Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Quant was, very quickly, making his way up the spiral stairwell, a feat that earned him quite a bit of fanfare from the Regulars who had yet to participate; a young man with light-blue hair could be seen exiting a blue Lighthouse that had been hovering just above the bridge leading to the exit. This was none other than Khun, and, had there been no rule requiring their 'it' to be a Fisherman, it would have been very easy for him to finish the test.Since he was the one keeping track of all his allies' movements, Khun knew just when he should exit his Lighthouse to avoid unnecessary suspicion. As for why anyone would be suspicious of him, well, it stood to reason that; if he was able to reach this point so quickly, his 'it' would have been able to do much the same. Instead, he had everyone lay in ambush before splitting his team into multiple defensive lines, even going so far as to have Anak participate in the ambush just to throw everyone off.If he were being honest, Khun had lost his fondness for tricking people in order to further his goals. His meeting with Baam had slowly started to change something deep inside of him, and, though he found the boy 'painfully naive' at times, Khun felt like his enigmatic friend was something the Tower desperately needed. Because of this, he did not hesitate to betray the team he had been carelessly assigned by the Admins, as, in his mind, Team A was not his 'real' team.While making a mental note to provide parting gifts to all the Regulars he was bound to fail, Khun turned his attention to the final flight of stairs leading from the elevator to the bridge. It was a total of one-kilometer long, and, though it wasn't that difficult to scale, the Shinsu density inside made it hard for people to breathe. As a result, Anak, despite her superhuman physique, emerged from the corridor with matted hair and beads of sweat rolling down her face.Seeing Khun standing at the entrance to the bridge, Anak took a moment to bend over, hands on her knees as she fought for breath for one of the first times in her life. Then, after wiping the sweat from her brow, she asked, "What are you doing here? Why did you and the bagworm disappear at the start of the test?"Though Anak wasn't the brightest among the Regulars, she hadn't evaded the Jahad Empire for more than three-hundred-years without acquiring the ability to sense when something was amiss. She also knew Khun's character after observing him over the past month, so, while she didn't say anything during the planning phase, she knew he was up to something.Since there were currently no eyes on them, Khun decided it would be prudent of him to be honest with the distrustful Princess across from him. She had a close relationship with Phae and Gandr, two of the people paramount to his plans of climbing the Tower. Thus, even if she was bound to cause him a number of headaches, Khun didn't want to upset the girl and give her a reason to go against him in the future.After quickly organizing his thoughts, Khun adopted a serious yet sincere look as he asserted, "I'm doing everything in my power to guarantee all our 'friends' are able to move up the Tower. You can beat me up all you want later, but, at least for the time being, please trust me. I might not be a nice person, but, no matter what, I would never betray the people I care about..."Hearing Khun's 'heartfelt' words, Anak got the impression he wasn't being completely honest with her. Fortunately for the youth, Phae had mentioned him when discussing people she should be able to trust. Though she was far from that point, Anak had already decided she would climb the Tower alongside Phae and Gandr. Khun happened to be on friendly terms with both of them, so, even if she didn't truly trust him, she could tolerate him at the behest of people she 'did' trust.Before Anak could voice her affirmation, Khun's expression paled slightly as he said, "Everyone else has already been taken out. Please, Anak, there is no time...!"Though she really hated being yelled at, Anak just snorted through her nose one last time before crossing her arms and saying, "You owe me an explanation later...if I don't like what you have to say, I'll make you spend the next fifty years as my punching bag..."---With Nare being the last among the Regulars, Quant just stared blankly at the crying girl hugging the jar containing her pet Shinheuh. He could hear Lero-Ro and the other Admins making fun of him for bullying a little kid through the invisible red Lighthouse that had been following him since the start of the test. Because of this, he ultimately released a sigh before rubbing his forehead and saying, "I'll admit, you really know how to turn on the waterworks when you're trying to buy time..."Hearing her Instructor's remark, Nare immediately stopped crying before poking her tongue out and remarking, "What else can I do? Great Teacher Quant is just too amazing-"Having wasted too much time already, Quant just shook his head one last time before saying, "You