Evankhell's Hell
3rd Pov:
|| 2nd Floor, Evankhell's floor ||
In the middle of a golden wheat field, there was a simple and cute little boy sleeping peacefully.
People will think he's just a helpless, adorable kid, but they'll never doubt that he's a seasoned warrior behind that childish face.
The boy began to open his eyes, revealing a pair of pure gold pupils, which could be mistaken for two suns.
he slowly gets up from his lying position with a groggy air and he rubs his eyes to better see the new environment which he finds himself.
His eyes were bombarded by the light from outside, which made him narrow his eyes.
He looks around again to see that he is surrounded by tall golden-colored grass, there were a few trees and rocks around and even cliffs and hills at the edge of the landscape.
It's rough terrain if we can say so.
He looked up to see a blue sky without a sun which he wondered how is it possible for light to be exposed without a star such as the sun?
"It must be a false sky since we are in a Tower. Although the mystery of how this ceiling manifests itself as a sky is unknown to me, but I find this Floor much more pleasant to live in than this dark Ground Floor without even a single sign of life."
Baam murmured as he realized the place where he found himself, his eyes scanning the landscape to find the slightest detail and he then noticed in the sky, a huge floating island resembling a collection of several buildings with a huge red sign written on it <EVANKHELL > .
'Eh? How could such an imposing structure float in the air?'
His thoughts were cut short as he saw a yellow cube appear just below the floating island and began to emit a voice in the form of an announcement:
[Mic test! Mic test! One, two, three!]
Exclaimed the voice from the loudspeaker, his intonation could tell that he likes his job.
[Hello everyone! All the Regulars who have made it to the Tower, we sincerely welcome all of you to the 2nd Floor, Evankhell's Floor. It is also called <The Floor of Test> because here we carry out the final test to see whether you are qualified to go up the Tower.]
Baam listened carefully to the details of the first test through the announcer's explanation.
[There are 400 Regulars here. Narrow it down to 200. Try every means possible, and the test ends when the number of Regulars reaches 200. Begin!]
As soon as the man finished speaking, sounds of battle and screams could be heard, and the smell of blood filled the air.
Baam was too accustomed to this atmosphere, this same atmosphere with which he surrounded the countless battles he fought.
Although he was a King in his former life, he did not concern himself with matters concerning politics or even the good of these citizens.
He was a King declaring wars on several countries, he trampled countries, destroyed homes and families, causing several million innocent deaths.
Baam is sick just thinking about it, all of this was caused by his selfishness in wanting to avenge the death of the one he considered his own mother...
'No, This is not the time to think about my previous life, otherwise I wouldn't be able to survive in a place as cruel as the Tower.'
'I want to start a new life, with a new name and as the 25th Baam.'
Baam was able to put his mind in order, he couldn't become so carefree while a test that could cost him his life was on its way.
'Let's recap a little bit of what's going on. Headon told me that each Floor has a test for the Regulars, those born in the Tower are chosen by Headon, to find out if they are worthy of climbing the Tower.'
He thinks while crouching in the tall grass holding the Black March firmly in his hand.
'On the other hand, Irregulars like me are different because they are not chosen by Headon since they come from outside and enter the Tower on their own, hence why Headon tests them personally.'
'Unlike the Regulars who begin their Ascension in the 2nd Floors as the announcer explained.'
'But can we really call it a test? Above all, they want to sort through the Regulars, choosing those who have remarkable attitudes and throwing the others away like trash, which reminds me of those damn military schools...'
*Shash*
Baam heard a slight sound of leaves, which alerted him and turned around abruptly with the black needle to block a sword blow coming from behind. The blow was so heavy that Baam was thrown backwards and his arms screamed in pain.
"Urghh, d*mned body without strength."
He swore to himself, he cast a piercing glance at his attacker, he is a tall man with a mask hiding half of his face, he just had a ponytail on top of his head shave, he had unhealthy tanned skin and had a long double-edged sword.
Although he had a mask, Baam could see his smirk, which didn't affect him as he regained his composure.
"For a kid, you have some keen senses."
His opponent commented in front of him, but there was a hint of mockery that Baam didn't care about.
Baam focused on his opponent who was standing five meters from him. Images of him fighting other kings with his kingdom and people on the line came into his head.
He followed suit and rushed towards him by gripping the needle with both hands on the right...
