Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the displays conveniently reconnecting prior to the battle between Quant and Endorsi, Team A could only watch in stunned silence as the Princess proudly flaunted her victory. They couldn't deny she had earned the badge, especially after her rather ridiculous display of strength, but that didn't make it any easier for them to accept the fact their team had officially lost the competition.As could be expected, those scraping the bottom line for passing immediately fell into a depressive state, their hopes and dreams crashing down around them. As for those who had already secured a passing grade for themselves, they just sat in silence amidst the rest, empathetic but not remorseful for the way things had turned out. After all, the passing of one person meant the failure of another, so, regardless of their efforts, half of them were fated to never move beyond the 2nd Floor...Fortunately, at least for some, many of Team B's members had come away with moderate to severe injuries. In fact, more than half of their team was bound to be disqualified due to the injuries they had sustained, irrespective of whether or not they could be treated. After all, most of their injuries were the result of being deemed a 'failure' by Quant, meaning they had outright failed to perform the responsibilities expected of them.The purpose of the Hide-and-Seek Test was never for the Regulars to 'win' against the Seeker. That was just a bonus objective that could afford the respective team's 'it' a considerable boon in points. The true purpose was to determine how the Regulars conducted themselves as both individuals in their respective Positions and allies on the same team. This evaluation was primarily handled by the Test Administrators and Directors, but, as the defacto proctor of the exam, Quant had the authority to outright 'eliminate' candidates he considered unsuited for their Positions...---Following the completion of the Final Exam, the Regulars were given a day to rest and recuperate before the results of the Position Test would be announced. Thus, after being told to reconvene at 7 PM the following day, they were ultimately dismissed after being informed of the fact that all food and beverages would be free until their departure from the 3rd Floor. The only person exempt from this boon was Gandr, who, due to his already notorious appetite, was limited to 500 points worth of food during each meal.As could be expected, most of the Regulars were too tired to actually celebrate, so, after raiding the commissary for various types of alcohol, the vast majority split off into small groups of close friends before retreating into their rooms to drink the night away. Fortunately, as this was a very common occurrence on the 2nd Floor, the commissary staff had removed all of the expensive items from the shelves before the bi-monthly raid emptied their stock clean. This caused quite a number of people to complain, but, as was often the case within the Tower, there wasn't really anything they could do to change the situation...---Completely unaffected by the situation plaguing many of the more depressed Regulars, most of the group associated with the Imperial Trio had gathered together in Gandr's room. Vahn had provided a few choice brands of alcohol from his private stock, and, though all of the credit went to Phae, he had used the Little Garden to prepare a small banquet for them to enjoy. This was well-received by those who had participated, but, as could be expected, the atmosphere was a little melancholic due to Endorsi's betrayal of Chunhwa.Though nobody was talking about it, the absence of Chunhwa, Nare, Hoh, and Rozeal could be felt by all. Baam and Khun were also absent due to visiting Rachel in the Medical Ward, so, at least for the first half of the party, things were understandably awkward between the previously close group of friends. Fortunately, they had plenty of good food and strong alcohol present, so, as the evening progressed, things became gradually more relaxed as inhibitions loosened.By the end of the evening, Gandr had been unsuccessfully ambushed by both Anak and Endorsi before the two girls ultimately fell asleep using Laure's blanket-wrapped body as a pillow. Anak, in particular, had finished off a bottle of sake that was nearly 30cm tall, her green complexion giving way to a ruddy glow as she drooled all over the Phonsekal scion's most cherished treasure. As for Gandr himself, he ended covering most of the room's occupants with blankets carrying Anak and Endorsi over to his bed, tucking them in before pulling out a sleeping bag and lying on the floor...