The King meet his Princess
3rd pov:
|| In a dark place filled with paths from all directions ||
*TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*
"M'lady, Lady Yuri!! What is your motivation for going down to the lowest level?"
A silver-haired dwarf dressed in military attire carrying a huge bag is currently descending a staircase in an area filled with darkness, he is going down to catch up with a young girl while asking her questions.
The lady just ignored him and she quickened her steps, moving at the speed of sound.
Seeing this, the dwarf just sighed and also began to speed up to keep up with the girl's pace.
"M'lady, please at least respond!!! M'lady!!! M'lady!!!"
"Okay, okay!! Shut up!! The echos of your shouts is annoying to the ears you know!?!"
The young girl finally replied, she was annoyed to hear her dwarf's constant questions.
"That's because you won't answer-"
"An Irregular has entered the base floor!! <She > told me that an Irregular has entered the base floor!!"
She interrupted the dwarf by responding with a voice filled with excitement.
"What!?!? Really!?! Then that's a huge news!! An Irregular entering the Tower is definitely a huge news!!"
Exclaimed the dwarf, he was in shock at the information he had just learned.
"That's right!! That's why I will be there to watched him take on the test!! Mwahahaha!!"
The girl laughed maniacally, which could only give the dwarf chills as he directly thought of what the madness of the girl he was guiding could do, and of course he protested to clearly explain that it's a bad idea:
"Whaaatt!?!? Did you finally lose your sanity, Ms. Yuri!?! It's dangerous!! It's definitely dangerous!!! We might even get caught by Mr. Headon!"
"I'm still sane, you midget Evan!! And why would we be caught by Headon? We're just going to watch, it's not like we'll help the Irregular, you know!?!"
Retorted Yuri, which the dwarf called Evan doesn't really believe.
"Knowing you..."
"Anyway, just shut up and leave if you're scared. I'm going to watch the Irregular no matter what"
After saying those, Yuri bolted much faster.
"Sigh...I will get punished if I left you, you know...sigh"
Evan sighed for the umpteenth time, he then ran after the girl.
.
.
.
In the ceiling of the hallway, there's a huge square hole. Two individuals appeared near the hole as one of them peered through it.
"Hahhh ended up coming after all..."
Evan inhaled sharply from the exhaustion that he feels from running non-stop, although he is still nervous faced with the situation in which he finds himself because of a certain retarded Princess.
"Hey Evan, look over there~ it's the newbie and Headon!"
"Huh, where?"
Although he doesn't want to meet the Irregular, within him there is a little curiosity that asks him to know what kind of person he could be.
He looked towards where Yuri was pointing and he could see the Irregular and Headon talking to each other in the distance.
"Evan, as a guide. Although he doesn't look special, does he have a hidden power or some sort of shapeshifting?"
Yuri curiously asked the carefully inspecting dwarf, but his answer was a disappointment to her:
"Hmmm he seems to be agile but he's small and he doesn't seem to be a hybrid. Especially since I don't feel any strange forces emanating from him unlike the other Irregulars."
"He's just an ordinary human."
"Huh really??! Don't all Irregulars have beams fired between their legs like Urek or Phantaminium?"
Yuri exclaimed casually, the dwarf could only slap his forehead at his lady's immaturity.
"Even these two don't have this kind of bullsh*t! Well Urek has something coming out but it's definitely not a beam."
"Ahhh, what a waste of time. I was expecting something incredible..."
Yuri could only sigh in disappointment, saying that the new Irregular was so weak is an unexpected thing. She sits on the ground nonchalantly, while expressing her frustration.
"It's true that it's a bit strange....Until now the Irregulars like Phantaminium or Urek have unimaginable strength but this one doesn't even seem to be qualified to pass this test."
Added Evan, looking at the scene below them.
"Hmmm I think so too, it's impossible for someone as ordinary as him to pass the test."
Yuri could only agree with Evan's statement. The dwarf always seems to be watching how the test is going, and when he saw what kind of test the Irregular will pass, he could only express his astonishment:
"Oh it's the Ball test! But isn't it exaggerated to put a white steel eel as a guardian? It's a monster that can only be found on the 20th floor, Is this a tactic to get him abandoned?"
"For Headon, the Irregulars can be unpleasant. He's trying to get him to quit the test by scaring him."
Explained the young girl, then she lay down on the ground holding her head with her palm while looking into the distance at the irregular, then she said something that made Evan's heart jump:
"Poor boy, should I help him?"
"I knew you would say that!! And no!! We should not help an Irregular, m'lady!!"
