A Monster or a King?
3rd pov:
|| Evankhell's mothership, the second test center ||
The mothership has a large clean room with a platform at the back of the room. This is where Regulars who have passed the test are sent by the Administrator, as an air of rest while waiting for the next test.
"Wow! They all look fierce!"
Commented a voice among the crowd, it is none other than Shibisu looks impressed looking at each of the Regulars of all types of sizes or different races.
"Those who pass the first test are truly Remarkable! Looks like the real test is about to begin, I can't help but be excited!"
"What do you think, Hatz? Do you feel your your fighting spirit awakened by seeing all these strong guys?"
Shibisu asked with a cheerful tone looking at his teammate who responded with a tone matching his impassive face:
"Your hanging tongue rather awakens in me the desire to take out my sword. Shibisu."
"R-Really?"
Shibisu stammered imagining that his samurai cutting him in two in a flash, which makes him break out in a cold sweat.
He turned his attention to his other teammate, trying to start a discussion with her to break the awkward atmosphere created by Hatz.
"....W-Well and you Anaak? How are you feeling? You're probably even a little excited?"
"Yeah....so excited to team up with a chatterbox like that."
The lizard spat without considering whether it might be annoying or not, which made Shibisu's shoulders drop.
"You, I think you don't know me well. To tell you all, I learned deadly martial techniques, I'm super strong!"
He declared with visible pride on his face, he wanted to let them know that he wasn't as useless as his teammates think. But obviously his teammates just shook their heads as a sign that they don't believe their teammate's antics.
___
"I've never seen so many people in one place, Mr. knight.... I am really afraid."
Said a little girl with blonde hair that reaches her ears, she was dressed in a simple pink dress and she carried a pot on her back like a bag. She was obviously worried to see so many Regulars.
"Don't worry, Miss Narae. I will protect you."
Reassured a man with short brown hair, he wears medieval armor with a sword attached to his side.
'It smells like love around here.'
Thought the last teammate he looks at them strangely.
___
"No way... why is this idiot still sleeping? Are you sure we can trust him?"
Asked an average woman with a voice laced with a mixture of irritation and frustration, she glared at the sleeping person lying on the floor with a blanket and pillow. He is a man with short dark green hair and wearing a full black outfit.
"Haha, I can guarantee he's talented."
Reassured his teammate with a silly smile, he had tanned skin and long yellow hair reaching the small of his back. He had a white dress with some red urchin and a long red horn on the right side of his forehead.
___
"Quite impressive, so many people passed such a barbaric test."
Baam was quite surprised that so many people were able to survive such a massive killing.
"Well, I would say around a hundred who were able to qualify. They're not Regulars for nothing and it's no wonder the majority of them passed the test."
Added his teammate with a smile drawn on his face. Aguero continued his explanation to the boy next to him:
"Baam, be careful. Some have exceptional powers. There are some who are cheap and dirty Regulars."
"Regulars coming from residential areas must have at least one unusual talent."
"Don't underestimate anyone, and consider all the Regulars here present.... as formidable enemies. "
Baam said absolutely nothing, quite simply because he knew very well that he should not make such a mistake. During the wars he led as King Grey, he used any means to emerge victorious, whether strategy, betrayal, weapons, etc...
He used every method to get his way.
No matter how strong your opponent is, whether he is strong or weak, you must not hold back.
A lion always uses its full power in hunting, even against a rabbit.
He shook his head to remove his memories of his previous life, he then began to speak to better lighten the mood:
"Well, I don't think there is a team more powerful than ours, because our leader is none other than the powerful and awesome Lord Crocodile!"
"Haha! It's true."
His blue teammate let out a little laugh, the two each held the crocodile's hand between them, which of course annoyed their leader.
*Spaf!*
"Ouch! I call that mistreatment of his servants!!"
Baam complained, rubbing where Rak hit him.
"I have to hit my turtles so he can understand that I'm not a crocodile!! Stupid black turtle!!"
The two were arguing but were interrupted by a commotion in the crowd.
"I FINALLY CATCH YOU!!! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!"
Everyone turned their attention to the commotion to see a one-armed man with red hair grabbing the collar of a black-haired boy. We could see the anger evident on him.
"Look what you did to my arm?! How do you plan to repay me? Huh??"
"I don't know. Maybe you can buy a new arm and glue it back together."
The boy replied nonchalantly, not even bothering to look at his attacker as if he wasn't worth it. The red-haired guy was boiling with rage, he wanted to tear the kid in front of him in two.
