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Our Hearts Are Made of Stars

Summary:

“You boosted your speed back there with a shinsu field, didn’t you?” Quant asked, sounding bewildered. “That’s a technique not even the selected Light Bearers can do yet.”

Yikes, really?

“Khun can do it,” Bam said immediately. And okay, maybe that was a lie, but Bam was positive Khun would back him up anyway.

OR

Bam is not going to let himself be separated from his friends, or Khun, again. This time around, he is determined to climb the tower with his team from the Testing Floor, destiny be damned.

Notes:

Hi hi. So I was curious about the first webtoon turned anime, and then proceeded to spend the next 3 days doing nothing but reading. Then I found out there's basically no ToG fanfiction and that is just not okay. This fic is a bonafida tower climb story, where each floor is expanded on in some detail, and a lot of team fluff happens.

I also want to warn about SPOILERS. If you're an anime only fan, please go read the webtoon first before coming here. In terms of story setup, Bam is from a little after the Nest Invasion Arc of Season 3. I've tried my best but obviously I don't know what SIU is planning, so this is officially canon divergence!

Finally, in terms of spelling - I will be using the official translation spelling, from the Webtoons website. If you're not used to this version, feel free to C+P to a word doc or something and then change the names.

Chapter 1: ARC 1 - Retracing Familiar Steps

Chapter Text

“Do you truly wish to turn back the wheel of time? All your accomplishments, all your successes, will be overturned. All of the sacrifices made will be in vain. It is no guarantee that it will be better the second time… things may even end up worse. Your destiny ensures your eventual victory. If you make this choice now, that destiny will not be assured.”

“Even so… there are things that I want to protect. I think that I’ve found someone I want to save badly enough. More than changing the tower, more than defeating Jahad, more than avenging my parents—I want to be with my friends. I want them back with me. If this path hadn’t presented itself to me, maybe I could have continued forward. But since it’s here, how can I not try? I know it’s selfish of me, but I…”

“Heh. I see. Well, who does not have selfish desires when climbing the tower? Very well then. This is your privilege as the very first to clear this area. Yes, if you continued on this path, you would have been glorious, but I see now that glory is not what you desire. How rare. Good luck then, Jue Viole Grace. May you find your happiness.”

“Yes.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Bam awoke to an outstretched hand. Reaching. Reaching for something indefinite, something just out of grasp. For his master. For Khun. For his teammates.

Panic flared within him, before awareness set in. He noted the purple light, and the ancient murals around him. His arm dropped back to his side, and slowly, he pulled himself up to a seated position. His body felt heavy. Weak.

“My, my—” A single voice rang out in the grand, empty halls. “It’s been a while since there’s been a visitor like you here.”

Bam tensed, but resisted the urge to spring to his feet.

“Who is it?” He asked lowly.

The faint sound of footsteps echoed down the empty hall. Bam noted, however, that the voice had appeared before the footfall. That meant the owner of the voice was only pretending his entrance could be heard.

A humanoid metal rat appeared in the light, twirling a golden baton. “It’s been a while since a visitor opened the gate by himself. Welcome to the tower, young man.”

Headon.

It had worked, then.

Bam’s shoulder slumped in relief. He hadn’t seriously thought he’d be betrayed. He trusted the administrator. Still, he’d been afraid, been so afraid that something would go wrong. It always seemed to, with him. But here was Headon. It had worked.

“Woah. That’s not the reaction I usually get,” the silver creature tipped his head in consideration. “Do you already know who I am?”

“Ah.” That was hard to answer. Bam didn’t want to lie, but the administrator had warned him about letting people know that it was possible to manipulate time. “Um.”

“Interesting.” It wasn’t possible to see Headon’s eyes, but something about his voice caused Bam to shiver. “Well then, you have me at a disadvantage. If I could have your name, young man?”

“Right.” Bam inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that the floor guardian wasn’t pursuing the matter. And then he hesitated. The 25th Bam was certainly the name that he was most used to. It had always been the name he introduced himself as, when given a choice. But it was also the name that she gave him.

On the other hand, he was the son of V and Arlene. Jue Viole Grace may have been a name he initially hated, but it had become precious to him. After the Hidden Floor, after his master’s sacrifice, he had come to see that it was part of himself too.

But that name was too dangerous to use right now.

“Right. My name is… uh, the 25th Bam, after the day I was born.”

“Huh? Sounds tasty.” Headon didn’t seem suspicious about the pause. “But a bit difficult to say, eh. Well, I’ll just call you Bam. Tell me, boy, how did you end up here?”

Bam’s lips quirked. How indeed. He remembered how he had first answered this question. He answered it differently this time. “Isn’t it… to climb the tower?”

“Ho? And what do you want from this tower?”

There was no reason to lie. “I have a wish. I don’t think the tower itself can grant it, but I still think climbing it will be worthwhile.”

“This…” Headon stared at him. Even though Headon had no eyes, Bam could tell it was a stare. “This is… most unexpected.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.” Headon sounded thoughtful. “But rather interesting. Very well then, Bam. I won’t keep you. To ascend, you must pass a test. Do you know how the tests work?”

Bam nodded. Later on, he would definitely have to be careful about how much information he revealed. But Headon was an administrator. He doubted the administrators would be plotting with Jahad or FUG.

“Very well then, I shall give you your test.”

Headon tapped the wall, and blue suddenly illuminated the dim space. A White Armored Eel swam lazily inside a shinsu cage, circling a black ball. Idly, Headon explained the rules.

Bam frowned. He hadn’t known this the first time, but that monster was clearly from the 20th floor, wasn’t it? It wasn’t difficult for him to deal with now, but back then he’d really been a weak nobody! How could the floor master give out a test like this? Headon was just sadistic!

“Are you afraid?” Headon asked. Bam could practically hear the grin in his voice.

Bam ignored him, and moved forward. And it was just then that he caught a flicker in the corner of his eye.

He was moving before he fully registered it, but his body’s reaction was too slow. A foot smacked his cheek, sending him careening to the ground. He groaned. Yuri. Right.

Yuri was babbling something excitedly above him. It wasn’t a language he understood. He shoved himself to his feet again, rubbing his cheek. Yuri had started talking to Headon, and Evan came down from wherever they were hiding to join in the conversation too. They were still babbling in a foreign language and—oh.

Evan handed him a pocket. And that was why he couldn’t understand them.

Bam took it with a smile. It flared in his grip. “Thank you.”

“No problem. What’s your first impression of it? You can understand what I’m saying now, right?”

Evan proceeded to explain just how a pocket worked, with the occasional input from Yuri. They also introduced themselves. Bam listened to it with a smile. He had always loved listening to his friends, so although he knew everything already, he didn’t feel the need to interrupt. He just thanked them for the information.

“Hey,” Yuri complained to Headon, “isn’t this test too unfair? I mean this kid just seems like an ordinary boy. He’s like a baby compared to the other Irregulars.”

“I wonder about that.” Headon hummed. “But if you really want him to climb the tower, princess, I can change the rules slightly. How ‘bout this, you lend him one of the weapons you own.”

Bam watched in wonder as Headon and Yuri began haggling about Black March. Back then, Bam hadn’t known what a big deal the black needle was. But now that he knew what being a Princess of Jahad meant, it was really incredible that Yuri had been willing to lend it to him.

“Miss Yuri,” he interrupted, “it’s fine. Thank you for watching out for me, but I can take this test without a weapon. Don’t worry.”

“What?” Yuri turned to gape at him. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Okay boy, what’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Bam. The 25th Bam.”

“Alright Bam, do you wanna go up the tower, or give up?”

“Of course I want to go,” Bam smiled gently. “There are people I really want to meet.”

“Ehhh? But you might die, you know? There’s a high possibility you’ll die before you find what you seek.”

The administrator had warned him about that, too. By coming back, he’d wrecked Destiny. Even so. Bam curled his fingers into a loose fist. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll go anyway.”

Yuri let out a breath that sounded like a laugh. “Well, okay.” She held out an arm. “Arms inventory. Visible mode.” Snagging a familiar blade, Yuri held it out towards Bam. “Take it. This is Black March. I’ll lend it to you for a while.”

“Whaaaaat?” Evan freaked out. He and Yuri had a brief argument before the blade was shoved into Bam’s hands. Bam was too startled to stop them.

Black March pulsed in his grip. In the future that was no longer, he’d carried the blade for three years. He’d known its power and its spirit intimately. It welcomed him now, whispering for him to journey with it again.

But it would also bring him attention, attention he couldn’t afford. Moreover, Evan wasn’t kidding about this action putting Yuri in danger.

And also… He’d lost this weapon to Anaak last time. He’d promised Yuri he’d return it and he lost it. It was so embarrassing. To this day he didn’t know how Yuri had gotten the weapon back. He didn’t think it’d happen again, but what if?

“No um,” he smiled weakly, and shoved the weapon back at Yuri. “It’s really alright. I’m not trying to be arrogant or overly courteous or anything. I really don’t need it.”

Yuri narrowed her eyes. “You…”

“Really, thank you. But I’m stronger than I look, promise.”

Not wanting to fight with her more about the issue (he had a feeling he’d lose), Bam turned and entered the blue test space. He took a breath, and gazed up at the Armoured Eel. It loomed over him, hunger in its eyes. And then it dove. He’d fought many similar creatures in the past, and many scarier ones besides. It wouldn’t be difficult to kill it, even in his current body. But how should he do this without drawing too much suspicion?

Umm, he probably shouldn’t use any techniques from his master, right? He trusted Yuri, but she’d be put in an awkward position if she saw abilities of a top FUG executive and didn’t report it. So no Floral Butterfly Piercing.

Haaah. Well in the end it was just a creature from the 20th Floor, wasn’t it?

Two bangs should be enough. The moment the eel reached him, Bam set off the simplest version of Straight Line Long Pierce that he could. A spear of shinsu shot towards the eel, shimmering even in the shinsu field. The beast didn’t even have time to react.

A long hole tore through the eel’s body, and it floated, suspended for a single moment. Then blood began to fill the water. And yuk. He really hadn’t thought this through!

He leapt towards the black ball with shinsu reinforcement, moving in a path that avoided the leftover bits. Soon the entire pool would be filled with it though, and he really didn’t want to go swimming in blood. It was icky and it got everywhere. Thankfully there was a fast way out of here.

He looked up again just in time to see Yuri’s shocked face. He beamed at her. “I hope we see each other again, Miss Yuri.”

And then he pierced the black ball, and the world dissolved around him.

Last time, he’d been knocked unconscious by the transference, either by the high concentration of shinsu, the shock of the battle, or the activation of Black March. This time, he’d experienced dozens of testings, and this one felt no different. The disorienting sensation of teleportation lasted a split second, and then a nostalgic wheat field filled his vision.

“Mic test, mic test, one two three! One, two. Hello everyone.”

Bam raised his head to see a yellow lighthouse, floating high above. He blinked, and blinked again. That was… Leroro’s voice, wasn’t it?

“To all the Regulars who have made it to the tower, we sincerely welcome you to the second floor.” The voice from the lighthouse continued. “This is Evankhell’s Floor, 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!”

Evankhell, his second master. The only one who was willing to help him with the impossible task of fighting Kallavan, the one who always chose his side. She was also the one who constantly threw him into deadly traps without telling him the way out, and smiled with glee every time she beat him to a pulp. Oh fudge nuggets he hoped she wasn’t here right now.

“Well, I will explain the details to you later. First, let’s start the test. It’s been a long time since we warmed up. The first test is simple. I will explain the rules, so listen carefully. There are 400 Regulars here. Narrow that 400 down to 200. Try every possible means. The test ends when the number of Regulars reach 200. Ready, begin!”

The audio from the lighthouse clicked off.

Ummmm.

Bam wasn’t alone. Even though his body was untrained, it had become automatic of him to sharpen his senses with shinsu. He counted twenty people in the immediate vicinity, and five of them were already engaged in a fight. One was approaching at what was probably a rapid pace for new regulars, but felt like a snail’s crawl to Bam.

If Bam wanted to, he could take out all twenty. It would probably be kinder of him to do so. After all, he could do it without killing anyone.

But there was the issue of how much power he should reveal.

Unlike Headon’s floor, Evankhell’s floor was being watched by many players with allegiances to other parts of the tower. To Jahad. To FUG. To their own agendas. Never again did Bam want to be under someone else’s complete control. Moreover, he couldn’t draw too much attention because he didn’t want to be separated from his friends.

But if one were to ask him what the normal level of competence of a Regular was, he wasn’t sure he even knew it, let alone be able to conceivably fake it. He more or less realized that his abilities reached beyond those of his peers. He couldn’t yet fight those who truly had power, which was why he had to hide, but comparatively speaking he had never been ‘normal’. Likewise, most of his companions were not exactly normal either…

And if he were to be honest, he knew that a weak persona would never hold. The moment his friends were in danger, there was no way he was holding back. His pretense would be ripped to shreds.

Yeah, he probably couldn’t pull off a ‘regular’ Regular.

“Alright, found one!” A red skinned warrior ran out from the wall of wheat. He raised his spear, a murderous glint in his eyes. “Alright little pygmy, time to see what you’re made of.”

Bam gave a lopsided smile. “Sorry, I don’t fight people who are weaker than me.”

Ahh, Evankhell was such a bad influence on him. But since this was her floor, it seemed only right to pay homage? Besides, if he couldn’t pull off normal Regular, then the only remaining option…

“Weak?! Why you—!” The red skinned warrior charged at him. Bam leaned back to get under the swing, trapped the spear within his elbow, and kicked the man in the stomach. The red skinned man went flying back, just as Bam flung the spear towards a nearby cliff. A woman yelped as an arrow shot wide, landing harmlessly in an empty patch of wheat.

…was to lean into his identity as an Irregular.

Bam let out a breath, wincing as he rolled his shoulders to ease the tense muscles. He’d been light on the shinsu reinforcement, but it was still a bit much for this body, huh? He’d really had to train it up again.

The sound of slow clapping rang out across the wheat field as another examinee stepped into view. Sunlight lit his entrance to a radiant glow, turning pale blue hair almost white.

“Wow, that was impressive.” The boy languidly lowered his hands, taking a casual stance as he fingered the briefcase at his side. His lips were pulled up in an enigmatic smirk, as if he were about to share a secret known only to a selected few. “Hey, what do you say about teaming up with me?”

For a moment, Bam’s heart stopped. And then, an incredible smile bloomed across his face. “Khun!”

Chapter 2: Floor of Test - Yellow Field Elimination

Summary:

In which Bam teams up with Khun, makes a bet with Leroro, and draws suspicion from more than one person.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Khun! Why did you—why did you—!”

“Oh Bam. Back during the testing floor, when I thought you had died, it was as if all the light had disappeared from this world. And then, miraculously, you appeared in front of me again. I hadn’t even completed the tower, yet it felt as if my greatest wish had been granted. Back then, I swore to myself that I would do anything, everything… just like you have things you fear more than death, so do I.”

“No… no. This is. I can’t, I can’t…”

“I’m flattered you tried so hard for me, but this is the end, Bam. Hey, you don’t need to cry so hard. Besides, I’d rather have you see me off with a smile—yes, that’s it. I’ve always loved your smiles.”

“Kh—Khun. Pl-please. Don’t leave me.”

“Ha—haaa. Sorry Bam, I really wanted to take you to the top of the tower. I really wanted to, really wanted to…”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Back when Gado had died, Bam had realized something. When he offered help, he was acting as a hypocrite. Could he really knowingly sacrifice an entire race of peoples to save one person? No. If it was a complete stranger, he likely wouldn’t even attempt to find an alternate solution. If it was someone close to his heart, like his master, he would give others the decision of whether they wanted to sacrifice themselves for him.

There had only ever been one person he had been willing to give everything for. That was the girl who found in him the dark and taught him how to be human. Sometimes in the dead of night, he wondered if that person had ever existed, or if it had all been his own delusions.

Bam hadn’t realized that a second such person had snuck into the depths of his heart until it was much too late. He hadn’t realized until the world became empty, until he was offered the choice, and made the selfish wish.

So really, Bam couldn’t help but smile and call out that person’s name when he appeared.

The secretive smirk slid off Khun’s face, replaced with a blank expression and an icy blue eyes. “Ho? So you recognize me as part of the Khun family, huh?”

Bam felt his heart plunge to his stomach. The imagined moment of tender reunion shattered to pieces.

Right. Of course. Khun didn’t know him yet.

And he had just drawn the genius’ suspicion. Shit.

Bam smiled weakly. “The blue hair, you know, it’s very distinctive.”

“Hmm.” Khun didn’t look as if he fully believed Bam, but he didn’t push it further. Instead, he smiled, lips pulled back and teeth bared. “Well then, you must know how valuable an ally in the Ten Great Families are. So, what do you say about teaming up?”

The smart thing to do would be to agree. It would definitely ease the suspicion. Khun himself would certainly encourage him to take that route. But, but Khun looked like that, and Bam knew the story of Maria, and how could he pretend that what was special about Khun was only his family?

“I do want to team up with you,” Bam said quietly, “but not because you’re a member of the Ten Great Families.”

Surprise flickered behind cobalt eyes. It wouldn’t have been noticeable to a stranger, but Bam had been Khun’s friend for years. They hadn’t spent much of that together, but they’d spent enough.

Bam took a breath. This was tricky. He didn’t want to lie to Khun, but it was suddenly important that Khun knew. He couldn’t say all of it, but he could at least say part of it. “You, you came to find me, right? And you found me. Then you didn’t try to kill me, even though I think you could probably do it, and instead you offered your help.”

Now surprise was giving way to bewilderment. Khun’s brows were furrowed in the familiar manner of when he encountered a new puzzle. “It’s not that strange to want to team up with someone strong.”

No, probably not. But it was strange to team up with someone weak. And the first time, Bam had been so terribly, terribly weak. He’d been weak in his power, in his mind, and in his heart. How had Khun looked at something like that and seen value?

But it wasn’t really the time to drift into such thoughts.

Bam shook his head. “From what I’ve seen, it’s still pretty strange. Most people go straight to fighting.”

Khun snorted, and finally, some of the tension eased. “Well they are fools. Following the rules instead of making your own rules… that’s not the mindset of a ruler. How can someone expect to climb the tower like that?”

“Mhmm.” Bam smiled.

“So then,” Khun flicked a few strands of his hair back. His earrings glittered under the sunlight. “I must ask. What do you think of this test?”

“Simple but fair,” Bam replied immediately. “Because you only have to survive, there’s a lot of ways out.” Now that he had his fair share of testing from the floors, and the training from FUG besides, it was easy to see that. This test wasn’t only meant to find the strongest, but also the smartest, the most tenacious, and the most creative.

“So we’re in agreement then.”

“Yeah,” Bam sighed. “But even so, I wish the test administrators wouldn’t make killing seem like the easiest path.”

“Hm?” Khun tilted his head. “But that’s just how climbing the tower is, you know? We all signed up for it.”

“That doesn’t make it any less sad.”

There was a long moment where Khun just stared at him. Bam felt his heart skip a beat. Had he messed up by saying that? Was Khun not going to want to be his teammate anymore?

And then Khun let out a huffing laugh.

“You’re kind of weird, you know.” Khun held out a hand. “Khun Aguero Agnes.”

“Oh!” Bam beamed. He took the hand, marveled at the solidness, at the fact that Khun was here. They shook firmly. “I’m the 25th Bam.”

“The 25th…? You know what, nevermind. From the way you fought, I would’ve guessed you were from the Ten Great Families, but there’s no way anyone from them would have a mindset like that.”

“Yeah, I’m not from the ten families. Although, although I guess you could say I’m related to them.” Since this was Khun, he had no qualms about sharing this much. “Um. But please don’t mention that to anybody. It’s a secret.”

Khun rocked back on his heels, gaze considering. “You’re just full of mysteries, aren’t you?”

Bam just sighed. “Don’t I know it.”

Heck, even he had never fully uncovered the mysteries surrounding his birth and destiny the first time around. He’d found out a bit more about his parents, but everything ranging from why he was trapped underground to the golden orb inside him was still a big question mark.

After the Hidden Floor and his final Revolution, he was less concerned about discovering his past. He no longer felt the need to know his full history to know who he was. Bam was Bam. He had accepted that.

Still, it would be nice to know.

“Well then,” Khun set his pocket to visible, and glanced at the numbers. It was already down to 295. “Shall we get going, then There’s not much else here. It looks like the onlookers were scared off when you sent that other guy flying.”

“Okay,” Bam easily agreed. “Which way should we go?”

“Eh, how ‘bout that plateau you scared that woman off of? It’s better to get some height so we can see the field better.”

Higher ground was an advantage, yes. Bam agreed easily, and they set off towards the point Khun indicated. They made up the jutting rock with no issues. Bam couldn’t help but frown.

“What’s the matter?” Khun teased. “Disappointed we didn’t get attacked?”

“Actually…” Bam rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes? I thought, for sure, another teammate would have found us by now.”

“Oh?” Khun raised a brow. “You’re expecting a friend?”

“Not exactly. But there’s someone who wants to hunt—”

me?

No, that didn’t make sense.

Bam’s eyebrows furrowed. The first time around, there hadn’t been anything about him worth hunting. Yet, Rak had been adamant about fighting him. Right, Rak hadn’t chased them because of Bam. No, wasn’t it because of…

…Black March?

And he’d refused Black March this time.

“Never mind,” Bam muttered. For a moment he felt lost. What were they supposed to do without Rak? Rak was the one who was always there, guiding them, supporting them, directing them to what really mattered. Without Rak, were they just going to be ‘the two’ instead of ‘the three’? He swallowed, and tried to shake the feeling off by making a sweep of the wheat field. “Okay, so who do you think we should—”

It was just then that a large boar like man dashed out from a hidden part of the plateau. He leapt towards their backs, mace raised high.

Bam didn’t bother turning around. He sidestepped the slash, allowing heavy iron to hit solid rock. Reaching out a hand, he grasped the handle of the mace, and used it to fling the man, weapon and all, down the plateau.

“—go talk to?” Bam finished, shoulders slumping “I didn’t think he’d attack with both of us here.”

“It’s your eyes,” Khun noted with some amusement. He had edged closer to the cliff side to look down on the fallen man. “They make you look so harmless, you know. Well, I guess I don’t look that intimidating, either.”

“Hey.”

Another voice cut into their teasing banter. Bam tensed. He hadn’t noticed their interloper’s presence. Granted, the flow of shinsu through his current body was still sluggish, and he hadn’t been trying that hard, but it was still inexcusable.

Bam turned, and his eyes widened.

There, at the foot of the jutting rock, stood Hatz.

“You’re strong.” Hatz wrapped his fingers around the handle of the sword at his hip. “Let’s have a battle.”

“Ohh?” Khun drawled, a sneer making its way across his features. Bam could tell though, from the way his back muscles tightened, that Khun had been caught off guard, too. And Khun’s surprise often manifested as irritation. “So you’re another one of those simpletons who’ll let yourself be ruled, huh?”

Oh. Oh no.

Hatz’s brows knit together in an unhappy frown. “Draw your weapon.”

Oh no no no.

“Ha?” Khun arched a mocking brow. “And now you’re giving your enemies a chance to arm themselves before attacking? Did you get dropped as a baby or what?”

“I won’t fight anyone unarmed.” Nevertheless, the red clothed boy’s grip tightened around his sword, like he was really tempted. “It’s against the warrior code.”

This was what Shibisu had dubbed the legendary ‘cats-and-dogs’ affliction. Fire and Ice. Jahad and FUG. According to Shibisu, Khun and Hatz got along like this even after seven years.

“Warrior code?” Khun snorted. “What’s—”

“How about we don’t fight at all?” Bam blurted out. The two swirled to look at him, both sets of eyes blazing. Bam waved his hands around helplessly. “I mean, I don’t mind having a spar sometime, if that’s what you want Ha—hallowed swordsman. But we don’t want to eliminate you right now. Wouldn’t it be better if we all passed this test, first?”

Khun smiled. Hatz narrowed his eyes.

“You’re so confident you can eliminate me?” Hatz asked lowly.

Uhhhh.

It was just then that a loud, echoing chime rang out across the wheat field.

“Mic test!” Leroro’s voice resonated from the Lighthouse. “Everyone stay where you are! The first test is over now! All remaining Regulars, stay where you are and listen carefully. Any Regulars fighting from now on will be eliminated!”

Bam breathed a sigh of relief. Phew. Perfect timing.

“To the 200 Regulars who passed the first test, congratulations! It may seem rushed, but a short second test will be carried out right away. Haha, don’t be so disappointed. The next test is really simple. The challenge is ‘getting teammates’. There are 200 remaining Regulars. Among those who remain, find two Regulars to be your teammates. In short, this test is to make a team of three! For your reference, we’re giving you a five minute time limit!”

“That’s so convenient!” Bam declared brightly. “There’s three of us right here!”

Dead silence.

“Bam,” Khun said, taking the brown haired boy’s elbow, “let’s go find another teammate. That guy you knocked unconscious from earlier will do.”

Hatz’s hand had dropped from his sword, finally, but he was also walking away.

“Hey! Wait!”

In the end, they weren’t able to find another teammate. Five minutes passed and it was the team of Khun, Hatz, and Bam that were transported to the next level. They were sent to a large room with all the passing Regulars. Bam looked around with wide eyes, marking the places where his friends were.

Ah, there was Rak. He was with Shibisu and Anaak. Bam’s shoulders slumped in relief. They were all here, then.

Khun and Hatz were bickering behind him. Somehow their introductions had turned into an argument about honor and jewelery choices. Bam didn’t really get it, but he was glad they were getting along. He wondered if he could sneak off to talk to Shibisu, Anaak, and Rak. Maybe he could ask Khun for a banana and offer it in greeting.

“See anyone interesting, Bam?” Khun asked, cutting into his thoughts.

“A few…” He wanted to talk to them, but even he knew there was no point right now, because—

Leroro emerged from seemingly nowhere, planting himself between two teams who looked like they were about to break out their weapons. “Did you not understand? No fighting during break time.” He then proceeded to verbally beat down the two teams for not following the rules.

“Do you know him?” Khun asked lightly.

“Huh?”

“When he appeared, you smiled.”

“Oh.” Bam thought about how to answer this. It wouldn’t make any sense for him to know a Ranker, would it? Especially since Leroro wouldn’t recognize him. “I just think he’s a good person.”

“Hmmm.”

“Mic test, Regulars, over here!” Leroro announced once he was done with the wayward teams. Everyone looked over. “I will explain the next round. Before that, I’ll give you some brief information about myself. I’m Leroro, your test administrator!” Then he smiled, his eyes curving. “Nice to meet chu!”

“Nice to meet you!” Bam obediently called back.

Crickets. All the eyes that had been staring at the Ranker turned to him instead. Once upon a time, Bam would have shrunk back at the attention, but that was before he’d become a Slayer Candidate with FUG. He still didn’t like it, but he could more or less ignore it. Besides, the Ranker who’d given up his job for Bam deserved at least this much respect.

“One of you has manners!” Leroro clapped, sounding delighted. He wandered back to the yellow stairs which led to the next testing section. “Well, now that you’ve had some time to rest, let’s move on to the next test. But before that, there will be a little pretest! Ah, but those who don’t pass this pretest cannot take the next test. That means, it is another elimination test!”

Thankfully, this bit of information drew everyone’s attention away from Bam again. Nearly everyone tensed.

“Haha, don’t worry. It is a really simple pretest. Relax.” Leroro held out a hand, waving it to and fro with a shit eating grin on his face. “Okay, this way and that way, here and there, and everywhere. And boom!”

Shinsu exploded from his palm. And.

Oh crap.

Everyone was pushed back. Everyone except for Bam, that is.

The first time, he’d thought that Leroro made a mistake, but now he could see… that the shinsu level in the wall was just really weak. Leroro began explaining about shinsu and the barrier and how the next test was about passing through. Bam briefly considered sneaking across to the other side, but he knew it would be futile. Right now, nobody noticed him because their eyes were focused on Leroro, but as soon as he moved, that would no longer be the case. And it’d be a lot more suspicious to actively attempt to hide his shinsu resistance than to just act confident about it.

If he knew the test was like this, he would have pretended to be pushed with the rest of them, but he’d already missed the timing.

“Mr. Leroro,” Bam said, raising a hand. “Do I pass?”

Yaaay. Everyone’s eyes were on him again. Including Leroro’s. Yikes.

“Ahem.” Bam coughed into his fist. “Well this level of shinsu is a lot lower than where I’m from.”

Not technically a lie. In the future that no longer was, he’d been to areas of much higher levels of shinsu.

“Hmm.” Leroro didn’t look fully convinced. Then, surprisingly, he grinned. “Oh I see. Yep that would do it. Congratulations! You passed, Bam.”

That seemed to persuade mostly everyone. The Regulars all refocused on what they, themselves, were supposed to do. Anaak and Lauroe both gave him a considering look. Khun’s expression was blank.

Well. That was great.

Bam gingerly took a seat on the lowest rung of the stairs. This was exhausting.

Leroro sauntered over, taking a seat beside him. The Ranker’s voice pitched low as not to be overheard. There was a thread of amusement in it. “So you’re used to high shinsu concentrations because of where you’re from, huh?”

Bam pulled his legs up to his chest. “That’s right.” Please please don’t ask where exactly that was. Bam had no clue!

“Hm. It’s strange though. Certainly you should be able to survive in high shinsu concentration, but what I just did was basically an attack. I wonder what area of the tower has atmospheric shinsu that attacks people?”

“Oh.” Bam pressed his forehead against his knees. “So I still don’t know enough.”

“You’re admitting it so easily?” Leroro grinned. “I admit, not the reaction I was expecting. Say, Bam, how do you feel about playing a game?”

“A game, huh.” The first time, Bam had assumed that it was just as Leroro said, and this was done to pass the time. Now he realized that Leroro was truly curious about him, but felt awkward just asking without compensation. Once again, Bam deeply appreciated Leroro’s kindness. Didn’t mean he would actually let the blond get what he wanted, though.

“Yeah. Let’s guess which Regular will be the first to pass through the shinsu. If you get it right, I will answer any question you ask. In return, if I’m right, you’ll have to answer all I ask as well. What do you think?”

“Hmm.” Bam’s eyes flickered over to Anaak.

“Oh? So you pick the green girl too?”

“Nope.” Bam jumped to his feet. Logically speaking, Anaak was the one. He could see it in her aura. Plus, he knew about her heritage as a Princess of Jahad. But it felt disloyal to select Anaak. Besides, he didn’t want this game to end up in a tie. It felt too much like cheating if Leroro just gave him the victory again. “I choose Khun.”

And then Bam was off, running to the point of the barrier that was closest to his teammates. The sudden motion caught their eye, and both Hatz and Khun looked over.

“Khun!” Bam called, waving his arm in the air. “I made a bet with Mr. Leroro that you’d be the first one to pass this wall. I know that you can do it!”

Khun’s mouth dropped open.

Hatz’s eyes glimmered. Someone in the crowd cried ‘What!’.

Anaak was stepping up to the barrier. She put a hand up to the watery substance. It pushed through.

“Come on Khun,” Bam held out a hand, beaming. “Join me!”

Khun ran a hand through his hair. Then he tsked, and dashed forward. The shinsu barrier rippled as he passed through. Briefly his briefcase caught, but one hard tug was all it needed.

Anaak arrived on the other side half a second later. Her pace was languid. She flicked her gaze towards them, but made no further movements.

“You,” Khun breathed, his chest heaving from exertion, “need to give me some warning. And this is not the image I wanted to present.”

“Isn’t it worth it for a question, though?” Bam was grinning from ear to ear. “Now we can ask one thing from a Ranker and he has to answer. Right, Mr. Leroro?”

Leroro had walked over to the two of them at some point in the conversation. He sighed. “That’s right. You win, Bam. I’m impressed. As is fair, you can as me one question about anything, including this Floor’s test. I do warn you, however, that my answer may be limited if you choose to pursue that route.”

“Well then, what do you want to ask, Khun?”

“You’re giving your question to me?” Khun looked, well, stunned. That wasn’t really right. In the future that never was, Bam had always taken his considerations to Khun, when Khun was available. Khun was his chief strategist, after all. If Hwaryun gave suggestions, Khun showed him how to implement those suggestions. Bam didn’t always agree, like with their fight over Deng Deng, but he always heard Khun out.

Anyway, Bam didn’t really need to ask Leroro anything, at least not at this point. Khun would make use of this a lot better than he could.

“It’s not really my question.” Bam said with a shake of his head. “You’re the one who did all the hard work. This is okay, right Mr. Leroro?”

“Yeah, sure, no problem.”

Khun was quiet for a moment. Then he turned to Leroro. “Can I save my question for later?”

Leroro’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “You’re a cautious one. Very well. Although I warn you, my usefulness may decrease from here on out.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Everyone who made it last time made it this time, too. Hatz was strangely quiet afterwards, though.

Yu Hansung’s test went quickly. They only had five minutes, anyway, and Bam didn’t really want to spend too much time in the man’s presence. He’d come to appreciate Yu Hansung in the years spent under Evankhell’s mentorship, but as expected, Bam had a hard time getting along with him. Their personalities just didn’t mesh.

Whenever he encountered that faint aroma of coffee, he just started gagging…

And then the Crown Game began, and. And oh. He hadn’t forgotten she’d be there, exactly, but maybe he’d blocked it out. And when he saw here again, all the emotion came rushing back up, like poison, like cancer.

Rachel.

The Crown Game began, and Bam—

—Bam completely lost it.

Notes:

You guuuys. Thanks so much for all the encouragement. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so much engagement so quickly. It definitely got me to post this new chapter much faster.

Yes yes Hatz sorta replaces Rak, but they’ll all eventually be on one team anyway. I could talk a lot about timelines and team compatibility, but the truth is just that I like Hatz, and I find him much easier to write. How did Hatz sneak up on Bam and Khun? Well part of it is because they’re distracted, but it’s also because I think there MUST be a reason he was assigned as a Scout, and not, for instance, Fisherman. And in the Crown Game fight, he basically appears out of nowhere to save Shibisu. Anyway he’s like #2 cinnamon roll for me.

Chapter 3: Floor of Test - Crown Game

Summary:

In which Bam meets Rachel again. No one is happy with the result.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Do you think he’s some kind of prince on a white horse who’s kind and caring? Wake up Bam! He’s as ruthless, as manipulative as the rest of them! Worse, even. Do you know that he climbed the tower with me for six years just to wait for the perfect moment to backstab me? Do you know how much he ridiculed me during the Dallar Show? If I didn’t kill him first, he would have killed me!”

“THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED.”

“…what?”

“Khun had so many chances to kill you, but he never took it. And it was always, always in consideration of me. And now, because of the injury from the Hidden Floor, he… he…”

“Th—then that’s not my fault, is it? We were just competing. You were the one to interfere! And didn’t he push himself past his limits just to save you? So stop trying to throw the blame on me. Everything was clearly because of you!”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Khun made a trip to the bathroom after Yu Hansung’s test. Bam was trying to think of an excuse to talk to Rak when Hatz spoke to him.

“Back then,” Hatz said quietly. “Why did you choose Earrings?”

Bam’s head swiveled back to his new teammate. They were seated together on one of the wall benches. Khun hadn’t accepted the idea of sitting on the floor like some of the teams were doing.

“Huh?” Bam asked intelligently.

“Back during the Ranker’s pretest, why did you bet on Earrings being the first to pass the barrier?”

“Oh.” Was that what was bothering him? “Well, he’s my teammate, you know. I just thought he could do it.” Then he thought about how those words sounded. “Not that—not that I didn’t think you could do it! But Khun is usually a lot more resigned to following my whims.”

Hatz’s gaze was calm, considering. “So it’s your trust in your teammates.”

Bam nodded.

“You have swordsmanship spirit after all. I apologize for any disparaging comments during the first test. I have often been told that my words make people angry.”

“You didn’t say anything wrong,” Bam said honestly. “I apologize too.”

“Right.” Hatz nodded. “Now that apologies have been made… will you trust me as your teammate?”

Bam’s eyes widened.

Oh. He had been a bit unfair with Hatz, hadn’t he?

In the future that never was, he had become friends with Hatz during the Floor of Test, but they had only stayed on that floor for a little over a month. Afterwards, while he cared to see how Hatz and the others were doing, was relieved to see them well, he never really took notice beyond that. Shibisu, Lauroe, Hatz, and Anaak were important to him in theory, in the same way Serena and Lozeal, who eventually failed the tests, were. But they weren’t Endorsi and Khun and Rak, who had been with him through some of the worst.

If Bam were being honest, he was probably closer to Team Sweet & Sour than he was with Team Shibisu.

He still ached to talk to his favourite ‘gator again, and he couldn’t wait for Endorsi to join them, but he had reset time. He had pulled Hatz away from Shibisu, and it wasn’t fair to just ignore him after that. Sure, Hatz and Khun seemed to get along, but it was also true that Hatz needed some unconditional support. While the teams would be dissolved after the Crown Game, Bam knew better than anyone how these initial bonds stayed.

“Yeah.” Bam smiled. “Sorry.” He held out a hand. “Let’s stick together.”

Hatz looked satisfied as he gave Bam’s hand a firm shake.

“Hey, what have you two been doing while I was gone?” Khun complained, just in time to see the handshake as he came back from the restroom.

“I became friends with Hatz,” Bam said happily.

Khun looked annoyed for some reason, but before he could say anything, Leroro sauntered in again.

“Did you have enough rest, Regulars?” Leroro spread his arms out wide, a broad grin on his face. “I’m so happy to see you again! I came here with very good news. I talked with the Test Director before I came, and he told us to give you a bonus game.”

“Sorry but, no thanks.” Shibisu called out from the other end of the room. Beside him, Rak was guzzling down a can of banana juice. “It’s not good for us to have more tests.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Leroro winked. “But the bonus game has nothing to do with tests. It is up to each team to choose whether to play the bonus game. There is no penalty if you don’t participate. But the winner of this bonus game… gets to pass the final test of this floor. They get the right to go straight to the next floor!”

“The right to go to the next floor?” Khun’s attention was suddenly caught. “Then what about the remaining tests?”

“They don’t have to take them,” Leroro shrugged.

The crowd broke out into excited chatter.

“This game is called the Crown Game.” The Ranker leaned forward conspiratorially. “I will explain the details in a moment. First, who wants to participate?”

Every team raised their hand. After all, as far as they knew, there was no penalty, and the reward far outweighed the risks.

Leroro grinned, and snapped his fingers. In an instant, they had left the post-test space behind, and were transported to individual rooms linked to a coliseum.

“Allow me to explain the rules,” Leroro announced, and then proceeded to describe a sort of battle royale game with a protect the princess component.

Last time, a lot of the rules had flown over Bam’s head. He had just learned about the tower, and shinsu, and the rest of it, plus he had never been forced to solve a complex problem. It was different, now.

In this Crown Game, five rounds would be played, each with a maximum of ten minutes, and of five teams on the field. In the first five minutes of each round, any team who stole the crown would automatically win. If no one was able to do that, then the last five minutes would be a harsh fight where only the team who was seated on the throne at the ten-minute mark would win. However, during that time, the throne seat could be exchanged any number of times.

Therefore, the defending team would be at a disadvantage until round three. In rounds one and two, the attacking teams would go all out to try and sit on the throne. Plus, teams that participated early would have to fight more, which increased the chance for exhaustion or injury. In rounds four and five, however, chances would be running out for teams to participate. That meant that all attacking teams would try their best to prevent a round from being ended early. They had to stop the other attacking teams, while simultaneously aiming for the crown themselves. At least, this held true for the first five minutes. In the last five minutes, the attacking teams would likely be tired or injured, making it easier for the defending team to win.

So strategically speaking, it would make most sense to join during the second or third round, and act as an attacking team. If they won, then they would become the defending team for rounds four and five.

Not that Bam really cared about winning. But he knew Khun cared, and it would be a disservice to his friends if Bam didn’t treat their challenges seriously.

But then—

“Oh, and one more thing,” Leroro finished. “Another team from another test spot will be participating. It’s a long story.”

—Bam spotted her.

Across the arena, behind blue bars, stood three cloaked figures. One turned away, strands of blond hair just peaking out from beneath her hood.

Thud. Thud.

His heart was pounding.

“Okay Seppuku Swordsman, I know you’re impulsive, but try and resist pressing the button, alright? Or can you not figure out something as simple as why playing the first round is bad?”

He found himself drifting forward. His mind was static. In the background, he vaguely heard Leroro begin the countdown for participants.

“Scared, Earrings? Bam and I are here, anyway. There’s no disadvantage if we just win.”

Bam pressed the button.

Bzzzt!

Khun and Hatz both whipped around to stare at him. The cell bars opened, and Bam stepped out as if in a trance. Rak’s team had come too, and so had one of the teams who was fighting during the pretest.

Bam didn’t pay them any mind. Using shinsu reinforcement, he rocketed to the other side of the ring, stopping just before a single blue cell. One of the figures within flinched, turning to hide their face.

“Come out,” he said coldly.

Was that what hatred sounded like? Weird. He’d never heard it so clearly in his voice before.

“Hey,” one of the other cloaked figures drawled. Endorsi. It was Endorsi. She was defending—well, she didn’t know any better. “Look, even if we wanted to fight you right now, we couldn’t. That’s the rules. Why don’t you win this round first, and we’ll see about round two?”

For a moment Bam was tempted to just rip the cell off its hinges, consequences be damned. What did this game matter? He could pass with his friends a month later, anyway.

“Bam,” Leroro’s tone sounded strange. “Remember that attacking someone outside of game rules is forbidden. I’m not sure how you know the applicants from the other test area, but this isn’t the place. Do you need a moment?”

Bam closed his eyes, took a breath, and counted to ten. Some of the tension in his shoulders eased. Then he opened his eyes again, and gave a brisk nod to Endorsi. “I’ll see you next round.”

He turned away before he could accidentally look at them again. Khun was gazing at him with narrowed eyes, while Hatz had a frown on his face. Anaak’s expression was blank, and Shibisu’s considering. And Rak—

“YOU ARE WORTHY PREY.” Rak grinned, one claw resting on his chest in a gesture of respect. “PREPARE YOURSELF, BLACK TURTLE!”

Then Rak dashed towards him, spear pointed forward. In the same moment, Anaak made a noise that sounded like a ‘tsk’ and launched herself at the other people in the arena.

Maybe, if this had been some other time, in some other place, he would have played along. Bam loved Rak, and he never wanted to so blatantly humiliate the other. It wasn’t fair, anyway, since Bam had ten years worth of more experience than his friends.

But his blood thrummed with anger. The energy felt as if it would burn him, if he didn’t let it out.

Bam leapt, striking the tip of the spear with his heel and driving Rak’s momentum towards the ground. In the same movement, he vaulted over the alligator’s head, somersaulting in the air to land behind the warrior. He no sooner hit the ground than he swept out a leg, striking the back of Rak’s knees.

The gator crumpled. His balance severely disrupted, Rak fell forward, yelping.

On the other side of the arena, Bam could see the flash of weapons as Anaak and Hatz exchanged blows. Small craters dotted the path where they clashed. Two members of the unknown team had already been taken out. The third had teamed up with Shibisu to fight Khun at the other end of the coliseum.

Was there a way to make Rak’s team forfeit? No. Not without severely injuring them. And Bam couldn’t do that, even now.

Bam dashed towards Shibisu’s group, ducking beneath a tail swing and snaking an arm around Khun’s waist. Khun let out an eep.

“Going to borrow you,” Bam murmured, just as Rak recovered and let out a roar.

Rak let loose his spear, but that was okay, because Bam was prepared. He used another burst of shinsu to leap backwards with his package, away from the edge of the arena. The red spear hit its mark half a second later, sending out a whirl of wind that sent all nearby contenders flying. The rest of the unknown team was knocked out. Shibisu was blown back, too.

Anaak growled as Hatz blocked another one of her hits. Her eyes had become slitted. “Okay, I wasn’t planning this for you, but it’s your own fault for trying to take my bait. Igni—”

Bam, having practically forced Khun on the throne, placed the crown atop his head.

“Ding!” Leroro announced from his Lighthouse. “This round is over!”

One could almost hear the loud crack of Anaak’s knuckles as she twisted the handle of her whip. Then she let out a loud ‘tch’ sound, and walked briskly back to their team’s dugout. Crawling back to his feet with a groan, Shibisu followed her.

“I will get you next time, Black Turtle!” Rak thumped his chest, all in all not sounding too put out.

“Next time aim better!” Shibisu whined.

“Hahaha, but you are not hurt, Smart Turtle.”

The third team was too injured to move. They were teleported back to their cell. Overhead, Leroro began explaining that the ‘king’ couldn’t get up until all rounds were over.

Bam was leaning over Khun, one hand still pressed harshly against the throne’s surface. His head was bowed, his face shadowed. “Sorry.”

“Bam,” Khun hesitated, and then slid his own hand over the back of Bam’s. Bam flinched, but didn’t pull away. “Do you want to tell us what’s going on? How do you know those Regulars from the other test?”

It was just then Bam noticed that Hatz had quietly made his way over to them.

“I… one of them is someone I…” Bam breathed out. His body was shaking and he couldn’t stop it. He felt a spike of anxiety at having Khun and her in such close proximity. “I have to stop her. I need to.”

“Okay, okay.” Khun’s voice was low, concerned. “We’ll help you. Right, Hatz?”

“Yeah.”

“And now!” Leroro broadcasted overhead. “I will start the count for the second round! Teams that want to join should press the buzzer before the count is over. One!”

“Do you really think that team will appear?” Khun asked.

“Two!”

Bam shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Three!”

Khun slid his hand off Bam’s to tie his hair. Bam mourned the loss of the reassuring touch. “Which is the one you’re aiming for?”

“Four!”

“Does it matter?” Hatz snorted. “We’ll just beat them all up. We have to anyway. They’re a team.”

“Five!”

Three sets of cell doors opened. One team was headed by a man with a long oval face and a single eye. One was headed by a strange green insect, followed by a teenage boy and a young girl. The last team was indeed the one from the other testing area.

“Da dan!” Endorsi dipped into a curtsy. “We are here as promised. Now that was some impressive fighting from before. Care for a match?”

It was impossible for him to fight against Endorsi. Even with all this rage, he kept his head. He couldn’t yet reveal his abilities with shinsu manipulation. He had to stick to reinforcement only. With those restrictions, Endorsi was the worst enemy for him. She had the blood of Jahad, and as such, her physical abilities exceeded reason. Bam was the opposite. He could do a lot with shinsu reinforcement, but his body had always been frail. Team Sweet & Sour had jokingly nicknamed him their glass cannon. It was worse, now, without Thorn’s healing capabilities.

“Hatz,” Bam requested lowly. “Can you distract the girl in orange? If it gets too much though, retreat.”

“Got it.”

Bam dashed towards Ghost. The other Irregular was a huge problem. If the legends were anything to go by, Ghost should have some fantastical abilities as well. Bam didn’t feel comfortable leaving him for Khun. However, he also remembered that Ghost had been a Spear Bearer, which was a long range position. Ghost had also shown some capability in shinsu, but if there was anything Bam was confident in, it was his shinsu resistance. So if he just closed the gap, he should be at the advantage.

Ghost’s cloak opened as the man slashed downwards with a cleaver. And what, that wasn’t a long range weapon at all—

But it was just as well.