Retorted the dwarf, immediately showing his displeasure with the young lady's decision.
"Ehhh, isn't that exciting? The Irregulars have always caused chaos in the Tower, and the more I see this boy's face, the cuter I find him~."
Yuri replied, humming the last part, of course it didn't change the mind of the dwarf next to her.
"That's not the point, m'lady!! Every Irregular is nothing but trouble so a Princess like you should not be associated with them!!"
"And we don't need chaos!! Irregulars are not welcome in the Tower!! Anyway, if the King finds out that a Princess helped an Irregular, it's death! Death, m'lady!"
Evan exclaimed with a meaningful voice clearly showing that he is desperate, he trembles just thinking about the punishment they will suffer because of the rules they broke. And he absolutely didn't want to die because of his Princess' stupidity.
"Well whatever, it's not like he's going to take the test anyway."
Yuri replied with a newly frustrated expression, but his mood quickly changed upon seeing the boy confidently walk towards the cage.
"Huh? why is he going towards the cage like he's going for a walk?"
"Whaat??? What? Why!?! Hey, you!! Beams coming out of our leg doesn't actually help, you know!!"
Evan tried to yell at him but he did not hear him due to their distance.
"Hehehe it just got fun! Evan, I will be back!"
She then jump through the hole not minding the height of the ceiling they were in.
"Ehhh?!? M'lady please, no!!! We die if the king-"
His pleas fell on deaf ears as Yuri fell before he could finish his sentence.
".....I am dead...."
He then jumped after her with eyes like a fish.
.
.
.
"Um hello?"
Baam said as he stood up while lightly patting his clothes.
During this time, Yuri noticed that he couldn't understand her, so she turned to Headon and with an annoyed voice asked him:
"Hey Headon, didn't you give him a pocket?"
"Ah! It seems I forgot to give him a pocket."
Headon replied, acting as if it was a mistake on his part, but Yuri didn't believe his gibberish at all and openly mocked him.
"Forget? You, among the oldest Administrators of the Tower? Are you sure you didn't purposely not give it to him?"
"Ehh~~ I make mistakes sometimes."
Headon defended himself from the Princess's accusation by acting sheepish, but that only increased Yuri's annoyance with him.
"Tsk. Evan!!"
*Thud*
Evan landed on his feet as his huge bag shook up and down.
"What is it m'lady?"
He then noticed Headon looking at him as he chuckled and sweat nervously.
"He-hello there, Mr. Headon. You look as fine as always he- hehe."
"So you are the one who guided the princess, Evan Edrok"
Asked Headon, he didn't seem irritated or even surprised, he only remained indifferent to the current situation, but this is not the case for Evan who is starting to get more and more stressed.
"You- you got it all wrong Mr. Headon!"
"Evan, quit with the garbage talk and give this newbie your spare pocket. Headon didn't even bother giving one to him"
Yuri exclaimed irritably, she is annoyed at how her guide behaves in front of this rabbit as she always says.
"Ye-yes m'lady"
He then placed his huge bag down as he searched for something.
"Hmm where did I put it...oh, there it is."
He then walked towards Baam as he handed him the pocket.
"Take it. This an A-grade pocket. A bit too prestigious for a new comer but...this is all I have for now."
Baam then looked at the small man handing him some kind of ball with confusion.
'First, a rabbit, and now a little dude. And what the heck is this tower's deal with balls? Don't tell me that a test on the upper floors will ask me to show them my balls?"
Baam shook his head to disperse his obscene thoughts, although he did not understand why the dwarf hands him a ball covered in blindfolds with writing whose language he does not know.
He did not feel any hostilities from this dwarf so he decided to take the small sphere. The moment he touched the surface of the ball, the surrounding strips burst to reveal a black sphere with writing like a screen.
A bright light bursts from the sphere and he felt a flow of knowledge enter his brain and he also had a feeling that the black ball was forming a bond with him.
After a few seconds, the information flow stopped and he quickly regained consciousness while being perplexed by what he had just experienced.
"Eh??"
"How is it, newcomer? The feeling of attaining a pocket for the first time? Can you understand me now?
Said Evan with his arms crossed before he got shoved away by Yuri
She took Evan's position to look at Baam's face closer. She was close, very close to the boy's face and it made him a little uncomfortable although deep down he repressed certain perverse ideas.
Yuri smiles with a slight blush on her cheeks, satisfied with what she sees in front of her.
'He's really cute~'
"Ahem....So? How is it it newbie? Can understand me now?"
Yuri asked, taking a few steps away from him.
'Understand? Hmm?'
He then looked at the ball that is now floating beside him.
