Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Khun wasn't foolish enough to believe that someone as powerful as Vahn would simply vacate the throne for no reason. The man presented himself as an Emperor and even had two outrageously powerful people he referred to as vassals. There was clearly an underlying reason for his decision, the most likely scenarios being that the Emperor had taken an interest in something and wished to confirm it with his own eyes...With an imperceptible frown on his face, Khun looked between the half-dead Rak and the young boy with crystal clear eyes seated upon the throne. This was none other than Baam, and, though it was strange to admit, Khun had actually become rather fond of the boy in the very short period of time they had known each other.Unlike most residents of the Tower, Baam gave off the impression of someone who was 'untainted' by the darkness that seemed to have encroached upon the hearts and minds of most people. It was like he knew nothing at all about the world, yet, in spite of this, he had a unique radiance about him that drew everyone to his side. Khun couldn't really understand it himself, but Baam, despite being named after the 'night', was like a purifying light that glowed within the darkness, something that people naturally sought out in order to escape their own corruption...Noticing the gaze of Khun, Baam offered a friendly yet nervous smile as he sheepishly asked, "Is it really okay for someone like me to have the Crown? With Mr. Rak injured, I don't think we can win the game. I-"Interrupting Baam's defeatist claim, Rak loudly snorted through his nose, staring at the youth out of the corner of his eye as he stated, "I am not so weak that I need some Black Turtle to worry about me. Do not forget the conviction you showed when facing the Bearded Turtle. Only the strong and resolute ever have their dreams fulfilled..."Finished with his words, Rak issued a pained grunt as he rose to a standing position, towering over both Baam and Khun like an immovable mountain. This was enough to silence any kind of rebuttal, earning an understanding nod from the former and a helpless sigh from the latter.Deciding to go all-out, Khun removed the blue bandana that was tied around the braid on the left side of his head. Then, after tying up his hair in a ponytail, a confident smile spread across his face as he mused, "Look on the bright side. The most powerful team has already been disqualified from the competition. From what I can tell, there are only two other groups that pose a threat. So long as they don't team up against us, there is a fair chance we will emerge victoriously..."Inspired by Khun's words, an excited smile spread across Baam's face as he happily chimed, "I'll do my best not to lose the Crown!"Finding Baam's words rather amusing, Khun just lightly chuckled before looking up at Rak and saying, "Try to focus on recovering and protecting Baam. Unless something unexpected occurs, I should be able to deal with the next batch of teams on my own."Hearing Khun's statement, Rak issued another one of his characteristic snorts, but, unlike before, he didn't bother to retort. Instead, he adopted a proud and towering stance, chin raised as a subtle yet powerful aura emanated from his body...Understanding the crocodilian's silence as an affirmation, Khun adopted a wry smile as he lightly mused, "How reliable..."---With the strongest team already eliminated, the fourth round of the Crown Game had a full five teams participating, Baam's being a part of that number. This included a team led by a masked woman wearing full-body tights that showed off her curvaceous figure. She was one of the people Vahn had taken an interest in during his inspection, not because she seemed especially powerful, but because the fate around her was constantly shifting. Thus, even if he was more concerned by the participation of the fourth team, he quickly inspected the staff-wielding woman and her team members.Unfortunately, despite their aura of confidence, the two men accompanying the woman weren't particularly interesting. The first, a brown-skinned man with short brown hair and red eyes, gave off the impression of a simple brawler. As for their final member, he was an arrogant-looking man with black hair pulled into a high ponytail with a few loose strands forming a stylish tuft that hung over his left eye. He wielded a needle-like sword, but, based on his balance and posture, he wasn't very adept at its use...Shifting his eyes away from the trio, Vahn turned his attention to the other three teams, completely ignoring one of the teams before resting his eyes on the man sleeping on the ground. The flow of Shinsu around his body was continually increasing with each passing moment, so, while his other two teammates weren't particularly interesting, there was a chance he could sweep the rest of the competition on his own.Though he had an exceptionally lazy-looking appearance with messy dark-green hair, the man was actually rather handsome and inordinately