." He said. The lighthouse beside him moved, glowing impercebily.


    Amon smiled.


    "Now now, we can''t have that."


    Suddenly, Khun''s thoughts went blank and he stood there, motionless and stupidly.


    What was I about to do? He broke out of his reverie. His eyes again landed on the figure of Amon.


    "Neat trick right?" He smiled. "I stole your thoughts." His sharo canines were visible through his grin. His eyes curved like a crescent moon.


    "Steal... my thoughts?" Khun muttered, his eyes getting heavier.


    His concentration Suddenly turned muddled and he kept losing focus!


    Amon had stolen his rationality!


    "Oh, Khun Aguero Agnis." Amon spoke- softly, deliberately. His stride covered the distance instantly, as if the distance between him and Khun had been reduced.


    "What a pood little soul you are. It''s a pity you met me here."


    Khun, who could not put any thoughts together or focus his will was at a loss. In a sense, his state was not unlike that of a pig kept for slaughter, entirely at the mercy of his keeper.


    Murmurs and whispers seemed to echo from the air, spoken aloud by unknown assailants. And then, everything crashed down.


    BOOOOOMMM!!!


    The entire right part of the compartment was blown to bits!


    Metal bent at irregular angles and turned into rubble. Some, scalded by the extreme heat of friction transformed into magma!


    And from within the rubble emerged a rampaging beast.


    "Hey! You!" A feminine voice yelled out.


    With the promise of pain, the woman, dressed in white and red and hair as dark as the night slammed her fists together, a mocking snarl on her face.


    "Pick on someone your own size..." She said.


    A low chuckle reverberated through the air.


    And with the low humm of footsteps, a man slowly walked out, dressed in robes and a pointed top hat.


    With a relaxed disposition, Amon slowly adjusted the monocle on his face and scrutinized Yuri.


    "Ah, if it isn''t Yuri Ha Jahad." He grinned, again showcasing his sharp canines.


    "What a pleasant surprise indeed."


    He spread out his arms, and declared proudly.


    "Then come. Let us see who comes out on top!"


    And chos ensued.


    Boooom!


    Every regular in the train was sleeping peacefully.


    Until they weren''t...


    Booooooom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Endless explosions poured down from the heavens, shaking the carriage and turning the structure inside out!


    Endorsi, with her bong bong quickly flew out of her room and turned.


    "What the hell is going on!?" she yelled, dashing straight into Khun''s room.


    Yet, to her complete surprise, there was no one there.


    Boooom!


    Another explosion rattled the carriage as Endorsi clicked her tongue.


    What has he gotten himself involved in this time?!


    But before she could exit, she saw a soft petal.


    The petal was red, gently floating in front of her. It looked beautiful and peaceful.


    That was until it landed.


    And when it did...


    Shaaaaaa!


    Flames poured out, concussion flames that destroyed everything they touched- not with the fiery demise promised by normal fire- but by brute strength held in the punches of a certain


    Ha princess!


    This was the unique shinsu of Yuri. Each rose petal contained a part of her physical strength. With hundreds of petal, it was like her punch landing on something hundreds of times!


    Destruction.


    Destruction everywhere.


    Endorsi let bong bong take over her again, flying high into the sky through the gigantic


    gashes made in the carriages.


    Through the corner of her eye, she saw princess Yuri engaging in a brawl against a strange man. The man was laughing, loud enough for his voice to echo in the air, despite the


    explosions.


    The rubble, falling through the air began to float up. Endorsi felt herself pulled by a strange


    force.


    "Come here!" She heard a voice. One that calmed her down.


    Evan Edrock.


    She surrendered to the pull and felt her figure dash out amongst the rapidly rising rubble!


    When she opened her eyes, she was already standing next to her team.


    Khun, Zarhan, Amon, Hockney, Boro, Sachi, Wangnan, Yihwa, Prince and Miseng.


    "What''s happening?!" She questioned, her face expressing her confusion and shock.


    "Can''t you see? A fight between rankers." Zarhan, to her side, quipped.


    Khun who had regained consciousness after Yuri engaged with Amon answered her question.


    "Have you heard of the Monocle Plague in the lower floors?" His voice was strained. His blue eyes gazed at the destruction and the figure of Evan, who was rapidly repairing everything.


    "That''s right." She replied.


    "Thats the cause." He said. His arm extended, pointing to the man.


    A silence enveloped the area.


    At the control center, Poro Poe wiped the sweat that accumulated at his forehead, looking


    through the camera footage.


    "....I need a new job..." He concluded.


    Just then, a red light flashed before him.


    His eyes perked up. And then, they shook in bafflement.


    "How?!" He yelled, carefully analyzing the contents of the screen, making sure he wasn''t


    reading wrong. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They had reached the Floor of Death!


    "But it should have taken 10 more hours!" He scratched his head, but then, he grabbed the


    microphone and began to yell into it.


    Attention all travellers! We have reached the 43th floor, also known as the floor of death!


    Attention all travellers! We have reached the 43rd floor, also known as the floor of death!


    The train will soon come to a stop!


    Amon, hearing the announcement was pleased.


    Just as planned. He smirked.


    Then, then, he taunted. "How about we take this outside~ princess~~"


    Yuri grew a vein on her forehead and punched at him.


    However, the next moment, her feet lost their footing.


    "Wha?" She couldn''t help but scream.


    Below her was red. Above her was red.


    She had arrived. The floor of death.


    The Hell Train whizzed past them, easily faster than the speed of sound!


    "Comvenient right?" Amon''s voice rang in her ears.


    "What have you done?" Yuri questioned.


    Amon, ever the mischievous man, shrugged his shoulders and held up his hand.


    "Who knows? Care to guess?"


    Yuri clicked her tongue.


    One could use shinsu on the floor of death. If not for her status as a regular, she would have


    even lost the ability to stay afloat.


    Aside from those that use shinsu for flight, even those that haven''t learnt the art get flight as


    a byproduct of becoming a ranker- aside from being ageless.


    And even that authority would be weakened once she entered the corpse of the administrator,


    where only flight through spells, winged shinhueh and weapons was a viable option.


    Yuri sighed, summoning her arms inventory.


    "You''ve pissed me off." She said, pulling out her two weapons, The Green April and the Black


    March.


    "I''ll just kill you, right here."


    Amon''s grin widened, stretching out from ear to ear.


    "Let''s see you try."


    A/N: Door pathway is op in lotm. High Sequence beyonders can just tp you into the cosmos,


    instantly sealing your fate.


    Amon did that to Klein during his ascension.


    Also, I''ve begun to re-read lotm. After finishing, I''ll read CoI and then, finally, I will begin


    with writing the lotm fic, if that day ever arives.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 111: GG, Close Fight

    Chapter 111: GG, Close FightFloor of Death was a peculiar place.


    The corpse of the administrator made the strata while his blood pooled over it, forming a vast ocean of red. The heat generated through rapidly flowing shinsu made fumes of blood rise through the atmosphere, forming as crimson clouds that soon descended back down in a downpour.


    And amidst all of that, floated two figures.


    Their expressions were calm as they stared at each other. One was a male with a monocle atop his right eye, the other was a female holding two distinct weapons- a fish hook and a needle. Then it started.


    Yuri, with the two weapons in hand rushed at Amon, swinging the Green April in a circular arc.


    Shinsu blazed with ferocious intensity, rippling through the air and turning the chaotic flow of shinsu into an orderly mass of destruction!


    Amon grinned and flicked his wrist.


    Suddenly, the attack lost all its potency, turning into a simple flail of a whip!


    Yuri''s eyes widened, but she had little time to react.


    Whoosh!


    Wham!


    Amon appeared beside her, kicking her at the side. Yuri held the needle vertically, shielding herself from the blow at the last moment!


    The weapons of the thirteen month series were imbibed with a powerful spell. So long as the spell could persist, the weapons were completely indestructible!


    Amon extended his hand, and instantly, Yuri felt her head swelling in pain!


    "Argh!" She clenched his head, a surge of pain shooting through her temples! It felt as if someone had shot a hot knife through it, twisting it in the process!


    All around her, the air began to change.


    The shinsu that was inherently poisonous to beings unaccustomed to it, suddenly sprouted various micro-organisms-bacteria, viruses, viroids, prions, fungus.


    And in another instant, they all changed, swelling to appear visible under the naked eye and collectively donned a crystal monocle on their bodies! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Their figures changed, resembling the vague shape of humanoids and their mouths opened to orate a piercing screech! Full of incomprehensible ravings!


    Yuri''s eyes turned bloodied!


    A trickle of blood shot through her nose and her muscles tightened beyond belief, almost crushing her bones within! The world around her seemed to shift. The laws that governed all other places in the tower seemed nothing more than a suggestion, easily ignored if one so chooses.


    The absence of a guardian made the laws on the floor especially easy to bend. Something that the error, Amon took full liberty in misusing!


    In his eyes, the laws in the space were magnified, deceived by a simple gesture.


    And then Yuri fell.


    Her boon of flight could no longer support her under the magnified laws. And down she went, right towards the ocean of blood.


    If I fought Kallavan here, would I have been able to kill him? The passing thought went through Winston''s mind. He dismissed it instantly.


    No. He would probably have an easier time fighting here. I wasn''t nearly as strong at Sequence 5 as I


    am...


    His gaze travelled to the rapidly falling figure of Yuri.


    Momentarily, a trickle of worry graced his mind. But then, he shook his head as a vision overlapped his eyes.


    He smiled and calmly extended his arm.


    Yuri, who was almost at the sea of blood suddenly opened her eyes.


    Shaaaaaaaaaa!!!