"I see...so it's this ball that made me know your language or something?"
"Quick to understand, I see! That's right! And for your information, that pocket's rank is way too high for a newcomer so be thankful!"
"Oh well, thank you for this gift, miss."
Baam thanked with a slight bow, he made a mental note to return the favor the next time they see each other.
"I'm Ha Yuri Zahard, a Zahard princess! A very very strong High Ranker of the Tower! And this is Evan edrok. An A-grade guide and also a High Ranker although he's obviously much weaker than me."
Yuri introduced himself, acting proudly, which made Evan sigh in embarrassment when he looked at how his princess was so immature and not acting gracefully like a Princess should do.
"Lady Yuri...sigh. Anyways newbie, that thing is called Pocket. It is something very essential in climbing the Tower. It contains a number of features including all the languages of the tower. Meaning it will translate everything for you."
Baam simply nods his head, but deep down he was fascinated by such technology, he can only admit that the technology of his old world looks like junk compared if only this flying pocket next to him .
"This world is full of fascinating treasures. If Nico were here, he would have the stars instead of these eyes and would have done everything possible to unearth the secrets inside this ball haha...."
Baam laughed mentally but bitterly as he thought of his former best friend, he hoped he would feel better when he learned he was dead...
"Oh right, try to say<invisible mode> to hide the pocket and say the opposite to make it appear again."
"Hm invisible mode"
After Baam said those words, the pocket disappears, which made his eyes widen a little in surprise.
"Haha, don't be surprised by that because there are billions of things in the Tower even more incredible than a pocket."
Evan said, scratching the back of his neck, his words only increasing Baam's desire for adventure.
Meanwhile, while Evan and Baam is talking, Yuri approached Headon to ask some questions.
"Hey Headon, just because he's an Irregular entry, must you use such tactics to chase him away?"
"I didn't use any tactics, Princess. I was simply administering a proper test for this individual. I never tried to chase him away."
Headon retorted normally, as if he did not understand why the Princess in front of him disapproves of the difficulty of this test, Yuri was irritated by Headon's nonchalance and replied with obvious anger:
"That's a lousy excuse, Headon. This test exceeds the level of the 20th Floor!"
"Princess Yuri. You seem to forget the fact that that child is an Irregular. All the Irregular entries had possessed a power beyond imagination."
Headon spoke calmly, unaffected by the Princess' fury as he continued his explanation:
"For an Irregular, that much difficulty is appropriate because they are special beings."
"..."
Then out of nowhere, a cute chestnut appeared between them. Although to others he just seems like a cute kid, it's only from the outside because inside he reveals himself to be a King with unparalleled charisma.
"For a while I've been hearing you say that I'm an Irregular and so on, do you mind explaining that term to me?"
Baam asked with a hint of curiosity, he wondered what the Irregulars of which he is a part could be so that Headon speaks of them as if they were beings of immense power.
"What's an Irregular...hmmm. Well, we call the ones who actually opened the door to the Tower an Irregular. It means you were not chosen by the Tower to enter."
Yuri then decided to explain the concept of the Irregulars to him, while looking at Baam with eyes filled with curiosity, which made him struggle not to stretch Baam's cheek because of it cute side.
While pushing aside her obscene ideas, she continued her explanation:
"Only Regulars, people chosen by the Tower, can enter the Tower. However, rarely, an Irregular like yourself enter. Since long time ago, Irregular have brought chaos and change to the Tower."
"Also, they all possess an enormous strength to the point that they became a symbol of fear within this walls."
His explanation caused Baam to think deeply in his thoughts, while carefully collecting each piece of information he just received.
"It could be problematic, my status puts me directly on the list of targets to be eliminated because of the threat I could be in the future, but there is something wrong... '
"Why is Headon making me take a test to give me a chance to climb the Tower when I'm supposed to be a being who will make a mess of his Tower?Isn't that his role as an Administrator of maintain the balance of the Tower?'
'Is he staying silent because he likes to see the chaos that the Irregulars bring or is it a goal I can't know?"
"Or Yuri, since she is a princess, there must be one empire or several in this Tower? Although the concept of princess does not exist in my world. But logically she should denounce me or even me kill on the spot for the so-called problems I would cause in the future?"
"Tch, the more I think about it the more confused it makes me, but I know one thing and that is that I have to hide my status until I become strong enough to protect myself from anyone."
Baam finally cleared his thoughts, reaching a conclusion although it all remained confusing to him.
Yuri then pointed at Baam and exclaimed out loud:
"But look! This one is different from the other Irregulars!!