won't be able to pass through the 20th Floor like this...". Immediately after that, his figure seemed to vanish into thin air, this time without creating a shockwave and a sonic boom. In his wake, a very downtrodden Nare could be seen sullenly staring at the adorable creature curled up inside the pot, her voice somewhat pouty as she muttered, "As long as I can make enough money to be happy, it doesn't matter where I stop..."Unaware of the youthful-looking woman's utterance, Quant reached the same stretch of stairs that had fatigued Anak. This was a place even he couldn't tread carelessly, as, without Shinsu to protect the body, moving quickly through such areas could, quite literally, lead to death. Simply moving at the speed of sound within normal Shinsu required you to effectively tear through 5000kgs of force acting on your body. Going twice that speed quadrupled the amount of force, so, when Quant was pacing himself around Mach 2, he had to overcome close to 20,000kgs of drag force, a difficult feat without the aid of Shinsu.Gritting his teeth, Quant lowered his center of gravity as much as possible, arms streaming behind him in order to reduce as much drag as possible. This was one of the only times he was grateful to have a small body, as, by reducing his profile as much as possible, he could effectively limit the amount of force acting on his body by up to 30%. This was also one of the reasons his hair stuck straight up, as, whenever he ran at supersonic speeds, it was like having the world's most powerful hairdryer blowing in your face...After a very brief moment of hesitation, Quant managed to clear the 1km long stretch of stairs in just under five seconds. He could have gone even faster, but, much like a person falling from a great height and hitting the surface of a lake, entering denser fields of Shinsu from sparser regions required a slower transition if you wanted to avoid having skin and flesh ripped from your bones...Inhaling a breath of fresh air, Quant adopted a relaxed stance as he looked down the long bridge, expecting to see Anak's figure in the distance. Instead, he found Khun smiling at him from a few hundred meters away, a fact that instantly soured his mood.With a smile that wasn't quite a smile, Quant made his way over to the exiled member of the Khun Family, asking, "So, where's the lizard? What kind of game are you trying to play?"Though he was speaking casually, Quant was also looking around the area for even the smallest trace of a clue. He wasn't the Scout Instructor for no reason, so, even without Khun answering, he could intuit a lot of things just by looking around. If he hadn't already used up his single Baang of Shinsu, he would even be able to see invisible objects and track life signs within a three-kilometer radius.Having noticed what Quant was trying to do, Khun's smile became slightly more prominent as he shrugged his shoulders and teasingly remarked, "I'm afraid the princess is in another castle~."Feeling like the nerve in his left brow had been poked by an electrode, Quant's eye began to twitch, his smile becoming slightly vicious as he said, "Unless you want me to kick you off this platform, tell me what I want to know."Acting as if he was buying time, Khun chuckled lightly in response to Quant's threat before casually replying, "It's true. Anak never came this way. Our plan was to have her trigger the elevator without actually riding up it. She was told to wait until you began chasing after the rest of our team before sneaking to the first-floor exit. I imagine we'll be hearing the Director call an end to the test any moment now~?"Though the plan Khun mentioned actually had a high chance of working, Quant could tell the boy was lying. Rather, it almost seemed like the young scion was suggesting that he had any number of ways to complete the test. The fact he was here on the bridge was a testament to the fact he could sneakily move himself, and, by proxy, other people around. Despite this, the test had yet to come to an end, so, even if he wasn't able to see through the man's intentions, Quant could tell he was up to something.After thinking through the various possibilities, Quant's glower gradually relaxed as he walked over to the edge of the bridge and peered over the side. Then, with a teasing tone to his voice, he asked, "So, you're trying to get me to jump down...is that it? Too bad for you, brat. As a Scout, I have a habit of reading up on all the students. You know what they say, knowledge is power, yadda yadda. What I'm trying to say is that I've read your file. I know you can control two Lighthouses. Mind telling me where you've hidden your other one...?"Though his expression didn't change much, the color began to slowly drain from Khun's face as he replied, "My teammate, Laure, wanted to use it in order to block out the sounds of fighting. He has been sleeping in the Safe Area this-"Before Khun could finish, Quant grabbed him by the wrist, his grip stronger than a vice as he said, "I see. Well, it's too late for me to catch up