fit. As for his two teammates, they consisted of a rather haughty-looking woman with dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and an ample bust. The final member, despite his rather feminine appearance, was a man with inordinately long golden hair, a frock-like robe, and a red ribbon tied to his chest. He gave off the impression of a priest due to his outfit, but the thing that stood out most about him was the large red horn protruding from his right temple...Vahn actually sensed a lot of untapped potential in the horned-man, but, based on the look in his eyes, he lacked the confidence and determination to awaken it. His eyes gave off the impression of a soldier who had spent too long in the battlefield, his golden eyes focused on things nobody else could see; the type of things that relentlessly haunted your dreams.Since he would have plenty of time to learn more about each of the contestants in the future, Vahn turned his attention to the final team participating in the fourth match. Now that his team had been disqualified, they were the team with the highest possible chance of claiming victory, as, despite the uselessness of one of their members, the other two were basically monsters. One was a Princess of Jahad, specifically Endorsi, while the other was a demonic-looking man that was easily several times stronger than a normal Regular.Based on how the demonic man was constantly watching over Rachel, a seemingly normal person, it was pretty obvious that 'something' strange was going on. The man never uttered a single word, and, the few times he did leave Rachel's side, it was to either grab her something to eat or drink. It was almost like he was her servant, something that didn't make sense considering she was almost certainly an Irregular...Vahn had forfeited the game specifically to see what kind of action Rachel would take while Baam was seated upon the throne. He wanted to confirm if there was a preexisting relationship between them. The chances of this being the case were exceptionally high, so, assuming they were familiar with each other, Vahn wanted to see how she would treat a boy who was clearly doing everything in his power just to follow after her. If she shunned him in the pursuit of her own goals, that was one thing. However, if it turned out she was taking advantage of his naiveté over something as arbitrary as 'seeing the stars', Vahn would have more than a few words for them both...Just as this thought crossed his mind, the match spontaneously began when the woman wearing tights immediately charged towards the peculiar trio that didn't draw much of Vahn's interest. They all had unique appearances, including what appeared to be a young girl with very pale skin, black hair, pupilless black eyes, and a monochromatic dress, but, based on her aura, she was probably the oldest among them. As for the other two, one was a lean man with an odd hairstyle and some kind of Shinsu powered gauntlet while the other, far more exotic than virtually every other participant, vaguely resembled a centipede with an abyssal maw and three-clawed hands.With the staff-wielding woman appearing in front of them in an instant, the trio of Regulars was immediately put on alert, but, before any of them could fully react, she used the heavy club-like ends of the staff to bash the centipedal man. This caused a sickening 'crunch' to sound throughout the arena, and, as a result of the massive dent in the creature's carapace, he immediately dropped to the ground with green blood pooling from his void-like maw.Demonstrating the 'reality' of the Tower, the staff-wielding woman demonstrated a complete lack of mercy and empathy as she evaded all of her opponents' attacks with swift and graceful movements. It was almost like she could predict every single attack coming her way, and, based on the constant ebb and flow of fate around her, Vahn assumed that was exactly what she was doing. She was even able to dodge a metallic boomerang aimed at her back without even looking, gracefully stepping around the trajectory of the blade before throwing her staff in a similar manner.Surprised by how his own surprise attack could miss, the man attempted to backpedal, slipping on a small patch of blood. This caused him to fall in such a way that the hardest section of the staff hit him directly in the temple, killing him on the spot before bouncing towards the woman as if it had a homing function. In reality, she simply knew where it would rebound from the moment she threw it, never losing her momentum for even a single moment as she ignored the last member of the team, who, upon seeing her allies killed, fell onto her butt, soiling herself as she muttered, "I forfeit..." in a sobbing tone...