"His body is small, he doesn't have an impressive attitude although it seemed that he would become a hunk later~"
Yuri's remarks could only hurt Baam's pride, the same pride he built over countless battles but now being treated like a weak boy with just a cute face could only humiliate him.
But he quickly recovered by putting on an impassive face, he had to swallow his pride because he can no longer carry the title of a proud warrior during a moment in his new life, because it could cost him dearly in the future.
"That's why...can you lower the difficulty of this, Headon. C'mon man."
Yuri asked with a mischievous smile, all lightly tapping Headon's elbow with his own.
"Princess, you seem determined to see this child climb to the top of the tower."
"....."
"Ok. I understand. Then let's bend the rules a little."
Headon finally allowed, seeming to be given in by the stubborn Princess's complaints. Yuri's eyes shine with a light of joy.
"For real?"
"What do you think of this? What if you lend him one of your weapons that you have?"
Headon suggested, making the Princess a little perplexed.
"Lend.....a weapon?"
"Yes. The weapons that you possess are all weapons that only High Rankers can use. If you were to lend such a weapon, would it not be a huge advantage for him?"
Headon paused, scratching his chin, and continued after thinking of an idea that might make things more <fun >.
"Hmm Ah! Now that I think about it, you've been recently bestowed a weapon from the King?"
'B-BLACK MARCH ?!?'
screamed Evan in his thoughts.
"Truthfully, lending a weapon is against the rules but if the Princess chooses to lend this child the Black March, i'm willing to look away just this time."
Headon explained as if it was the best idea, but Yuri and Evan could only disagree with this request.
"Black...Black march is a bit..."
"Do you feel it's too much to let it go? You seem to want to let this child go up but you don't want to gamble something you own."
Headon mocked, purposely to provoke the princess, which of course worked seeing how she gritted her teeth.
'This b*stard...even though he fully knows what king of weapons it is...'
"Well, if you don't want to, then we can just go on with this test normally."
He was about to tell Baam to take the test before Yuri finally spoke:
"...fine."
"!!!!"
Evan was about to have a heart attack at the decision of his princess, even Baam was surprised to see how a person with such an important status helps him so much, which he did not understand the reason for the help stubborn from Yuri.
Headon was not surprised, far from it. he let a little smile, unnoticed smile showing a few of his shark teeth, satisfied with how the situation is growing.
"Hey newbie! What's your name?"
Yuri asked, looking over at Baam who last bowed slightly and answered it afterwards:
"My name is the 25th Baam, Miss Yuri."
"Good! Baam! Do you want to climb the Tower or do you want to give up now."
Baam didn't respond immediately, and after a few seconds he spoke with such a confident voice that it shook the other 3 people:
"If I want to find meaning in my life and live without constraints, then climbing the Tower is something I would do."
"Mwahahaha, I see you are not afraid of death! I like this!"
Laughing like crazy, she then headed towards Baam and she put her arm on his shoulder.
Which was quite embarrassing since he was a head shorter than Yuri, after all he was very tall with an imposing build in his old days, but now he's barely 5.3 feet tall and he's as skinny as a stick, a big blow for the Former King.
She then look towards his face and speaks to advise him:
"But you might really die, you know? There's so many things in the Tower that can torment you until you would even seek death yourself. Are you sure it's really worth climbing the Tower to just live freely?"
"....."
After remaining silent for a second, Baam turned to Yuri with a coolness that could freeze anyone upon seeing him.
And in that moment, Yuri saw a face she will never forget.
His gaze will forever engrave his entire life.
Baam showed him a look that exudes extreme determination.
A look that shows that once he found this thing he dreamed of, he will never give up even if the whole world tries to stop it.
A determination... who is ready to destroy everything to achieve what he wants.
At the sight of this, Yuri felt like she is getting swallowed and devoured by this look that she lost the ability to look away, as if it really was because of the unprecedented coolness of the boy she thought was just ordinary.
The feeling that Baam gives towards Yuri brings to mind a being whom she can only respect for his strength and his prestige.
The King of the Tower, Zahard.
Baam's gaze was so similar to her father's that she could have confused them, as if the boy was once a King as powerful and glorious as his father.
Even Headon and Evan felt a chill that they never felt even at the face of strong beings.
"Is that reason enough...Princess Yuri?"
Baam asked with a cold voice as his gaze still gave off a glint of his determination, which made Yuri flinch.
"What...What did you go through to have such a look?'
Yuri said as she still couldn't look away from him.
At her question, Baam's face turns back to normal as he slowly take off Yuri's arm from his shoulder. Seeing this, Yuri also regained her cool as she stands up straight.
