Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Hearing Phae's words, the trio of Regulars briefly exchanged look between each other before the bowl-cut man at the front said, "Deod, First Emperor, let me go. Our chances of winning this round were nill from the start. I don't want to have a reputation for teaming up against someone who is fighting honorably..."Agreeing with his companion's word, First Emperor, a hulking man with four eyes, a large nose, and ebony skin issued an understanding nod before crossing his arms and saying, "Very well, Leo. While you keep her distracted, Deod and I will face the other two. I will show this self-professed Emperor the might of my First Supreme King's Scorching Fist of Death..."Seemingly very confident in his words, First Emperor raised his right hand at the very end of his statement, his fist glowing red hot and releasing a considerable amount of steam. Unfortunately, the moment he tried to break away from his team's formation to approach the throne, it was like the heavens themselves had collapsed upon him, smashing him into the ground and creating a square-shaped impact crater...With the same 'kind' smile as before, Phae lowered her hammer to the side and reminded, "This is a match between the three of you and myself. Please keep that in mind..."Seeing their teammate 'hammered' into the ground without their opponent even needing to move, Leo and Deod couldn't help but pale slightly. The former even managed to stare directly into Phae's eyes, fearful of receiving his own punishment for starting elsewhere.Chuckling in response to the duo's reaction, Phae moved a few strands of hair from her face by combing them back with her gloved left hand. Then, at a relaxed pace, she began to walk forward, smiling as she explained, "If you won't come to me, I have little choice but to take more...proactive measures."Without waiting for a third warning, Leo immediately pulled out a short knife in response to Phae's words before blitzing forward with commendable speed. Phae even rewarded him an approving nod, but, the moment he attempted to lunge toward her abdomen, she, very easily, sidestepped the blow before, very lightly, bonking him on the head with her hammer.Despite the 'relatively' light tap, Leo ended up suffering a very similar fate to First Emperor, his body smashing into the ground as if a heavy pressure had descended upon him from above. Fortunately, other than a small bump atop his head, he didn't sustain any severe injuries despite a square impact crater nearly three-meters across forming beneath him.With two of her opponents defeated, Phae smiled toward the remaining member of the original trio. She could see visible beads of sweat on his pylon-shaped head, his singular red eye blinking in a strange rhythm as he stared back at her. He truly was a rather 'peculiar' creature, but, never one to judge people based on appearances, Phae, once again, combed back her unruly bangs as she asked, "What will you do, Mr. Swordsman?"Though he didn't have a visible mouth to speak from, the peculiar winged cyclops was somehow able to reply, "If possible...I would like to fight that youth...the further I get up the Tower, the less useful swords become. Before I set aside my blade for good, I would like to test my skills against a skilled adversary..."Rather than abide by Deod's request, Phae just thumbed a small gemstone embedded near the top of her hammer's handle. Immediately thereafter, it changed shape from a square-headed hammer to a thick-bladed rapier. At the same time, she used a small hair clip to keep her bangs from falling into her face as she calmly exclaimed, "En garde..."Demonstrating a fair amount of skill, Deod managed to swing down his peculiar brown katana in a practiced arc, the edge of his blade releasing a peculiar murky glow.With her sapphire eyes flashing with a curious light, Phae was able to stop her initial charge almost instantly. As a result, Deod's blade swung several centimeters short, leaving his broad body open to a counter. He attempted to evade this by using the winged appendage on his back to create some distance, but, with far greater strength, speed, and finesse, Phae brandished her rapier in a flurry of silvery sword strikes. By the time Deod was able to complete his action of jumping away, dozens of tiny cuts had appeared on his body, none deeper than three millimeters.If the only landmark on his face wasn't a single spherical eye, a very shocked expression would have been visible on Deod's face. He had never encountered someone who used such a flexible sword in all his years wandering the Outer Tower as a sellsword. As a result, he couldn't read the trajectory of Phae's blade at all, much less react to them...After tentatively touching a few of the wounds on his left arm, Deod gripped the hilt of his katana even firmer as he said, "Your swordsmanship is very beautiful...it is my honor to do battle against you...Miss...?"Humming in response to Deod's inquiry, Phae's smile became slightly more notable as she mused, "I was beginning to think there none within the Tower capable of displaying manners. My name is Ha Phae Stios. You may simply refer to me as Phae. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Deod."Not fearing a surprise attack, Phae offered a courteous half-bow towards the cyclopean warrior. In response, her performed a much deeper and respectful bow, his tone becoming solemn as he said, "It is an honor to battle against you, Ms. Phae. I am grateful for the opportunity to retire my blade against an opponent of your caliber."Offering a small nod in response, Phae raised the point of her rapier in a casual stance, her smile becoming even more relaxed as she mused, "I am humbled by your words...now, face me without regrets..."Determined to do just that, Deod held his sword up as if he were about to perform a downward slashing motion. The same hazy brown as before began to coat his blade, this time becoming ever-so-slightly more condensed as he plainly stated, "I'm coming..."With a surprising burst of speed, Deod managed to close the distance between himself and Phae in less than one second. Unfortunately, while he did manage to reach about one-hundred kilometers per hour, his movements were akin to watching a movie in slow motion from Phae's perspective. As a result, she managed to strike the very edge of his katana with the tip of her rapier, preventing it from completing its downward arc before slowly and gracefully, at least from the point of view of those who could perceive her movements, side-stepping the man with a sweeping flourish of her rapier.Feeling a strange vibrational force spread through his body, Deod collapsed to the ground, his right hand moving to stymy the flow of blood from his abdomen. Phae's rapier had only cut as deep as his subcutaneous tissue, but the wound extended from the front of his abdomen to the small of his back. From the perspective of others, it looked like he had been partially bisected, something Deod also believed before tentatively tracing the wound with his fingers.Noticing the man entering a state similar to shock, Phae adopted a pitying look before surprising nearly everyone present by manifesting a rather simple-looking rod in her left hand. This was none other than the [Heal] Vahn had once relied on during his first few years in the Record of Danmachi. It only had a limited number of uses, but it was still one of the cheapest and most efficient tools for general healing he had ever come across.Though he was surprised by the strange pink circular pattern that had appeared beneath him, Deod released a sigh of relief when he noticed his wound healing at an incredible rate. It wasn't just him, either, as Phae subsequently cast the same healing spell to treat his other team members. It wasn't enough to stir them awake, but, unless they had something like a tumor in their brains prior to her hitting them, they would wake up pretty quickly.With her duty completed, Phae returned [Heal] to her Inventory before returning to her position at Vahn's side and offering him a courteous bow. In response, Vahn returned an approving nod before looking directly at Deod and stating, "There is a vast gulf between your level of skill and that of my vassal. Despite that, you fought well without retreating. For that, you have my respect. Now, retrieve your allies and return to your waiting room. When the time comes, I will reward you for the bravery you have displayed today."Humbled by Vahn's words, Deod bowed his head in a sincere show of respect before shouldering the bodies of his companions and carrying them back to his team's waiting room. He didn't really care about the reward Vahn had mentioned, but, as someone who was committed to climbing the Tower, he certainly wouldn't refuse what little boons were afforded him...---With the second round drawing to a conclusion, another three-minute break was afforded to the winning team before the Test Admin, Lero-Ro, began counting down to the start of the third round. Immediately thereafter, four teams entered into the arena, two lacking noteworthy candidates. The other two teams, however, included Baam's team and another with a particularly strong man with a large build, red hair, and demon-like wings. He also had an inordinately small squirrel-like girl riding his shoulders, and, though he didn't stand out much, his final companion was a youth with a scarlet red bandana and a large metal bat.After briefly inspecting the trio, Vahn shifted his gaze back to Baam's group, sizing up the boy he believed to be the protagonist. The fact he had managed to acquire two powerful teammates in spite of his strength was a pretty big indicator this was the case, but, upon closer inspection, Vahn was surprised to find that the youth with pale-blue hair and the crocodile-like spearman possessed even stronger fates...Though he had noticed a few incongruencies previously, Vahn was quickly beginning to realize that fate within the [Transcendental Path to Heaven] didn't work the way he was used to. It seemed like a person's fate could get weaker or stronger depending on their actions, as, the first time he viewed Baam, the boy appeared relatively normal. It was only when the massive eel-like creature charged at him that his fate seemed to increase, guiding him