    A bright flash of blinding, blinding and scintillating illuminated the area! Down below, the shinsu seemed chaotic, winding around in irregular patterns as it circled around Yuri in a whirlpool.


    Clarity returned to her mind and a frown appeared at her forehead.


    "That damn..." She cursed under her breath. Then, her attention went to the two weapons.


    She had unconsciously utter the word - ignite at the last moment, to avoid falling into the sea and getting lost.


    Now...


    "Well well."


    "This is quite a strange meet up."


    The two sword spirits, beautiful and illuminant stared her down.


    Smiles were on each of their faces.


    "It''s been so long since two of the thirteen months have been gathered together." Said Green


    April.


    "For that reason, go ahead. Choose who you want to borrow the power of."


    Staring at them in shock, Yuri felt a smile blossom on her lips.


    "I want both of you!"


    As she said that, Black March, who she was tightly clutching in her hand disappeared!


    "Huh?" She dumbly muttered, opening and closing her hand.


    Then, her eyes widened and her head whipped up, staring at the monocled man who held a striking black needle in his hands.


    "I''ll take that."


    His whisper, although not too loud, rang in her ears like the largest sounds.


    She stood still in the air, looking at him as if she had seen something impossible. Her hand, balled into a fist shook heavily.


    Her dark bangs covered her face. Then, she quietly said, "Green April. Ignite."


    Booom!!!


    Shaaaaaaa!


    Shinsu exploded, turning into various droplets of green that siphoned away at the


    surrounding flow!


    The multitude of Amons that floated above her collectively turned their eyes. Their monocles


    shone with a white light, appearing as numerous as stars twinkling in the night sky.


    And then, they all extended their hands-


    Shhaaaaa!


    Whooooshhhh!


    Green April extended like a whip, transforming into a huge entity capable of cleaving mountains! Swinging into an arc, the whip headed for Amon and his clones!


    -and flicked their wrists.


    The whip which was going to reach them stopped, as if someone had pressed the pause


    button.


    It lost all of it''s ferocity in an instant and Amon grinned.


    "It''s so easy to deceive the world here." His clear voice rang behind Yuri. Her hair stood on edge as she rapidly turned around the punched straight at him!


    Wham!


    Amon was hit right in the face!


    Boooom!!!!


    A gigantic explosion, not unlike a nuclear bombs triggered, sweeping the entire area clean!


    Yuri stood in the air, vigilant and watching.


    "To think even a Sequence 4 like me, who hasn''t even reached conceptualization on his deception abilities can deceive the laws so critically." The voice sounded from the rubble. The


    same, sing song voice.


    Ravings and murmurs again began to ring from the surroundings.


    Yuri clenched her teeth and swung Green April, which although had lost its ability to draw shinsu and siphon it, was still more than enough to clear put the smoke!


    Whooosh!


    Fwissssh!


    Huuuu~


    Yuri breathed out. Her red eyes again met that of Amon who was holding the Black March and


    playing around with it, balancing the tip on his finger.


    His mouth opened as well, giving rise to a wave of ravings!


    Yuri''s eyes instantly turned bloodied again. Her hand clutched her head as she groaned in


    pain. Her arm, which was about to swing the Green April again instantly lost all its strength!


    "Shut up!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.


    She felt her consciousness slipping with every passing moment. Her brain felt as if it was turning into a puddle inside her skull and lit on fire. The blood in her veins burned like hot magma and her organs screamed out in phantasmal pain unlike anything she had experienced


    before!


    This was the result of Amon''s murmuring!


    Amon, whose avatars and himself were constantly speaking aloud narrowed his eyes.


    He mused over the implications of his current findings.


    What he was doing wad essentially relaying parts of his mythical creature form in the form of words. Instead of providing a visual input, he could provide an auditory input, essentially achieving the same result.


    As per his theories, the High Sequence folk in Lord of Mysteries would have done roughly the same thing, aside from very specific existence like the True Creator of the Hidden Sage. The original Amon, during the ascension ritual of Mr. Fool, was able to almost drive him to insanity through murmurs filled with both orderly and chaotic information. Although that instance was something entirely different, since Mr. Fool was able to withstand mythical creatures forms, whether auditory or visual.


    Crazy ravings weren''t too much a problem here in the tower. And so, with nothing to go off of, Winston did the next best thing. Gleaming the information of his own mythical creature form and using it to induce a form of pseudo insanity in others.


    Since there were no beyonders in this world, there was no concept of ''losing control''. But, the tower, as expansive as it was with the omnipotent shinsu flowing through it, did not transcend the concept of dimensionality.


    Or maybe it did... Winston was still a bit unsure of that. But even if the tower did, aside from


    the administartors, it didn''t mean the inhabitants did too.


    Their minds, used to perceiving the world in the typical 3 dimensional grid was not used to


    seeing something above their dimensions.


    And something like a mythical creature form that transcended the very concept of dimensions, the residents of the tower had little defence against that.


    He could not recklessly reveal his mythical creature form before Angelhood. And so, this was


    one of his stronger trump cards. Insanity inducement through murmurs.


    Yuri, caught as a mere test subject soon lost her consciousness, slipping into a forced sleep.


    One of Winston''s avatars caught her before she could fall into the sea of blood. Then, Amon, the original body stared at the direction of the hell train, a mocking grin appearing on his face.


    Evan and Co were still on the train.


    Evan had his back laced with sweat as he nervously glanced around.


    Princess Yuri had disappeared mysteriously, alongside the Monocled man.


    The fog that kept blocking the path was now stronger, getting to a point of blocking all his


    vision. He could no longer see the path.


    "Damn.." He cursed under his breath.


    To the side, Khun and Co adopted a silence not like their usual behaviour.


    They felt... useless.


    Everyone had their expressions tinged with annoyance and melancholy.


    After all, Princess Yuri had disappeared.


    Although they believed in her strength, the strength of the opponent had also been


    formidable.


    Even the stoic Zarhan had his face tinged with a certain unwillingness. His hand curled into a


    ball and his eyes were focused.


    "Damn it!" Evan suddenly yelled, startling the regulars.


    He punched the wall next to him, making spider web like cracks spread out.


    Just then, a bigger explosions greeted their ears.


    And so-


    Bam!


    Something feel through the hole in the ceiling.


    As the smoke cleared, Evan''s expression gradually softened.


    His eyes gleamed clearly and a smile blossomed on his face.


    "Princess!" He yelled, running up to her.


    But taking only 2 steps, he stopped. His eyes widened in shock as he observed her features.


    It was Yuri, no doubt. Yuri Ha Jahad, the Princess of Jahad.


    But there was something unmistakably different about her.


    On her right eye rested a crystal monocle.


    "Who are you?" Evan''s tone was laced with danger.


    ''Yuri'' smiled.


    She said, "It was a close fight I guess. But I couldn''t bring myself to parasitize her. You


    know?"


    Her gaze travelled to the regulars, who all stared at her as if they had seen eldritch horrors


    beyond their comprehension.


    Evan stepped forward.


    "I''ll ask this once." His face darkened.


    "Who are you? And what have you done to Yuri."


    There was silence in the area. Both parties stated at each other. ''Yuri''s'' monocle gleamed with


    a white light.


    Then, she finally shook her head.


    "Fine. I was told not to make trouble anyways." She said in exasperation. Suddenly, her features began to morph. The skin melted like wax, falling off from her face and


    then reformed back. Her height began to shift and her clothes began to degenerate and


    change!


    In just a second, amid the horrified and baffled gazes of the people present, ''Yuri''


    transformed back into the same man. Amon, the Angel of Deceit.


    "I would have liked to play around with you all, but that would be a bit counterproductive to


    my goals." He said. Then, his hand pierced into the void and pulled out a body!


    It was Princess Yuri!


    Evan instantly reacted, taking a step forward with speed. But the next moment, his stood still,


    as if he didn''t know what he was about to do.


    His thoughts had been stolen!


    Amon calmly pulled out Yuri''s body from the void and tossed her over.


    Then, he turned back and looked over his shoulder.


    "Pray for yourself that we don''t meet again. Because next time, I won''t be in such a rush." He


    grinned, showcasing his canines.


    And amid everyone''s attention, his form vanished. Everyone stood still, shocked beyond their wildest imaginations.


    Evan began to check up on Yuri.


    A/N: Ye.

 Chapter 112: Cicada(4)

    Chapter 112: Cicada(4)A strange scene unfolded amid the expansive tower.


    In a large space, somewhere that looked not unlike a movie theater, two figures sat down quietly. Both were shrouded in a veil of darkness, the only illumination provided by the screen that glowed with abstract imagery before them.


    The flashing lights revealed a rough appearance of the men.


    One had dark hair and looked somewhere between 25 to 30 years old. He had a sharp jawline, a small forehead with bangs falling over his face, stopping just above his eyebrows, and a nose shaped like a keel.


    He wore a casual t shirt and shorts. His feet were adorned with a pair of crocks.


    The man beside him had a hood on his head and his eyes gleamed crimson. He wore a white trenchcoat, and 3D glasses on his face that fell onto his nose, barely concealing his eyes.


    Calmly and methodically, the hooded man extended his hand and took popcorn from the basket in the other''s hand. He popped them into his mouth, chewing quietly.


    In comparison, his companion was all the more obnoxious. He chewed loudly and without etiquette, as if he cared nothing of the one seated beside him. He held his left leg on the head rest of the empty seat before him and his left arm and crossed over the red haired man''s shoulder.


    The scenery seemed to shift as the movie screen displayed what seemed to be visions from a metal compartment. The compartment was rapidly healing itself. The metallic walls fell into place, the ceiling and the ground reformed and those that stood therein heaved a sigh of relief.