---Whilst the pseudo-celebration had still been ongoing, Phae, having been requested by both Baam and Khun, made her way over to the Medical Ward to check on Rachel. She had yet to wake up due to the side-effects of the [Effigy of the Hero], an item that had been given to her by Hwa Ryun after the latter's midnight visit to his room.Though he only found out after the fact, Hwa Ryun had apparently misinterpreted the meaning of Vahn's words to imply that she should give the item to Rachel, as, prior to visiting his room, she had seen a vision of Hoh successfully killing the woman. It was only after she received the [Effigy of the Hero] that the path was 'corrected', Rachel living to see another day thanks to the tiny wood figure she had received from her God...Needless to say, Hwa Ryun's belief was steadily increasing, but, as that was a problem for 'Vahn' to deal with, Phae maintained her motherly smile as she checked Rachel's pulse and, for the third time, explained, "As I stated previously, she is perfectly fine. She is just suffering from the side-effects of a powerful magical item. The effigy is a treasure that has the ability to take on the fatal wounds of the person in possession of it, drastically increasing their physical capabilities for three minutes after the effect activates. Afterward, the body enters a dormant state for around three hours to prevent any troublesome sequelae from forming. She is bound to be completely exhausted when she wakes up, but there is no danger to her life."Despite having heard a similar explanation twice, Baam was unable to hide his concern, eyes tearing up as he squeezed Rachel's hand and muttered, "Please wake up soon...I don't think I can climb the Tower without you..."Hearing Baam's remark, Khun, who had been standing at the side, showed a conflicted expression on his face. As for Phae, her expression softened as she gently caressed Baam's head and said, "You are such a worrywart...I keep telling you she is going to be fine..."Unaccustomed to such tenderness, Baam's mental faculties ground to a halt the moment Phae began combing back his hair. A legitimately confused expression appeared on his face, but, rather than try to stop her, he ultimately just hung his head, squeezing Rachel's hand in silence.Sensing Baam gradually calming down, Phae resisted the urge to give the boy a hug before turning back to meet Khun's gaze. In response, he gestured toward the door with head, seemingly wishing to discuss something out of earshot from Baam. Phae already had some idea of what he wished to discuss, so, with a knowing smile on her face, she pulled out an extra blanket, covering Baam's body before promptly following Khun from the room.Almost immediately after the biometric lock activated behind them, securing the door, Khun wasted no time in asking, "That figurine, the [Effigy of the Hero], where did you obtain such a thing? I have never once heard of such an item existing within the Tower. I also don't understand why you would use entrust such a precious treasure to someone like Rachel. If not for Baam, I would never tolerate the presence of such a vain and shallow woman...I'm sure you've noticed it as well, right? She never even tries to improve. All she does is go through the motions...someone like that doesn't deserve to climb the Tower..."Frowning in response to Khun's words, Phae responded by, very plainly, stating, "It isn't your place to make such determinations, Khun Aguero Agnis. You are correct in your assertion that I have seen the incongruencies in Rachel's character. However, unless she has actually done something to merit reprobation, I will give her the benefit of the doubt. You, of all people, should know that it isn't just the 'worthy' who are able to climb the Tower. There are those like you who rely on deceit, and, if it means protecting the people you care about, you will even readily betray the trusts of others...tell me, what has Rachel done to earn your ire? How are your actions more just than her inaction...?"Though he wanted to argue against everything Phae was saying, Khun found himself frozen in place due to the terrifying aura emanating from the characteristically kind woman. Each and every one of her words seemed to carry a tremendous amount of weight, and, for a brief moment, he was briefly reminded of the one time he angered his father. With the latter being one of the leaders of the Ten Great Families, Ranked 6 in the entire Tower, this put into perspective just how terrifying Phae's aura was in the present moment...Fortunately, having experienced something similar in the past, Khun was ultimately able to recover enough to answer, "You're right...please forgive me if I upset you. I just don't want to see my friend ruined by a woman with a completely arbitrary goal...Baam is important to me...he is something this Tower desperately needs. Whenever I imagine his kindness being tainted by that woman, it tears me up inside..."Understanding Khun's concerns, Phae could only release a tired sigh before crossing her arms and saying, "It seems you have quite a bit in common with Baam...you both worry excessively whenever it concerns the people you care about."Hearing Phae's remark, Khun couldn't help but furrow his brows, unable to come up with a way to refute her statement. He wanted to say he wasn't such a kind-hearted and soft person, but, based on his own words and actions, it was hard to make a case for his cruelty. He was, in fact, extremely worried about Baam, and, if it was to help someone he cared about, there were very