Chapter 1706: Irregular Performance
With the obvious exception of the Wave Controller candidates, everyone else was asked to follow one of the four Rankers present. They were meant to be the Position Instructors over the next thirty days, grading each regular and assigning points based on attendance, performance, and merit.
Gandr, as a candidate for the Scout Position, ended up following after the same red-haired Ranker that had presided over the 'Deathmatch' Test. His name was Quant Blitz, a descendent from a rather famous family within the Tower. They were one of the only families with the ability to easily convert Shinsu into flames, so, as could be expected, many of their members had fiery temperaments.
A stark contrast to Quant, at least in temperament, Phae ended up in Administrator Lero-Ro's class. He seemed rather passionate about the Position of Light Bearer, but, while Quant had his students sprinting back and forth in a large training hall, Lero-Ro was patiently explaining the ins and outs of being a successful Light Bearer.
Due to its significance as the team's 'center', often taking command of the entire battlefield, Light Bearers had a tremendous responsibility. They needed to constantly be on their toes, gathering as much information about the terrain and any enemies as possible while directing each of their team members to where they needed to be. This required an extreme ability to multi-task, so, more often than not, the prerequisite to being a Light Bearer was being exceptionally intelligent.
Despite his prodigious achievements, Vahn knew he wasn't actually that intelligent, at least when he compared himself to actual geniuses. Fortunately, he had a number of outstanding people he could always rely on, chief among them being Sis and Da Vinci. The former could effortlessly humble the most powerful supercomputers in existence, and, though she had a propensity for the eccentric, Da Vinci wasn't known as an Omnipotent Genius without basis.
One of the main skills required to be a successful Light Bearer ended up being a proficiency with computer languages and hacking. Since Vahn could literally interpret these languages, he had an advantage over most from the very beginning. This allowed Phae to sit comfortably within one of the practice Lighthouses that had been handed out to each of them, a casual smile on her face as her hands danced across a light-formed keyboard.
Fortunately, even if Phae hadn't been extremely adept at interpreting computer languages, Sis was more than capable of interfacing with the Lighthouse's network. Though she was currently limited to the files provided to them by the Administration Office, Lero-Ro had informed them that, upon reaching the 20th Floor, all Lighthouses would interface with a much larger network. By that point, Sis would have access to most of the information publically available within the Tower, and, so long as Phae, Gandr, or Vahn were nearby, she could even trespass encrypted networks in an instant.
From Lero-Ro's perspective, Phae was an absolute monster as a Light Bearer, as, not only was she able to type at speeds exceeding six-thousand words per minutes, her ability to multi-task could already put veteran Light Bearers to shame. Even more notable than that, however, was her almost 'instinctual' ability to bypass firewalls, most falling as soon as she discovered them. As a result, she, or, more specifically, Sis, was able to hack into the protected files that the Administration posted to filter out the true prodigies among the other exceptional talents.
Though they would normally only hear about it on the third day of lessons, each Position class had a Special Test that, once completed, guaranteed the right to pass. For Spear Bearers, this generally involved hitting an elevated target at a distance of one kilometer. This was beyond the threshold of many E-Rank Regulars who had passed the 20th Floor, so, as long as they managed to hit the target seven times with ten spears, there was no reason for them not to pass.
For Light Bearers, the Special Test required the candidates to gain access to the same files that Phae had casually accessed within an hour of being issued her Lighthouse. This surprised Lero-Ro a great deal as the only objectives he had assigned the class were familiarizing themselves with the controls and performing basic searches. He had only briefly prefaced hacking and tracing during his lecture, so, while it wasn't uncommon for some people to get a head start, Khun being a good example, he had never seen someone complete the Special Test without even knowing of its existence...
---
While Phae was quickly becoming Lero-Ro's favorite pupil, Quant could be sweating slightly as he stared down at the heavily breathing Gandr sprawled out on the ground. Though he had a visibly annoyed look in his eyes, the Ranker was still able to manage an appreciative smile as he extended his hand towards the boy and remarked, "You're incredibly fast, kid. Though there are still two other objectives you'll need to compete, I'll count this as partial completion of the Special Test."