with the lizard so how about we drop down to have a little talk with that friend of yours? I'm not fond of people who slack off while their teammates are doing everything they can to try and pass. Before this test is over, I'll make sure to educate both of you on how to properly work as a team~."Without waiting for Khun to respond, Quant pulled him over the side of the bridge, smiling as he added, "Who knows, maybe a certain lizard will make an appearance on our way down...?"Quant was pretty confident that Anak was lying in wait beneath the bridge using Khun's Lighthouse as a platform. She was most likely exhausted after running through the Shinsu passage, and, based on Khun's behavior, it was clear he was stalling for time. Though Quant didn't understand why Khun hadn't incorporated another strategy to ensure victory, it didn't really matter so long as he was able to expose the young scion's plot.As could be expected, Quant quickly sensed another presence within the darkness, but, before he could further goad his captive, Khun surprised him by breaking free of his grasp. He noticed a thin piece of fabric glistening in his hand, it's appearance resembling the wings of a cicada. This caused his expression to darken considerably but not nearly as much as when a leather strep suddenly appeared in the boy's hand, its length attached to a Pulley that quickly lifted the Lighthouse containing Anak to the bridge's surface...Though he was 'forbidden' from outright killing the Regulars during the test, that didn't stop Quant from loudly shouting, "I'm going to fucking barbeque you, you asshole...!" at the top of his receding voice.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bagworm (&gt;,...,&lt;)...','Loli used Crocodile Tears! It was not very effective...','The birth of the Blue-Haired Devil...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though she was making steady progress towards the exit, Anak couldn't help but feel as though something was wrong with the current situation. It didn't make sense for Khun to anger a Ranker if his only objective was to create a scenario where she could reach the exit unobstructed. There were countless ways they could have secured the victory without antagonizing Quant, chief among them being the plan he had mentioned during their brief conversation on the bridge.Anak wasn't fond of being made a fool of, so, even if Khun's plan ended up creating a favorable situation for her climbing up the Tower, she vowed to beat him if said plan involved embarrassing or shaming her. She got the impression they were meant to lose this game, so, with nothing but a straight path between her and victory, the only way their team could lose was if Quant somehow managed to appear before her...Confirming her suspicions, Anak eventually saw the outline of a person standing in front of the exit. Almost immediately after she registered their presence, a powerful blast of wind slammed into her body as a red and white blur flashed past her in an instant. To make matters even worse, she could hear the man venomously remark, "Never underestimate a Ranker..." before crushing her badge in his hand.---Feeling a potent shiver run along his spine, Khun couldn't help but pale slightly as he remarked, "I guess I'll need to beg Phae to bake some more cookies..."Hearing Khun's remark, Laure just yawned in response before replying, "I told you not to show off too much...well, whatever...let's hope Endorsi handles her part well..."Immediately following Laure's remark, a loud buzzer echoed throughout the entire arena, followed by the voice of Director Yu declaring Team A's loss. Shortly after that, a bluish-white light enveloped each of their bodies, seemingly converting them into a hazy white mist that rapidly diffused into the surroundings. The exact opposite phenomenon was occurring in the Suspend Ship positioned over the arena, and, after a few seconds had passed, all fifteen Regulars from Team A had been gathered in a small briefing room, a depressive aura immediately descending upon them.Despite orchestrating the events leading to his team's defeat, Khun ignored Anak's venomous glare as he balled his hands into fists, head lowered as he shakily muttered, "I'm sorry..."Unfortunately, before anyone could observe Khun's act, Shibisu threw a small wrench into his plans by loudly shouted, "Aaaaargh! Damnit! How can they expect Regulars like us to beat a monster like that!?"Quickly deciding to follow Shibisu's example, Khun balled his fists even tighter as he spat through clenched teeth, "Damn it! How could I have been so stupid!? Getting cocky against a Ranker!? What the fuck is wrong with me!?"Further emphasizing his 'anger' and 'indignation', Khun slammed his fist against the wall with more than enough force to fracture a couple of bones. This also caused a series of cracks to spread from the point of impact, a trickle of blood quickly coming into view due to the metal shards that had cut into the fleshier bits of his palm.Surprised by Khun's outburst, nearly every Regular present