His narcissistic air still present, his opponent prepares to parry his horizontal attack.
However he pretended, using a particular footwork that he developed in his former life and use in his duels. Almost instantly, He moved one foot diagonally to the right.
But he couldn't do this move perfectly because of the height and weight difference between his old body and this one.
Even if he couldn't reach the area he wanted to target, unfortunately for his opponent who had prepared to block his attack in the other direction, Baam was able to aim for his opening to his right.
*Slash!*
"Arghhhh!"
The warrior growled in pain, his haughty air had completely disappeared to give way to an air of terror. Baam had reached his ribcage and he slashed his chest causing blood to spurt into his severe wound.
"Y-you.... I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU F*CKING KID!!!"
His opponent shouted with excess rage, he lost his composure and rushed headlong with murderous eyes towards Baam, who could only repress his laughter at the idiocy shown by his opponent.
In a fraction of a second, his opponent to pivot his body to deliver a horizontal blow at an almost inhuman speed, Baam ducked just in time to dodge his attack from above. He changed his attack to a rotating sweep and he struck a blow towards his left ankle using all of his momentum. His blow causing her opponent to lose her balance.
*Thud*
The warrior fell to the ground brutally without being able to catch himself, he was to get up in a hurry but...
*Slice*
With a precise movement, Baam pierces his throat where his artery is located, not giving him the chance to get up once more. His opponent looked at him with terror visible on his eyes before Baam removed his needle from his throat and his blood was sprayed like a fountain, causing his terrified look to stare into white eyes meaning emptiness throughout his body.
His life just went out like a candle, but Baam had no remorse for taking a life, simply because he is used to having blood on his hands.
For him, killing has become a hobby.
Of course he doesn't like killing, but he had to in his previous life and that will be the case in his new life, the Tower is an even more vicious and unpleasant place than his old world.
He absolutely cannot survive if he has the life principles and morality of the people in his old world.
'No matter how, I will build my morality.'
Will he resolve, while wiping the Black March of the blood flowing from his blade with a small handkerchief from his pocket.
But he senses danger coming and his instinct is screaming at him to duck.
*Fwosh!*
He hastily ducked to dodge an arrow that flew at full speed above him. He then looked in the direction where the arrow was coming and he saw in the distance a man with an simple outfit and long hair on top of a cliff, he had a bow held in his hands with another arrow about to be shot.
*BANG!*
But he did not have the opportunity to let go of the rope because a rifle bullet had just burst his head, killing him instantly.
'A sniper?? Really?? Does this Tower bring together all the eras so that several Regulars use weapons from different eras?"
Baam rushed to the tall grass to hide, not wanting to get shot by the sniper in the distance .
.
.
.
After a few minutes of crossing the battlefield, he comes across a huge creature with gray skin and many eyes on his face without a mouth and nose.
He was wary of anyone in that field, especially if it was a battlefield where everyone was killing each other.
But strangely, he did not sense any hostile intentions from the creature towards him, so he made the decision not to attack it.
As he says although he has killed a lot of people, that doesn't mean he likes killing and he won't dirty his hands with those who are not a threat to him.
He approached warily, after all in this test, all participants are your enemies. The creature looks at him with one of its eyes and he bows in greeting, which left Baam a little perplexed but he continued on his way, until he sat behind the creature enjoying its shadow.
Baam closed his eyes and thought about what he should do next, he had to be very careful from that moment on. And it makes him think about an important detail that could have broken his cover.
'The Black March! I had completely forgotten that this weapon is possessed by a Princess affiliated with an empire which appears to be the organization that runs the Tower.'
He realized, it would be the end for him if people recognized the weapon he had, he carefully inspected the needle and he discovers the name of the Black March engraved on its hilt.
And there was also another thing engraved above the name, it was the same symbol that had seen on Yuri's red tie, a symbol with 3 red eyes and three small red dots below.
What made him think about the origin of this symbol and how and why it is so familiar, as if he had seen it before somewhere...
And at that moment..... A flash of memory crosses his mind.
He now found himself lying in a cold, damp floor, the space in the room he was in was confined and small. The walls were made of rock on all sides, and the only living being in this cold cave was none other than him.
He now knows where he ends up, it is none other than one of the memories of the former owner of this body. The old Baam was locked in this cave for an unknown reason and all his life he only looked at the ceiling of the cave which would be in total darkness if not for the small cracks in the ceiling which let out a bit of light.