towards the path that ensured victory.Vahn had heard about the existence of Guides from Gandr's conversation with Endorsi, but he still found it a little peculiar they were able to alter a person's fate. After all, the Records were supposed to be static prior to his entry, so, even if they did possess such an ability, the past, present, and even the future were already decided. This was likely still the case, but, unlike other Records, where it was pretty easy to determine whether or not someone was 'significant' from their aura of fate, it seemed the [Transcendental Path to Heaven] intentionally kept things vague...Finding the thought rather amusing, a smile gradually spread across Vahn's face as he wondered what other surprises this Record had in store for him. Having no information about the world was rather refreshing, and, though he was bound to learn its secrets in due time, he intended to enjoy discovering them directly rather than compiling millions of texts to effectively 'game' the system.With that in mind, Vahn gestured for Phae and Gandr to take a step back, his smile becoming even more prominent as he said, "Since we have so many bold competitors this time around, allow me to demonstrate my own capabilities. Though I'm certain you each have your own plans and strategies, I encourage you to attack me directly. So long as a single member of your team is able to reach this elevated platform, it is your victory. Now-"Before he could finish reinforcing his Emperor persona, Vahn was compelled into stunned silence as the crocodile-man among Baam's allies suddenly shouted, "Enough blithering you Bearded Turtle! I am Rak Wraithraiser, proud Hunter and Leader of this team! I will crack open all three of your shells in a single blow! Now, become my prey!"Without affording anyone the opportunity to intervene, Rak brandished a large red spear in his right hand before twisting his body and generating a tremendous amount of momentum. His form was borderline 'perfect', and, as a result, the spear generated a massive shockwave, momentarily forming the illusion of an unbroken red line as it traced a trajectory towards Vahn's smiling face...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Stop...Hammer Time~!','En Garde~!','Rak goes at his own pace')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

Seeing the strongest member of their team defeated in an instant, Shibisu looked like he was on the verge of having a mental breakdown. He even pinched his cheek to check and see if he wasn't dreaming. As for the final member of his party, Hatsu, he had quickly dealt with the other team and was preparing to charge at the woman guarding the throne before pausing in response to the loud explosion that shook the arena's foundation.Though not as ridiculous as Shibisu's expression, Hatsu also adopted a look of incredulity as he saw his current 'rival' being laid to rest on the ground. Several thoughts raced through his mind at that exact moment, but, before he could organize them, he threw his wakizashi like a boomerang as he leaned forward and muttered, "Highest flying sword..."Sensing a sword intent lock onto him, Gandr curiously looked back to see Hatsu slowly drawing his katana from its sheath. Then, while uttering, "Lowest flying sword...", the boy came charging at him with surprising swiftness. For a brief moment, it seemed like his sword had actually tripled in length, the edge slowing with a blue hue as he swept in in a large arc, seemingly intending to bisect Gandr from the waist.Rather than dodge, Gandr surprised Hatsu greatly by shifting his attention to the sword spinning through the air. This caused the youth to hesitate, but, rather than stay his hand, he adopted a resolute look on his face as he fully committed to the strike. Unfortunately, as if his target simply didn't exist, his blow passed through Gandr's body as if he had struck empty air.Taking advantage of Hatsu's confusion, Gandr grabbed the stunned boy by the face, a teasing smile visible on his own as he said, "Not bad...but far from enough..."Before Hatsu could respond to the sudden taunt, he felt himself pulled forward as Gandr took a half-step back. This placed the man along the trajectory of his strangely orbiting sword, causing it to pierce through his body without damaging anything important.Feeling his own blade pass through his body, Hatsu's eyes opened wide as he collapsed 'through' his opponent. Then, before he could hit the ground, he felt his wakizashi pulled from his body like it was being unsheathed, followed by Gandr remarking, "You either need to find a better weapon or train harder to overcome the resistance of Shinsu. The density of the God's Water will only increase as you move further up the Floors, so this kind of blade isn't suitable unless you hone your skills to a much higher level."To punctuate his point, Gandr waited until Hatsu was glaring at him before performing a simple and very straightforward strike. Despite this, a thin chasm extending more than thirty meters was left in its wake, almost as if the cut had manifested soundlessly within the ground. Then, without affording the young swordsman the