Bam turned into the slash, his chest skimming the blade as it embedded itself deeply into the floor. Lightning fast, his hand reached out, snatching onto the bigger man’s arm. Then Bam heaved, forced shinsu through his veins, and hurled Ghost towards the upper right side of the coliseum.

The man went flying. He formed a crater where he landed, and slid down almost 20 meters to the floor. Dust billowed outwards where he fell.

Distantly, Bam noticed that the green insect group had joined Hatz in fending off Endorsi. Ah. Right. If he remembered correctly, that was the team Khun had enlisted as extra helpers. They should be fine for the moment.

Then Bam turned to her.

She stood unmoving, hood still covering her face. But it was so obvious it was her. How could he not recognize the shape of her chin, the faint platter of freckles on her skin? How many years had he waited for her, yearned for her, searched for her? How often had he dreamed that they would leave the tower together and be happy again? Later he dreamed that she would join him and his new friends, and build a new family. Later still, he dreamed of blood and death and screams.

He took a step forward.

She took a step back, trembling.

And suddenly, it was all too unbearable.

He was in front of her in an instant, fingers clenched tightly around her neck, lifting her from the ground. She let out a choked gurgle, hood falling back to reveal wispy blond hair and wild lemon eyes.

In the future that was no longer, he had found Rachel after Khun’s death. She had been unrepentant, gloating, even. And she’d gotten some new kind of power that almost allowed her to fight evenly with him. He found out then that she’d been responsible for Prince’s and Arkaraptor’s deaths, too, as well as Yeon Yihwa’s. He really… couldn’t let her go, that time. He hadn’t wanted to.

But she had escaped nonetheless. Of course she had. Every time he came close to touching her, she would fly away again.

In those dark days, Hwaryun and Rak had been the only ones to help him keep his sanity, as well as the thought of having revenge on her.

“I really should kill you right now,” Bam whispered. “Before you can do anything else.”

Tears filled those lemon coloured eyes.

“Ba—Bam.” She sounded scared. So scared. “Wh—why are you doing this?”

She didn’t look like the ruthless woman who would do anything to see the worthless garbage on top of the tower. She looked like the girl he used to love more than anything, before it had all become so twisted up in guilt and hate and rage.

Bam let out a shuddering breath, and let go of her. She crumpled to the floor, hands on her throat, gasping.

Everything was a lie. She had never been with him out of the kindness of her heart. The fact that she knew his mother and his past was confirmation of that.

Still, he’d be no better than Jahad if he killed her for what she might become.

“I’ll break your legs.” Bam said tonelessly. “I’ll try to make it as painless as possible.”

Rachel’s eyes snapped up, an expression of horror on her features. “Wh—what? Why?”

“So you’ll fail this floor, and abandon climbing the tower.” He took a breath. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for your medical expenses when the tests are over.”

“N—no. You can’t do this to me!”

“Sorry, Rachel.”

A myriad of emotions flickered across Rachel’s face. Then determination set in, and she twisted to make eye contact with something beyond Bam.

“Ghost!” She yelled. “Do it now!”

Bam’s head whipped around, just in time to see a watermelon size ball of purple shinsu in front of the other Irregular. Bam’s eyes widened. He recognized that attack. It was a weaker version of what Ghost had launched at The Cage. But it would be deadly to anyone in this room. And now it was aimed towards—

“Khun!” Bam cried, surging towards the blue haired figure on the throne. Khun was already trying to get up, likely sensing the danger, but there wasn’t enough time, he wouldn’t be fast enough.

But Bam could be fast enough. He had to be.

Bam’s arms wrapped around Khun, and he just managed to turn them around as Ghost’s attack hit. Heat flooded Bam’s body, blazing down his back and engulfing his senses. He heard someone scream, but he couldn’t make out who. They hit the floor rolling, until they fell of the edge of the throne’s platform. Bam gasped, pain lighting his nerves.

“Bam, Bam!” Khun was leaning over him. When had they changed positions? Khun’s eyes were wide and fearful. He had so much blood on him. Was he—was he—?

Bam lifted a trembling hand, brushing over Khun’s collar. The blood smeared, but Khun’s skin was unbroken. Oh, Bam thought dizzily, the blood’s mine. Khun was unhurt. Despite everything, Bam had succeeded in this, at least.

Khun was saying something, but it was increasingly hard to give Khun his attention. Sorry Khun. You deserve to be listened to. You’re talking a bit fast, though. Not all of us can keep up with your genius brain. Still I want, I want to listen more…

“I’m glad,” Bam murmured sleepily, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

And then his eyes drifted shut, and his consciousness was swept away.

Notes:

Shinsu reinforcement and shinsu resistance: To be completely honest, I am confused. Bam is supposed to have a naturally high shinsu resistance, to the point where he can’t get injured by shinsu bombs. But we’ve seen him be injured by Mazino’s shinsu attack at 1% of his power, and Bam felt the need to dodge Arkyung’s attack in canon instead of just tanking it. My headcanon is that Bam naturally had high resistance but then had to train it just like every other person. It just levels up faster. As for shinsu reinforcement—based on various characters’ comments about Jue Viole Grace’s fighting style (including a severe injury by Wangnan of all people), I think it’s safe to say that while reinforcement does enhance speed/strength etc, this enhancement is limited by how much one’s body is able to take. Of course, I’ve only read this series once, so I would be happy to hear your opinions/theories about how all this works.

*doesn't acknowledge the ending and scoots off to watch the new episode*

Chapter 4: Floor of Test - Interlude: Khun

Summary:

In which Khun doesn't understand his own feelings.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“You have utterly destroyed your own family, Aguero. Do you have nothing to say for yourself?”

“…I regret what happened to my sister. But I wonder, can this really be called a family? Every interaction we’ve had was a test on how I’ve progressed in my lessons. Whenever I met with anyone, it wasn’t about being together or having fun. It was about seeking weaknesses or manipulating events. Then during the official fights, you praised me for slaughtering all my cousins. Tell me, what part of all this sounds like a family to you?”

“What, do you expect greatness without some sacrifice? Are you seriously going to complain about your lost childhood, at this time?!”

“No, mother, that’s not it. But if you’re going to train a snake in the grass, at least expect to be bitten.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

When he first met Maria, he thought she was like an alien.

Meeting Bam was like arriving on a different planet.

At first, when he had seen the unassuming boy move like water, graceful but deadly, he had simply thought he found a powerful ally. Then the boy had identified him as a Khun, and the feeling quickly soured. Except, except the boy didn’t seem to care about his family name. The boy had professed that he’d seen Khun’s own merits and was moved by them.

It was too hard to believe. In fact Khun didn’t believe it. Still, he couldn’t help but admit that a part of him… a part of him wanted to see where the boy would take this. What the boy would try to gain from him.

And then the boy had started talking about the sorrow of killing, and backed up his statements by leaving every single of his opponents alive. He had shown amazing capabilities again, when he passed Leroro’s pretest, and surprising vision when he led them through Yu Hansung’s. More than that, he’d given up a chance to ask a question of a Ranker, just to show his trust in Khun.

Bam was like those complex puzzles Khun had liked as a child. Peel one layer back and another, more intricate one awaited.

Then the Crown Game happened. Bam had been… frightening. He’d appeared at the other side of the arena in a blink of an eye, and he’d made the very air tremble with the force of his wrath. The green lizard and brown alligator team hadn’t been weak. If Khun were with any other combination, he would have given up on fighting them. Yet Bam so easily, so effortlessly led them around the nose. He’d defeated the alligator like it was nothing, and made the lizard completely irrelevant.

It had looked like it would go a similar way for Round Two. Except there, Bam had met the person he was looking for. Khun didn’t mind. At this point, he had already concluded that whatever that person had done, it was unforgivable. He fully supported Bam in having his revenge.

Except, except Bam hadn’t gotten his revenge. He’d given up that chance. He’d given up that chance to… save Khun. Actually it was more than that. It was a miracle that Bam was alive. That last shinsu attack had disintegrated the throne along with a good chunk of the floor. The fact that Bam had protected him from that, the fact that Bam was so injured from that now…

Khun let out a shuddering breath, and buried his head into folded arms. He’d been at Bam’s bedside for two days, and the Regular had yet to show any signs of waking. Khun’s mind was blank, his usual busy brain coming up with nothing but static.

What was it? What was so worthy about Khun that this amazing youth was willing to risk his life for him? What was it that caused that quiet happiness in his eyes when he confirmed Khun was unhurt? No one, no one had ever looked at him like that. Like they were just pleased he was alive.

The door to Bam’s room clicked open, but Khun didn’t bother to look up. There was only one other person with the key to this room.

Sure enough, the red clothed swordsman glided over, a solid presence that was both annoying and relieving. He slipped a tray of food onto the nightstand. “How’s he doing?”

“No change.”

Bam lay stomach down atop white sheets, one cheek squished against the pillows. It wasn’t an ideal resting position, but there was little they could do about it. Just looking at his face, one could almost imagine he was just sleeping, with long dark lashes dusting pale skin. Looking further down, though, revealed a body wrapped in bandages. The shinsu had completely burned his back, and although the medical treatment they paid for would ensure a full recovery, it would take a while yet.

“You should eat,” Hatz said. Reminded.

“Hm.” Intellectually, Khun knew nutrition was important, but he so rarely felt hungry nowadays. “Right. Of course.”

Khun and Hatz chatted for a while longer as Khun finished the food. Then Hatz left again. Just as Khun could not bring himself to leave this chair these past two days, Hatz had rarely come out of the training room. They were, the both of them, stewing on their weakness.

“You’re not allowed to slip away,” Khun whispered, squeezing the slumbering boy’s hand. “Not until I’ve wrung all the secrets out of you. Do you understand?”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Inevitably, Khun had to leave Bam’s side. After the three days of mandated rest post game, Leroro called another meeting. Khun thought about skipping, but ultimately decided against it. Hatz of all people had pointed out how stupid it would be to give up their goals just because of this.

And Khun. Khun knew that, okay? He had plans to change his corrupt family, and he couldn’t falter here. Besides, Bam had to have reasons for climbing the tower, too. Injured as Bam was, the golden eyed boy couldn’t do much about his goals now. Khun could though. Khun could make sure Bam’s dreams didn’t yet end.

He arrived at the lecture hall with Hatz. He’d even spent the morning straightening his hair, which was a routine that’d fallen by the wayside the past three days. Khun chose a seat at the back row. It was the optimal position for observing the others.

After they all arrived, Leroro entered, taking his place at the professor’s stadium. He smiled at them. “Long time no see, Regulars. Did you have enough rest? I know it wasn’t that long, but I hope you spent it well. Very well, I hope you guys all do your best on the test that begins today. The test you’re taking this time is ‘The Positioning Test’!”

“What’s that?” A guy in a purple tracksuit asked.

“Yeah. I think a lot of you have noticed this already. As you well know, fighting in the tower is usually done on a team…”

Leroro then proceeded to explain the different positions. Khun didn’t pay it much mind. As a member of one of the Ten Families, he had basically learned how to speak and write with strategy guides on the subject.

Instead, Khun took the opportunity to look around the room, to check which other Regulars had been able to make it.

“Now look,” Leroro finished, indicating a large projector screen. “This table shows your position according to the results of the previous tests.”

This was the interesting part. Khun pulled his attention away from the others to scan the list.

Bam was selected as best seed for Fisherman, which was in line with his abilities, but unexpected given his injuries. It gave Khun hope though, if the proctors were expecting this much of him. Hatz was listed as a Scout, which made sense, considering his speed, quiet movements, and fighting ability. The best seed for that position went to someone named Shibisu though, and from the conversation around him, that seemed to be the purple tracksuit from earlier.

Rachel, the girl from the other test area whom Bam knew, had gotten best seed for Light Bearer. It was the exact same spot as Khun. And didn’t that make Khun want to grind his teeth? That he shared the same abilities as that girl?

Endorsi, the other member of that cursed team, was named as Fisherman. The proctors had listed her ability as being below Bam’s (which was incredible in itself), but she was still a Princess of Jahad, and Khun knew better than to underestimate that. The last member, Ghost, was given best seed for Wave Controller.

All in all, this meant that their enemy was considerably tough. But that was a thought for later.

“Hey, Administrator Leroro,” Khun said, raising a hand. “There are many injured candidates here. How can they take the test?”

There was a brief second, where it seemed Leroro hesitated. Khun narrowed his eyes. Interesting. “When they are more or less cured, they have to start to take the class. But the position class keeps attendance records, so it’s a disadvantage if you miss class.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair. The injured will obviously miss some class.”

“Of course. However, it’s his own fault for getting injured.”

Khun’s fingers curled into fists, “That’s…”

It was obviously the fault of that team from the other area! What was the identity of this so called ‘Ghost’, anyway? His shinsu had clearly disintegrated the throne, hadn’t it? There was no way that was normal.

“But if it makes you feel better,” Leroro said slowly, “we decided to give him ‘best seed’ because of that injury. We’re aware he sustained it while protecting a teammate. That’s something to be admired. Foolish, but admirable.”

There was a pause as everyone digested that.

“Well, that’s it for today.” Leroro waved a hand for dismissal. “The position teachers will explain the detailed schedule for the test later. So please follow the guide and go to where your position teachers are.”

Everyone else filed away. Khun stayed though.

“I was planning to meet all of you in the appropriate room,” Leroro pointed out. “You all still need to get Lighthouses.”

“You owe me a question.” Khun said lowly. “No, you owe Bam a question.”

Leroro pursed his lips, giving the other a long, considering look. Then, he sighed, and waved the blue haired boy over. “Alright, I suppose I do owe you. Come on then. I don’t want to keep the others waiting too long. They will accuse me of favourtism.”

The blond led Khun to a place that looked to be his room, of all things. Khun made a quick survey of it. There was a multitude of paraphernalia and weaponry that only a Ranker could possess. It was impressive. If it were any other time, Khun would have commented on it, but right now he had other things to worry about.

Leroro dropped two armchairs from his Lighthouse, and invited Khun to sit. “So, what did you want to ask?”

“What do you know about that team from the other test area?”

“Straight to the point, eh?” Leroro sat back, resting his temple against three fingers. “That’s not really one question, but alright, I’ll let you have it, since I don’t have that much information in the first place.”

Khun’s gaze sharpened. “You’re not pleased about them, either.”

Leroro exhaled. “Heh, hard to get something past a member of the Khun family, isn’t it? No, I’m not too happy. Apparently Quant decided to have an timed death match for his examinees, and those three were the only survivors. No, should we say that they killed everyone else?”

Khun sucked in a startled breath. That was… much worse than he thought.

“So no, I’m not too pleased that Quant’s mistake was shoved on me. And now, as a result, one of my favourite examinees is still unconscious, and who knows when he’ll recover.” Leroro kneaded his temple with closed eyes. “And it gets worse. I’m sure you know that Endorsi is a Princess of Jahad. But that Ghost fellow? Well it turns out that he’s an Irregular.”

Silence. For a second, all that could be heard was the faint buzz of Leroro’s machinery.

“He—” Khun choked out. “Are you serious?”

“So very serious.” Amber eyes slitted open, and the Ranker leaned forward. “So don’t even think about revenge. You may be talented, but you should know what the existence of an Irregular means.”

Khun did not speak for several seconds. An Irregular could be dealt with if he called in his family. The question was only whether he was willing to go that far. “And what of that blond girl? Rachel?”

“Ah, her… yes, I have no clue. She’s talented enough at information gathering and planning. You should be aware of how much, based on the results. Ghost seems to follow her suggestions, too. As for how she knows your teammate though, that’s something you’ll have to ask him yourself.”

“Ask him, huh…”

That was quite difficult to do.

With nothing more to discuss, the two departed for their seminar. The rest of the applicants weren’t pleased about being made to wait, but like Khun predicted, no one dared to challenge the Ranker. Leroro just gave some excuse about how Khun had an extra question. It wasn’t even untrue.

But while a Princess of Jahad and an Irregular were nearly untouchable, the same could not be said of an ugly, ordinary girl. He wouldn’t take her life. That belonged to Bam. Still, rumours and sabotage couldn’t be off the table, could it? If, by the end of the day, their whole class did not hate Rachel, and the teachers did not question their decision to make her best seed, then he did not belong in the Khun family.

It ate at him that this was the only type of revenge he could take, though. It was petty at best. Hardly worth Bam’s sacrifice. When he had run away from the Khun household, he’d been so damned cocky. Other may be more powerful, he’d thought, but they weren’t as clever or audacious as him. But now it was clear… that he’d never been strong enough.

 

OoOoOoO

 

“I’m sorry about what happened.”

Khun paused in his walk down the hallway, and looked back. It was the guy in the purple tracksuit. Shibisu.

The scout looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Would’ve apologized earlier, but you were hard to find. Anyway, yeah, just wanted to say we support your teammate too. I was really impressed by what he did. And Rak was really looking forward to challenging him again.”

That had been something he’d been curious about. “Is that why you didn’t come out again after the second round?”

“That, and something to do with the other Princess of Jahad, it seems.” Shibisu shrugged. “Anaak lost interest after the team from the other area retired.”

Khun hadn’t paid much attention to the Crown Game after Bam’s injury. Leroro had teleported Bam to a medical treatment facility, while Khun and Hatz were forced back to their cells. Neither of them were in the mood to continue, but it was impossible not to catch the major events that occurred afterwards.

Namely, the team from the other test area went back to their own cell, forfeiting their chance to continue. It left the team that Khun had gathered as the only ones still uninjured. Leroro retrieved a couch from his Lighthouse and that acted as the new throne.

The team of the lizard and alligator hadn’t come out again. Neither had the sleeping bag guy whom Khun noted back during the pretest. Kukaku, Balrouse, and Grey managed to hold on to the throne until the very end. It was kind of funny if he thought about it. The one team he’d called on for assistance purposes only had ended up winning it all.

“If that’s all,” Khun said, “then I’ll be going.”

He made to turn away. The position classes were already taking up too much of his time, and although they were useful, he couldn’t quell the tide of anxiety that increased with every hour. He needed to see Bam again.

Shibisu let out a huff of amusement. “You really care about him, huh?”

“No.” Khun instantly denied.

“Um, no offense dude, but you haven’t left his side in like days. Hatz told me everything already. If you don’t call that caring, I don’t know what is.”

Hatz was going to wake up as a pincushion.

“I owe him my life,” Khun’s voice was stilted. “That’s all. I wouldn’t have been fast enough to escape the range of that blast. If it weren’t for Bam, I’d be dead.”

He let the duh ring between them.

“Yeah, that blast was something else, wasn’t it?” Shibisu shook his head. “Some real strong people this year. But you know too, right? The stronger they are, the more they live to their own beat. This is the first time I’ve seen someone like him, who’s willing to give up his own desires to save someone else.”

“It’s stupid, is what it is. He’ll die if he continues like this.”

He hated it. He hated that he didn’t hate it. Bam had so much fucking hope. It was completely undeserved, and yet pulled at Khun to do better. To be better. Khun had given up his family to protect Maria. He was afraid of what he might be willing to give to protect this light.

“Well, isn’t that what you’re here for?” Shibisu shrugged. “You and I—we’re the support classes. We’re the ones who’re supposed to keep our idiot teammates alive.”

Support. That was what Khun had trained all his life to be, wasn’t it? He was supposed to be the right arm of his sister. Yet he’d gone against her, and orchestrated the rise of a rival. He was supposed to support Bam, too. But all he’d done was take the other’s hand, and give nothing in return. He had one freaking job, and he failed it.

“Don’t beat yourself up too much about it. We just gotta do better next time, eh?”

“I hardly need your encouragement,” Khun sneered. He finally pulled away, walking off briskly.

Yeah, he knew it already. He would do better next time. He needed to to.

And if—and if this current world couldn’t support Bam, then he’d just have to restructure the world so that Bam wouldn’t die in it.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Khun awoke to a murmured name.

He had fallen asleep at Bam’s bed again, head pillowed against folded arms at the edge of the bed. His back protested the nights spent in a chair, but he was unwilling to leave the other’s side. What if Bam took a turn for the worse during the night? Khun wasn’t willing to risk it.

Blearily, he blinked his eyes open, hissing at the sting of daylight. Strangely, he felt something shift, and then he heard it. Soft, strained, but definitely real.

“Don’t go… Khun… don’t go…”

Khun bolted upright. He stared incredulously at the boy sleeping on the bed. No, now no longer sleeping. The boy twisted atop his sheets, face screwed up in pain.

“Bam. Bam!”

Golden eyes snapped open. For a moment, they just stared at Khun disbelievingly. And then. And then, Bam smiled. It was a soft expression which changed his whole demeanor. It definitely caused its intended recipient’s heart to skip a beat. “Khun…”

Khun swallowed. Sometimes Khun got the impression that the other wasn’t really looking at him. Yet at others, it felt like Bam had seen past all his shields, and understood a part of himself that even Khun did not know. It was unnerving.

There were so many things Khun wanted to ask. About the other’s abilities, about Rachel, about why Bam saved him. A thousand questions bubbled up his throat, a thousand thoughts flitted across his mind. His head ached with the force of it all.

But he couldn’t bring himself to ask. These days had worn on him. He cared about the mysteries, and he wanted to deal with them eventually, but right now, at this moment, they didn’t seem that important.

“I’m glad,” Khun whispered, offering the words back to him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Notes:

Bam’s status as an Irregular: Well, Yu Hansung definitely knew about it, but Leroro didn’t. Neither did Yuga/Ren, the Wave Controller teacher and assassin from Jahad. Yuga/Ren just thought he was extremely talented and even wanted to invite him to Jahad’s special forces. I think this proves that Bam’s status as an Irregular was actually pretty well hidden by FUG. Even when Bam regained his identity as ‘Bam the Irregular’ after the Workshop arc, he didn’t seem to get targeted by any assassins or test administrators. Jahad himself didn’t seem to be aware of Bam’s existence until the Hidden Floor. Also no one tried to kill Rachel, even though she’s technically an Irregular too. Actually, considering what Yu Hansung said about it specifically being the Testing Floor’s job to sort out dangerous elements, it’s possible that the other test directors don’t get any background info on their test applicants. Only the 2F test admins have access, because again, their job. My point is, Bam’s identity, if you take out the son of V and Arlene bit, is not an automatic death sentence. At least, that’s my impression. What’re your thoughts?

Chapter 5: Floor of Test - Curative Measures

Summary:

In which hatzkhunbam spends some time together, and our favourite Irregular makes his first major change.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“You need to eat.”

“…”

“Come on Bam, you can’t torture yourself like this. Is this what they would have wanted?”

“…hey, is it my fault? What happened? They wouldn’t have been involved in this if it weren’t for me.”

“Haven’t we already gone over this? It was their choice. I thought you’d come to terms with that.”

“Heh, it’s stupid, isn’t it? I can talk a big game, but when it comes down to it, I can’t handle the consequences of my own decisions. I wish I could… I wish I could just…”

“But then you wouldn’t be Bam.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

He had lost five days.

It was kind of embarrassing, to be honest. The current Ghost’s shinsu attack wasn’t nearly as potent as Urek Mazino’s, or even young Jahad’s. The fact that Bam had been taken out by it, and so badly nonetheless, was a point of humiliation. It hadn’t even been a particularly fast attack. If Bam hadn’t been so distracted by Rachel, so distracted by the thought of her and Khun in the same room, he would have noticed the build up and countered before anyone could come to harm.

He had no one but himself to blame, really. Oh, and, he really needed to build up his shinsu resistance again. This body was so weak.

He didn’t even learn a new technique from being hit. Ghost had just made a really strong shinsu blast.

“Are you in pain?” Khun fretted from above him. “Maybe we should change your bandages. Or do you want some food, first?”

If he were to be completely honest, he was always in pain. His back hadn’t stopped throbbing the moment he woke up.

“Stop mother henning,” Hatz said, sounding annoyed. “It’s disturbing when it’s coming from you.”

“I am—I am not—” Khun spluttered.

Still, it could be worth it for moments like this. Bam buried his face in his pillow and hid a grin. Khun was definitely breaking character, but it was definitely also cute. Young Khun was so much more open with his expressions. Bam couldn’t help but enjoy it.

“Hey,” Bam croaked out. Khun immediately helped Bam into a semi forward incline so that he could take a sip of water. Bam expressed his thanks. “When did the doctor say I’d be fully recovered?”

He’d woken up briefly earlier in the day and had a brief exchange with Khun. He’d been too exhausted, though, and fell asleep soon after. When he woke up again, both Khun and Hatz were here. They’d explained to him that they were still on the Floor of Test, and it’d been five days since the Crown Game.

That was wreaking havoc on his plans. It was vital that it all came together before the final test. He’d thought he’d have a nice, relaxing month to prepare. Now that he was stuck in bed, however, everything seemed a lot more precarious.

Khun and Hatz were quiet for a moment, and Bam felt dread pool in his stomach.

“Well, now that you’re awake,” Khun said, finally. “You should probably be able to walk around in a week. The final position test is at the end of the month. While you probably won’t be able to move quite as freely as normal, by then you should be able to move well enough to pass.”

Bam considered this for a moment. Mentally, he cataloged his injuries. “I don’t appear to have any bruised or broken bones. My internal organs seem fine, too. So I should be able to move around earlier, right?”

“But the pain is—”

“I can handle it,” Bam assured. He tried to get up again, only for his vision to black out. He gasped, and when he could see again, he found that he was leaning against Khun. The other boy had bracketed his body so he wouldn’t fall, fingers delicately holding onto the least injured parts.

“Bam.” Khun’s voice was pained. “Please.”

It hurt, possibly more than his physical pain. For a brief second, Bam really was tempted. Would it really be that bad to just stay like this? The Irregular breathed out, and closed his eyes. “There are some things I need to do. I really need to do them.”

Khun did not speak for several minutes. Then. “Fine. But start tomorrow. You just woke up today, so take it easy.”

“But—”

Hatz’s voice cut in, placid as water. “The best warriors are the ones who know when to fight, and when to rest.”

Bam slumped in Khun’s arms. “Tomorrow, then.”

Surprisingly, Bam wasn’t bored at all from the day in bed. Khun accompanied him for the first half of it, until Bam discovered that Khun was skipping class and shooed the Light Bearer away. Then Bam spent some time restructuring his plans. Thankfully they could still work as is. It would just be a bit closer than he liked.

After that, Bam closed his eyes and began to meditate. Lying on his stomach wasn’t the optimal pose, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He hadn’t really had a moment to himself since he’d come back to the past, but now was as good a time as any to restart his shinsu loop. He’d need it by the month’s end.

At some point meditation slipped into dozing. When Bam opened his eyes again, it was to Khun gently shaking him awake. His teammates wanted him to eat something before night time.

The speed at which Bam could eat was frustratingly slow. Khun and Hatz were careful not to make him feel it, though. They shared a variety of funny childhood stories at dinner, and even afterwards, too. Khun had already told him a few of them back on the Hell Train, but Bam was more than happy to hear them anew. And it was different, this time, with Hatz injecting in every once in a while with his dry wit. Soon Bam was drifting off again, and Khun reminded him to call on their pockets when he woke up the next day.

The next morning, Bam put more effort into standing up. They practiced for about two hours before Khun and Hatz had to go to classes again. Khun changed his bandages before he left, rubbing more medical cream on his back. The touch was cool and soothing.

Bam promised he wouldn’t try anything without his teammates. It was easy to agree, with his body shaking with complete physical misery. Once again, he mourned the loss of Thorn and its regenerative properties. He definitely did not want to get into that Workshop mess again, so the closest he could only retrieve a part of it from the Floor of Death. Ugh. How long would that even take.

Bam spent the rest of the day meditating. The only interruption he bore was lunch, which both Khun and Hatz came to eat with him.

After classes, Bam gave it a try again. It went slightly better than it had in the morning.

The next day passed much the same. On the day after that, though, Bam found that he could finally sit under his own power, and walk unsteadily. It was enough.

“Let’s go eat in the cafeteria today,” Bam suggested. His teammates seemed dubious, but they eventually agreed. Bam leaned on Khun as they tottered down the hallway.

They were the last ones there. Nearly everyone else had already taken a seat at a table, or at least, taken their food and left. Thankfully there was no Rachel. Bam hadn’t even considered he might bump into Rachel there until they were halfway down the hall and… yeah, it was a good thing she was as scarce as she was the first time. He didn’t know what he’d do if he saw her, or how to explain her. He knew he’d have to deal with it eventually, but maybe not now. Not when he’d messed up so badly in the Crown Game, and needed to do damage control.

Bam and teammates went to select their meal from the lineup. Then Khun brought out his pocket to pay.

And for the first time since the Crown Game, Bam saw how many points Khun had. Or rather, didn’t have.

“How do you only have so little?” Bam exclaimed, eyes wide. “You did great in all the tests so far and you had that crazy strategy for the Crown Game!”

Khun’s lips twisted as he looked away. “Well, they charge you for medical treatment here. Your injuries were… extensive.”

“So you used your points to pay for it?”

“Hatz and I did, yeah.”

“Teammates watch out for each other,” Hatz intoned. He was gathering the trays in a truly impressive feat of balance.

Bam couldn’t argue with Hatz’s sentiment. But last he checked, his points balance was still full. Quickly he brought up his pocket to begin a transferral of funds to Khun and Hatz.

“Hey!” Khun whipped back around, covering the pocket with his hand. “Stop it! You saved my life, anyway. Paying for medicine is the least I can do.”

“Well we can share our team funds, then,” Bam said stubbornly. In the background, Hatz had chosen a random table and set their trays down. “Besides, you never know when you’ll need points to buy something.”

“You need points to pass.” Khun emphasized. He maneuvered Bam towards Hatz’s choice and helped him sit down. “Right now, it’s not a guarantee you can earn more. Plus, you lose points every time you miss a class. You need the buffer. Seppuku Swordsman and I don’t.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll earn more.”

Khun sent a helpless gaze in Hatz’s direction.

“If I my ask, what are you seeking atop the tower?” Hatz requested quietly. “What causes you to be so determined?”

There was this sudden stillness, as if his teammates thought they might upset him by asking. It almost made Bam want to laugh.

“There’s no special reason,” Bam said, putting away his pocket. He would convince those two later, he swore it. “It’s just, I didn’t have a house, nor a family. The only thing I had was a dirty piece of cloth. So I thought I would die there doing nothing and all alone. Then I met you guys. You’re the first friends that I’ve had. So I really treasure you.”

Neither of his teammates spoke. There was also a bubble of quiet around them, which definitely meant that others were listening in. Bam didn’t care though. His reasons had never been secret.

“To be honest, I don’t really care about climbing the tower.” Bam mused. He met Hatz’s black eyes, and then Khun’s piercing blue ones. “But all of you want to climb the tower, so I will too. I mean, there’s the thing with my parents, so I doubt I can escape it anyway, but that’s not really what motivates me.”

Bam took a breath, and smiled.

“So yeah, I just want to be able to spend my time with you guys peacefully.”

Both Khun and Hatz were staring at him. Hatz’s gaze was considering. Khun’s was… hard to describe.

“This is extremely hard to believe,” Khun finally muttered. “But somehow, I believe you.”

Hatz nodded seriously. “Friends don’t lie to friends.”

“So why do you two want to climb the tower?” Bam asked. He’d never asked before. Back then, he had only been interested in Rachel and her stars. Now though, now he wanted to know what drove the people around him.

“Haa,” Khun exhaled. “Well, I don’t mind telling you, but only you. Don’t really want to air the secrets of the Khun family here.”

“My reason’s not complicated,” Hatz pushed two trays of food towards them. “I have been fascinated with my village’s tales of warriors since I was young. I just want to become a respected swordsman.”

Hatz paused, and then ducked his head to search for something in his sash. He pulled out a sheet of paper. It had nine empty spots.

“If you were serious about considering me as a friend, could you put your name on my friend list?”

Khun was predictably angry with Hatz for his timing. Bam, however, Bam was horrified. He gaped at the paper he was handed. He remembered this assignment well, and all that it implied.

“When is this due?” He demanded.

“A week from when we were handed it… so in two days.”

Without Shibisu to guide him, it was that bad, huh?

“Okay, let’s visit people, starting tomorrow. I have some candidates in mind.”

“Bam, you are definitely not well enough—”

“It’s just talking, Khun, it’s not anything strenuous—”

“Thank you, Bam.” Hatz gave a small smile, and that was that.

 

OoOoOoO

 

It wasn’t too difficult to fill up Hatz’s list, although it did take a day. Soon the red clad swordsman had ten reliable names: Shibisu, Bam, Khun, Rak, Lauroe, Serena, Hoh, Lozeal, Deod, and a certain girl with both her eyes.

Each and every one of them had asked after Bam’s health, which flattered him to no end. He couldn’t help grinning during the visits.

“Was that really about Hatz making friends?” Khun asked afterwards, sounding exhausted as he plopped down on the bed. “Or was it about you? Frankly, I feel like I witnessed something incredible today. How did you charm so many people so quickly?”

“They were just kind people.” Bam’s tone was fond. Being able to talk to everyone again was just what he needed. Rak had even challenged him to another match when he was better. Bam was looking forward to it. He absolutely wanted to spend more time with his favourite hunter.

“Bam would be a good scout,” Hatz said earnestly.

“As if a scout would be good enough for him,” Khun snorted. He rolled over, giving the topic of their conversation a once-over. “Bam’s perfect as Fisherman. By the way, I’ve, ahem, talked to the other Fisherman candidates. They’ve agreed not to leave off targeting you during your practical portions, so you can attend class without worrying about being attacked.”

That was Khun’s condition for allowing Bam to go to Ranker Hex’s lectures. No fighting until he was more healed. Maybe it was a bit unfair to the other students, but Bam wasn’t a masochist, either. Also, his agreement made the anxious furrow of Khun’s brows ease a little, so it was a small price to pay.

The next day, all three headed to their classes. Or rather, Khun helped Bam to his class, before going to his own. Funnily enough, it happened to be on a day that had a huge impact on the rest of the Fisherman lessons.

“Welcome to the stage!” Ranker Hex announced from atop her floating jellyfish. She had transported them all to an arena in the sky, with each of them landing on one of the red rimmed pillars jutting out from the ground. “Today, we will take a simple test instead of having a lecture. The aim of the test is to be the last one standing. You get it? Starting now, jump from pillar to pillar, and make the others fall until only eight of you remain. The only weapon you can use is the needle I gave you, and the results of this test will have a big impact on your final results.”

Khun was going to lose it. Then again, if Bam just stayed put, maybe Khun wouldn’t start plotting how to put his teacher through a blender?

Hex’s face mask made it difficult to read her. “So, any questions?”

“I’ve got a question,” Endorsi raised her hand, a cheery smile on her face. “People could die if they fall from this height. Is there any protection?”

“There is, but it’s not perfect. If you fall, there’s a high chance that you’ll become so injured that you won’t be able to take the next class. In other words, if you fail this test, it’s almost the same as failing the class.”

…so Bam really couldn’t fail this test. He’d already missed all the classes before this. Imagine if he missed all the classes afterwards, too. Considering that, even though Khun had already talked to everyone, Bam couldn’t really expect the deal to be upheld. Everyone was working hard towards their goals, after all.

“Okay, got it!” Endorsi chirped.

Seeing that there were no other inquiries, Hex nodded. “Then let’s start the test. Ready? Go.”

Bam swept his gaze across the arena. In many ways, this was the perfect stage for him. All he’d have to do was blast everyone off their pillars with shinsu. Even falling was no real threat to him, since he could use the Blue Oar as a supplemental floor space. Well, he also had his Butterfly Wings, but it was best not to attempt that before this body developed more resistance.

Unfortunately, those were all the movesets of a Wave Controller. He had somehow, miraculously, made it into Fisherman despite his loss of control during the Crown Game. (He’d also somehow gotten best seed instead of Anaak, which still baffled him). It was important that his Wave Controller abilities remained secret for now.

Heaving out a sigh, Bam finally allowed himself to sit down. There was no way he could fight the others. Just jumping the distance to another pillar seemed risky, let alone engaging in a fast paced battle. Sure, he could probably push himself through the pain, but this wasn’t a life or death situation, so why bother? Bam had never liked fighting in the first place.

Thankfully, it seemed as if the other candidates were hesitant about fighting too. They kept looking at each other, but no one made a move.

And then Anaak shot towards Endorsi. The two began a rapid exchange of blows that spanned multiple pillars. And oh, they were sparring. That looked like fun. Endorsi and Anaak had always been close, so it was no wonder… wait a sec, wasn’t there a day during the position tests where both Endorsi and Anaak had been injured so badly they’d agreed to sign Hatz’s friendship paper in exchange for points?

Bam leaned forward. Endorsi was knocking people off as they danced across the battlefield. The remaining Fisherman candidates were continually dropping. It’d be great if the test could end before anything happened, but Bam knew the two Princesses were doomed to take out each other.

Could he stop them from fighting? He… couldn’t.

They were very far away now, almost as if they’d planned to keep away from his potential interference. In his current state, it’d be difficult to make it there in time. Moreover, he really couldn’t afford to exacerbate his injury and set back his healing.

Choices, huh…

Bam slumped on his pillar as Hex announced that seven candidates were left, and the test was over. Well, at least there was a safety net. Neither Endorsi or Anaak would be too badly injured. That was all that mattered. He was sure he could make up a plan with Khun to get them all to pass.

Later that day, Khun almost fell down laughing when Bam shared the news.

“You mean your two biggest competitors just took themselves out?” Khun chortled. They were at a cafe for lunch, and only Lauroe was near them. Lauroe was sleeping though, so it felt okay to reveal more of their private selves. “This is hilarious. And here I was worried about not having anything to threaten or bribe them with.”

“What?”

“Anyway, this is good news for you.”

“Actually,” Bam smiled sheepishly. “I was wondering if there was some way we could help them pass.”

Khun blinked, and blinked again. He hesitated. “Do you know the Princess of Jahad…?”

“I mean, sort of.” Gosh, how did he explain this without explaining the future that no longer was? “I mean I know Yuri! She helped me on Headon’s Floor. So I want to help her sisters. Besides, they seem like really nice people, you know?”

Khun jerked, eyes wide with surprise.

"Khun?" Bam asked in concern.

The blue haired boy let out a cough. "By Yuri you mean, Yuri Jahad, the owner of one of the 13 Month series, right?" At Bam's confirmation, he shook his head. "You know what, at this point I can't even be shocked anymore."

“So can we help?”

Khun leaned forward, his chin resting on a palm as he gazed at Bam with a mixture of fondness and annoyance. “You’re asking me that, but you’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you? You’d do it with or without me.”

Bam didn’t deny it. “I’d rather it be with you, though.”

“Hmpth. I guess it can’t be helped.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

He was finally well enough to go places without Khun and Hatz. Their presence was never tiring. He much preferred falling asleep to their breaths or eating to their bickering than the alternative. The years in the cave had been beyond lonely, but in some ways, what happened after the test floor was much worse. At least in the cave, he hadn’t known what it was like to have warmth in the first place, so he couldn’t feel its absence as keenly.

Still, there were still a few things he needed to keep from his friends. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust them, or he thought they would betray him, but he simply didn’t want to get them involved. He didn’t want them to make that choice yet.

He snuck out in the dead of night, while everyone was sleeping. He had marked what room she was staying in while they were collecting names for Hatz. He pressed the doorbell, and waited. A few moments later, the door clicked open, revealing a yawning redhead.

Her pair of ruby eyes widened upon seeing him, expression slackening with surprise.

“Ne, Hwaryun. I want to make a deal with FUG.”

Notes:

At first I was like, these scenes with Bam and Khun are kind of mawkish, but then I realized—the pairing’s tagged so ya’ll are here for it! So I’m just gonna kick my bashfulness to the curb and deliver the maple syrup. Also, it's apparently ToG week? I don't know what that's all about, but I welcome the fanfiction!

Chapter 6: Floor of Test - The Princess of Jahad

Summary:

In which our favourite Princess is seduced.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Do you ever regret it? Giving up your position as a Princess of Jahad for us?”

“Hmm… nope! Haha, Bam, you don’t have to look like that. I’m serious. I mean, it was nice for a while, having the ability to boss people around and people giving me free clothes. But there were tons of boring bits too, you know! Like all the posing, all the fans, and ugh, etiquette lessons.”

“But, because of us, you can’t even show your face outside right now…”

“Yeah! That part’s a real bummer. The world’s missing out on a gorgeous face.”

“…”

“It’s different for me than it is for Yuri. I don’t have a family to protect. Or rather—Do you remember our meeting with Garam? I asked her what it was like, to give up being a Princess of Jahad. She said it wasn’t that different. And I, I agree with her. It’s not that different. Except, as a Princess, I’d have to give you guys up. I’d be your enemy. So, if it doesn’t make any difference for me anyway, why wouldn’t I choose to stay with all of you?”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Khun’s plan was much the same as last time’s, sans the friendship sheet. Instead of getting eel, however, Bam stacked up what he knew to be Endorsi’s favourite foods. Then he made his way to Endorsi’s room. He was slow, but he made it all by himself.

He rapped on the door. “Endorsi!” He called. “I’ve brought you food. May I come in?”

“Oh thou sinful woman!” Endorsi yelled back.

Eh? Was Endorsi the type of character that like role playing in their spare time? Then again, Bam had seen her in a lot of ads and commercials on his way up the tower. Maybe she was already practicing for that. Wow! What dedication. Even injured and with the potential to fail the Testing Floor, Endorsi was already looking to the future.

“Open the door!” Endorsi’s voice filtered through again, loud and demanding. “It’s not locked.”

On. That made things simple.

Balancing the food tray on one arm, Bam turned the knob to the Princess’ room and entered. It was surprisingly sparse. Bam remembered her chamber on the Hell Train, which always held a variety of knickknacks, and one treasured photo of her and Anaak.

“Huh? It’s you?” Endorsi’s mouth dropped open.

Bam closed the door behind him, taking stock of his friend. She was leaning up against the headboard of her bed, damaged leg wrapped in a cast and propped up on three pillows.

“Hi. I’m Bam,” he smiled, setting the day’s lunch at her bedside and taking a seat beside her.

“I know who you are!” Her gaze dipped to the food, and as expected, a line of drool dripped down her chin. She swallowed, expression turning mournful. “Uh, this isn’t poison is it?”

It was a good thing Bam had set the tray down already, because if he hadn’t, he might have dropped it then. Now it was Bam’s turn to gape as the conversation swerved in a direction he wasn’t expecting. “What? No! Why would you think that?”

Eyes the colour of sunset rose, meeting Bam’s gaze evenly. There was a strange tone in her voice that hadn’t been there before. “Well, I’m on the team that landed you almost dead. Isn’t it normal to think you’d hold some resentment?”

“You’re not the one who targeted Khun.” Bam said, confused. “Why would I hold resentment?”

“Alright, let’s say that miraculously, you bear me no ill will. But why would you go out of your way to help me? I’m your biggest competitor, you know.”

That was the same question Khun had asked. But Bam hesitated on giving the same answer. He still remembered the Hidden Floor, and what Endorsi had revealed about her Sworn Enemy. Was it really alright to let her think he paid attention to her because of her status as a Princess of Jahad?

“It’s just,” Bam smiled gently, “I don’t think you’re a bad person. And I like you.”

A beat.

And then Endorsi went completely, shockingly, red.

“L-li-like?” Endorsi stuttered. She waved her hands around frantically, looking everywhere but him. “Ju-ju-just so you know! Princesses of Jahad aren’t allowed to fall in love or marry or anything. So y-y-you’re definitely barking up the wrong tree!”

“Eh?” Bam blinked. Sometimes Endorsi’s trains of thought were too hard to follow. “Anyway, I don’t think I’m wrong. During the Crown Game, you tried to calm things down, didn’t you? And you didn’t seriously hurt Hatz or anyone else, even though I think you could have. So thank you.”

“You—you.” The orange clad girl was spluttering. She squirmed in her seat. “What’s with you? An—anyway, my motives weren’t as altruistic as you think. It’s just that my teammates at the time were weird. I was hoping to learn more about one of them by accepting your challenge.”

Bam couldn’t help it. It was an instinctive reaction. He flinched.

Endorsi’s face was considering as she pursed her lips. “Hey, that girl, Rachel, did she break your heart?”

Bam froze.

The scenes flashed rapidly past him. The long chase down the cave. The whispered words as she pushed him from the light. The confrontation just before the Hell Train. The accusations on the Hidden Floor. The lies that came after. What was clearer still was that day on the 63rd Floor. He could still feel the puffs of Khun’s last breaths, the awful, gradual slowing of his heartbeat. He could still feel the hand that turned cold, slipping away from his, doomed to never reach out to him again.

“…yeah, I guess you could say that,” Bam said quietly.

“We—well!” Endorsi clapped her hands together. It sounded unnaturally loud. “Let’s take a look at what you brought me, huh?” She leaned over and tugged the tray to her lap. “Woah! These are all my fav—I mean, there’s meat in this. I don’t eat meat.”

Bam smiled faintly, tucking away the memory in the corners of his mind. He recalled Khun’s—this Khun’s—words. “But you look so thin and pale. You should eat something like this from time to time.”

“Thin…” A dopey smile spread across Endorsi’s face. She laughed like a villain from a drama, and then began regaling Bam about how she wished she could put on more weight, but it just wasn’t possible, ho ho ho! It made Bam smile too, and his mood picked up for real.

“Want to eat with us?” Bam asked when Endorsi was halfway through her meal. “At the cafeteria I mean. You’re really fun, so I think everyone would like you.”

“Well, I won’t deny I can bring some life to your party,” Endorsi stuck a piece of fried pickle in her mouth. Her face was incredibly satisfied. “But what do I get out of it?”

“We’ll pay for you. I mean, you don’t have many credits left, do you?”

“H—how do you know that?!”

“I’m the same,” Bam tugged up his sleeve to show her the bandages still wrapped around his arms. “Actually, since my injuries were more extensive than yours, my treatment cost more, too. Hatz and Khun practically used up all their points for me.”

“That’s stupid,” Endorsi complained as she stuffed her mouth full of rice. “How could they give up their points for someone else? Don’t they know they need those to ascend the tower.” She eyed him. “Then again, you were injured for your teammates’ sake. Say, what made you cover him, even knowing you could have died from it?”

“Khun’s important to me.”

The Princess of Jahad frowned. “So you’re kind of a playboy, huh…?”

“Sorry, what?”

“No, never mind.” Endorsi pointed her chopsticks at him. “Okay. This is kind of interesting. But you’d better keep your word. Real gentlemen never let the ladies pay, you hear?”

Bam felt like he missed a whole conversation. But it’d been that way with Endorsi in the future that never was, too. So in some ways, this was kind of a relief. It felt like they were reaching their old standard.

Anaak was both easier and harder to convince. She didn’t like to talk as much as Endorsi, but she was also more straightforward.

“So I just have to sit with you guys to get free food?” She snorted. “Idiots.”

Soon, their table began matching Bam’s memories. He couldn’t help but smile every time he entered the cafeteria to see everyone there already, waiting for him. It made him giddy. The dynamics were a bit different, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that everyone was there.

Bam also kept a special eye out on Hoh. Thankfully, Hoh seemed a lot less pressured this time because Bam wasn’t in the Wave Controller group. It was a weirdly bitter feeling, but Bam wouldn’t refuse a free gift.