---Seeing another team decimated in an instant, the thief-like girl could be seen visibly sweating as she turned mechanically towards her no-longer-sleeping companion and stated, "I think we should return to our waiting room. That spandex-demon is too powerful. Come on, Ho, Laure! Let's get out of this hellish place! I don't want to lose my life during a bonus game!"As he was able to read the flow of Shinsu, including that of others, Laure didn't hesitate to shake his head, stating, "No. That woman isn't targeting us. The two of you can wait near the waiting room if you want, but don't you dare step inside. I will handle this myself..."Though he enjoyed sleeping for upwards of twenty-two hours a day, Laure was not a coward. He knew what he was getting himself into when he decided to become a Regular, so, while he would spend most of his time sleeping, he was actually training his Shinsu control and gathering all kinds of information. When it came to battling against opponents, he never showed fear, as, in his mind: fear led to doubt, doubt led to stagnation, and stagnation led to death. He might enjoy sleeping, but that didn't mean he was in a rush to experience what some referred to as the Eternal Sleep...Without waiting for his teammates to reply, Laure unfurled his blanket, a massive ball of Shinsu manifesting in the palm of his extended left hand. His target was the two members of the staff-wielding woman's team, not because they posed a threat, but because they would be the easiest to eliminate. He followed the mentality that you should eliminate the weakest members early on, as, in many situations, they were the most willing to commit to crazy schemes and strategies in order to secure victory.Though they noticed the veritable wall of Shinsu extending towards them like a column that had fallen on its side, it wasn't for no reason that Vahn had ignored the duo. The most they were able to do was put up their guard before the water pillar slammed into them, crashing into the bodies and pinning them to the distant wall of the arena. Once the 'water' had faded, they could both be seen lying on the ground, knocked out but otherwise okay...Noticing the mask-wearing woman didn't even flinch when her teammates were eliminated, Laure's expression became slightly more serious as he began to form a second ball of Shinsu. Rather than aim at the woman, however, he set his sight on the throne. The most important thing was securing the Crown. So long as he managed to steal it for himself and sit upon the throne, it wouldn't matter how many opponents were left; he would be the winner by default...---Khun had been closely observing the battlefield so he instantly noticed was Laure was up to, his scalp tingling as he shouted, "Rak!"In response, the crocodilian man bellowed, "I'm not blind, Blue Turtle!" before stepping in front of Baam, clearly intending to use his body to block the attack.Baam felt extremely guilty seeing Rak's massive figure blocking his vision, but, remembering the man's former words, he just tightened his hold on the Black March and whispered, "I need to be stronger...". As if to respond to his words, the Black March began to vibrate slightly, but, without noticing it, Baam continued to stare towards Rak's back as if he saw something very important in its breadth...---From within the 'comfort' of her own waiting room, Anak could be seen laying on the bench located closest to the back. There was still a visible hole in her blouse and vest, revealing a patch of healthy green skin underneath, but, as if such things didn't bother her in the slightest, Anak ignored both it and the battles. Instead, she stared lazily at the wall in front, her tail lightly tapping against the cold stone of the bench.Anak had always anticipated that there would be people stronger than her within the Tower but she never expected to encounter a setback as early as the second floor. She hadn't even able to react at all to her opponent's final few attacks, losing both the match and the Green April in the process. If not for the enemy taking pity on her, sparing her life, and even returning the Green April while she was knocked unconscious, her journey for revenge would have already come to an end.She didn't want to admit it, but Anak didn't even think 'ignition' was enough to give her an edge against the hateful 'Vanargandr'. His weapon gave off a similar impression to the Green April, so, while it might not be on the same level, she believed it was also capable of igniting. If that was the case, it meant he hadn't even been taking her seriously during their battle, a thought that filled her with both indignation and self-loathing...While thinking of ways she could get back at the hateful swordsman, Anak felt a sudden stir from the Green April. This immediately drew her attention, as, immediately thereafter, the spirit within the blade informed her that another Thirteen Month Series was nearby.Surprising both Hatsu and Shibisu, Anak rose from her lying position like a bolt of green lightning, reaching the gate in an instant. This caused Shibisu to ask what the matter was, but, with her mind fully focused on the battlefield, Anak didn't hear him. Instead, her eyes zeroed in on the boy seated atop the throne; her pupils releasing an eerie light as her aura began surging outward.Before anyone could even think to stop her, Anak didn't hesitate to break free from the locked gate, eyes fixated on the needle-like sword vibrating within Baam's hands...