    And amid their relaxation, a man appeared and dropped off a black haired woman.


    The black haired man laughed, his voice echoing the in the closed space, bouncing off the wall.


    His companion scowled in annoyance.


    "Get your arm off me." He said, showcasing his teeth with a gesture of wanting to bite off his hand.


    With a genial smile, the man continued laughing and calmly withdrew his hand, holding each of his arm up as a sign of surrender.


    "A lot stronger than I''d hoped." The hooded man spoke, starting the conversation.


    The other man threw him a passing glance.


    "True. I wasn''t expecting such a tremendous leap in strength."


    "Are you sure he really can''t sense us?" The man''s crimson eyes glowed from beneath the hood as he turned to his companion.


    The other party shrugged his shoulders, as a universal gesture of ''I don''t know.''


    "Who can tell. He might already be aware, just not reacting. Either that, or we''ve actually eluded him."


    "Now what?"


    "What? What can we even do?"


    "Do you not want to?"


    "Want to what?"


    "...do something." The hooded man sighed in exasperation. "They''re on the floor of death. That irregular is even on his way to meet Garam Jahad. Do you wish to sit still?"


    With a chuckle, he replied "What? Afraid that the King''s secrets will be further revealed?" "Heh. Right. Nice one." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he huffed.


    "Even so, there''s very little that I can do. Or rather, there''s very little that I want to do. I always like a little bit of chaos you know?"


    "If he does reveal something, or even steps up to the family heads, the tower won''t be ''a little bit chaotic''."


    The man shrugged his shoulders.


    "Can''t do anything about it. You know how it is."


    "...right."


    With a shake of his head, the hooded man turned again to the screen.


    Suddenly, as if a light bulb went off inside his head, the black haired one trembled and snapped his fingers.


    "Oh, I know!"


    "What?"


    "Let''s watch The Adventures of Quant again!"


    "...I''m leaving."


    Before the hooded man could get up, the screne instantly changed, displaying a title screen.


    "The Misadventures of Quant!''


    "Sometimes, I wonder how we even became friends."


    "Touch¨¦!"


    ...


    ...


    §¯§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú§Ú-


    Winston breathed out, feeling a bit chilly. The floor of death was chaotic. Both literally and figuratively.


    The shinsu flow that created chaotic rivers across the land resulted in extreme weather conditions. Some places could be hot as the sun, while others could reach a chilling


    temperature of near absolute zero.


    Caught in such a turbulent flow, even a high ranker, much less a ranker or a regular would have


    a hard time.


    With a thought, he willed the shinsu to form around his body, creating a sheath of protectiveness, manifested as a large fur coat over his body.


    He took off the monocle from his body and his features reverted back, turning into his true


    form.


    The ground under him crooked as the brittle ice cracked under his weight. He could, with his muscle control, choose to walk without breaking it, bit he simply liked the sound it produced. His eyes travelled up, looking at the ceiling of the floor, made out of the carcass of the floor guardian. The blood vessels and various organs inside the administrator became the labyrinthine caves that the people inhabited.


    It''s blood formed the rivers and oceans while it''s hollow cavities formed the grounds for a


    city.


    In essence, it was like various creation myths Winston had read about in his previous world- where a God sacrifices their body to make the world. Only in this regard, not only was the decision not conscious, but forced, but it also brought upon chaos and entropy on the inhabitants, forcing them to bind themselves in a spell, trapping their souls and gaining a primitive form of immortality in exchange for never leaving this hellish place. Strange creatures inhabited this area, also trapped by the same spell, completely immortal in


    nature.


    He stared at the figures flying in the distance. They weren''t too different from the various renditions of flying dinosaurs in his previous world. They flapped their fleshy wings, soaring high above and casting their gazes upon those under them.


    Do they still engage in hunting? Probably not. With all needs of sustenance gone, there''s no real benefit to spend the time to hunt. There''s always the chance for their animalistic instincts to be


    stronger though...


    Winston quietly mused as he watched the beasts. In the chilling winter storm, it was astonishing that they- with their fleshy and uncovered forms- were comfortable in the


    environment. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cling!


    He flicked a suspendium coin into the air, watching it spin around and land back onto his


    palm.


    With a smile, he took a step in a certain direction and blinked from his spot.


    He had, after all, not forgotten his reason for coming to the hell train in the first place.


    The rice pot, in all honesty, had been something he was quite disappointed in. It practically offered him nothing of value. If he had chosen the scientist, his mind would become unfeeling as it used to be back on Earth. Preferring cold clarity and logic.


    And if he chose the Divine counterpart, he would become so far gone from any trace of humanity, it was more than probable that he would lose himself within that divinity, becoming another creature entirely and fully take in his divine mythical creature form.


    As for the last one, his most human, yet also the most vulnerable form. It offered him a whole


    lot of nothing.


    Of course, it would stabilize the divinity, but it would also counteract it, reducing the overall effectiveness and edge his abilities provided him in battle.


    In the first place, there was no need to choose any of them.


    After all, he alone was more than enough.


    He was an amalgamation of them all, why would he lean towards any one of them?


    All in all, the ''revolution road'' turned out to be disappointing.


    His figure rapidly blinked through thousands of tunnels, discretly avoiding running into any


    creatures.


    His figure, encased in an air of concealment with a smile atop his face appeared in a large


    open space.


    The space was filled with a bright yellow light originating from large bulbs hanging down from gigantic stalactites. Pillars that touched the rocky ceiling rose up from the ground, as if holding up the sky and a large structure sprawled beneath it.


    A gigantic cityscape, filled with large buildings made out of metal and concrete was visible. Insects the size of buildings flew about the area, as did various dinosaur like creatures and strange amalgamated mutants that seemed almost alien, yet fitted right in.


    The glinting lights, still visible in the bright illumination provided by the lamps overhead gave the city an almost breathing feel, as if it were alive.


    At this point, Winston noted, the atmosphere had stopped being so chilly, instead turning


    almost sweltering.


    With a simple command in his mind, the quality of his shinsu changed, adopting a glitchy pattern that soon covered the fur coat he donned.


    The static void lingered over the coat for a moment, and then receded.


    His shinsu quality, the static allowed him to forcibly endure errors in all objects it touched.


    And with deception to ''decieve'' the fur coat, he had essentially turned the garment into an all purpose tool, one that could be worn in blistering heat as well as freezing cold.


    As Winston stood atop a large mountain, his figure appearing like a shadow moving through


    the world, veiled in concealment and resting above the spirit world, various threads began to extend from his body and dashed into nothingness.


    The threads disappeared two meters away from his, supplying him with information- all the information about this space. Those that he did know, and those that he did not.


    He eyes narrowed slightly, feeling the presence of another Jahad princess in the city before


    him. North City it was called, one of the two cities established by ''Grand De Sah'' and ''Grand


    De Jah''.


    His eyes rapidly gained visions, revelations from the spirit world appearing at his will.


    The entire floor''s information was his to claim. And since there was no administrator here, the flow of information too was his own to command.


    It was almost scary how efficient his information gathering ability could become without an


    overseer lording over the shinsu.


    Each happening in the world left a mark, snowballing into something unrecognizable in the


    long run. And shinsu, being the source of all that happens in the tower, could record


    everything. Shinsu knew everything that happened. It was everything that happened. After only 30 seconds, he opened his eyes and the threads retreated back to his body. Hmm... His eyes narrowed a bit.


    The avatar I made... that Theolis Clear is with the target. I''m not in a hurry to ascend, especially not


    here where it''s so volatile. The moment I do so, all my avatars will enter a state of inactivity as well, leaving me with no protection.


    It would probably be wise for me to wait until we leave the floor. The target- Slayer ''White'' will also


    have to leave by the Train. Even if he manages to run away, I can locate him quite easily and so long as


    Theolis is with them, I have nothing to worry about.


    "Now then..." He said, suddenly turning to the air and gaining a cold look on his face.


    The surroundings instantly chilled. An eerie momentum dashed out from his body, spreading in the area, just short from reaching the city and alerting any people.


    His body, concealed by his powers as a Secrets Sorcerer opened it''s mouth, appearing illusory


    and powerful.


    "What do I do about this piercing gaze I keep feeling?"

 Chapter 113: Woe is me!

    Chapter 113: Woe is me!"What do I do about this piercing gaze I keep feeling?" Winston''s words hung in the air.


    As if holding a certain effect on reality, the spirit world around him trembled, his powers as the bearer of the Mysteries pathway fully realized. With a clear expression, he activated his spirit vision, gazing at whatever it was or whoever it was that was spying on him.


    Yet, at that moment, he felt the world itself tremble around him. His pupils constricted as his spirituality dimmed with a subtle hint of danger. Not lethal.


    Very few things could be lethal at this point in time.


    Yet, he also, very clearly recognized the strange feeling he was getting.


    The gaze I felt on the 2nd floor... he remembered, his face darkening in grim foreboding. As if on que, the gaze retreated, no longer visible.


    Winston grew a visible veins on his head, feeling a bit insulted.


    "Oh no you don''t." He said and extended his hand.


    The shinsu swirled, creating various forms of microbes in the air.


    And all of them were instantly parasitized!


    Their figures expanded, filling up with shinsu and various figures came into view.


    One was embroidered with pure white robes and manifested with the brilliance of the sun. It was The Sun.


    Another was a being who held a weighing scale in hand and wore dark robes. The Justiciar.


    Another had silver hair, gleaming in the yellow light and had a pendant that resembled an eye around his neck. The White Tower.


    And finally, the last one was a wheel, formed from two serpents biting at each other''s tails. The Wheel of Fortune.