The truth of the matter was, he was busy. It was absolutely necessary for him to hang out with his friends. That was the point, after all. However, it was also necessary that he spent time rebuilding his endurance and stamina, both for his body and for his shinsu. Often, he meditated late into the night, and sometimes during Ranker Hex’s lessons, too. He felt a bit guilty about that, but much of what she taught he had already learned with FUG. He made sure to pay attention to the parts that were different, though.

His physicality was slowly, but surely, returning. He predicted that he’d be back to the normal range of motion by the end of the month. Unfortunately, it didn’t give him any time to actually increase his strength, like he’d hoped, but his endurance was at least steadily ticking upwards.

Blessedly, he hadn’t had to deal with Rachel, either. As in his first lifetime, she mostly kept to herself. As long as he ignored whatever cloaked figures wandered into the cafeteria, he could pretend that she didn’t exist. His friends seemed to have picked up on this reluctance to engage, and hadn’t asked any questions. They were wonderful like that.

Like this, the month passed quickly, and all too soon, the position tests were upon them.

 

OoOoOoO

 

“Regulars participating in this joint position test, congratulations, to all of you!” Leroro beamed from his place behind the podium.

They were in a much smaller lecture hall, surrounded by blue walls and two large windows showing a projected sky. Bam noted that the number of Regulars had dropped a lot. Certainly, not everyone from his Fisherman classes were here. The remaining Regulars were seated tightly behind five rows of desks. At the front, Leroro stood atop a stage, and behind him, sat Yu Hansung along with all their Position instructors. Rak sat at the front, too, a banner proclaiming that he’d already passed pasted to his chest.

“This joint test is for the 27 of you, excluding the ones who’ve already passed and failed.” Leroro clicked something on his podium, and the screen behind him lit up. “You’ll be divided into teams A and B. Please take a look to see what team you’re on.”

Bam scanned the board, and froze. The Light Bearer for his team, Team B, was… Rachel. And Ghost—Ghost was on Khun’s team.

The brown haired boy gritted his teeth. He glared at Yu Hansung, who was avoiding his eyes and focused solely on stirring his stick of coffee. This had to be on purpose. It had to be. But the blond crook was part of FUG, so he had to have gotten the memo by now. So why?

“Teams are assigned fairly based on the previous test results.” Leroro continued. “Team A does have one more Fisherman, but based on your instructor’s scores, the Fisherman sides are pretty well balanced. Other than that, while Team A has one more Spear Bearer, Team B has one more Light Bearer. Therefore, you can’t say you were at a disadvantage.”

Bam had noticed that the grouping was a bit different from the last time. On his team, only he, Endorsi, and Hong Cheonhwa were Fisherman. Hwaryun was also on their team as a Wave Controller.

“The test will be graded individually and also as a team. This grade will have the most effect on the final pass or fail, so please try your best. For your information, your position teachers will grade you individually, and the test director will grade each team. The test details will be given by the test director. Test Director Yu?”

“Hi,” Yu Hansung chirped from his place behind the podium. Bam couldn’t help but shudder at its creepiness. The test directions were simple. One of the Fisherman were designated as ‘it’, and it was their job to escape the maze-like arena in three hours. If they were caught by the test examiner, or ran out of time, then the team would lose. Alternatively, the designated Fisherman could try and steal a tag from the test examiner, so called the ‘Seeker’, and if they were successful, the team would win, and the Fisherman would be individually awarded 2000 points.

“Um, Test Director Yu?” Shibisu asked at the end of the explanation. “Who is the seeker?”

“Hahahaha! Nice question!”

From one of the boxes beside the test director, Quant popped out. Yu Hansung jerked in surprise, coffee splattering onto his face.

Bam let out a slight ‘phhft’ of laughter, and had to cover up his mouth with a fist. Khun’s eyes slid to him.

“I knew my students were good.” Quant continued, puffing up his chest. “I am the Seeker of this test!”

“Teacher?!” Shibisu demanded, aghast. “A Ranker? We’re supposed to go up against a Ranker?”

The crowd descended into chaos, howling that it wasn’t possible to win against a Ranker.

Quant laughed loudly. “I’ll try to be easy on you. Don’t be so scared!”

Somehow order was established, and the members of Team A were herded into one corner in preparation for transport. It helped that apparently Quant was only allowed to use two bangs of shinsu, which supposedly imposed severe limitations on his capabilities. As someone whose talent with shinsu outstripped some Rankers, Bam knew it wasn’t that simple. A Ranker’s physical strength, battle experience, and acquired abilities was more than enough. In actuality, what most limited Quant’s movements was the fact that he was a test examiner, and as such, had to move in a way that optimally allowed his students to showcase their capabilities.

Team A was meant to be transported to the arena at one pm. Bam glanced at the clock. He had eight minutes.

Team B was already moving towards the waiting room, where a screen would display all of Team A’s actions. One would think this would allow Team B to learn from their predecessors, and thus give them an unwarrented advantage, but in reality it could be as much of a hindrance as anything else. After all, their team composition was entirely different, and their enemy, the ‘Seeker’, would also learn from Team A’s tactics.

Bam walked slowly towards Team A.

“Hey,” he called to Ghost, instantly garnering everyone’s attention, including the instructors. At any other time, Bam might have found it funny. As it was, his focus was solely on the other Irregular.

Ghost turned to him.

“If you target Khun again,” Bam warned, voice low and sliding into something dangerous. Something he usually reserved for Jue Viole Grace. “I will obliterate you.”

Every conversation in the room instantly dried up..

Ghost grinned, baring jagged teeth. “Looking… forward… to… your strength.”

“No.”

A burst of shinsu, and Bam was at Ghost’s chest. The other flinched, but Bam didn’t give him a chance to retreat.

When Khun had died, and he found out about Arkraptor and the others, he had nearly gone mad. Maybe it was inevitable. All those years spent in a cave, waiting for someone to find him, waiting for that someone to come back. All those years spent in FUG’s cells, waiting to be strong enough to escape, waiting to see his friends again. Maybe the real miracle was that he’d stayed sane through all of that.

Then his friends died, and Rachel was responsible.

A hand whipped out, snagging the other’s collar. Then Bam tugged, hard, bringing Ghost’s face to his own. The taller man stumbled, and then immediately went still. Bam’s other hand was placed directly over the Wave Controller’s heart.

“No games. I’m serious. I know what you are.” During the war, Bam had learned to mask that madness to avoid worrying his remaining friends. Now, for the first time, he let it shine through. “You should know what I am, too.”

The grin faltered.

His message was heard. Bam let go of the warrior’s collar, allowed his hand to fall from Ghost’s chest, and stepped back. The other Irregular did not smile again.

Bam didn’t pay the other Irregular any more mind. Once upon a time, he might have been curious about what Ghost knew, but that was before Ghost almost killed Khun. Besides, Urek Mazino was much easier to get along with.

Instead, he headed over to Khun. Conversation was resuming again, loudly and excitedly, and most of it about him. But thankfully no one tried to talk to him.

Khun’s smile was faint. “My hero.”

Bam blushed. “It’s not—it’s not that I don’t think you can take care of yourself. But he’s—”

“Yeah, I know.”

Which. What exactly did Khun know?

“I’ll tell you later,” Khun promised. “I probably should have told you before, but I didn’t think we’d have this kind of test.” He pursed his lips. “Well, I can deal with it. Are you okay though? I mean, with that… girl…”

He trailed off.

“I can deal with it.” Now that he’d have time to rationalize and a month to come to terms with it, he didn’t think he’d lose control again. It really was a shitty situation though. “Hey Khun, about Quant…”

Bam struggled with whether or not to tell Khun about Quant’s abilities to still climb up after falling down the bridge. He didn’t want Khun’s plan to fail, but even failing, Khun had ultimately passed the test. That being the case, did he have a need to interfere? Plus, even he knew that warning was way too specific. There was no way to brush off knowing Khun’s plan ahead of time.

“Just, good luck,” Bam finally said, defeated.

“You too.”

One of the instructors ushered Bam away before he could accidentally get caught up in the teleportation. Bam went to the waiting room, where his own temporary team was sitting. He spotted Rachel, and then quickly pretended that he hadn’t.

Endorsi whistled when he entered. “Wow Bam, you act so sweet all the time. It’s easy to forget you can be dangerous, too.”

Bam went scarlet and hastened to the empty seat beside Hatz.

Hatz perked up. “Earrings?”

“Looked good.” Bam muttered. “You could just check on him yourself, you know.”

“As if he needs the ego boost.” Hatz snorted.

Endorsi stood up from her seat and yanked her chair over. With a hard tug, she displaced the person sitting to Bam’s left and took the spot. She placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward, her movement as natural as breathing. “You two do know that the Khun is your opponent for this test, right?”

Bam sent an apologetic look to the one so rudely displaced—Mauchi, if he remembered correctly. Mauchi smiled sheepishly, waving his hand in a ‘what can you do’ gesture.

“We’re teammates,” Hatz’s gaze turned towards the screen. Team A had gathered, and it looked like Khun was quickly taking control. “Earrings won’t betray us, so we don’t need to think about fighting him.”

“Woow. How come all the handsome guys here are so boring?” Then, shockingly, Endorsi turned to a certain redhead. “What do you think about it, Wave Controller?”

Hwaryun was slumped against the end of the table. She was seated five seats away from them, and only looked up when Endorsi called out. Hwaryun nodded sleepily, her tone completely bland. “They are handsome.”

With the conversation taking a turn to the uncomfortable, Bam refocused on the screen showing Khun’s test. He and Hatz exchanged comments about what they thought Khun was going to do. Eventually, Endorsi began chiming in as well. Then things began in earnest, and everyone was caught up in watching Khun’s battle with Quant.

Bam had given Ghost a warning, but that was really more as a just in case scenario. Ghost was an Irregular after all, and one could never be too sure with them. But shockingly, Ghost seemed really shaken. At least, he somehow kept drawing Quant’s ire, to the point where the Ranker looked like he was seriously trying to cripple the applicant. Quant only had two bangs available, though, so while Ghost was eventually knocked out, Quant severely handicapped himself to do so.

This turned out to be good for Team A, since by the time Khun led Quant to the bridge, Quant was already injured. Anaak actually managed to fight Quant with Khun’s support, and with a trick from Manbarondenna, they shoved the Ranker off the bridge. Bam thought for sure Khun would win it this time.

Then, inconceivably, Quant still managed to climb up those stairs and tag Anaak just as she reached the finish line.

Bam stared.

Had he been underestimating Quant all this time? He’d become familiar with Rankers over the years, and while Quant seemed fantastically strong to Regulars, he was actually a fairly regular Ranker. If Bam was still a B-rank Regular, he was sure he could have defeated the man.

“Huh, so you two were right about him.” Endorsi sounded stunned. “I’m a bit…” She huffed out a laugh. “Wow, competition is fierce.”

And Bam got it. The night before, Khun had shared everyone’s data with Bam. Despite their talents, Hatz, Khun, Endorsi, Anaak, and Bam were all in danger of failing. As expected, the massive medical expenses they’d incurred was hard to bounce back from. (And, shockingly, Rachel was also in danger of failing, though Bam remembered that she’d had enough points to pass last time. Had the Crown Game shaken her, too?) If Team A had won this round, Bam and Hatz wouldn’t have been able to recover. Once upon a time, Bam might have believed Khun wouldn’t have cared about that. At least, not enough to sabotage himself. Bam knew better now.

Thinking through the whole game like this, wasn’t Khun’s plan really incredible? Bam sat in awe as he contemplated the mammoth undertaking of winning everyone over, directing them, and predicting all of their actions. Khun had only a handful of minutes to come up with this plan, too.

Actually, had it been like this the first time, too?

Why…

Bam clutched his chest, ducking his head so that no one could see his expression. He couldn’t help the big, goofy smile from spreading across his face.

If it was like this, he couldn’t let Khun down, could he?

Notes:

Goodness, so a mobile game came out last week for ToG. I’ve probably spent way too much time on it, and I don’t even like this game (FGO it is not), but I want to collect all my favourite characters >_> So far I have Yeon-Flame Khun & Black-March Bam, whose abilities synergize reaaally well, as expected. When will Ancient Rak or Eastern Sea Hatz come out, I wonder? I want to make my perfect team… Anyway, if you haven’t heard of this game but you’re interested, it’s called Hero Cantare. My user id is also Ruinous. Feel free to send me a friend request!

Also, just out of curiosity, how do you guys find new fics? Do you just prowl around AO3 waiting, or…?

Chapter 7: Floor of Test - Hide and Seek

Summary:

In which Bam dusts off his leadership skills, the Position Test goes a little differently, and an important conversation happens.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Why did you protect me back then? On the Floor of Test. At the time I thought it was just because you were a nice person, but…”

“But you don’t think I’m a nice person now? Hahaha.”

“N—no! That’s not it. I mean, that is, I wasn’t anything special back then, you know? So why did you choose me?”

“Hmm, you don’t think you were special? That’s wrong, Bam. Even back then, you were special. I admit, I was initially interested in you because the alligator was, and then because of Black March, but… I suppose you could say I wanted to protect your eyes. I still do, in fact.”

“EHH?”

“You have such pure eyes, you know. Always looking ahead, never faltering, so certain of what you desire yet never willing to sacrifice anyone for it. For those of us who grew up in the tower, it felt like a miracle. Back then, well I wanted a certain question answered. I thought you could give me a hint of it. That’s why. Sorry if it isn’t want you imagined.”

“Oh, okay. Um, well did you ever find the answer to that question?”

“…yeah, you answered.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Team B’s start wasn’t very good.

The makeshift group was in a frenzy over Team A’s performance. Although they’d been praying for Team A’s defeat, no one had seriously thought Quant would make a comeback at the end. The fact that he did shook everyone. Ideas were being thrown at left, right, and center, and being discarded just as rapidly.

This wouldn’t do.

“Let’s take our examiner’s tag,” Bam cut in calmly, clearly.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

Bam’s answering smile was almost mischievous. “Don’t you think we can do it? I think that if all of you manage to make Mr. Quant use up two bangs, Endorsi and I can defeat him.”

Endorsi seemed to consider this for a moment, and then tilted her head towards Bam. “Will you be ‘It’?”

“No, I think it’s better if it’s you.”

“Eh? Why? From what I’ve seen, your capabilities aren’t less than mine.”

“Well,” Bam smiled sheepishly. “You need the extra points more than I do?”

He dodged Endorsi’s fist.

“It feels kind of reliable,” one of their Light Bearers, Levin, whispered, “having them.”

Two others in the crowd nodded along furiously.

“Wait a sec,” Mauchi raised a hand. “I know she’s a Princess of Jahad, and he’s scary, but can you two really fight a Ranker?”

Endorsi snorted. “Oh please. Our examiner may be a Ranker, but he’s not in the Top 1000, and he’s currently under a ton of restrictions. Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”

Mauchi went stiff with fear.

“Wait, wait.” Serena’s voice was loud, a hint of whine present at the edges. “Let’s say that you and Wonder Boy over here can take out the Ranker. But what was that you said about two bangs earlier?”

“Oh.” Bam cocked his head. “Quant has two bangs of shinsu available to him, right? Endorsi and I probably have a good chance against him as is, but it’s not guaranteed. If you make him use those bangs up, though, well we’ll either reach the door before he reaches us, or we’ll defeat him at the gates.”

“And how’re we supposed to do that?”

“Spear Revolution!” Paracule yelled. “We’ll do it like this! Everyone hold the Ranker down while we Spear Bearers—”

“Isn’t it your job to figure that out?” Endorsi interrupted, addressing Serena directly. “You’re also taking this test. Show some initiative.”

“Spear Revolution,” Paracule whispered.

Team B looked on the verge of dissolving into another argument. Bam didn’t let that happen.

“Rachel, you should be capable of making a plan, right?”

Dead silence. Huh. It looked like even the people who weren’t involved had some idea of their relationship. Endorsi was staring at Bam, eyes practically bugging out. Hwaryun’s mouth had fallen open. It may have been amusing in any other situation.

Rachel, who was standing at the outer edges of the group, widened her eyes. “Why do you say that, Bam?”

It was like the sea parted. Suddenly no one wanted to be between the two, and there was a mad shuffle as everyone tried to make some space as quietly as possible.

Bam smiled. It felt like eating gravel. “You’re full of tricks. Quant should be pretty simple for you.”

Rachel tensed. Her clenched fists wrinkled her cloak. “If I’m truly like you say, then are you sure you can trust me?”

“I trust that you want to pass this test. Or do you no longer want to see the stars?”

Rachel’s face was blank. “Bam, what did I ever do to you?” She bit her lip, voice growing more and more emotional. “Is it just because I wanted to follow my dreams and you can’t let me go? That’s just—I’m allowed to have my own life!”

Yeah, he could see this for what it was, now. He never employed such tactics, but he was finally able to recognize it when it happened. She was trying to turn the crowd against him.

Normally he wouldn’t care. Didn’t care. Let people think what they pleased. He knew himself, and his friends knew him, so what did it matter? Still, she brought up a good point.

“You know, it’s been bothering me,” Bam mused, eyes cold as he stared at Rachel. “Khun told me your team gave up the Crown Game, even though you just defeated your biggest opponents. Of course, Endorsi didn’t want to leave at that point, but she said you were the one who suggested giving up first. But it’s strange. If you really wanted to climb the tower, you would have taken that opportunity to go. So why didn’t you?”

Rachel’s face drained of blood. “That—that’s just—”

“Never mind, I know that whatever comes out of your mouth will be lies.” Bam took a breath, and looked around at the assembled Regulars. “We have our plan. Full Black, you’ll be mine and Endorsi’s Light Bearer. Well then, shall we get going?”

Full Black looked surprised to have been chosen, but he really shouldn’t be. There was no way Bam would work with Rachel ever again, and Levin was a bit too bloodthirsty for Bam’s tastes. The three made ready to leave.

“Wait!” Rachel called out, desperation lining from her voice even as she tried to sound calm. “Is this supposed to be a trick? You’re—you’re actually trying to hurt me, aren’t you Bam?”

Bam did pause, then. He tilted his head upwards and closed his eyes, as if praying for peace. When he spoke again, his words were surprisingly even.

“For better or for worse, Rachel, you’re in Team B, same as me. We get docked marks for hurting members of our own group, and I made a promise to ascend this tower with my friends. I want you to fail, but there are some things more important than you.”

And then he walked away.

 

OoOoOoO

 

“If we were really smart,” Endorsi mused as they moved towards the maze’s exit, “we’d have taken that Hong guy with us.”

“Eh?” Bam tilted his head. Unlike what one might suspect, their pace was languid. For Bam and Endorsi, the ideal scenario was that Quant would catch up with them, and they could steal the extra 2000 points. The only reason they were heading towards the exit at all was in the unlikely event Quant attempted to outlast them. It would be beyond stupid to lose due to the time limit. “Why’s that?”

“Well, about four Fisherman will pass, right? In Team A’s test, your teammate was as nice to get two of them disqualified. He had to leave the last one, or else it’d look too suspicious, but including Anaak, that’s just the five of us left, right? That was a message for us to take out the competition.”

Above them, one of the Lighthouses jilted, but stayed on course. Bam had requested two Lighthouses, so Full Black had come with them as a passenger in his main frame.

Bam was startled, too. When Team A had been up, one of the Fisherman had been severely injured by Quant, while the other had looked so incompetent they couldn’t possibly have passed. He’d just thought that was how it was, though. Not everyone could be Endorsi or Anaak. Bam hadn’t even begun to imagine it was all part of Khun’s plans.

“Well,” Endorsi laced her fingers together behind her head, “I don’t like the idea of following that fellow’s scheme, anyway. I like your plan way better. There’s no way those other guys can score more than us.”

“Yeah,” Bam smiled. He felt bad about letting Khun’s efforts go to waste, but they didn’t agree on everything.

“That said.” Endorsi wrinkled her nose. “Do you really think this group will be able to force the Ranker to use two bangs?”

“Hatz can definitely get him to use at least one,” Bam said immediately. “As for the other one…”

If Rachel were being serious, he had no doubts she’d be able to pull it off. And she had to be. The night before, Khun had shared everyone’s statuses with Bam. Despite their talents, Hatz, Khun, Endorsi, Anaak, and Bam were all in danger of failing. As expected, the massive medical expenses they’d incurred was hard to bounce back from.

Then again, the rest of Team B sans Hatz kind of… sucked. He hated to think that way of people, especially Hoh and Serena, whom he considered his friends. But, he also knew how damaging ignoring the reality of one’s abilities could be. If he’d never taken Prince and Arkraptor… well, anyway. On Team B, Hwaryun was the most capable person left, but she was also hiding most of her abilities and had already planned to fail.

“Well, even if he still has one left, it’s enough. What do you think, Endorsi?”

“Might depend on our coordination,” Endorsi mused. “If we had an Ignition Weapon like Green April, this would be easy. It’s too bad we only managed to spar a few times.”

Bam nodded. Although both were recovered by now, that recovery had been slow going. They had actually practiced together quite often as physical rehabilitation, but they’d only gone all out twice. While Bam knew Endorsi well enough to predict her moves, the same couldn’t be said about the Princess of Jahad’s understanding of his own fighting style.

They discussed a few strategies, for both scenarios of Quant having no bang or one bang of shinsu remaining. It wasn’t very in depth, but it gave them some semblance of an idea of what to do. The rest would depend on their own physical prowess.

And then Full Black’s excited voice broke up their conversation.

“They did it! They managed to make the Ranker use up two bangs of shinsu.” Then the Light Bearer paused, sounding panicked. “Ah, now he’s headed this way!”

Bam and Endorsi exchanged a look, and relaxed. They didn’t bother continuing onward. If they fought at the bridge, they’d be the ones at a disadvantage.

“Do you want a weapon?” Endorsi asked. “I have two good quality needles.”

Bam shook his head.

“Suit yourself.”

It only took five minutes for Quant to show up. The Ranker was practically breathing fire.

“You kids have put me through hell,” Quant said through gritted teeth. He crackled his knuckles. “Now I’m in a bad mood. I hope you don’t mind that I’m coming at you with full power?”

“Ehh, do what you like.” Endorsi grinned. She was balancing on the heel of her sneakers, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. The movement brought attention to the gleam of red underneath her dust coloured vest. “But don’t complain if a couple of test applicants beat you even at your ‘full power’, alright?”

Quant rushed at them. Bam dodged, while Endorsi flew to meet him with her needle extended. It looked like they’d meet for an exchange of blows, but at the last second, Quant swerved. He ducked beneath Endorsi’s needle and kicked his foot against the ground, shooting off towards the grey Lighthouse that was floating above. Bam moved to intercept, but the Ranker was too fast.

The dark skinned man slammed his leg onto the top of the Lighthouse, sending it careening into the ground. Full Black let out a cry of pain, tumbling out from within his frame, knocked thoroughly unconscious. The Lighthouses flickered, and fell, sending the area into pitch darkness.

Khun had shown them that Quant had a skill which allowed him to see in the dark. In this situation, he definitely had the advantage. Endorsi was a Princess of Jahad, however, and both her eyes and her instincts allowed her some semblance of mobility even without Lighthouses. They didn’t waste any time, rapidly heading to an exchange of blows.

As for Bam, he had been trained in the dark caverns of FUG. He closed his eyes, falling into an almost meditative stance as he used the shinsu around him to sense where everybody was. He picked up Full Black’s main frame so that he wouldn’t trip over it, and moved towards the faint glow in his mind’s eye.

“Looks like your partner can’t navigate well in the dark,” Quant taunted. They sounded relatively far away. “Sorry but, if it’s just you, I can take you out anytime, Princess of Jahad!”

“Then why don’t you try it?”

Bam’s foot hit something. The sounds of the fighting grew fiercer. There was a rustle of cloth, then a shriek.

“Nice attack!” Quant laughed. “But it looks like you can’t follow my speed. Ding ding ding! Looks like test is over. I have your—hey wait—”

Full Black’s Lighthouses lit up. Bam didn’t waste a second. The sudden change from darkness to light was similar to a flash bang, but they couldn’t depend on a Ranker being blinded for long. The shinsu field around him pulsed. It wasn’t as good as the effect with three Lighthouses, but it would have to do. Bam opened his eyes, and shot towards Quant like an arrow.

Qaunt, still reeling from the sudden light, was a second too slow to react. Bam snatched the badge from Quant’s coat at the same time as Endorsi’s dash forward. Quant lashed out, most likely by instinct, grabbing Bam’s arm to prevent the youth from escape. Bam smiled, and flicked the badge to Endorsi as she passed.

Endorsi stopped a good few meters away, the grin on her face illuminated by the freshly active Lighthouses. She lifted the edge of her dress, showing off a bright red badge secured to her leggings. “Your instincts were right, Mr. Examiner. But did you really think I’d attach something so precious onto a flimsy little vest?”

Bam jerked his arm from Quant’s numb fingers, walking over to Endorsi with a grin. They highfived.

It was perfect victory.

Quant didn’t seem to be paying attention though, not to Endorsi’s provocations, not to the useless piece of cloth he still held in his hands, and not to the end of the exam. His expression was full of confusion as he looked towards where he had knocked down Full Black, who was still unconscious, then to the floating suspendium alloy, then to Full Black again.

“Did you just use a Lighthouse?” Quant gaped at Bam.

“Oh, well.” Bam rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. The main frame Lighthouse dropped, clattering to the floor. “Since their owner’s knocked out, it’s easy enough to move around with shinsu. My control is pretty rudimentary, though.”

“Says his abilities in this area is crass, even,” Endorsi teased. She elbowed him in the chest, which, oomph.

“You boosted your speed back there with a shinsu field, didn’t you?” Quant asked, sounding bewildered. “That’s not even a technique the selected Light Bearers can do yet.”

Yikes, really?

“Khun can do it,” Bam said immediately. Actually he had no idea if Khun could do it right now or not, but he was positive that Khun would back him up.

“That kid is a member of the Ten Families. You’re—” Quant cut himself off, then crouched over and messed his hair with both hands. “Ugh! Never mind. I don’t even want to know. Okay, congratulations, you pass.”

The test ended, and nobody died. Bam counted that as a huge success.

 

OoOoOoO

 

The results for the Position Test were to be announced the next day. As such, not everyone could relax yet. Besides, the test had been exhausting, and after eating dinner, everyone was pretty much ready to turn in for bed.

Khun met Bam in his room, though.

“I just wanted to say it was brilliant,” Khun said, eyes sparkling, “how you managed to lead everyone. I knew you’d ace it, but even I didn’t expect that it would be like that. It was really amazing, Bam.”

“Oh, well.” Bam was blushing. He could feel the heat on his face. “You were too, amazing I mean. Way more than me.”

“I hardly think so. I didn’t even manage to lead my team to victory—”

Khun.” Bam cut in. “I know.”

There was a beat.

Then Khun smiled, gently. “I should have known you’d see through it.”

Bam shook his head. “I almost didn’t. If it weren’t for Endorsi, I’d probably still be in the dark.”

“That damned Princess of Jahad…”

“Why don’t you want me to know?”

Khun shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want you to know. I don’t want anyone to know.” His grin was like quicksilver. “Trust me, I would love to brag about how well my plan worked out. Unfortunately, it’d also earn me a lot of enemies if they knew I made preparations for them to fail. So the less people who know, the safer it is.”

“Don’t you trust me not to betray you?” Bam asked, just shy of petulant.

It was supposed to be a joke, really. But Khun. Khun hesitated.

“Of course I tru—” Khun began, but it was too late.

Bam’s heart plummeted to his stomach.

“You really don’t trust me?” The golden eyed boy said through numb lips.

“No, it’s not—I trust that you won’t intentionally betray any of us,” Khun swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. His voice sounded shaky, desperate, so different from the confident lilt of a second ago. “I trust you say what you mean. I trust your intentions.”

Bam’s ears were ringing. A hand rose to clutch at his chest, as if that would keep his pounding heart from bursting. “What part of me isn’t trustworthy?”

“I—it’s not you. It’s just, I was raised in the kind of environment that doesn’t foster trust. So it’s hard for me, that’s all…”

That was true. From what Bam learned of the Ten Families, they were no kinder to their own members than they were to the larger populace. But Bam also knew Khun well enough by now to recognize that he was currently only sprouting excuses. That wasn’t the root of the issue. Bam bowed his head, eyes squeezing shut. Then he thought. Truly thought about it.

“Why aren’t you asking?” Bam said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Khun’s voice sounded faraway, wary. It jarred against Bam’s memories.

“You saw, right? The camera follows the examiner. I implied that I learned the Lighthouse trick from you, but you know I didn’t.”

Khun did not answer.

“Rachel, too. I completely messed up the Crown Game. It even caused you to be targeted, and for our team to lose so many points. Weren’t you curious about my relationship with her?”

“It’s not my place…” Khun said weakly.

This was weird, wasn’t it? Khun wasn’t the type of person to wait for someone else’s permission. If he was curious about something, he’d investigate it. Yes, he’d always been lenient with Bam, but that had never stopped him.

So what—what was this? Why wasn’t Khun subtly interrogating him, or at least outright demanding to know what was going on, just so he could help better if nothing else. Why didn’t Khun already have an idea of the situation from his sneaking around? Why did Khun almost seem afraid to ask…

And. Oh. Bam understood now. He understood the difference between that situation and this one, the difference between the two Khuns. It was a paralyzing realization, spreading a mixture of horror and disbelief through every inch of his limbs.

It wasn’t that Khun didn’t trust Bam. It was that Khun thought Bam didn’t trust him.

Bam looked up, meeting Khun’s cautious but concerned eyes. Khun’s right hand was half raised, hovering, as if he wanted to reach out and check if Bam was okay, but unsure of its reception. Now that Bam thought about it, hadn’t Khun’s actions this past month all been like this? Really, was Khun a masochist? Bam really wanted to ask why Khun went so far to help him, if Khun wasn’t sure of Bam’s intentions.

Bam parted numb lips.

This was, possibly, the stupidest thing he could do. He really wasn’t supposed to. He knew it’d make him sound crazy. He wasn’t even sure if he was ready for this conversation. But he couldn’t stand this. Couldn’t stand Khun thinking he didn’t trust him. And so he finally gave voice to five words that couldn’t be taken back.

“Khun, I’m from the future.”

Notes:

Who was expecting THAT ending? Not me, that’s who! I honestly wasn’t planning for this reveal to happen until around Floor 15ish, but Bam got away from me. It’s all good though. I’ve revised some plans and it turns out this works better! We don’t need the artificial tension that comes from keeping secrets right? We’ll have plenty of tension elsewhere.

By the way, thanks everyone for answering my whimsical query! Actually I found out about the favourite tags feature from you guys, and it’s made my life so much easier! (Yes, I’ve been a member of Ao3 since 2012 and never knew about it… yes I deserve to be kicked off the tower…)

Chapter 8: Floor of Test - Revelations

Summary:

In which a few different talks happen, and none of them go as expected.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“You are the Prince of the Rebellion. An Irregular destined to bring change to this tower. A Slayer candidate. You need to stop sulking.”

“… Hwaryun, tell me, why did you lie to me?”

“If I had to answer that… it’s because I’m your Guide. Two paths have always stood before you. To become the new Jahad, or to complete destroy Jahad’s tower. But I foresaw a third path, a new destiny. One where you could be free to make your decision, and in doing so, bring freedom to us all. It’s my job to ensure you can walk that path. That’s all.”

“I see. So my desires were never truly part of the equation, were they?”

“It will match the desires of the person you’ll grow up to be. I think you are already aware, aren’t you? You’re already becoming the type of person who cares.”

“So I have to sacrifice the present to ensure the future? Hwaryun, that sounds utterly miserable.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

“…what?”

“I’m from the future.” Then, like a dam had been lifted, the words spilled out in a rush. “On the 77th Floor, there’s a hidden realm. It has a different administrator than the rest of the tower. I cleared the realm, and the administrator said he’d grant me a wish, so I took it. I wasn’t really sure if it was possible, but then I woke up on Headon’s Floor and now I’m—I’m here.”

Khun was staring at him wide eyed. “You… huh?”

“The first time we met,” Bam continued. “I was weak. A nobody.” He fell silent. Hesitated. Gods, he didn’t want to talk about this, but he had the feeling if he didn’t now, he never would. “R—remember how I said I grew up with nothing? Actually, someone did find me before I met all of you. That was Rachel. She taught me everything, from writing to dining etiquette to how to cut my own hair. Back then, all I wanted was to be with her.”

Was there a part of him that still did? No. No, it’d been trampled over by their last confrontation in the future that never was. That poisonous yearning for his first friend, first family member, had finally been rooted out. But perhaps there was a part of him that regretted.

“Then one day, she was called to the tower.” His eyes fluttered shut. The images of that day could still be summoned with crystal clarity. The shock of she was saying breaking through him, the long chase down the tunnels, her smile as she abandoned the lonely boy in the caves. “She said she wanted to see the stars. So I, I entered too, chasing after her.”

None of this was important to Khun, probably, but it suddenly seemed crucial to Bam that Khun understood the full story. He didn’t know why, but he had to confess the impact that Rachel had on his life, of how far the Bam of the past was willing to go for her.

“But I didn’t know anything about the tower. I didn’t know anything about the tests, or fighting, or shinsu. I don’t know if I could have survived the first elimination test on my own… but then you showed up.” Bam’s eyes opened again, gold meeting blue. “You stayed with me, even though I was weak. And you helped me, even though I was unreasonable. And you never asked for anything in return. I know you’re not a nice person, although I do think you’re a good person, but you were nice to me.”

“And why…” Khun seemed dazed. “Why did I do that? If you didn’t seem like a worthy ally right away, why?”

Bam shrugged, helplessly. “I wish I did. The one time I asked you about it, you said something about a question you wanted answered. But you never told me what that question was.”

“The question that I want answered,” Khun muttered to himself. He shook his head. “So what? You found friends who wouldn’t betray you, and we climbed the tower together? And then something happened and now you’re back in the past, and you want to reenact our adventures?”

“Not, not exactly.” Bam played with the hem of his shirt. “It’s a long story, but you could say my parents had connections to FUG. FUG, and Jahad. When I entered the tower, they already knew, and they… wanted me under their control, so to speak. The first time, on the final exam of the Floor of Test, I failed. Rachel left me to die, and FUG took me in after that. They threatened the lives of my friends if I didn’t comply with them, so I became a Slayer candidate.”

Khun’s mouth dropped open. It was a funny sight, so Bam focused on that. It was infinitely better than his miserable life story.

“So that small dream I had, of just staying with everyone… it was never realized.” He smiled. It wobbled. “You know, just this week I found out that Hatz really likes pickled almonds. I never knew that before.” He took a breath. “Anyway, a lot of things happened. You eventually discovered what happened and freed me from FUG with the help of everyone. But then it didn’t matter as much, because Jahad declared war and we needed FUG anyway. It was really, really bad. We were in hiding unless we were fighting. And then you—you—”

The words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t say them.

“Too many people died,” Bam said quietly. “Everyone told me that’s just how war was. Maybe I could have accepted it. Maybe I could have moved on. But then I found that hidden realm, and I was given a wish as a reward for clearing it. I admit it’s selfish. I’m not really trying to stop the war, although that’d be nice. I’ve also stopped trying to run away from my destiny. All I want is some time and peace to be with my friends, first.”

“So you asked him to unravel time,” Khun said blankly.

“I asked to be with all my friends again,” Bam corrected. “And unraveling time was the only way to do that, apparently.”

Well that, or killing Bam right then and there.

“Tell me something,” Khun demanded, voice hoarse. “Tell me something about myself that you shouldn’t know yet.”

Bam fell silent. Then. “You like stir fry, but you don’t eat a lot because it doesn’t fit your nutrition regime. You spend an exorbitant amount of time with a hair straightener in the mornings. More than rare books or useful artifacts, your most treasured birthday gift is a hand-carved wooden bird.”

Khun’s eyes were wide.

“Do you need more?” Bam asked hesitantly.

“No I… no, that’s enough.” Khun was quiet for a moment. And then, he stood. His head was bowed, and his face shadowed. “I—I need to go.”

“Go? Wait, Khun—”

“I need some time!” Khun snapped. At the look on Bam’s face, he faltered. “I just—I just—”

Then he seemed to steel himself, and walked briskly to the entryway. Khun stilled at the exit, hand hovering over the doorknob. For a minute it looked like he’d say something, but then he turned the handle and pushed open the door.

“Don’t come see me,” he whispered, and disappeared into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind him.

For a long moment, Bam just sat there, uncomprehending. Then, he began chuckling, which soon turned into full blown laughter. It was a dark, miserable sort of laugh, with just a tinge of hysteria. He fell back on his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes. His sleeve soon became soaked as he gasped out his breaths.

Yeah, he’d really messed up, hadn’t he?

 

OoOoOoO

 

There was a knock on his door.

Bam sat up. “Khun?”

A pause. Then the click of a lock and the door opened. But the figure standing at the entryway wasn’t the blue haired youth he wanted to see. It was Hatz.

Bam collapsed back against his bed. He knew it was beyond rude, and unfair besides, but he couldn’t bring the energy to care much.

“You didn’t show up for lunch or breakfast.” Hatz said. There was a shuffling sound, and the familiar scent of bulgogi filled the room. The door closed, and Hatz set the food tray on the nightstand. “Have you eaten anything at all since last night?”

“Was Khun at the cafeteria?” Bam mumbled to the ceiling.

“Is this what it’s about? You and Earrings had a fight?”

Bam smiled bitterly. “We didn’t have a fight.” It would have been easier if they did. At least then, Bam could do something to make it up to the other. As it was, he had no idea how to make all of this better.

There was a part of him that scolded himself for being so desperate to share. If he’d never told Khun the truth about what he did, he wouldn’t be in this situation…

Bam rolled over to face Hatz. The blankets creased as his body curled inwards. The red clad swordsman was looking down at him with a frown, brows crinkled with concern.

“Hatz,” Bam focused on the swordsman’s sash. “What would you do if you knew I was keeping a big secret from you?”

There was a long moment of silence.

“Is that what happened?” Hatz asked. “Earrings found out that you had a secret?” Another pause. “No, that can’t be it. We both know you’re keeping something back. Then what happened is—you told him your secret?”

Bam jerked. His eyes lurched upwards to meet the swordsman’s calm black ones.

In spite of himself, he relaxed.

“Yeah, I told him,” Bam said softly.

Hatz’s eyes flashed. “And he just left you like this?” He made to turn, voice shimmering with fury. “Earrings is seriously lacking some basic decency.”

“No! Don’t!” Bam reached out, grabbing Hatz’s arm. The swordsman’s muscles were tense under his grip. “Khun is, it’s not Khun’s fault. It was a lot… based on what he found out, he has the full right to end our team, end our friendship, even.” He swallowed, and swallowed again. The thought of Khun withdrawing his friendship made his head swim with rejection, but it was within Khun’s right. “I’m the one who shouldn’t have…”

Done what? Taken the administrator’s choice? He couldn’t regret that, not when it allowed him to see Khun again, alive and well. He couldn’t regret being able to talk and joke and laugh with his friends.

Neither did he really regret revealing everything to Khun. Eventually it would have come out anyway. There was no way he could keep it a secret from the blue haired genius forever. He didn’t regret trusting Khun. Could never regret that.

“Just give me a bit of time,” Bam whispered. “No one’s died. I’ll be okay by the time they announce the results for the Position Test. Promise.”

Slowly, gradually, Hatz’s muscles unwound.

“Earrings is sophistical and frivolous,” Hatz finally muttered. “But he’s not a bad teammate. Whatever it is that you’ve told him, I don’t think it’ll cause him to abandon you. He just doesn’t trust in his heart enough.”

Bam wasn’t sure how accurate that observation was. One of the reasons he admired Khun so much was the other boy’s willingness to listen to his own heart. Despite family and custom telling him otherwise, Khun always acted only on his own desires, not the desires of others.

He didn’t want to argue with Hatz about it, though.

“Now will you eat?” Hatz asked, pushing the tray of bulgogi towards him.

Bam rose from the bed. His stomach still clenched at the thought of food, but he didn’t want to worry his friend any longer. He took the tray from the swordsman and picked up the chopsticks. Hatz relaxed, and pulled over a chair to sit on. Bam inquired about how everyone was doing after the position test, and Hatz readily filled him in.

About halfway through the meal, Bam asked the question.

“Do you want to know what Khun now knows?” Bam said quietly. “You’re my teammate, too.”

There was no hesitation in Hatz’s response. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really, no. But it’s only fair, isn’t it?”

Hatz’s black eyes bore into him. “Everyone has something from their past that they don’t like to talk about. Whatever it is, it is part of your own journey, and no one has the right to intrude upon it.” The swordsman exhaled. “Of course, one may invite their nakama to share their journey with them, but such decisions are not meant to be made hastily. I am willing to wait.”

“Ah.” Bam ducked his head. His eyes did not feel damp. Nope, not at all. “Thanks, Hatz.”

“No thanks is required. Now finish your food.”

“Haha, yeah. I’ll do that.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

At six pm, in the auditorium, the Regulars who passed the position test were revealed. Knowing the outcome from last time, Bam wasn’t surprised by the results, though of course Rachel wasn’t injured this time. Actually, Rachel hadn’t really been injured the last time, had she? So why had she faked it? Wasn’t a sure pass a lot more certain than Bam maybe coming up with a way to ensure a disabled participant could take the final test?

But ultimately it didn’t matter. Rachel’s fate was already decided. This time, Bam could only spare a few seconds of thought towards her, and he hardly paid any attention to Mauchi’s argument with Yu Hansung about the results. The reason?

Khun was ignoring him.

Hatz had told Bam that Khun hadn’t showed up to breakfast or lunch, either. Apparently it had made Shibisu think they were having a… sleepover or something? And that’s how he convinced Hatz not to check up on them during breakfast. Bam wished that were the reality, though if they really did have a sleepover, there was no way he’d leave out Hatz.

Anyway, Khun couldn’t skip the announcement of the test results, which doubled as the announcement of their final exam. Bam had been trying to catch his eye the entire time, but Khun never looked his way, once.

He knew he was being pathetic, but looking pathetic had never stopped him from going after Rachel. And Khun was worth a lot more than Rachel.

“Well then?” Yu Hansung asked loudly, interrupting Bam’s train of thought. “Is there anyone else that disagrees with the results?”

At the Director’s feet, Mauchi had passed out from the impromptu shinsu test the blond gave.

“No?” Yu Hansung smiled, eyes curving. “Then, I shall see to the participants for the final exam.” He clapped his hands together, faux cheer radiating from his being. “Ah! But first, there’s a little preliminary test for all of you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Shibisu shouted. “Another one?!”

“Yes, but a very important one!” Yu Hansung lifted an arm, pointing in their direction. “It’s a test of charisma!”

Crickets.

“To take your final exam, you must gather a team of like minded people. I’m sure you’ve already seen that some of the Regulars here don’t get along, so it’s probably impossible for all of you to be on one team. Well, not that you’d want to, anyway, since the difficulty of the test may increase depending on how many people you have.” Yu Hansung’s smile definitely turned sadistic then. “So good luck with finding your teammates. Once you’re done, come see me to get your test details. You have one week.”

The room exploded into noise.

Well, Bam thought as Yu Hansung bowed and exited from the back stage, the instant coffee addict could be dependable sometimes.

He found them in their rooms afterwards. Not wanting to be so obvious about it in the auditorium, Bam had instead used that time to comfort the friends who didn’t pass. Well, both Shibisu and Endorsi had went and outright asked Bam to be on their team, but Bam had deferred the answer. Instead, he asked them all to meet him the next day, before breakfast. Even Khun had come, though it was Hatz who invited him.

So they were all gathered here, seated on a patterned rug in a private room. Yu Hansung had even ensured there were no listening devices present.

Bam looked at each and every one of them, and opened his mouth.

“You want us to be in a team together, right?” Endorsi asked. “Good choices. I’m in.”

“Can’t you listen to him first, witch?” Anaak said snidely. “Making presumptions just makes you look foolish.”

“What else could it be! He gathered all the best people of each position!”

“Can we just get this over with?” Lauroe yawned. Actually, to say everyone was sitting was inaccurate. Lauroe was already curled like a caterpillar on his stomach. “It’s too early…”

“I’m in.” Shibisu had raised a hand. “I’m definitely in!”

“Ha ha ha!” Rak was thumping his chest. “You wish to be on a team with me, black turtle? But predators can’t be grouped with prey.”

“Rak!” Shibisu’s expression turned horrified as he whirled on the gator. He shook Rak by the shoulders. “You can’t be serious! What’re you gonna do, huh? Are you going to pass the final exam all by yourself? Think about tactics, about strategy!”

“Um.” Bam coughed. He turned to Hatz, who obediently handed him the sheet of paper. Bam held it up. “I don’t know about strategy and the like, but I’d really like to climb the tower with all of you, because you’re my friends.”

The paper was Hatz’s scout homework. Of course, Serena, Hoh, Lozeal, Deod, and Hwaryun hadn’t been able to pass. But everyone here was on the list, save Anaak and Endorsi, who’d been enlisted later.

Silence reigned.

“Well,” Shibisu mused. “I guess it makes sense. We all sit together for meals and everything. Huh. Funny how that turned out.”

“Talent draws talent,” Lauroe murmured.

“Then there’s no issue, right? We can totally ace this exam.”

“About that.” Bam drew in a breath. “Before you agree to be on a team with me, there’s something you need to know. Whether or not you choose to climb the tower with me after that, I won’t hold it against you. Actually, you should probably take some time to think about it.”

Everyone exchanged a look. It was clear that nobody expected Bam of all people to have an objection.

“I’m not great at lead ins, so I guess I’ll just come out and say it. Headon didn’t invite me to climb the tower. I opened the gate myself. In other words, I’m an Irregular.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Khun came to find him in the evening.

The sound of his door shuttering closed woke Bam from his meditation. Golden eyes slit open, then widened in shock as they took in his visitor.

Bam slipped out of his lotus pose and scrambled to his feet. “Khun!”

“Hi.” Khun smiled sheepishly. “Sorry I—are you busy?”

Bam hurriedly indicated the negative.

“Right, so.” The blue haired boy took a few steps forward. “I want to say sorry for how I reacted two days ago. Hatz gave me a dressing down.” A small, ticked look flitted his features. “Do you know how embarrassing it is for the Seppuku Swordsman to get one over me?” Khun heaved out a sigh. “But he’s right this time. My behaviour was inexcusable.”

Bam was touched by Hatz’s actions, but nevertheless he shook his head. “No, your reaction is understandable. My life is complicated, and the people around me experience a lot of danger. So I don’t blame you if you don’t want anything to do with me after knowing what it entails.”

“Well I don’t want that.” Khun said. “To have nothing to do with you, I mean. I’m still not sure about… everything. To be honest I’d like to know more. But I do know that I want to climb the tower with you.”

“I’ll share what I can,” Bam promised. “But I can’t tell you everything.” He thought back to his conversation with Hatz, and the quiet sense of peace that it gave him. “It’s not that I’m willing, but some things are hard for me to even think about. Basically, I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

Khun nodded, seeming to accept that answer.

Then, Khun spoke again, tone half hesitant, half determined. “Then, if you’re willing, could you tell me about the final exam? You said something went wrong last time. I… can’t help you if I don’t know what to expect.”

Bam slumped in relief. This one was easy.

He gave Khun a detailed rundown of what happened last time. Then he told Khun what he planned for this time.

By the end of it, Khun had taken out a spread of paper and had dragged them both to the desk, sketching out detailed maps and notes. When Bam finished talking, Khun had an annoyed tick at his temple. It was kind of fascinating.