began to feel sorry for the man, Nare being the first to say, "You did your best, Khun...don't-"Shaking his head, Khun used his bloodied hand to conceal the upper half of his face as he darkly muttered, "No...I could have done better...I shouldn't have come up with a plan to try and capture a Ranker. There were numerous ways we could have tricked him but I let my ego cloud my judgment. I wanted to have the achievement of beating a Ranker despite still being on the Floor of Tests...I...I..."To further increase the amount of empathy he was receiving from his fellow Regulars, Khun's voice took on sobbing undertone as a few tears, mixed with blood, began staining the ground. He forced himself to recall some of the most unpleasant memories in his life, so, while he was ultimately just pretending, there was legitimate pain and anguish audible contained within his voice.Though he knew Khun was just pretending, Shibisu was legitimately surprised by the man's acting ability, his expression showing genuine concern as he muttered, "Khun...come on, man, you don't have to apologize..."Hearing Shibisu's remark, Khun was preparing for a second outburst, but, before he could find the most suitable words, the other Regulars began bombarding him with support. Though there were a few obvious exceptions, such as Laure, Anak, and Hwa Ryun, everyone else was successfully fooled by his ploy. This filled Khun with legitimate guilt, but, for the sake of his friends and his penultimate goal, he didn't mind becoming a devil wearing a mask...---A stark contrast to the depressive atmosphere present within Team A's waiting room, Team B's was exceptionally festive. After all, while they weren't guaranteed to win, they had the benefit of seeing the previous match. This gave them the advantage of knowing what to expect, and, though it would be next to impossible for them to defeat Quant, they could, at the very least, commit themselves to a better performance than their adversaries...Of course, not everyone on Team B was prematurely celebrating a victory. After all, both Hatsu and Baam were members of Team B. They also had Endorsi, Chunhwa, Rachel, Hoh, and Serena on their team, the latter of which had become fairly close to Shibisu over the last few weeks. In other words, the largest group of friends among the Regulars had effectively been split between the two teams, a situation none of them were too enthused about.Fortunately, Team B had yet to depart the observation room so Baam was able to approach Vahn, Phae, and Gandr, politely greeting the former before asking the latter, "Do you think Mr. Khun and the rest are going to be okay? I don't think I can climb up the Tower without all of my friends with me..."Taking note of the fact that Baam had specifically mentioned his friends rather than 'just' Rachel, Gandr snickered in his characteristic manner before saying, "You worry too much. Remember what the Director said? Even if Team A lost at Hide-and-Seek, that doesn't mean they are going to fail the exam. Khun, Shibisu, Nare, and Laure all have plenty of points so the only person we really need to worry about is Anak. However, given the performance of the other Fishermen on her team, I can't see them passing before her."Relieved by Gandr's words, Baam exhaled the tensions from his body before adopting a beaming smile as he happily chimed, "That's great! Thanks a lot, Mr. Gan-chan...!"Resisting the urge to default into a deadpan expression, Gandr forced himself to continue smiling as he replied, "Go and join your team. If they see you fraternizing with us, some of the members are bound to become a little suspicious. Also, make sure you keep a close eye on Grey and Hoh. I don't think they'll do anything, but you can never know someone's intent until they choose to act. There are only two Wave Controller positions so there is a chance they might try to undermine you during the test. Stay close to Endorsi or Hatsu. They will protect you."Since he got along with both Grey and Hoh, Baam couldn't help but feel troubled by Gandr's words. Unfortunately, unless he chose to give up his chance to climb the tower, there was no way to make everyone happy. Thus, after remaining silent for several seconds, a sad smile spread across Baam's face as he muttered, "I understand...thank you..."Following his utterance, Baam made his way over to where Endorsi, Hatsu, and Chunhwa were all engaged in a conversation. During this short journey, he noticed that both Hoh and Grey were at the periphery of the group, both looking far more serious than he had seen them during the past month. This made him feel even sadder, but, having already made his mind to climb up the Tower, Baam forced himself to smile as he caught Rachel staring at him from the side...