"Pull yourself together, dear comrade. I am sorry to see your arm in this state, but it's forbidden to fight during the break, and you were injured during the test so it's justified."
A tall man with very short blond hair and a long gray dress intervened, with a smile he wanted to calm the tension but it only accentuated the one-armed man's rage.
"How does that justify it?? If he hadn't ambushed me I never would have gotten hurt."
"Ambush or not, I would have defeated you. You're just a piece of sh*t."
The boy said sharply, which further fueled his attacker's rage, until he drew his spear and exclaimed loudly:
"YOU B*STARD!!!! I'M GONNA TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF!!"
"Pfft, this guy is ridiculous. He makes such bland excuses to justify his weakness."
Baam scoffed, it was simply a clown show he was facing. This Regular dares to complain about having lost one of its members due to an <ambush > while the rules of the previous test stipulate that all means to succeed are authorized.
As a Regular, you must accept what happens to you during the tests. If you fail or even lose your life, you can only blame your weakness.
The Tower cannot change according to your criteria, unless...
"Haha, that's how weaklings act, especially when they start their debut in the Tower."
Added Aguero, he was bored with such pointless and fleeting fights.
"Besides, someone will arrest them soon."
"Did I warn you that fighting was prohibited during the break, Regulars?"
"!?"
"Here it is."
As Aguero said, a person intervened in the argument between the two Regulars which was going to degenerate.
He is a man with yellow hair and eyes of the same color, he had two black spots, each of which was below his eyes. He is dressed in business attire, wearing a white jacket reaching his knees with a silver badge pinned to his chest, he had fairly baggy black pants and boots that are one with his pants.
The red-haired guy, already furious at the insolent behavior of the boy in front of him, could only become more irritated at this person who intervened in their <fight >.
"Who the f*ck are you?!! You cockroach, do you want to die too?!"
The redhead shamelessly insulted towards the man who is indifferent to the behavior of the Regular in front of him, as if he was still used to dealing with such disrespectful behavior.
One of his teammates who is a yellow bird with four eyes recognized who this person could be and started to break out in a cold sweat. He held back his furious teammate and spoke with a trembling voice:
"W-Wait!! This man I think is..."
"I am your examinator...Lero Ro."
The man named Lero Ro briefly introduced himself, the redhead's anger instantly transformed into fear, with a weak voice, he asked him to clarify his doubts:
"The examinator....? So....you....you're a R-Rank-..?"
"Yes. I am a Ranker of the Tower."
Still with a smile, the examinator responded to the Regular trembling in front of him.
After hearing that he was indeed a Ranker, he decided to back off with his team, but before leaving, he pointed at the black-haired kid.
"F*ck! I'll leave you this time because the Ranker is here! But remember! I will kill you with my own hands!!"
"Well, you're quite feisty~."
Lero Ro hummed, seeing the two teams separate.
Baam, who was watching from afar, noticed how much the examiner had calmed the Regulars just by calling himself a Ranker.
He had already heard of the term <Ranker > from Yuri, since she and her guide are part of it, but he didn't know what that meant.
"Hey Aguero, can you tell me what a Ranker is?"
Baam asked, turning towards his teammate, who then looked at him as if he were crazy, which Baam noticed and mentally said that he may have screwed up by asking a subject that should be known to everyone through the Tower.
"What?! You're in the Tower without knowing what a Ranker is?"
"I lived in a place far, far away, so far away that I doubt anyone has heard of it."
He answered without detail, which still left Aguero a little confused, but he let it go and decided to explain the concept of Rankers:
"The Rankers are the ones who reached the top of the Tower."
This statement made Baam's eyes widen for a brief moment before he regained his composure.
"They are evaluated each season for a rank in the Tower, that's why they are called Rankers."
"Among millions of Regulars, only one or two become a Ranker. They are monsters with immeasurable powers."
"That Ranker you see down there could kill every single one of us Regulars in here without even breaking a sweat."
Baam was more or less surprised by his teammate' statement, he could judge the strength of the others and knew very well that their examiner was much stronger than all the Regulars gathered in this room.
But there was a colossal difference between this Ranker and Yuri, the same for Evan who could kill him like he was a mosquito, which would give him some chills just thinking about the power of these monsters.
But there is something wrong with Aguero's explanation.