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I am Rak Wraithraiser...!','*Bonk*','Gimme gimme...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Having just tanked a Shinsu attack that left his body emitting a substantial amount of steam, Rak exhaled a cloud of vapor in the form of a sigh. His red eyes began releasing an intense light, and, though he wanted nothing more than to just lay down and rest, he managed to stay upright, the muscles in his body straining like coiled springs as he glared at his attacker.Though he was surprised that there was actually someone foolish enough to tank a Shinsu attack with their unprotected body, Laure wasn't the type to just wait around for his opponent to counter-attack. The moment he noticed Rak's gaze, he quickly jumped to this side, his feet hovering several centimeters from the ground as he began levitating at extreme speeds.Rak knew he only had one shot to eliminate his enemy as another ball of Shinsu had already started to form in Laure's hand, this one more than a meter in diameter. Fortunately, it required both focus and time to gather Shinsu from the surroundings, so, before the man was able to fire a third volley, Rak released a thunderous roar loud enough to generate a shockwave. Then, demonstrating even more power than he had used against Vahn, a few bands of red electricity flashed across the body of his spear as he tossed it with an oppressive amount of momentum.Despite taking preemptive measures to evade the attack, Laure instantly realized he would not be able to dodge Rak's desperate blow. Fortunately, he had already gathered an adequate amount of Shinsu, not to form a barrier, but to create a vortex-like wall with the hopes of redirecting the bolt-like spear away from him. He didn't have confidence in a static barrier so this was the best he could with less than a decisecond to respond.Rewarding Laure's quick-thinking, Rak's spear deviated by a few degrees the moment it came into contact with the vortex. Though the spearhead managed to clip part of his blanket, that was a small price to pay considering it was initially targeting his abdomen. His blanket had the ability to repair itself, so, while it broke his heart to have his beloved wrapping damaged, Laure focused on the task at hand: defeating the person who had damaged his most precious treasure...Before Laure could fire a fourth barrage, a stillness descended upon the battlefield as an explosion suddenly occurred along the periphery. Even Endorsi, who had been locked in a stalemate against the mask-wearing woman was caught by surprise, creating a gap for her opponent to land a hard strike against her diaphragm.While cursing, "You exhibitionist bitch..." under her breath, Endorsi fell to her knees as the masked woman subsequently ignored her. She was far more focused on the events transpiring atop the throne, as, immediately following the sound of the explosion, Anak could be seen kicking Rak to the side before receiving a heavy blow from the six-meter tall demonic man on Rachel's team...---Seeing Rak suddenly kicked to the side, followed by a green-skinned girl landing right in front of him, Baam was at a loss as to how he should respond. To further exacerbate his confusion, an even larger man than Rak appeared like a phantom, slicing downward with a meat cleaver even larger than the girl.Due to her focus on Baam, Anak was momentarily caught off guard by the surprisingly swift attack, her instincts barely affording her the opportunity to lift the Green April as the cleaver came to bear upon her. The impact was so heavy that she felt like all her bones were creaking, and, though the platform containing the throne was more durable than the rest of the arena, two craters instantly appeared beneath the soles of her feet as she sunk several centimeters into the ground.With blood visibly staining her teeth, Anak cursed, "You...damn...bastard...!" before summoning up a tremendous amount of strength within her tiny body. It wasn't enough to send the man flying, but it at least forced him back a few steps. During that brief interval, she attempted to forcibly seize the Black March from Baam's hands, determined to retrieve it at all costs.Baam suddenly felt like a mouse trapped by a cat, but, rather than back down, he managed to point the Black March towards Anak by pure instinct. In response, the blade began to hum even louder as the color shifted from a deep onyx hue to progressively more vibrant gold. Though he hadn't asked it to, the Black March had taken the initiative to self-ignite, adamantly refusing to fall into the hands of another woman so soon after finding an attractive host.Noticing the ignition even before Baam, Anak responded by attempting to ignite the Green April, but, as if to demonstrate that things could always get worse, her efforts were interrupted by a heavy leather briefcase striking the