few extremes he wouldn't resort to...Taking advantage of Khun's silence, Phae issued an amused chuckle at the young man's expense before adopting a more serious look as she said, "You don't have to worry much longer. Once we move on to the 3rd Floor, my Lord will be taking more proactive measures to help us ascend the Tower. Rachel might become a weight that slows the group's progress, but, once you understand the true nature of my Lord, all of your concerns will seem rather trivial. For now, I suggest you just focus on supporting Baam and moving forward with your own plans. I'm certain you have already come to understand what kind of existence those two are..."Adopting a similarly serious expression on his face, a bead of sweat ran down the side of Khun's face as he corrected, "Don't you mean...you five...?"Rather than confirm Khun's suspicions, Phae replied with another giggle, this time concealing the lower half of her face with her gloved hand. Then, before walking past the boy, she mused, "There are some things that simply transcend conventional understanding and comprehension...just know this, scion of the Khun Family...the Tower is a very 'small' place in the grand scheme of things..."With nothing else to say, Phae continued past Khun without sparing him a second look. She was honestly feeling a little tired at the moment, not due to any exertions on her part, but because of the chaos occurring in Gandr's room and the frustrations experienced by Vahn. The former had a drunken Princess trying to predate him, and, though everything ultimately worked out in the end, Vahn was feeling pretty incredulous after hearing Hwa Ryun praise him to the high heavens...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Spear Revolutionaries','Gandr is a good boi','Phae be like, "This is only the tutorial stage..."')(A/N: I wanted to clarify a few things since I've noticed some trends in the comments section. Let me just say that there is nothing wrong with EPIC being second, third, or even tenth place on the Power Rankings. Rather than inflate a non-issue into some kind of petty war between two fandoms, I would rather see more positivity in the comments section. I rely on the comments of the readers to determine whether or not the pacing of the novel is appropriate so feel free to let me know how you think the story is progressing. As for Marvel's Mutant Gamer, I actually found it rather enjoyable so feel free to read it and make your own assessment. However, please don't go out of your way to cause any trouble. The thing that saddens me most is seeing promising new author's discouraged by the toxicity within the community. If you want to support EPIC, feel free to bash my head with a few Power Stones. I do enjoy being at the top of the rankings, sure, but that is tertiary compared to the support I receive from my gracious patrons, the kindness I receive from my fans, and my simple desire to write a story people enjoy. Please, be good to each other, especially during these trying times.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As Phae had promised, Rachel ended up opening her eyes almost immediately after the three hours had passed. Every muscle in her body screamed out in protest as a deeply agonizing ache radiated throughout every fiber of her being. Despite this, Rachel was still happy to be alive, her golden eyes glistening with tears as she squeezed Baam's hand and muttered, "Don't...cry...I'm...okay..."Though he was tempted to call the Doctors and immediately run to get Phae, Baam couldn't bring himself to leave Rachel's side, holding her hand between his as he fought back tears. She was the most important thing in his life, and, though it felt like he was obtaining more precious things with each passing day, he couldn't even imagine living without her.Seeing Baam doing his best not to cry, Rachel wanted gently embrace him, but, considering the current state of her body, she ultimately made no effort to try. Instead, she did her best to adopt a smile, watching silently as her mind wandered to the events leading up to her hospitalization...When Rachel had first formed her contract with Headon, he had promised that, so long as she did what she was told, she would be able to go up the Tower without experiencing any significant trials or pain. All she needed to do was obey the commands sent to her via Pocket, and, when necessary, listen to the red-haired woman named Hwa Ryun. So long as she did these two things, everything else was supposed to be smooth sailing up until the point she betrayed Baam and cut off his path to climbing the Tower.A month prior, Rachel had felt as though Baam had taken everything away from her, as, unlike him, she was not 'chosen' to enter the Tower. Headon had told her that she merely slipped through the cracks of Baam opening the door, matching her intentions from the start. After all, she knew better than anyone else that she was not chosen, but, rather than accept her fate, she committed a great taboo, befriending the monster prophesied to one day climb the Tower and open the way forward for all.If she were