"In fact, nothing. But if I had to find an explanation, it would be the fact that I was nothing and now I would be ready to destroy everything if I could find what I need, true comfort in life."
Baam couldn't just say that he lived like a King before, but his explanation really wasn't a lie.
Since this <incident >, he was just an empty shell easy to be exploited and manipulated by greedy people who wanted his notoriety as King, his life as Gray cannot even be described as a life in itself.
".....I see..... It's probably the thing that forced the Tower open..."
The three of them thought at the same time, all recovering from Baam's unexpected behavior.
"Well.....okay. I like being free, so does that have something in common?"
[Weapon inventory: visible mode]
After she said that, a sort of weapon rack appeared next to her. All the weapons that it is holding exudes strong auras.
Baam was amazed to see such a practical object, and although the weapons were impressive, their designs were quite strange. But he thinks that there must be a reason and that they are surely forged to be of the best use in the Tower.
Yuri then grabs a deep black needle-like weapon and it releases a sinister aura that outclasses many of the other weapons in the inventory.
"Here, take it. It's Black Mars. I'll lend it to you for a while."
She holds the needle in front of Baam, who takes it carefully. Just holding her for the first and without even making any movements, Baam had known that it was the best weapon he had seen in his two lifetimes. He concludes that this weapon is very light, with a pleasant grip to hold and although the blade is very thin, it seems very strong, stronger than any sword he has held during his former life.
In truth, he would have preferred it to be a real sword since this weapon is only used for stabbing but it's much better than an old rusty knife.
"Lady Yuri! You mustn't! You can't just lend a weapon like Black March! If the King finds out, it's execution, execution, m'lady!"
Evan pleaded with the Princess to change her decision, but she simply ignored it because her decision was firm.
"Are you sure? Princess Yuri? From what I heard from Evan and Headon, it's a very precious item..."
Warns Baam as a little worried about the Princess, it's weird for him to be worried about someone other than him since he became a King, maybe the kindness of the old Baam is anchored in this body and that has affected his way of thinking?
"It's fine. Didn't you want to find meaning in your life, no matter what?"
"....."
After thinking about it, Baam simply nodded his head in gratitude. Yuri then gave a small smile and then explained what kind of weapon the Black March is.
"The name of that weapon is Black March. It's one of the most basic type of weapon in the tower. A needle. Needle is used to stab and pierce."
Baam remained all ears to the Princess's explanation, although he wondered why there were specialized weapons for stabbing in the Tower, swords could do it very well but he did not interrupt Yuri and let continue:
"The Black March is a top grade needle. It is made by master craftsman Edwaru and it's one of the 13 Month Series. The weapon itself is actually alive and is capable of extreme power."
'Alive?? This weapon that I have in my hand is alive?? Did this fogeron that Yuri described put a soul into this weapon or Was it made by a thing or material born from the Tower? Tch, it could even be both.'
Baam, although fascinated by such a magical creation, makes him even more confused about this Tower, seeming to be too vast and mysterious for him.
"Even if you take this needle, it's still likely that you will lose. Since no matter how strong the weapon is, it depend on the user to wield it."
Baam can only agree with Yuri's statement, a weapon cannot be used to its maximum if you don't have the strength to exploit a weapon's full potential, especially if it has immense power in itself.
But although Baam is a swordsman, he doesn't like using outside power to compensate for his strengths, he will never be able to improve if he relies on weapons like the Black Mars.
"Anyway, go on with the test. Pretty sure that you will not give up even if a god convinces you anyway."
She then walks away while Evan is still convincing her to take the needle back.
'Well, I've only just arrived in this world and I'm already receiving such a great by nothing less than a Princess of unparalleled beauty? Although I might have serious problems if peoples find out that I have such a weapon, I can only be grateful to Yuri.'
Baam could only think about what just happened, how long has it been since he was sincerely helped by another person?
This feeling that he thought was dead begins to surface through him, yes, it is none other than the gratitude he feels towards Yuri.
With a warm smile and sincere eyes, he thanked the princess:
"Thanks, Yuri. I promise I'll repay you no matter what you want."
Yuri was a little stunned to see that a boy who had been so cold a while ago could make such a facial expression, he was so cute that she..... got a nosebleed.
Which left Evan confused, and Baam had some idea why she was bleeding and could only mentally laugh that her charm was so strong that it could critically hit a woman as powerful as Yuri.
Baam walked towards the cage for the second time, putting on a cool face and walking straight like a King while looking straight into the eel's eyes.