    After getting destroyed in the fight with Eduan and Han, they had returned to him, carrying along their powers.


    Not a word was spoken. They already knew the task.


    Their figures blinked, disappearing into the void.


    Winston stood in silence for a moment, staring into the void as of looking for something.


    Then, he shook his head and had a peculiar thought.


    Since the shinsu here is so willing to listen, why don''t I bring all of my other avatars here? It''ll be like a picnic while they can better work on their powers.


    He felt the thought process was quite reasonable.


    The shinsu without an owner was like a puppy eager to please. As compared to the other floors, their shinsu abilities would progress with as much as 40% more efficiency!


    With a smile, Winston chose to follow through with the idea.


    Donning a hat on his head, he quietly blinked away from the area, not caring to investigate more or meet with the exiled princess.


    If it were him before, he might have chosen to meet her, solely for the sake of getting to know her. Now?


    He suddenly found himself not caring all that much. Wonder why...


    ...


    Theolis Clear was not having a good day.


    As a matter of fact, none of his days had been ''good'' ever since he entered the tower.


    The silver dwarf hanging like the blade of a guillotine over his head had been bad enough. Now, when he had finally gotten a moment of respite and a chance to flex his power- finally becoming one of the strongest regulars all over the lower floors- his transient victory was not bearable to the world. It was as if the tower itself was ought to get him.


    The first hint of his downfall began when they boarded the hell train. The red rain summoned by the slayer candidate, Jue Viole Grace, had surprised him but it had also blossomed as a wave of excitement in his heart. The nature of his power was connected to the thorn of Enryu! It was the Red Tower!


    But sadly, shortly after boarding the train- and by shortly, he means 2 months, they met a strange regular. He was undoubtedly from the Arie family with their signature white hair and sword in hand. Yet, the moment he joined them, Theolis lost his position as the top dog.


    That alone was fine. Then, the regulars they had a fight with at Train City boarded the train! And then, as if on cue, the conductor intervened and orchestrated a large game. The Dallar Show.


    In the end, Theolis and Jue Viole Grace ended up facing against each other in one of the first rounds.


    And he... got decimated. It was insane to him how his strength could grow at such an astounding pace. It was nothing short of miraculous, leaving Theolis wondering about the unfairness of the world.


    And then, as if to put salt on the wound, Jue Viole Grace ended up receiving all of Hoaqin''s... or better yet, Slayer White''s powers and continued to defeat White.


    After that, it only went down from there. When Theolis wished to quietly slip away after getting off on the name hunt station, another bigshot from FUG captured him- Karaka, the Immortal Slayer.


    And now, here he was, stuck in the floor of death, separated from the rest of the gang by a shinsu anomaly all because Rachel was too stupid to plan everything out beforehand.


    It was, in a word, a disaster. It was all but a nightmare, one he wished to wake up from as soon


    as possible. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Damn..." Theolis cursed under his breath as he shielded himself from the winds that tore through the landscape. It was as if a large tornado was tearing everything asunder. And in this cave like labyrinth, there was no hiding. There was only lasting.


    Theolis covered himself with a red shinsu, creating a protective layer around himself.


    His attire was barely holding on, reduced to a sorry state. Wounds littered his body, but strangely, he was somehow able to utilize shinsu here. It was supposed to be impossible to use shinsu on the Floor of Death as far as he was aware. But somehow, thankfully, it seemed


    to not apply to him.


    His red hair thrashed around in the wind as his feet embedded themselves into the ground. His crimson eyes peered at the rapidly approaching tornado with a gaze of steel.


    It''s undoubtedly because my power stems from Enryu that I''m able to use it here. Shortly, his expression changed to one of thoughtfulness. Speaking of, I''ve never thought how or why my powers manifested to begin with. Am I some special pawn in some big-shot''s chessboard or merely a..... lost lost descendant in his questionable lineage...


    Before his musings could take a tangible form and he could arrive at a result, a screech, like that of a bird''s reached his ears.


    Kawwwwwwwwwww!!!


    It was the shrill screech of a bird.


    His eyes widened as shinsu surged through them. Turning over instantly, he gazed at the heart of the tornado! There was a large bird piloting the tornado!


    And it was coming straight for him!


    "Why me?!" Theolis yelled as he was swept up by the wind, the ground under him crumbling


    without resistance and being carried into the air!


    Theolis screamed as the bird extended it''s talons. One of them embedded straight into his shoulder, drawing blood.


    "Argh!" He groaned. "Samuel.... when I catch you, I don''t care if you kill me... I''ll smack you


    on the head... hard!!!"


    Sadly, his yelling was drowned out by the sound of the wind. And he was carried off by the


    bird.


    ...


    ...


    Winston looked on with a smile in the large clearing. Multiple humanoid figures, some animalistic in nature stood before him, perched atop rocks and mountains. They were many in shape and form- women, men, children, dogs, cats, birds, fishes, shinhueh- and numbered in


    the thousands.


    The only thing that joined all of them within a single group was a crystal monocle that hung


    on each of their right eyes.


    They were all part of Winston. His avatars.


    With a smile, he looked upon them.


    "You''re all here." He gave a toothy grin as right before his eyes, every being extended it''s


    hand or tail, and gently nudged the crystal monocle on their right eyes as a collective gesture


    of respect.


    Extending his hands as if he wanted to embrace the world, Winston opened his mouth and


    solemnly proclaimed as if issuing a divine decree.


    "My avatars! This is both a training ground and a picnic spot. Half of you shall work on finding


    the rat that was spying on me. The other half will focus on training.


    "We have held this off for long enough! It is time to declare war! After we leave the Floor of Death, it is time to descend upon the Jahad Empire!


    "In some time, when I leave the floor of death, I shall overtake this sequence, and step into


    the domain of a Sequence 3, a step closer to Godhood!" He exclaimed, getting a wide variety


    of cheers from his onlookers.


    A baleful red light fell on his face and he smiled.


    "May madness take the tower."


    ...


    ---


    A/N: I apologize for the upload speed, but I''ll be having a tough couple of months so bear with me here. I won''t be dropping this story as I have yet to write the two critical moments that sparked the story to begin in the first place. But with the current upload speed, I can''t be sure that if I ever get to that point, I will get the response I had initially been hoping for. Anyway, once May descends upon us, It''ll most probably be regular uploads with a few breaks in between- so if you can stick around till then, you''ll be in for a treat. Also, I''ve been researching a lot about the LoTM fanfic that I eventually want to write. It''ll probably be a slower pace story as LoTM is, but there''s a lot of room for speculation. And I know I''ve said that I probably won''t make any more stories with the lord of mysteries power system in the future, but nowadays, I''ve been getting fascinated by the concept of an Abyss


    pathway beyonder in DXD or a similar world where mythology is real.


    So, there''s a lot that may happen. You never know. Anyway, I won''t ask you to throw any stones, but do tell me your thoughts.


    Cheers~

 Chapter 114: Unfair competition

    Chapter 114: Unfair competitionIndividual inability can compensate for favorable circumstances.


    This was a phrase that Rachel had once heard Winston tell her while on the 3rd floor.


    She didn''t think much of it at first, even though it stung her deeply within her soul.


    But now, when confronted with the undeniable reality, and indifferent universe and her unimpressive place therein- forced to confront her own uselessness- there arose a certain feeling in her chest.


    Like a knot, tightening around her heart, and a lingering, transcendent wish to prove such a sentence wrong. Prove the world wrong.


    "You''re evil." She stood still, wide eyes and shocked at this husk of a ruler before her.


    Grand De Jah, the keeper of the Spirit Room and the Thorn placed within looked at her with his empty eyes.


    Rachel balled her hand into a fist, her knuckles turning white as if in response to the rage she felt.


    The half-dead king, a mere immortal skeleton pointed at Bam, the boy prophesied for greatness and proclaimed, "He is the true hero. His heart is pure and untained with malice. He is the one we seek. Why should we take the time to indulge in your wishes when clearly you are filled with such malevolence?"


    The surrounding light, deep yellow in colour fell on her, casting shadows in all directions. She felt her vision turn a bit blurry as confusion lingered in her head.


    Why? She screamed silently. Why was he chosen? Why... why does the world have to be so unfair...


    Suddenly, tearing through all the confusion and shock, a voice sounded in her ears.


    "Wait!" Bam said, turning to face the skeletal ruler.


    "I think she should be able to participate!" He exclaimed.


    Rachel felt her eyes widen as she stared at the back of this boy''s head.


    Grand De Jah and Grand De Lee also widened their eyes, staring at the boy in a mix of surprise and inquiry.


    Bam turned back to her, his face impassive and spoke.


    "I know that we''re enemies." He explained. "But I don''t want to rob you of this chance."


    Rachel scoffed, unconsciously.


    "Are you serious?"


    Bam nodded without a word.


    Seeing his dead serious expression, Rachel didn''t wish to probe further, lest she ruins her chance. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both of them turned to the two onlookers, standing in wait.


    Grand De Jah shook his head and bellowed "It doesn''t matter who it is that proves themselves. Whoever can do so will get our most heartfelt gratitude... and will also recieve the Thorn fragment in the Spirit Room."


    His eyes momentarily rested on Rachel as he spoke in a clear voice, "Regardless, the Thorn will choose only the prophesied one."


    His eyes seemed to shine suddenly, as if two miniature suns were blazing within them.


    Casting his gaze down at them, he spread his arms and exclaimed.


    "Then, let me tell you your task."


    Rachel listened closely. Beside her, she felt Bam''s body tense up.


    "Go to south city. Whoever can liberate the city from Hell Joe''s rule will be the chosen one!"


    Instantly, Rachel''s hopes died.


    ...