being honest, Rachel had become rather fond of Baam after spending years watching over the boy. She had become something akin to a surrogate mother for the boy, and, though he absolutely terrified her, the way he treated her as the most important person in the world, despite many viewing him in a similar light, always made her happy. She even developed a strong desire to change his destiny, protecting him from the many who would use him as a weapon despite having sealed him away for thousands of years.After finally convincing Baam that she was going to climb the Tower, effectively forcing him to open the door for her, Rachel had hoped to receive whatever it was that made him special. The Baam she knew had 'nothing', so, while he had shown a frustrating ability to learn new things, she had always believed that it was the Tower that would inevitably grant him Power. After all, there was no way the boy, the only person she knew for certain was weaker than herself, would be able to overcome all of the monsters said to exist within the Tower.By entering the door in Baam's stead, Rachel was hoping to receive everything that had made him special in the eyes of so many. She wanted to become the star of salvation that everyone gathered around, paving the way forward without desiring anything more than the chance to see the actual stars.Unfortunately, even after tricking Baam into opening the door, Rachel was unable to fool the Fairy said to choose who was qualified to climb the Tower. He had seen through her in an instant, forcing her to choose between abandoning her dream of seeing the stars and death. After all, there was no way for someone like her, a normal person who had been bullied due to her lack of talent, to defeat a giant monster that could easily swallow her in a single bite.At the time, Rachel believed that Headon was simply trying to get rid of her, but, after seeing Baam enter the Tower immediately after her, she quickly realized what was happening; She had been used by the Tower just to give Baam a reason for opening the door. After all, while she was given nothing at all to aid in her completion of the test, Baam was instantaneously allowed two powerful allies and one of the most powerful weapons in the entire Tower, all without any effort whatsoever.It was an established fact that it took literal years just to move up and down the Tower due to its size, so, for a Princess of Jahad and a Guide to appear immediately after Baam's entrance into the Tower, they had to have known years in advance. This notion had filled Rachel with despair, as, in spite of all her efforts to both steal Baam's fate and keep the boy safe, she had failed absolutely.Fortunately, even though she knew the only reason was to give them greater control over Baam, Headon had offered her the chance to move up the Tower. He promised her that Baam would be safe, and, so long as she did what she was told, the contract they had established would allow her to one day see the stars she so desperately craved, even in her dreams.Rachel hated the idea of being used, but, with the only other options being death or expulsion from the Tower, she ultimately accepted Headon's terms. Now, she was forced to watch on from the side as Baam, without any real effort on his part, attracted countless powerful figures. He even managed to win over a trio of other Irregulars, and, over the duration of a single month, became close friends with two Princesses of Jahad, two scions from powerful families, and several other powerful figures who were bound to become powerhouses in the future.Seeing Baam literally handed everything others struggled desperately to obtain, Rachel couldn't help but feel a burgeoning resentment towards the boy who had once had nothing. However, much like everyone else that had been exposed to him for long periods of time, she couldn't actually hate him. Baam had a unique charm to him, and, even if she knew he was a monster, his innocence and the sincerity behind each of his words and actions gave even her a strong desire to protect him.Unfortunately, with no power to change her fate, Rachel could only play the part she had been given; forced to become Baam's motivation for climbing, and ultimately changing, the Tower. She was even being forced to betray him, her current task being to push him into the arms of the very same people who would use him as nothing more than a weapon. She was told this was to conceal his presence from the King of the Tower, but, as someone who lived her entire life deceiving others, Rachel knew their actual goal was to control and manipulate him.By forcing her to betray him, Baam would be forced to face the 'truth' of the Tower, a place where countless people desperately struggled to obtain their wishes at the expense of everyone else. This would see in him a desire to change the Tower's system, and, by giving her a free ride up the Tower, he was guaranteed to keep chasing after her in search of answers she was contract-bound never to give him. Speaking the truth would annul the agreement she had made with Headon, so, even if she ultimately came to regret her decision, her only choices were to continue going forward, inevitably changing the Tower for the better, or abandoning both Baam and her dreams...