Khun jabbed at the map. “What is this, anyway? Your plan depends on so much contrivance. It sounds like we barely passed the first time, and you want to go off galvanizing with FUG halfway through?”

“Yeah, that’s the part I had the most trouble with,” Bam confessed. He smiled at Khun. “But that’s what you’re here for, right? You’ll definitely make something work.”

“This. I.” Khun’s gaze slid away. There was a faint hint of pink dusting his cheeks. “O—of course this level of difficulty is nothing for me. But what would you have done without me?”

Bam leaned forward, resting his chin on a palm. “Not well, probably.”

Khun glanced at him. His brows were furrowed.

“Your part is risky,” he said quietly. “Are you sure you can do it?”

“Nope.” Bam smiled. “I really messed up with the Crown Game. But I have to do it to get what I want, so I will.”

Sapphire coloured eyes flicked up to meet pure golden ones. The moment seemed to stretch out for a lifetime.

Khun sighed. “Alright, I see I won’t be able to convince you otherwise.” The corners of his lips curved up, faintly mischievous. “Then as your Light Bearer, allow me to illuminate the pathway to your desires.”

Notes:

Chapter 483/S366?? Happened??? O: I'm dead. So dead. Please go read it if you haven't already.

Ahem. On another note, Floor of Test will be over soon, and then we'll be onto the Floor of Carnival! :D On the third floor, would you rather see Bam go on a 'date' with Endorsi, or a ‘reconnaissance mission’ with Khun? Please vote!... is what I originally wanted to say, but like is anyone not going to vote for Khun after this week's webtoon chapter?

SO! I will instead ask if there's any particular rides/ games you want to see the duo participate in. I can’t guarantee the suggestions will be used, because it might not fit the pacing or mood, but I’m open to ideas. Oh and, I guess if there are enough Endorsi stans here, it might still end up as a date with Endorsi!

Chapter 9: Floor of Test - Final Exam

Summary:

In which the hunters are hunted, and Bam puts his plan with FUG into action.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Do you hate us? FUG, I mean.”

“…there was a time that I hated you. But looking back at it now, I think you did what you thought was necessary at the time. I can’t deny that it’s made me stronger. Without you, without FUG, I wouldn’t have the capabilities to protect my friends, now. I think your methods could have been a little better, but I can’t argue with the results. Of course, there’s a lot in your organization that’s rot, but having seen Jahad’s armies now, I also understand that some people are just desperate. Rather than unilaterally declaring FUG my enemy, I would prefer to clean you up.”

“Is that why you’re embracing your role as a Slayer candidate… no, at this point, you’re pretty much a Slayer. It’s just a matter of technicality. So you’ve really forgiven us?”

“For all your threats, at least FUG has never killed anyone I cared about. That’s more than I can say for the others.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

The reaction to Bam’s status as an Irregular was more than he could have hoped for. In fact he had already told Hatz during the swordsman’s lunch visit, and Hatz did not seem to care, save that it would bring about more interesting challenges. Rak, likewise, had immediately decided that the Irregular designation simply meant Bam was even more valuable prey.

After that, Bam had ended the meeting, not wanting anyone else to get caught up in the heat of things and make a resolution they were not truly prepared for. He didn’t expect, however, that he would receive all his answers the next day at breakfast.

“You’re the monster under the bed. So what? I’m an unintended Princess of Jahad. In that sense, we should get along great.” Anaak leaned over the table, standing on her chair in order to maneuver her small body. “Hey you! Pass the salt!”

“Don’t just call me ‘you’.” Shibisu was crying invisible tears. Nevertheless, he handed over the salt as instructed. “How long have we been on a team together? Shouldn’t you know my name by now?”

“Know it. Don’t care.”

Bam wanted to ask what Anaak meant by unintended, but Lauroe interrupted the moment by jerking his head off the table.

“I’m in,” he said sleepily.

“That was surprisingly easy.” Khun suspended his conversation with Hatz to narrow his eyes at the Phonsekal. “You’re a member of the Ten Families, albeit not a direct descendant. Being on Bam’s team might put you in conflict. It’s not too troublesome for you?”

“That’s rich coming from someone who is a direct descendant,” Lauroe muttered. “Well, I just thought it’d be more troublesome to team up with any of the others. That girl you don’t like, isn’t she the same as you?”

Bam tensed. A few of the others around the table glanced at them. Anaak looked surprised, but Shibisu’s wince indicated that he had already figured this part out. Endorsi, who had been abnormally low-key throughout the meal, frowned. Fidgeting, Bam nodded.

“You’ve already gathered the best.” Lauroe shrugged. “I foresee that my best chances of slacking off is with you. Besides, you’re interesting.”

Hoh, Serena, and all the others who didn’t pass, unsurprisingly did not show up for breakfast. From memories of an earlier time, Bam knew they were each, in their own ways, dealing with their failure.

Afterwards, Endorsi caught him in the hallway. She grabbed his elbow and literally dragged him to an unused corner.

“Okay, let’s do it.” She huffed. “I mean, I’m already going to get into trouble for climbing with Anaak, so why not? Plus she wants to be on your team so…”

“What is it with Anaak?” Bam questioned. “Why would you get into trouble for being with her?”

The Name Hunt station had happened so long ago, and it’d been a few short days at that. His memories of that time were blurry, but he did vaguely recall that Endorsi’s bet had to do with the harassment of Anaak. At the time, he’d just thought it was more competition between Princesses of Jahad, but was it more than that?

“Eh? Your blue haired critic didn’t tell you?” Endorsi looked genuinely surprised. Then she tsked, and blew out her cheeks. “Ugh! I want to say it’s not my place but, you should know the dangers too. Listen, Anaak isn’t a real Princess of Jahad. She’s the product of a Princess who ran away and married someone without Jahad’s permission.”

“Oh.”

Bam recalled Garam’s words.

We receive great power, but in return, we take on heavy shackles…

“Wait, but if that’s the case, why’re you climbing the tower with her, Endorsi?”

“Mrgg.” Endorsi’s gaze slid away. “No special reason. I just knew her mum, that’s all.” She perked up. “Besides, isn’t it the duty of an aunt to look after their niece?”

Bam couldn’t help but smile.

“Wh—what is it?”

“I just thought, I’m so glad you’re my friend.”

Endorsi made a couple of funny expressions and ran away shouting she had practice. Bam guessed that she suddenly got dramatic inspiration. Based off what Wangnan and Boro said, she was really talented as an actress, but all talent needed to be nurtured. It was a bit disappointing it happened just as they were having a meaningful conversation, but now that they were in a team together, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Khun walked over only a few minutes later. “So did the Princess confirm membership?”

Bam nodded.

“Well then, that’s everyone.” Khun turned, inclining his head over his shoulder as a gesture to Bam. “Let’s go get the plans from Yu Hansung.”

“Yep, okay… wait! There’s still Shibisu!”

Khun snickered. “Don’t worry about it. Shibisu’s in. Like he can do anything else since both that lizard and alligator agreed.” He raised a finger, cocking a brow. “Plus, he’s talked to me about it. I guess that idiot just forgot to tell you.”

“You two are close, huh?” Whenever Team Bam and Team Shibisu had gotten together in the past, hadn’t it been those two who headed off to strategize together? And in the end, Shibisu had been the one to awaken Khun from his frozen slumber, too, because Bam was too busy with FUG…

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Khun wrinkled his nose. “But I guess we think on similar wavelengths. And he can offer some good insights, sometimes. Plus, his failures are hilarious.”

Khun’s expression lit up with some kind of ill natured glee. He looked like he was having fun. Others might think Khun was reveling in being a bully, but Bam knew his friend well enough. Khun didn’t tease like this for anyone he didn’t truly like.

There was a strange sourness in the back of Bam’s throat. Weird. He hadn’t eaten anything lemon related for breakfast.

Bam reached out, and tugged at Khun’s elbow.

“Let’s go see Yu Hansung.”

Strangely, the Test Director seemed distracted when their team went to visit. He gave them the exam rules, but he was moving differently than usual. It was only after the blond dismissed all of them that Bam realized Yu Hansung had been injured. By then it was too late to ask what had happened, and he had a feeling the coffee maniac wouldn’t share, anyway.

They received the Submerged Fish Hunt as expected. This time, it wasn’t under the Guardian’s jurisdiction, but Yu Hansung’s. The Test Director’s excuse about the high difficulty was due to their team being strong, but in reality, it was because they needed the area.

Because Bam’s team had sorted out their membership early, they had the entire week to plan and train for their final exam. Endorsi and the others primarily practiced their team forms, and how to fight together. Or, at least, how to fight without hampering other members of their team. Khun even got around the problem of Anaak and Endorsi’s constant competition by making a game of how many hunting dogs each could kill.

During this week, Bam finally got back to full fighting form. Although not yet at the levels of physicality from before he had made the time jump, his shinsu control was at least back to where it was.

Rachel seemed to have convinced the remaining Regulars to team up with her based on mutual need. That group was tense, and often seen arguing. Bam didn’t concern himself about it.

And then the day of the final examination arrived.

 

OoOoOoO

 

“The thieves are moving,” Hatz reported. “The numbers are what we predicted.”

“Good.” Khun checked the map, adding a block which digitally acted as the stand-in for the thieves. He had been worried that the ill-tempered coffee machine might add something extra, but it seemed to be proceeding as planned. Even Yu Hansung knew better than to screw this up. “Keep following them then, Hatz.”

He switched his communication channel.

“Rak, are you in position?”

“Hm! Can I start hunting now?”

“No, absolutely not. Wait ‘till the dogs appear. We attack while the dogs and thieves are fighting each other.”

This game was simple enough. One of their team members was chosen as a ‘fish’ to be fed to the Goby Queen. Their job was to protect the Goby Dolphins, who were to deliver the fish to their queen. Their main enemies were the thieves, who would steal the fish, and the dogs, who would kill the dolphins. There was also a third, special predator…

Khun clicked open his channel with their Wave Controller.

“Lauroe, how’s it going with you?”

“I’ve just collapsed the last tunnel,” the perpetually drowsy Regular replied with a yawn. “Can I go to sleep now?”

Khun’s lips quirked. “Do you want me to drop your sleeping bag into worm guts?”

“Please don’t curse me…”

“Blue turtle!” Rak’s voice blew through. “The thieves have started hunting! What should I do?”

“Calm down, Crocodile. We need to wait.” It was difficult babysitting these people.

“Ugh, but if the worms catch Smart Turtle, we fail the test. Shouldn’t we attack now?”

“This is the plan that Shibisu and I devised. Do you not trust him at least?”

Rak didn’t say anything in reply, but Khun knew that it had gotten through to him.

Well, even if it was difficult, it was rewarding, too. This sense of control as he got to play with everyone’s lives… hahaha.

Inside the main Lighthouse, Khun grinned. It would have induced nightmares if anyone saw it.

“The dogs have started moving,” Lauroe said.

“Okay.” Khun retrieved his weapon and his bag, and opened the entrance to his mainframe. He opened his last communication channel and sent the necessary data. “You two, come to these coordinates in about three minutes.”

Then Khun slipped out, running a few steps to join Rak on the outlook. His two Lighthouses joined him.

“Can you really handle it, Blue Turtle?” Rak asked doubtfully.

“Better than you, I imagine.” Khun smirked, just as the dogs burst from the worms’ insides.

When Shibisu had told him dogs dug tunnels underground, Khun had immediately thought of this method. Mapping out the underground route was a hassle though, so he almost hadn’t gone with this plan. But then Bam had talked to the red haired FUG member and they’d somehow gotten a map of the area. So they’d collapsed all the tunnels except for the ones that would lead straight to the dogs being eaten by the worms.

As expected, the thieves and the dogs began to fight.

Unfortunately, just because the dogs killed some of the worms, they didn’t kill all of them. Indeed, some of the worms were burrowing just fine, having avoided the dogs entirely. Some worms were too big to be seriously hurt by little puppies.

Fortunately, they had planned for this, too.

Khun copied his weapon with Manbarondenna, and the Lighthouses glowed in readiness for shinsu reinforcement.

“This can’t be helped,” Khun muttered to himself as he readied his spear. “We are lacking some personnel. This is just support.”

“KAK KAK KAK! TIME TO HUNT!”

Spears rained down like lightning, gutting each previously unaffected worm. The predators who weren’t already fighting looked up, eyes narrowed as they searched for the new enemy.

“Fisherman!” Khun called.

And then Anaak and Endorsi descended, and any chance that the predators had to turn things around disappeared.

 

OoOoOoO

 

While Khun and the others dealt with the predators, Bam and Shibisu enjoyed the sight of the deep ocean. They sat on some sort of platform, surrounded by a bubble which moved with the stream of fish surrounding them.

“I feel kinda guilty,” Shibisu said. He was checking his pocket yet again, but as expected, they were too far away from their team’s Lighthouse to allow for communication. “The others are fighting for their lives, and we’re just enjoying the sights.”

“Don’t worry.” Bam’s gaze was also on the shimmering fish. Their movements really were beautiful. He could see why Rachel was so enamoured with them the first time, though Bam himself had never cared for dazzling sights. He’d always been much more interested in people. “The bull will definitely come here, so we’ll get to help then.”

“Please don’t say something so scary!”

Bam laughed.

There was another stretch of silence, and then Shibisu spoke again.

“Hey Bam,” the brown haired Scout said quietly. “I’ve been wondering. Why’d you choose me?”

Bam turned from the fish, brows lowered quizzically. “Hm?”

Shibisu stretched his legs out in front of him. “I mean, I’m not strong like Rak or Hatz. I’m not skilled like Khun and Lauroe. And I’m definitely not a Princess of Jahad. So why pick me to be on your team?”

Bam stared at him, stunned.

“I guess I’m listed as the best seed for Scout,” Shibisu continued obliviously. “But during that last test… I really saw the difference between those of us who were talented, and those of us who just got by through luck. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Rak and Anaak. I’m smart, sure, but other than that, I’m nobody special.”

If it were Khun, he’d probably provide proof that Shibisu’s abilities were good enough. Although Shibisu was chosen as the fish, this was because his primary job was already completed. Khun had even said that Shibisu’s knowledge and insights were vital to the planning stages of this operation. Furthermore, any other member of their team would have difficulty with the patience required to sit still while the others fought. Therefore, Shibisu’s current role was by no means a detraction, but a necessary component.

However, Bam wasn’t Khun. He could make an argument about Shibisu’s abilities, but to be honest, Bam had never really cared about them.

But how could Bam explain everything? How could he explain their first meeting after Yu Hansung’s test, when it didn’t this time around? How could he explain his relief and awe at Shibisu’s empathy? That once upon a time, they had bonded through a shared sense of weakness?

“It doesn’t have to do with talent,” Bam said after a while, “although I think you have that, too. But Shibisu, you’re a good person. Even rarer, you’re a kind person. I can tell from our conversations during meal times, you know?”

“That’s a bit…”

“And during our position test,” Bam continued stubbornly, “didn’t you risk injury just to delay Quant, even though you knew you’d pass anyway?” The brown haired boy smiled, golden eyes shining with sincerity. “So if nothing else, I’d love to have you by my side as a friend. That’s all.”

Shibisu opened his mouth, and closed it. Then he bowed his head. “Wow. So this is why Khun and Hatz are so hung up about you, huh?”

“Eh?”

“This must be the legendary Irregular charm. I mean I heard those rumours about Urek Mazino but…” Shibisu glanced up to see innocent eyes and shook his head with a laugh. “Ah, never mind.” The Scout leaned forward, flinging an arm over Bam’s shoulder and ruffling his hair. “I’m glad you’re my friend too.”

Bam made a token protest.

They talked a bit more, primarily about how they thought the others were doing, when Bam suddenly went tense. He glanced around, flexing his fingers.

“The bull’s here,” Bam warned.

Shibisu’s jaw dropped open. “Wh—are you serious? It really came?”

“Yeah.” Bam gave a short nod as he stood up. He glanced at Shibisu. “Remember, don’t come out of this bubble for any reason. The shinsu concentration in this ocean will kill you.”

“Wait, but you’re saying that like—you’re leaving the bubble?” Shibisu shrieked. “You just said the outside conditions were deadly!”

“Deadly for you. Not deadly for me.” Bam pointed out. “Besides, how else can I deal with the bull? Wasn’t that the reason you two put me here, instead of with Khun?”

“Yeah but, I didn’t think the bull would really show up,” the Scout groaned.

“Trust me.” Bam saluted, and tipped backwards over the ledge of the platform.

The shinsu pressure sharply increased, but his body held. Actually, now that he thought about it, it was probably this high level of shinsu that allowed him to defeat the bull the first time. This was the best environment for a Wave Controller. What an unexpected boon.

The bull appeared, and Bam didn’t waste any time. He kicked his legs and swam forward, dodging its swipe and grabbing onto its tail. Then he slammed the creature downward. It shrieked, claws grasping for purchase, but of course there was nothing.

How far were they above land? Like this, the bull would fly to the depths and only re-emerge when Shibisu had safely reached the Goby Queen.

And then the bull lashed out.

Its tail whipped at Bam, curling around the Irregular’s leg, and tightening in a binding motion. Bam couldn’t quite help the ‘eep’ which escaped his lips as he too, fell with the bull.

“BAM!” Shibisu screamed as the two disappeared from sight.

Bam placed a hand on the bull’s body, meeting vengeful red eyes with his own. He smiled. “Thank you.”

When he hit the bottom of the ocean, a heap of disintegrated body parts landed around him. They hit the ground with a soft swush, sending up a small plume of dust where they fell. He took a few deep breaths, stretching his body. The bull worked as a decent enough warm up, he supposed.

Moments later, Hwaryun emerged from the depths, holding a dim lantern to light the way. Upon confirmation of his presence, she turned, and began down a familiar path. He followed.

“Does anyone suspect anything?” Bam asked.

“No. They all genuinely think you’ve been dragged down here by the bull.” They ducked into the entrance of some kind of cavern. Hwayrun glanced back over her shoulder. Her gaze was piercing. “They’re all very worried about you, too. Yu Hansung hasn’t declared you dead yet, but I give it about an hour before they start demanding a search.”

“An hour, huh. That’s tight.”

“Don’t worry, brat.” Another voice joined them as a muscular blond emerged from the shadows. “An hour is more than enough to crush your arrogance.”

Seven Lighthouses lit up the area. A woman in a long green dress was leaning against the walls of the cavern, and beside her, a male with inky hair slouched in a familiar offhand manner. Bam’s heart stuttered.

“You’ve really got the Elders in a snit.” The dark haired man took a long drag of smoke, grinning. “Whatever else happens today, I have to say, I’m impressed by your boldness. So kid, ready for your test?”

Notes:

Here you go! Early update so the end of the Floor of Test can line up with the anime. Praise me :D
In case you’re curious, the test from Khun’s end of things goes off without a hitch. Yuri doesn’t show up because she doesn’t need to search for Black March. Anaak isn’t attacked because… well, there’s actually a hint about it this chapter. But don’t worry too much about it!

Chapter 10: Floor of Test - Pass or Fail

Summary:

In which Ha Jinsung understands nothing, Bam proves that he’s awesome, and our chosen eight decide on their future.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we haven’t found you.”

“Hm?”

“Would you have climbed the tower with your friends from the testing floor? Would you have still searched for that girl, or would you have realized that there were others who cared for you? Would you have blazed through the floors with your power, or would you have enjoyed all the sights and temptations like a normal teenager? Maybe you could have even gotten a date. Heh, you certainly have enough girls chasing after you. Who’ll you pick in the end, I wonder.”

“M—Master!”

“There’s so much to experience on every floor. So many beautiful places, so much things to do. But all you’ve experienced is the blood and pain, isn’t it? If you weren’t training, you were clearing floors as the solitary Slayer candidate, destined to be set apart. I convinced myself that FUG needed you, that you were necessary for my vengeance. I really, really regret it. No, don’t say anything. That’s an order.”

“…”

“I wanted you to be happy as Viole… but now, I think I just want you to be happy.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

His master.

Tears welled up in spite of himself, and Bam had to duck his head to hide his reaction. He still remembered Kallavan’s words back at the Last Station, the knowledge that his master had died for him. Then, when he’d found out his master had somehow, miraculously survived, he had bulldozed everything in his path to rescue the one named Ha Jinsung.

But as if to mock him, the moment he reached his master, Khun Maschenny had…

Bam took a breath, and struggled to get his emotions under control. Finally he looked up again, his eyes still shiny, but otherwise presentable. It was unfortunate he couldn’t justify a hug right now. Or could he? Could he? Was there some way to make a sudden hug seem reasonable?

“Kid?” Ha Jinsung blinked. “Are you crying? I admit it’s probably scary for you, but I thought you were prepared for this.”

“Well,” Bam smiled wryly. Bury it. Bury it. He could deal with these emotions when he wasn’t bargaining with FUG. “I didn’t think I’d be put up against someone like you. I’m not so arrogant as to think I have a chance of victory by myself.”

His master barked out a laugh. “Is that what you were worried about? No, no. Commanders of Jahad’s armies would have a tough time with me, let alone a new Regular fresh from the outside. I’m just here to observe.” He tilted his head, the grin on his face growing. “Still, when I read that letter you sent, I was expecting someone like Urek Mazino. You don’t really have that aura, though.”

Bam blushed. Back before he’d gotten to know Irregular of the 77th Floor, such comments didn’t register with him, let alone phase him. This was no longer the case. “I’m not sure anyone’s quite like Mr. Urek.”

“Hahaha! That’s true!”

The muscular blond who’d come in with his master looked angered by the conversation, but didn’t interrupt. Still, his presence did remind Bam that they were on a time limit. As much as Bam would have loved continuing to talk with his master, he had other wishes now, too.

“Anyway,” Bam lifted two fingers to his mouth in thought. His eyes flickered to the Lighthouses. “Am I to assume all the Elders are watching?”

“That’s right,” Ha Jinsung nodded easily. He took another drag of smoke and gestured to the woman in green, who nodded at them blankly. “This is Charlotte. She’s in charge of connecting the video to the Elders. It wasn’t easy getting everyone together, let me tell you. But you used a name that’s very intriguing.”

“Is my name so interesting?”

“If you know who you are, you know why you’re so important to our leader, and by extension, the rest of FUG.”

“Yeah I guess so.” It was a bit of a gamble to use his given name to send a letter to Grace Mirchea Luslec through Hwaryun. Now it was time to check if it’d really worked. “And? What do you think of my proposition?”

“The Elders have decided,” the woman in green intoned, “to at least see what you have to offer.”

“And? Does that mean if I win the bet, my conditions will be met?”

A hint of anger flickered behind the woman’s dull eyes. “You should watch your tone, boy—”

“Come on, Charlotte,” Ha Jinsung placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. His tone was easy, friendly, but the woman instantly went still. Then the dark haired man nodded to Bam. “Yeah, the Elders have more or less agreed. Let’s see.” Ha Jinsung counted on his fingers. “If you win, FUG leaves you alone. We can’t interfere with you in any way unless you directly ask for help. If you and your friends unwittingly stumble into a FUG plot, FUG must protect your friends. We’re also in charge of hiding your identity as an Irregular and creating a fake history for you. After you reach the status of Ranker, you will directly join FUG, but your friends can’t be touched except in self defense. Is that about right?”

Bam nodded. Actually the fake history thing had been something Khun had brought up. Bam had asked Hwaryun to deliver the tweaked condition but he wasn’t sure if it’d be in time. It was a good thing the Elders agreed to it.

“You’re a pretty generous person,” Ha Jinsung played with the cigarette between his fingers. “These conditions aren’t necessarily bad for us, either.”

“I didn’t think FUG would agree to them if they were too severe.” That, and those were his ideal conditions. After the Hell Train, he’d firmly decided. Jahad was his enemy, and he’d have to deal with his destiny at some point. All he wanted was some time with his friends beforehand.

“Hm, you may be right. None of your requirements are that impertinent, mind you, but those old bags did hate the fact that someone would dare dictate to them like this.” Ha Jinsung breathed out. “Still, your conditions for a loss are a bit harsh, don’t you think? You’re basically agreeing to be a slave. Or are you just that confident in victory?”

It was probably better not to say anything, but this was his master asking.

“I know the Elders don’t believe I can win,” Bam said slowly. “And that’s why they agreed to this test. But at the very least, I don’t think I’ll lose.”

“Ballsy.” Ha Jinsung laughed. He took a step back. “Try your best, kid. I think I’m starting to like you.”

“Brat,” the muscular blond stepped forward. “You don’t know how high the ceiling is.” He smashed his fists together. “Don’t whine after I beat you. It’s your own fault for thinking too highly of yourself.”

In a way, Bam mused, what the man said was true. He had never reached the ceiling of his own abilities.

“I will be the referee.” Ha Jinsung said. “Charlotte is in charge of connecting us to the Elders. On that note, please do not knock out the Lighthouses.”

Both Bam and the blond nodded. Hwaryun shifted to Ha Jinsung’s side, where she would be safe.

The bet that Bam made with FUG was simple in concept. No one in the world would actually call it simple though. Bam, as a fresh invitee to the tower, had sent a challenge to a Ranker. If he won the challenge, FUG would be forced to believe in his potential and nurture him, under his chosen conditions.

He’d even allowed FUG to choose whichever Ranker they wanted, so long as the Elders were sure that person was completely loyal. There was the slight possibility that they’d choose a High Ranker just to screw him over, but Bam had banked on 1) his parents having enough allies within FUG to prevent that from happening and 2) the arrogance of the opposition in believing such measures would be unnecessary.

The muscular blond shifted into a battle stance, a sneer plastered on his features. “Tan Changmin. Ranker. You’re a Fisherman, right? I am too. We’ve seen your test results, and you’re good, I’ll give you that, but you’re nothing compared to some of the monsters I’ve seen. You’re underestimating the tower.”

Bam skipped back a few steps, making a sweep of the area. They had ducked into some kind of underwater cavern, but it was clearly the dwelling of something much bigger than regular humans. While they currently stood on a large disc like platform, much of the cavern extended to depths well beyond sight. Long spikes of stone protruded from the dark pits, of varying sizes and of varying lengths. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, but they were so far above them that one couldn’t possibly bump into one unless they flew.

Bam tilted his head towards his master. “Has it started?”

“Sure sure.” Ha Jinsung made a motion. “Begin!”

Bam took a breath. Behind him, loops upon loops of shinsu appeared. They lit up the area, creating halos of white-blue that cast Bam in an almost angelic glow. One, two, three… seventeen… thirty…

Tan Changmin’s eyes widened. “What the hell?!”

The shinsu collapsed on the Ranker, burying him in a firestream of blue.

Ha Jinsung’s cigarette fell to the ground.

Bam’s lips quirked. “Did I ever say I was Fisherman?”

If he were really trying to take out the Ranker, he’d have sent another shinsu bombardment immediately. Attacking before the opponent could react, and taking them out before they had a chance to bring out their abilities… yeah, in war, that was the smart thing to do.

This wasn’t war though. He needed to show off here. Tan Changmin had to be completely and utterly defeated.

When the shinsu cleared, the area was revealed to be completely obliterated. A spiral gorge had ate itself into the earth. In the midst of it stood Tan Changmin, who had barely raised his arms in time. He was breathing heavily, clothing in tatters, and blood trickling down every part of his body. Of course, as a Ranker, his shinsu resistance was leagues better than mere rock.

“Wave Controller,” Tan Changmin hissed. His eyes were wild.

“Was that thirty-five bangs?” Ha Jinsung whispered to the only Guide in the room. “Tell me I counted wrong.”

“If we can’t trust your eyesight,” Hwaryun said blandly, “whose can we trust?”

Tan Changmin clenched his fingers into a fist. “Alright, I acknowledge your talent. But that just makes your disrespect towards FUG even more unbearable!”

The Ranker shot towards Bam, arm cocked to punch. Bam had been watching for it, though. As soon as the other twitched, Bam leaped back. Tan Changmin swung anyway, no doubt intending to hit Bam as he landed. Bam didn’t land though. The moment his feet lifted off the ground, he activated shinsu. Two beautiful butterfly wings emerged behind him.

Tan Changmin’s momentary confusion was all Bam needed. He spiraled upwards, gathering shinsu as he did so.

“Well, creating distance is indeed the right thing to do.” Even from here, Bam could hear his master muttering. “But what Regular can fly?! Hwayrun, who the hell is this kid?”

“Hmm. Our new god, perhaps?”

From Tan Changmin’s position, dodging a direct attack would be simple. The only reason Bam was able to get him the first time was because the Ranker had been caught off guard. But if a direct attack wouldn’t do…

Wide Range Shinsu Control Skill….

Bam turned so that he could see his opponent clearly, and slashed his arm downwards like a conductor, letting go of the gathered shinsu as he did so.

…Water Dragon Heavy Storm!

Spears of pure shinsu bombarded the area, sending up plumes of dust and rock. For this attack, it didn’t matter where the opponent dodged.

“Was that Enryu’s…” Off to the side, his master was muttering again. “You know what, I don’t even care anymore.”

Tan Changmin seemed to have learned from last time, though. He’d brought out a shinsu shield, which didn’t quite manage to absorb all of the attack, but it was enough to let him keep going. Although as Regulars, only Wave Controllers were required to be able to freely manipulate shinsu, all Rankers knew how to use a few bangs. It was a skill that was impossible not to pick up on when one advanced high enough in the tower.

The Elders’ pawn dissolved his shield, snarling up at Bam. He crouched, then kicked off the ground with strength, instantly closing the distance between the two opponents.

Bam was prepared, falling sideways to avoid the strike… only for Tan Changmin to grin. He lashed out with his foot, impossibly twisting mid air in something reminiscent of a flip. Bam’s eyes widened as he sought to dodge—but his body’s reflexes weren’t good enough. The foot slammed into his stomach, sending him catapulting towards the ground.

If he hit the ground at this speed, he was dead! Well, not literally, but there was no way he could win the fight!

Bam stretched out an arm, calling shinsu. With the concentration of shinsu being what it was in this ocean, his attacks replenished faster and hit harder. It also had the added benefit of creating a certain viscosity in the air.

The shinsu rippled as his body forcibly slowed, air turning into something like molasses. Of course, that just extended his time as a cannon from half a second to a full second, but it was enough for him to flare out his wings and redirect the moment. Instead of slamming into the ground, he skidded it, tumbling into a controlled fall he’d learned from Ha Chai.

He didn’t waste any time. Knew he couldn’t afford to. As soon as he landed, he accelerated the gathering of the shinsu around him, spinning them into an orb.

The two of them kept exchanging blows. Well, Bam did his best to avoid blows while peppering his opponent with heavy ones. He used practically every technique in his arsenal. Getting hit by a Fisherman was no joke.

It was by no means easy. His reflexes weren’t what they were. Part of it was because this body simply didn’t have the battle experience, or even the amount of training. The other part was undoubtedly because he lacked Thorn. Other than power, it had given him preternatural senses. It didn’t help that Tan Changmin had his own fair share of hidden abilities. And without Thorn, Bam knew better than to try and tank them.

The only reason he was surviving now was because he had lived long enough with Thorn to understand some of how it worked. Although it took much more effort, he could sense incoming high speed attacks with the shinsu around him. He also had the mental experience to know what exactly was needed to counter his opponent’s moves.

Then, finally, Bam seemed to slip up. He failed to completely dodge a grapple.

Ranker that he was, Tan Changmin didn’t waste the opportunity. He grabbed onto Bam’s arm, squeezing hard. The blond was breathing heavily, body covered in wounds, but his eyes were lively.

“Got you,” the man smirked.

And then, the man froze. The shinsu flow in his body had momentarily, forcibly reversed.

There was a grin on the dark haired boy’s face as he leaned in. His other hand, the one not in the other’s grip, slammed into the Tan Changmin’s stomach.

Twenty-Fifth Night Style Wave Explosion: Zero (0).

Shinsu twisted out from the palm of his hand, and Tan Changmin jerked as if electrocuted. His mouth opened wide, grip on Bam’s arm slackening… and then he collapsed.

His body twitched once, twice, before going still. Nevertheless, Bam could hear his heavy breaths, and the small moans of pain which escaped his lips. Still conscious.

Although his opponent wasn’t a High Ranker, Tan Changmin wasn’t a lower tier Ranker either, it seemed.

But Bam thought he’d shown off enough. Besides, his stamina was nearing its end. Tan Changmin was breathing heavily, but so was Bam. It really was time to end this. He raised an arm, spinning shinsu into an orb shape for the last time…

“Stop. Stoooop!” Ha Jinsung sprinted over. The orb dissipated as Bam looked to his master curiously. Ha Jinsung sighed, rolling the defeated Ranker over with his foot. The blond’s body was truly a mess. “Any more, and he’ll die. This idiot’s going off willpower alone right now, and although it’s his own fault for being so stubborn, he’s related to someone troublesome. As the referee, I declare this to be your victory.”

“Oh really?” Bam allowed his arm to fall back to his side. “Then… the bet?”

“You’ve won,” Ha Jinsung said. “And by doing that, you’ve won more than just what you stated in the conditions. But I’m guessing that’s what you were aiming for?”

Showing off this much really wasn’t Bam’s preferred method of fighting. The fact that he went through all this trouble to do so… of course there was a reason.

In truth, there were more than a few ways to deal with FUG, but a bet like this was actually the safest. In the future that never was, many of the Elders had been against him. To them, he was a young upstart, and the other Slayers were much more reliable allies. After all, the other Slayers had achieved legendary feats while he was still climbing the tower. As a result, many of the Elders plotted against him and actively sought to sabotage him. That was why they tried to melt him to activate Thorn.

After the Nest Invasion, the Elders had started treating him differently. They saw his potential, and began to really have hope in him. Strangely, he even became friends with Khel Hellam, who’d been one of the most vocal against him.

In other words, if he could get the FUG Elders to see his potential earlier, they would trust him more. This not only meant that they were bound by their word to stop interfering with him, but they would actually not want to. There were, after all, many ways out of a verbal agreement and acting on the side. However, if he could change their hearts, he would no longer have to treat them as enemies.

Trust his master to have figured it out.

“Phew!” Bam plopped down on the ground. Sitting back with his palms flat against the floor, he tilted his head towards the ceiling. Sweat dripped down his face. “I’m so tired! Rankers are still a bit hard for me after all.”

“A bit hard?” Ha Jinsung barked out a laugh. “Kid, normal Regulars wouldn’t last five seconds, you know?” He shook his head. “Still, aren’t you a little too lopsided? That level of shinsu manipulation is already at the Advanced Ranker stage. In comparison, your body can barely keep up. If you continue like this, it’ll lead to serious problems down the road. Think about balance!”

Bam sat up straight, the lecturing quality of Ha Jinsung’s voice provoking an automatic reaction within him. When his master was done, Bam could do nothing but duck his head, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “Ah… yeah. I know it’s a problem.”

He may have, possibly, just possibly, been relying too much on Thorn for his sturdiness and reflexes. It was kind of embarrassing really. But to be fair, once he had Thorn, it wasn’t like he could just shut off its effects on his body.

“Hmm.” Ha Jinsung had a strange glimmer in his eyes that Bam couldn’t read. Then he smiled, slowly. “Well, any last words you want to say to the Elders before FUG leaves you alone for the next century?”

Bam thought for a moment, and then shook his head. “Anything I can ask now, I can ask a century from now.”

“Not even denying you can complete the tower within a hundred years, huh? Well then, Hwaryun will give you the appropriate contact information for if you need us.” He turned to Charlotte then. “You heard the kid. There’s nothing else.”

Bam couldn’t see his master’s expression, but he saw the way Charlotte paled. An instant later, and all of the Lighthouses were snuffed out except one.

“So, kid,” Ha Jinsung whispered as he leaned closer, “that technique you used at the end. What was it?”

Bam choked on his spit. He had to turn his head away to cough a few times. “Ummm.”

He had thought he’d unleashed that attack at close enough range that his master wouldn’t see it. He should have known better.

“So there is a connection, huh?” Ha Jinsung mused. At Bam’s panicked look, he let out a chuckle, and patted the boy’s shoulder a few times. “Alright, alright, I’ll keep my curiosity in check for now. I recognize we’re short on time.”

He gave Bam a wink, and stood up, gesturing to their Lightbearer. Charlotte walked over, storing Tan Changmin’s body none to gently within one of her Lighthouses.

Hwaryun came over, gesturing for Bam to follow her. They walked towards the exit. Bam said his farewells, and Ha Jinsung replied with a nod. As Bam and Hwaryun disappeared into the cavern pathway, he heard his master’s voice call out one last time.

“I look forward to our next meeting, Jue Viole Grace!”

…huh? Why did that goodbye sound so ominous?

 

OoOoOoO

 

He ended up taking more than an hour.

It was for the better, though. He was ‘miraculously found’ by Yu Hansung after all, so it probably made more sense for him to turn up later rather than sooner. Everybody fussed over him, taking special care of his injuries and exhaustion. Khun especially was gentle, being the only one aware of the true cause of his state. Bam too asked after them, and happily listened to everyone’s enthusiastic explanation of what happened and their parts in it.

He also found out that during the time he was gone, Rachel’s team had undergone their final exam. It was not the Submerged Fish Hunt, but some sort of Lost and Found game. At the end of it, about half the team had passed. Rachel had failed.

Khun looked over at him in surprise, and Bam smiled back. In truth, he had made one more request of FUG. Whether or not he won the bet, he’d wanted Rachel to stop climbing the tower. This way was really the best. With Yu Hansung in control of the exams, there was no way to mess up like the Crown Game. She would be fine outside of the tower.

“Congratulations!” Yu Hansung applauded when everyone was done. “You’ve all managed to survive. Now, get a good night’s rest. Those of you who failed, you have an important decision to make about whether you’ll go back to your home floor, or want to stay on this one. Those of you who passed, you will be transported to the Third Floor tomorrow.”

He paused.

“Actually, you too have an important decision to make. Unlike the second floor, where individuals would be assessed, you will be primarily assessed in teams from Floor Three onwards. Most people collect team members as they ascend, or form temporary teams to tackle a test. It is also possible, however, to form a Permanent Team now, and register with me. That way, you’ll be awarded team points instead of individual ones, and won’t be separated. Well, it’s your decision!”

Yu Hansung left them with a flutter of his sleeves. Later that evening, after the celebrations, the Submerged Fish team just sort of gravitated towards each other.

“A permanent team is better than a new one every time, right?” Endorsi asked. “I’m not the only one who thinks so?”

Lauroe yawned. “Our strengths do compliment each other.”

“I shall stay until I can hunt the Black Turtle and the Lizard Turtle!”

And that was that.

When Yu Hansung asked them to register their team name, however, they came up against another roadblock. No one could agree on what to call themselves. Rak wanted to name the team after himself, which Khun and Endorsi immediately vetoed. Then Endorsi suggested naming the team after herself, but this just provoked a fight with Anaak. Khun tossed out a few that Bam thought were pretty good, but his smugness got pretty much everyone to veto his ideas out of hand. Shibisu kept suggesting names that were either obscure references or, frankly, just plain embarrassing.

“Argh! You’re all so annoying!” Lauroe shouted. “I just want some peace. Why don’t we do it this way? Bam’s the one who brought us all together, so let’s just go with whatever name he comes up with.”

Seven pairs of eyes turned to Bam.

“Ummm.” This pressure was too huge!

But he couldn’t let them down.

Bam took a breath, thinking hard. Then, miraculously, the words came to him. He smiled, his eyes falling on Khun. The blue haired boy was seated with one leg pulled to his chest, chin resting against a palm. He seemed to startle at the look.

“Well, we’re not ones to be caged by rules.”

Then Bam’s eyes flickered to Shibisu, catching the scout’s gaze. The brown haired Regular half jumped from his spot on the floor, banana drink standing half forgotten next to his crossed legs.

“Not only doing what is convenient.”

Next was Hatz, who met Bam’s regard calmly. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed as a smile pulled at his lips. His swords hung loosely from his waist.

“Following our own code.”

Then it was Lauroe, who despite his complaints of exhaustion, looked interested in what Bam was saying.

“Our own desires.”

Endorsi straightened, a coy smile on her lips as she winked at him. Still, there was something troubled about her body language.

“Meant for more than we can imagine.”

Rak grinned when it was his turn, showing all teeth.

“Steady in our convictions.”

Anaak jerked her chin up in challenge when his gaze fell on her.

“Not beholden to any other power.”

Bam exhaled. The faint expiration of air felt loud in the nearly soundless room.

“We decide ourselves what is right and what we want to do. Boundless and free.”

He smiled at all of them. His friends. There were no other people in the world he would rather be with.

“Let’s call ourselves… Team Endless Sky.”

Notes:

And we are finally done Arc 1: Retracing Familiar Steps! Just a fun little epilogue left, and then we’ll be onto Arc 2: The Birth of a Legend! By the way, I noticed that this fic now has over 1000 kudos. Thank you everyone for the support <3

On another note, the last episode aired today! The anime's been ups and downs for me, but this episode was sooo good. I don't really know how to feel about Rachel's more sympathetic portrayal, but it was done really well so I'll take it. And that last clip was so hype! I cannot wait for season 2!

p.s. I realized after picking the team name that Endless Sky was already the name for one of Bam’s moves. But it took me a long time to come up with okay, and I can’t think of anything better, so we’re sticking with it. Let’s just pretend that Bam’s move doesn’t exist in this universe >.> <.<

Chapter 11: Floor of Test - Epilogue

Summary:

In which we pick the brains of some other powers at work.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Paper clinked against porcelain. The faint aroma of coffee filled the air as steaming water turned a muddy brown, and the instant espresso tube was tossed away.

Yu Hansung stirred his masterpiece, only nominally listening to the angry voice buzzing from his pocket.

“Luslec is obsessed,” the voice on the other end was ranting, as he had been for the past fifteen minutes. Idly, Yu Hansung wondered what state FUG would fall into if they knew their Elders could be like gossipy housewives.

The blond raised his porcelain cup, testing out the liquid within with his tongue. Still a bit hot. “Should you be talking about our esteemed leader like this?”

The reply from the pocket could only be described as a grumble. “It doesn’t make it less true. We would have never given that child’s proposition a second glance if Luslec hadn’t pushed it so hard. He even said he’d hand over Riselette if the kid lost.”

Riselette? Yu Hansung set down his coffee, and shook his head with a wry smile. “You didn’t think the deal was suspect if our leader was willing to offer that? In this instance, you can only blame it on your own greed.”

“Easy for you to say. Who’d ever heard of a Regular, and fresh one at that, defeating a Ranker? Even Urek Mazino wasn’t that strong when he first arrived.”

That was debatable. Urek Mazino’s physical capabilities had been off the charts. It was only the fact that he was unfamiliar with shinsu that tripped him up. Once he did get a handle on the lifeblood of the tower, though… There were also the Regulars who reached enlightenment much earlier, and chose to stop their climb before becoming a Ranker. And of course, there was Adori Jahad.

Still, it was true that all of them had taken decades, if not centuries, to get as far as Jue Viole Grace was now.

“That child is frightening, no?” Yu Hansung mused, his eyes taking a faraway quality as he thought back to the recordings of the tests. “Really, I got chills. But, isn’t this good for FUG?”

There were a few, blessed seconds of silence, and Yu Hansung wondered if the person on the other end had finally hung up. Perhaps he had gotten bored, or had found some work he needed to do. But then all hopes were dashed.

“He’s too free spirited.” Strangely, the voice was rather subdued. “It makes some of the others worry. But in general, we’re in agreement that we don’t want to make him our enemy. He really could be it, Hansung. He could be our hope.”

That, Yu Hansung already knew. He had seen it when he’d found… well, it no longer mattered. Things hadn’t gone according to predictions, had they? Unlike the others, namely Khel Hellam and his ilk, Yu Hansung wasn’t too concerned about the changes from the visions. Didn’t that just speak of the boy’s power?

More than that, Jue Viole Grace had the right character. When Yu Hansung had placed him on a team with his enemy, during the Position Game, it had been a test to investigate his volatility. From the moment he sent the letter, Jue Viole Grace had proven himself not to be the pawn, but the Wild Card. It made him a better ally, yes, but also a more dangerous one.

So Yu Hansung had done what he did best, and made a little test. When faced with his enemy, what would Viole choose to do? Yu Hansung would have accepted any answer, and planned accordingly, but even he didn’t expect Viole to choose… that one. If he were a Guide, he would call it the Optimal Path. How hard was it to walk that path, however? What level of restraint and maturity did it require? The Test Director wasn’t sure if he himself could do it if placed in a similar situation.

Perhaps it was at that moment that Yu Hansung decided he would commit fully as an ally.

“Yes,” the blond murmured. “He could be the one to change fate. Still…” The Ranker closed his eyes. “What a burden to put on the shoulders of a boy not yet a century.”

“He’s an Irregular. It is his fate.” There was a pause. “Although I have been wondering about that. That name he gave us—is he some relation of our leader’s? But Luslec is still a resident of this tower. And the way Luslec treats him isn’t like a father does a son, it’s like…”

There were few alive who still remembered Arlene and V. Fewer still who knew what happened to them.

The coffee had cooled enough. Yu Hansung took a tentative sip. Ahh, bliss. “If there is something, why do you think I would know?”

“Hansung, you,” the pocket jilted in frustration. “Fine, whatever. Keep up that mysterious act of yours.”

“Hahaha, thank you for your permission, Esteemed Elder.”

“Well then?” the Elder grumbled. “How went your other task? Did you manage to deal with that Jahad assassin?”

“Well,” Yu Hansung took another sip of his coffee, ignoring the sting at his waist at the mention of that name. “I killed her, yes. Or at least, I killed the body she sent to this floor. More importantly, I’m certain she believed I acted against her for the interests of this floor.”

“And her mission?”

Yu Hansung shook his head. “There was no good way to give her Green April without also having Anaak Jahad’s death at her hands. And part of Jue Viole Grace’s deal was…”

“…that we don’t endanger the lives of his friends, yes I am aware. Damn it!” A crash and a bang. “If she goes after Anaak Jahad in the future, Viole will become involved. That kid is good, but he’s still growing, and she’s a High Ranker. They wouldn’t stand a chance against her. We can’t even send obvious help. If his connection with FUG is discovered, it’s over.”

“You sound worried about him.”

“I’m worried about the future of FUG!” A few, deep breaths. “Okay, what about the ‘graduation rings’ you gave them? Maybe we can use those to track Viole’s movements and pull some strings.”

Yu Hansung winced. “Ah yes, about those, Viole refused them.”

“…what?”

“I even told Viole what they were, and how they could be helpful in keeping track of his teammates. But Jue Viole Grace is adamant in blazing his own trail, I think. Haha, the smile he gave me shaved a few centuries from my life, hahaha.”

“Yu Hansung you…! What’s the use of you!”

“Don’t be so mean. Who else would listen to you complain like this…”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

“Really, I’m surprised you chose to stay, Hoh.”

The brown skinned boy looked over. Currently, he and Serena were sitting on the front porch of their new house. Although neither of them had passed the Position Test, they had accumulated enough points to live decently on the Second Floor. The points to cash conversion was insane. When Serena found out, she’d fumed over how much the lunch lady had ripped them off.

Of course, their Test Director had smirked and told them about supply and demand, and asked whether they would rather starve?

Yeah, in some ways, Serena was glad she was done with the tests.

“I have nowhere to return to,” Hoh said softly. “Isn’t it the same for you?”