Meanwhile, Evan goes to his Princess and asks her:
"M'lady, why are you going so far as to lend the Black March to the boy?"
"Did you fall under his spell with just one look?"
*Bonk*
"Ouch!"
Yuri had just hit the poor dwarf because of this comment although she won't admit that she has a little crush on this boy.
"M'lady do you really think that this Irregular... could change the Tower?"
Evan asked Princess again while rubbing her head. Yuri took a moment to think before answering:
"...I don't know...but isn't it exciting? It hurts to admit it but when I looked at his eyes, I immediately knew that we are only side characters in this Tower...so...I want to atleast be one of the main supporters to this main character..."
"Although it's hard to believe that such a weak child could become strong like that ba*tard Urek and it would surprise me a lot."
"But one thing I know is that this boy is going to bring disaster to the Tower."
"Whether it's destruction, change, ruling everything- no matter what this miracle incarnation's path is..."
"We just have to ride this unstoppable wave of craziness and see where it will take us."
___
'No matter how hard I visualize what I see in front of me, it's hard to believe that I'm about to fight a creature that I only see in the movies.'
All looking at the giant eel that swims in the water like energy, he just entered the cage filled with Shinsu and he was stunned who didn't feeling any resistance or anything.
"Shinsu is a really strange substance, it acts like water but not really either. Normally if it was normal water, not only would I have felt a palpable pressure on me but the water would have come out of the cage, it's like Shinsu was alive...."
"In short, I have an eel to face, I must not be persuasive in my thoughts because at the slightest misstep, I will become the snack of this excessive poison."
He muttered to himself, he tightened his grip on the needle while getting into a fighting stance.
The eel notices that someone has entered its territory and sees that it is none other than its meal.
*KYAAAAAK!*
The eel letting out a loud cry to try to intimidate its prey, which didn't really work as Baam remained firm in his position.
"Hmmm, although he is not shaken by the eel, he has little chance of passing the test. Hey sir rank-A guide! Don't you have a tactic by chance ?"
Asked the princess, glancing at the guide who is attentively watching the scene, he just replied briefly afterwards:
"There's no way he can win this game. We can only pray for a miracle."
"Pfff obviously."
Yuri sighed as if expecting this answer, but Evan thought otherwise of what he had just said.
'Well, actually there is a way to pass this test.'
'The eel is so powerful that the boy doesn't come close to his ankle.'
'Obviously the boy will avoid fighting the eel and get close enough to the ball to burst it, but that's impossible.'
''The eel is extremely fast in this High Shinsu Concentration, the boy will not be able to escape in this cage.'
'The only chance for him to win is the opposite, is that he has to fight the eel.'
'Of course not in head-on combat, the eel is so hungry that it see him as a snack instead of an enemy. If he doesn't resist, he'll be swallowed by the eel and that's when he'll have a chance.'
'All he has to do is stab the eel's tongue with the Black Mars...precisely and calmly. With others it might not work but Black Mars could help him do considerable damage to the eel until he is knocked out for a while.'
'And while the eel is suffering, the boy will just have to walk around it and perforated the ball.'
'If he does it this way, he will be able to pass the test and advance to the next floor.'
'But I can't show the boy that way.'
'Guides only show the way to those who are able, and this boy was not one of them. Inevitable, he will fail even if his determination seems incredible for his age, determination is not everything."
'And that's why I didn't show him this way, instead of risking his life for nothing, it's better for him to get saved by Ms. Yuri and understand his limits.'
The eel with its large open mouth rushes at high speed towards Baam who still calmly maintains his position.
'Come on!!'
'Run away, accept your weaknesses and limitations. This is the way for you to survive.'
Evan stopped thinking when he saw the boy still in the same place, patiently waiting for the eel to charge him.
'Eh? Why isn't he moving?? is he paralyzed by fear?? No!!! He knew the way, he was capable of taking this path!!!'
Evan could only be in shock at what he saw, he was wrong towards the boy from the start.
The eel swallowed it in one go, although Baam seemed not to be disturbed at all, this scene completely made her eyes widen and she began to exclaim in worry:
"What?! Did he get eaten?? he is completely crazy!! To hell with this test, I'm going to get it."
As Yuri went to follow suit to pick up Baam, Evan grabbed his arm to stop him and reassured him afterwards:
"No M'lady!!! That's the answer!!!"
"eh?"
Yuri could only make a confused face, she didn't understand where her guide was going with this.
"What is this bullsh*t?? Getting eaten by the eel is the right answer?! Is that it??"
"No M'lady, that's not it! Look!!"