'Why would someone as powerful as Lero Ro come to one of the lowest floors of the Tower to babysit? Which doesn't make sense since he reached the top of the Tower, wouldn't he have had absolute power or inexhaustible wealth as Headon says?'
He could only think it was crazy, would Headon have lied? Gives false hope to those who want to realize their dream or...
Could there be a much darker reason that he cannot discover?
"Ah! Ah! Pay attention to me, Regulars!"
Baam came out of his trance when Lero ro's voice echoed throughout the room.
"From now on, I will explain the next test to you!"
Declared the examinator who was on the stage with his arms wide open, but before continuing his explanation of the test, he briefly introduced himself with a huge smile:
"As you should know, I am your examinator, Ranker Lero ro."
"Nice to meet you, my little darlings!"
He said in a strangely soft voice, which made several Regulars want to beat him up but they can't do it because they're the ones who risk getting beaten up.
"And now~ I imagine you had a good rest! Let's move on to the next test! But first you'll have to take a mini-test."
"Know that those who do not pass this mini-test....will be eliminated."
"WHATTTTT!?!?"
Exclaimed several Regulars at the same time, whether it was confusion or worry, it was all filled among the crowd of participants.
"Haha, relax. This test is very simple."
The Ranker reassured, although his smirk said the opposite of what he made the Regulars hear.
"Good. Now the test begins."
he announced, he held out his hand in front of him while muttering things incomprehensible to the Regulars, and the moment he opened his palm...
*SHASH!!*
"AAARGHHHHHH!!!!"
Lero Ro suddenly sent a wave of power across the large room, pushing back all the Regulars.
The weakest of the Regulars could no longer even keep their foot on the ground and flew away like trash blown by a violent wind.
Even the strongest among them had difficulty staying put and could only be pushed back further and further by the invisible pressure.
Everyone could only be shocked by this phenomenon created by the Ranker, showing that he is on a completely different level than them.
The majority of them didn't know what was happening but a small handful of Regulars understood what it could be and one of them immediately exclaimed:
"Shinsu!!"
It was Aguero who asked the question, while struggling using his briefcase as a shield so as not to be sent to pick up, the same goes for the crocodile who uses his spear as a support to stay put.
"My, my! You're quite perceptive."
Congratulates the Ranker, while pushing the Shinsu a little harder. With that, all the Regulars found themselves pushed to the back of the room and a translucent blue wall formed in front of them.
"As you see, I created a Shinsu Veil. I instantly compacted the Shinsu into a veil and you push back."
Explained Lero-ro still wearing his smirk, he continued his monologue about Shinsu:
"As you know, Shinsu is everywhere in the Tower. It is important because it allows us to breathe and live there."
"But Shinsu can also become a deadly weapon, depending on how you use it."
"The Shinsu Densifier can even break a person's hand, so every competitor across the Tower uses it to fight."
"However, some people show negative reactions to Shinsu, meaning they are not suitable to enter the Tower."
"Candidates who manage to pass Shinsu's Veil will at least prove that they have no negatives reactions."
"Teams that manage to pass through the veil will have passed the mini-test, but those that fail will be eliminated."
Concluded the Ranker with a kind smile, well that some people don't understand the meaning of these words. But the smartests among the Regulars understood where his words were going, one of them immediately asked a question:
"Wait!! Did you say as a team!? What if a teammate fails to pass the veil?"
"Isn't it obvious?! The team is eliminated."
The examinator replied simply, as if it were the most logical thing, but the majority of Regulars did not have the same thoughts of the Ranker.
"This is absurd!! It doesn't make sense!!"
"Absurd? Why?"
Lero-ro asked while suppressing a laugh, he hid his face with his hand but let his eyes see through the crowd who are crying scandal that this test is so ridiculous.
"Yes!! Everyone here made teams in a hurry. It's unfair if I get eliminated because of a teammate!! Should we play in a stroke of luck? Is this a lottery?"
"Everyone…do you know what it takes to get into the Tower?"
Lero-ro's voice silenced all protest in the crowd, as if a wind had passed and extinguished every candle.
"That....is luck."
"The chance to be in good physical condition. The chance to be intelligent. The chance to be rich. The chance to escape death. The chance to save a teammate..."
"The only reason you came here..."
"It's because of your luck."
Just the intonation of the last words spoken in his mouth, had shaken each Regulars to signify how the luck is an important thing that they would need during their Ascension.
"But now you're telling me it's absurd to test your luck? Stop talking nonsense and take the test, Regulars."