Serena squirmed uncomfortably. They had, the both of them, shared their pasts at some point during their teamship. It’d been a rather drunken night, started for fun and ending in sobs. She didn’t like to remember it.

“Yeah but,” Serena pulled her legs up to her chest. “It’s difficult. At the time, I just thought—new place, new life! But, it’s really different on this floor, isn’t it?”

The culture was completely different. The technology was different. Heck even the drinks available weren’t the same as it was on Serena’s floor. As someone who’d been invited to the Tower, she was allowed to keep what she bought from there, but they were all given strict orders to not pass their things to the Outer Residents.

Hoh hummed. “I will survive, until he comes back.”

Serena glanced at her friend, blinking. “What?”

Hoh was looking up at the night sky, perfectly expressionless. For a moment, Serena wondered if he wouldn’t answer, but then he spoke. His voice was soft enough that she had to strain her ears to hear his words. “The night my tribe was killed, I begged to die with them. But the murderer just laughed at me. He told me he was a Ranker of the Tower, and since I’d showed off my shinsu control abilities, I might be chosen for the climb. He said that if I hated him, if I hated what their company had done, I should climb the tower and take my revenge.”

The blond shivered, and Serena’s heart sunk. This part, this part Hoh had never shared, and there was something about the blank quality of his voice that felt ominous.

“Obviously, I couldn’t climb the tower. I wasn’t talented enough. Of course I wasn’t.” Hoh closed his eyes. “I did, briefly, contemplate that my life wasn’t worth living.”

“Hoh…”

Yellow eyes fluttered open again, and the blond sent a smile towards the dark haired girl. “Don’t worry, Serena. Bam… he noticed my mood and came to talk to me already. And he told me, he told me that he’d find the Ranker who destroyed my clan and bring me his head. So I, I can’t die until that time.”

“That’s.” Stricken, Serena scooted forward, taking Hoh’s hand in hers.

“But I know,” Hoh whispered in the dark, “I know that Bam is a kind person. Climbing the tower takes hundreds of years, and failed applicants can only live to 600 at most. And he’s so strong, so bright, no doubt he’ll make hundreds more friends. Can he possibly still remember the people from the Testing Floor when he ascends? You would think so too, right? What if he never comes back, and just told me this so that I won’t kill myself? Even so, I want to believe in him. So I’ll wait. I’ll wait…”

Serena swallowed, and squeezed Hoh’s hand. Hoh didn’t squeeze back.

What Hoh was waiting for may indeed be hopeless. To be honest, Hoh didn’t even know that Ranker’s name or his appearance, did he? Was Bam supposed to find someone like that in 600 years? And Hoh, while without a doubt someone whom Serena highly valued, was perhaps not at the level where he could truly be friends with someone like Bam. After all, Bam hadn’t gone to them when selecting his teammates for the final exam.

Granted, the fact that they failed the position test was their own fault, but Serena had heard from Shibisu that Bam had asked Khun to make sure Anaak had a chance to shine to get the requisite points. Didn’t that prove that Bam had already selected his teammates from the start, and that they just didn’t make the cut?

“Haaah.” Serena exhaled, and leaned her head against Hoh’s shoulder. Well, she supposed she couldn’t blame the kid. She would make the same decision, in his shoes. Besides, she was not left alone. Didn’t she have a perfectly suitable teammate beside her?

She had already decided. She didn’t need the tower to find happiness.

“Hoh,” she whispered, as she too raised her gaze to the night sky. The stars were beautiful, she thought, yet so so distant. “While you wait, I’ll find you another reason to live, kay?”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

“He’s different from what we expected.” The voice was low, melodious. If any of the Regulars from the Testing Floor were watching, they would have been shocked to see it coming from hulking, red skinned Ghost.

“Yes, well.” Headon tapped the marble white rod against the wall. There was an uncharacteristic frown on his features. “My visions concerning him have gone dark. Most strange. I had hoped it was just a momentary lapse on my part. I’d been recovering from a cold, you see. So, I sent that girl up with you. But nothing’s gone as it should have.”

“What an unpleasant task.” Ghost tugged at his cloak. One of the segments came loose, and a long, red tentacle rushed out, twitching under the cool air.

“Hey now, none of that,” Headon snapped. “If you destroy that armour, who knows when we’ll be able to get another set?”

“I hate this form. Even though there’s only a fragment of me here, it seeks to be free of these restraints. I can’t even talk properly unless I’m with you or one of the others.”

“We need this body now more than ever,” Headon urged. “We need to figure out what went wrong. You are the only one free enough to move about and do that.”

“Fine,” Ghost sighed. “And? Any more useless tasks, like protecting that Uninvited?”

“No.” Headon breathed out a laugh. “There’s no need. Our Prophesied One clearly isn’t interested in her, so there’s no need for us to be.”

And yet, what had happened indeed? The 25th Bam… the child who was born the night the tower cried… something had changed, and Headon knew not if it was for good or for ill.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

All her dreams had come crashing down around her.

Because of him.

Always because of him.

Huddled in the corner of her hotel room, curtains sealed to prevent the touch of artificial light, Rachel clung to her head and sobbed. She was in the Outer Tower of the second floor, because all those who had passed had already ascended, and she could no longer stay within. But she could not leave, either. Even if she could get out of the tower, what awaited her outside was hardly any better.

They had, every last one of them, abandoned her. The tall brute who was supposed to be her protector, hadn’t lifted a finger to help her during the final exam. The ugly red haired wench (but that was a lie—she was beautiful, so beautiful, everything Rachel wanted—) had avoided her. The Test Director had even called her aside on the last day and told her the deal was not going to work out. He had promised compensation, so that she’d be able to live a comfortable life, but that wasn’t what she wanted.

“You promised me,” Rachel had yelled, her teeth aching from constant grinding. “You promised me that I could take his position. That I could become the heroine!”

“Well,” the Test Director’s voice had been bland. “It turns out that your Bam is more awesome than we thought.”

Of course. Of course he was. Because he was born special. Unlike her.

He had the power. He had good looks. He had the stupid protagonist aura which drew amazing people to him like flies. In an instant he had managed to turn the entire group against her, by doing nothing but foolishly being hit by an attack not even meant for him.

Mistress Arlene may have called him a monster, but didn’t that mean she was pinning all her hopes on him?

He was the existence that had caused her to be cast aside. He was the existence destined to bring doom to them all, yet everyone flocked to him like a savior.

His existence was a chain. An ever tightening noose around her throat.

“Forget about him.” The Test Director had smiled, and it was like staring at death. “If you try to move against him again in the future, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay polite.”

Even Bam had abandoned her.

His actions sent her reeling. When she had first seen him on Headon’s Floor, she had been in complete disbelief. Since when was Bam so confident, so powerful? How had she missed that aspect about him? No—she hadn’t missed it, she was sure. Bam was too naive and too trusting towards her to be able to hide something of that magnitude. Besides, she was his only visitor. Only she could be his visitor. There was no one he could have learned anything from except her, and she certainly hadn’t taught him anything he’d done to get past the Eel.

Then the Crown Game happened, and Bam’s eyes… had been so cold. He’d been ready to shatter her dreams, maybe even kill her. Although she’d initially planned for Ghost to kill their opponent, and retrieve the crown in doing so, thus ending the round and saving her life, what happened next was acceptable too. Bam had nearly destroyed himself to save that blue haired boy.

(And wasn’t that infuriating—seeing Bam so desperate to save someone else’s life, seeing the frantic way the other boy pleaded for Bam’s life, as if he knew anything about Bam—)

The result had been good for her. The way Bam was had frightened her. Honestly she’d wanted to go up to the next floor right then and there, but Ghost had warned her against it. There was, after all, no way to take Bam’s place if she wasn’t in the same place as him.

Still, the unease stayed. If Bam still cared about her, why had he acted the way he did? Had he been that mad she’d abandoned him? But no, something about that explanation didn’t seem right.

However, in the month leading up to the position test, he never sought her out. Never tried to finish what he’d started. That was fine, because she wanted to avoid him. She didn’t want to see his face and remember his frozen eyes. Didn’t want to experience that fear again.

(Didn’t want to see him laughing so happily with his new friends, when before, it would have been her and only her in their place. Had he just replaced her with the prettier, stronger models? Was that why he was so willing to push her into exile?)

The blue haired boy, Khun, had done everything in his position to sabotage her. More infuriatingly, he hadn’t seemed to care that she knew, even going as far as to smirk at her whenever she failed an assignment. It made her want to strangle him. If only Bam had been a step too late and Ghost had obliterated him—but no, he didn’t deserve such a quick and painless death.

It was honestly a miracle that she’d made it into the Position Test. It was more miraculous still when Bam seemed to accept her presence and gave her a chance to pass on her own merits.

(Why was he treating her like this, she’d thought. When he said he cared about them more than her, she felt like she’d been slapped in the face. There was once upon a time where you knew nothing, she’d wanted to scream at him. Without me, you would have nothing!)

And then the final exam happened, and everything came crashing down around her.

Bam had even said goodbye to her, and told her to take care, as if he weren’t the sole reason for her current misery.

It was just like the last time. Just like the events which led to her meeting with the child trapped beneath the city.

Rachel’s sobs grew louder, snot running down her face and mixing with her tears. She didn’t care. Who would care? Nobody was here to see it anyway.

And then the doorbell rang.

“Go away!” Rachel screamed.

There was a pause, but no sound of retreating footsteps. Then, the door blasted off its hinges.

Rachel stared, wide eyed, mouth slightly agape as she took in the carnage. Light streamed into the darkened room, illuminating two shadows from the doorway.

“Oh wow, you’re pretty hardcore.” A familiar voice mused.

The lights flicked on, and Rachel hissed, swiping at her eyes. When the blurry vision spots cleared, she finally got a good look at her two interlopers. One was a tall woman in a green dress. The other was…

“Why are you here?” Rachel hissed. “Haven’t you been trying your best to avoid me this past week?”

Hwaryun shrugged. With her slim figure, the gesture looked graceful, insouciant. “I was being watched. Even if I can usually evade detection, it was Yu Hansung’s territory after all. Buut, I don’t think you’re really interested in me.” She nodded to the woman in green.

The tall woman stepped forward. Her smile was kind, but her eyes were full of disdain. “Rachel the Irregular, right? I’m Charlotte, a Ranker. I’m here on behalf of the Elders of FUG. How would you like another chance to climb the tower?”

Then Charlotte began explaining what they wanted from her. Rachel’s eyes grew wider and wider. At the end of it, she could only sit in stumped silence. What they were asking for was sheer insanity. The part of her that was still angry rebelled against the notion. But at the same time, she realistically knew she had no other option.

They would see through her in time. She realized that she was only getting this deal because the Elders were fundamentally mistaken about a key aspect of her nature. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t take advantage of it. She’d find some way out of this, eventually, either by proving herself useful or through escape. She would use them, just as they were planning to use her.

So when Hwaryun reached out a hand, Rachel took it.

“Guide me properly, this time,” Rachel said viciously.

“I only seek the best for those I Guide.” The smile which played across Hwaryun’s lips was teasing, secretive. “Now, will you grow to be a rose or a thorn? I guess only time will tell.”

.

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“Heeey, this is Ren. Yeah, I failed to retrieve the Green April. Yu Hansung was tougher than I expected. But that fight was so aaaah. Huh? No! I didn’t deliberately sabotage negotiations just to have fun! You know how protective these administrators are about their floors. But don’t worry, our Lo Po Bia family has some connections with the upper floors. That girl won’t escape. Prooomise!”

END OF ARC 1: RETRACING FAMILIAR STEPS

Notes:

Okay, I know a lot of info was presented here. Don’t worry too much about it! Most of this stuff won’t be relevant until like Arc 4-6 (except for Ren, who'll be the main antagonist of Arc 2), but it just made most sense for the characters to talk about them now.

Also, for those of you who are Canadian like me, Happy Canada Day!

Edit: Okay! From the early comments, it seems like quite a few of you are worried that Rachel will take canon!Bam's place. I'm just going to reassure you all here (because not everyone comments) that this will not be the case. In the first place, Rachel is nothing like Bam. She doesn't have his special powers, so she physically can't learn the same things he did. Also FUG is not looking to replace Bam with Rachel. The FUG elder at the beginning of this chapter stated that Jue Viole Grace is their hope, right? FUG wants Rachel for something else, and as for what that is - I do think I've given enough hints throughout, and if you mix that with your knowledge from canon, it should be possible to figure out FUG's agenda.

(Also, since I was editing anyway, I moved the Ren sentence from the last chapter to this one - it seems to flow a bit better. So if you were confused to see the same thing twice, it's not a duplicate, it's just traveled to the future XD)

Chapter 12: ARC 2 - The Birth of a Legend

Notes:

Alright, it’s the start of a new arc! As such, there are a few announcements I must make. Ahem.

First, there will be a few changes to the format. For instance, although we’ll mostly stay in Bam’s POV, other characters can be featured too! Also sadly no more future snippets, unless Bam directly thinks about them within the story itself.

Second, the ToG wiki mentions that Regulars don’t have access to the Middle Tower during the floor 2-20 climb. That’s not very conducive to world building. Neither do I want to write 20 floors of our favs being stuck inside… hitting too close to home man! So we’re scraping that! In this universe, Regulars can access the Middle Tower as soon as the third floor. They’re just not allowed to retry tests if they fail, and tests get harder from the 20th floor onwards, as per stated by canon.

Third, I do not have the brainpower to come up with 134+ tests for the tower. Therefore, while some tests will be original, many of them will be taken from other properties and tweaked to suit the ToG universe. At the end of each test, I’ll mention where I got the Test/Game’s inspiration from. If you’re able to guess it before I reveal it, congratulations! Add a star point to your ladder, and we’ll see who’s the nerdiest of them all at the end!

(Also a lot of the landscapes of floors 3-19 are going to be from one of my favourite games, Trials of Mana. It recently got a remake and I’ve always loved the environments so, here’s my contribution! Promotion through fanfic! XD)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Welcome to the Floor of Carnival, the endless amusement park! Tired after Evankhell’s Hell? That’s what we’re here for! Our lovely Test Director, Kim Sanghee, wants nothing more than to help you Regulars recover from the trauma of the Second Floor. Rest. Feast. Play! That is the philosophy of the Third Floor!”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

Endorsi leaned against the edge of the hot tub pool, letting out a sigh of contentment. Around her, steam danced upwards, giving the room a dream-like quality. Ahh. It felt as if the past month’s grime and exhaustion was finally being washed away.

On the other side of the four person spa tub, Anaak sat, elbows propping herself up and head tilted back. She had a blissed out expression on her face.

“I can’t believe they’re providing us with this,” Endorsi hummed. Earlier today, they’d arrived on the third floor, to a warm welcome and a tour of their residence. They’d essentially gotten a whole villa to themselves.

“Heh.” There was a goofy grin on Anaak’s face. Endorsi stared, fascinated. She’d so rarely seen the lizard so outright happy like this. “Well we deserve it after all the shit that was the second floor.”

“Won’t argue with that.” Endorsi had always thought that Yu Hansung was unbearably cheap. Sinking into the water, the princess looked around. “Do you suppose the boys might try to take a peek?”

“Haaa? Did the steam get to your brain, Horned Woman?”

“It’s what all the anime shows!” Endorsi argued. “The female team members take a bath, and the depraved male members attempt to see the beautilicious—”

“The last thing they’d see would be the underside of Green April,” Anaak said with a scowl. She shook her head, glaring at Endorsi. “Why’re you so weird? Nobody’s interested in that kind of thing.”

“Ehh.” That was right, no one was interested. Shibisu was too cowardly, Hatz focused on his sword form, and Lauroe only had eyes for his pillow. Khun was maybe interested in one person, but they definitely weren’t female. And as for Bam, well, she couldn’t really imagine him being lecherous at all.

Rak didn’t even cross her mind.

As for her, she was a Princess of Jahad. Relationships were against the rules.

“You know,” she suddenly murmured, “When I living with the Hendo Lok Family, I was given a much more luxurious residence than this. The hot tubs were filled with rhinstite, and the lights were made of diamonds.”

Anaak made a noise of disgust, “If you want to brag—”

“I was so unhappy.” Endorsi closed her eyes, but that didn’t stop the images from flashing across her mind. “By that point, I’d already killed anyone who could have been my friend. All for the title of Princess of Jahad.”

Anaak was quiet for a moment. Then. “Do you expect me to feel sorry for you? You brought that on yourself, witch.”

Endorsi let out a laugh. “I know. Even so, I thought I’d lost the ability to love and have kindness. Then I met your mother, the original Anaak Jahad.”

The mixture of jealousy and awe which had overtaken Endorsi then had shaken her. Jealousy that Anaak Jahad was raised in love. Awe that she had been able to act with it. Then, when the news had come in that Anaak had deserted with a man, Endorsi hadn’t known what to feel. Regret perhaps? Wistfulness? Then the Guide had told her that Anaak’s daughter was climbing the tower, and Endorsi had…

“Well, we’re on the same team now, so I should probably make it clear.”

Truly, this team was miraculous. They had accepted her, in spite of her past. They genuinely seemed to enjoy being around her, not just for her position but for her personality. How long had it been since she’d truly had fun? How long had it been since she had relaxed, not because she was confident in her own strength, but because she trusted the people around her?

She took a breath, orange eyes fluttering open to meet the lizard girl’s widened brown ones. “I won’t betray you. I promise.”

For a long moment, nothing but the sound of sizzling water jets greeted them.

“You’d better not, Horned Woman,” Anaak said finally. “I wouldn’t spare you if you did.”

But for once, the lizard didn’t look combative.

Then she made a noise of disgust, and turned away. “Besides, other than Bam, who could keep up with all your chatter?”

“Oi! Men are privileged to hear me talk! Shibisu, for instance.”

“Isu’s just scared of saying no!”

“My, are you jealous?” Endorsi smirked. Anaak exploded in a burst of angry splutters. “Say, out of all the members of our team, who would you rather marry, date, and kill?”

Haaa?”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

“Woow.” Bam looked around with wide eyes, and Khun couldn’t help but smile.

Brightly coloured tents spread out in every director, with vendors and hosts advertising their products and games to any passerby. In the distance, large attractions loomed over the area. Crowds of people milled down the streets, chattering excitedly and sampling a variety of carnival foods. Bam seemed particularly interested in that.

Today was their second day on the third floor. The evening before, Khun had asked Bam out to get a lay of the land. Bam had agreed.

“Haven’t you been here before?” Khun asked. He only indirectly referenced what Bam told him about the future.

It was still incredible. Bam had traveled back in time. And for them, it seemed like.

“Um.” Here, Bam cast down his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, back then, I didn’t really care for anything. So I just directly converted my points to take the test.”

When Endless Sky had arrived on the third floor, they’d been greeted by the tour guide, Miki. He’d explained that their Test Director had decided to make the floor a place of rest, as a reward for the Regulars who passed the grueling trials of Evankhell. Regulars could opt to take the test at any time, but Miki had warned them that the third floor had one of the highest failing rates before the twentieth floor. Therefore, Miki suggested, they probably should take a break and maybe do some training before tackling the test. A month at least.

Khun hesitated. He wanted to know more about the test, and they had a convenient source of information right here, but Bam clearly didn’t have a good time remembering it.

Bam seemed to notice his hesitation. “You want to know what it was like, right?”

As always, Bam seemed to read his mind. There was a pang in his chest, a mixture of pleasure and frustration, that Bam was so easily able to read him. At the reason why Bam could read him.

“I don’t really remember the specifics of it.” Bam mused. “But I don’t think it was particularly difficult. I remember I got a ridiculously high score. Still, I took it individually. We’re going as a team, right? Maybe it’ll be different.”

There was a smile on his lips as he said the word ‘team’.

“Yeah,” Khun’s returning smile was like quicksilver. He bumped Bam’s shoulder. “So let’s take a look around, eh? As a team.”

But first they had to convert their points.

Carnival Points were the lifeblood of the third floor. They could be converted from Tower Points at the ratio of 5:1, or they could be earned through playing carnival games. While food was free, Carnival Points that were required for everything else, including playing the carnival games in the first place. Of course, Carnival Points couldn’t be turned back into Tower Points, so one had to be careful with the conversion.

Since it was just reconnaissance, they shouldn’t use too much. Besides, they could always win carnival games rather than use their precious Tower Points. They converted the bare minimum of what they could get away with.

“Is there anything you want to do?” Khun asked.

Bam shook his head, a helpless grin on his face. “I don’t know what any of this is.”

It wasn’t like Khun did, either. His family wasn’t exactly one for fun vacations. But he was nothing if not prepared.

“Then, let’s go to the petting zoo.” Khun said. He’d looked at the pamphlet last night and highlighted all the places he thought Bam would like. “They have some interesting creatures there.”

They went. There were indeed a lot of weird creatures. All of them were tame and on the less dangerous side. Khun recalled seeing one or two of them before, as pets for some of his siblings, but much of them were new to him.

“So there are animals like this too, huh?” Bam was grinning as he ran his hand through the fur of a Puff Llama. “I never knew.”

“It is strange,” Khun confessed, taking a look at the plaque which was meant to display information on the animals. “It says that these lifeforms live in the tower by acting in a symbiotic relationship with the more menacing Helal Phants. So there are existences like this too, huh.”

“Come on Khun!” Bam leaned over and took Khun’s hand. Khun was too startled to stop him. Then Bam pushed Khun’s hand into the Puff Llama. “Come pet him. It’s relaxing, isn’t it?”

Khun looked at Bam’s smile, and his shoulders drooped. Obediently, he ran his fingers through the animal’s fur. This wasn’t something he’d ever done before. His mother would think it dirty, and that was if they could ever find such tame creatures on their home floor.

For a while, the two simply petted the animal together. Surprisingly, Khun did feel that the more he petted, the more his stress from the last month seemed to melt away.

“That was miraculous,” Khun said after they’d left the llama’s pen, stunned. “I should look into getting one of those for our team. It could help with morale.”

“I don’t think a pet would survive the tests, though,” Bam said mournfully. “None of us are anima, so we wouldn’t be allowed to bring one.”

That was sadly true.

They saw a few more creatures. None were as fluffy as the Puff Llama, but there were quite a few amusing ones. There was this one monkey-like creature who tried to eat Khun’s hair. Only Bam’s laughter saved it from evisceration.

Nevertheless, Khun couldn’t say that the petting zoo was the most popular attraction on the Floor of Carnival. That was why he was surprised when he spotted a large crowd in one of the areas. He and Bam glanced at each other, and mutually decided it was worth checking out.

They headed over to the congestion. Regulars surrounded a large fenced off area, hooting and making bets with each other. Inside the pen was a young woman clinging to a bull-like creature for her dear life. It was thrice the size of her.

Then the bull made a particularly daring move and flung its interloper from its back. The Regular went sailing, her scream shrilling through the air.

“That’s three minutes and forty-five seconds!” One of the petting zoo employees shouted, clicking a time keeping device. A cheer came out from the crowd. A couple of groans, too.

The female Regular, who’d been flung to the ground, groaned as she rubbed her butt. Grumbling, she walked back to the mob. Some of the people ribbed her in good fun.

“Alright!” The employee was grinning as he held up the time keeping device. “Who’s next?”

“What’s going on?” Khun asked a random person beside him.

“Oh, it’s the bull challenge,” the man grinned. He was old, with white hair. “It takes two hundred points to challenge. But if you can ride the Bull for ten minutes, you’ll get a thousand carnival points.”

“A thousand points?” Khun mused. “That’s not bad.”

“That looks pretty fun.” Bam’s eyes were sparkling. He was running to the employee before Khun could stop him—well, not that Khun would, anyway.

“Your friend is taking the challenge?” The old man blinked. He squinted at them. “That’s a Horned Bull, you know. They’re from the fifteenth floor.”

“Should be no problem then.”

“Heh, your confidence is astounding.”

Khun considered what he was going to say for a moment. And then he grinned. “Well, in comparison to Evankhell’s Floor, all of this should be pretty relaxing, right?”

He noted the flinches around him.

“Haha, that’s one way to see it!” The old man laughed.

Bam was soon ushered to the bull. There was no saddle, so Bam had to hang on by the neck. The Horned Bull, living up to its name, had large spikey antlers that were probably deadly if they gorged a person. And it didn’t like someone hanging on its neck.

Despite his stated confidence, Khun did feel his heart jump whenever the bull pulled off a particularly frightening manouver. It was only Bam’s fast reflexes that stopped him from being skewered.

“Hup!” Bam executed a particularly difficult flip around the Bull’s neck to avoid a backwards stab. Somehow he still managed not to touch the floor, rolling back onto the Bull’s back. The crowd around them clapped madly.

“…fifty-eight, fifty-nine, and ten minutes is up!” The employee clicked off the timer. Bam grinned and jumped off, heading over to the employee for his points. The employee had a strange look on his face, a mixture of awe and jealousy. “I can’t even be mad at you. That was amazing. I haven’t seen anyone conquer the bull in all the years I’ve worked this job.”

“And how long’s that?” Khun asked.

“Long enough to consider giving up, maybe,” the employee smiled bitterly. He shook his head. “Anyway, here are your points.”

“I noticed something on the way here,” Bam said afterwards, tugging on Khun’s hand. “Come on!”

Bam dragged him out of the petting zoo area and to a high end outdoor restaurant. There were loads of food stalls and the like around the carnival, but there were also places like this. Right off the bat, Bam ordered appetizers, a main course, and a coconut drink.

“I don’t get to treat you often,” Bam smiled. “But since it’s points I earned, it should be okay, right?”

Khun swallowed. All the foods were things that he liked, of course. It was one more point to the conclusion that Bam was telling the truth about experiencing the future. None of these dishes, expensive as they were, were present on the Floor of Test. Bam couldn’t possibly know his preferences only from observing him there.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he said softly.

Afterwards, Khun spotted a ring toss game. It also required points to play, and paid back in points. The employee was waving his arms around, trying to entice anyone into playing.

“Let me try this,” Khun said. He gestured to the employee and got the rules explained to them. There were five different types of cones, each giving a differing number of points. The contender was given five rings. From ten meters away, they had to toss the rings onto the cones. Of course, the contender could also pay points to be closer to the cones.

Khun didn’t bother with that.

He went to the line at ten meters.

“By the way,” Khun said, pointing to the little holes at the walls surrounding the rings. “What are those?”

“Wind tunnels,” the employee explained anxiously. “You are a Regular, after all. Wouldn’t it be too easy for you to simply toss some rings? The wind will blow at intervals, so be prepared.”

Khun swirled a ring around his finger. Then he grinned and nodded.

He tossed the first ring. It was going wildly off base… but then the wind blew, and it landed softly atop one of the cones with the highest number of points.

The employee’s eyes bugged out.

Two, three, four, five. The rest of the rings, whether through the initial toss or through riding the current of the wind, landed atop the highest point cone.

“So this is, two thousand five hundred points right?” Khun asked with an evil grin.

The employee picked up the rings, practically white with rage. He opened his pocket, teeth gritted. “Here.”

The points transferred over.

“Can I play again?” Khun asked, his hand darting out to snag the rings from the employee. The employee reacted quickly, turning his body to block Khun’s arm. With his other hand, he parried. The technique wasn’t actually good enough to stop Khun, but it was the thought that counted. Khun held up his hands, backing down.

“Once per person!” The employee snapped.

“Really?” Khun asked innocently. “I could have sworn when we passed by earlier that you were goading one of the Regulars to try it for a fourth time.”

“Well it’s my game, so my rules!”

“Hmm.”

With his newly earned points, Khun bought Bam some strawberry shaved ice.

“Oh.” Bam’s eyes went wide when he took the first bite. “This is really good.”

They did a few more things, including watching a marine show and playing a snatching game a on a merry-go-round. Bam even played a balloon darts game ten times just to get the prizes.

Soon day slipped into evening, the artificial sunset casting red and golds over the festive city.

“Hey Khun,” Bam said quietly as they walked back towards their residence. The noise and excitement of the carnival had quieted some, as people closed down to prepare for the next day. “I had a lot of fun, but was this really all you wanted? All of these things… we could have done them with everyone, right? Why did you specifically invite me out?”

Late last night, Khun had asked Bam to come out with him alone. He’d said that there was something he wanted to confirm. Bam had agreed, and even went along with Khun’s proposal of reconnaissance to their team.

Khun’s face softened. “Well, part of it is that I wanted you to experience this.”

“Huh?”

“When Miki showed us the view of the third floor yesterday, you had this look on your face that…” Khun shook his head, and smiled. “So I thought you should have a chance to unwind. You’ve done a lot this past month, right? With changing things.”

Bam opened his mouth, then closed it. He exhaled softly. “Oh.”

Yeah.

Bam was certainly looking after everyone else. But if he kept doing that, who would look after him? Make sure he was okay?

So in light of that…

“In light of that,” Khun murmured, waving his hand to take out one of the devices he’d stolen from his father’s treasury. Harpocrates. A tool that prevented eavesdropping. “Will you please tell me exactly what happened in that future of yours? At the very least, I don’t think it should be your burden alone.”

Notes:

Okay, if you got two updates on this chapter - sorry! Something was going wonky with this update, so I tried deleting and reposting to fix it. If it doesn't work I'll give up, but I at least wanted to try it. If you commented on this fic, I do have the email copies, so I know what you said! So if you want a reply, just post 'commented' in the comments box and I'll copy everything over, then reply xD Sorry for this!

p.s. As you've all voted, the da-mission is with Khun :D Endorsi still gets some screentime though!

Chapter 13: 3F - Floor of Carnival II

Summary:

In which Khun and Bam talk about the future, and Khun tackles the test of the floor.

Chapter Text

He had known, at some point, that Khun would ask.

Really, Bam had only given the bare bones back when he’d told Khun the truth of his existence. It was just enough to prove that he wasn’t lying. And then they’d been caught up with planning about FUG, and the parties, both celebratory and for farewell. They just hadn’t had the time or the mindset to really discuss it before.

Still, Khun’s reasons were a bit…

He had thought that Khun would ask because of his strategist’s curiosity, because of his caution. After all, how could Khun plan for something he hardly knew anything about?

But to ask because he wanted to share Bam’s burden.

Bam huffed out a light laugh, looking away. His eyes may, just may, have been a little wet. Really, why had he expected anything else from his best friend?

“Yeah,” Bam’s shoulders were loose, relaxed. After that first, disastrous conversation with Khun, Bam had thought long and hard about what he would reveal. The answer was—everything. Or rather, everything that Bam wasn’t incapable of talking about. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

Khun’s reply was quiet, “I know it’s probably difficult. So if you don’t want to at the moment—”

“No, it’s not that. I’m, I’m just trying to think of where to start. Hmm.”

In the end, he decided on when he first entered the tower.

“I’ve said that Rachel was the only person I knew in my life, right? Well, right after she entered the tower, and I was left alone again, I thought…”

As they spoke, they leisurely made their way across the Carnival grounds. While most of the area had indeed shut down, there were places yet open, and places which only opened at night. A beautiful backdrop to a daunting story.

Bam told Khun about the first time he climbed the tower. How he didn’t know what to do at the Wheat Field but Khun helped him. How Rak attacked—ah, and then he had to backtrack and talk about how he met Yuri on Headon’s floor, and that she let him borrow Black March.

“You were able to ignite one of the 13 Month Series?” Khun mused. “On your first try no less? Looks like you weren’t ordinary even back then.”

“I don’t know if I ever was,” Bam admitted. “On the Floor of Death, I found out about my parents, and it turns out there’s a reason I grew up in a cave.”

“The Floor of Death?” Khun gaped. Then he waved a hand. “No, wait. Back up. Let’s do this in chronological order.”

“Ah, okay. So Rak found us…”

He went on to explain how Rak had declared Bam his prey, and then how the test had ended.

“We were on that Gator’s team?” Khun asked incredulously. “I mean I don’t like Seppuku Swordsman, but I really can’t imagine it.”

Bam thought back to their easy dynamic as Team Bam-Rak-Khun. He still missed it. But he was also coming to appreciate Hatz’ thoughtful calm, and occasional sharp wit. It was a messy feeling.

“Well, we’re all on the same team now,” Bam said quietly. “You’ll learn more about Rak. And you’ll like him a lot. Trust me.”

Khun couldn’t seem to hold back his doubtful hum, but he didn’t challenge Bam’s statement.

“Actually, we only managed to pass Yu Hansung’s test the first time because of Rak,” Bam said in protest. Though, now that he thought about it, and what FUG’s plans were, what would Yu Hansung have done if they failed that test? He’d clearly been trying to manipulate Khun into failing, and he couldn’t possibly have known Rak would do what he did.

Khun looked at him, aghast. “What? I can stand losing to you, but losing to that Gator…”

“Rak has good instincts,” Bam said firmly.

Khun was looking doubtful again, but then a spark of amusement entered his eyes. “Wait, so if you weren’t the one who figured out the test initially, does that mean you actually weren’t that trusting of the paper bag? I was really worried about your naivety, you know.”

“Ahh…” Bam remembered his first time clearly, and the rules of the test. Plus, he hadn’t wanted to listen to Yu Hansung needle Khun like that. So he’d pretty much opened a door almost as soon as they’d entered. It was only after seeing Khun’s and Hatz’ surprised faces that he’d realized that what he did was suspicious. He’d passed it off as trusting in the bag wearing man’s advice.

Probably, the only reason they hadn’t lectured him was because it’d worked out.

Bam coughed, and moved the story to the Crown Game. He went over his bet with Anaak over Black March, and admitted through gritted teeth that they lost because he’d protected Rachel. Then he spoke about the Position Test and how he’d been selected as a Wave Controller the first time. And Hoh’s death.

“I’m so, so glad I was able to prevent it this time,” Bam said quietly. “Being pushed to a place so desperate that he was willing to kill himself… Hoh didn’t deserve that.”

Khun opened his mouth, and closed it. Eventually he shook his head.

“You,” he huffed out. “Only you would feel bad about the death of someone who was trying to kill you.”

“I always feel bad about it,” Bam smiled sheepishly. “Just because I’ve learned to accept it, doesn’t mean I like it.”

“Even so, there’s no need to go as far as looking into the Ranker who destroyed his tribe, is there?”

“Khun.” Bam’s eyes were blazing with sincerity. “Hoh is our friend. He’s always trying to defuse arguments, and he tells funny stories at meal times. He always gives extra cookies to Anaak. So of course I will help him.”

“Alright, I’ve got it,” Khun sighed. “So then. What’s your plan?”

“Ahh.” Bam deflated. “It isn’t something I’m planning on handling until we’ve reached the top of the tower. Even I realize that it must be connected to a bigger organization. And since there’s Rankers…”

“…we can’t handle them as we are now,” Khun mused. “Let alone contact them. I see.”

Bam scratched his cheek. “Until then, all I can do is gather information.”

The statement sounded unbearably silly after his impassioned speech. But it was true there was little he could do. At least, not without endangering his teammates.

“You lack a sense of subtlety.” Khun sighed. “If it’s information gathering, just let me handle it.”

Bam opened his mouth to argue. After all, Khun didn’t seem to particularly care about Hoh. There was no need for Khun to be involved. Plus, if Khun was found snooping in a Ranker organization’s business, the consequences could be severe.

But the stubborn set to Khun’s jaw was all too familiar.

So instead, Bam smiled. “Thank you, Khun.”

After Hoh, Bam talked about Rachel. How she’d broken her legs during the Position test, except they weren’t really broken. He talked about how he’d revealed himself as an Irregular to everyone, and not just their team, in order to help Rachel pass. How at the final stretch, Rachel had pushed him into the abyss.

Khun’s expression was dark.

For once, Bam didn’t notice. He was too busy musing over his own thoughts. “I still don’t know why she did it. I joined with FUG and climbed the tower to look for her. I even… well, there’s a lot of stupid things I did. But she never told me.”

“She’s just a fool,” Khun said viciously.

“Yeah, maybe,” Bam smiled back weakly. He shook his head. “At the very least, I’ve stopped looking for the answer.”

Khun’s gaze was considering. “But you still want one, right?”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” Bam admitted. “But it’s not worth letting Rachel climb the tower again.”

Khun made a gesture for Bam to go on, so he did. His time with FUG, Bam mostly skipped over, only stating that he trained with them. His words about Wangnan and the others were equally brief. He loved them. He did. It was impossible for them not to have grown on him. But perhaps a part of him felt guilty that he’d been sitting content with his new team while his friends thought him dead. Perhaps even thoughts of Sweet & Sour were not enough to combat the sheer misery of how he’d felt at that time.

Also, the damage he had brought to that team… perhaps it was not a kindness to carry them forward with his strength.

“I met you again on the 28th Floor,” Bam said softly. “Even though I tried to keep my identity hidden, you saw right through me.”

He spoke about the explosion at the Hand of Arlene, then later the Workshop Battle. He skipped over FUG’s motives. It wasn’t important since it wasn’t going to be a problem this time anyway. Instead, he just talked of everyone’s plans to help free him from FUG.

“You dyed your hair. You looked so strange blond.” Bam reminisced fondly.

“I equally can’t imagine you with long hair.” Khun ran a bemused eye over Bam’s form. “Though I think you’d look pretty good.”

His stomach did a funny little jump.

Was he feeling sick because of the reminder of that time? He had thought he’d come to terms with Jue Viole Grace, but perhaps not fully?

“And?” Khun asked. “Did we get to climb the tower together after that?”

Bam dismissed his stomach from his mind. “Not quite. One of my friends from Team Sweet & Sour, Horyang, was injured…”

He outlined how they’d followed Cassano to the Hell Train. How he’d wanted to chase after Rachel, too. He hesitated, before also telling Khun about how he’d messed up, and how Rachel had escaped.

“That’s quite the devious plan,” Khun said darkly. “I see why you were worried about her. If she’s capable of something like that… though of course, she was quite lucky in her help.”

Bam shrugged. He never figured out how Rachel met the people she did. But Rachel was charismatic in her own way, so he’d always taken it as a matter of course and never gave it more thought.

Khun hesitated, then reached out to squeeze the other boy’s shoulder. “Bam, you won’t have to go through that again, I promise. I won’t… none of us in Endless Sky would ever just abandon you.”

Bam swallowed. He reached up to cover Khun’s hand, and gave it a squeeze right back. His smile was wobbly. “I know. Thank you.”

He coughed, and then spoke about how they’d ran up the Floors to board at the Wooden Horse Station. How they’d gotten on the train anyway, and how they’d confronted the Slayer White.

“We fought a Slayer?” Khun’s mouth dropped open.

“Well, he wasn’t at full power.” Bam thought back to that moment, and huffed out a laugh. “Like really wasn’t.” Thinking back on it, it was a little funny. After seeing White’s full power on display during the Nest invasion, Bam thought he could finally understand some of the Slayer’s disdain.

“Still,” Bam’s eyes darkened. “It’s an awful power. This time, I’d like to avoid awakening White if we can. Or maybe we can give Albelda control somehow.”

“Albelda?”

Bam nodded. He proceeded to explain about the Dallar show, the bet, and the collection of souls. He ignored Khun’s wide eyes as he detailed White’s defeat. He spoke about how at the last moment, White had escaped because of the Train Master, because the Train Master was actually Karaka’s underling, just as Reflejo from the Workshop Battle had been.

“But Karaka and I are friends now,” Bam emphasized. “So I’d like to avoid killing his subordinates if possible.”

Khun buried his face in his hands. His voice came out muffled. “I am starting to see a trend with you.”

“Hm?”

“No, never mind,” Khun sighed. “Please, go on.”

So Bam did. He talked about how Yuri saved them, and how he’d learned about the Floor of Death. How Yuri would only accept them going if they defeated Kaiser at the Name Hunt Station, and the subsequent happenings.

“If possible, I’d like to go there again,” Bam thought aloud. “I want to free Elaine. More than that, it’d be great if we could get on the Hell Train. I need the Thorn fragment from the Floor of Death, and it’ll be easier getting there as a Regular than as a Ranker.”

He then gave the details about the Floor of Death, about Urek Mazino’s appearance, and the Red Thressa. Of his meeting with Khun Garam, and the story she told him there.

Khun’s face did something complicated then. “So she was there, huh? I mean, I’d heard of her but… to think she’d been hiding there this whole time.” He shook his head, a tinge of frustration in his voice. “The more you tell me about Jahad, the more I wonder if I made the right decision back then.”

“The right decision?”

“Yes I, maybe I wanted to change the system from the inside, but I’m wondering now if that’s even possible.” Khun breathed through his nose. “This story behind the 13 Months… it would change everything if it got out.”

“I don’t want you to start anything yet,” Bam said sharply. “If Jahad even has an inkling that anyone knows the truth, he won’t hesitate to wipe out entire floors. That’s the kind of person he is.”

Khun smiled wryly, “Yet?” At Bam’s blush, he laughed. “Alright, understood. Enjoy the Tower with our team first, right?”

Ideally, Khun wouldn’t get involved in this at all, but Bam knew better than to ask that of him. Besides, Bam needed Khun.

“Still, I can’t believe Jahad had that kind of history,” Khun sighed. He gave Bam a serious look. “I’m sorry, about your parents.”

Bam opened his mouth, and closed it. In the end, he could only give a quiet nod in response.

They eventually moved on to the Hidden Floor. His voice faltered when he talked about how he’d foolishly allowed one last challenge between him and Rachel. How he’d invited her with them.

“I was so stupid,” he said softly. “Stupid to take her. Stupid to trust her. And for that, you paid the price.”

He swiped furiously at his eyes. Yeah. Khun had almost died, and though he’d borrowed a couple more years using Yeon’s Flame, it was that injury which ultimately killed him. Stupid Khun had stupidly gone too far again, just to save Bam’s stupid butt. Stupid!

“Hey, hey.” Khun’s voice was gentle as he grasped onto Bam’s wrists. He pulled down the Irregular’s hands. “I’m fine, see? Rachel has failed the test, and I’m right here.”

“Y—yeah, you’re right.” Bam hiccuped.

“Do you want to stop…?”

“No. I’d better finish.”

Only, after he finished, he remembered the curse of the Hidden Floor. For a moment he freaked out, believing they would forget everything that happened there because he’d been foolish enough to speak of it. But nothing happened.

“It might be that because your body in this time hasn’t been to the Hidden Floor, those restrictions don’t yet apply to you.” Khun theorized.

That theory made as much sense as anything. Bam moved on from the topic, pushing forward to the Last Station. His voice faltered when he spoke of finding out that his master was captured, and meeting Kallavan…

“And that’s it.” He said, breath stuttering. “We were at war.”

Khun searched his face. Then he nodded. Blessedly, he didn’t push any further.

“So basically if we avoid the Hidden Floor,” Khun said lightly, “we can avoid Jahad noticing you. Then anything you remember from then on will no longer be a problem.”

Bam knew it was Khun’s kindness that had him saying such things. But he couldn’t help but to take the route. Swallowing thickly, Bam nodded.

“As for the rest of it,” Khun thought aloud, “we’ll figure that out as we go.” Then he turned a smile at Bam, and held out a hand in invitation. “As for now, there’s actually one more thing I want to do today. I hear there’s some amazing fireworks. Let’s go watch them.”

And so they went. And if Bam leaned on Khun a little more heavily than usual, as if seeking comfort after the hard conversation, Khun made no mention of it.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

The next day, all of Endless Sky lined up in front of the Test Administrator.

Well, to say ‘lined up’ was a lie. Lauroe was still yawning in the back row, hiding half behind Rak, no doubt hoping no one would notice his fully lidded eyes. Endorsi and Anaak stood together, whispering furiously at each other. While they still had looks of annoyance on their faces, they somehow seemed closer.

Meanwhile, Shibisu crowded with Hatz and Bam, arms waving as he tried to make his point. Khun felt a spark of annoyance. He liked Shibisu, he really did, but Bam and Hatz were his teammates, and Shibisu didn’t need to stand so close!

Mike, their examiner, seemed to follow Khun’s line of thought as his eyes roved over the team. He turned back to Khun, arching a brow. “Are you sure you want to take the test right now?”

And that was his cue.

With an inward sigh, Khun straightened, meeting the test administrator’s eyes fearlessly. “Shouldn’t the question be—if we don’t take it now, when should we take it? After all, the suggested time for rest was the hint. Actually, rather than a month being the suggested time to rest, it’s the deadline before debts start incurring, right?”

The background whispers dried up. Every eye turned to fix on him. Khun didn’t quite stop the smug smile from spreading across his lips. Ahh, he did like being at the center of attention.

Mike narrowed his eyes. “Oh? How do you figure?”

“From the very beginning, I thought this Carnival Town was strange,” Khun’s shoulders were loose with carefully crafted ease. “Who are the workers? How do they get paid? Normally you’d think they’d be residents of the Outer Tower, but after experiencing this park for myself, I began to doubt that hypothesis. They reacted to the name of Evankhell, and they had a fighter’s reflexes. So I could only conclude they were Regulars. But if they were failed Regulars from another floor, why would they choose this of all places to settle?”

Mike waved a hand, as if dismissing the point.

“Maybe they just like amusement parks,” the test administrator said lazily.

“Well, I won’t deny there were times the employees genuinely looked like they enjoyed their jobs,” Khun conceded. But then his smile turned sharp. “Of course, that was when they thought they’d scam people out of their points. When they were the ones in danger of losing points, they had the most interesting reaction.”

Indeed, the reek of desperation had been strong. He was more than used to it from the Official Competitions.

He quickly shoved the comparison out of his mind.

“When I asked them how long they were working here, they were reluctant to answer.” Khun tapped his chin. “But isn’t that strange? It was like they were ashamed, or maybe they weren’t allowed to answer. Well, either way, it does lead to a very telling conclusion, doesn’t it? These Carnival games—each and everyone one requires points. But let me ask you, what happens if you use up all your points?”

Mike narrowed his eyes.

For a moment, there was utter silence. A tense kind of anticipation fell upon them. Behind him, the rest of Endless Sky moved to hover over their weapons.

Then Mike barked out a laugh. The tension dissipated. “You’ve been thorough. I admit, I’m impressed. It’s been what? A day?”

Khun’s returning smile was shark-like. “So, may we take the Floor Test tomorrow?”

Surprisingly, Mike shook his head. “There’s no need. You’ve just passed.”

Khun’s mouth dropped open. He closed it quickly, before anyone could notice.

“Ehh?” Endorsi screeched.

“If the second floor is a test of strength,” Mike shrugged. “Then the third floor is a test of will and focus. Test Director Sanghee wished to test whether the Regulars, after escaping Evankhell’s floor, would succumb to the promise of comfort and fun. In this Tower, it is possible to reach the top without the greatest of strengths, but not without the greatest of wills.”

“Wait a sec,” Shibisu raised a hand. “What would have happened to us if we’d stayed past the month?”

“Nothing.” Mike shook his head. “The only thing that’d happen is that we’d stop subsidizing your residence. Oh, and taking the Test after the initial month would cost 10 times the fee previously offered.”

Shibisu rubbed his chin. “I see. So the Regulars who work here are the ones who bankrupted themselves.”

Khun smiled faintly. Trust Shibisu to get to the root of the matter with only a little explanation.

“Oh.” Bam said quietly. “Director Kim Sanghee for this floor is quite nice, isn’t she?”

Everyone turned to him.

Mike raised a brow. “How do you figure?”