    ...


    South City, Floor of Death.


    It was chaos.


    Hell Joe, after Karaka and the other regulars'' arrival had announced his possession of the Thorn. Openly, he challenged the people that had gotten off the train to come to his city and take the Thorn.


    And the outsiders wasted no time.


    There was a woman outside his castle, holding two weapons in her hand and was able to kill the immortal soldiers.


    The soldiers who had grown too complacent with their inability to die were thrown into shock and abject terror.


    In the castle, Khun and Co made their way to rescue Grand De Sah, led by none other than the Red Witch- Hwaryun.


    Hwaryun narrowed her eyes as they turned around a sharp corner.


    The world around her seemed to be covered with a mist, a gray fog that impeded all vision. Winston is nearby... there''s no other explanation. Her expression betrayed her annoyance. She couldn''t see anything anymore, the paths seemed blocked from vision, steering towards an unknown direction.


    Suddenly, she stopped.


    3 guards, each armed with swords ran at then from the front.


    Suddenly, Zarhan stepped forward, in his hand a red spear made out of shinsu.


    "I''ll handle this." Khun instantly activated his enna core, ready to provide support while the


    rest of the team got ready.


    Just then, another large explosion shook the castle.


    Khun clicked his tongue, unknown to the group.


    Damn it. Yuri''s lost control and we''re getting surrounded. We won''t be able to destroy these immortal guards. There''s no way out of here.


    His eyes unconsciously travelled to Hwaryun.


    She''s also been acting weird lately. We can''t be sure about her allegiance anymore. Compared to before, now, it almost feels as if she''s losing a crucial part of herself, flailing her arms around wildly as


    she sinks into the sea...


    Zarhan stepped forward without fear, his eyes shining with a red glow.


    His dirty brown hair fluttered in the air as the armored soldiers, whose heads were built like emaciated skulls rushed at them, ready to tear them apart.


    Zarhan instantly lunged forward, the crimson spear gleaming in his hand, casting a shadow over the walls.


    The first guard didn''t bother dodging, instead thinking of slashing at the regulars when their weapons was stuck inside him. Without a care, he dashed right into the spear!


    Pui!


    The spear went through his chest, protruding from the other side. But then, the soldier''s hand stopped midair, twitching with a strange sense of pain.


    He vomited blood.


    His companion stopped in his tracks, his bony eye sockets somehow getting wider to express


    his shock.


    Zarhan pulled back the red spear with a violent tug. The soldier dropped to the ground like a puppet that had it''s strings cut.


    Everyone stood still. Their eyes were riveted to the still carcass of the skeletal being which


    had vomited blood.


    Slowly, Zarhan eyes travelled to the other soldier who stood in bafflement.


    And throwing a short glance at his hand that still clutched the spear, he moved, instantly


    piercing through the soldier''s fleshy throat!


    He swiped his spear, gouging out a large chunk of the man''s throat and saw him fall to the


    ground.


    Behind him, he heard Amon mutter.


    "Well that''s convenient..."


    A/N:


    Hmm. I don''t know what to say here. This was a pretty short chapter. And I''ve been having


    trouble coming up with stuff to write.


    I still have an outline of the major events, but now, the further I get into the tog storyline, the


    more trouble I have filling up the in between.


    I''ll be going on a bit of a rent here so stay with me on this.


    I realize that I''ve planned all this really really poorly. I didn''t give enough time, or the personality to any of the side cast which I could''ve given, and now it''s coming to bite me. I''m sure none of the readers may have felt this way, but as the story author who had the original


    vision for the story, it''s a bit of a stretch to say that the story went exactly as I''d hoped. This point in the story was only supposed to be reached at like 200 chaps and each event was supposed to be better planned.


    Things went as I''d expected, but the in betweens that I''d hoped to have didn''t get enough


    time or characterisation to stand out and put an impact on the story. It might seem redundant for a fanfic, which, in all honesty, it probably is- but as a perfectionist and as someone that has made the readers invested in the story, it was my responsibility to deliver a good and


    fulfilled vision.


    Anyway, there''s not much I can do to fix that now. Rest assured, there will be an end to this story and it will hopefully coming in this year itself.


    But the only thing I can say here is, if the next couple of chapters drop in quality, that''s on me


    and my poor planning.


    I wouldn''t have written this tbh, but felt like I should give ya''ll a heads up.


    Worst case, I''ll just make a new fanfic lol


    (Just kidding... or am I?)


    Anyways, cheers-

 Chapter 115: Ominous Dreams

    Chapter 115: Ominous DreamsWinston opened his eyes.


    He was in a room. It was dimly lit in all corners and a lonesome lamp stood in the center, hanging by a metal pole.


    It cast his shadow behind him, and the slight sway of the darkness all around seemed eerie.


    He looked around himself.


    The room was filled with a table, a bed and a window to the side.


    Through the window, he could see nothing but a dark theater. The movie theater was entirely empty and there was nothing playing on the screen.


    He walked towards the table, his footsteps echoing in the dark.


    There, on the wooden surface was a book. It''s pages were tinted yellow, telling of it''s age.


    The book held many cryptic words, that seemed foreign to Winston.


    It was blood red in writing, as if written using fresh blood.


    Right beside the book were three cards. First was the Hanged Man, inverted and clear. It seemed upright in his eyes and the man, with his leg crossed over was smiling eerily.


    Below the inverted hanged man was the Tower. And right beside it, was a picture of a Devil. The devil, unlike the traditional Tarot had a disgusting smirk on it''s face, as if it was taunting him.


    Winston''s pupils shook in his sockets for a time before he turned his attention back to the notebook.


    The words still remained unintelligible, before they became foreign.


    Sowly, he began to recognize them.


    It was English. He wondered why his brain took some time to recognize the symbols. Slowly, he read the words out in his mind.


    "Death is near..." the words somehow echoed in the room, carrying faint whispers that gnawed at the heart of normalcy.


    His heart shook and a chill travelled up his spine.


    A sharp click sounded and he instantly turned.


    There was a faint light filtering through the window.


    As he gazed outside, he saw that the theater was lit up with a white light from the screen. Various caricatures moved about on the screen. It showcased two travellers meeting a man who was breaking a mountain. They talked for some time before taking off.


    But that was not what caught his attention.


    His eyes travelled down to the seats.


    The previously empty theater was fully filled with people.


    No, not people. They were shadows at best. For each of them held the same outline and the same posture. Each head was perfectly round and each shoulder was perfectly levelled. All of them sat, their bodies dark and like a void. Suddenly, all of them turned. They all looked up to the window which was at the very back of the theater. The characters on the screen also turned to look at him. If deliberately, Winston saw a faint tug at their lips.


    They were all grinning from ear to ear!!


    Instantly, he sat up straight!


    Huuuu!


    He inhaled sharply, his breath caught in his chest.


    Sweat poured from his temples and his pupils shook lightly. If not for his body control, his hands would be shaking as of now.


    What the hell....


    ...


    ...


    Winston walked out of a large castle that had been constructed out of stone. The sky reigned overhead with crimson clouds and splashes of red blood, flowing with an otherworldly chaos marred the bottom of the stone castle.


    He looked back at the structure. It was opulent and gigantic, as if something that was constructed for giants rather than humans.


    The walls held various floral and wheat like patterns, as if the plants themselves had been turned into stone.


    The castle had been made by his Mother Pathway avatar.


    The plants had sprouted out of the blood, red and gigantic and formed a gigantic castle like structure. Then, his Demoness avatar had turned the entire castle into stone, effectively etching the structure into the floor''s history.


    It was, of course, supported by actual architectural- mystical and mundane - knowledge from his White Tower, Hermit and Paragon avatars. It wad something that could survive in the floor of Death''s surface for hundreds of years, with each wall crafted with immaculate craftsmanship.


    And to think it was made for temporary residence of merely three days.


    Well, this would still be used by the avatars after I leave...


    Winston looked on at the structure before his gaze turned towards a certain direction.


    "They''re certainly making a scene."


    "Indeed." A feminine voice replied to his left. It was high pitched and sweet and it rolled on the ear with a pleasant undertone.


    Winston turned halfway, gazing at his avatar.


    It was a beautiful woman with a perfectly carved face. She had a cute nose and a short forehead. Her cheeks were full and had a rosy tint and her lips were plump and full. She had a pair of bountiful breasts and a voluptuous figure. She wore a beautiful green robe, adorned with various plant like patterns.


    Her beauty was staggering. It were as if all forces of nature had stopped to steal a glance. The rain stops for her and the soil makes way in the presence of her beauty. She was the epitome of


    feminity and motherhood.


    It was the Mother avatar.


    "Aren''t you supposed to be training?" There he goes again, talking to his imaginary friends. Truly a schizophrenic.


    "Perhaps. But aren''t you supposed to not be checking yourself out?" She raised an eyebrow at him as her eyes loomed on Winston.


    "I can''t help it. I''m really too beautiful as a female." Winston clicked his tongue as he shook his head. He truly felt regretful. If only the other party was not... him. He would have genuinely considered marriage.


    Alas, venturing into the territory of the Mother Goddes of Depravity was not something he


    would ever do.


    Maybe I can give Tiara a demoness potion after I ascend to Godhood? Winston mused.


    Suddenly, he heard the avatar chuckle sweetly.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be too opposed to it." She flexed her figure as if in a mock display. "I really am beautiful. Men can''t help but want me."


    "I''m curious how Khun Eduan would react if he saw you." Winston guffawed as he imagined


    the scenario.


    Khun Eduan finds the love of his life and abandons all his other women, vowing to always be loyal to her and her alone. Then, at the wedding night, it gets revealed that ''she'' is actually a


    ''he''.