The Ranker demanded in a firm voice, while looking between his fingers at the Regulars who did not agree with contempt.
"Sigh... He does what he wants."
Aguero sighed in the face of this situation, he could only think about what to do next.
'Which means we shouldn't count on fairness.'
'Well, the density of the veil doesn't seem that strong to me.'
He shifted his gaze to the crocodile who was also lost in these thoughts.
'Since he hunts in Shinsu, it won't be a problem for him.'
'But the problem is Baam....'
'.....?'
Aguero can no longer find his teammate who should be next to him. Confused, he decided to look around to see if his teammate had not been pushed by the Shinsu less than expected, but a familiar voice from the other side of the Shinsu Wall caught his attention.
"Excuse me, Mr. examinator. It seems that your Shinsu hasn't pushed me back. Am I qualified or not?"
'BAAM!!?'
Aguero mentally shouted, with his eyes wide open, he was in shock to see the teammate who he thought would be the one who would have difficulty passing this test, but it turned out to be the opposite.
He wasn't the only one who was shocked, the room was filled with a disbelief that crossed the minds of every person who saw the feat that the boy had just done, a boy that not everyone paid attention to because of its too ordinary appearance.
But the most surprised is none other than the Ranker, his eyes could be confused with saucers because they are so open because of his shock. He threw a threatening look in the direction of Baam, who was not shaken, he had a face similar to a statue and looked straight into the Ranker's eyes while waiting for his response.
"No, Mr. Baam. Looks like I made a mistake, but that's also part of your luck. You passed this mini-test."
Lero Ro finally replied, with a professional smile while lightly patting his white jacket.
"EEEEEHHHHHH!!?"
His statement made a good number of Regulars gasp, some even looked at Baam with obvious envy and jealousy, which of course the boy didn't pay attention to.
"F*CK!!! him and his stupid luck!!
"Sh*t, is this a test or is it the lottery?"
"You will never walk alone~You will never walk alone~."
But amidst these insane words, there were a few people in the crowd who had a different thought.
'No... it's not a mistake, far from it.'
Aguero thought, looking at Baam who is standing nonchalantly, he didn't move even a millimeter from his place before the Shinsu Veil was thrown by the Ranker.
'The examinator couldn't have made a mistake, me and the crocodile were right next to him but we still got pushed back.'
'He.....just wasn't pushing back'
he concluded, but it still remains unclear, simply because there is one thing that confuses him.
Who is Baam really?
The more he thinks, the more confused he becomes. This boy is like a Rubi's cube, the more you mix the faces, the more difficult it is to restore the original appearance of the puzzle.
Baam is not part of the 10 Great Families, we can see at a glance that his physique and attitude are well below being a Regular.
But he has just shown that his resistance to Shinsu is so high that it even disperses the Shinsu of a Ranker?
And there's also the way Baam acts, he doesn't act like a boy his age but like a mature adult who has experienced any ordeal.
His thinking, his understanding and the decisions he makes could even match the intelligence of Aguero, he would even dare to say that Baam surpasses him in his chosen field.
But even with all this, Aguero could not complete the origin of Baam.
And he hates more than anything to remain in ignorance and the unknown.
'How is it possible? I knew there was something wrong around him, but not on this level?'
Anaak mentally asked herself, she knew the boy wasn't that ordinary because of his sharpness, but what made him such an anomaly? She was just as confused as Aguero.
'This kid...to say he is blessed by Shinsu is an understatement.'
This time, it is the sleeper who is reflecting on this subject, he was awakened from his peaceful sleep because of the agitation caused by the boy. He who could see the Shinsu better than anyone could realize that Baam was not normal just by taking a look at the Shinsu around him, as if the Shinsu loved him.
Another person had the same thinking as them, it was none other than the Ranker who still had his gaze on the boy. He could only come to one simple conclusion:
"A monster has arrived…."
___
Baam walked straight towards the stage staircase while ignoring the piercing stares on him or the incessant remarks about his subject.
He sits casually on one of the steps of the stairs, while thinking about the useful information he had just learned.
'The Shinsu.... This substance was not only viscous water but also replaces the role of oxygen in the Tower. '
'According to the Ranker, the Shinsu would then act like a gas but under high density, it can become in liquid form.'
'But most importantly, you can manipulate Shinsu using it offensively or defensively.'