“Well,” Bam smiled faintly. “The Test Administrators don’t have any power to keep a Regular here if they want to stop climbing the tower and go home, right? So if the Regulars didn’t want to work here anymore, all they’d have to do is fail. But the fact that they’re here, means they still want to pass. Although paying ten times the fee is hard, it’s not impossible.”

Khun… stared.

Of course, it wasn’t quite as simple as Bam was saying. There was no doubt that the failed Regulars would have incurred an enormous debt. Paying it off was even more difficult, since after the first month, the Regulars would have to figure out their own food and lounging. In actuality, the debt would probably take decades or even centuries to pay off.

Even so.

“So isn’t Director Kim Sanghee actually just giving everyone a second chance?” Bam continued, golden eyes sparkling with sincerity. “Once they’ve learned their lesson, everyone is given the opportunity to keep going, to show their determination again by gathering the money. So they know not to waste their second chance.”

“Heh.” Mike’s smile was incredulous. “To think that there’d be a newcomer who understood the Test Director.”

Khun swallowed. He had put together minuscule clues, gathered all the information and presented it. Found the secrets to this Carnival city and wiggled their team into the best position possible.

Yet he knew, for all that, that he’d lost.

Khun let out a breath, and huffed out a laugh. Really. Bam was always so unpredictable.

“Congratulations.” Mike shook his head. “You are awarded points for every unused day before the deadline. You pass with an abysmally high score.”

Endless Sky exchanged looks.

“That’s it?” Shibisu hissed. “Seriously that’s all? This isn’t a trick is it?”

Mike let out a laugh. “Didn’t we say it at the beginning? This floor isn’t like the Floor of Test. You’re supposed to have a good rest.” His grin took on a sharp edge. “Well, it won’t be this easy on the Fourth Floor, but I have a feeling your team will do just fine.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

If the third floor was all noise and colour, then the fourth was calm and held a quiet deadliness. Looming trees covered the sky, disallowing the potential gathering of a city. Bam was foraging for food when, abruptly, his senses blared with the alarm that someone had appeared behind him.

He jabbed out with his elbow. It was caught immediately. Bam didn’t let that deter him. Pivoting on his left leg, the brown haired boy shifted to kick his stalker’s head. But his attacker just ducked, stabbing the underside of Bam’s knee with two fingers. The Irregular’s leg immediately went numb, and Bam fell to the ground with a yelp.

It was then that Bam finally got a good look at his attacker’s face.

Ha Jinsung grinned down at him. “Hey kid. Like I said, you need to work on your balance.”

Chapter 14: 4F - Lampflower Woods I

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

His master was a jeeerk.

Vaguely, Bam had always been aware of this. He’d heard enough barbed remarks from Hwaryun, and later Karaka. But he’d never experienced it himself. So he couldn’t help but stare incredulously at the man who’d suddenly showed up. Above them, the trees swayed with the gentle wind, creating a dance of light and shadow.

Ha Jinsung’s lips flashed in a grin. “Miss me that much?”

Yes. The answer was always yes. But it wasn’t an answer that Bam could give yet.

“Why are you here?” He asked instead, voice laced with confusion.

He didn’t bother questioning how. FUG always had a way, and his master was special even then. The man had certainly visited him enough times when he was climbing the tower as Jue Viole Grace, even though Rankers were technically not supposed to be in contact with Regulars.

The dark haired man rocked back on his heels, picking his ear with a pinky. “First, call your Light Bearer, will you? I had to disable his Lighthouse, so he might think something happened to you. And you don’t want a member of the Khun family to find out about FUG.”

Bam opened his mouth to say that Khun already knew, but thought better of it. After all, while he knew that Khun wouldn’t betray him, FUG didn’t know that. Although Bam had bargained that FUG remain out of the lives of his friends, would they really do so if they thought said friends could be a threat to them? It was better to be safe than sorry.

Bam connected his pocket.

“Bam? What happened?” Khun’s worried voice filtered through.

“Nothing. I just wanted to call you to say I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry.” Bam paused. This was so embarrassing. How was Khun right about this? “I… I saw this blue rabbit. It’s cuddling with me, so I don’t want to leave yet.”

There was a moment of silence.

Both of his master’s eyebrows had risen to his hairline.

Bam ducked his head.

“Oh.” Khun sounded hesitant. “Then, are you planning to keep the rabbit?”

“Maybe. So don’t come over and scare it off, alright?”

A frustrated sigh. “It’s not like I can help it that animals don’t like me. Fine, fine, cuddle while the rest of us forage for food. I’ll let the others know.”

The pocket clicked off.

“What kind of lie was that?” Ha Jinsung asked incredulously.

“You try coming up with a reason for Khun not to investigate on the spot!” Bam said defensively.

“But that was just so…” Ha Jinsung covered the lower half of his face with a hand, and turned away. “Phhhft!”

“Uggh.” He should have never agreed to this. “Okay, Master! Why are you here?”

The laughter abruptly stopped. Ha Jinsung cocked his head. “What did you just call me?”

Shit.

Quick, think!

Think think think!

“I,” Bam coughed. He shuffled from his place on the ground, finally rising from his rather embarrassing position to a proper one on his knees. He placed his hands on his thighs and stared at High Ranker in determination. “You were right about my lack of balance. And who is better at fighting as a Fisherman if not Ha Jinsung? If possible… could I take you as my master?”

For a long moment, Ha Jinsung only looked at him. There was a gloomy expression in his eyes, and a slight pinch to his lips.

Bam squirmed. While he hadn’t planned on any of this, once the words had left his mouth, he realized how much he wanted it. How much he wanted to acknowledge his master again. Evankhell was great, fantastic even, but she wasn’t the one who had spent eight years fighting for him when he was drowning in the darkness of FUG.

The Ha Jinsung ducked his head, shoulders shaking.

Bam hesitated. Was his master angry at the assumption of it all?

“Haha… HAHAHAHA!” The dark haired man threw his head back, and laughed. “This is incredible! This must be fate!”

“Mr. Ha Jinsung…?”

“No! No. You were doing great. Call me ‘Master’!” Still with a grin on his face, Ha Jinsung beheld Bam. “Why am I here, you ask? It’s none other than to ask you to be my apprentice.”

Bam’s eyes went wide.

“Don’t worry about that deal with FUG.” Ha Jinsung said, raising a finger. “I’m not here on their behalf. I’m here as Ha Jinsung, a disgraced member of the Ha family, High Ranker. Kid, you really impressed me with that fight against Changmin. You could say it stirred the fighter spirit in me. But you have a lot of weaknesses, too. Changmin was too inexperienced to take advantage of them. That won’t be the case for all your opponents.”

“So you want to… teach… me?”

“Yeah, I’m interested in your potential.”

Ha Jinsung held out a hand.

Bam swallowed. Swallowed again. Then he took the hand, and allowed his master to pull him back to his feet.

“The Ha family is known for our physicality,” Ha Jinsung’s voice took on that familiar lecturing quality. “But in fact, we’re a family of technicians. You already have incredible shinsu control. To build your body, then, what you need to do is…”

Bam listened intently. His heart warmed with the nostalgic feeling.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

When Bam came back to their residence, late in the evening, he walked slowly. His master had been careful not to injure him, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been given a serious workout. His muscles hurt in places he didn’t even know he had muscles. Ahh. To be under Ha Jinsung’s tutelage again.

His master had taken him out to dinner, too. The fourth floor’s large forests made it impossible to have dense areas of human population. Or, perhaps, the Administrator of this floor simply liked its natural forests too much to allow humans to cut it down for their cities. But people weren’t left without an out, and humans were ever adaptable.

For dinner, Bam and Ha Jinsung had headed in the direction where the trees grew taller and thicker, and the sounds of human bustling replaced the natural breaths of the forest. Wooden houses were erected on tree branches, and complex rope systems hung every which way. Even here, there were high class restaurants to be found.

“Rumbleberry Crepe, Maple Foie Gras, Hand-cut Tartuan… these are all dishes unique to the fourth floor.” His master was all gentle smiles as he pushed said dishes towards Bam. “You should definitely enjoy it while you’re here.”

Bam wasn’t sure how his master avoided getting recognized, but it was Ha Jinsung after all. If anything, Bam was the one getting weird looks for his jacket and trousers. Evankhell’s special clothing was made resistant to tear, so it hadn’t ripped even with his master’s training, but it wasn’t exactly fancy restaurant wear. He couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about it,” his master assured him. “At the end of the day, we’re paying the same as everyone else. Nobody’s gonna complain.” Nevertheless, he ran a considering eye over Bam. “Although, well no apprentice of mine should be caught dead wearing Evankhell’s clothes. Shall we go shopping tomorrow?”

Bam tried to refuse, but the more Ha Jinsung talked about the idea, the more he seemed to like it, until he steamrolled over Bam’s protests completely. Bam could only rest his head in his hands. Well, this was nostalgic too.

After dinner, his master sent him back to his team. In all honesty, Bam had wanted to continue training, but his master said that he’d be here for the month, so Bam should take the time to rest, too.

Endless Sky’s temporary residence was a large tree-house in a quieter area. It was situated on one of the lower branches, closer to the ground, and as such, much more expensive. Bam entered to a surprisingly well furnished wooden house with inner paper walls and cool air drafted by magic tools.

He also entered to everyone playing pictionary in the living room. Well, everyone except Lauroe, who was sleeping beside the card playing group.

“Bam, you’re finally here.” Shibisu complained as he looked up from a squiggle of something on a drawing pad. He waved the pad in the air. “You can tell what this is, right?”

“It is a choco bar, is it not, Black Turtle?” Rak demanded. Despite the inconvenience of his size, Rak hadn’t compromised on staying in his true form.

“It is not a chocolate bar. Would a chocolate bar have ears? Would it?!”

“Hey.” Anaak narrowed her eyes. “You’re injured. What happened?”

Silence.

Bam.” Khun set his cards aside, voice pitched low and lightly furious. “You said—”

“It was a really cute blue bunny!” Bam said in a rush, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “But it, um. It was actually. I mean, a giant monster came out of nowhere, and I had to protect the bunny so…?”

Yeah, this wasn’t going to work.

Bam slumped. “I found a new training method, and then I got so excited I lost track of time. I’m not injured, really. I’m just really really sore. I’m sorry for worrying everyone.”

That actually did get everyone to calm down.

“Oh. Bam just got lost in training again,” Shibisu nodded, like it all made sense.

“So it’s just his masochistic tendencies.” Anaak relaxed.

“Ugh, did Bam lose track of time training again?” Lauroe, who was supposed to be sleeping, grumbled. His eyes weren’t even open!

Bam felt vaguely offended.

“What’s this new method?” Hatz piped up, voice full of curiosity.

Shibisu used a socked foot to kick the swordsman beside him. “Don’t even start. You’re equally as bad.”

Hatz glared.

Rak stood to his full height. He walked over and patted Bam on the head. “Prey may train to become a hunter, but it will always be prey. So you don’t need to try so hard, turtle.”

Bam couldn’t help but lean in to the pat a little. He’d missed this. The golden eyed boy smiled up at his favourite ‘gator. “Okay Rak.”

“He says that,” Endorsi muttered. “But is he going to restrain himself next time? Nope.” She turned to a certain blue haired boy. “Hey Khun, you’re being awfully quiet.”

“It’s nothing.” Khun smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Anyway Bam, do you want to join our game?”

Bam’s enthusiastic nod was enough to make Khun’s smile become more real.

“Okay.” Khun held out a drawing pad. “Then come join my team.”

“What? No fair!”

“Yeah, you always win when you’re together!”

“Bam, come here instead. I’ll take your next cooking day if you do!”

“Then we’ll all die from food poisoning…”

Bam ended up on the team with Shibisu and Rak. In the end, they couldn’t quite overcome Khun and Anaak. Khun’s sharp drawing skills were no surprise, but Anaak was quite the dark horse.

Afterwards, when everyone had gone to sleep, Bam snuck back downstairs. He crept to the kitchen, only to find Khun already waiting there, two mugs of hot chocolate before him. Khun waved a hand, activating Harpocrates to ensure that no one could overhear.

“What did FUG want?” Khun’s frown was between his brows. It made Bam want to reach over to smooth it out. “I thought they promised not to bother you.”

Actually, when Bam had told Khun about FUG on the Testing Floor, Khun had come up with a series of codes. Bam hadn’t thought it necessary, but Khun had forced him to memorize them. During his brief call under Ha Jinsung’s watch, Bam had already told Khun everything he needed to know. Rabbit was code for a FUG member Bam knew, and the colour blue denoted their status as an ally.

Really, Khun’s foresight was amazing.

Still.

“It wasn’t FUG,” Bam shook his head, taking a seat at the round table. Khun slid one of the mugs over and Bam nodded in thanks. “It was my master. He came to teach me for the month, not on behalf of FUG, but on behalf of himself.”

Khun narrowed his eyes, “That sounds too good to be true.”

“He’s not like that,” Bam assured.

Khun hummed. He didn’t seem to quite believe it. Bam felt a spike of anxiety. The two most important people in his life right now where Khun and his master. He wanted them to get along.

“He did a lot for me,” Bam hurriedly added. “The other FUG members either saw me as a tool or a… um, you know, how they see the other Slayers. My master always talked to me, and updated me on how my friends were doing. He also taught me a lot of things that weren’t strictly necessary, like what wines went best with what food. Then when FUG tried to melt me to activate Thorn, my master worked with all of you to help me escape.”

“FUG did what?”

Oh no. Whoops! He’d meant to keep that a secret a while longer. Khun had been adamantly against Bam working with FUG in the future that never was, so Bam had been hoping to downplay some of FUG’s nastier deeds so Khun wouldn’t feel the need to get him out.

“Well it all turned out okay!” Bam raised his hands in surrender, as if that would assuage the furious expression which swept across Khun’s face. “Anyway, the point is, my master’s always looked out for me.”

Khun took a deep breath. And then another. And another.

Bam guiltily sipped at his hot chocolate.

“That’s the master you knew,” Khun finally said. His tone was one of restrained fury. “The one that trained you for five years. You don’t know what this one is up to. In fact, he could still be trying to melt you.”

“That was what the showcase was for,” Bam said stubbornly. “Master confirmed that the Elders trust me now. So they won’t try anything like that this time.”

Khun searched Bam’s face. Finally, he sighed, kneading his brows. “Okay. Fine. Let’s accept this answer for now.”

Bam’s shoulders fell in relief. “Thanks Khun.”

“But at least tell me his name.” Khun said, tracing the rim of his mug with a finger. “I want to at least be able to track him.”

“I haven’t already said?” Bam blinked. Then again, master was always just ‘Master’ to him. “Oh right. His name is ‘Ha Jinsung’.”

The finger on the mug trembled, and Khun instantly snatched it back. He stared at Bam, wide eyed. “Ha Jinsung?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry, did you just say—I didn’t mishear this name right?” Khun had gone completely pale. “Your master is Ha Jinsung?”

Bam’s brows furrowed. “That’s right.”

“Do you know who he is?” Khun demanded, his chair scraping against the floor as he slammed his hands against the table. Then he sat back again, running a shaking hand through his fingers. “No, you were an enemy of Jahad in your future, right? Of course you know who he is.”

Oh.

Oh. Yeah, Bam had forgotten that his master was kinda famous. That, and.

“Sorry,” Bam apologized, putting on an expression of chastisement. “He… killed a lot of your family members, right? You must be sad?”

“Hah?” Khun’s mouth hung open funnily for a second, before it snapped shut again. “No, that’s not. How could you be so—well it’s you I guess.” The last part was muttered. Then he coughed, and smiled hesitantly. “Um, rather than being sad, it’s more like I’m scared. He was the boogeyman under the bed. Eat your vegetables, Aguero, or Ha Jinsung might come to get you! Things like that.”

“Master was…” Bam’s mind tried to conjure up an image of Ha Jinsung leaping out from under a child’s bed, because they hadn’t eaten their vegetables. He doubled over, covering his mouth. “Phhhft.”

“Alright, I guess it seems pretty funny now,” Khun raised his mug to his lips, a wry smile tracing the edge. “But honestly, I can’t believe you apprenticed under THE Ha Jinsung. Although I guess that explains the identity FUG gave you.”

Having calmed down somewhat, Bam started sipping at his own drink again. “What do you mean?”

“You know, the new identity we bargained for.” Khun grinned. “The one that’s supposed to make you not look suspicious?” At Bam’s head tilt, Khun gaped. “You really don’t know?”

“No? Why?”

Khun’s eyes hooded, and he sat back with his fingers splayed across his stomach. It was a common posture for when he started a lecture. “Your new identity is as follows. If anyone looks at your records, all they’ll see is a normal boy from the Outer Tower. The 81st floor, to be precise, where war is raging and climate is known to be turbulent. It should go some way to explain your abilities.”

Bam nodded. So far so good.

“But,” Khun held up a finger. “You’re really too conspicuous. So FUG has created a second identity for you, to assuage anyone who’s more suspicious. If they dig further into your background, they’ll be led to something else, and because they’ll have found that secret, they’ll believe that’s the only secret you hold.”

“And what’s that?” Bam asked with curiosity.

Khun’s smile was full of mischief. “That you’re a bastard of the Ha Family.”

Bam spat out his drink. He choked, coughing madly.

The corner of Khun’s lips twitched, and his eyes were definitely laughing. “You really didn’t know?”

“No! How could—what is—why would FUG do that?”

“I’ve said it, haven’t I? Your abilities immediately made me think ‘this is a member of the Ten Great Families’.” Khun leaned back languidly, fetching a towel from his bag and tossing it over to Bam. “Others are going to think the same. If you deny any relation, they’re going to wonder where your power does come from.”

“Okay.” Okay that made sense. “But why the Ha?”

“That’s what I couldn’t figure out,” Khun sighed. “But maybe it’s because Ha Jinsung liked you even then. So if you’re seen together, it can be excused as visiting family, rather than you having an affiliation with FUG. Well, if you’re seen together, you’d probably be suspected anyway, but they can’t do anything as long as we don’t confirm it. I mean our team has two members of the Ten Great Families, and a Princess of Jahad. It’d be crazy for us to be FUG supporters right?”

Bam huffed out a laugh as he took the towel. “Yeah, but you’re a Khun who ransacked his father’s treasury, I’m apparently not even acknowledged as a Ha, and we also have a Jahad Princess who wasn’t chosen by Jahad, right?”

Khun grinned right back. “When you put it like that, it does sound more questionable.” He shook his head. “Still, we shouldn’t draw serious attention from any of the big players. And we should be able to handle the small fry fine ourselves.”

“That’s good to hear.” Bam paused, wiping at the spilled drink. “Although it’s kinda mean to call them small fry…”

“They are what they are,” Khun waved a hand. “Well, it wouldn’t do to be too careless, either. But your master’s leaving in a month, you say? Coincidentally, that’s when this floor’s bi-annual test is taking place. Well, it’s not like there’s much point in staying here too long, anyway.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

“Ready, Regulars? Defeat the prey and earn Hunting Points! After the Game is over, Hunting Points will be converted to Tower Points! As you can see from the pamphlet, different prey are worth differing amounts of points. In order to pass this test, you must gather 500 points by the deadline, or a total of 500 x the number of members on your team. The three highest scoring Regulars at the end will receive a special prize! Ah, and as you can see, ‘human’ listed as prey too, right? Yep, that means you are allowed to attack your fellow players. There’s no chance to steal their points, but you can certainly knock out the competition eh? Oh, and, if anyone defeats the Boss Monster for 10 000 points, the Test will immediately end. Good luck everyone. Happy Hunting!”

Notes:

Alright nerdsquad, start guessing! 10 points for those who guess the property this test is inspired by right now, 5 points if you guess it by the end of next chapter, and 1 point if you guess it right before I reveal it. Go go go!

Chapter 15: 4F - Lampflower Woods II

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Bladed Bees are worth 10 points. Lightning Deer are 20. Armoured Snakes are 50 points, and Bear Titans are 500. Bear Titans are usually found on the Eighth Floor though, so they’ll be dangerous. More importantly, based on the points distribution, they should be pretty rare.” Shibisu sighed, and set down the pamphlet they’d all been given. “Like this, hunting humans, who are 100 points each, seems pretty appealing.”

“So it’s turned into another elimination test, huh…?” Hatz murmured.

Off to the side, Endorsi and Anaak were competing with some kind of yo-yo game. Rak was eating his way through a pile of bananas as he listened to their analysis.

“We have eight people on our team though,” Lauroe said with a yawn. “Doesn’t that mean we’d have to take out 40 Regulars in order to pass?”

“Yeah, that’d be difficult even for us.” Shibisu agreed.

While their team was strong, they were also fresh out of Evankhell’s hell. Many of the other Regulars who were currently taking this test had stayed on the fourth floor for months if not years, training in preparation. Taking the test within one month of arrival on the floor was almost unheard of.

They were already known as cocky Regulars, and any Light Bearer worth their salt would know their team held both a member of the Ten Families and a Princess of Jahad. If they started going after people, there was no doubt that the remaining Regulars would team up against them.

“It wouldn’t be too difficult with a good plan,” Khun mused, his cheek resting against a palm as he stared at the map. “Spread some discord, get the others to target each other. Maybe they’ll even take the initiative to offer up their enemies to us. If we take out one batch at a time, and get some minions to do a lot of the work for us, it’d be easy.”

Shibisu stared. Then he turned away, shivering. Oh right, he’d forgotten they’d had the literal devil on their team.

“I don’t want to do that, though,” Bam said quietly. “I know we’re competitors. But even so, I’d like to pass without deliberately taking out other people. There’s no chance to retake the test before the 20th floor after all. They are fighting for their dreams, too.”

And just like that, Khun’s smile turned from evil to cute. “Of course. It was just a thought.”

Creeeepy!

“So what’s our plan, then?” Shibisu asked, shaking his head to get rid of the image. “Honestly, hunting those smaller creatures would take forever. I don’t know if we can gather enough points that way in just three days. Should we find these Bears? They like a specific type of berry, so we might be able to attract them.”

“Isu, you’re like one of those claw machines,” Khun said in fascination. “Put in some money and out pops some random fact.”

“Oi!”

“Shibisu is amazing,” Bam smiled. “I don’t know very much about the Tower, so I’m really envious of you, who knows so much.”

“Ahh.” Shibisu rubbed the back of his neck. There Bam went again, flinging unexpected praise so you didn’t know what to do with it. “I’m just, you know, I’ve just read a lot…”

“Focusing on Bear Titans is indeed a good plan,” Khun mused. “Although it seems hard to find eight of them, in reality we’re probably one of the few teams that can take them out in the first place. There’ll also be some Regulars who unwittingly stumble across them. I can probably get them to tell us where they are.”

Everyone was competing for a limited amount of resources, and for later up the tower. Normally speaking, even if a weak team couldn’t handle something themselves, they wouldn’t tell a strong team about their encounter. After all, that was just giving away free points.

Yet Shibisu didn’t doubt that Khun could convince them. And he couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of it.

“But that’s just a backup plan,” Khun continued. He pointed at a spot on the pamphlet. “I think we should go after the Boss.”

Shibisu’s jaw dropped open.

“That is such a bad—”

“Kak kak kak!” Rak threw down the banana peel he’d finished with and laughed. “That’s the spirit, Blue Turtle! If we Hunters are after prey, we should go after the biggest one!”

Hatz gripped the handle of his sword, but Shibisu could tell that his tremor was from excitement. Black eyes glittered. “It will be a challenge.”

He was on a team of crazies.

“Oi, cool down you two,” Khun snapped. “The Bear Titans are from the Eight Floor, but they’re only 500 points. Can you imagine how tough the Boss, who’s worth 10 000 points, will be? There’s no way you or I could take them on.”

So Khun acknowledged that the Boss was probably unbearably tough?? Okay, alright. So it wasn’t that their Lightbearer didn’t know…

“Bam, Anaak, and Endorsi are our Fishermen,” Khun continued. “The rest of us are support.”

…it was just that he didn’t care.

“Um.” Bam looked like a deer caught in a Lighthouse field. “K—Khun, are you sure that a bunch of F-Ranked Regulars should be able to take on whatever the boss is?”

Which. What a weird way to phrase things.

“We have two Princesses of Jahad,” Khun said calmly. “And a member of a Ten Families who’s known for their strength and shinsu techniques. If it’s a team with three of them working together, no one will question it.”

Shibisu scratched his head. Wasn’t Khun praising himself a bit too much there? He’d just said he wasn’t on the same level as Bam, Anaak, and Endorsi! Also, while the Khun family did have fantastic strength and shinsu, they were more known for their Spear Bearer-ing weren’t they?

“Oh right.” Bam’s eyes had gone wide. “I’m… ha… right! I forgot.”

“You forgot you were on a team with two Princesses of Jahad and a member of the Ten Families?” Shibisu asked incredulously. And then he shook his head, sighing. “I guess since you’re an eccentric, the structure of this tower is not as ingrained in your head, huh?”

Eccentric. They couldn’t just call Bam an Irregular in public, where anyone could be listening. That’s why Bam had gotten them that special room for the whole revelation speech in the first place. So they’d decided on this as a nickname.

It was meant to be a joke. When one thought of eccentrics, they thought of old, terrifying beasts with incomprehensible habits. Short, wide eyed and friendly Bam looked anything but. Of course, from what Shibisu had seen of the Crown Game, and later, the easy way in which Bam had dealt with Quant, Shisibu knew that Bam did live up to all the hype the Irregulars had.

“Anyway,” Khun said. “Here’s what we’ll do. We don’t know where or even what the boss is, but there are bound to be people who’ve run into clues. Luckily, there’s two ways to gather information from a bunch of people.”

He pointed to two spots on the map. They were the two resource centers.

While this was a hunting game, it was also in some ways a survival game. They had three days to complete their test. Alternatively speaking, they had to survive three days in the wilderness and avoid beasts and other Regulars trying to kill them.

The test administrators had helpfully provided two resource centers full of food and water, one to the north of the forest and one to the south. They were death traps. Any team could set up an ambush and target people on the way. There was no doubt those areas would be ones of fierce fighting.

“Are you sure they’ll help us?” Shisibu asked doubtfully.

“We’re asking for information on the boss,” Khun said. “There’s no way they’ll think we can take it out. If they do have accurate information, they may tell us hoping for us to get wiped out.”

“Ah…” Gruesome. Shibisu sighed. “Okay then. Which of the resource centers are we tackling.”

Khun opened his mouth, then closed it. A complicated expression flashed across his face. He grimaced, turning away. “We’ll split up.”

“Eh?”

“Our primary purpose is to gather information,” Khun said briskly. “If we find any, we’ll contact each other with our pockets and regroup accordingly. Of course, we’ll move in pairs. Then ,even if we might not be able to fight off an ambush, I believe that we can escape from one.”

For some reason, Khun did not sound entirely happy about this, even though it was his plan.

“Lauroe, Endorsi, Hatz and I will go to the northern checkpoint,” Khun continued. “Bam, Anaak, Shibisu, and Rak will go south. Our duty is to gather information on the boss. Of course, if you come across any Bear Titans, feel free to take them out. The more points, the better.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

Bam and Anaak were supposed to be bait.

Although they were on their way to the resource center, there was no reason they couldn’t take out a few prey on the way. Thus, Shibisu had found them some of the berries they needed to attract the bears, and they’d smeared them all over themselves. Shibisu and Rak were following at a greater distance, ready to provide support if needed.

“Ugh, this is disgusting,” Anaak’s tail was twitching in annoyance as they wandered aimlessly in the woods, hoping for a bear to just come out and attack them. “All this berry juice is doing is attracting flies.”

Her hands tightened around the hilt of her weapon, as if she was itching to unleash it on the pesky insects.

“If you use a shinsu barrier,” Bam said with the experience of tutelage under Ha Jinsung, “they won’t land on you.”

“How do you mean?”

Bam breathed out. With his breath, shinsu shimmered faintly above his skin. It had been present before, barely discernible, but now he made it visible for Anaak. Then he explained the concept. “It’s similar to reinforcement, you see?”

Anaak frowned as she focused, and then shook her head. “I don’t think I can get it right away. You should have showed me earlier so I could practice.”

“Well, for most people, it’s not useful for anything other than keeping flies away.” Bam smiled wryly. “I didn’t think we’d be running around the forest covered in berry juice.”

Bam opened and closed his hand. His master had taught him this technique as a sort of cheat. Because Bam’s shinsu control was already so high, it was both a way to continually practice increasing his control and output. If he could really master this, then he could basically have shinsu armour around his body, greatly increasing his defense.

Of course, the sheer amount of shinsu required for that made it impossible for anyone but him…

And his Master had emphasized that he still needed to train his physical capabilities.

But the most basic version? Should be enough to keep flies away.

Anaak snorted. “Yeah, Isu’s ideas are always so strange. But they work. And don’t think I didn’t notice you saying ‘most people’. You’re weird too.”

“Ah.” Bam scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry?”

“Well,” Anaak looked down at Green April. Its handle was completely covered in bandages. “It’s not like I don’t get it.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Bam said. “Why’d you cover up your weapon?”

Anaak’s hand tightened around Green April’s hilt. “It…” She hung her head. “Yu Hansung warned me against showing it off.” She bristled. “Listen! It’s not that I’m scared! But you guys are weak. You’re hiding the fact that you’re what you are, right? So I guess I can hide this until you all get stronger.”

Bam was stunned. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. Then, he smiled. “Anaak… thanks for watching out for us.”

“Whatever.” Anaak turned away. “The chicken pie you make is decent. That’s all.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

How frustrating, Khun mused.

Actually, the last thing he wanted to do was split their team up. While he did feel that they had more than enough individual strength to complete this task on their own, he did not have the strength to support that. His Lighthouse range only covered about a few dozen meters. It was not nearly enough for him to be the true mastermind of their team.

Endorsi and Hatz had long since left them behind, forging ahead to look for the berries that would attract the Bear Titans. Khun saw no reason to stop them. In fact, it was better if they weren’t there for his ‘conversation’ with the northern resource center.

“When are we going to get there?” Lauroe grumbled. “I’m sleepy.”

“You’ll get to sleep all you want once we get there.” Khun’s smile was wicked. “After all, we’ll be getting everyone else to do the work for us.”

His methods would even give the other Regulars a chance of passing, if they took it. Truly generous of him.

Lauroe side eyed him. “Hey, I’ve been wondering, why do you care about Bam’s opinions so much? He’s, how did Shibisu put it? An eccentric. And you’re a member of the Ten Families.”

Khun quietly took out one of the treasures from his armoury to prevent eavesdropping. It wasn’t something that he wanted to use in the middle of a test, because it’d be a red flag to anyone watching. But, since Lauroe made a nice segway into talking about the Ten Families, it could be dismissed as discussing family secrets.

“Can’t I ask the same of you?” Khun said.

“I’m not a direct descendant. And the Eurasia family’s been on the outs with the administration of this tower since the Madly Blooming Princess Incident. Besides.” Lauroe arched a brow. “All I want is a peaceful life. I don’t have the same goal as you.”

Khun thought about how to answer this.

“Have you met her?” He finally asked. “The head of the Eurasia family?”

“No. How could I?”

“I’ve met him. My father.” He still remembered that day. “He was… terrifying.” The puff of laughter was almost unwilling. “I say I want to defeat him, and I definitely will, but.” But sometimes, he wondered if it was a pipe dream. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but shake at the thought of confronting that man again.

In a lot of ways, his raid of the treasury was a measure to prove to himself that he was capable of moving past his fear.

“Anyway, Irregulars mean change.” Khun’s fist clenched. “In that way, there’s no one better for me to journey up the tower with.”

There was probably no one who understood what this meant better than he and Lauroe. Even Endorsi, Princess of Jahad that she was, would have been insulated from the worst of it. What it meant to be in this unchanging tower.

“You don’t act like you’re only interested in his value.”

“That’s because I’m not only interested in his value.” But it certainly was helpful that Bam was so valuable.

Would he still be interested in Bam if he were an ordinary person?

No, it was impossible to explore that train of thought. The fact was, Bam wasn’t ordinary, in any way. And that was part of him as surely as his kindness and resolve.

And this wasn’t even digging into the can of worms that was resetting the future…

“Aren’t you the same?” Khun asked. “Back then, you already realized Bam’s identity, didn’t you? And yet you continued to let him befriend you.”

He meant, of course, the first time after Bam’s Fisherman class, when Bam reported that Anaak and Endorsi had been injured. He’d talked about Yuri Jahad, of course, but more importantly, he’d mentioned Headon’s test.

In other words, he’d talked about taking a test only open for the legendary Irregulars.

“He’s the type that’s hard to refuse.” Lauroe muttered. “Besides, like I said, he’s interesting.” He stopped walking and looked out to the expanse. “We’re here.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

Shibisu ran for his life. This wasn’t right. Bladed Bees were only worth 10 points, so how come they were so dangerous??

Inwardly he cried tears of unfairness. Bam and Anaak had finally been attacked by a bear, but who would have thought that while they were occupied, a trio of hornets would find Shibisu’s position and attack? He and Rak had managed to take two out, but they were supposed to be long distance support! Close combat was their weakness!

“Rak!” He screamed.

“I’ve got you, Smart Turtle!”

A streak of red, and the Bladed Bee was pierced through. Green blood splattered everywhere, causing Shibisu to yelp and trip over a rock. He tumbled, unluckily hitting a downhill and rolling to the bottom.

Twigs in his hair, Shibisu sat back up with a groan.

“Smart Turtle!” Rak called. “Where did you go?”

“I’m—!” He began to call, and then paused. His eyes widened as he looked around. Tripping through a few dozen bushes had added some much unwanted twigs to his hair and clothes, but it had apparently also put him in enough darkness to see something he hadn’t before.

“What are these red flowers?” Shibisu murmured. Amongst all the white flowers were a few red ones, glinting in the darkness. And they were clearly… indicating a path. After a moment, he realized what they had to be. The forest was called Lampflower Woods after all, but while they’d seen plenty of flowers, they hadn’t seen anything particularly lamp-ish.

And lamps were most effective in darkness…

“I’ll have to say goodbye to tonight’s beauty sleep,” Shibisu sighed, feeling a rare moment of kinship with Lauroe. Taking out his pocket, he tapped out a quick message to Bam and Anaak to go ahead without them. Then he raised his voice. “Oi! Rak! I’ve found something here!”

Uggh, he had a bad feeling about this. But what kind of scout would he be if he didn’t check out the possibilities?

Notes:

Wow, it’s been forever since I updated hasn’t it? I’m so sorry guys! Basically, I went back to work in August, and I didn’t expect work to get so busy! So while I definitely have not abandoned this story (I am determined to finish at least up to Arc 3), updates are going to be super sporadic now. Once upon a time I naively thought I could update once a month while working, but now it looks like maybe once every three months or something would be good (you can thank Canadian Thanksgiving for this update). Oh right! And 5 points if you’re able to guess what property this test is based off of after reading THIS chapter. (Once again, I unfortunately can’t confirm whether you’re right or not until the test ends).

In other news, are any of you playing Genshin Impact? That’s kind of where my free time has been recently… but it’s so good. Definitely give it a try if you haven’t!

Chapter 16: 4F - Lampflower Woods III

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Bear Titans were exactly as they sounded. Lumbering creatures about twice the height that she was, armoured with steel.

She and Hatz worked well together. He distracted the bears, cutting them wherever their armour did not cover, wearing down their strength. In the meantime, she brought the power, taking advantage of the bears’ blood loss and resulting dizziness to kick its head into the ground.

Moreover, Hatz was great at finding the bears. Apparently he had some kind of survival training, because he could just look at trees and the dirt and stuff and know where the bears would be.

Objectively speaking, Hatz was the perfect partner.

The problem was, he wasn’t much of a conversationalist.

“What do you think? Do these flowers suit me?”

“Hm.”

“It’s getting stuffy here. What about being surrounded by trees makes it so hot, do you think?”

“Hm.”

It was frustrating. It wasn’t like Endorsi was a huge chatterbox herself. Ever since she’d been picked as a Princess Candidate, she’d learned to be careful with her thoughts and words. Later on, she just hadn’t found anyone worth spending her time on.

And then Bam had invited her to eat with him. With all of them. And now, they were climbing the Tower together. They were all so loud and ridiculous, and Endorsi couldn’t help but throw in her two cents. She didn’t think of herself as someone who liked to talk, but before she knew it, she had gotten used to the teasing and banter.

Now it felt weird to stand in silence.

She wanted to be on a team with Bam. Anaak too, if she were being honest with herself (but of course she would never admit that aloud). To think that Khun had put Bam and Anaak together!

“Ugh,” she groaned. “Stupid Khun.”

“Hm? What about Earrings?”

Endorsi just shook her head. She didn’t think it was a question that required an answer. Still, Hatz’s query brought her another thought.

“Hey I’ve been meaning to ask,” she mused, “Why’d you call him that, anyway? You don’t call anyone else by a nickname.”

It really was a weird way of addressing somebody. Was there some kind of sordid story or…?

Hatz didn’t even take a second before replying, a scowl on his features. “It’s ‘cause he shows off. Earrings are frivolous and get in the way in the first place, but he wears ones made out of suspendium. It’s like asking to be robbed. Or maybe it’s like daring someone to rob him, and having the full confidence to defend himself.” The redclad swordsman tsked. “He has a bad personality.”

All thoughts of hidden soap operas evaporated from her mind.

“You’ve got that right!” Endorsi nodded eagerly. “And the way he always looks at you like he just expects you to do what he tells you. Jeeze!”

Hatz’s black eyes were gleaming. “In our introductions to each other, you know, he started with the history of the Khun family, like because I was from a blacksmith line, I wasn’t special enough to be on a team with him…”

And so they went on, complaining about Khun. Halfway through, Endorsi had thoroughly changed her mind. Being with Hatz wasn’t so bad, after all.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

They made camp and slept until evening.

Traveling in nighttime was more dangerous than travel by daylight, but the glow of the lampflowers would be hidden under the more intense light of day. Shibisu and Rak found a large but well hidden tree branch, and rested atop it until the sun winked out.

Then they followed the trail. Well, calling it a trail would be generous. The flowers weren’t exactly lined up in a row. Shibisu had to use every skill he’d learned as a scout to figure out where a batch of lampflowers would next appear.

More than that, the creatures at night were different. It seemed that everything on the hunt list had gone to sleep, and other creatures, like Bomb Beetles, had emerged. They seemed to get smarter and more dangerous the further Shibisu and Rak penetrated into the woods, too.

Shibisu had to work his brain to find strategies that would work against them. Not for the first time, he thought about calling Bam and Anaak over. Except, if this whole red flowers thing turned out to be nothing, it would be a colossal waste of time. Bam and Anaak had contacted them via pocket before Shibisu had set out. They’d earned a good 1200 points. Shibisu couldn’t waste their firepower on what could turn out to be a wild goose chase.

"Rak,” Shibisu shook Beetle guts off his arm. Ew ew ew! He was going gonna have to stay in the shower for a week. “Could we maybe, you know, leave off the fighting for a while?”

Rak snorted. Some indescribable body part slid off his spear. “Hunters do not run from prey.”

“Yeah but, we have the big prey we’re going for, right?” Shibisu cajoled. “The rest are just distractions. Good hunters preserve their energy.”

Rak thought about this for a moment. Then, he nodded. He smiled, rows upon rows of teeth gleaming. “You are right. That is why you are Smart Turtle.”

Shibisu slumped over in relief. Thank Jahad.

After that conversation, things became easier. Or at least, not as gross. Rak knew how to move around in the foliage. His footsteps were silent and never wasted. Weirdly, he was able to make his big presence seem natural.

But this Shibisu already knew. Well, that was why he’d chosen Rak to investigate this with him in the first place.

“What do you suppose we’ll find at the end of this trail?” Shibisu asked nervously. “It’d be nice if it were some rare treasure.”

Rak harrumphed. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to.

Circling around potential enemies made the journey a lot longer than it otherwise would have been. They had to be stealthy and careful. Shibisu wondered if they would have to make camp again, this deep into the forest. He was worried about it. Would it be safe for them? Maybe they should turn back. After all, the sun had almost risen again.

And then they stumbled across it.

A clearing.

At the center of the clearing, there was something one might have mistaken for a small brown hill. Except the hill was made of fur. And it was moving. Breathing.

At Rak’s and Shibisu’s entrance, a single eye flickered open. Then the beast stood. An ape as tall as a tree blocked the emerging sunlight, body proportioned with muscle. Its head featured nothing except a large, sideways eye. Its stomach, which had been previously covered by its position, rippled. Shibisu noted with horror that there was a mouth, right there.

Beside him, Rak was trembling with excitement.

“This is it, Smart Turtle,” he said in a low voice. “This is the ultimate prey of this floor.”

Eh?? What part of that looked like prey?? Wasn’t it clearly the predator??

Rak leaned back, readied his spear, eyes narrowing.

“Wait!” Shibisu hissed. “Wait. We need our team for this. What if something goes wrong—”

And then the beast turned to them, as if it had heard their conversation.

Dread sunk through Shibisu’s spine.

“Too late, Turtle!” Rak grinned, and flung his spear with all his strength.

It reached, impossibly, upwards, zooming with fantastic speed towards the creature’s eye. It was a red jet of colour.

The Boss monster closed his eye, and the spear bounced off the lid of it.

Rak’s mouth dropped open.

The Boss monster’s eye opened again. Then it roared, the sound reverberating across the forest, and it charged at them.

“Run!” Shibisu screamed.

All finesse escaped him as he turned and dashed back the way they came. No time for subtlety and stealth. Thankfully, there was actually no need for it. All the creatures seemed to be aware of the bigger predator, and quickly hid as they came barreling through. Rak was right behind him.

“You are too slow, Smart Turtle!” Rak shouted.

“Well sorry!” Shibisu scrambled for his inventory. From within he took out a mirror, so he could get a good sense of how far the monster was. With horror, he saw red shinsu gather in front of its eye. He made a gesture. “Rak, dodge!”

They both threw themselves to the left. It was just in time too. A large beam of red shinsu disintegrated the place where they’d been before, leaving a trail of half disintegrated trees and overturned ground.

Shibisu gulped.

Then he felt his feet leave the ground. Shibisu almost screamed, except then he realized it was Rak who’d picked him up, not the beast. Rak flung the scout over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, racing down the path traced by the red flowers.

“Run faster, Turtle!”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

The ragtag group of Regulars cheered as they took down another swarm of Bladed Bees. It turned out that if individuals teamed up to take down a prey, then everyone who contributed to the fight was awarded the points. It was unfortunate that permanent teams were counted as one individual, but Khun supposed it made things more fair. After all, how could a temporary alliance be compared to a team that one traveled with and trusted?

When Khun and Lauroe had arrived at the northern resource center, it’d been in complete chaos. In that, Khun was rather lucky. It was pretty easy to take it over, and he’d been leading it ever since.

“How many points is that?” Lauroe yawned from beneath Khun’s Lighthouse. Lauroe was ostensibly his guard, but that was mostly because he didn’t want to move around that much. Well, Khun did like extra insurance. A light bearer and a wave controller together a nigh unbeatable, after all.

“Hmm.” Khun glanced at his pocket. “A little over 1800?” There was a evil smile playing at his lips. “Turns out it’s not too difficult to wrack up many points if you catch the Bees in a swarm. And the Snakes sleep during daytime, so they’re not hard to kill if you can find their dens.” Khun smiled down at Lauroe. “Looks like if you sleep too much, one day you might not wake up.”

Lauroe shuddered, and tugged his blanket closer around his body.

And it was then that his pocket went off.

“Shibisu?” Khun answered smugly. “We’ve just achieved—”

“We’ve found the Boss!” Shibisu yelled. He sounded panicked. “It’s—fuck—it’s really strong! Rak’s lost his spear and we’re both just running for our lives and what the heck do we do Khun?”

All signs of playfullness vanished as Khun sharpened to full attention. Quickly he pulled up the map info in his Lighthouse. He frowned. He couldn’t ‘see’ Shibisu, as expected. They were too far away.

“Your coordinates?” Khun asked, voice clipped.

“Heck, I don’t know! But, urgh, I guess if I had to guess from the position of the sun…”

Shibisu gave him an answer that Khun was sure only had a 0.01 percent margin error.

“You’re closest to the southern resource center,” Khun said. “Head there. From what you said, the Boss is harder than expected, so use the other Regulars to slow it down. Everyone should work together for survival. In the meantime, I’ll try to get the team to your location. Gimme a sec while I send you the required map data.”

He mailed Shibisu the information and clicked off the call.

“Those idiots,” Khun muttered under his breath.

Thanks to them drawing the Boss’ aggro, they’d totally lost the element of preparation and surprise. Although Khun was confident that their team could take care of the Boss, that was also with the caveat of careful planning. Now they would be scrambling to play catch up.

Well, whatever. He’d improvise.

He dialed Hatz’s pocket. “Hey Seppuku Swordsman, we have a situation.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

The thing was, neither Bam or Anaak were scouts. When Shibisu had messaged them saying he found a lead and he’d scout it out, they’d agreed easily. They trusted in their teammate’s abilities. After fighting one of the Bear Titans and measuring its level, they’d both concluded that support was unnecessary.

But woods were hard to navigate. Intellectually, both Bam and Anaak knew that. But they’d always had the help of either Khun or Shibisu or Hatz or even Rak who probably grew up in this environment. Anaak could accurately tell what probably was and wasn’t safe to eat, but as far as navigation went, she was also at a loss.

In other words, they were lost.

They did, in that time, take out two more bears, as well as a plethora of other creatures. They also found a river, which Anaak suggested using to wash the berry juice off so they wouldn’t be attacked while they were sleeping. They had to spend the night outside. Even Khun had been more amused than anything when they’d messaged him about their predicament.

His options were for them to stay tight while he sent someone to retrieve them, or just keep doing what they were doing. Of course they’d chosen the latter. While Bam was okay with waiting, Anaak wasn’t one to sit around doing nothing.

“That horned woman messaged me,” she said through gritted teeth. “She has four bear kills. Four!”

So the next day, bright and early, they’d found more of the berries that Shibisu had showed them. They smeared it all over themselves once again. But this time, after they’d totally given up on finding the southern camp and were focusing on hunting… well, of course that was when they stumbled across the camp.

And now they were standing in front of a large group of Regulars with predatory looks in their eyes. Bam’s pocket had gone off sometime during the tense stare down, but even Bam knew better than to answer it right then.

“Hey, aren’t you two part of that Rookie Team, Endless Sky?” One of the Regulars sneered. “Cocky little shits ain’t ‘cha? But you two don’t look so strong. Just a little girl and a little boy.”

Anaak’s tail swished in warning.

“Um, we’re not looking for trouble,” Bam smiled with his eyes. Bam counted thirty of them. Four Lightbearers. Either five or six Wave Controllers. For Bam and Anaak who wanted to hide most of their strength, it was not impossible odds, but not great ones.

“Well maybe we’re looking for trouble,” one of the Regulars’ eyes glinted with greed. “Did you know that as long as you’re not in a permanent team, teaming up nets everyone who contributed to the hunt all the points?”

Really? So interesting! So rather than an elimination game, this was a cooperation game.

“And so you think you can take us out instead of begging us to join you?” Anaak snorted. “Idiots. Well, it’s not like we’d ever join you losers anyway.”

“What did you say?!” The leader roared.

“Why don’t we all calm down,” Bam said, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. “We don’t really want to hurt any of you.”

Anaak snorted. “Speak for yourself.”

At the same time, one of the other Regulars roared, “As if you could hurt us!”