side of her head. Khun had originally intended to intervene in the fight between Endorsi and the masked-woman, trusting Rak to do everything in his power to protect the throne. The sudden eruption of Anak from her waiting room had taken him by surprise, but, using the opportunity created by the demonic man, he unhesitantly tossed his Manbarondenna with the intent to interrupt whatever the lizard was trying to do.After her loss to Gandr, Anak wasn't in the best mental state so everything happening only caused her greater confusion and frustration. She especially hated getting hit in the face, so, the moment she recovered from the surprise hit, her pupils began glistening with a murderous light. Her original intent was only to seize the Black March, but, now that multiple people were standing in her way, a wrathful aura began to emanate from her body as she pointed the Green April towards the sky...Sensing the danger radiating from Anak, Baam could feel his heart racing as the Black March grew ever brighter in his hands. His first instinct was to try and stop the fight but he didn't think the girl would listen to anyone in her current state. Thus, with his hands tightening on the Black March's handle, he muttered, "Please don't hurt her too much..." as he pointed the needle's tip directly at the incensed young lizard.In response to Baam's utterance, a petite woman with long blonde hair, pointed ears, and golden eyes appeared behind him, gently embracing him as she whispered, "Don't worry, I'm just going to teach my sister a lesson..."Immediately following her words, the tip of the Black March extended at a speed comparable to lightning piercing Anak through the chest and sending a tremendous amount of lightning into her body. At the same time, similar bands of lightning radiated from Baam's body, enveloping him in much the same way as the woman. This surprised even the Black March herself as, despite this only being the second time she had ignited on his behalf, it felt like her power had increased more than three times the original amount...Surprised by the fact he had pierced Anak through the chest, Baam instinctually released the Black March from his grip, surprising the sentient needle and causing her to shout, "You idiot...!" before disappearing into motes of light. The aura that had previously been protecting him then ran out of control, quite literally shocking Baam as he released an ear-piercing scream and collapsed atop the throne.As if to answer Baam's cry, Rachel, who had been skulking behind her personal bodyguard during the earlier stages of the fight, removed her hood and shouted, "Baam!" in a concerned tone. This caused the boy's eyes to immediately snap open, and, though he was in extreme pain due to the energy wracking his body, he still managed to zero in on the woman who had called out to him, his seizures stopping for a brief moment as he uttered, "R-Rachel..."Just as it seemed like Baam was about to say more, the masked woman who had been locked in battle against Endorsi appeared, not near the throne, but behind Rachel. This caused Baam's eyes to widen even more, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinholes as he saw the woman he dedicated his everything to batted aside like a ragdoll. He could see blood pooling from her temple, and, though it was a significantly weaker blow than she had used against any others, the masked woman went out of her way to try and follow up with a second attack...Though it felt like time had slowed to a crawl, Baam knew he wouldn't be able to make it in time to save Rachel. His was simply too slow, and, even if he could reach her side, he didn't possess enough power to defeat someone like the masked woman. He relied on the help of others and the power of items just to make it this far. Now, because of his weakness, he could do little more than cry out as the person he cared about most was harmed right in front of him...Feeling an overwhelming amount of despair and helplessness descend upon him, Baam felt like his mind had completely shut down. In the deepest recesses of his subconscious, however, a powerful pulsation, similar to a single heartbeat, could be heard. This was immediately followed by a second powerful pulse, this one even stronger than before...Unaware of his own actions, Baam managed to leap from the throne with enough force to shatter it into several pieces. His hair seemed to take on a luminous golden glow, and, though it wasn't nearly as flashy as the ignition of the Black March, wispy golden lightning crackled across his body with an intensity that caused the crown around his head to simply dissolve into nothingness.In what seemed like a single instant to most, Baam appeared in between the masked woman and Rachel, his hand grasping the staff. Not only was its momentum completely arrested, but the area grasped almost immediately turned to particulates of light. Immediately after that, he backhanded the masked woman with enough force to completely shatter her mask, a golden band of lightning arcing from his fist to her right eye in the moments prior to her being sent crashing into the wall more than 250m away...