He wondered how is it possible that Baam was still sane until Rachel arrived? Is it the fact that he has only known solitude since his birth or for some other unknown reason?
His vision of the ceiling suddenly changed to see a wall that isn't made of rock, a wall which makes him understand that this cave is not natural but artificially constructed. The thing carved on it makes him realize that this is the case and that explains the feeling of familiarity towards this symbol...
Quite simply because the same symbol is engraved on this wall, but somewhat different because instead of 3 red dots, there is a crucifix below the 3 eyes.
But it had the opposite effect, because it made him even more confused about the origin of this strange symbol.
'This is all strange... but there is one thing I can deduce from it, and that is that this symbol automatically represents the empire that governs the Tower.'
'And... I don't think an organization that is made up of just members born into the Tower can lead it when there are beings like the Irregulars with unfathomable strength and feared throughout the Tower.'
'The Tower is a place that seems to prioritize strength more than anything, unlike mine at least there are some similarities.'
'And if you want to become the ruler of such a vast world as the Tower, you must be a being at the top of the food chain, an Irregular.'
It completed the puzzle in a way, it's a brief conclusion that could explain how the people of the Tower could know a symbol that comes from a world different from theirs.
'The King of the Tower must be an Irregular because I can't see such a powerful being follow the orders of a person who is not an Irregular unless there are several Irregulars in the empire, even if that would surprise me since Yuri has well says that Irregulars are very rare...'
Although a conclusion was reached, it is incomplete. The fact that the former owner of his body ends up in a cave with the signature of the empire governing the Tower seems inconsistent to him, even his reincarnation in a body filled with such mysteries and that in addition he is reincarnated at the moment of his beginning of his ascension through the Tower is too big to be a coincidence.
'It can only conclude one thing and cannot be refuted...'
'My reincarnation is a direct intervention by another person... I don't know who but it's starting to irritate me because I don't know what the objective of this unknown being is in putting me in this world..."
Baam could only grit his teeth, does his existence mean being manipulated every time for the personal objective of people hidden in the shadows??
Already, the fact that this kid whose body he possesses is mysterious... too mysterious.
Did the king of the Tower or other Irregulars who is affiliated with this empire before entering the Tower lock Baam in this d*mn cave? But for what reason?
Why would he lock a child in such an isolated place as if he were a monster...
'Unless.... Unless Baam really is a monster?! But he is only a skinny child and a kindness and naivety that cannot make him hurt even a fly?'
'No... if he was just a child, the Tower would never have chosen him. This kid-No, I have something inside me that only the Tower can see, and surely knows the reason why this person or several is locked me in this cave.'
'Would I be so scary that such powerfuls beings would lock me in this sh*thole? But wouldn't it be easy for them to kill me?'
The more he think about it, the more he sinks into an abyss filled with total confusion, his reincarnation, the fact that he is reincarnated in such a mysterious host and that he does not know those who transmigrated his soul into this world could not that make him frustrated, if he could he would have bitten his lips until blood flowed.
But an illumination came to his head, he thought of a person who could answer his questions, the one who spent the majority of Baam's life in his presence...
'Rachel!! She must know part of my past, I don't think she found me by chance.'
'I need to find her and get some information out of her. But where did I find it in such a vast area??'
He finally pulls himself together, but just as he was thinking of several ways to find Rachel, a veil of darkness fell on him.
He slowly opens his eyes to see that he finds himself back in the wheat field, sitting comfortably next to of the many-eyed creature.
'Well, it was all an experience. But at least I have some clue as to how I got here but I know it's just the part of the iceberg sticking out in the water....'
He let out a long sigh to get rid of all the information he had just learned. He then took his scarf around his neck and circled the grip of his needle to hide any signs of recognizing this weapon.
He closed his eyes again and thought about the fight earlier.
'It was a really lousy performance for me, it shows that I have to work hard to stand a chance against the most powerful beings in the Tower.'
'But become as strong that these beings in such a short time is not possible and even if I reach the ceiling of my potential, I will not be able to fight against these powerhouses alone .'
'I need to ally! People who I will have absolute trust to have my back, that's one of the things I'll need the most.'
'And what better way to make potential allies in this test? My relationship with my potential allies could strengthen as we climb the Tower.'