*KYAAAAAAAAAKKK!!!!*
Yuri turned and his eyes widened further to see the eel bleeding from the mouth and spitting out the Irregular while screaming in pain and lying on the ground.
"He came out! He.... he stabbed from the inside??!!"
"That's right Princess! Not running away and fighting is the way to pass this test, it takes incredible determination and lucidity to do so. That's the purpose of this test, isn't it Mr. Headon."
Evan exclaimed, Headon simply shrugged at his statement.
"Evan, if you knew, why didn't you say anything about it?"
Yuri asked with a hint of irritation, which Evan just answered without detail:
"It would have been no use..."
'Normally, We can think about doing this, but that doesn't mean we can do it.'
'Courage and determination don't come so easily.'
'It's necessary a lot of training to develop self-confidence capable of showing courage and daring.'
'Anyone would have thought that this boy would have such courage because his fear took over, but that's not the case.'
'He truly has an iron will, as if this boy had previously been a warrior who had lived a life incalculable of battle and had come close to death on multiple occasions.'
'This boy... it's not his strength that we should fear, it's his will not to want to give up on anything, I should not have underestimated him the moment he gave a look if determine to Ms. Yuri.'
When Baam got to the bullet, he held the handle of his needle with both hands, he raised the weapon above his head and delivered a violent blow on the ball, but...
*Clank!*
Except for Headon, everyone was surprised to see the Black Mars stop dead on the surface of the sphere, leaving just a small hole deep enough to jam the tip of the needle.
What...what's going on??? Hey Headon!! What does this ball have?? How can Black Mars not pierce this ridiculous ball?"
Yuri exclaims, shifting his gaze towards Headon with obvious anger.
"Well...This must be a really well made ball..."
Headon replied, still with a nonchalant air while smiling mischievously behind his slit, which angered the princess in front of him even more.
"Really well made?? Are you kidding?? D*mn rabbit, you never had the attention to bring him up! Hey new guy, give up the test, it's rigged! Hey can you hear me??"
Yuri's warnings were ignored by Baam who used his machete to try to break the ball since the Black Mars was stuck. Of course it didn't work because his machete ended up in pieces, he could only curse mentally.
'You bunny b*stard, I'll remember that.'
Baam was out of breath from hitting the sphere repeatedly, but his breath caught when he saw the eel begin to regain consciousness.
"Sh*t!!! He wakes up!!! I'm just going to break his bars and get him out of there!!"
Declared the Princess, having decided to go save the boy once again, but her dwarf stopped her again.
"M'lady wait. If he has the Black Mars, there's something he can do, right?"
Evan asked, causing his Princess to raise an eyebrow.
"What? Evan don't tell me that-"
Before she could finish, Evan shouted to the boy:
"HEY, THE NEW ONE!!! CATCH THE BLACK MARS AND ASK HIM TO HELP YOU SO THAT SHE GOES IGNITE!!"
Baam didn't understand what Evan meant, but an illumination entered his head as he understoodwhere the dwarf is going with this.
"Understood!!"
"Evan are you crazy?! The black mars never responded to me even as its owner! She will never give her power to a stranger, even less to a beginner."
Yuri exclaimed with incomprehension, she didn't want to believe that her guide would have suggested such a thing, Evan simply replied calmly:
"She will lend to him. You told me another day that the Black Mars was difficult to wake up and even more difficult to talk to. But it might work now."
"What are you talking about again??"
"I have the intuition of a guide. He will make it happen."
The princess could only groan in frustration at Evan's mysterious side.
'You will also be able to find this way, won't you? I don't know what it is but you have something in you that attracts people.'
Meanwhile, Baam held the Black Mars again and tried to speak it:
"Black Mars... I don't know if you can hear me, but please, I'm asking you to lend me your power just this once...."
Baam whispered softly, as the eel that had just woken up lunged at him.
Yuri was more than tired of seeing this scene in the distance. She was about to go save Baam but something unexpected happened, which left the princess speechless except those who expected it.
'..That works!'
A dazzling golden light springs from the Black Mars which illuminates the entire cage, a light which shows the power and supremacy of the needle.
"Would you like to climb this Tower to this point?"
A soft, feminine voice awakened Baam's astonishment, he raises his head to see a beautiful woman with long blonde hair flowing down her back, her eyes were the same color as her hair, she had pointed ears like an elf and she wore a long black dress with some red designs.
She was breathtakingly beautiful as Baam thinks but there was one thing that worried him the most.
'So the Black Mars is a zapankuto? Too bad it's not zangestu although a beauty isn't that bad.'