'Shinsu is much more different than Qi, unlike Qi which is an internal power that everyone in my old world stores in their Qi pool. Shinsu is an external power traveling through the atmosphere.'
'But how can I use Shinsu? Should we gather the Shinsu in our body to form a reservoir in itself or should we manipulate it directly?'
'D*mn, if only I had a manual explaining the basics of Shinsu Manipulation. It would have been more effective instead of wasting time learning it little by little during my Ascension."
'If I want to stand a chance against opponents like Lero ro or Yuri, I need to quickly increase my strength as soon as possible.'
While Baam was lost in these thoughts, Lero ro approached him without him realizing it.
"You look bored?"
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden voice of the Ranker who looked at him with the same usual smile.
"How do you feel about having a talk with me, Mr. Baam?"
The Ranker suggested, widening his smile.
"Absolutely. I have a lot of questions and I need answers."
Baam replied enthusiastically, he could enlighten his horizons if he asked for answers from a Ranker, but he must be careful because he must not be too ignorant otherwise it would be suspicious to the examinator.
Lero Ro wasn't surprised that a Regular would want answers from a Ranker. Considering that one has climbed to the top and the other has just begun.
He then sat down next to the boy and suggested something to him that he thought would be interesting.
"Alright then, how about we play a game? Let's guess who will pass the barrier first. If you get it right, I'll answer your question and if I get it right, you answer mine. Deal?"
"What an interesting game that you propose. I agree to play this game."
The boy agreed, which made the Ranker's smile deepen.
"Great! So I'll start first. I choose the girl with green skin, her name is Anaak."
Lero Ro said with an excited tone. Baam found it a little ridiculous that a Ranker gave himself a little advantage while his opponent was a Regular, but he said to himself that it must be the playful side of the examinator.
"It's your turn, Mr. Baam."
Baam looked carefully at each of the Regulars in front of him, they could tell that no one had tried to cross the veil for fear of being injured or otherwise. But he mainly focused on Anaak, wanting to see why the ranker would choose her.
Her focus on her only grew, until those pupils dilated, as if it would make it easier to see through the lizard girl.
And suddenly, he sees a light around Anaak, a light that eclipses all the lights emitted by the other Regulars.
'Is that why Lero Ro would have chosen it, but how can I see these lights and what could that mean?'
Baam was more or less confused to see several auras erupting from the people present in this room. But he knew that this light shows the power of his host and that it must have a link with Shinsu.
"I also choose the lizard girl."
He replied, but that put Lero Ro into deep thought, after a few seconds he spoke:
"Is there a reason why you choose the same person?"
"...I just have a feeling"
The boy replied simply, which did not satisfy the curiosity of the Ranker next to him, who looked at him perplexedly.
A moment later, the first person to go around the barrier is indeed Anaak. Which caused some gasps from some Regulars seeing how easily the lizard girl got to crossing the Veil of Shinsu.
"Draw. But since I'm a Ranker, I'll answer your question."
Lero-Ro declared, which gave Baam some joy at the Ranker's gratitude.
"Great, although my question is strange, could you tell me about the most influential organizations in the Tower?"
Baam asked, which surprised Lero Ro a little, why would he ask such an obvious question but he answered without thinking much about it.
"Pretty simple question, haha. So where to start... The most influential organization and the one that dominates every floor of the Tower is none other than the Zahard Empire, as the only royal family in the Tower."
"The one at the head of the empire is none other than Zahard, the King of the Tower. Although King Zahard is the ruler of the whole Tower, he is currently resting and is represented by the Three Lords who take turns to rule in his place every 1000 years. "
Baam eagerly listened to Lero Ro's explanation, unlike him that he could not make decisions alone as King and that it was the Council that always decided behind the scenes. It would seem that Zahard's authority is absolutely within his kingdom and his decisions are implacable, leaving even those one hierarchy square below him to rule the Tower while he sleeps peacefully.
Which Baam is a little jealous of because he couldn't have as much free time as he wanted as the King of an entire country....
"The Three Lords have the highest authority in all the politics of the Tower. Their names are Molic One P. GR, Joochun and Flux. Among the three, Molic is the one currently in power."
"Just below the Zahard Empire, there are the 10 Great Families, we can say that they are the noble families of the Tower and their member are usually extremely powerful thanks to the lineage of the 10 heads of the Great Families."
That made the boy next to him tilt his head.
"How strong are the 10 Heads of the Great Families that their descendant is so powerful?"