---With the arena being restored to its original state, the members of Team B soon found themselves in the so-called Safe Area. Then, much like Team A, they were given thirty minutes to organize their team, adapt to the marginal increase in Shinsu density, and formulate a plan.Unfortunately, with Endorsi smiling in amusement at the side, Team B quickly succumbed to the chaos of several people vying for the position of Leader. There was even a duo of Spear Bearers calling themselves the 'Spear Bearer Revolutionaries' who were legitimately trying to convince the rest of the team to simply dogpile Quant so they could rain down spears from above.It was only when there were less than five minutes left that Endorsi moved from her position, her voice cheerful yet domineering as she said, "Shut up. All of these plans are completely pointless. All we really need to do is spread out into small teams to buy as much time as possible. Based on what we observed from the previous test, it is obvious that the Ranker won't go for our team's 'it' before he has evaluated each of the other candidates. After all, that is the only way to ensure everyone has a chance to be evaluated by the other Instructors. I'm obviously going to be our team's 'it' so I'll be taking the rest of the Fisherman, one Light Bearer, and one Wave Controller along with me. There is no way to pass the test by aiming for the exit so we will prepare a battlefield that gives us the best advantage against the Ranker. Everyone else will follow the direction of the other Light Bearers to form two teams, spreading out as much as possible to buy us time. Any questions?"Though there were quite a number of people who didn't agree with Endorsi's plan, none of them tried to speak out against her. She was stronger than the rest of the team combined, and, given her temperamental nature, you were bound to suffer if you tried to speak against her. This, combined with the fact her plan was actually better than most of the ideas that had been put forth, caused the remaining Regulars to effectively split into two groups: those who chose to ingratiate themselves to the Princess and those who went along because they didn't really have a choice.Seeing there was no one willing to argue against her, Endorsi puffed her chest out proudly, her chin raised to accentuate the haughty smile on her face. This was the reaction she expected from people as a Princess of Jahad, a stark contrast to the way a certain brat reacted around her. Still, it wasn't as if she hated said brat, so, while she enjoyed standing above others quite a bit, Endorsi was willing to abide by Khun's plan to ensure they could all go up the Tower together.With this thought at the forefront of her mind, Endorsi pointed towards Baam and a man named Full Black, the Light Bearer closet to passing the exam. She wasn't particularly fond of Rachel, but, even if Baam complained about not taking her along, Endorsi could easily convince him she was in the right. After all, the plan laid out by Khun effectively had her 'eliminating' all of the Regulars who were closest to passing. She would go a little easier on someone like Chunhwa, but, for the sake of Anak, Endorsi was willing to betray the other Fishermen.Unfortunately for Chunhwa, Des Lion, and Full Black, they had no idea what Endorsi had in store for them the moment they were separated from the rest of the group. As for Baam, he was told to stay close to her before the test even started, so, without suspecting a thing, he happily joined her party in order to pass the test together...albeit not before asking if Rachel could also join...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Angry Cucumber Noises*','Premature Celebration','Women with looks and authority can be scary...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After a soul-piercing laugh that lasted several seconds, Quant surprised nearly everyone present by spontaneously calming down and saying, "Well, it wasn't the worst plan. I can't really blame you for being ignorant of a Ranker's true power. Still, you're lucky I'm so nice. If I were another Ranker, this little stunt of yours might have cost everyone here their lives. Now, run along. I would feel guilty if I just eliminated your 'it' here and now. I'll give you five minutes to flee before giving chase. I'll even take the stairs to give you a sporting chance~."Hearing his Instructor's explanation, Shibisu was tempted to breathe a sigh of relief, but, seeing the flames dancing within Quant's eyes, he knew the man was anything but calm. If it had been anyone else acting as bait, their chances of passing would have been close to 0%. Quant wasn't the type of man who forgave offenses easily, so, while he probably wouldn't kill them, they wouldn't be walking away without a few broken bones...Though it wasn't easy, Shibisu ultimately managed a smile, stating, "After I become a Ranker, I'll buy you dinner as an apology. Catch you later, teach." before running away at Khun's direction. This left Quant with a wry smile on his face, his head shaking as he muttered, "Damn brat...I'll make sure you go broke..." in an amused tone.