    "Now I''m genuinely curious about that." The avatar scratched her chin in contemplation.


    She turned to Winston and smirked.


    "Why don''t we send Charlotte in?"


    "Eh. We might." Winston chuckled. "But we have more pressing matters to attend to, do we


    not?"


    The Mother turned to look into the distance.


    "Which one?"


    "Both. Well.. one is more important than the other. It''s the first time a dream has spoken in riddles. Every other time has been mostly straightforward. It''s the first one I can''t instantly S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    grasp."


    "Does this call for a meeting?" The Mother asked, her tone sweet and charming. Her words themselves calmed the crashing waves, as if they had been pacified by a lullaby.


    "I suppose so." Winston''s eyes gleamed with colour as he looked on into the horizon. "Send


    in a normal avatar. After everything is done on this floor, I''ll join them to go to the next one." He said. His lips tugged upwards, revealing a genuine smile.


    Death is near huh... we''ll have to see about that.


    ...


    ...


    A/N: Nice.

 Chapter 116: Remnants of a God

    Chapter 116: Remnants of a GodHuuuuu


    Something was breathing.


    Thump!


    A heartbeat. Faint and low, like an unspoken whisper.


    Thump!


    The beat was strange.


    Thump!


    Unnatural, distorted, gigantic was the thing. A consistent drumming at one''s ears. Faint whispers piled on and on along the air, filling up the world alongside the heartbeat.


    Thump!


    And then, Hell Joe opened his eyes.


    He caressed his chest, feeling a gigantic power brewing inside his body. It felt as if all the shinsu in the world was at his fingertips, all the power the world had to offer could be utilized.


    It was overwhelming.


    A crazed look, not the kind that always hung at his face, but something else, appeared in his eyes.


    Something more primal. Something more intrinsic.


    He watched the shinsu on the entire floor surrender under his command, drawn to him, eager to serve. Then, his eyes travelled towards the intruder. Two women. One all too familiar.


    "Garam..." His crazed eyes shook in rage.


    At the critical moment, when he and the dark haired woman were in a stand off, Garam had appeared, making the black haired woman calm down with the help of a small boy.


    She had become weaker.


    Somehow, Hell Joe stood there, watching it happen. He had little idea of what came over him. It felt as if the thought to attack had simply been erased from his mind.


    "Damn you!!!!" He screamed. His face began to change.


    The heartbeat in his chest intensified. He knew it wasn''t his own. It was something else. Something he was more than happy to give space inside his own body.


    The shinsu in the area changed. It seemed like sharp blades. Each shinsu droplet began to spin rapidly, converging towards Hell Joe, ripping through all matter, force and natural law it came across!


    "Shit!" Yuri cursed under her breath. She held onto Bam''s body, intending to shield him from the onslaught.


    Bam instantly began to converge his own shinsu, making the disc under them move!


    Their figures dashed out from the area, getting away from a scenery that wasn''t too far from a natural disaster. No, it would be more accurate to describe it as the end of the world.


    ...


    Inside the castle, after somehow rescuing Grand De Sah and getting the soul stirring laddie, Khun''s team was trapped. They had managed to fight through the enemies, but here, they had no idea how to proceed.


    Khun breathed heavily. The shinsu in the air was decreasing at a rapid pace. If it kept gpimg like this, they would soon die from asphyxiation.


    Endorsi, Amon, Zarhan, and the others weren''t doing too well either. As for Hwaryun and Evan, the red witch and the white dwarf held their heads in pain. They could not see any more paths. They could not even function properly. It was, in their words, as if a gigantic fog was blocking all of their senses.


    In short, they were fucked.


    Damn... what should we do. Khun contemplated. His forehead was laced with sweat and he frantically looked around. As the shinsu had moved, it had blocked off their escape route in a mountain of debris. They were completely and utterly trapped.


    They could not use shinsu. Zarhan, who could inexplicably do so, was now being starved for shinsu and couldn''t breathe properly. He had tried to blow through the debris, but that proved to be a wrong idea as the hallway collapsed even further, locking them in a giant hall.


    Without a guide, getting out seemed like an impossible task.


    Just then, he felt his hair stand on edge.


    He turned around, looking at a wall.


    Everyone else did the same. They felt it. Something strong.


    Instantly, as if on cue, a brilliant light erupted from the wall and an illusory door formed on it.


    Slowly, the door opened up, and out walked a very familiar face.


    Khun and Co.''s faces lit up instantly and smiles erupted on their faces.


    Why?


    "WINSTON!!!" They all screamed collectively before throwing their bodies at the man. Winston simply smiled and did not care to dodge. They all smashed upon his body, failing to move him. But just to play along, he let himself be carried to the ground, falling down.


    Thud!


    "Damn... you guys are pretty miserable without me, aren''t you?" He clicked his tongue.


    He glanced at Khun who was the only one from the original group who had decided against tackling him to the ground.


    Khun smiled softly as he met his gaze.


    "Where the hell have you been? You bastard?"


    Winston shook his head with a smirk.


    "I''ve been a bit busy. Sorry to make you worry." He chuckled.


    After a bit if drama, Winston was let go of by his friends. Interestingly enough, Winston


    noticed a peculiar quality in Zarhan''s shinsu.


    "New shinsu quality?" He asked, intrigued.


    Zarhan puffed out his chest, eager to explain, but Khun''s voice stopped them from prattling.


    "Let''s go! We can catch up after we''re out of danger!"


    Winston nodded, as did everyone else. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Winston stepped forward, he could not help but gauge the piercing gaze at the back of his


    head.


    Evan Edrock. He ought to have realized that I''m the reason he can''t use his abilities as a guide... wonder how the follow up conversation would be like.


    With that thought in mind, Winston opened up another illusory door in front of him, one that opened directly into north city.


    "Go here. It leads to north city. You''ll be safe there." Winston smiled at his friends.


    He turned to look at the air. His eyes glowed with a thousand colours, as if he was seeing


    beyond the physical plane.


    "I''ll deal with this little miscreant." He smiled.


    ...


    ...


    Theolis Clear breathed hard. He had finally been let go of by the gigantic creature that had


    caught him.


    Now, all he had to do was get back to the hell train.


    He looked around himself.


    It stood to reason that he, someone that had never been on the floor of death and evidently lacked guide abilities, had no idea where he was.


    "Fuck..." He cursed.


    He didn''t say anything more. He only chose to walk further in, in hopes of finding a path to


    the surface, or maybe to a city.


    As he did, he didn''t notice the shinsu around him churning.


    ...


    ---


    A/N: I''m still alive.

 Chapter 117: A Thief

    Chapter 117: A ThiefAn Inverted Hanged Man, the Tower and a Devil.


    These were the three cards that Winston had seen in his dream, and the meaning of which, although was quite clear, eluded him still.


    As a member of the Mysteries pathway, his ability to see through abstract symbols and divination was quite good. He could even infer such meanings through a single look.


    Tarot divination was, after all, fairly straightforward. Perhaps there was a reason he had subconsciously used Tarot divination even in his dream. The symbols and meanings were already established and set in stone.


    There was no need to rack his brains to figure out the supposed ''true meaning'' behind a specific symbol.


    But that was the problem.


    It was sole fact that he did not need to do that that troubled him.


    Why?


    Because the symbol associated with the three Tarot cards was the follows.


    The Inverted Hanged Man symbolized acceptance of the current state of affairs. It shuns rigidity in the face of change, and promotes the act of surrendering to the flow. In retrospect, it may also hint towards reflection of one''s actions and taking a break in the face of adversities.


    The Tower symbolized destruction in the truest sense. It hinted at sudden change that will, and shall be distasteful and disastrous in some way or form; whether it be financial, emotional, physical or psychological loss. It was a Tarot most used to symbolize tough times, where one must brace themselves for a bumpy ride.


    And the last one, the Devil. It suggests feelings of entrapment and being stuck between two things- instant gratification and long term benefits. But in this case, it symbolized something else.


    A trap, one that he had no idea he was trapped in. In essence, he had ''sold his soul'' to the devil, in that he had walked into a trap knowing nothing about it and playing along anyway.


    And finally, the last bit. The words he had found inscribed on the paper.


    ''Death is near.''


    Damn... Winston could not help but click his tongue when he thought about such things.


    It simply made no sense.


    To his knowledge, and the way his divination had subconsciously responded, there was a person controlling everything behind the scenes. But that was impossible.


    His Visionary self should have instantly been made aware of the one doing so. But when he thought about it further, it seemed not so far fetched.


    After all, the gaze he kept feeling wasn''t known by his Visionary self. There were indeed people that could hide from his power.


    And the fact he realized such a thing so late made it all the more chilling.


    He had never even realized it, but he was being consciously steered away from believing in his own spirituality.


    And that was the reason Winston had a really ugly expression on his face as he appeared above the battlefield where Hell Joe was trying to take out Bam, Yuri and Garam.


    He could stop such an expression, but he let it out openly.


    I need to progress in Sequence... he thought grimly.


    At this point, he wasn''t sure how many of his decisions were truly his own.


    He had previously wished to take on Bam''s sorry fate of having to go against Jahad empire, thus, declaring war on them with his avatars. Furthermore, he had attained information about them using his Visionary self and further into the goal, he had challenged two of them openly to gauge their strength.


    Looking back on it, it was truly a strange decision to make for him. It was... too hasty. Too rash. Even a bit stupid.


    He had found his own people. People he could call friends. Even family. It was reasonable that he wished to shoulder their burdens.


    But it was simply not like himself to jump into the fray and declare war so fast.


    Slowly, everything in his mind began to fall into place.