___
*BANG!*
"Hehe....one more~"
Whispered a person lying on the edge of a cliff, he had a tuft of black hair with gray-white skin whose lips were replaced by his teeth, he was hidden by his green cape while visualizing the terrain thanks to the scope of his sniper rifle.
"Poor guys...they know I'm here but they are so busy killing each other that they can't come up here. How lucky to be sent there all close to a cliff."
He rejoices, thanking his luck to be in such an advantageous spot for him.
"So, So… who am I going to shootthis time?"
"Get out of here."
His pleasure was just cut off by hearing a baritone voice behind him. Irritated, he simply replied:
"Huh? This is my location. Find yourself anoth-."
Before he can finish his sentence, the stranger takes his hood from him, and says to him in a voice even more irritated than him:
"If you don't want to push yourself, then get out of there!"
*Thud*
"Arghhhh!"
The imposing stranger threw the sniper away as if it were common trash, and it turned out that the stranger was a huge humanoid crocodile on steroids... It had dark gray skin and red pupils whose sclera are black, making anyone terrified with just one look. He was dressed in a red battle robe with a cape flowing behind it and held a crimson spear tightly.
He was a fierce warrior in every way, but the sniper paid no heed and exclaimed at the crocodile with fury visible on his face:
"Who the f*ck are you??!"
"Get out of there. This place...belongs to the hunters."
The crocodile simply replied, casting a piercing glance at the sniper of which the latter had a tremor but he gathered his courage and then he retorted:
"You... are you suddenly taking my place and talking stupid things?"
"Huh? What is that?? A chocolate bar?"
The crocodile wondered sheepishly, but the thing he was holding pissed off the sniper.
"Hey! It's my gun!! Put it down!!"
The crocodile didn't do what the Regular next to him asked and just threw the gun from there cliff with nonchalance.
"Hey!!!! you idiot.... do you know how much this sh*t cost me?! How are you going to pay me back, huh?? By selling me your crocodile skin?"
"Blah blah.... you don't stop complaining. Do you have a problem? Do you want to fight? Huh!?"
Exclaimed the crocodile in annoyance, he glared at the sniper, daring him to retaliate
and like any other sensible person like the sniper, he fled with his tail between his legs. Of course, by swearing that he will shoot the crocodile in the head one day.
Finally alone, the crocodile looks down on the battlefield at the edge of the cliff, visualizing each of the participants.
'Let's see...is there anyone worth chasing away?'
"...."
'"Oh? What is that? there are plenty of them!'
He was delighted to see so many strong opponents, that he considers them all as preys, and he is none other than the predator, at the top of the food chain in this test.
*Boom-*
"!!"
A pressure came over him, although he wasn't really affected, he felt that this pressure warned him not to have the audacity to fight against any one person in particular. He turns towards the direction from which the pressure is originating and sets his gaze on a little girl with green skin and a lizard tail.
She had short brown hair and the middle of her pupils had a strange shape, she was dressed in a long-sleeved yellow shirt with patterns and a black dress underneath. She walked around the battlefield looking at her green hook-shaped weapon with a smirk drawn on her face.
'What is this feeling?? Did it come from this lizard?'
The crocodile thought, but he quickly refuted when he carefully saw the hook held by the lizard girl.
'No, it's from this weapon. It is infinitely powerful.'
"It...might be a little difficult to hunt."
'Wait.... There's something similar over there...'
The crocodile this time shifted its gaze to a small boy sitting in lotus position behind an imposing creature and had his eyes closed. But that's not what intrigued the crocodile, it's none other than the weapon on the boy's knees, it emits an aura similar to the lizard's weapon.
'Find!'
___
To the east of the battlefield, two individuals meet, face to face. It is none other than the lizard girl, and the one she is facing is a young man with short black hair but with a small tuft, he had black eyes showing his seriousness and a sharp face.
He was dressed in a dark brown kimono with a black tank top underneath, he wore an orange haramaki as a belt and two katanas are attached to his side. He looks like a samurai from Japan.
We can say that he is a handsome man overall.
the two exchange glances, ready to retaliate at the slightest movement of the other and...
*CLANG!*
Both of them drew their weapons at the same time and attacked in unison, which canceled out each other's attacks.
*Shash-Shash*
"Oh?"
Another appears in the area, emerging into tall grass from which to hide. He is a bald man wearing purple jogging and sweat with orange trims with freckles on his face.