opportunity to process what he had just witnessed, Gandr performed the same action with Laev-tan, this time leaving a gulf that covered the two-hundred-meter distance to the far wall and even climbed up it a bit.Though he wasn't actually satisfied by the result of his strike, Gandr gave an approving nod before sticking the wakizashi in the ground and adding, "You've got potential. Once you accumulate some more experience, I'll be waiting for our rematch...now, what will you do?"Understanding that Gandr was speaking to him, Shibisu released an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head and seemed to be searching for a response. In the end, however, he just released a tired sigh before adopting a martial art's stance full of gaps. Then, with a look of conviction flashing across his plain brown eyes, he answered, "I didn't enter the Tower to back down. I might be weak, but I at least have the conviction to face death. Let's do this...!"Without waiting for a counter-reply, Shibisu began running towards Gandr with speed comparable to an Olympic athlete. Unfortunately, this was only around forty-five kilometers per hour, far below the threshold of being able to pose a threat. Despite this, Gandr waited for the fellow to close the distance, allowing him to throw a few punches and kicks before disappearing behind the man and ending the fight by striking a pressure point near the base of the skull.Like a puppet with its strings cut, Shibisu fell face-first towards the ground, but, before he could hit it, an invisible force slowed him down enough that he felt no pain from the impact. This was Vahn affording the young man a bit of mercy, as, despite his trepidation and weakness, the fact the man had pushed forward against a far more powerful foe was deserving of respect.With all contestants eliminated, Vahn raised the Crown he had previously set aside, slowly placing it atop head as he stated in a voice that easily reached the remaining teams, "Failure is something we must all experience on the path towards true strength. Do not fear the strength of your enemy...fear that your weakness will become an excuse used to justify acts of betrayal and deceit. Being weak is not something you should be ashamed of...suppressing the weak just because you are strong is the greater sin...now, if you have the courage, come and face this Emperor..."Punctuating his words, Vahn finished placing the Crown atop his head, a powerful and suppressive aura erupting from his body as a result. Then, with his left hand half-raised, he used his Telekinesis to return each of the fallen contestants to their waiting rooms. This was to capitalize on the awe he had inspired in the remaining contestants while simultaneously demonstrating that he was far from weakened while seated atop the throne...---Observing from his position in the control room, Lero-Ro couldn't help but squint as he uttered, "So this is the power of an Irregular who has yet to climb the Tower...haaaa...things are about to become very troublesome. I have a feeling this man isn't going to make things easy for us."Shaking his head at his own remarks, Lero-Ro took a deep breath, burying his personal feelings as he activated the intercom and chimed, "The first round has ended with the Aldrnari Team's victory. There will be a quick three-minute break to check on the injured before we proceed with the next match. Use this time to either form a strategy or steel yourselves for battle. Remember, the reward for this test is the right to move on to the next Floor. If you don't have the conviction to fight now, when will you...?"Finished giving his words of advice, Lero-Ro sent medical teams to check on the members of Team Hatsu before calling up the Test Director on his personal Lighthouse. The call quickly connected, an effeminate man with golden hair neatly tied in a bun appearing on the front-facing panel. It didn't help that they frequently wore clothes resembling a kimono, further increasing their feminine allure and causing considerable confusion whenever someone first met them.Seeing the Test Director's unperturbed golden eyes, Lero-Ro couldn't help but suppress a sigh as he dutifully reported, "The trio of Irregulars managed to secure victory in the first round without any discernible effort. The youngest, Gandr, seems to possess swordsmanship that could even rival the geniuses of the Arie Family. As for the other two, or, more specifically, the Sage Dragon Emperor, he possesses an extremely precise form of telekinesis and the ability to generate some kind of invisible field to sense his surroundings. He even managed to startle Phnsekal Laure, a rare talent belonging to one of the Eurasia Family's Branch Households...."As if he wasn't even remotely surprised, likely due to the fact he was observing the same feed, the Test Director merely nodded his head in response to Lero-Ro's report. Then, in a calm tone that left no room for argument, he stated, "Thank you, Lero-Ro. Please continue observing the test. We will discuss this matter in greater detail when deciding which positions to assign to everyone. I will see you this afternoon."Before Lero-Ro could respond, the