---Ever since she was a little girl, Rachel had been aware of the fact there was something 'wrong' with her. She had always struggled to understand other people, and, though she had done her best to fit in with the other children, they had bullied her for being different. They undermined everything she did, and, even when she tried her best to act like everyone else, nothing seemed to work. The Head Priestess had even punished her for trying to stop the bullying, laying the blame on her despite the fact she was the victim.After the incident, Rachel realized she had probably gone a little too far by tearing off all the boy's fingernails with a pair of pliers, but, if he hadn't been allowed to bully her for years, she never would have had to resort to such drastic actions. She had tried asking for help numerous times, but, much like the children, all the adults within the Temple treated her like she was some kind of monster. She was constantly lectured and told how to behave while the people who had actually done something wrong were allowed to avoid any serious consequences. In fact, her telling on them only made their treatment of her worse, eventually reaching a point where she had nearly been drowned when one of the boys pushed her into the river before promptly running away with all his friends.Despite the fact he had nearly killed someone, the boy was only lightly chided by the adults at the Temple while she, having apparently 'antagonized' the group of five boys, was forced to clean the central chamber as punishment. That was the moment when Rachel first realized that she wasn't the one who was 'broken'. She might have been a little different, but there was very clearly something wrong with everyone else. Thus, from that moment onward, Rachel decided to take matters into her own hands, turning the children's lies into truths. If she was going to be punished, regardless of her actions, Rachel decided she would become the monster others made her out to be.Though she ended up getting into a lot of trouble, Rachel successfully managed to deter any future bullying due to the severity of the punishment she had meted out to the boy who had effectively tried to kill her. After that, the children were told to stay far away from her, and, in an effort to guide her back onto the 'correct' path, she was placed under the direct supervision of the High Priestess. This ended up being a tremendous boon, as, without any bullies to get in her way, Rachel was gradually able to master her performance, ultimately gaining the trust of the High Priestess and convincing all the adults that she had changed.Unfortunately, the moment she earned the right to learn the Sacred Arts passed down through their Temple for thousands of years, Rachel learned she had absolutely no talent. She could not connect with the God that allowed them to perform miracles, and, even though she had memorized each of the incantations flawlessly, none of them ever worked. This caused everyone to begin shunning her once again, but, unlike before, she had the High Priestess as an ally. As a result, she was allowed to become a Priestess of the Inner Temple, provided sanctuary and given the opportunity to gradually learn all the Temple's secrets.It was from the High Priestess that Rachel first learned about the Tower, and, after several years of devout service, the former had even confided in her the 'purpose' they had been given more than ten-thousand-years prior. They were tasked with guarding the body of their founder's child, a boy who had been sealed beneath the Temple until the day he was ready to climb the Tower and open the way forward for them all.When Rachel first learned about the existence of the boy sealed beneath the Temple, she had been curious about what kind of creature could survive more than ten-thousand-years after its apparent death. As fate would have it, she would quickly learn exactly what type of existence he was, as, soon after learning the Temple's best-kept secret, Rachel was given the duty of cleaning and maintaining the seal. That same week, she began to hear sobbing emanating from beneath the large stone used to conceal the underground chamber below, and, after a few days had passed, she could even hear scratching against the stone.Rather than inform the High Priestess of the anomaly, Rachel decided to keep it a secret. She had been captivated by the stories related to the Tower, so, while she owed a lot to the kindly woman who had become a surrogate mother to her, Rachel wanted to meet the person that served as one of the pillars of their entire faith. Thus, while the High Priestess was busy preparing for the winter festival, she managed to remove the stone blocking the entrance to the chamber below, meeting him for the first time on the 25th Baam, the date which would ultimately become the boy's name...