Whoops.

Ack!

His Masters were such bad influences on him! It had honestly just slipped out!

“Look—” Bam tried again.

And that was when Shibisu came barreling out of the woods, an ape the size of a tree hot on his heels.

“Bam!” Shibisu screamed. “The Boss! We’ve found the Boss!”

Everyone reacted. Argument instantly forgotten, all the Regulars reached for their armaments and prepared to strike the Boss.

“Hyaah!” One of the Spear Bearers threw his weapon. It flew towards the Boss’ stomach. The Boss’ teeth snapped down on it, breaking the spear in half.

Then the Boss roared. Its attention zeroed in on the group of Regulars gathered around the resource center. The eye at the center of its head gleamed a bright red.

“It’s a shinsu attack!” Shibisu cried.

Bam’s eyes widened. His head snapped towards the group, who paled at the warning. With surprising alacrity, all the Light Bearers and Wave Controllers hastily resurrected a shield.

“Anaak!” Bam called.

“Ugh! I don’t want to!” Even so, Green April flared, whipping towards the creature. It caught the creature’s wrist.

Anaak pulled, hard.

The Boss monster actually went off kilter. A wave of red shinsu fired from his eyes, but it was slightly off, hitting more to the side than directly at the group.

Even so, the attack wasn’t fully blocked. Seven Lighthouses cracked. A few of the Regulars fainted from the exhaustion of holding back the beam.

Anaak grunted, her heels dragging in the dirt as the Boss finally caught on to what had happened. He was attempting to tug his arm away.

“Hurry up!” She called to Bam.

Bam didn’t need to be told twice. He raced towards the creature, leaping onto the furry hand that Anaak was holding down, and running up its arm. The ape roared, trying to swat Bam with its other hand. Its movements were fast, but Bam was faster. He leapt onto the top of its head, pressing his hand against dark fur.

He had… a legitimate connection to his master. In that case, he could use…

Ha Jinsung Style: Butterfly Piercing Technique!

The ape’s head disintegrated into ribbons. The body twitched for one, two seconds, before it went still. Then it started falling.

The Regulars screamed as they hurriedly scrambled out of the way. Green April unwound from the Boss’s wrist and wrapped around Bam’s waist, bringing him safely back to his teammates.

Bam landed among a huge puff of dust. The Regulars were all staring at them, pale and wide eyed.

Anaak sneered. “Well, who still wants to fight?”

As expected, no one answered.

“Ding ding ding!” Above, the Lighthouse overseeing the area chimed. “The Boss Monster has been defeated! 10 000 Points has been awarded to Team Endless Sky. The test is now over! I repeat, the test is now over!”

Notes:

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a good holiday and a Merry Christmas!

The property that this test was based on is... drumroll please... DARWIN'S GAME! If you guessed it in the first chapter this test appeared, that's 10 points. If you guessed it in Lampflower Woods II, that's 5 points. If you guessed it this chapter before reading the reveal, that's 1 point! Special shoutout to Ashley22, who guessed it from the beginning. Azurame_Neve and Aldrin both definitely get 5 points. Thank you all for playing :D

Chapter 17: 5F - Valley of Flames

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Afterwards, they were all herded into a dome like area. The Test Director, a short woman in a white hakama and kosode, greeted them coolly. She read off the names of those who had passed. With their victory assured, Endless Sky only gave her about half of their attention.

“This is so unfair,” Endorsi complained. “If the Boss had showed up on the north side, we totally would have been the ones to kill it, right Hatz?”

“Mmn.”

“Well, you weren’t the ones who killed it,” Annak said smugly. She gave the hilt of Green April a short, satisfied pat. “We were. We earned five times the amount of points you did.”

Endorsi’s sunset eyes narrowed, a growl rippling from her throat. “Just wait. I’ll get more points than you next time.”

Ha! As if!

The Test Director finished reading the list of names. Other than their team, there were a handful of other individuals who earned the requisite number of points—but the points distributions were pretty pathetic, so Anaak didn’t think any of them were worth paying attention though.

Some of the losers didn’t seem to get that message though. They started rioting and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

“We fought the Boss too!” One of them shouted. “How come we don’t get to share in the 10 000 points?”

“You worked together to defend against one of the Boss’ attacks,” the Test Director said with a raised brow. “It was actually only Team Endless Sky that went on the attack. And they successfully defeated it, too.”

Then the Test Director turned to them.

“Congratulations,” she said, “you have passed this test with the highest recorded team grade.” She glanced at her paper and shook her head. “Honestly, what even is this? Even without the Boss take down, you collectively have 5300 points.”

Anaak preened. The rules of the Tower were stupid, and she wasn’t here for the competition and pageantry. Even so, it felt good to know you’d outperformed every single person around you.

“It’s never a bad idea to have extra points,” Khun said modestly. He slanted a smirk in Endorsi’s direction. “Besides, points pay for living fees too, and our Princess here has expensive tastes.”

“Do you know what Hatz told me?” Endorsi sneered. “Your earrings are made of suspendium. Even if you’d added up the cost of my entire closet, it wouldn’t come close to the price for that.”

“Okay okay,” Shibisu had his hands up. “We all like living better if we can, right? No one would choose to live in a hut, right? Even Bam likes the premium stuff.”

Bam blushed to the roots of his hair. “It’s not like I’m not okay with other things! It’s just that I got used to it, so…”

Shibisu snorted. “Spoken like a truly privileged person.”

Bam flailed. “It’s just—my ma—a member of my fam—fam—” He hid his face in his hands, voice coming out in an embarrassed moan. “I can’t do this.”

“You all disgust me,” Anaak sneered.

Bam wilted.

Anaak’s lips twitched, and she had to turn away, covering her mouth. A small ‘phhft’ escaped her.

“This isn’t fair!” Another bland faced loser yelled. “We’re competing against a Princess of Jahad! How were we supposed to pass.”

“Shut it,” the person beside him muttered, kicking the first speaker in the shin. “It’s disappointing but, this is how the tower climb is. We just weren’t good enough.”

The first loser glared. For a moment, it looked like it was about to break out into a fight.

“Director Kohaku,” Bam interjected. “Can’t you give them another chance?”

There was a pause. Inwardly, Anaak tsked. The stupid boy. He always cared too much about other people. It baffled her. From the few things Bam had let slip about his past, he of all people should be cautious around others. Yet contrary to expectations, he was always the first one to reach out to help. It really was a good thing he was strong, otherwise—

The Test Director arched a brow. “Regulars cannot retake the test before the 20th floor. That is the regulation.”

Bam hummed. “But what if it’s an extension to this test? If the forest exam was a part one only, and we just happened to pass, but the rest of it still needs to be conducted… can’t we do it like this?”

The hakama clad woman’s mouth opened, then closed. Anaak understood her confusion. It was just that the woman hadn’t come to realize yet that this was just what Bam was like.

“Why are you so adamant about changing the results?” Director Kohaku asked, staring at Bam as if she’d never seen such a creature. “You have already passed.”

“Well, it’s not that I want to change the results. But, I feel some responsibility as the team who ended the test nearly two days early. At the very least, I feel like most of the people haven’t had the chance to show their skills.”

Surprisingly, it was Rak who cut in.

“Black Turtle,” Rak said seriously. “The art of hunting requires one to wait for the perfect moment to strike—for their prey to weaken. Those who were hunting for the creatures with points would only need for their prey to eat or drink. As for the type of people who continued to wait… it can only mean their prey was different. I admire hunting in all scenarios, but that is not the case for you, is it Black Turtle?”

Bam’s eyes widened. “That’s…”

“That’s right.” Director Kohaku latched on in relief. “This is about the hunt, not survival. It’s why the time limit was set to three days.” She smiled wryly. “That said, I admit, I did not expect anyone to be able to take out the Boss. It was put there as a way to test a Regular’s judgment. You were all supposed to avoid it, and those who provoked it would meet failure. This floor’s test was meant to test your judgment, both for your own strength, and when you needed help.”

She shook her head.

“To think I’d meet Regulars who could take it out… not since Princess Yuri have I seen a team with such potential. But that is also part of the tower climb. The fact that they were born in your generation…” She gestured to the gaggle of Regulars. “…is their bad luck.”

Anaak couldn’t help it. She snorted.

She and Endorsi exchanged a glance. As Princesses of Jahad, they more than anyone understood the ‘luck’ of the tower. A second later, Anaak jerked her eyes away, disbelief flooding her system at the thought of agreeing with the horned woman.

“Is that acceptable to you,” Director Kohaku’s gaze was direct. “Bam of Endless Sky?”

Their fearless leader nodded. Although he didn’t look happy with the response, neither did he seem like he was going to argue. Good.

“Then,” the Test Director dipped her head. “Please, passing Regulars, follow me. I shall lead you to the teleportation room for the next floor.”

Anaak trotted over to Bam and gave him a nudge. Bam looked over, question in his eyes.

“Come on, Sunshine Boy,” she muttered. “We’ve got a tower to climb.”

The question dissipated, replaced by something too close to happiness. “Yeah, you’re right.”

They followed after Director Kohaku, with Bam praising her actions from the test as if he hadn’t just gotten into an argument with the test director. As if Anaak’s presence itself displaced his bad mood. Anaak’s tail couldn’t help but twitch in pleasure.

Really. She wasn’t the only one who thought he was weird, right? They had, all of them, held some emptiness that couldn’t be filled by normal means. That was why they were called to the Tower. That was why they had the drive to keep going through the grueling tests and endless days of training even as others fell.

Even Shibisu and the Phonesekal were like that.

But Bam… why did he seem content to just be with them? It made her skin itch, because sometimes that contentment would sneak up on her, too. And that frightened her, because what if, what if she forgot…?

No. She wouldn’t let herself forget. It was a stupid question. This was the best team to climb the Tower with, that’s all. Relaxation was important to training as well. She knew her goal, and there was no way she would let herself get distracted from it.

She wasn’t like the other members of Endless Sky, who only had vague ideas of what they wanted. She had a hatred that could blot out the sun. So she would never get sidetracked. Never.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

5F - Valley of Flames

 

The heat was stifling.

Khun never liked the cold, but he didn’t like it when it was too hot, either. On the 108th Floor, where the Khun children trained and died, winter was an ever existing presence. The outside, full of trees and wildlife, only thawed for a month every year. Inside, even that month did not happen.

It was only with the advent of Maria that he found out what warmth was like. Since then, he had craved it. Hoped for it. Been helpless towards it. It was a disgusting impulse, parasitic in nature, and one that he always attempted to lock down. Everything within him that was a Khun rebelled against the thought of allowing such weakness.

And it was also the impulse that he clung to desperately, so that he could be different from the rest of his rotten family.

Even so, he supposed that a part of him had gotten used to the biting winters and mild summers. Khun’s gaze roved the bazaar that his teammates had dragged him to. A variety of wares and nicknacks lined the stalls. Bam’s eyes were practically sparkling as he sampled the different foods, no doubt thinking of adding to his repertoire of recipes. Even Lauroe had gone off to look at the newt skinned pillows. But as expected, nothing beat the items found in Khun Eduan’s armory.

“What do you think of this?” A few paces away, Endorsi held up a shimmery garment to Bam. It was the kind of dress that the residents of the Floor wore. They’d certainly seen enough of it during their mingling as they browsed the shops.

Bam, of course, turned his attention away from the stalls, because he always prioritized his friends. He smiled. “Oh, I think it looks great. But you’d look good in anything, Endorsi.”

Endorsi went completely red.

“Wh—wha—what a thing to say!” She shouted. “Ho ho ho! Of course I knew that!”

She turned away stiffly, walking to the shop keeper like a robot.

“Endorsi has a good idea,” Bam mused, rubbing his chin.

Once upon a time, Bam would have asked if he’d done something to offend Endorsi, but by now, even he was used to the Princess’ antics. Of course, he was also completely oblivious to why she acted this way, as well as the fact that she only acted this way around him.

“This climate’s really hot,” Bam continued, turning to the only other companion nearby. “We should get some more appropriate clothing. What do you think, Khun?”

It took Khun a moment to comprehend that Bam was speaking to him.

“Oh. Yes, that sounds good.”

Bam was frowning at him.

Khun quirked his lips. He curved his eyes in a teasing smile. “I mean, some of the outfits do look nice. Do you think your master will get you some?”

Bam flushed. “I don’t need…”

They went on. Khun tried to pay more attention. He tried to be more enthusiastic. His mind wasn’t on the wares the browsed though. He constantly found himself getting lost in thought.

In the end, even he had to give up, citing exhaustion as an excuse to retire early. He did manage to buy a new Lighthouse though.

The rest of the week was spent in a similar, indolent manner. It was a lot harder to train when it was so hot like this, especially for their Fishermen. Bam and Endorsi often came back sweaty. Anaak and Rak often found themselves sleepy, which was quite a shot of humour. It must have been a result of their physiology. When they took the test, Khun would have to take that into consideration.

Something about the heat made all of them lazy. As if they’d saved up their energy from the Floor of Carnival, suddenly Endless Sky was taking a number of expeditions outside. To look at a volcano. To view the town which was buried in ash. Shifting through the night market.

Khun never went with them, though. He knew that they’d have similar experiences further up the tower, and besides, they could always come back when they were Rankers.

He told everyone that he just didn’t like being boiled alive outside, and his team seemed to more or less believe him.

It wasn’t exactly the truth though.

Sitting in a lotus position in one of the training rooms, Khun breathed out and once again reached for the shinsu. Eyes closed, he could almost see the threads. Pulled them. And—

Failed. Once again.

The blue haired boy let out a noise of frustration. His fingers clenched into a fist against his trousers. It was the heat. It was making his temper worse, and making it hard to concentrate.

The door creaked open. Khun’s eyes snapped open, a knife appearing in his hand. His team was supposed to have left already. So who—

Hatz stood at the doorway, a frown on his face.

Khun relaxed, chucking the knife back into his Lighthouse. “What’re you doing here, Seppuku Swordsman? I thought you all wanted to go cool down at the oasis.”

“We are.” Hatz frowned. “I came to ask why you aren’t coming.”

Khun matched the swordsman’s frown. “I already explained—”

“Not good enough.” Hatz cut him off. It wasn’t a surprise. Their second scout never seemed to care much about Khun’s words.

Khun felt a flare of irritation.

“Anaak and Rak are practically falling asleep with every trip we take, and they still come.” Hatz’s voice was offensively calm. Then he took a breath. “Even though he doesn’t say anything, Bam’s upset. You know that right?”

The beginnings of a fight, which always stirred when the two were around each other, disappeared without a trace.

Khun looked away. “Bam can deal with it. He has all of you.”

“It’s not only Bam, you know. All of ‘us’ are worried too.” The swordsman’s eyes flickered to the Lighthouses, a hint of annoyance entering his tone. “I can’t believe you’ve been brushing us off to train.”

Khun bristled. “That’s rich, coming from you—”

“It’s because it’s coming from me that you should pay attention.” Hatz walked over and sat down beside Khun. Ugh. “What’s with you, Earrings? You don’t slack off, but you’ve never been the type of person to go this hard, either.”

“Why’s it matter? Maybe I just want to be stronger.”

“It matters because we’re a team.” Hatz voice grated, like he was forcing the words from his throat. “We’re a permanent team, now. We’re climbing the tower. Like it or not, your worries are now our worries.”

Khun wasn’t exactly sure how to react, so he settled on a smirk. “Sounds like you don’t want my worries.”

“Not particularly, no.” Hatz crossed his legs beneath him. “They’re usually stupid. But Bam just lets you do whatever you want, and the others don’t know you well enough yet.”

Khun tensed. His reasons were not stupid. They weren’t. He opened his mouth, about to go on the attack—about to criticize Hatz and send him into a frenzy and get them off this topic, when—

“Some things you have to go at alone,” Hatz said quietly. “But most things? Khun, you’re our Light Bearer now. The center of our team. But you don’t trust us to be able to help you?”

Khun deflated like a balloon.

“I…” He ran a hand through his hair, fingers tangling on blue strands. He closed his eyes and let out a noise of frustration. Then he chuckled, low and deep in his throat. Wow. He really hadn’t changed, had he?

With a groan, he plopped down on the floor, stretching his limbs out like a starfish.

“It’s not like I’ve been trying to ignore all of you,” Khun muttered to the ceiling. “I really have just been focused on training. I want to get stronger.” He held up a hand to forestall Hatz. “Yeah, I know that’s what we all want, but…”

But none of them knew what was awaiting them in the future, did they?

“I’m the Light Bearer,” Khun said instead, his voice a whisper. “I’m the one who’s supposed to make it so that we can achieve victory. But during the last test, in the Lampflower Woods, I was completely irrelevant.”

He had a plan for the boss, but nobody needed it. Bam and Anaak hadn’t needed any backup at all. Khun wouldn’t have been able to provide backup anyway. His range with his Lighthouse was so woefully inadequate.

“So was I.” Hatz said.

“But—”

“Idiot! That’s why we train. But if you focus too much on training, you’ll lose sight of what you were fighting for in the first place.”

“Ahh…”

That’s right, what was he training for? To be less of a hindrance to Bam? But Bam had said that he didn’t care about that, hadn’t he? Bam, in his future, had been a star of the tower, already on his way to the upper floors. But he’d come back not for power or strength, but because…

“I see.”

Khun rolled over and hid his face. He really was an idiot.

There was the sound of cloth shuffling, and Hatz had stood up. The swordsman held out a hand to him. “The others haven’t left for the oasis yet.”

Yeah. He got the message. They were waiting for him.

Khun took the hand. “Thanks, Hatz.”

“Anytime, Aguero.”

They found the rest of their team waiting outside. As Hatz said, they hadn’t yet left. Khun felt stuffy in a way that had nothing to do with the heat. Bam especially seemed happy to see him, the smile on his face stretched wide. Once again, Khun felt like a moron. Yeah, what had he been doing for the past week?

It was only much, much later that he privately found Bam.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was an idiot. I was anxious about getting stronger.”

“Stronger?” Bam looked genuinely surprised. As expected. “Khun, you don’t need to do that.”

“I wanted to be able to support you. I felt like I couldn’t at my current level.”

“That’s—I mean, I have ten years worth of training more than you, more than any of you. And we’re not going to war with Jahad this time, or fighting off FUG. We have lots of time to ascend the tower. We’ll take things as they come.”

“Yeah,” Khun smiled wryly. “I think I got that.”

“Also.” Bam fidgeted. “You already support me, Khun. Just by being here.”

Khun opened his mouth, and closed it. So many times, he wanted to ask. Just what were they, in the future that Bam knew? What were they that Bam would know about his goals, about what exactly to say to him each time, about how he did his hair in the mornings?

But as always, he didn’t ask. He wasn’t sure he could handle the answer.

“Anyway,” Khun said, attempting to change the topic. “I still want to get stronger. But I won’t be as hasty about it, and I’ll make sure to use my resources.” The corner of his lip pulled up. “So, as our resident Ranker level Wave Controller, I have to ask—any tips for controlling shinsu?”

Bam cocked his head, considering.

“Well,” Bam rubbed the back of his neck. “It just comes naturally to me. Also, I just kinda automatically learn whatever technique I’m hit with?”

Khun put a hand to his temple and let out a soft laugh. Oh. So this was how people felt when he bragged about his genius.

“Khun…?” Bam asked hesitantly.

Khun opened his eyes, smiling brightly. “Nope, nothing. Okay, what about future me? Do you remember how he was able to do anything?”

“Actually.” Bam’s brows knit together in rather cute picture of concentration. “I remember something from your father, that is, the data version of Khun Eduan.”

Khun tensed.

“He said, that shinsu control is difficult for most people outside of the basics. But if you use it with your shinsu quality, you’ll see much better results.”

Oh he knew about shinsu quality alright.

“Let me guess,” Khun said bitterly. “My quality is a Lightning Spear. That won’t work. I can’t compete—”

“It’s not Lightning,” Bam interrupted. Khun’s eyes rose to meet considering golden ones. “It’s Ice. And it’s beautiful.”

Khun’s breath caught.

“It was really useful, too,” Bam mused. “Really, I was pretty envious. You could do so many things with it, like trapping people or setting off these ice explosions. I couldn’t do that.”

That sounded like—he had used ice as… support?

“I guess,” he muttered, “I guess I can work with that.”

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

“This stupid fire krawt!” Shibisu screamed. The arching stone cliffs glowed with an eerie red, illuminating their scout’s face. Tears of frustration ran down his cheeks, mixing with the unending sweat.

“Anaak,” Khun’s eyes curved into crescents. He too was getting a bit annoyed. He highly suspected that this floor’s director was just using them to complete her chores. “The krawts are your cousins, aren’t they? Can’t you call it over?”

Anaak’s tail thumped against the ground. It cracked. Scary.

“Prey… too… small…” Rak panted, stumbling forward a few steps before flopping on a rock.

“Hey no! Not that one!” Bam tackled Rak just as a plume of fire burst from where they were seconds before. The two rolled on the floor a few times, kicking up dry dust. Khun didn’t even have time to start worrying before Bam began laughing.

“I am,” Endorsi growled. Her hair was covered with soot. “Gonna skin that thing.”

In the meantime, Hatz was wandering without his swords for once, looking pissed. After all, this atmosphere made metal too hot to hold.

This wasn’t their best showing. Yet, Khun couldn’t help but smile as he guided them through it all. It was tiny, and he’d deny it if anyone but Bam were to ask him about it. But it was genuine. He had learned warmth from Maria, but it was here that he was learning what it was like to live in summer.

Notes:

These updates are taking longer and longer... but we have a lot of content with this one, right? :D Anywho there's a ton of ToG fanfics now, so lots for you to enjoy. Also also, if you just want some sweet shipping sugar, might I recommend a show that I've gotten obsessed with recently? To fans of The Untamed, you should really check out Word of Honor. I thought The Untamed was pushing censorship, but Word of Honor is making it look like the kiddy pool XD The episodes are available for free on Youtube/Youku. (Also, if you find the first 3/4 of the first episode boring, you should just skip it. It's more like a prologue anyway. But I'm the terrible type of person who is fine reading things out of order and figuring out what's going on from context clues, so YMMV xD)

Footnotes:
Bam's name means 'night', so when Director Kohaku says 'Bam of Endless Sky', it also means 'Night of Endless Sky'. So cool right?

Chapter 18: 6F - Crystal Desert I

Notes:

Here you go! Your reward for a year of patience. I wanted to post this on Christmas but... weeell I got lazy, so here, you can have the snow chapter in summer! XD

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“The ice crystals formed well before civilization on this floor. In fact, you could say they are the reason the Middle City formed in the first place. After Darmis Rabumak discovered the method to sculpt the crystals, they became commodities among the Outer Tower. Droves of entrepreneurial merchants, adventurers, and desperate itinerants came to the Crystal Desert, forming the very first mining city. Unfortunately, useful crystals are difficult to harvest, and many came only to…”

Shibisu nodded along, taking notes of everything the tour guide was saying. It was a bit more difficult than usual, considering the thick mittens he had to wear for this floor’s environment. At his shoulder, Hatz peeked over to his writing, only for black brows to furrow.

“Is this some kind of code?” Hatz questioned. Unlike Shibisu, whose winter coat made him resemble a marshmallow, Hatz was as graceful as ever in his sleek black trench. The Tower was ever unfair.

“Erm.” Shibisu paused in his rapid note taking, scratching his head with the back of his pen. “No I just, um, developed a shorthand for myself. And, you know.” He wiggled his covered fingers. “Not the best dexterity right now.”

Gah. Why was it so embarrassing to talk about this?

“Ah.”

Ah? That was it? He wished Hatz could be a bit more vocal. Shibisu knew that Team Endless Sky weren’t his gradeschool bullies. They were all good people. Still, he couldn’t help his unease. Was he being too much of a motor mouth? Too clingy? Too stupid looking?

Were they secretly laughing at him?

Okay that last one was ridiculous. Bam was far too nice. Endorsi and Anaak had better things to think about. Lauroe was too in love with his pillow to care. Rak was too concentrated on his prey. And okay, maybe Khun would laugh but Khun laughed at everyone except Bam so it didn’t really matter. He knew that. He knew all that… yet, even so.

The tour guide continued his lecture, now moving into the harvesting methods for the crystals. It involved a lot of grueling, personal work. Wait until the turn of the orbital rings. Use the light of the rings to find the coloured crystal pieces. Carve it out by hand so it doesn’t get destroyed. Complete the work before the orbital ring reverted else the colour would fade away.

Shibisu still took notes, but he had to admit, his writing was slower than before.

“You never know what might be useful, you know.” He was rambling, but he couldn’t stop himself. “I mean on the fifth floor, who’d have thought we’d have to capture fire krawts for the local merchant guild? We wouldn’t have been able to lure those stupid things if we weren’t familiar with the geography already. Maybe this floor will be similar, so it’s good to be prepared. That’s our job as scouts.”

“Ah.”

Ah again? He—

“You are a very good scout.”

Shibisu’s head whipped around. “Huh?”

“You are always thinking of the team,” Hatz said thoughtfully. “I need to do better.”

“No, um—huh?”

But Hatz didn’t say anything else. Just looked at him with a quiet, sincere admiration.

“I lied,” Shibisu blurted. “I didn’t invite you out here to scout. Well I did but—that wasn’t my only reason! I just wanted to learn more about this floor. The truth is I’m just a huge nerd and I 100% took advantage of you because I didn’t want to come here alone.”

His words had sped up a bit at the end there and became barely comprehensible. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut and awaiting Hatz’s judgment.

“That’s amazing too,” Hatz said quietly. “I mean, I’m not interested in any of this… history and geography and all that, so I wouldn’t be able to remember this stuff even if I tried. You’re a really good scout, Shibisu.”

Shibisu’s eyes snapped open. He opened his mouth. Closed it.

“You are too, Hatz.” His smile was wobbly. Were there tears in his eyes? Nah. That was just the dust. The dust. “I’m really glad to have you as my partner.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

It was as if the tower wanted revenge on them. Just as they’d gotten used to the heat of the fifth floor, they were suddenly thrown into the icy weather of the sixth floor.

It was fascinating to him, how his teammates reacted to each of the floors. Once again, he lamented missing this all before. It took real effort not to watch his teammates with hungry eyes, trying to imprint each day into his very being.

He’d been too focused. Too focused on moving forward, too focused on completing his objectives, too focused on chasing an unworthy goal.

But how precious time was. And time was in the present.

So he was sure to remind Shibisu and Hatz to have fun while they were scouting. He was sure to participate in his reptilian teammates’ determined exercises to exorcise the sleepiness from their bodies. He was sure to indulge Endorsi when she sought to expand her winter wardrobe.

So he thought nothing of it when Khun invited him to go skating eight days into their stay in the Crystal Desert.

“If it’s alright, I’d like it to be just you and me,” Khun said in response to his question of whether they should make it a group event. “While I’ve gone skating before, that was when I was ten. It’s a sport that requires a lot of skill. I want to check that I’m not too rusty before letting the Seppuku Swordsman see me.”

That made sense. Khun didn’t like showing his less knowledgeable side to others, even if the others wouldn’t really mind. Bam felt warmed by the trust.

They waited for a free day, then went together. The area that Khun chose was outdoor, not close to their place of dwelling but not too far either. It was a strange place. While the Crystal Desert was a land of ice and snow, the pathways in the city proper were cleared meticulously. Here though, there was a pond of pure ice, eerily smooth and blocked by a wire fence. A few people played within that fenced off pond, moving far too quickly to be walking, yet far too smoothly to be a run.

Khun led Bam to a nearby stall, where a pock mark faced employee was manning the standards. They exchanged some words, then some points, and Bam was given a pair of very strange shoes.

“I don’t need new shoes,” Bam told Khun. “Ma—er.” He side eyed the employee who was gazing at them with impassive eyes. “You-know-who still sends me clothes whenever he ‘sees something that would suit me’.”

In the background, the employee faintly snorted.

Khun pressed his lips together in an expression Bam knew to be hiding a grin. “They’re skates, Bam. They’re special shoes that we need to get in the rink. We’re not buying them, promise. Just renting them for an hour or so.”

“Oh.” Bam blinked, looking at the ‘skates’ again. “These don’t seem very stable… oh! Is skating actually meant to be a training exercise for balance?”

By now the employee behind them had actually fallen on the counter, shoulders shaking. Khun looped a hand around Bam’s arm, leading him towards the rink.

“It’s… it’s not quite like that.” Khun sounded bemused. “I guess you’ve never been skating before?”

Bam shook his head. FUG would have never given him the time.

“Don’t worry,” Khun said, eyes tender. “I’ll teach you.”

Bam flushed, but didn’t know why. After all, unlike Khun, he’d never been shy of his ignorance.

In this state, he didn’t much protest as Khun sat him down on the ring of benches surrounding the ice pond. He didn’t much protest when Khun knelt to remove his shoes, exposing his toes to the sting of cold. He almost protested when Khun put one of the skates on his foot and began to lace up the ties—except that Khun’s bowed head and furrowed, concentrated expression caused the words to die in his throat. Bam suddenly felt choked, as if the chill from the air had iced over his tongue as well as his surroundings. So he let Khun do as he pleased, frozen to his spot.

“Like that,” Khun said, giving the completed laces a look of satisfaction. His gaze rose to meet Bam’s. “Did you get that? Do you think you could do the other one yourself?”

“Uhhh.”

Khun huffed out a laugh. “I see.”

“I’m sorry.” Bam’s ears were red. He was sure of it. “I’ll pay better attention next time. How about you do yours, and I’ll try my best?”

“Better not.” Khun’s hand burned where it was pressed against his leg. “If you put on skates wrong, it’s easy to do something like twist your ankle. Since I invited you out here in the first place, I can’t have you injured by something so easily preventable, can I?”

“But I should learn, shouldn’t I?” Bam muttered. “I mean, at some point, by myself…”

“If you want to learn it, I will support you.” Khun’s smile was sincere. “But I know you’re just here at my indulgence, and I don’t mind doing this for you. I’m actually pleased there are some things you can’t do. I know you don’t want me to worry about it, but I can’t forget that you’re so ahead it feels almost impossible to catch up to at times. So moments like this—knowing that you can’t do everything and I can still help you—it’s precious to me.”

“I—oh.” Bam breathed. Khun had always been like this. He’d always, always been able to say something that’d blow completely past Bam’s defenses, just like this. Without a word, he stuck out his other foot. “Then—I’ll depend on you.”

Was it Bam’s imagination, or was Khun’s hand faintly shaking as he slid on the second skate? But Khun’s fingers were steady as the lacing began.

The spell only broke when Khun stood up, satisfaction painting his face like a cat who’d stolen the cream. “There, that should do it.”

“Hmm.”

Bam barely noticed how Khun put on his own skates. It didn’t matter if he didn’t know how to lace them, right? Like Khun said, Khun would always be here to help him. A huge, goofy smile spread across his face.

When Khun was done, he held out a hand to Bam. Bam took it. The moment he stood, he stumbled, but both Khun’s support and his own balance was good enough to allow him to remain standing. And then Khun’s hand fell away from his.

“Come on, this way,” Khun said, leading towards a door through the fence. He stepped into the rink, gliding a few paces forward to leave room for Bam. Bam followed, stepped onto the sheer ice and—

Wobbled. Tried to take another step to balance himself. Then:

“Ommph!” Bam fell on his butt. He groaned, rubbing his backside. “Ugh, are you sure this isn’t supposed to be a training exercise?”

Khun pressed his lips thin, but his eyes were dancing. “No, trust me, it’s not. Here, I’ll show you.”

Then Khun, well, glided forward. There was no other word to describe it. The blue haired boy did a half lap around the rink, gracefully avoiding all the other skaters. Bam hardly noticed them though. He could hardly take his eyes off Khun, enraptured.

His lightbearer came back, a faint smile on his lips. “Well?”

“Beautiful.”

“Wha—ha?”

“It was beautiful, your movements,” Bam clarified. Then, for absolutely no reason, embarrassment welled up within him. It was strange, because he’d never been embarrassed giving compliments before, but the feeling was so uncomfortable that he immediately wanted to change the topic to get away from it. “Hey, if I hit the rink hard enough, do you think my power would kick in and let me automatically learn how to do that?”

“We—well.” In contrast to the grace from before, Khun seemed flustered now. “I mean, maybe?”

Bam smiled faintly. “But really, did you even need to test this out with me first? Even Hatz wouldn’t be able to make fun of you if he saw that.”

At the mention of Hatz, some of Khun’s composure returned. He arched his chin, all arrogant son of the Ten Great Families, even as he held out a hand to Bam. “I just don’t want to give them any quarter.”

“Haha, alright.” Bam took the hand, and then a wicked idea came over him. He pulled. Hard.

Khun yelped, tumbling forward. But oh, Bam didn’t think this through. Khun crashed into him in a tangle of limbs. Bam’s head hit the ice with a thunk.

“Oww,” Bam moaned.

“Serves you right,” Khun hissed from atop him. The blue haired Regular’s body felt heated when compared to the cold that was seeping against the Bam’s back.

“Sorry,” Bam murmured. He had no idea what came over him. He’d just suddenly wanted to see more of Khun looking flustered.

Khun reached around, no doubt trying to get past Bam’s body to look for purchase on the ice.

“Lift your arm,” Khun muttered. “I don’t want to accidentally cut you with these skating shoes.”

“Ugh. But your leg’s in the way.”

A sigh. “You know Endless Sky is making a name for itself? If people knew that two of its members were being stumped by simple geometry. Wow.”

Khun had managed, somewhat, to push himself up a bit. The two looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

Somehow or another, they managed to crawl back to their feet. This time Bam didn’t spurn Khun’s kind offer. Bam took Khun’s hand, allowing the blue haired boy to lead him around the ice rink. Khun skated backwards, instructing Bam on the methods and balance.

Bam got the hang of it quickly. Soon they were trying out much more complex steps.

“Let’s do this again,” Bam said at the end of the day. They had handed in their skates and were already on the way back, but he was still brimming with excitement. “That was fun!”

“Yeah.” Khun’s eyes curved up into a smile. “That’s a good idea.”

By now, the orbital ring was turning. Bam squinted at it, knowing that the night cycle would soon be upon this floor. The temperature dropped, and Bam noticed Khun let out a shiver before clamping down on it. Ah. He knew Khun’s light jacket was no good.

Bam began to unbutton his own winter coat, only for a pale hand to rest atop his, stopping the motion.

“Don’t,” Khun said. “It’s not that uncomfortable. And don’t think I don’t notice you shivering, too.”

“But I…”

There was that familiar stubborn glint in Khun’s eyes, and Bam could never bring himself to refuse it.

“Okay.” Bam re-buttoned his outerwear. “I guess we’ll be home soon, so we can get warmed up there…” The thought reminded him of something, and almost without meaning to, his eyes roamed the streets. They zeroed in on a distant food stand, popular enough even at this hour to garner a full line.

“Oh?” Khun’s gaze followed his. “You’re craving ramyeon?”

“Well.” Bam bit his lip. He shook his head. “No, we should get back. It’s a stupid thought.”

“Bam.” Khun stepped in front of him, putting his hand on the Irregular’s shoulders. His eyes were serious. “No thought of yours is stupid. Remember, we’re here to live our lives to the fullest.”

“Ah. Right. Then.” Bam scratched his head. “Well it’s just that once I saw this group of Regulars. They said ‘nothing warms you up like eating ramyeon on a cold night with friends!’. So I was just curious about it, that’s all.”

What went unsaid was when this occurred. He no longer recalled what floor it was, only that it was after Jue Viole Grace bloodied himself with training and Master had rewarded him with a day of rest. He’d been wandering around, yearning to be a part of the normalcy of the people’s daily lives, when he’d overheard the comment.

He’d gone back to the training grounds immediately after. Gone back to the blood and exhaustion and pain. It ached less than the reminder of what he no longer had.

Even though he didn’t say it, Khun seemed to hear it anyway. His lightbearer reached out and squeezed his hand. Smiled. “Okay. Let’s go eat ramyeon then.”

The lineup for ramyeon was indeed long. It seemed to be a popular stall on this floor. Bam and Khun were trembling with cold as they waited in line, but it also felt nice to be surrounded by the chatter and cheer of the other inhabitants of the floor. They got into a conversation with one man about the history of the ramyeon stand, and how it’d stood the test of time against the new mega restaurant across the street which put out a lot of other stalls.

Their breaths were visible, but they were only visible because of how much they were talking.

Finally, it was Khun and Bam’s turn to order their ramyeon. They exchanged a look and both asked for the House Special. It felt especially lucky when the owner revealed that they’d gotten the last House Specials of the day, since the shrimp ingredients for it had just run out. The bowls were pipping hot, flavorful steam pushing away the chilly night air.

Bam and Khun took a seat at a nearby outdoor table. Bam broke apart his one-use chopsticks, excitement overflowing.

And then there was a crash. The two Regulars turned, meeting with an image of a small girl looking down at her feet in horror. On the ground was a broken bowl, bits of meat and noodles spilled on the street. Even from this far, Bam could make out her blank black eyes welling up with tears.

But she didn’t start bawling. Instead, she stood there sniffing, trembling in her worn clothing, just staring at the splattered ramyeon with a desolate expression. Then she crouched and reached out, grasping a handful of noodle with bare fingers.

Before he fully registered what he was doing, Bam had stood, walking over to the girl and crouching beside her.

“Don’t do that,” he said gently, “it’s dirty and will give you a disease. Plus, ramyeon is better with soup, you see?”

He held out his bowl to her. She just stared at him incomprehensibly. Not sure if she understood, he just pushed the bowl towards her.

A second passed. Then another.

“A—are you sure, Mister?” She whispered.

“Yep.” Bam’s eyes curved into a smile. He jerked his head over to where Khun was, still seated at their table and watching in bemusement. “See my companion over there? He’s rich. I can trick him into buying another bowl for me, no problem.”

The girl took the bowl. She eyed Khun suspiciously and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Mister, do you need help getting away from him? I know a couple o’ shortcuts.”

“Thanks for the offer.” Bam patted the girl on the head. She tensed, then relaxed. “But he’s my friend and partner. I don’t want to leave him.”

The girl nodded. They exchanged a few more words, and when she was reassured they wouldn’t chase her, she ran off with the ramyeon bowl in her arms. She, as promised, disappeared into one of the alleyways and did not reappear.

When Bam got back to Khun, the lightbearer’s lips were twitching. “So I look that shady, huh?”

“Hatz said you have an evil look on your face,” Bam said innocently.

“That sword idiot,” Khun grumbled. He shook his head. “You’re not likely to see her again, you know. And if she’s not doing well, just doing this won’t help her in the long term. We can’t stay here on this floor, and she’ll need to learn how to survive on her own.”

“That might be the case,” Bam confirmed. “But sometimes it just takes a bit of kindness not to make you lose hope in the world. And maybe all her future days will be tough, but at least for today, she didn’t have to fight for something she wanted. That’s enough for me.”

Khun was staring at him again in the weird way that bespoke wonder. But Bam must have been misreading it because what was so wondrous about him? Then Khun huffed out a laugh. “I should have known. It’s a very ‘you’ reason.”

Bam seated himself again. “Is it very strange?”

“Have you thought about this?” Khun grinned, tapping his still steaming ramyeon bowl with the edge of his chopsticks. “Now that you’ve given your food away, what’re you going to eat?”

Bam froze. “Err.”

“Seems like you haven’t.”

“I can, I can just line up to get another bowl…” Bam peeked over to the stall. It was still as popular as ever. Waiting in line again would take a very long time. His stomach growled.

“I refuse.” Khun huffed. “My food will get cold by then. And I don’t want to eat this by myself. So.” He pushed his ramyeon bowl forward, and took another pair of chopsticks out from who knows where to offer to Bam. “This is fine, right? If we share like this?”

“Ah...” What was this feeling? This mix of heartache and sweetness? If it were the old him, he might of refused, not wanting to burden others, but the him as of now… He took the chopsticks. “Really, it feels like I’m always depending on you.”

There was a clatter as Khun’s chopsticks fell to the table. He immediately picked them up again, and shook his head. “On the contrary, I’m the one who’s always depending on you.”

Bam smiled. “So we’re depending on each other, then.”

Khun’s eyes widened. And then, he smiled back.

The rest of the meal passed quickly. They huddled together as they ate. At some point they got into a bit of a chopstick war, and a fish cake may or may not have ended up on Khun’s cheek. Bam laughed so hard he nearly choked. Khun complained about the quality of street food but he didn’t waste a single drop of soup.

Ramyeon on a cold day. It was indeed very warm.

 

OoOoOoOoO

 

Endorsi played with a stray strand of her hair, grimacing as a piece of it directly fell off. The edges of her brown locks had frozen with the cold, and though she’d found some hair products for this situation, it apparently wouldn’t start working until her body acclimated to this climate. This floor really wasn’t good for her style!

Her gaze strayed to Anaak, who was leaning against Rak and struggling to stay awake. At least she hadn’t started hibernating like her fellow female. Small mercies. Lauroe, she was bemused to note, was hopping around in his sleeping bag, muttering about how it was too cold to properly rest.

All of Endless Sky was gathered outside, far away from the dwelling area and civilization in general. It was snow and ice as far as the eye could see. Wrapping her fur lined coat more tightly across her body, Endorsi turned to the one responsible.

“Well?” She demanded. “Are you going to spill or what?”

Khun Aguero Agnes stood a few paces in front of them all. His brows were furrowed as he tapped on his Lighthouse.

Early this morning, he’d called all of them out, saying he had something to share. Considering the blue haired menace’s personality, it obviously had to be about the Floor Test. It didn’t explain why he was acting so mysterious about it though. Even Bam didn’t appear to know, judging by the look of patient curiosity on his face.

“Very well.” Khun lowered his hand from his Lighthouse and faced them, expression blank. “I’ll get to the point. I’ve been observing all of you for the past five months. None of you are training efficiently.”

Stunned silence followed this declaration.

Anaak was the first to break it.

“Haa?” She hissed. She was pissed, Endorsi could tell. Every line of her body vibrated with it. “And what do you mean by that?”

“I mean you all train hard.” Khun slipped his hands in the pockets of his coat. “But not efficiently. With the exception of Bam, you’re not training what you need to work on most, and your times are all over the place. So I’ve kindly come up with a training manual for all of you.”

Endorsi had to admit, even she was getting kinda angry now. What the heck was this anyway? She thought they were getting intel about getting off this floor, not—not whatever this was! “And you’re qualified, how?”

Khun cocked a brow. “I’m your Light Bearer. It’s my job to collect your data and optimize a plan for you.”

Oh this little—

“Do you think that means anything?” Anaak snapped. “You control the Lighthouses in battle, but that doesn’t give you any special privilege over us outside of it.”

“Hey, hey!” Shibisu cut in, waving his arms. “Let’s just hear him out, okay? What’s the harm in trying it?”

“The harm is that he thinks he knows everything,” Anaak said through gritted teeth, “but he clearly doesn’t!”

“I also think Earrings is going a bit too far.” Hatz wrinkled his brows. “I know my own body.”

Even with a member of his own inner triad going against him, Khun smirked. His next words were said slowly, as if he were afraid someone would miss them.

“Want to bet on it?”

They all stared back.

Khun’s gaze swept the group. “All of you, versus Bam and I. If you can defeat us, I’ll leave you alone. But if we defeat you, you’ll have to follow my training regime. Is that acceptable?”

Bam startled, eyes widening. It was clear that he hadn’t been informed.

Rak was the first to break the silence.

“Kak kak kak,” Rak laughed, throwing away the blanket he’d been using for the cold. “I accept this challenge, Blue Turtle!”

“Ohh?” Endorsi’s eyes gleamed. She felt her body warming, fueled by the anger that was now coursing through her. “Well, I admit that Bam is good, and you’re not bad yourself, son of the Khun family. But he’s only about as good as me. If I tie him up, do you think you could hold off all the others? Aren’t you underestimating us a bit too much?”

Bam’s eyes darted between the members of Endless Sky, who were, each of them, getting more fired up than the last. He raised a hand, his voice coming out in a whisper, “Um, Khun? I don’t know if we can really defeat them without—”

Khun’s smile was full of reassurance. “Just trust me, okay?”

Which, annoying. Did he really think he could defeat all of them?

“This is so troublesome,” Lauroe yawned. The sleeping bag lowered to fully expose his head. “But your training plan sounds more troublesome. So, I guess I’ll stop you right here.

“Guys.” Shibisu looked around at everyone’s faces, and then let out a sigh. “Okay, fine. I guess I’ll support you all.”

“Still.” Endorsi tapped her chin. Most likely, this was all within Khun’s calculations from the start. Even though she knew that, she couldn’t stop herself from reacting. But whatever. She was a Princess of Jahad. She’d follow his plans and blow right through them. And then she’d make him suffer. “It’s no good if you don’t lose anything if you lose, you know.” Her lips curved. “How about this? If you win, we’ll follow your training regime. But if you lose—”

“Oh?” Khun’s voice was bored. “An item from Manbarondenna? A favour from a son of Khun? What possibly could a Princess of Jahad—”

“—I want you to shave your head.”

Silence, for the third time that afternoon.

“Endorsi!” Bam shouted, aghast.

Shibisu’s eyes were bugging out. “Khun… with a shaved head.”

“Kak kak kak. Bald Turtle!”

“Err, can you really afford to say that, Rak? I mean you…”

Khun grimaced. “You’re quite the unpleasant woman. Very well. I accept.”

Endorsi laughed. She shifted into a battle ready stance. “There’s no way you can win this.”

“Is that so?”

Khun smiled. There was something about that smile. He raised an arm, the air around him chilling to considerable degrees. Spikes of white-blue shot out from the ground, trapping them all with him. The blue haired boy flourished his arm, resting his fingers lightly against his chest.

“Welcome,” Khun said with a smug little bow. “To my Realm of Infinite Ice.”

Notes:

So it's been a year but a lot happened in this chapter huh? I recently found out that SIU is back from hiatus and updating ToG again, so that gave me a boost to finish this chapter. When will you get Part II? Ummm.

But worry not! This fic won't be abandoned before the conclusion of Arc 2. I really reaaally want to finish Arc 2 and write part of Arc 3. Also you guys have really been very lovely, and your comments and kudos keep reminding me of this fic so... The updates may be slow now, but they will come!

Chapter 19: 6F - Crystal Desert II

Notes:

Happy New Year! And you actually get the winter chapter in winter this time, hehe.

So Khun’s powers are explained here in his section. Remember that it’s in a very special environment that he’s able to do this! His true ability is his ability to use what he has to manipulate the circumstances around him. The increase in tools only increases his range in options, but he will never rely solely on the tools themselves.

I know I wasn’t super clear with the timeline, but Endless Sky has spent about two days on the third floor, one month on the fourth floor, three months on the fifth, and just now, eight months on the sixth. It’s been a little over a year for them. I was thinking of letting them climb the tower faster than in canon, because their team is stronger, but then I thought—Bam wants to just enjoy this time with his friends, so why would he rush it? So they’re climbing at around the same pace as their canon selves. They are a bit faster with the tests but take a bit more time with training.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The shinsu sun gleamed brightly above, smiling down on the inhabitants on the sixth floor. None of the people trapped within Khun’s range were smiling, though, with the exception of Khun himself. The blue haired Lighbearer allowed himself a moment to take in the expressions of shock and dismay. Heh. This was what he lived for.