Test Director, Yu Han-Sung, had already cut the connection. This caused the blond-haired Ranker to furrow his brows quite a bit, his instincts telling him the Director was up to something. Having not just one, but three Irregulars in their midst wasn't something that was casually dismissed. There had only been three Irregulars to enter the Tower since the rise of the Jahad Empire, each bringing about drastic changes in very short periods of time.Though it wouldn't interfere in the execution of his duties, Lero-Ro found it odd that the Director was behaving so lackadaisically. For all he knew, Yu Han-Sung hadn't even tried to contact the Floor Administrator, something they should have done the moment Vahn revealed his identity. This was more than a little abnormal, but, without some sort of concrete proof, there was little he could do to question the Director's decisions.Releasing a tired sigh, Lero-Ro stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment before checking the time on his Pocket. There were only three seconds left before the next round was supposed to begin, so, after quickly suppressing his idle thoughts, he forced himself to sound excited as he picked up the intercom and stated, "Okay, Regulars, you have had more than enough time to rest! Just like before, I'll be counting down from five. If you want to participate, make sure you press that buzzer!"---During the three minute interlude between rounds, Vahn had been sitting silently atop the throne with Phae standing off to his left with a neutral smile on her face. She had yet to demonstrate her capabilities, so, assuming the other contestants hadn't given up, Vahn was intending to give her a chance in the limelight. This was something Phae was obviously cognizant of, so, after hearing the words of the Test Administrator, her smile became more prominent as a fiery hammer appeared in her right hand.Unfortunately, other than a team consisting of a large four-eyed man, a rather lanky-looking man with a bowl cut, and a cyclopean swordsman with unusual wings, there were no other teams bold enough to enter the arena. Nobody wanted to be a sacrifice for the other teams by trying to face off against a seemingly invincible trio, so; rather than tire themselves out for nothing, the general consensus was to 'wait and see' until the fourth and final rounds.Vahn didn't blame the remaining teams for being cautious, especially after the previous rounds showing, but that didn't prevent him from shaking his head in disapproval. They were behaving like a bunch of hypocritical opportunists, not the kind of people who had the resolution to 'do whatever it takes' to climb the Tower. This was one of the types of power dynamics he hated most, as, if they were 'certain' of their victory, they would not hesitate to beat, suppress, and even kill others despite fearing even comparable treatment...Deciding not to let it bother him too much, Vahn raised his hand, his countenance matching his voice as he calmly stated, "I'll leave this battle to you, Phae. Try not to injure them too severely. The fact they are courageous enough to step out while all others cower is worthy of respect..."Though she could hear quite a number of people click their tongue in response to Vahn's words, Phae pretended not to notice, lightly giggling before bowing politely and saying, "As you will, my Lord."Finished with her courtesies, Phae shifted her attention to Gandr, reinforcing the hierarchy that Vahn was going for by adopting a stern tone and saying, "Gandr, protect your Master. I will deal with these three brave souls."Coming to attention the moment he heard Phae's words, Gandr managed a clumsy salute as he replied, "Leave it to me!". Immediately after that, he appeared like a phantom at Vahn's side, his hair standing slightly on end as he adopted an aggressively defensive posture.Nodding her head in approval, Phae resisted the urge to pat Gandr's head before turning around and descending the single step elevating the throne from the rest of the arena. Then, with a kind smile on her face, she adopted a relaxed stance and said, "You are free to come at me however you please. Don't worry, as per my Lord's request, you will be precluded from serious injury. Now, allow me to see the skill that accompanies your bravery..."Though they all felt slightly annoyed at being talked down to, none of the opposing trio spoke out against Phae's words. The lanky man with the bowl cut could hardly even take his eyes away from her chest for more than three seconds, as, for a number of reasons, Phae wore a low-cut blouse to accentuate her rather sizeable assets. One of the purposes of her existence was to draw attention, so, while it did make her feel uncomfortable to be viewed with a covetous expression, it didn't show on her face. Instead, she maintained a relaxed smile for several seconds before musing, "It isn't very polite to keep a woman waiting..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Master vs Grandmaster...','The show must go on...','Phae about to exhibit her forging skills on someone's skull...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1698: Crown Game (3/?)