Unlike the samurai, he had a normal and typical appearance of a secondary character.
The three look at each other in turn, only the sound of grass blowing in the wind can be heard in this silent atmosphere.
But the atmosphere was short, broken by the lizard girl.
"It promises to be fun this time!!"
She exclaims with a smile showing her excitement. She keeps her hook on her right side, and with a quick movement...
*CRACK!*
"Wow!"
The blade of its hook extended several meters, and with a vertical blow it split the tall grass in two while breaking the ground with it. The samurai was able to dodge easily and the guy in jogging pants narrowly dodged him with his arms above his head.
"Well, Run away if you can!!"
This time, she made a huge jump to find herself in the air, stretching out her weapon, she continued her sequence of blows by swinging a horizontal whip, which once again cut the environment in two but she did not couldn't reach the samurai.
"Highest flying sword!"
Said the samurai as he swung one of his katana above them, which confused the lizard girl who was back on ground.
*THUD!*
"Lowest Flying Sword!"
*SLASH!*
The moment his flying katana fell to the ground, he sent out a vertical saber slash so fast that it cannot be seen with the naked eye.
The lizard girl was able to block it in time with her hook but with visible tremors on her weapon, although she still had the same smile.
"Running away..... it's when you're facing an enemy stronger than you, right?"
The samurai finally responded, throwing a sharp look at her opponent, which made the latter's smile even more accentuated.
The third, does not move at all except when he has to dodge attacks as dangerous, he was lost in his thoughts because of the spectacle he sees in front of him, and that is simply because he is a spectator...
'Wow...they are both super strong...'
*CLANG* *CLING*
"....."
'But...but, you...are you ignoring me?'
*CLING* *CLANG*
___
'The Regulars are just sheep.'
Thought a young man with blue hair reaching his shoulders with a dark blue headband tied to the side of his head, with a pair of purplish blue eyes. He was wearing a simple white shirt with black pants, he was holding a small brown briefcase in his hand.
It's a very annoying and disappointing thought for his first exam, and he's not going to say it out loud; he's definitely not an idiot. But for a first test for Regular beginners?
The young man begins to wonder if his brothers and sisters had exaggerated the difficulty of this test. It was simply about eliminating the weak and unwanted, of course, but murder was fundamental.
Even normal people before Regulars had killed animals or something, right?
He sure has advantages, and he's not afraid to use them, but still. He can't look so helpless.
The young man slowly walks around the corpse of his latest idiot, wiping the blood off his knife before disposing of it. After all, he has plenty. His bag moves, almost comically. So far, there are some useful people around, but no one really worth noticing.
He can't help but sigh. Was he doomed to working with mediocre Regulars to get to the top and carry them?
Was there anyone worth climbing with?
He begins to wander further west. There's not much here to excite him, and all areas are either covered in blood or filled with the sound of people fighting with whatever they can get their hands on. It's almost worth checking how many Regulars burn out quickly, but there's still time.
There is, of course, a corpse nearby, her throat carefully pierced with what might have been a needle. A Da-an stands silently around the clearing. He blinks his many eyes, two fixing on him as he approaches. He bows his head in greeting. It's only polite. After all, he's not trying to kill the young man himself.
He almost walks past Da-an when he realizes someone else was standing there the whole time.
The young man closes his eyes and exhales. There had been no feeling of unease, no feeling of danger. And yet now his scalp tingles, awareness poking at its edges. As if he wanted him to notice.
Well, that's good. He knows how to choose his battles well.
The person that he missed is sitting behind the Da-an. Legs crossed, eyes peacefully closed, savoring the shadow of the giant creature.
he is small, his clothes are dirty and ill-fitting,her hair hangs in front of her ears and spills over her shoulders.
He has a black needle in one of his hands (unusual but unimportant) and if his grip on the needle hadn't been so firm, the young man might almost have thought he was asleep.
The young man's eyebrows get up.
'Interesting.'
"It is daring on your part to sit so peacefully in the middle of an exam.'
He said, a smaller smile on the lips.
The person opens their eyes and young man almost backwards. They are of a beautiful golden color, more shiny than the ugly grass of the fields. (No homo)
Although the young man felt that his eyes probably didn't look as good as he thought.
The boy sends him his smile. He sheds light on her eyes, like the light of false sky, but the same feeling returns in the young man.