“You—you’re—” Shibisu frantically scanned their surroundings. Walls of sheer ice surrounded them on all sides, towering high enough to cast their team into shadow. “Since when could you do something like this?!”

“Well,” Khun kept his tone bored, because he knew it would bring maximum infuriation. “We spent three months in the Valley of Flames, did we not? Surely you didn’t expect me to do nothing.”

In many ways, it was fortunate that he learned about his shinsu quality on that floor and not any other. Khun could be patient with his plots, but he was never patient with himself. As soon as Bam had told him he could control ice, of course he had wanted to test it out.

Creating ice on a floor where the temperature never dropped below ‘sizzling’ had not been an easy task. He’d only managed it on the second month of training. Imagine his surprise when they’d arrived at this floor, and the first time he’d gone out to train his ice shinsu, he’d almost destroyed an entire field.

“Broken.” Shibisu whispered, eyes welling up in despair. “Completely broken. Is this even fair?”

Anaak kicked Shibisu in the shin.

“Ow! What was that—”

“Half the battle is about preparation,” Khun said, straightening from his bow. “Of course, I’m not at the level where I can do something like this without the right environment, but it was your mistake accepting my challenge without checking why I issued it in the first place. So now…” He grinned, retrieving a spear from Manbarondenna. “…prepare to be crushed.”

In all honesty, he hated the idea of using spears yet again. But he’d thought about it long and hard in the past few days, and there was no way of getting around it. His skills with ice and his Lighthouses just weren’t enough, not quite yet. At the moment, he needed the physical spear to anchor him. One day he wouldn’t, but for now, just a while longer…

It would have suited him better to conduct this test on a higher floor, when he had more confidence of his chosen abilities. But what could he say? The sixth floor was perfect. The natural lower temperature and the surrounding snow fields perfectly complimented his ice shinsu. He wouldn’t get a better opportunity to defeat his teammates 2v6, at least not for a while. And because of who they were, it was better that the members of Endless Sky could accept their weaknesses and rid themselves of them.

But sheesh, what a team. He wouldn’t have to worry about this if his teammates didn’t all have massive egos. As it was, this was the only way to take them down a peg and get them to listen to his orders.

“You,” Anaak said, grinding her teeth, “are too arrogant.”

She rushed forward, her speed turning her into a green blur as she rocketed towards Khun. Bam, ever reliable, surged to intercept, only to be blocked by a grinning Endorsi. The two exchanged a set of moves, almost too fast for the eye to see.

Anaak, despite her illegitimate status, was still physically a Princess of Jahad. Her physical strength was among the greatest for E-rank Regulars, and even though he was a direct descendant of one of the Ten Great Families, getting hit by her might take him out.

It was a good thing then, that he had no intention of getting hit.

The green lizard closed the distance between them in three seconds. She made to leap off the ground, no doubt in hopes of setting off the aerial combo she so loved. Only, before she could fully find purchase against the ground, Khun made his move.

The butt of his spear was already resting against the ground. All he had to do was move the shinsu. Ice spread out like a thin sheet from his weapon’s position. Anaak stepped on it—and slipped.

The lizard yelled as suddenly, she couldn’t find friction. With the momentum of her speed, she went barreling forward, completely missing Khun and crashing into the ice walls. Her physicality was enough to break a good chunk of the wall, creating a crater where she crashed. She groaned, bits of ice chunks raining down.

Nearby, Endorsi had fallen too, not prepared for Khun’s floor-freezing move and failing her own signature kick mid-move. Bam, despite being a fairly nice guy who gave way too many chances, was fairly vicious in battle. He hadn’t let the opportunity go, using the moment of wobbliness to grapple Endorsi down and put her in a choke-hold.

Bam turned to Khun with a look of exasperation on his face, perfectly balanced on the ice. “Khun, do we ever go out without a second, hidden reason?”

“Ah.” Khun rubbed the back of his neck, his moment of triumph turning to embarrassment in zero seconds flat. “Sorry. I did want to go have fun ice skating with you, but I thought if we could have fun while also preparing…”

Bam let out a laugh. Tinkering bells against crystal clear ice. “It’s alright. I get it.” The sunshine smile again. “You wouldn’t be Khun otherwise.”

“You guys are taking it a bit too easy,” Lauroe stated blandly, raising an arm. “Sorry, but I’m not willing to let you two relax when I’m forced to train.”

“Don’t look down on us,” Hatz said quietly. He drew his swords, and dashed forward. Unlike Anaak, Hatz only took a few steps to be able to move on the ice as if he were born to it. Khun had to admit, his third teammate’s sense of balance was something to behold.

Shinsu gathered around Lauroe’s palm, ready to support the scout. Ingeniously, it could also be said that Hatz would use his sword capabilities to support Lauroe’s attacks, since shinsu attacks would take out an enemy if hit directly. Since Lauroe was stationed far away, it was hard to directly attack him, so becoming too focused Hatz would lead to being obliterated by Lauroe, but getting too distracted by Lauroe would lead to being decimated by Hatz.

Despite his provocations, Endless Sky was a permanent team, and they did know how to work together…

Bam caught his eyes, silently asking a question. Khun shook his head.

…but who was the one who came up with all their strategies in the first place?

Ice spiked under Lauroe’s feet. The Phonesekal yelped, shinsu dispersing as he went launching into the air. At the same time, Hatz came upon Khun. The two had trained together enough time to know each other’s moves. A fight between them would end in a tie, but Khun couldn’t afford to waste time when the rest of Endless Sky would be regrouping.

Khun shifted his body to avoid a blow, and with it, the ice crystals around him. The shinsu sun beamed down, and reflected on the surface of three crystals directly into Hatz’s eyes. The swordsman flinched. The moment was all Khun needed to jam the body of his spear into Hatz’s stomach and slam him away, making a signal with the movement.

Just in time too, because that was when Rak decided to make himself known.

“Turttle!” The crocodile cried, leaping off from a floating Observer to jam his spear at Khun’s head. Khun grinned, flicking his wrists. Three Lighthouses surged from beneath his feet, hidden by the snow. They rose to create a triangle shield, blocking the attack and trapping the Spear Bearer for one second.

A second was all that was needed. Bam’s foot slammed into Rak’s side, dislodging the gator and sending him crashing to the floor.

There was a momentary silence as Bam landed next to Khun, hardly a hair ruffled.

“Well?” Khun’s lips were curved as he turned to the final member of their team. “Are you going to try, too?”

Shibisu held up his hands, taking a small, careful step back. “Ah no. No no no. No thanks. I’m allergic to broken bones, thanks.”

Khun’s eyes flickered to the scout’s Observer, which was still floating nearby. While he had been occupied with Anaak, then Lauroe and Hatz, it had darted along the shadows of the formation with its passenger. “Really? Because I feel like I need to pay you back.”

“Ah, hahaha. You can just treat me to dinner or—” At Khun’s raised brow, Shibisu practically fell into prostration. “I’ll buy all your dinner this month!”

“And do all my chores,” Khun hinted.

“And do all your chores!”

“Stop bullying Isu,” Anaak growled, emerging from her hole. Her hair still had ice shards in it, and she was definitely walking slowly to maintain her balance.

“Kak kak kak!” Rak popped up from his small crater none the worse for wear. “That was good, turtles! Very worthy.”

Endorsi had gotten up at some point, walking over with one hand rubbing at her neck. She was glaring at Bam. “You should really learn how to treat a lady.”

Khun nearly retorted that Endorsi could hardly be counted as a lady, but Bam simply smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t want me to go easy on you.”

“Tch.” Endorsi’s mouth curved.

It wasn’t like it was impossible to get mad at Bam. It was just impossible to stay mad at him.

Hatz was also walking over, Lauroe slumped on his back. “You’ve gotten stronger again.”

“Seriously, how did you do that?” Lauroe complained. He wiggled in his sleeping bag, twisting to glare at Khun. “If the ice shinsu was your attack, there should have been some forewarning. It would have required time to set up, and the distance—”

“Normally you would be correct,” Khun agreed. Then he smiled, faintly. “But as I’ve said, you’re all trapped within my Realm.”

Lauroe went quiet. Then. “I see, so that wasn’t just showmanship.”

“Don’t get me wrong. These are very special circumstances. Of course, I fully plan to master this.”

“Fine. Fine!” Lauroe sighed. “I consent to seeing what you have planned for us.”

That set off a cascade of reactions.

“Lauroe, you can’t be serious!” Endorsi was yelling. “You really want to subject yourself to Khun’s idea of training?!”

“Sleeping Turtle, do not give up yet!”

“Although I acknowledge my loss, it was a cheap trick that Earrings used. If possible, I would like to try again.”

“I. Do. Not. Accept.” Anaak said through gritted teeth. Her grip was stark white against the handle of her needle. “He just caught us by surprise.”

“Surprise is a valid form of victory, you know,” Khun pointed out. Nevertheless, he spread his hands. “But if you want, we can go again. Let me show you that even without the element of surprise, you wouldn’t be able to win against us.”

Everyone looked astounded, though Khun didn’t know why they would be. It was obvious that the members of Endless Sky wouldn’t accept a defeat like this. But did they really expect him to have only planned one soul crushing experience for them?

Khun slanted a glance at Bam. “Are you up for round two?”

Bam had an expression of exasperation again, but the grin he flashed Khun shed away all doubts. “Always.”

 

OoOoOoO

 

Of course, they achieved victory. By the end of it, Khun was nearly shaking with exertion, sweat dripping down his back to meld with the freezing snow. He didn’t let any of his exhaustion show, simply leaning against an ice pillar in the picture of relaxed conceit, but in reality allowed him to remain standing.

As soon as the battle had ended, Khun had released his control on their surroundings. The ice pillars he’d created were still present, but would no longer move according to his will. Many pillars were half broken, sliced and crushed and who-knows-what. Craters dotted the field, displaying all the signs of an intense battle.

Despite his plans, it had been close a few times. Shibisu had managed to surprised him with a strategy, and it was only a combination of Bam and quick thinking that’d saved him. Anaak too had gotten so frustrated she’d nearly ignited Green April. That would have been a disaster. Thankfully Khun had managed to stave that off by ridiculing the lizard for relying on her weapon capabilities instead of her innate ones.

Really, the battle was too much effort. He hated that he had to use the spear again. Hated that they had to fight in the cold.

His teammates’ offended expressions as he gave them their training menus made it all worth it. Heh. They grumbled and complained but couldn’t actually refuse him. They’d lost, after all. So Khun, the saint that he was, patiently explained to everyone each and every one of their weaknesses, and what they needed to do to improve said weaknesses.

The other members of Endless Sky left pretty much immediately afterwards. Khun didn’t mind. He knew their pride wouldn’t allow them to skimp out on his training. Only Bam remained.

“Come on, let’s sit,” Bam said, plopping on the ground beside Khun.

So he’d noticed the exhaustion, then, when even the most astute of Endless Sky had missed it. Once again, Khun felt a mixture of frustration, warmth, and sheer helplessness.

Knowing there was no point in being stubborn just for the sake of it, Khun sat.

“So, do I get a training menu?” Bam asked, grinning.

“Well, you were on the winning team, so…”

“I don’t mind.” Bam shook his head. “I know I have weaknesses too, and I trust you, Khun.”

That was the issue, wasn’t it? Khun called his Lighthouse over. Thankfully, when not using the attack and defense options, Lighthouses required minimal energy to control. “Don’t you already have a training menu from your Master? I’ve taken a look at it. It’s more intense than the ones I just gave our teammates.”

“Oh.” Bam’s shoulders drooped. “I guess that’s true.”

Khun reached into his Lighthouse, shuffling around like he did with the rest of their teammates, but this time, only bringing out a single sheet of paper. He held out the paper to Bam with a smile. “Well, maybe I do have something for you.”

Bam’s eyes lit up. He took the paper, only for confusion to set in as he read through it, then hesitation. “This is…”

“Mandatory rest and mandatory fun time,” Khun said firmly. “In the past five months, I’ve noticed that you’re always willing to go somewhere with someone if they ask for help, but you never take the initiative to seek someone out. Therefore, your homework every week is to ask one of your teammates to hang out with you.

He leaned over, tapping the paper.

“After all,” Khun said, “isn’t it your dream to spend time with your friends? So what you need to work on is spending time with them.”

“I—” Bam looked dumbfounded.

“What is it?”

“No it’s just.” Bam folded the piece of paper, lowering his head. His bangs covered his eyes. A chuckle escaped his lips, but it wasn’t the kind of laughter Khun wanted to hear. “I just noticed that I’d become so used to how FUG trained and…”

Bam swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing up and down. His voice dropped to a whisper.

“And before that, in the cave… I wasn’t allowed up where the chosen lived, so Rachel was the one who decided when we could meet. If she was busy, or if she didn’t feel like it… well, I could only wait.”

Khun felt his blood broil. Now he kind of wished that she’d passed just so he could meet her and torment her more. “That woman—”

“No it’s—! It’s done, Khun. She’s not here anymore so let’s stop talking about her. What I meant was I didn’t realize I could go and ask others to spend time with me. Silly, right? That’s so obvious. But you realized it. So—so thank you, Khun.”

Then Bam surged forward. Warm arms wrapped around his midsection, chasing away the cold. The faint scent of clean shampoo followed. Bam’s breath tickled against his nape, a sensation that had him tense for a reason he could not name.

“Thank you for always looking after me,” Bam murmured.

“Oh,” Khun breathed, and hugged back.

 

OoOoOoO

 

Lauroe stifled a yawn as he listened to the Test Director drone on and on about how well each of the teams did during their floor test. It was a struggle not to fall asleep. The past eight months had been hellish. Ugh. He got daymares just thinking of the training that Khun put them through.

(And if he got flashbacks to nights trembling in the rain, to the sight of his sisters coughing up blood, to gasping for breath in the bathroom—that was no one’s business but his own. He wasn’t as allergic to weakness as Khun, but the Eurasia family was not one to go around broadcasting vulnerabilities either.)

Seriously, he didn’t see what the value in learning how to run and hand-to-hand was… he was a Wave Controller for Headon’s Sake! If the enemy had already gotten to him, it was his teammates who had clearly failed, and it shouldn’t be his responsibility. So annoying.

The rest of Endless Sky was equally distracted, pushing at each other whenever the Test Director wasn’t looking, exchanging commentary about each of the teams that were highlighted. Khun and Bam were the only exceptions, both giving their full attention to the Test Director, though likely for different reasons.

Survive despite the environment. That had been the theme of this test.

It wasn’t a test that pitted teams against each other, and that fact had made Bam happy. It’d made the rest of their cohort happy too, if the relieved expressions on the surrounding potatoes were anything to go by. After all, no one wanted to go against a Princess of Jahad.

Lauroe wasn’t against the concept. More people staying away because of Endori’s status meant less energy expended on swatting away flies.

Anyway, all they’d had to do was spend ten days in the ice desert without any starting supplies. To be honest, that would have been annoying, but between Khun’s shinsu abilities, Rak’s hunting skills, the absurd strength of their three Fishermen, and Shibisu’s expansive mental library, it’d actually felt more like a vacation. Really, he couldn’t see this team failing.

Case in point. The Test Director finished giving harsh advice to the last of the passing teams, and gave them the right to go to the next floor. All they had to do was pack their stuff and then make their way to teleportation pad.

Bam stopped them just before they split up.

“Wait!” He said. He fumbled in his pockets, retrieving a glimmering threaded bag. “I um, during the test… well, I know it isn’t much, but I just thought of all of you.”

The top of the bag opened. Inside were star crystals. Raw ones.

“Those are—” Shibisu’s eyes widened.

Star crystals were a luxury for the lower floors and outer inhabitants of the Tower. A natural resource of the sixth floor, but an abundant one. While rare, they weren’t as rare as the Zigena flower, for example, and only useful as petty decorations. Some of the poorer Rankers might brag about them, but for a member of the Ten Families, they weren’t even worth an inlay.

“I didn’t pay for them with our points,” the Irregular assured. “It’s just that our testing grounds was surrounded by the ice crystals. When we were hunting, I noticed these, so…”

“That’s not what I,” Shibisu’s voice softened. “Bam, is that why you came back to the camp so late every day?”

A conversation was happening where Lauroe only understood half the context. He tilted his head, curious.

“An—anyway!” Bam pushed the bag towards them. Now that Lauroe was looking closer, he could see six crystals within, each of a different colour. “I know they’re not much, but we’ve spent this long on the floor and, I think we’ve made good memories, right? So I thought these would make good souvenirs, is all. But, um, of course you don’t have to…”

“Of course we have to,” Endorsi cut in with a grin. She leaned forward, snatching the glittering silvery crystal from the bag. “This is your first present for me, isn’t it? It’ll go perfect with some of my dresses.”

Shibisu gave a fond grin. Then he shook his head, and his grin stretched into something much more exaggerated. “My son,” he cried, running towards Bam with arms spread wide, “you are truly filial!”

Khun intercepted, knocking the scout back. Glaring, he grabbed the purple crystal and threw it at Shibisu. “Just stay away.”

Shibisu caught the crystal but arched a brow. “Say, Khun, you’re not choosing first? I’m shocked.”

Khun raised his arm. There, dangling on his wrist, was a delicately designed bracelet, which should have looked feminine but of course Khun would pull it off. Attached at the end was a glimmering blue star crystal. Sheepishly, Bam pulled back the sleeve of his jacket. A similar bracelet adorned his wrist, the only difference being that its gem was gold-orange.

“You two have matching—”

“These are from Khun Eduan’s armoury!” Khun snapped. “They’re for more than just aesthetics.”

“Yet, I notice you haven’t given us anything from your father’s treasury.”

“This colour!” Rak yelled, completely ignoring the mini argument as he held up a red crystal.

Anaak also walked over, picking a lemon yellow. “This one isn’t bad, I suppose.”

Hatz silently took the obsidian black.

That left only the green. Lauroe sighed and scooted over to retrieve it from the bag. As the group exploded into arguments once again, he lifted the gem to the shinsu sun. It glinted like the fabled starlight, capturing the light of shinsu and blazing with it.

It was just a cheap trinket. Not worth much. Certainly not worth as much as the taura bracelets Khun had embedded the gems onto. Honestly, even Lauroe’s sleeping bag would fetch a higher price.

Yet it was so strange. Jewelery didn’t do much but take up space. Lauroe knew that from his time observing his sisters. They certainly shouldn’t feel warm in his hands, like their very existence was capable of driving off the icy chill of this floor.

He was not someone who was moved by sincerity alone, not like Hatz or Shibisu or even Khun and Anaak. Still, this team was the right choice. He stood by that. This was the team that could allow him the maximum relaxation. And sometimes, it was fun too, being here. His initial teammates, Serena and Hoh, had been people he’d liked, but ultimately talentless. They weren’t able to pass even the Floor of Test.

This team… could reach the top together.

Lauroe lowered his arm, and slipped the green crystal into his sleeping bag.

 

OoOoOoO

 

~7F~

 

Miseng gazed at the glass flooring, enraptured by the stone tower beneath their feet. It rose high above the forestry, and their airship was barely enough to stay above it. Was this to be their test? She couldn’t imagine what would come next. Clutching her Observer closer to her body, Miseng silently tried to psych herself up. She would be fine. Her team was strong. There was no way they would fail.

Notes:

For those of you who were asking for Team Sweet & Sour—here it is! The start of it, that is. As I’ve always said, Bam will be meeting all the members, just not all at once.

p.s. I know we’ve brushed over the tests for the past two floors - because the interesting things are happening outside of the tests, but next floor will be focused on the test again! Once again, if you can (somehow) guess what property the test is from by the last paragraph, you get 10 points! If you guess it while reading the next chapter, you’ll get 5 points.

p.p.s. My time is unfortunately really limited. I was able to write this chapter during Break, but I recently got into this entertainment industry manga called Oshi no Ko. It’s written by the author of Kaguya-sama, and somewhat of a spiritual successor to Skip Beat and Act-Age and the like. It's getting an anime this year, so for the remainder of 2023, if I update fanfiction, it'll likely be for that. If you're interested in helping me build this very small fandom, my new fic is Love Act Life.

Chapter 20: 7F - Timeless Tower I

Summary:

Outsider's POV.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The airship was abuzz with activity.

“Have you heard? A Princess of Jahad is taking the test with us!”

Princess Endorsi was not a household name yet like Princess Yuri or Princess Adori. However, she was currently climbing the Tower, which gave her particular buzz among the lower floors. After all, a Princess was a Princess. She would surely become more famous still, and everyone wanted to brag that they’d known her while she was still just a little Regular.

On the third floor, no outsiders were allowed, on account of it being the floor of relaxation. As soon as the Princess arrived on the fourth floor, however, the reporters had flocked to her. Numerous interviews were given since then, especially in this past year, and everyone knew when Princess Endorsi was taking the seventh floor test.

Some were beyond excited. Some were apprehensive. Some had made the decision from the onset to give up on this test and take the next one. Some had come to take the test early so that they could catch a glimpse of the Princess.

Miseng’s team was no different.

“Isn’t she so dreamy?” Eunhee, their Defender, patted her apple red cheeks. “When she came to the cafeteria… that aura!”

Miseng nodded rapidly. “Yeah! What an aura. So cool. So unapproachable!”

The two girls shared a grin and a giggle.

Jeom Kyu, fellow Scout and three times her age, snorted. “If by unapproachable you mean the look in her eyes for anyone who came close to them… yeah. By Jahad, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much like a bug in my life.”

“But to be a bug and crushed under the Princess’ heel isn’t so bad, is it?” Daesung, their Fisherman and leader, joked.

“I’m more interested in their team,” Nam Da mused. She tapped a finger against her Lighthouse. Currently they were all squeezed into her room, called in for a briefing. The briefing had been received, but nobody left. It was a rarity for this team, but that was how powerful the Princess of Jahad was. “Their Light Bearer is a Khun. The reporters were talking about it, but I thought it might have been a mistake. It’s surprising to have it confirmed.”

“Maybe he’s a failure of his family.” Moobon Kwan snickered. “I guess the Khun genes didn’t bless that one.”

Miseng hugged her Observer closer to her body, hiding her frown. She didn’t like the way Moboon Kwan talked, but he was their genius Spear Bearer. His opinion mattered more than hers.

“And they have three Fisherman,” Nam Da continued. “Why? A Princess of Jahad should be more than enough to fulfill that role. What’s the point of having more?”

Eunhee waved a hand. “Princess Endorsi said in an interview that their team was formed on the Floor of Test. It’s probably sentiment.”

“Hey now.” Daesung flicked the girl on the forehead, prompting a scowl from her. “Don’t be so hasty with your conclusions.”

“Brother!” Eunhee complained. “You’ve got to admit they look weak. The lizard is teeny tiny, and Bambi Eyes doesn’t look like he could kill a fly.”

Hanuel, Wave Controller and newest addition to their team, took that moment to pipe up. “He’s cute.”

“Okay sure he’s cute. Well he’s one of ‘Endorsi’s Guys’ so that’s a given, but—”

“Huh?” Moobon Kwan put a pinky in his ear. “Did I just hear something weird? What’s this about Endorsi’s guys?”

“That’s their team name, duh! ‘Endorsi’s Guys’—”

“It’s Endless Sky,” Miseng raised a hand, feeling embarrassed for her friend. “The team is called Endless Sky.”

A beat of silence.

Moboon Kwan doubled over in laughter. “Seriously Eunhee?”

“Shut up!”

“I can’t believe it. Endorsi’s Guys—”

“Well there’s only one other girl on the team, and she’s a lizard so she’s clearly not competition!”

“The guys are all very cute,” Hanuel agreed. Then she paused thoughtfully. “Well, except for Tracksuit. But perhaps he’s an acquired taste.”

The conversation, as expected, devolved from there.

After Daesung checked that Nam Da had nothing else of importance to say, he left, and with him all the remaining men. The girls too were kicked out of Nam Da’s bedroom, but Eunhee invited them to hers to squeal about Princess Endorsi. Miseng’s heart warmed. She always loved spending time with her best friend. But then Nam Da came out and shooed them all away, because tomorrow was the test day and they all needed to be well rested.

Eunhee didn’t protest.

“She’s right,” Eunhee said, turning serious. “We can’t afford to fail this floor. Even though the past few floors haven’t been particularly hard or anything, it’s better not to be too complacent.” She flashed a smile at Miseng. “Let’s both do our best tomorrow.”

“Yeah!”

Of course, just the assurance of trying to do their best didn’t settle Miseng’s nerves. That night, as she lay in bed, she couldn’t help but go over all the possibilities. It was something that happened every night before a test. She trusted in her team. They were strong. But still… what if…?

After all, this test wasn’t like the others. A Princess of Jahad would be with them. From the interviews, it certainly seemed like the Princess was kind. Other than the fourth floor, where practically all teams that had tested with her had failed, it didn’t seem like she’d gone after other Regulars in particular. Both Nam Da and Daesung had deemed it safe. So she shouldn’t worry. She shouldn’t uselessly worry…

It was with that thought that Miseng finally fell asleep.

The next day, as predicted, their airship had arrived at their destination. From above, the testing area appeared to be a thin stone tower stretching to the clouds. Once the airship had landed on top of the tower, and its hundreds of passengers disembarked, Miseng realized she had underestimated the scale of the thing.

The airship, which had seemed so huge up close, was nothing more than a speck atop the structure. Flat stone plain spread for the size of three or four football fields. Surrounding them were no trees—only clouds.

“You are here at the Trick Tower,” a cute little Ranker chirped as soon as he had gathered them. His green egg-like head gleamed under the shinsu sun. “It’s here that your test will take place. Violence against other test-takers is forbidden except in special circumstance. The task is this: within a 72 hour time period, get to the bottom of the tower.”

The airship whirled to life and lifted off. By the seventh floor, all Regulars were used to the Machiavellian rules, so nobody reacted to the fact that they’d basically just been stranded.

“This is an individual test,” the Test Director continued. “Buuut if you’re already on a team, there is another way to pass. At the end of the test, you can add up the remaining time from any teammate who succeeded. For every 72 hours saved, you can ‘rescue’ one failing teammate.”

“Hear that, Eunhee?” Moobon Kwan whispered. “You can rest assured. Even if you completely fail this test, your brother and I will get enough points to save you.”

“You wish!” Eunhee kicked at Kwan’s shin, eliciting a mocking ‘ouch’. “I’ll be the one to get the most points. Just you watch!”

“Yeesh. Violent women. I’m just kidding. I know you can do your part.” For a moment, Kwan’s eyes flickered to Miseng, before refocusing back on their Defender.

Miseng shrank.

“Of course,” the Test Director finished with a shark-like grin. “You may not want to rescue your teammates. After all, it is your hours that will be converted to points, and they’re not going to be so easy to come by. But that is all up to you.”

A Regular with a pock marked face shuffled to the edge of the tower, peering down with a frown on his face. It made him look exceptionally ugly. “There’s no windows or ledges on the side. Descending along the wall would surely be suicide. How’re we supposed to get down?”

“Ha!” Shoving himself out from the crowd of hundreds, a heavily muscled green haired Regular drew to the edge. He slid mountain gloves on his hands in a well practiced motion. “With such grips, it’s child’s play for someone who’s used to climbing cliffs!”

He leaped over the edge of the tower. Exchanging looks, all the Regulars rushed to the ledge. Sure enough, the man was steadily making his way down, despite the smooth surface of the walls.

“Wow,” Miseng breathed. “Isn’t he amazing?”

“Ehhh.” Eunhee crossed her arms. “So what? I could do it too!”

Daesung weaved around Jeom Kyu to flick his sister on the forehead yet again. She yelped and glared at him accusingly. “Don’t you dare,” Daesung warned. “This was a stupid decision. Just wait.”

“Still,” Hanuel mused. “If this avenue is closed to us, what are we supposed to do?”

“What do you mean?” Miseng questioned.

Hanuel just pointed.

Miseng followed the Wave Controller’s finger. Brown eyes widened. There, in the distance, a flock of large Man Eating Eagles were flying towards the tower. Instantly she understood. Since his hands were occupied with climbing, the muscular man would have no way to defend himself. In a moment, the blood red Eagles would descend upon him, and then…

“Please catch me!” A boy shouted just as the human-faced eagles reached the muscular Regular. There was a blur as someone rushed past all of the spectators, and leaped towards the pack.

The mountaineer let out a horrified scream, just as the boy from before landed on the head of one of the Eagles. The Eagle dropped with the sudden weight, but the boy didn’t stay to experience the results. He seemed to use the momentum to leap at another of the man-eating creates and kicked it in the face. The Eagles dwarfed him, but his was the presence that felt like the apex predator. He danced among the Eagles, and every time he partnered with an Eagle, they plunged into the abyss below.

Then there was only one Eagle left. He kicked it down, and with the motion, flipped upwards. It was just in time to land on a blue Lighthouse.

“Hey Mister!” The boy called to the Regular who’d been climbing the wall. “I think you’d better come back up. It looks like there are a lot more of those creatures!”

The Regular rapidly nodded, face pale and shaky, but still somehow hanging on.

With its passenger safely secured, the Lighthouse began to ascend once again. It reached the ledge, and the boy jumped back onto safe ground. Now that he wasn’t in a hurry and wasn’t so far away, Miseng realized she recognized the Regular. Bambi Eyes. From Princess Endorsi’s team.

“Thanks for the assist,” the Regular grinned at someone in the crowd.

The Lighthouse floated past Bambi Eyes to its owner, who retrieved it with a tsk. “That guy was an idiot. You didn’t have to save him.”

“It wasn’t like it was hard.” Bambi Eyes sauntered to the Khun, either not seeing or ignoring the fact that everyone moved a step away to clear a path for him. “I thought I could do it, so I did. Besides, he didn’t really deserve it. He was obviously just being used as an example…”

Then they were too far to be properly heard.

“I.” Nam Da swallowed. “I didn’t just hallucinate that, did I?”

“We really underestimated the Princess’ Team,” Daesung said with a grimace. “That Fisherman is monstrous.”

“Seriously, what was that?” Hanuel asked, face pale. “I mean, when we were attacked by five Man Eating Eagles a few weeks ago, it took all of us to fight them off. But he just, he just took out a pack all by himself! That’s—that’s—”

“I guess it makes sense,” Jeom Kyu mused. “The Princess doesn’t seem like one to suffer fools. The other positions can be a bit mushed, and depends on the luck of who you meet. Fisherman though? The Princess wouldn’t let someone share her placement if they weren’t special in some way.”

“Who cares about all of that?” Nam Da demanded. “Did you see their Light Bearer’s range? Five hundred meters. Five hundred! Right now my maximum is two hundred and we’re among the upper teams. That Khun didn’t even look winded!”

Moobon Kwan turned his heel and swept away.

“Umm.” Eunhee’s gaze followed the Spear Bearer.

“Don’t worry about him,” Daesung sighed. “His pride’s just taken a hit. I’ll go talk to him. You guys just focus on the test.”

The rest of Team Blue Army exchanged a look.

“Right.” Jeom Kyu cleared his throat. “No point in freaking out over the Princess’ team. She’s so far above our pay grade it isn’t funny. Let’s go look around for some clues of how to get down from this place, alright? Then we’ll meet up and share.”

They agreed with the older Scout’s proposition and split into pairs to investigate. Miseng nudged her best friend’s shoulder as she sent her Observer away. “You seem kinda down, Eunhee.”

“It’s just.” Eunhee sighed. “I thought maybe… well wouldn’t it have been nice to be on Princess Endorsi’s team? That kid looked weak, so I thought I had a chance, but it turns out he’s waaay strong. I guess it’s really not meant to be.”

“Eunhee…”

“Never mind.” Eunhee slapped her cheeks, before visibly perking up. “At least, I got to see Princess Endorsi in person. And to take a test with her! I’ll be telling this story to my great-great grandchildren!”

Miseng giggled. “Mm! I can’t wait to tell my parents about it!”

The two laughed about it with each other for a long while, joking about what they’d be like as old people. Surely they wouldn’t be like Jeom Kyu or Daesung, though Nam Da was pretty cool. In the end, when they met up again with their team, they didn’t have much to show for it.

Thankfully, the other members of Blue Army had more success.

“There are trapdoors all over the place,” Jeom Kyu reported. “The flooring is hollow in some areas, so if you push the edge, you should be able to slip in. Careful not to draw attention—I think the trapdoors must be limited, because once one has been used, it can’t be used again. That’s where Hanuel is, by the way. We tested a floor and I decided to send her ahead.”

Moobon Kwan was also gone. He’d no doubt found a trapdoor and just went ahead without them.

“Then, this part is individual,” Daesung said. “Everyone, find a door and try your best. Let’s all meet at the bottom.”

Miseng swallowed. An individual test. Out of everyone here, she was perhaps the least suited, right after Nam Da. But at least Nam Da had her intelligence. Nevertheless, she followed the command, and soon she found a trapdoor just as Jeom Kyu said.

Taking a deep breath, Miseng flipped the door and jumped down.

She fell into a small brick room, landing in a crouch. Her senses as a Scout told her she wasn’t alone, and sure enough, when she looked up, she saw someone else sitting cross legged against the north wall. His eyes were closed in meditation, but they opened upon her movement. Miseng’s heart stuttered, because she recognized that figure.

The boy’s lips curled into a smile. He opened his mouth to say something, perhaps a greeting if his expression was anything to go by, only for his mouth to drop completely open. Shock was painted across his face, eyes practically bulging out as they remained glued on Miseng.

The girl whipped around, checking behind her, wondering if some monster had suddenly come out from the walls and attached itself to her. There was nothing.

“You’re—” Bambi Eyes’ voice was choked. “Mi… Why’re you here?”

The Scout turned back, staring at the Princess’ teammate incredulously. Then she puffed out her cheeks, and lowered her eyes. “I stepped on a trapdoor, so…”

It was a little aggravating. She might be young, but she had as much right to be in the Tower as anyone else. But she had also seen Bambi Eyes in action. Never in a million years could she match someone like that. So even if he questioned her abilities, she could only accept it.

“Mi—uh.” Since Miseng wasn’t looking up, she couldn’t exactly see what Bambi Eyes was doing, but she could practically hear him fumbling. “Me. My name is Bam. So—so let’s start at the beginning. Um. Your name. What’s your name?”

He was… weird. Not what Miseng expected from the Princess’ team. No matter how creepy this person was, it was without a doubt that he was a million times stronger than her. She couldn’t refuse.

She shuffled her feet. “Um, my name is Miseng, as in ‘yet to be completed’.”

“Miseng.” The Fisherman sounded as if he were tasting the name on his tongue. “In other words, you’re full of potential.”

Her head snapped up.

There was a gentle smile on the other boy’s face. It made him look, deceptively, like he wasn’t a monster.

Despite herself, Miseng relaxed. Adults were predators, but Bam wasn’t really an adult, was he? And sure he was a guy, but he was on a team with Princess Endorsi. There was no way he’d be interested in Miseng in that way. It hurt Miseng’s pride a bit, but she didn’t mind losing to the Princess.

What was more likely was that Bambi Eyes didn’t understand how he should talk to people. After all, in all the anime Miseng watched, the strong guys were always socially awkward.

“So what’s going on?” Miseng asked. “I thought this was an individual test. So why are we together?” Then she tensed again. “You—you don’t have to eliminate me to move on, right?”

“No! No way!” The other boy waved his hands in denial. With the motion, Miseng saw something on his wrist that she hadn’t before. A watch. “No, listen. So it turns out that although we’re not supposed to take this test with our permanent team, we are supposed to take it as a team.”

He pointed. The room was small, and there weren’t any doors, windows, or furniture in sight. There was, however, a singular white stand with four watches resting atop it. Just above the white stand was a plaque of some sort. Miseng shuffled over.

“Choice by the way of majority,” Miseng read. “For the five candidates, you’ll have to reach your goal following the majority’s choice.”

“The Test Director gave me some instructions over the speakers,” Bam said, drawing Miseng’s attention again. He nodded at the installation at the top of the east wall. “Apparently the trap doors lead to different rooms, and we need to cooperate with whoever else enters the room. We’ll come across crossways and stuff, I guess, and we’ll be using these watches to determine which way to go.”

He held up his wrist. Now that Miseng was looking more closely, she realized they resembled the devices on the white stall. In addition to telling the time, the watches also had an additional ‘O’ button and ‘X’ button.

So there were five watches in total. Ah. Miseng understood how this was supposed to work, now. Of course this test couldn’t be done in their permanent teams. This was a test about the ability to cooperate with strangers.

“I’m sorry,” Miseng said meekly. “You’re really strong so, this must be quite bothersome for you.”

“Huh?” The other boy looked genuinely surprised. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that you’ll have to work together with other strangers. I don’t think anyone is your level, yet you’ll have to take all our opinions into consideration…” Miseng took a breath. “I know I’ll be a burden, so at least I’ll try not to burden you with this part. I’ll follow any decision you make in this test. I promise.”

This too, was part of survival.

Strangely, it was Bam who appeared as if he were in pain. “Miseng, you don’t have to…”

But whatever he had to say was interrupted, because it was at that moment that one of the planks above their head flipped, and another person fell into the room.

“Ow! Fuck!”

A woman in a red tank rubbed her butt with a scowl. She stood, long brown hair swishing behind her in a ponytail. Snake-like eyes slanted towards them, roving over Miseng with contempt, before settling on Bam with a gleam of interest.

“Oh. It’s you.”

“Me?” Bam sounded confused.

“Yeah.” Snake Eyes looked around some more, zeroing in on a patch of wall on the south side. Then she shook her head, and stalked over to the white stand. Almond eyes narrowed, somehow making them seem even more serpentine. “Tsk. We have to cooperate for this test?”

“Mm… Mhmm!” Bam was quick to explain what the Test Director had said to him, yet again. Throughout the explanation, his gaze kept worriedly jumping to Miseng, though Miseng didn’t know what for.

“I’m the 25th Bam,” the Fisherman finished. “Though you can just call me Bam.”

“The 25th…? Well, whatever. I don’t normally like these school-like introductions, but I guess you deserve it. I’m Audrey Basler. Scout.”

“I’m Miseng,” the schoolgirl chirped in. “I—”

Audrey turned her snake-like eyes towards the girl. “Haa? Did I ask what your name was?”

Miseng tensed. The tone. Audrey’s tone reminded Miseng of those school bullies she’d always seen but pretended didn’t exist. She’d never wanted to draw their attention and become their target, after all. Was she finally going to experience this, after she’d left school? No way. She wished Eunhee was here. Eunhee would—

“Hey,” Bam cut in, eyes serious and heavy as gravity. “Don’t be mean to Miseng.”

“Oohh?” The snake-like eyes shifted away from Miseng, refocusing on the dark haired boy. “And here I thought you were some monster, but it turns out you’re actually Prince Charming?” The woman snickered. “Or do you just like schoolgirls? Why? Hoping she’ll put out with just a few words? Well, she does look easy.”

Miseng trembled.

Confusion broke whatever mood Bam had fallen into. “What?”

Now it was Audrey’s turn to look confused. “You know, that she’ll…?” She made a despicable gesture with her hands. At Bam’s continued look of incomprehension, she barked out a laugh. “No way, really?”

“You—you—! How can you be so crude?” Miseng yelled.

“Tch. Never mind.” Audrey Basler shook her head. “It’s no fun if Prince Charming doesn’t get it.”

Miseng shuffled back a few steps, placing her on the same side as Bam.

Audrey’s gaze followed her movements. “Heh. See that, Prince Charming? This girl’s one of the weak ones. Careful. She’ll just stick to you if you keep indulging her.”

“I’m not anyone’s savior.” Bam’s voice sounded odd. “Maybe you were right, earlier, when you called me a monster. But you know? Even monsters have things they want to protect.”

Then, as naturally as breathing, Bam raised a hand and patted Miseng on the head.

Miseng’s mouth fell open as she looked up at the other. He wasn’t even that much taller than her, and her face was way more babyish than hers. Yet when he did that, she felt…

She flushed. Was this… lo—love?

Ah! No way right? Wait wait it couldn’t be true. She definitely wanted to experience her first springtime of maidenhood but it’d be a disaster if it was with someone so amazing. Besides, if she calmed down and thought about it, she felt a similar warmth sometimes when she was with Eunhee, and she definitely wasn’t in love with Eunhee so—

“What the heck?” Audrey looked genuinely disgusted. “I thought it might be worth it to team up with you, but you’re just like this, huh?”

“I’ve also seen dozens of people like you,” Bam returned steadily. “I think I’d rather have someone like Miseng at my back.”

“Hoo? Well haven’t you been blessed in life.”

“I have. I’ve been blessed to know some truly amazing people. My teammates, for example. They’re—”

“I give!” Audrey threw her hands in the air. She stomped to the other corner of the room and plopped down. “Spare me the details. You and I just aren’t compatible.”

Bam, indeed, spared her the details. Instead, he turned to Miseng with a bright smile. “So, as I was saying, you’re not a burden, Miseng. Maybe I have a lot of power, but the tests, and life too, are rarely just about power. Khun—my Light Bearer, that is—he’s always the one getting us through things, just by being really really smart. So it’s not just about fighting ability, okay?”

Miseng could only stare at the Fisherman, mind jumbled. Seriously. What had just… happened?

“You’re a Scout, right?” Bam mused. “Scouts are really good at observation. Since this test is about choices, it’s likely that we’ll get a chance to observe each choice before making it. If that’s the case, then really, I will be counting on you!”

Audrey audibly snorted.

“I… um…”

It was weird, wasn’t it? When Daesung tried to encourage her, she could tell it was because of pity, or politeness because she was friends with his sister. But Bam, Fisherman on par with a Princess of Jahad, was saying he would depend on her. Maybe he didn’t really mean it. Even so, it made her feel, it made her feel like she could do it, maybe.

“I’ll do my best,” Miseng whispered.

Bam smiled, and it made Miseng want to say something impossible. Thankfully, the trapdoors activated again before she could, and she quickly collected herself.

Two figures dropped down, landing on the flooring noisily.

Audrey stood, throwing her hands in the air. “Finally! You’re here! If I had to listen to one more minute of that sickening hee-haw, I would have thrown up.”

The two newcomers, a man and a woman, exchanged a glance.

“Uh…” The man began, only for his eyes to widen as they swept the room and settled on one of the figures. “You! You’re the Fisherman from the Princess’ team!”

The woman elbowed the man in the ribs, ignoring the offended ‘hey!’ and bowing deeply towards Bam. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Laura. This is Gi Suk. I hope this section of the test is not elimination focused?”

“Ah, no.” Bam gestured towards the white stand. Laura and Gi Suk took a look, and Bam introduced himself and explained the test once again. But unlike the other times, something different occurred when the two attached the watches to their wrists.

The south wall rumbled. A patch of wall detached itself from the rest, rising inch by inch, unveiling a white door. A hidden room.

There was a sign on the door.

[The Door: ‘O’ Opens. ‘X’ Does Not.]

"Well, this one seems pretty obvious at least,” Gi Suk said, ruffling his own hair. He raised an arm, pressing his watch. Everyone else followed suit.

The sign flashed. A moment later, the lower half of it changed, displaying an ‘4’ next to the ‘O’, and a ‘1’ next to the ‘X’. Then the door slid opened.

“What the?” Gi Suk’s mouth fell open. “Who the heck pushed X?”

Audrey raised a hand, smirk stretched wide across her face. “Why? Is it illegal?”

Gi Suk whirled on her, eyes blazing.

“It doesn’t matter,” Bam said, already walking into the passage. “There’s still four of us. Even if she does it every time, we’ll still be able to move forward.”

Gi Suk snapped his mouth shut, voice turning a disgusting shade of obsequious. “Of course, Bam.”

The next room they entered had two more choices. On either side were steel cages which sealed off the path. The choices were ‘O’ for right and ‘X’ for left.

“Umm.” Bam rubbed his chin.

“Well then?” Audrey turned to Miseng with a malicious glimmer in her eyes. “You’re a Scout, right? Do you have any insights?”

“Ah.” Miseng startled. Hastily she looked in both directions. They were pitch black. “That—that is—”

“She can’t be expected to know.” Bam frowned. “The Observers don’t fit through the cages, so how can she—”

“The right side will take us down a long corridor, leading to another room like this one,” Audrey said bluntly. “That room will have branches to the north and west side. The left path leads to a fire pit.”

“Yeah right.” Gi Suk snorted. “Like we’d believe that.”

“It’s easy enough to check, whether we go right or left.” Audrey rolled her eyes. “Of course, idiots like you who only found a trapdoor after thirty minutes can’t be expected to think of that much, can you?”

“Why you—!”

“Gi Suk, calm down,” Laura whispered, tugging on her teammate’s sleeve.

“Well then, Prince Charming?” Audrey smiled at Bam, completing ignoring the two. “Which way will it be? Will you follow advice from someone who has superior skills? Or will you stubbornly refuse my kindness?”

Bam opened his mouth, only to close it. He looked to Miseng.

Miseng flushed. Was he really… was he really trying to be considerate of her? But because he even bothered to look, it was obvious what he wanted, wasn’t it? Miseng didn’t want to cause trouble, so she nodded her head.

“Cheh. Seriously?” Audrey complained.

“This test and this decision isn’t worth abandoning someone for,” Bam said, raising his wrist. “Gi Suk, Laura, I’m pressing ‘O’. I trust that Audrey wants to finish this test, too.”

None of the others looked particularly happy, but when the board flashed, there were 5 ‘O’s proudly displayed. The cage on the right side opened up. The five of them made their way down the corridor, and sure enough, they came upon another room with branches to the north and west.

“It’s just like she said,” Laura said without any inflection.

Bam turned to Audrey then. “Thank you.”

“Ho? That ‘thank you’ didn’t even sound forced.”

“You worked with us. I don’t like how you talk to Miseng, but that doesn’t take away from how you have contributed.”

Audrey blinked. Then turned away. “Heh. Prince Charming’s a greedy one, huh?”

Miseng felt uneasy. Audrey was more talented than her. She didn’t want Bam to change his mind and consider Audrey more important, though it was something any regular Regular would have done. But she didn’t have the right to put a stop to it either.

At that point, Audrey took charge. She led them down path after path, none of which that had hidden traps. Then, just as Miseng completely let down her guard—

Something flashed the moment her foot touched the threshold. Miseng felt a push at her back as she stumbled. Loud bangs resounded across the room. Miseng fell to the ground. When she looked up, the walls were smoking. Broken iron arrows were scattered across the floor on both sides. Gi Suk and Laura were similarly on the ground. Only Bam and Audrey were standing.

“Do you see how they’d only drag you down?” Audrey was asking.

The edge of Bam’s sleeve was torn, as well as a part of his pant leg. He was silent.

“You!” Gi Suk gasped, raising a shaking finger at Audrey. “You tried to kill us!”

It was then that Miseng realized what had almost happened. The trap had engaged the moment they stepped in this hallway, and if she hadn’t been pushed away, if those arrows had pierced her… Miseng trembled. She hadn’t realized she’d been so close to death.

“You know.” Audrey’s tone was bored. “By majority rules, we have to listen to everyone. But there’s another option too, isn’t there? Kill all the useless ones - then you’ll be the majority.”

Notes:

The big idea of this chapter is ‘Endorsi is actually very popular’. Hahaha.

Hello everyone! Long time no see! Season 2 is here and it finally galivanted me to finish this chapter. Depending on how motivating season 2 is, I think I can write one more chapter for this year, but we shall see. Our first member of Sweet & Sour has made her appearance, coinciding with the anime, hehe. Are you excited for this new season?