Lero Ro just smiled and decided to deepen his explanation:
"The 10 Heads of Families and King Zahard have a unimaginable power for us, currently the people in the Tower take them for Gods. After all, they are Irregulars who climbed the Tower up to the 134th floor before stopping their Ascension and becoming the supreme rulers of the Tower."
It made Baam's eyes widen at this realization but he quickly regained his composure although it did not go unnoticed by Lero ro.
'All explains.... the fact that there is the symbol of Zahard's empire and that in addition he is the supremacy in this Tower is that he is ultimately an Irregular.'
Baam was now pushed into deep thought to put his mind in order but there were still doubts lingering in his head.
'Was it Zahard who locked me in this cave? Which is not logical because according to Lero Ro, he and the 10 Heads of Families entered the Tower a very long time ago. The host I'm currently on doesn't appear to be in his teens so it's not possible that Baam was born around that time.'
'Could it be another person with the same symbol of Zahard who has put me in this cage?'
'There is also the fact that Zahard and the 10 Heads of Families would have stopped their Ascension suddenly. Why would he have done it? Would he have failed the 134th floor test even with their power vaguely described by the examinator?'
All this could only make him confused, for him it was like trying to put together a huge puzzle but missing pieces.
The Ranker who looked at the boy who seemed lost in his thoughts, broke his trance:
"Mr. Baam, is there anything that concerns you?"
"Oh? Well yes, it's about the Irregulars, although I've heard of them before, I don't really understand why they can be so powerful."
Said Baam honestly, he himself wanted to know the reason why the Irregulars seem to be in a category of power well beyond the people who were born in the Tower.
Lero Ro raised his eyebrows but he could understand why he would ask such a question since he is still a beginner so he decided to refresh his knowledge again.
___
*BOOM!*
"ARGH!"
Shibisu growled in pain, to be able to pass Shinsu's Veil, he tried to charge to cross by force, but he was stopped dead in his tracks, as if he had hit a concrete wall.
"They all passed!!! So why can't I?!"
Lamented poor Shibisu, his teammates had already crossed the veil and they waited impatiently for their last idiot to be able to pass to the other side. They looked at him as if he were pitiful, which is the truth.
"Pfft, Hey jobless guy. Did you come into the Tower just to scream like that? That's why sh*ts like you who sneak into the Tower that this test is essential. It's best that you abandon the idea of entering the Tower."
"W-What?!"
Mocked a woman who walks next to Shibisu with grace, but the moment she came into contact with the veil, she could not pass through as she tried to force her way through with her head bleeding. Which did not go unnoticed by our favorite unemployed person.
"Eh? Doesn't that work for you either, old hag? Would you like me to wipe the blood off your face?"
Shibisu openly mocked with a big smirk. The old woman had visible marks on her forehead, and shouted about this test which she found ridiculous, hitting the veil like crazy.
"IT'S A SCAM!!! THE PROLOGUE THAT SAYS EVERYTHING IS HERE IS A LIE!!!"
Shibisu with his mouth open at the behavior of the old woman next to him, but not wanting to let himself be defeated, he decided to do the same by striking with all his strength.
"SH*T!!! I CAN'T LOSE TO AN OLD HAG!! AAAAARGHH!!!"
"Hmmmmm.... It's noisy."
Yawned the sleeper, he was somewhat annoyed by the constant noise produced by these two idiots. He walked near them until he crossed the veil with disconcerting ease while yawning, which left the two secondary characters speechless.
"Hey olds hags. Instead, go bicker outside the Tower."
Advise the sleeper, while lying down right in front them and sleeping as if nothing had happened. Which of course provoked the two imbeciles when seeing the insolence of the sleeper, they then swore to make him swallow his pillow while hitting the Shinsu Veil harder.
___
"Irregulars... are those who are not compatible with the rules of the Tower."
Declared Lero Ro, while making a yellow cube appear and changing its shape to make it a model of a tower with 3 zones.
"As you know Mr. Baam, the Tower is divided into three sectors."
"There is the residential area called the <Outer Tower>, This is where the residents of the Tower live and are born, it's normal for most of them to live on the same Floor for their whole life."
"But for some, it is possible to access on the other Floors through the testing quarters which is the <Inner Tower>. Only those chosen by Mr. Headon, the Regulars, or the Rankers can ascend the Floors of the Tower."
"And finally, there is the middle district. This area is located between the inner and outer zones. It is used to travel between the Inner Tower and the Outer Tower."