---Remembering her first meeting with the long-haired and emaciated boy, Rachel's smile gradually became gentler as she mustered up the strength to maneuver her free hand to pat the boy's head. This immediately caught Baam's attention, clear concern visible in his gaze as he pleaded, "Please, don't move around too much! You aren't well...!"Though it caused her an extreme amount of pain, Rachel couldn't help but chuckle in response to Baam's words, her smile becoming more prominent despite tears welling in her eyes. As could be expected, this caused Baam to fret quite a bit, but, knowing she would soon betray the boy for both their sakes, Rachel couldn't help shedding tears as an awkward, crazed-sounding, laugh emanated from her throat...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A very selfish form of love','Children can be very cruel','Into the Abyss of Despair')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With Baam insisting they not stray too far from the Safety Area, both he and Endorsi reached the rather brutal scene in a very short period of time, Hoh's laughter still echoing through the chamber as he continued stabbing Rachel's limp body. This caused Baam to completely freeze in place, but, having seen more than her fair share of bloodshed, Endorsi just sighed before casually throwing her needle, piercing both of Hoh's wrists and forcing him to drop the knife.Despite a startling amount of pain emanating from his wrists, Hoh didn't cry out in response. Most of his senses were dulled at the moment due to his mind entering a state similar to shock. Because of this, he managed to look over to where both Endorsi and Baam were standing, his eyes meeting the grief-ridden gaze of the boy he had once called a friend.Just as Hoh was about to say something to try and justify his actions, everyone present was taken by surprise when Rachel's body was suddenly enveloped in golden flames. In the very next instant, a tiny burning figure appeared on the ground as a pained gasp escaped the previously motionless Rachel. Even her eyes, which had previously been bereft of any sign of life, were suddenly burning with vitality as she unceremoniously kicked the horned-man in his face. Then, showing no signs of hesitation, she grabbed the dagger that had fallen to the ground, a vengeful look in her eyes as she attempted to stab Hoh directly in the chest.With speed he didn't normally possess, Baam managed to intercept Rachel's attempt to stab Hoh with his own body. The blade of the dagger ended up sinking deep into his shoulder, startling the woman enough to release the handle and cry out, "Baam! What are you doing!?"Having successfully pushed Hoh outside of the Safety Area, Baam didn't have to take any further action as Quant unhesitantly appeared next to the man, knocking him out in an instant. Thus, in response to Rachel's outburst, he ignored the pain radiating from his shoulder, tears staining his face as he pleaded, "I don't want to see my friends killing each other...please...this isn't right...none of this is right..."Unable to hold back his emotions, Baam began crying like a child that had been separated from its mother in a crowded venue. This was all he could do to express the conflict whirling around inside of him; the result of pain, sadness, anger, hatred, confusion, loss, and relief all melding together to form a completely indescribable sensation that wracked his body and mind in equal measure...Seeing Baam sobbingly throw himself into the stunned Rachel's embrace, Endorsi couldn't help releasing a tired sigh before meeting Quant's gaze and suggesting, "Let's move this elsewhere. It's impossible to get in the mood in a place like this..."Though Quant had previously been contemplating just taking Endorsi's badge in order to bring this farce of a test to an end, he wasn't able to locate it anywhere on her body. Thus, in response to her suggestion, he did his best to ignore the sound of crying, smiling viciously as he said, "I suppose I can make an exception and let you choose where you want to die. Go ahead and lead the way. So long as you don't try anything shady, I promise not to attack for the next three minutes."Nodding her head in affirmation, Endorsi took one last look at Baam before releasing another sigh and disappearing into the darkness. Her departure was followed very closely by Quant, who, much like the former, took a moment to stare at Baam crying in Rachel's arms before muttering, "If there is a God, he or she is a pretty twisted bastard..."