"Precious gold, jewels, delicious fruit and magnificent beauties.....even more important, glory and power....that what drives you.....to climb the Tower?"
The spirit of the Black Mars asked him the question with an angelic voice, it pushed Baam into deep reflection.
After all, everything that Black Mars has mention, Baam has already obtained them during his former life, although he never did.... in short, that's not the subject. As King he could have all the riches and glory they wanted but it was all bitter to him and did not give him a feeling of pleasure.
What's the point of being a King if he can't even make his own choices? He was constantly used and manipulated by the Council of which they are the true leaders of his country, he was only a simple doll to serve as a symbol and pride for his kingdom, or rather their kingdom.
After pondering a conclusion, Baam looked straight into the eyes of the Black March spirit, and gave him his answer with a voice filled with determination.
"All that doesn't matter to me if I can't even be the one who controls my life, I will climb to the top of the Tower for the sole reason of being the master of my fate, and everything you just mentioned will come in the future."
The Black Mars eyes widened slightly but her surprise was replaced by satisfaction and a clear smile in her face, she gently took Baam's face between her two hands and said to him:
"Not only are you fun, but on top of that... you're my type of man."
She says it in a seductive voice, making Baam ask if this weapon is a tomboy?
"Okay, I'll help you this time."
The golden light intensified more and more until it reached the outside of the cage, a golden ray burst from the black mars in the direction of the eel, which did not have time to react and was killed on the shot.
"Arghhh! What is this power?"
the boy grunted in pain, struggling to hold the vibrating handle of the Black Mars and not be thrown from the force emitted by the needle.
*Crack!*
The ball began to crack all over because of the power of Black March pressuring it.
"What?? She really borrowed his power??? This has never happened to me!!! "
Yuri exclaimed expressing her shock and frustration, said that a beginner could ignite her weapon which she was not able to, could only tarnish his pride of High Ranker.
But that was until she saw the Black Mars hug the boy and smirk at him, as if she wanted to say; Get out of there girls, this one's mine~.
"IT'S SEXISM!!!!! you see a cute guy and you let go??"
The Princess shouted angrily, she was enraged that her weapon was openly mocking her, although there was also a hint of jealousy in her.
"Haha... well, did it go well in the end?"
Evan said trying to calm his crazy princess' nerves, but his attitude started to change when seeing of the blacks lightnings coming out of the ball and a slimy black substance trying to catch the boy.
"Hey Headon!!! What did you do to that sphere??? The new one is coming out quickly!! Hey the New one?! Sh*t!! New one!! New one!! Nooooo!!!!!!"
Yuri shouted many times but it was too late because Baam was swallowed up by the mysterious substance and suddenly disappeared...
"...."
"he....he disappeared? Hey d*mn bunny!! What did you do to this sphere??"
Yuri asked, looking like she wanted to rip Headon's ears off, who then just responded:
"What do you mean? I just made his wish come true."
"....!"
"The boy.....is upstairs."
"Headon...what are you plotting?"
Yuri asked with distrust on his face, Headon once again answered while looking at the top of the ceiling, as if trying to see through it.
"My role.... is only to evaluate those who come to the Tower. I'm just preparing a test equivalent to the value of their wish."
"Such is the fate of an Administrator of this Tower."
"....."
"Aren't you supposed to follow him, Princess Yuri? Mr. Baam has brought back the Black Mars with him. "
Headon advised, which gave Yuri a headache from being so annoyed by him.
It's one of the laws of the King of the Tower that the 13th Month Series should only belong to the Princess and whoever holds it other than them should be executed.
Add that to the fact that Baam is a man which means that whoever the Princess who lend him a 13th Month Series will be suspected of having a relationship with him.
Which will result in one more law she has broken.
Yuri realizes the gravity of the situation she and Baam find themselves in.
"Arghh, you really have a bad habit.... Evan! Let's go get the new one."
"Aahh! Yes M'lady!!"
They later made their way towards the ceiling from which they emerged, which left Headon all alone and lost in thought.
'This child...he's more special than you think, Evan Edrok. He reminds me of young Zahard at the start of his rise.'
'Although weak compared to him, this is surely not the case for his potential, seeing as how the Shinsu acts in his presence, the presence of a King.'
'It seems that another Irregular take the path that leads to royalty, like Zahard.'
"Hihi, I wonder how this will end, after all, there can't be two Kings existing in the same kingdom, right?"
Headon whispered, although he couldn't hide his smile showing his excitement at the future events that were about to happen.
He then turned to look towards a dark corner, and began to speak:
"Did you see everything? The boy came up. What was he going to do to you. Young lady?"