---Upon witnessing Anak erupting from her waiting room, a sigh of profound exasperation escaped from Lero-Ro's mouth. He had expected something like this to happen the moment he noticed the weapon in Baam's possession was the Black March; he just didn't expect it to happen in the middle of the fourth round. He expected her to try and target Baam in the Residental Area, murdering him in the middle of the night or in-between Tests.Had this been a normal test, Lero-Ro could have immediately failed Anak, stripping away her status as a Regular and forcing her to retire to the Middle Tower. There, she would be hunted down and killed by members of the Royal Enforcement Division, as, despite calling herself Anak Jahad, she was not a legitimate Princess. The real Anak had died long ago, the Green April disappearing before her death and remaining undiscovered until earlier this morning.It wasn't difficult to imagine the circumstances behind the appearance of a second 'Anak Jahad', so it was only a matter of time before the Jahad Empire tried to bury her existence. This had absolutely nothing to do with Lero-Ro, however, as his loyalty lay with his position as a Test Admin. He was not a lapdog of the Jahad Empire, and, so long as he was a Test Admin, he was committed to following the rules established by the Guardians. With that in mind, he pulled up his terminal and was about to teleport into the arena, his finger pausing less than a centimeter from the button as he stared in awe at the scene playing out below...---Though he wasn't aware of what he had done, Baam's subconscious seemed to understand that he had completed his objective. The golden aura shrouding his body began to fade away, replaced by a startling amount of blood erupting from various parts of his body. Most of his muscles had been torn by pushing his body far beyond its limits, and, though his bones hadn't broken, quite a few of them had fractured from the strain. Most notably, however, was the injuries he had sustained to his bodily organs, his heart straining madly as blood began to slowly fill his lungs and skull.With blood pouring from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, Baam ended up collapsing atop Rachel's body. This created a rather gruesome sight, causing the blonde-haired woman to turn whiter than a ghost, but, rather than push him away, she actually embraced Bam's body, gently caressing his hair as she uttered, "Go to sleep...this is all just a bad dream..." before staring blankly at the ceiling...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Anak has gone berserk o_o...','The power of an Irregular protagonist...','It's all just a bad dream ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though few people expected Rak's attack to succeed, especially after seeing the power exhibited by Phae and Gandr, absolutely no one expected his spear to stop fewer than a centimeter from Vahn's forehead, slowly spinning in place as the man who had declared himself an Emperor continued to smile casually.Without waiting for the peanut gallery to fully process what they had just witnessed, Vahn raised his right hand slightly, his smile becoming more prominent as he said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rak Wraithraiser. Unfortunately, I'll have to return the gift you have so graciously bestowed upon me..."During Vahn's short statement, the spear that had been revolving in front of his forehead spun 180 degrees. With a simple flick of his wrist, it was then launched back at Rak with comparable speed to the original throw. This came as quite a surprise to the gator-like man, momentarily stunning him in place and forcing the blue-haired youth to pull him aside by the cape.With nothing to obstruct its path, the ruby-red spear crashed into the ground with explosive force, propelling dust and debris like tiny pieces of shrapnel. Fortunately, the only group near the impact point was Baam, Rak, and the as-of-yet-named blue-haired youth. The latter had pulled Rak in such a way that his large and durable body acted as a shield, so, other than a few pockmarks and bruises, there were no major injuries...---Cursing his misfortune for having an idiot on his team, the blue-haired youth, known better as Khun Aguero Agnis, released a tired sigh before glowering at Rak and saying, "I told you not to charge in, you idiot crocodilian..."Annoyed by the former's words, Rak yanked his cape free from Khun's hands as he bellowed, "Blue Turtle! Do not interfere between me and my prey! I will hunt the Bearded Turtle and become even stronger!"While doing his best to ignore the smell and spittle emanating from Rak's mouth, Khun adopted a relaxed stance, shouldering his stylish leather briefcase as he said, "This isn't one of your hunts. If we want to defeat that man, we need to work together. If we violate his 'rules', the other two are bound to step in. If that happens, we'll have already