Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

Following the outburst of Baam's power, the best way to describe the atmosphere in the arena was 'stunned silence'. Even Endorsi, a Princess of Jahad, and Khun, a descendent of one of the Ten Great Families could hardly believe what they had just witnessed. It wasn't until Laure very openly asked, "Where the hell is the Test Administrator?" that everyone else seemed to return to their senses.As if in response to the man's question, Lero-Ro appeared out of thin air, an unhappy expression on his face as he replied, "My apologies, Regulars. I, too, was caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events..."While explaining the situation, Lero-Ro surveyed the state of the arena, suppressing a sigh when he glanced at the two corpses with their skulls bashed in. Though killing other Regulars wasn't against the rules, it was still heavily frowned upon in most situations. This was especially true when the test was a bonus game, meaning there were no real consequences for failing to emerge victoriously.Resisting the urge to shake his head, Lero-Ro shifted his attention to where Baam was being held by Rachel for a brief moment before quickly looking towards where Anak was collapsed. The latter was bleeding rather severely due to the hole running through the center of her chest and exiting out beneath her right shoulder. Despite this, she had managed to crawl towards the rubble of the throne, passing out while hugging the Green April and Black March.Noticing Lero-Ro's gaze, Khun was the one to break this silence, his expression severe as he said, "This incident can't go unanswered..." as he walked over to where Anak had collapsed, a glistening knife in hand.Khun wasn't just going to let the girls steal his friend's weapon, especially after she went out of her way to interrupt the game, but, before he could seek revenge, a figure appeared to block his path just as Lero-Ro was about to intervene. At the same time, two more figures appeared next to Baam and Rachel, one pulling out a staff to treat their injuries while the other released a uniquely peaceful yet suffocating aura.Though he was surprised by the sudden appearance of Gandr, Phae, and Vahn, Lero-Ro quickly recovered his senses as he plainly advised, "Please do not make this situation more complicated. I will allow you to treat their injuries, but any further action will result in a point reduction."Shifting his attention to the Test Administrator, Vahn's expression remained largely unchanged as he calmly stated, "I will take possession of those two weapons and mediate this matter. Are there any objections?"In response to Vahn's inquiry, Endorsi, still holding her gut, was the one to answer, "As a Princess of Jahad, those weapons should be entrusted to me. The Thirteen Month Series isn't something that is supposed to fall into the hands of others."Turning to face the slightly hunched over Princess, Vahn's expression immediately became stern as he plainly stated, "No. I will not allow others to take advantage of this incident. When everything is settled, I will return those weapons to their rightful owners."Feeling the pressure on her body begin to increase, Endorsi clenched her teeth in frustration, her ghostly eyes seeming to glow with increasing intensity. Fortunately, before she could do something she was bound to regret, Lero-Ro calmly stated, "Very well. Though it is unorthodox, I can tell that you hold no malicious intent towards either of the parties involved in this incident. However, if you have not reached an agreement by the end of the Position Test, I will require that both weapons be returned to their original owners."Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn turned toward Phae and ordered, "Retrieve the two weapons and treat the girl's injuries..." before looking towards Gandr and adding, "Gather those who cannot move on their own. Phae will treat them after she is finished dealing with our little friend there..."With his orders issued, Vahn moved at a slow and steady gait towards his waiting room, stopping after a few steps to observe Khun and advise, "Those who forget themselves and allow hatred to blind them are fated to experienced misfortune..."Hearing Vahn's words, Khun shifted his gaze away from Anak, his expression becoming intense as he asked, "Did you know this was going to happen?"Rather than respond to the heated youth's words, Vahn just continued along his path in silence, his aura slowly receding until even his presence seemed to disappear. This left Khun feeling even more resentful, but, knowing there was little he could do against the three monsters, he forced himself to calm down before going to Baam's side...---With both the Crown and the throne being destroyed, the Crown Game ultimately ended without a winner. This left quite a number of people dissatisfied but there wasn't really anything they could do to repeal the decision. In the end, they simply accepted the points handed out as compensation before retiring to their assigned rooms.Though Phae had treated most of the wounded, even restoring the eye of the masked woman, the Test Admins had given all the Regulars three days to recuperate. After that, they would be sorted into one of five classes based on the Positions the Admins thought best suited each person. From that moment onward, they would spend thirty days learning both the ins and outs of their assigned Position and how it covered the various strengths and weaknesses of others.When everything was said and done, only those who had qualified to move up the Tower would be given the right to move on to the 3rd Floor. Everyone else would be forced to retire to the Middle Tower, denied the opportunity to retake the test. To further increase the pressure placed on each of the Regulars, there were a limited number of slots for each Position, so, even if you were just a little weaker than someone who had passed, you could only blame your 'bad luck' for not being chosen.---Unconcerned about whether or not he would pass the Position Exam, Vahn was silently meditating within his room when a gentle *pitta pon*, the sound of the doorbell being rung. He already knew who was standing outside, so, without having to check the display showing the exterior corridor, he picked up the nearby remote, unlocking the door with a simple button press.Like something out of a sci-fi movie, the sound of pressure being released could be heard as the door quickly slid into the wall with a mechanical hiss. On the opposite side, Gandr could be seen with a cheeky grin on his face, while, behind him, a rather frustrated looking girl with brown hair and green skin could be seen clenching her dress.While everyone else had received monetary compensation following the failure of the Crown Game, Anak, alone, had been penalized quite severely. She had been fined 5000 points, effectively placing her into a point deficit due to Regulars only being allotted 1000 points upon receiving their Pocket.Under normal circumstances, Anak would have had her qualifications as a Regular revoked, but, due to the Crown Game's status as a 'bonus test', she was fortunate to escape that fate. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to earn points early on, so, while everyone else was able to purchase supplies and eat their fill in the cafeteria, Anak was effectively forced to starve. She couldn't even afford a simple apple, and, if not for the charity of her former teammates and Phae helping to mend her dress, she would already be looking like a homeless vagabond...Reinforcing his image as a mischief-making with a hunger for battle, Gandr snickered mischievously before performing a half-bow and saying, "Good morning, Master. I brought someone who wanted to say something to you. Is that okay?"With a gesture of his hand, Vahn gave Gandr leniency to raise his head before shifting his gaze to Anak. This caused her to grind her teeth audibly, but, after several seconds of tense silence, she ultimately lowered her head and loudly exclaimed, "I'm sorry! Please return my Green April!"Though her manners were greatly lacking, Vahn surprised Anak quite a bit by calmly replying, "Very well. Just remember, if I catch you misusing it in the future, I will confiscate it once again."Following that simple statement, Vahn used his Telekinesis to retrieve the green hook resting near the corner of the room, returning it to the befuddled 'young' girl. Vahn, or, more specifically Phae, had heard that Anak was even older than Endorsi. Despite this, she had the appearance of a young girl around 10-12 years old, albeit one with a height of 154cm and a startling weight of 140kg...Not sure how to respond after receiving her weapon so easily, Anak just stared blankly at the Green April until Gandr lightly nudged her arm and said, "I told you, right? You just have to be sincere and His Imperial Majesty won't mind lending you a hand. Now, isn't there something else you wanted to say?"Though she was momentarily confused by Gandr's words, Anak realized what he was implying after the boy inclined his head towards Vahn with a 'say it' expression on his face. This caused her to feel slightly indignant, but, having recovered the Green April, she managed to restrain her anger as she bowed a second time and begrudgingly grumbled, "Thank you..."Further exacerbating her frustration, Anak could hear Gandr snickering at her side, but, fortunately, she didn't have to keep her head lowered too long as Vahn simply replied, "It was a small matter. I just hope you learned something from all this. Now, run along. If you need anything else, you may inquire from my vassals."Hearing Vahn's perpetually calm tone, Anak wasn't quite sure how she should respond to the man's words. She got the impression he was trying to look out for her, but, after everything she had done, it didn't make sense for him to do so. Stranger still was the fact that she got the same feeling from the woman named Phae, and, to a lesser extent, the annoying Vanargandr to her left...Before she could mull over the incongruencies she was experiencing in her mind, Anak was brought back to awareness by Gandr saying, "Hey, we shouldn't loiter around here for too long. Master is a kind man, but we shouldn't impose upon him unless it's necessary. Come on, let's get something to eat in the cafeteria. I don't really need points so I'll treat you this time around. You can always pay me back in the future so don't even think about refusing...!"Though he was originally going to pull the girl along by her hand, Gandr felt that would be going a little too far. He didn't want Anak to imprint upon him, so, after finishing with his words, he alighted from the room and gestured for her to follow. This left the girl feeling even more disconcerted, but, after a moment's hesitation, she quickly chased after him with the Green April in her hands...Seeing the duo depart, Vahn pressed the button on his remote, locking the door and restoring the serene atmosphere that had been disrupted by their arrival. Now that they were gone, he closed his eyes once again, a golden hue coloring his surroundings as nine watery marbles, glistening with the same golden hue, began to orbit gracefully around his body...----Despite the childishness of the act, Gandr ended up turning the short journey to the cafeteria into a foot race. This was silently assented to by Anak, who, despite her small size, crammed a tremendous amount of power into a teenie-tiny package. This made her body so dense that she was harder than steel without any kind of physical reinforcement. Because of this, her bare feet left noticeable prints in the metallic corridor as she chased after him, her expression darkening as she failed to even get close, much less surpass, the cheeky Vanargandr...Without any suspense, Gandr reached the cafeteria before Anak, snickering with his hands behind his head as he remarked, "What took you so long?"With a visible tick mark appearing on her head, Anak looked like she was about to ignite the Green April, but, before she could make up her mind, Gandr turned his head away as if he had just noticed something. His fluffy ears began to twitch slightly, and, though the 'attack' had come from his blind spot, he was able to easily evade the grasp of a fashionable woman wearing a golden pleated dress, a light brown vest, black tights, and golden high-heels...Though she wasn't that surprised by Gandr's ability to evade her 'attack', Endorsi adopted a slightly pouty look as she complained, "You're not supposed to dodge..." before shifting her gaze to Anak and asking, "By the way, why are you with this imposter...?"Hearing the way Endorsi had referred to her, Anak immediately released a hate-filled aura from her body, the atmosphere, quite literally, becoming tense from the increase in pressure. Despite this, Endorsi showed absolutely no signs of discomfort, even placing her hand on her hip as she plainly remarked, "Oh? Does the truth offend you...faker?"The moment she heard Endorsi call her another name, Anak became a green blur as she threw a full-powered punch towards the smiling Princess. Before the hit could connect, however, the two badges on Endorsi's vest enlarged in an instant, blocking the punch and mitigating all the force behind it in an instant. This earned a slightly intrigued look from Gandr, but, with more pressing matters to attend, he quickly stepped between the two Princesses, catching Anak's follow-up attack with his bare hand while glaring at Endorsi...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Emperor speaketh','Manners are important','Endorsi is just jealous that Anak is getting all the attention (UwU)~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

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

Chapter 1701: Release