---In an effort to calm herself down, Endorsi ended up using the full three minutes to reach an area far from the sound of Baam's wailing. Just being around the boy filled her with an overwhelming sense of guilt, an emotion she thought she had discarded more than a hundred years ago. There was just something about him that made others feel like they were 'dirty', causing them to doubt everything they thought was 'common sense' within the Tower...With the figure of the crying boy still present within her mind, Endorsi turned around to face Quant, a somber expression on her face as she asked, "Before we begin, can you answer me something...?"Since his own mood was pretty dour right now, Quant decided he might as well humor Endorsi's request, adopting a relaxed stance before saying, "Just ask. Just keep in mind that I'm not really in the best of moods right now. If you say something to offend me, there is a good chance you'll be leaving this arena on a stretcher."Chuckling in response to Quant's words, Endorsi almost habitually combed back her bangs before stopping once she noticed a few flakes of blood staining her fingernails. This caused her mood to decrease even further, but, as someone who had lived for more than three-hundred-years, she was adept at concealing her emotions when necessary. As a result, she managed to hide her depressive state behind a neutral smile, asking, "Do you regret the years you spent climbing the Tower...?"Understanding what Endorsi was truly asking, Quant made no attempt to hide his true feelings on the matter, his expression turning serious yet melancholic as he answered, "To achieve our dreams, we must be willing to crush the dreams of others...that is the nature of the Tower...that boy...he isn't normal..."Though there wasn't any hidden meaning contained within his words, Endorsi's mind wandered the moment she heard Quant mention that Baam wasn't 'normal'. Immediately after that, three people with remarkable power came to mind, each possessing monstrous capabilities and an unparalleled ability to manipulate Shinsu. Everything about them was exceptional, and, though it seemed to fade into obscurity with the passage of time, she could vividly remember them claiming to be Irregulars, people who had opened the door from a world beyond the Tower...With the image of Imperial Trio appearing within her mind, so too did the scene of Baam shrouded in golden lightning. She had never even considered back then, but, now that she looked back on all the events leading up to the present, everything about Baam and Rachel screamed 'Irregular'. There was also the fact that Baam had appeared with the Black March, a weapon belonging to one of the most famous Princesses of Jahad, Ha Yuri Jahad, despite having no knowledge of the Jahad Empire, Princesses of Jahad, and the Thirteen Month Series.Now that she thought about things clearly, Endorsi couldn't help but question whether or not she had been under some kind of mind control over the past month. It was so obvious that Rachel and Baam were Irregulars that she felt like an idiot for having made the connection this late. There was even a time when she felt an 'otherworldly' aura from Rachel, the very thing that had prevented her from attacking the annoying blonde during the first day's Deathmatch.Feeling extremely annoyed all of a sudden, Endorsi surprised the uncharacteristically patient Quant by stomping on the ground a few times before pointing Chunhwa's sword towards the man and shouting, "Let's just get this battle over with! I'm too tired to think about all this complicated stuff right now...!"Finding the Princess' remark rather amusing, Quant couldn't resist laughing at her expense before leaping back in response to a electric-blue wave of Shinsu enveloping the area where he had been standing. Endorsi's power and control were leagues above Chunhwa's, so, while she had very little experience wielding the peculiar ignition weapon, she could, quite literally, brute force things using her overwhelming strength.With a simple swing of the blazing blue sword, an area more than three-hundred-meters in length and eighty-meters wide was enveloped in a destructive wave of Shinsu. This caused a small amount of sweat to appear on Quant's brow, as, despite being a Ranker, there was no way he could receive such a blow without reinforcing his body with Shinsu. Fortunately, even with her strength, there was a limit to the amount of Shinsu Endorsi could output with each swing. She also needed to take care not to use the ability too close to her own body, lest she risk injuring herself in the subsequent explosion.After dodging two more sweeping waves of Shinsu, Quant decided it was significantly safer to be close to the Princess' body. He had caught a flash of red from her interior vest pocket, so, unless his eyes were starting to play tricks on him, that was the most likely location of Endorsi's badge. All he needed to do was tear away her vest or deal a heavy enough blow to take her out of the fight, both viable options considering how annoyed he was becoming with her increasingly destructive blows.Aiming for the gap in between Endorsi's strikes, Quant surprised the former by dashing through the receding wave of Shinsu. This was a tactic that required more confidence than actual power, as, due to the nature of Shinsu, it caused little to no damage whilst dispersing. This meant, the moment the Shinsu was no longer being directly manipulated, it effectively became 'inert', the only exceptions being when certain Qualities were applied to it.Taking advantage of Endorsi's surprise, Quant extended his hand to grab her vest, a vicious smile on his face as he shouted, "Don't think badly of me, Princess!". Unfortunately, before he could close his hand around the fabric, his