---With Quant holding true to his word, Khun directed the ambush team to form a defensive line at the corridor leading to the stairwell connecting to the top floor. They would serve as the first line of defense, buying as much time as possible while Anak was on the elevator. As for everyone else, they had been gathered within the stairwell itself, spaced out so that the Fishermen could block the front while the Spear Bearers rained down spears from above.Even if Quant had already expended his single use of Shinsu, none of the Regulars harbored any delusions of defeating the man. They couldn't even see him move when he went all out, so, rather than attempt another ambush, they were going with Khun's secondary plan: demonstrating their capacity in their respective Positions. Quant had already afforded them more time than he needed to, so, while they wouldn't pass on the opportunity to steal his badge, exhibiting their teamwork was more important.Unfortunately, not everyone seemed to be in agreement with this plan, as, the moment the Hide-and-Seek match began, Hwa Ryun vanished into thin air while Laure simply found a quiet place to lie down and take a nap. He already had more than enough points to ascend to the third floor so he didn't need to exert himself at all. As for Hwa Ryun, she was one of the only Regulars that never even tried to get close to anyone else, choosing to keep to herself and occasionally even going so far as to skip class.With Laure and Hwa Ryun being two of the strongest members on their team, their absence was a sore spot for many of the Regulars close to failing. Unfortunately, even if they wanted to complain, there was simply nothing they could do about the situation as each Regular was ultimately allowed to act however they pleased. There was nothing forcing them to work together as a team, and, from the Admin's point of view, everyone was considered to be responsible for their own actions, injuries, failure, and even death...---Though there was no one around to hear him, Quant ended off the count by shouting out the final few numbers. In reality, he was using his Pocket to keep track of the time, and, from the moment it counted down to zero, his body seemed to flicker out of existence before the sound of several sonic booms echoed throughout the darkness.The moment they heard the thunderclap-like sound, the team guarding the corridor, consisting of Dede, Aleksai, and Rozeal tensed up their bodies. This was especially true for Dede, the young man with a horn sticking out from the back of his head. His Position was that of the Fisherman, so, while the other two were hiding above, prepared to bombard Quant with both spears and Shinsu, he was given the task of blocking the actual path. As a result, the needle in his hands was shaking madly, a point that wasn't missed by the man who had spontaneously appeared behind him to say, "Did you know? If you can hear the sonic boom, the person who created it has already reached you..."Hearing the voice from behind, Dede attempted to spin around, swinging his needle in much the same way as a sword. Unfortunately, with very few exceptions, needles were rounded and smooth to the point of having virtually no imperfections along their surface. This made it easy to use them in environments with high Shinsu density, but, as a result, they weren't able to inflict any substantial damage when used for anything other than piercing.Catching the needle without any effort whatsoever, Quant was unable to resist the urge to roll his eyes as he said, "Next time, keep your back to a wall or pay better attention to your surroundings. What did Hex teach you guys?"Finished with his words, Quant took advantage of the fact that Dede hadn't let go of the needle, pulling the boy off balance before kicking him square in the abdomen with very little force. As for the reason, they were currently near the top of a long flight of stairs, so, even if he didn't injure the boy himself, Dede was bound to suffer on the way down.With the Fisherman out of the strike zone, spear after spear began to rain down from above, each piercing nearly half their length into the stairs. These were provided courtesy of Aleksai, who, as a result of his daily training sessions, had become much stronger. He was still far from being able to compete against Anak, but, compared to his past self, he was almost a completely different person.Unfortunately, even with the higher vantage, Aleksai wasn't able to hit Quant with any of his spears. In fact, the man had even closed his eyes, arms folded behind his back as the very casually dodged each and every one of them. This filled Aleksai with a fair amount of indignation, but, with Rozeal charging a rather sizeable Baang of Shinsu at his side, he prevented himself from leaping down to try and forcibly block the passage.Though she was inarguably the worst Wave Controller among the seven Regulars who had qualified for the Position, Rozeal still had her Shinsu-Controlling Wand. This had given her an advantage over Hoh during their lessons, and, now that she was on the verge of failing, Rozeal was intending to use the wand's 'final' ability to secure a passing grade. This allowed her, at the cost of the wand itself, to drastically