The boy in front of him is not as simple as his appearance makes it seem.
"Well..."
He said, in a childish, sweet and welcoming voice. But there is a lightness in it.
"I try to avoid fighting so as not to stupidly waste my strengths, so make the least sudden movements as possible to attract attention can only help me a little."
Now, the young man's eyebrows are at the root of his hair.
"Is it true? Isn't this the purpose of the test?"
His heart doesn't race, but excitement, curiosity, and interest buzz within him. A potential rule-breaker? A potential ally?
Of course, he looks rather ordinary, but at the same time, he had positioned himself not to be seen by most people and could either conceal himself very well or simply wasn't that threatening. And hiding with a Da-an means he's likely at least willing to talk to others, potentially form alliances, and could be persuasive enough to create one.
The boy hums a little and rises slowly. Tapping his pants to get rid of excess dirt.
'There is really no way to save these rags.'
Think the young man with a mental grimace.
The boy looks just to the right of the young man's blue eyes while he answers:
"If I am able to pass with a minimum of bloodshed, isn't it more profitable to do it?"
He smiled again and for a moment, The young man regret not to stole sunglasses in his father's treasure. He had seen them there.
"In addition, the Tower breaks enough dreams without me participating . I don't need to add to it and I would like to do things differently."
Once again, the young man's eyes could only widen in amazement, he absolutely should not make this boy a pawn that he could throw away at any time, but make him an ally on an equal footing.
He would have thought he was just an ordinary boy, too weak for a Regular, but it seems that this same boy is the most abnormal Regular in this test.
With a smile on his face, he extended his hand towards the boy and introduced himself:
"My name is Khun. Khun Aguero Agnis. And you?"
Baam returned her smile while accepting her hand.
"My name is Baam. The 25th Baam."
"Hmmm...that's a pretty special name."
Aguero hummed, seeming to be even more curious about him.
"All right, Baam. You don't trust me right now, do you?"
he asked, still with the same smile on his face. Baam just nodded and let him continue talking:
"I can understand, because as you know, the rules of this test are to compete to continue the ascent. It's obvious you don't trust me."
"But the rules don't interest me anymore, because I decided to climb the Tower with you."
Baam raised his eyebrows slightly, he was a little surprised who could make an ally so simply, but he knows very well who should still remain suspicious of the young man in front of him.
After all, Aguero seems like a guy using his intelligence and cunning.
But he could see some sincerity in him and it's not like he could throw away the offer of a talented man like him, he didn't want to make alliances with people who would just use his strength for their own profit.
He just wants to make alliances with those who have talent and who can carry his trust.
"How weird, that was also my goal in this test. Does that mean we were meant to be allies?"
"Haha, surely, and you won't regret it during our Ascension. But can I ask you a question? Did you bring a pet?" "
"Hm?"
Baam was confused at his ally's question, until he pointed, he turned around to see a huge crocodile behind him, looking at it as if it wanted to eat it.
"Um... what's a crocodile doing here? Is this escaping from the zoo?"
"Pffft~"
Baam's remark made Aguero chuckle, but this was not the case for the crocodile, because he seemed to become angry at being called a crocodile.
"I am not a crocodile. I am a hunter, Rak Wraithraiser."
"Oh, a talking crocodile. It must be expensive, right?"
This time it's Aguero who makes a mocking remark about the crocodile named Rak, Baam just shrugged his shoulders with a smirk, which made Rak mad and he started shouting at them:
"I TELL YOU I'M NOT A CROCODILE!! STUPID TURTLES!!"
"Besides, I have nothing to tell you!! I'm only interested in the black turtle, so get out of here!!"
Aguero and Baam were all confused by the crocodile's statement in front of them. Aguero inevitably asked the question first to break this confusion:
"Baam? Why are you so interested in him?"
"This weapon."
Replied the crocodile, pointing at the needle in Baam's hand, and was at least shocked by Rak's response.
'What?? Does this crocodile know it's the Black March? No, he looks too stupid to know that and he would have directly said the name without referring to it as a weapon. He must have felt the power emanating from the Black March, that's the only possible explanation...'
Although internally Baam became a little nervous in the situation he found himself in, to people on the outside he had a face that showed no emotion, an asset he gained during his life as King.
Aguero was perplexed and asked what kind of weapon Baam has for this crocodile to be interested in it, especially since Baam is too weak to have a weapon powerful enough to attract this crocodile.