    He felt like he was back on the floor of tests; unable to do anything against an opponent which was far too elusive to see- being reduced to a mere chess piece in a large game between powerhouse.


    To make matters worse, he didn''t know who held the reins. There weren''t many that could escape his Visionary powers.


    The simplest suspects were the administrators. Hence, it was logical for Winston to assume that the perpetrator had an administrator on his side, or even multiple of them- or was, most likely, an administrator themselves.


    And all of it had a simple solution.


    Progressing in Sequence.


    Getting closer to godhood and ascending beyond what could bind him.


    Winston closed his eyes, spreading his senses all around.


    After his potion fully digested, he had become able to actually visualize the sefirah castle. The boundless gray fog that stretched on for all of eternity. Endless and infinite.


    And the gateway to the position of Above the Sequence- and for the Mysteries group, the


    Lord of Mysteries.


    He opened his eyes and gazed down upon the figures.


    Once he got to Sequence 3, he would be able to descend into the sefirah castle with his spiritual body. And after fully digesting it, with his physical one. He knew of these things with


    absolute surety.


    As a beyonder from all three pathways, his susceptibility to the sefirah castle was unreal.


    It stood to reason that he could know of these things instinctively.


    Winston breathed. And then, his eyes exploded into a thousand colours.


    A faint gray fog began to gather behind him, rapidly transforming into a supercilious


    phantom.


    It was a large stone door with engravings upon it. The door glowed with an otherworldly sheen, casting it''s light down upon the world.


    It held little significance since he wasn''t trying to banish anyone here. But it served the purpose it was supposed to- being cool.


    Solemnly, he looked down at the crimson figure of Hell Joe who had noticed him at this point.


    Then, he opened his mouth and proclaimed.


    "You hold the embers of a dead God." He said. His eyes drilled deep into Hell Joe''s spirit,


    taking in the vision.


    What he saw was... ineffable. It was not something that made sense in the truest of cosmic


    laws and will.


    It was an abomination. A blasphemy against creation, a disgusting mockery of all matter, force and order. Unnatural, twisted, monstrous was the thing.


    A swirling mass of all colours imaginable and unimaginable that coalesced into a... being. No, even calling it a being was giving it a shape. It simply... was.


    Winston knew what it was. He wiped the small tricke of blood that flowed out of his eyes. He was lucky it was a budding administrator. If it had been a complete one, or even a half formed one, he would have lost control in a second, taken over by divinity and corrupted by the spirituality of the true form if a God.


    Winston smiled. "I''ll take them away from you now."


    As his words landed, a notable shift happened in the area.


    The large clearing which was collecting shinsu at a rapid pace around Hell Joe suddenly


    paused.


    "What the?" Hell Joe paused. The heartbeat. It paused. The breathing ceased.


    The power that coursed through his body just a few moments ago began to ebb away at a rapid


    pace, leaving him behind.


    His eyes widened instantly as he felt his grasp on the shinsu slip away. His lips quivered in shock and a breaking sound, akin to the chimes of a temple bell began to sound as his armor


    fell apart.


    "no..." He managed to squeeze out of his mouth.


    "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" A sickening scream escaped from his mouth. And he fell.


    His sorry figure tore through the shinsu. His wings made out of light began to crumble as his


    weight carried him down. There was a certain unwillingness in his expression; alongside


    anguish, pain and the unmistakable feeling of anger.


    Alas, there was nothing to be done.


    Without his powers, Hell Joe lost everything. His powers, his status and most importantly...


    His dreams.


    There was no one that would pay him any attention anymore. No one even watched him


    impact the ground.


    Winston watched as the shinsu dispersed. He felt the lingering gazes of the three figures that were floating on towards him on a blue platform.


    He smiled. His grip tightened around the throat of the strange creatue he had snatched from hell Joe. The budding administartor. A god in the making, coming equipped with an incomplete mythical creature form.


    "Well well. Aren''t you a great object for experimentation..." The creature in his hands looked similar to a lamprey combined with a stingray, but Winston knew it was anything but. It was the child of the administartor, or perhaps the administrator itself. It was always difficult to


    kill gods.


    Take anything in Lord of Mysteries for example. Each god had various backup plans for their backup plans which would result in their revival. if even that failed, they had 17 more backup plans for the same. It was simply absurd.


    Though not to say every ''God'' was the same. Frankly, Gods in Lord of Mysteries were a


    different breed.


    They were more analogous to cockroaches. Cockroaches that carried the firepower of small supernovas sure, but cockroaches nonetheless. You thought you killed a God?


    Nah bro. Better luck next time.


    But even if the two couldn''t be compared, Winston was sure the administartors had some revival method. Gods were, after all, called as such for a reason.


    He narrowed his eyes at the strange creature. He would not fuse with it, even though he could.


    He spirituality could mess up his ascension to the Lord of Mysteries- similar to how characteristics of non-adjacent pathways could simply softblock you from accomodating the corresponding sefirah. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was also the chance of the underlaying spirituality corrupting his psyche - similar to Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth in the original franchise.


    He turned around to look at the gigantic door behind him. With a simple command, the door


    connected to his castle.


    With a gentle push, the door turned slightly ajar and Winston watsed no time in throwing the


    poor creature through the thing. Though not before delivering a sharp sting of lightning to it


    to make it unconscious.


    On the other side, the creature was grabbed by his Death Pathway avatar who looked silently


    at the creature in his hands.


    Finally, as the Door closed, Bam and the two ladies finally reached him.


    "Mr. Winston!" Bam exclaimed, his face beaming with a wide smile. Momentarily, Winston found himself caught dumbfounded. Then, a similar smile blossomed


    on his face as well.


    Wow... Didn''t know a simple smile could convey so much. Floating over, he boarded the blue platform and met up with his... younger brother. Yeah. That feels about right.


    As he landed, he was instantly taken into the arms of none other than Yuri Ha Jahad. The


    princess herself.


    Instantly, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and smiled at him.


    "Man! That was something else! How did you defeat that guy so quickly!? I guess irregulars


    are just built different huh?!" She ruffled his hair which was uncovered by a hat.


    Inwardly, Winston felt a tad bit embarassment at being treated as such; but he let it go for


    now.


    But momentarily, he also wondered.


    Why did I fight her to begin with? Was it merely a test on my part? His eyes narrowed.


    imperceptibly to others.


    Or was it... sigh! Man. This is getting far too ridiculous.


    ...


    ...


    A/N: This chapter is of an acceptable length. I''m quite satisfied with how this chapter turned


    out. Also, volume 2 will end in 10 chapters, plus or minus.


    Anyways, there was something I wanted to ask the readers.


    Anyone remember than one fanfiction about Re zero, where, instead of Subaru, Ainz from


    Overlord gets transported into Lugunica Royal Capital? From there on, he joins Emilia Camp, makes everyone fawn over him through misunderstandings and at one point, even questions the royal council and humiliates them.


    I wished to read that again but can''t find it. Did the original author delete it? If not, can


    anyone tell me the name and how I can find it? Anyways, cheers~~

 Chapter 118: Another one?

    Chapter 118: Another one?North City was a large metropolis standing upon the flesh of the dead God.


    It was a city nestled inside of a natural clearing inside the carcass if the administrator, inhabiting thousands upon thousands if inhabitants spread across a distance of more than 700 kilometers in diameter.


    Of course, ''North City'' referred to the city center which held only a few thousand people.


    Towering buildings formed the arcological city, designed towards maximum retention of life through their vertical structures.


    And it was in this very city that there lied the soul of every living being on the Floor of Death.


    The souls were held in a specialized chamber- the spirit room, protected by Grand De Jah himself.


    Yet, amid the festive atmosphere that lingered in the city at the news of a certain Hell Joe''s defeat, everyone failed to notice a particular group of people heading into the center of the city.


    Perhaps they were simply too good at being stealthy, or maybe the city had grown too complacent in their excitement.


    Regardless, it didn''t matter.


    The group was led by a male, standing at a respectable height with hair white as snow.


    His skin looked soft and equally, if not whiter than his hair. His pupils were a sheen silver and dressed in roomy white robes, he walked barefoot upon feet that seemed to have never touched a stone in their life.


    Yet, the most striking thing about this man was a sword that he held in his hand. He rested the sword atop his shoulders, smiling as he walked along the corridor with a mocking smirk.


    Behind him was another man, this was far too different than him.


    He had his entire body wrapped with bandages. Or perhaps that was armor? It was hard to tell. The bandage like armor was dirty and dark, as if it had seen the wear and tear of countless battles. His robes were black in colour with eerie red embroidery and his yellow eyes, empty and wide told nothing about his current state of thought. His eyelids seemed to be perpetually open, never moving even a single bit.


    And finally, behind them trailed a man.


    His figure was almost sorry when compared to the two that walked before him. He had bright red hair and equally red eyes. His clothes were burnt, frozen, charred and destroyed.


    It was quite a stretch to even call them clothes. All he had was an underwear to cover the essentials and some portions of his shirt and pants'' remains. His expression betrayed his depressed mood and his face told of his anguish.


    Interestingly enough, his hands were tied with a dark binding that looked blacker than night itself.


    These three figures were of course, Slayer White, Slayer Karaka and finally, Theolis Clear.


    And they were here to raid the spirit room and collect the souls!


    Theolis clicked his tongue as he walked behind the two psychopaths.


    Inwardly, he cursed the silver dwarf that led him to enter the tower a thousand times, no, a million times over.


    Just when he thought his condition couldn''t get worse, he had somehow, through some strange whim of fate, managed to run into the two Slayers from FUG!


    What the fuck were the chances!? I swear someone is ought to get to me! Fuck this!! As agitated as he was on the inside, he could very little to improve the current situation.