increase the amount of Soo she could gather into a single Baang.Appearing eerily similar to Laure's charged attack, the Baang formed by Rozeal grew to more than a meter in diameter before she pointed the wand towards Quant and shouted, "Please accept these heartfelt emotions, Test Administrator~!"Hearing the rather 'curious' outburst, Quant just shook his head as he stared at the wave-like wall of Shinsu headed his way. It easily covered the width of the corridor, but, as someone who could travel at several thousand times the speed of sound using Shinsu, there was nothing preventing him from simply leaping over the attack. As a result, he easily evaded the attack before craning his head and asking, "Do you have a grudge against that boy or something?"Confused by Quant's words, Rozeal tilted her head to the side, illusory questions marks seeming to appear above her head. Immediately after that, however, she heard Dede, who had barely managed to climb to his feet, shout out, "Rozeal, you biiiiiitch...!" as he was washed further down the stairs.At the moment when Rozeal had turned towards the direction of the scream, Quant bounded up the walls of the corridor, appearing in front of the stunned woman almost instantaneously before saying, "Wave Controllers are meant to control the flow of the entire battlefield. Awareness of your surroundings and control are the most important skills you can possess. You let your desire to pass blind you. Now, go to sleep."Without her wand, Rozeal's ability to control the flow of Shinsu was meager, at best. As a result, she had no method to counterattack Quant as he easily sidestepped her flailing to chop the side of her neck. This caused her entire body to go numb, and, due to Quant not even attempting to catch her, she ended up falling painfully to the ground before passing out.Seeing Rozeal's head smack against the ground, Quant resist the urge to spit on her body before turning around to face Aleksai. He had no compassion for those who would injure their allies, even accidentally, so she was lucky to get off with just a bump to the head...Though he had a few spears left in his Pipe, the unique Arms Inventories adopted by Spear Bearers, Aleksai didn't immediately attack Quant. His only hope of injuring the man was by catching him with a piece of shrapnel, so, with the former standing next to the fallen Rozeal, there wasn't much he could do. Fortunately, this seemed to be the 'correct' decision, as, after a tense staring contest, Quant nodded approvingly at him before leaping down to the corridor below.Taking advantage of the fact that Quant seemed willing to fight him, Aleksai leaped down after the man, falling with meteoric force due to his 240cm height and 320kg weight. This was, of course, easily evaded by Quant, but, rather than end the fight immediately, the nimble man continued to dodge for a few seconds before saying, "It's too soon for you, but you should consider becoming a Defender in the future. Your skill as a Spear Bearer isn't bad but you lack the disposition required to become a Ranker in that Position. I can tell by your form that you're more of a defense brawler than anything else so make sure you train your body and master Shinsu reinforcement."As it was his first time hearing of the Defender Position, Aleksai's movements temporarily slowed as a confused expression appeared on his face. In that exact same moment, Quant seemed to fade out of existence, his voice suddenly echoing from behind to say, "Like I said, it's too early for you. You'll find out more as you climb the Tower."Without bothering to explain further, Quant kicked Aleksai in his back with enough force to send him tumbling down the stairs in much the same way as Dede. Immediately after that, he checked his Pocket to see that around seven minutes had passed. This meant that Anak would be reaching the top pretty soon, and, given her speed, it wouldn't even take her two minutes to reach the exit.While making a mental note to ask for a raise, Quant performed a few light stretches as he mused to himself, "Sorry kiddos, it looks like I don't have the time to properly educate each of you. Even if it's just a test, I can't let myself be defeated by a bunch of brats...guess I'll need to get serious..."Following his musings, Quant chuckled to himself before leaning forward and, once again, creating a series of sonic booms in his wake. The only Regulars left were the Scout candidates from his class, two Spear Bearers he had never bothered to remember the names of, a single Light Bearer, and the enemy team's 'it'. It was pretty clear that they were planning to stall him by taking advantage of the 'affection' he had for his own students, so, with a rather vicious smile on his face, Quant entered the spiraling stairwell to show his favorite group of brats a bit of tough love...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The legendary male Tsundere...','Happy birthday to the ground','Someone call the School Board (O . O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1726: Snare