lost this fight..."Agreeing with Khun's statement, Baam, clutching a wrapped Black March in his hands, nervously added, "Khun's right! That man is too strong for us to battle on our own. Maybe if we team up with the others...we might just win! Please, Mr. Rak, we need to win this game so we can move higher up the Tower!"Unmoved by the frail boy's appeal, Rak emanated steam from his nostrils as he plainly stated, "The only thing I care about is hunting strong prey. I agreed to climb the Tower with you, but that does not mean I will ignore prey right in front of me..."By the time he had finished his statement, Rak had liberated his spear from the ground. Then, with a firm and resolute gaze, he turned his attention toward the throne and added, "I will go first...if you and the other Turtles see an opportunity, take it..."With those parting words, Rak leaned forward, running at a surprisingly swift speed for someone his size before leaping high into the air. Vahn could detect a powerful and ancient aura surging from within the man's body, but, while it was certainly very impressive, he was far from the level required to reach the throne. This did, however, confirm that he was likely central to the Record's original plot as it was surprisingly common for allies of the protagonist to have power hidden within their bloodlines...Rather than waiting for the man to try and hammer down with his spear, stepping onto the throne's platform in the process, Vahn confidently raised his hand towards the meteoric figure. He could feel quite a bit of resistance due to the man's aura, but, without any real suspense, Rak's figure came to a halt in mid-air before Vahn waved his hand to the side, slamming him into the arena's wall before raising his left hand and repelling a glistening blue 'laser' formed from water Shinsu.Seeing her surprise attack dealt with so easily, the pretty-looking woman wielding a wand adorned with a watery blue sphere at the top completely froze in place. The projectile she had fired was split into three separate beams that curved around her body without causing her harm, but, knowing her opponent had the ability to 'reflect' Shinsu, the wand she had spent all her fortune on suddenly felt like a paperweight.Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about being the only useless Regular participating, as, with the exception of Baam, Khun, and the burly red-haired man, everyone else felt as though their bodies were squeezed by an invisible force. All the air was forced from their lungs, and, though they didn't sustain any heavy injuries, it wasn't long before most of them had passed out from asphyxiation. As for the rest, the also felt a restrictive force, but, due to their body's natural resistance and willpower, Vahn had a harder time applying his Telekinesis to them.Though Telekinesis was an 'exceptionally' useful ability once mastered, it could be interfered with by just about anything. Certain individuals could break free using raw power, and, should they possess an inordinately strong will, Telekinesis could be completely useless on others. Because of this, Baam and Khun were largely unaffected, earning an approving nod from Vahn. As for the remaining man, he was bound in place for a brief moment, but, seemingly drawing strength from rage, he managed to break free after a few seconds had passed...Noticing most of the other teams had been eliminated in an instant, a bead of sweat ran down the side of Khun's face as he realized they might have gotten in over their head. The opponent in front of them possessed the kind of power that schemes didn't work against, and, due to their hesitation, they had even lost the chance to team up with the others.Shifting his attention from the crater where Rak had been embedded into the wall, Khun observed the young boy standing to his right, once again surprised by the fact that Bam had made it through virtually unscathed. He wasn't even breathing heavily, and, though beads of sweat had formed on his brow, that was pretty normal considering the aura emanating from the man seated upon the throne.Though he knew it was useless, Khun suppressed a sigh as he smiled towards Baam and said, "We should forfeit the match. I now understand why the Test Admins decided upon this game. They are trying to get rid of this team to level the playing field. We can't hope to defeat these three at our current level."Without any hesitation at all, Baam shook his head in response to Khun's words, tightly gripping the Black March as he replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Khun, but I can't just forfeit! I would rather try my hardest, even if it means I'll fail! I have to do everything in my power to catch up to Rachel...!"Unsurprised by Baam's words, Khun shrugged in a 'what can you do?' manner before pulling out a knife from his briefcase and musing, "At least he is still going easy on us..."