Not only does this make him confused but also more and more curious about his subject, especially if Baam has such an impassive face.
What did he experience before to have such a facial expression?
"I want to fight against this weap-"
*DRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGG!!*
A sound of bells spread throughout the battlefield, stopping all fighting and bloodshed at once. The doorbell came from the yellow cube floating in the air.
Soon, a familiar voice spoke from within:
[Everyone stay where you are! The first test is over now. Any Regulars fighting from now on will be eliminated!]
"I was sure, the test was about to end."
Said Aguero, while looking at his pocket which shows the counter which is at 0.
[To the 200 Regulars who passed the test, congratulations to all of you.]
[It may seem a bit rushed, but a short second test will be carried out right away]
[Your second test is simple; find two Regulars to be your teammates.]
"Tsk...make teams now..."
Aguero spat as he put his hand to his face, becoming annoyed at the absurd test.
[We are giving youa five-minute time limit! If you don't make a team in five minutes, you are eliminated!]
"EH!!!!"
Exclaimed several Regulars at the same time, finding it ridiculous that they must to pass the test in such a short time, especially two person.
"If we have five minutes... "
Mentioned Aguero as he looked towards the crocodile next to him.
"It means that...."
The jogging guy said, looking at the two people near him.
"I have to team up with him (them)?!"
The two exclaimed in unison, not being able to believe that they were forced to team up as wild as them, especially for Aguero who has to think about how he can handle a crocodile over 3 meters tall.
[To be considered a team, you need to be touching some part of your teammates bodies when the time limit is over! Good luck!]
'As expected... the testing floor is really difficult.'
Aguero was lost in thought, putting his mind in order over the rules he just heard.
'Making a team of three in 5 minutes means we have to team up with those who are closest to us at the moment.'
'But the person who is closest to us when the first test ends is obviously the one we've been fighting with until now.'
'The objective of this second test <make 5 yourself an ally in minutes> is in fact... to make your enemy an ally.'
He concluded, looking at the crocodile who also seems lost in his thoughts.
'Obviously, there are three of us... that means we have to team up with the crocodile...'
____
'Two... two teammates in 5 minutes... that means I have to be teammates with them...'
The guy in jogging pants realized, not believing that he had to team up against these monsters. These two stopped fighting after hearing the announcement and just looked at each other.
'WITH THESE MERCILESS KILLERS?!?'
'Sh*t, what do I do? Would I have time to find two other teammates?'
'No, that's not a good idea Shibisu. It's impossible to find two more people now. '
'Besides, They're definitely scary but if I team up with them, I'll be with the most powerful teammates!'
Concluded the random named Shibisu, just thinking about it with such strong people put him at ease for the next test.
"Hey! Now that the first test is over, listen to me."
"My name is Hazt and you?"
"Anaak."
The two shake hands as if they were long-time friends and then they start walking together to look for a teammate, leaving poor Shibisu stranded.
"....."
"Hey guys... I...I am here "
___
"Baam, what do you say? Shall we team up with the crocodile?"
Aguero asked while sitting nonchalantly, he couldn't make a decision alone since that they were a team, although the idea of teaming up with that stupid crocodile was eating at his head.
"Well... right now we don't have much choice, we can't really take the risk of abandoning him and going to find another in such a short time..."
"Hmmmm, that's not wrong."
He could only grunt in annoyance. He then walked towards Rak, while calling to him to get him out of his bubble:
"HEY THE CROCCO!!"
"What?? Are you finally ready to go hunting, my little turtles?"
Rak asked, being prepared to jump on his preys but he was stopped short by Aguero.
"WAIT!! BREAK!!"
"Break?"
"Since the first test is over, isn't the priority to find teammates?"
he suggested, but Rak was still confused by the suggestion of the blue turtle he called, but to his turtle's delight, he continued to clarify:
"There are currently 3 of us here. Let's team up and take the test, don't tell me you want to be eliminated?"
"huh? Teammates? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Rak laughed as if it was the best joke he's heard since a long time. Of course, his reaction to leaving the two turtles in front of him confused.
"Teammates? Don't make me laugh, you are my prey!! A hunter never teams up with his prey!! I AM A HUNTER, RAK WRAITHRAISER!!"
Exclaimed the crocodile out loud, making it clear at the last part of his sentence. He held his spear firmly in both hands, ready to cut the turtles in front of him into pieces.