Baam said nothing while looking at the pattern on the Ranker's cube, as if he had already heard of it. But deep down he was impressed by the immense structure that the Tower could be.
"Every person born in the Tower is imposed and subject to the rules of the Tower, but there are rare people who are not constrained by its rules."
"We call them the Irregulars."
Although briefly explained, it did not explain the real reason why the Irregulars are so feared, according to Baam.
"I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions, but can I ask you why not being constrained by the rules of the Tower is so incredible?"
Baam asked politely, which of course pleased the Ranker and gave him a more complex explanation:
"Haha no problem. The Regulars are chosen by Mr. Headon as I said but this is not the case for the Irregulars who come from a world different from ours, they are chosen by the Tower itself ."
"Since they were not born in the Tower, they are not bound by the rules. A simple and fairly well-known example, the inhabitants of the Tower need to make a contract with the Administrator of a Floor to be able to manipulate the Shinsu, but this is not the case for the Irregulars who can manipulate the Shinsu freely without Administrator permission. They can control the Shinsu with zero limits although the Administrators remain well above, but there are a few exceptions."
The last part of Ranker's monologue aroused great curiosity in Baam. Lero ro could see the curiosity in Baam's eyes so continued his explanation:
"In total, there are 14 Irregulars who entered the Tower, the first are of course the 10 Head of Families and the King of the Tower who are known as the 11 Great Warriors, and their great journeys through the Tower is a legend among us locals."
"They are so powerful that they are at the top of the rankings, but even the King of the Tower who is the strongest among the Great Warriors is only 3rd in the rankings, two other Irregulars surpass him."
This statement stunned the boy, wondering who could be his two beings who surpass the King known as a god to the people of the tower, but he did not interrupt the examinator.
"The Irregulars who came later. Phantaminium, Enryu and Urek Mazino, They were so powerful that each of them shook the foundations of the Tower."
"For example, the weakest of the three , Urek Mazino. He is considered to be the most powerful active Ranker in the Tower, he is just one rank below King Zahard. He is also one of the founders of Wolhaisong, this organization with an influence equal to that of the 10 Great Families."
"But the other two are in a category of their own. Enryu, who is 2nd in the ranking, is much stronger. So strong that he arrived one day on the 43rd Floor and killed the Administrator, who is a divine and immortal being. Even the King of the Tower cannot achieve such a feat. That day, the Shinsu of the Tower was painted Red and Enryu was nicknamed the Red Tower."
This statement sent shivers down Baam's spine. Just thinking that Enryu's presence could change all the Shinsu in the Tower to red makes him terrified, he wonders what the 1st in the ranking could have done to make him above someone who killed an Administrator.
"Phantaminum is very mysterious, similar to Enryu, as they both appeared in the tower particular floor and caused chaos."
"He suddenly appeared in the Tower and breached Zahard's inner palace, massacring many royals and courtiers, all of whom were High Rankers. He successfully shattered all lines of defense and ultimately faced Zahard, but he vanished without a fight. We call him the Enigma because no one has been able to see him again since that day, as if he never existed."
Baam finds it strange, what he did is surely incredible but how can that put him at the top of the rankings? Like his nickname says it, it's all too mysterious.
But now he knows how powerful the Irregulars are, at least from Lero Ro's explanation of them.
He wonders if he could reach such a level of power? Well, based on what he did earlier and the shocking reactions of the people in the room, he can conclude that the body he currently inhabits is an abnormal talent for the people in the Tower.
Especially since according to the Ranker, as Irregulars, he has no consequences or authorization to manipulate the Shinsu.
But he does not know what method he can use to control this energy; he does not think that Shinsu works like Qi. Especially considering how Shinsu seems very versatile and more powerful than Qi.
"Thank you for all these explanations, it clearly gave me a slap in the face that brought me back to reality by learning that beings as powerful exist in the same world as ours."
Thanked Baam sincerely, thanks to Lero Ro, he will be able in the future avoid making stupid mistakes that could end his life. Lero Ro just responded by moving his hand away as if it were normal.
"There is no need, it is my duty to help and guide the Regulars."
"WHAT THE F*CK!? WHY DO I HAVE TO BE ELIMINATED BY THIS PATHETIC TEST!!"
It wasn't just Baam and the Ranker who were disturbed, everyone's attention was focused on a Tall Regulars with a sickly green color, short hair and a full blue outfit. He shouted out loud to clearly show dissatisfaction with this test imposed by the examinator.