    As soon as he was discovered, he was bound by Karaka to stop him from escaping.


    At least he would be brought back to the train after this and wouldn''t have to spend the rest of his life on the floor of death...


    The walk through the corridor was long. Their footsteps didn''t make too much noise, because none of them wore any foot wear. Theolis'' had been destroyed while White didn''t wear any. Karaka''s feet were covered with armor so shoes weren''t needed.


    After some time, they reached the end.


    And in front of them stood a large door.


    The door held intricate cravings that hummed with arcane radiance. And at its center was a large hole, meant for a key.


    The platform at which they now stood and the door were separated with a large gap, the bottom of which ended in a seemingly endless chasm.


    White didn''t mind the gap and with a small effort on his part, he jumped from the platform!


    Karaka too followed, though not forgetting to drag the prisoner alongside them.


    "Uahhh!" Theolis screamed as the wind suddenly hit his face. His legs left the ground and off he went, suspended by the changes that bind his wrists.


    Their figures landed on the entrance to the room.


    White looked at the door and scoffed.


    "What a pathetic excuse for a sealing spell." He murmured and raised his sword.


    And then-


    Whooosh!


    Fwwiiish!


    With the whistling of the wind, the door simply... fell apart.


    It split into innumerable squares in a grid like pattern, falling down on the floor as White strode on over them.


    "Come on now. We don''t have all day." White smirked as he looked over his shoulder. Then, stepping over the collapsed door, he entered.


    This anaemic bastard...I really wanna yell at his face that he looks like a girl... Theolis felt annoyance brew in his heart every time he looked at this slayer''s face.


    Why? He was one of the main reasons for his increasing misfortune.


    At first, when he arrived at the Hell Train, White- or better yet, Hoaqin was stronger than him. But slowly, over the coarse of a few days, his strength magically rose to surpass his by a


    long shot.


    At that time, when he finally felt like luck was truly on his side, Hoaqin transformed into White after absorbing his kin. And that turned the tables.


    After that, White spared no effort to remind him of his superiority. Even though, in the end, he had lost to Bam and his team.


    Yet here again, Theolis'' power came in clutch. His power began to rise once again!


    But alas, it couldn''t reach the levels of White, who practised the Arie family swordsmanship. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And after Karaka joined then, his misfortune and treatment in the group only seemed to


    deteriorate.


    It felt like they were taking care of a slave rather than someone merely joining them for a partnership. Of course, at this point, Theolis was beginning to suspect if the White Dwarf had sold him off to FUG.


    Uncaring of the glare at the back of his head, White looked at the spirit room.


    And his eyes instantly shone with greed.


    The spirit room was an opulent hall, one that was taller than a large building. The room was circular in shape and held a giant raised platform at the center. But the treasure lied a long distance above the raised platform.


    It was in the form of a large glowing sphere, one that seemed to pulse with radiant energies


    and tendrils of blue plasma creeped out and sank into it. The shinsu in the air was restless as the sphere hummed with power. It was none other than the souls of every single being living


    on the floor of death!


    White grinned crazily as his silver eyes laid upon the great treasure.


    He laughed dryly.


    "White." Karaka called out from behind the slayer.


    White turned to meet his gaze disinterestedly. "What?" He said.


    "Is that stash enough for you to return to full power?" Karaka questioned, not caring about


    his fellow slayer''s mannerisms.


    Hearing his question, White''s grin returned with full force.


    "Return to full power?" He looked longingly at the group of souls far above. This ancient being, far older than Theolis'' entire lineage seemed to contemplate the question. Then, he chuckled. "Not quite." He continued. "It''ll be enough though. For me to go back and take care of my last clone. When that happens, I will no doubt get my full power back." Without any more words, White walked ahead and spread his arms wide as if wanting to take


    the entire world into his arms.


    Then, he raised his hand and pointed his sword at the ball of souls.


    Whoooosh!


    Fwiiiish! Fwiiish! Fwooooo!


    His sword rippled with shinsu. Arie swordsmanship was more than physical effort and skill. It


    was the manipulation of space itself. Shinsu itself was embued into the way an Arie would swing their sword. As such, even with their inability to use the shinsu on the floor, White


    could effectively bypass it due to his sword.


    And what was he using it for?


    To cast a spell, of course!


    He could not simply open his mouth and devour the souls whole. Frankly speaking, it was


    never so simple. If it were individual souls, dying over the course of some time-like in war- it would have served no problem. But these souls were different.


    They were bound. Chained. They were coalesced due to the presence of a spell and were effectively mixed into a collective whole.


    And so, a counter spell was needed to have it work.


    White figure was like a beautiful dancer. The swordplay was a sight to behold, which, unlike traditional swordplay seemed almost divine in how it played out. Whem White slashed down, the sword came from the right. When he slashed from the right, the sword did a stab.


    It created a symphony of contrasting yet beautiful movements, one that any mortal man could not help but lay their eyes upon and recoil in awe.


    And after only a few seconds, the counter spell was ready.


    White smiled as he looked upon the sphere. Then, he opened his mouth wide, and swallowed


    the sphere.


    ...


    On the Ark of knowledge, Po Bidau Gustang sat in his office, calmly reading through a book.


    He was slouched into his chair as his left hand held the book in front of him.


    But then, his eyes shook.


    He turned his head, looking into empty air as if seeing through an insurmountable void and


    into the unknown.


    Suddenly, he got up from his chair, kept the book down and a white trenchcoat appeared over


    his body.


    Snapping his fingers, a bright flash of light swallowed his body whole, and he disappeared


    into the air.


    ...


    The Floor of Death instantly underwent a change.


    Khun and the others who had been in North City, joining in on the celebration found themselves freaking out. Everyone simply... dropped to the ground.


    It was as if they had died. Just like that, without any sort of warning.


    Hwaryun looked at Khun in alarm, "The Spirit room!"


    As he said that, a chill went down the spine of everyone that was still standing. And a


    premonition brew in their hearts. They exchanged momentary glances, and everyone knew


    the other party was thinking the same thing.


    White!


    ...


    Inside the spirit room, Karaka and Theolis shielded their eyes from the light show that followed. A brilliant flash blinded them just after White swallowed all the souls.


    And as it happened, both of them felt as if an invisible sword was placed at their necks.


    Theolis shivered, his fists clenching in invisible protest against the feeling of imminent death.


    It was as if the grim reaper had descended in the world, ready to chop off their heads at a moment''s notice.


    And then, everything subsided.


    The lingering feeling of lethal danger, as if one was being pried by a predator disappeared. The light died down, and from the smoke emerged a truly glorious being. White calmly walked towards them, a crown over his head that floated in the air. His eyes were lined with a red paint and his white robe held crimson embroidery. His previously silver eyes now held an unmistakable black sheen. But by far the most striking part about him was the


    sword he held.


    The sword seemed like it could cleave the very space around them. At that point, both of them


    knew it.


    White could kill them right here and now. Without shinsu to protect himself, Karaka could not


    utilize his greatest power, which lay in his shinsu quality. As for Theolis... well, he was merely a regular.


    So this... is slayer White. One of the bloodiest slayers in history. A monster from the old age... Karaka


    could not help but repeat his titles in his mind. With this man''s help, Karaka was sure of it. He would be able to destroy Yuri Ha Jahad and kill the Slayer Candidate, Jue Viole Grace. "Ah~" White groaned a bit in pleasure. He held his arm above his head and stretched. "I


    haven''t felt like this in ages! It feels like I''m almost at my prime." He clenched his fist and opened it a few times, getting a feel for his newfound- or perhaps regained- strength. Karaka stepped forward to congratulate him. But before he could do so, a mocking voice filled


    his ear.


    "Wow~ I didn''t know there was another thief here, aside from me~" The voice seemed to come from all around them, and was unmistakably feminine in nature.


    White instantly felt the hair on his neck stand as he readied his sword.


    He felt like he was being seen. Observed.


    And as if on que, hundreds of eyes materialized in the void around them. And from there on,


    bodies formed around the eyes.


    White and Karaka felt blood drain from their bodies as the bodies filled the air, all the way to


    the top of the room! Each figure, whether it be male or female was dressed elegantly. And there was, but one trait that connected them all.


    All of them held a crystal monocle on ''their'' right eyes.


    They all collectively smiled at them. Under their scrutiny, White and Karaka were at a loss.


    Sweat pooled on their foreheads as they felt something they hadn''t felt in a long time.


    Genuine dread.


    If Theolis had any liquid in his bladder, he was afraid it would have been emptied there and


    then. His lips quivered as he looked at all of them.


    Every single one of them collectively smiled and opened their mouths.


    "The pig himself has walked into the butcher house~"


    ...


    ...


    A/N: Thank you for those that told me of the re zero story I was looking for. As a token of my


    gratitude, I will drop this chapter here today.


    I am quite curious about making a re zero fanfic myself as well; as there are not many of them.


    At least none that last very long. But I don''t think that''ll be for a very long time. At least I want to finish this one before moving on to the next one; lest this ends up like something


    else(ahem* Jujutsu Kaisen Exception ahem*). Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter.


    Cheers~~

 Chapter 119: Notice

    Chapter 119: NoticeI come bearing bad news.


    There''s won''t be a chapter for a good while. At least for the whole of March, and if I deem it necessary, even April.


    I do apologize for taking such a break, but I have more important matters to care for that this story. If you''re dissatisfied, I don''t know what to tell you, honestly.


    Anyways, if I don''t come back in April, I''ll do so in May so at least the story isn''t going to be dropped. At most, it''s merely going on a 2 month long hiatus.


    Cheers. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.