---Hearing Baam shout out Rachel's name, several alarm bells began sounding in Vahn's mind as he slightly squinted his eyes. He didn't actually know Baam that well, but he got the impression they were very similar to each other. Rather, it seemed like he paralleled quite a number of protagonists in other Records...In Vahn's case, he had found people very early on to support and push him forward, shaping him into the man, and Emperor, he had become. Without this support group, he might have wandered down a very dangerous path, a truth embodied by his character in the Divination.If Baam was searching for the same Rachel that Vahn had been observing over the last few hours, it wasn't difficult to imagine what kind of fate awaited him. She was bound to betray him in order to further her goals, and, though he wasn't familiar with the original story, Vahn had compiled enough stories in his mind to intuit how things would develop.The Tower was a place that promoted those who were willing to do whatever it took to complete their objectives. It wasn't a place for a naive young boy with social anxiety to try and make friends, even if he was the protagonist. That meant there had to be 'something' that happened to alter his course, a significant enough emotional event that either changed the way he viewed the Tower or gave him the drive to conquer it.More than any other catalyst, it was acts of betrayal that had the deepest impact upon a person's character. This was especially true when the person in question had absolute faith or trust in the person who had betrayed them, the kind of faith that compelled them to fearlessly stand against giant monsters just for a chance at following after the target of their adulation.Vahn didn't owe a single thing to Baam, but, as someone who had always protected the innocent, he wouldn't just stand by and watch the boy suffer. Thus, in an effort to ascertain the truth of the matter, Vahn surprised the charging youths by raising his hand and saying, "Enough. That previous attack was my final test. Now that you have passed it, you have earned the right to wear this Crown. Guard it well, young heroes."Demonstrating he wasn't just trying to lull them into a false sense of security, Vahn subsequently removed the Crown from his head, placing it on the armrest before rising from the throne. Then, after a curt nod towards the stunned duo, he returned to his team's waiting room, his expression turning inordinately serious as he turned around to bear witness to the events to come...---Having expected Vahn to forfeit 'after' defeating all the other teams, Lero-Ro was more surprised than anyone else by the sudden turn of events. He suddenly felt as though he couldn't get a read on the man, someone who seemed paradoxically eager to participate in the Testing despite a very clear disdain for the system itself.Exhaling a profound sigh, Lero-Ro picked up the intercom with his left hand while simultaneously pulling up the information on the remaining contestants. His intuition told him there was a reason for Vahn's behavior, and, having talked with Baam during the Shinsu Resistance Test, he already had a number of suspicions as to what it might be...Seeing Baam's virtually empty profile, lacking everything from his age to his origin, Lero-Ro pulled up the data pertaining to Vahn, Phae, and Gandr alongside it. Like the former, the latter three were both anomalies within the system and confirmed Irregulars. Thus, unless Baam's data had somehow been expunged from the Tower's records, the chances of him also being an Irregular were high. The only reason he hadn't jumped to this conclusion previously was due to the fact that Baam had in his possession the Black March, indicating at least a middling relationship with the Jahad Empire.As the most powerful force within the Tower, the Jahad Empire had more than enough power and authority to expunge or alter the data of a single Regular. In fact, it was pretty common for most of the Ten Great Families to expunge some of their descendants' data in order to protect them as they moved up the Tower. This made it harder to learn their strengths and weaknesses while also serving as a preemptive measure against 'failures' within the family. There were even cases where Regulars who had underperformed were outright discredited as descendants of the Ten Great Families, many disappearing shortly after these claims had begun to circulate...Feeling that his headaches were only going to increase in the future, Lero-Ro released one final sigh before resuming his usual calm and slightly cheerful disposition. There would be plenty of time to conduct an investigation following the Crown Game, so, for the time being, he wanted to focus on wrapping things up as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there were only two rounds left, so, with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, he brought the intercom to his mouth to announce...a three-minute break...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'No u','The Force is strong with this one...','Lero-Ro can't catch a break...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1700: Crown Game (5/5)