'Sigh... That's why I hate fools.'
Aguero mentally sighed, wondering how a person could be so stupid, even if it was a crocodile who went to the gym.
But above all he was annoyed by the crocodile's behavior, especially if he was in a test with so little time. He put his hand in his briefcase and slowly took out a dagger.
"Well, if that's what you think, I don't have a choice. I'll kill you in a minute and find another teammate. '
"Hmph!"
The crocodile grunted with a scowl, he didn't care at all about the blue turtle's threats.
The two face each other with weapons in their hands, ready to strike at the slightest movement of each, but a person is interposed between them.
"WAIT!!"
Baam shouted stopping the two who were about to pounce between them like stray cats, whether it was Rak or Aguero, he was confused by the boy's unexpected action.
"Mr. Rak, you said you wanted to chase me away, didn't you?"
"Exact."
The crocodile replied briefly, wondering what his prey was getting at by looking down on him.
"So let me ask you a question. What do you mean by chase?"
"..."
"Hunting means becoming more powerful?"
"I crossed the violent Shinsu and devoured the flesh of of those who are powerful to harness their strength!"
The crocodile exclaimed with pride, pumping his chest.
"That's why I only fight against those who are strong!! I'm here to find rivals to make me stronger!!"
"LIKE YOU AND THIS WEAPON!!"
He pointed with his spear in the direction of his prey, his blade was just a few centimeters from Baam's face, but the latter did not flinch, always keeping his composure.
"That's why, I must hunt you and your weapon, to become stronger!!"
"...."
" I understand....but there is a better way to become stronger instead of chasing me now, that would even be wasting an opportunity, Mr. Rak."
Baam replied solemnly, leaving the two people nearby in confusion once again, but Rak was mostly interested in the opportunity his turtle was talking about, if it can make him stronger, why not listen to it?
"Mr. Rak, currently I am too weak for you to be able to have a certain improvement and my weapon does not change anything. No matter how powerful a weapon is, if its user does not have the strength with it, he would not be able to do so take full advantage of the weapon. You must know it well?"
Rak simply nodded, letting his turtle explain his reasoning in depth.
"So wouldn't it be a waste to kill me, a weak turtle not even worth hunting? And lose the opportunity to climb the Tower and encounter increasingly stronger preys that will significantly improve your strength?"
"Think, Mr. Rak. If you don't want to be our teammates, then be our leader, the one who shows us his greatness and his power and helps us climb the Tower, all while devouring the delicious fleshs of your future preys. You would become the ultimate hunter!!"
The boy with sparkling golden eyes exclaimed fervently. Aguero was speechless at the scene his teammate had just made, he would even dare to say that he acting as well as him.
As for the crocodile, the words of his prey crossed his mind, pushing him into deep thought.
'That little turtle is right, how can I lose the opportunity to become stronger for a prey that even vultures won't want to touch?'
Straightening up, he spoke to make clear the decision he had just made.
"Alright, turtle. I'm joining your pathetic little team, but don't worry. I, Rak Wraithraiser, will lead you to the top of the Tower!"
"Your servant will follow you to the end, my Lord Crocodile."
The boy replied, placing his hand on his chest and bowing elegantly to Rak, as if he were a majestic King.
"Hahahahaha, don't worry turtle beca-"
"..."
"YOU STUPID TURTLE!! I'M NOT A CROCODILE! I AM RAK WRAITHRAISER!!!"
The crocodile shouted for the umpteenth time, while Baam laughed at his antics.
'Sigh.... A boy who seems ordinary but it is at the same time non-ordinary and a crocodile who talks.... Why am I in such a strange team, but I don't know why but I have a feeling it's going to be fun.'
Aguero mentally sighed when seeing his two new teammates, he thought he would make allies who he could use as he wished but he found himself in a situation he did not expect.
But he finds that it's not that unpleasant.
Baam looks in his pocket that there are only a few seconds left before the second test ends, he then took the hands of his two teammates.
Although Rak is protesting that a servant should not take his leader's hand.
*DRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGG!!!*
[The second test is over!]
Declared the voice coming from the yellow cube.
[The three people who are standing right now are considered a team. You will be sent to the next test point.]
A red light surrounded the trio, linking them into a single point and instantly teleporting them into a large room of a huge crowd.