wrist was nearly broken when the former's shield-like disks expanded in the blink of an eye.Clicking his tongue, Quant attempted to break through the shield with a roundhouse kick, but, with no Shinsu to support the endeavor, the most he accomplished was leaving the imprint of his foot in the durable surface. This caused him to curse internally before using the shield as a springboard to evade Endorsi's extremely swift and dexterous hook. It had come from his blindspot, so, had he not been anticipating such a tactic, Quant would have lost his badge then and there due to Endorsi's inordinately high mastery of the Reel Inventory.Though she might have the lowest score among the current Fisherman candidates, Anak being the obvious exception, Endorsi was easily the most skilled among the current batch of potentiates. The only reason she was lacking in points is that she spent them almost immediately after earning them. She had been intending to eliminate the other Fisherman candidates from the very beginning, so, rather than hoard her points like a precious treasure, Endorsi used them to buy expensive clothes, valuable items, a variety of compression weapons, and anything else she thought would be of use during the Final Exam.Demonstrating just how much she had prepared, Endorsi pulled out three compression needles from her Reel Inventory, smiling even more fiercely than Quant as she contracted her shield and threw them like munitions fired from a rail gun. One even directly impacted Quant's shoulder due to the fact he was airborne during the counterattack. The other two were easily caught with his bare hands, but, without the ability to use Shinsu, the third was able to slip through.Clenching his teeth, Quant was tempted to 'return' Endorsi's needles to her, but, much like he was unable to enter the Safety Area, he was prohibited from using items. This rule applies to the items used by the Regulars, so, after evading Endorsi's explosive follow-up attack, Quant pulled out the offending needle before throwing it, and the rest, far beyond the Princess' ability to manipulate.Though she was tempted to comment about Quant's pettiness, Endorsi had already started to feel fatigued from continuously swinging around an ignition weapon. The size of the Shinsu wave was directly proportional to her strength due to the fact she had to 'literally' push the wave forward with raw physical power. This meant she was forcibly manipulating tens-of-thousands of kilograms of Shinsu with each of her swings, a difficult feat even for a Princess of Jahad. Fortunately, Shinsu also had the trait of erupting outward, mixing with the Shinsu in the air to create sweeping explosions that didn't require any additional power.Feeling that she was approaching her limit, Endorsi condensed the Shinsu in the blade to cause the entire length to glow with vibrant blue light. Then, rather than wait for Quant to approach her, she charged at him with tremendous momentum, shattering the floor beneath her feet as she launched herself like a projectile towards his position.Seeing the 'enraged' Princess approach him, Quant cockily raised one of his brows, leaping back at the same speed of her approach as he asked, "You're approaching me? Don't tell me you also lost your mind..."Kicking against the ground with even more force, Endorsi's eyes began shimmering with a ghostly light as she shouted, "I can't smash your grubby little face without getting closer! Stop running you match-headed pipsqueak...!"The moment he heard Endorsi's insult, Quant felt like something in the back of his mind 'broke'. At the same time, an extremely wrathful expression spread across his face as he promptly changed the direction of his movement. This caused Endorsi's eyes to widen, her arms instinctually tucking in to protect her body as her shield began to rapidly expand. Unfortunately, after witnessing the shield's rate of expansion just once, Quant was able to adjust his angle and timing, deftly evading the edge of the troublesome item to tear Endorsi's vest from her body. He was so confident in his speed that he completely ignored the hook that managed to snatch away his badge, smiling darkly as he said, "Too bad. And you were so...close...?"For reasons his mind simply couldn't grasp, Endorsi didn't appear even remotely upset by the loss of both her vest and badge. Instead, she turned around with a massive grin spreading across her face before boldly raising the front of her skirt. Quant's eyes were instinctually drawn to the area, but, rather than a tantalizing display, the only thing that entered his sight was the bright red badge that had been pinned to the front of Endorsi's tights...Before the man could recover his senses, Endorsi released the hem of her skirt before recovering Quant's badge and remarking, "You owe me a new vest." with what could only be described as a 'shit-eating grin' on her face...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bruh...','When the answer hits you after the test has already ended...','Oh my, how bold (OwO)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1731: Tensions