"I AM THE MOST POWERFUL REGULAR!!! BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS KID SUCCEEDED BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE BUT NOT ME??! IT'S INSANE!!"
The big guy's scream could be heard around everyone, some looking at him in annoyance at his arrogant statement, but the most annoyed was none other than the Ranker who got up from his place and calmly walked towards the Regular in question, while crossing Shinsu's veil and facing him.
"What? What else are you planning to say? You think you're superior because you're a Ranker? Just by looking at you, you seem weak. Given the idiocy of this test, we're pretty sure of your level !!"
The big guy mocked, looking down on him, but the Ranker is not affected by the remarks towards him, he laughs about it.
"I have pardoned you for my indulgence, and you don't realize it? You are very stupid."
"Eh?"
"Well, I'm going to have to use the strong method....to show you what kind of strength there is on the Upper Floors...and make you realize why you can't climb the Tower."
The Ranker declared with an unusually cold voice and a smile that wasn't really a smile. Lightning began to dance around him, making his blond hair stand up. A blue aura began to surround the Regular in front of him and he felt his insides tighten from the pressure of the Ranker's Shinsu.
"Shinsu has no limits. With Shinsu, one can become immortal and acquire powers similar to the Gods. It is even said that the famous Enryu has the power to create life."
"W-What is that?ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The Regular cried out in pain, he felt like he had swallowed thousands of needles into his body.
"However, we humans have limits."
"When you face someone who has infinite powers....."
"When you discover your limits…"
"....We fall into despair...."
Shrill screams echoed throughout the large room, some Regulars had shivers seeing the poor guy writhing in pain.
"Are you already suffering? This dose of Shinsu is commonplace from the 30th floor onwards."
'Is this dose....common?'
The Regular thought with tears in his eyes, he was terrified and desperate to see that such a small amount of Shinsu could put him in such a state.
He thought he was the strongest but in reality he was the weakest.
"Do you understand now? Why can't you access the upper floors?"
Lero ro asked as he removed his Shinsu from the Regular who collapsed on the ground while vomiting his gastric juices. He looked at him with contempt and indifference to the state of the Regular.
"It's not because you weren't strong enough or didn't try hard enough."
"It's just because…"
"....you were not chosen."
Declared Lero ro before returning to his place, his words stuck deep in the Regular's head, and he cried out in despair:
"WHY!!!! WHY AM I NOT CHOSEN?!? I SACRIFICED EVERYTHING TO CLIMB THE TOWER!!! NO ONE WILL WAIT FOR ME WHEN I GET BACK TO MY FLOOR!!!!"
The Ranker ignored his laments while casually sitting next to Baam who was still lost in his thoughts.
"The Gods are cruel aren't they? When he shows you the world for the first time, looks like you can all have it. But as soon as you make it your first step, you understand how the world is not that simple."
Baam just nodded, while looking at the two unemployed people who managed to pass through Shinsu's veil while being motivated by the scene he had just seen, despite having bloody heads and having crushed the poor sleeper.
What Lero Ro had just said persisted in the boy's brain, for even a moment he doubted himself."
"Am I chosen?"
In his situation, anyone would have gotten confused just thinking about it. He was reincarnated in a body which turned out to be a person who will cause disaster in the Tower.
It can't be a coincidence, it's as if the Tower had not only chosen the former owner of this body but also him in his soul form, as if it had him...
"HEY! BAAM!"
His thoughts were cut off by a familiar voice shouting his name, he shifted his gaze to see thar his teammates had passed Shinsu's Veil.
"Oh, it looks like my teammates are finally here. I have to leave you Mr. Lero Ro, I hope we'll see you again at the next test."
"It was a pleasure talking with you, Mr. Baam. "
The Ranker returned his greeting with a smile on his face, but before Baam leaves, he warns him of one thing:
"Ah also, I recommend that you don't get too close to Mr. Khun. He is part of one of the 10 Great Families, what's more, it is one of the most dangerous."
Baam just made a sign of understanding towards the considerate Ranker. Although he is naturally suspicious, he can know the true nature of people just by analyzing them.
Although Aguero is sneaky and will dump teammates who no longer seem useful to him, he could see that this won't be the case if his teammates turn out to be strong Regulars.
He will still make a mental note of the Ranker's warning, because if Aguero dares to turn it upside down, he won't hesitate to get his hands dirty.