Though he made a show of hesitating for a brief moment, Gandr ultimately accepted Quant's hand, rising to his feet with slightly droopy ears as he said, "I still couldn't beat the Instructor though. I've never met someone who could move so quickly. Were you cheating?"
Finding Gandr's remark humorous, even if the latter part gave him an urge to punch the boy in the face, Quant burst out laughing. Then, after patting the friendly youth on the shoulder, he said, "I'm even faster when I use Shinsu. Unfortunately, though I'm pretty confident in my speed, there are a lot of Rankers faster than I am. The Tower is a big place, kid, don't let your perception be limited by your personal standard."
Feeling proud of himself for saying such sagely words, Quant gave Gandr another pat on the back, encouraging the boy to take a rest while he whipped the other Scout candidates into shape. They had been watching him and Gandr playing 'tag' for the last hour, so, now that he was in such high spirits, Quant felt like giving his adorable students a little bit of love...
Seeing the Instructor literally throwing balls of fire at the backsides of the candidates running too slow, Gandr couldn't help but laugh before sprawling out on the ground. The seal on his body had an effect that reduced the replenishment of his stamina, so, for the first time in a long while, he was actually feeling exhausted. Rather than hate this feeling, however, Gandr enjoyed it quite a bit as it reminded him of his training days in the Record of Danmachi, back when he both worked hard and played even harder...
---
Though they could have returned to their rooms and gone about their own business, each of the Wave Controller candidates chose to linger within the lecture hall. They were all going to be in the same class for the next month, so, at the suggestion of the effeminate man named Hoh, everyone decided to at least introduce themselves and share what they knew about the Position.
To Vahn's amusement, everyone seemed surprised when he also chose to stay back. This caused even Laure to open his eyes, poking his head out of the blanket he used to enclose his body even during the Administrator Lero-Ro's lecture. As for the rest, consisting of a rather beautiful woman named Rozeal, the ever-androgynous Hoh, a gloomy girl named Grey, and Hwa Ryun, they had a mix of reactions varying from intrigue, shock, fear, and adulation.
Offering a polite smile in exchange for the not-so-polite stares, Vahn calmly explained, "Though I am the Best Seed, my knowledge of Shinsu is very limited. Being an Emperor does not mean I am all-knowing and without flaws. As for the matter of etiquette, you need not concern yourself with such things, as, despite my status, you are not my subjects. Though I would advise against acting in a rude or abrasive manner, you are permitted to treat me as you would any other student."
Before the others could even fully adapt to what Vahn was trying to convey, Laure didn't hesitate at all to ask, "You're an Emperor, correct? Where is your Empire? How did you become so proficient at using Shinsu despite having limited knowledge of it?"
Vahn had never been fond of being interrogated, but, out of consideration for his prior statement, he offered a relaxed smile and answered, "I am the Sage Dragon Emperor who protects the Aldrnari Empire located far beyond the influence of the Jahad Empire and the Ten Great Families. As for my proficiency with Shinsu, it has less to do with the Shinsu itself and more-so my general mastery over the internal energy in my body. You are mistaken if you believe that Shinsu is the penultimate form of energy. What truly matters is your comprehension of the Laws and the strength of your Will..."
To emphasize his point, Vahn held out his palm, manipulating Creation Laws to create a statuette formed from a rainbow-hued crystal. This was enough to awe nearly everyone in the class, but, as the most knowledgeable regarding Shinsu, Laure began to sweat slightly. It wasn't that difficult to create things with Shinsu, but, from what he could tell, Vahn hadn't used any Shinsu at all to create the phoenix-shaped statuette...
Noticing the look in Laure's eyes, Vahn took things a step further, this time manipulating the Laws of Destruction to disintegrate the statuette as he stated, "Though I am often liberal when it comes to sharing information, certain things require a price. As a member of the Phonsekal Family, this is something you should be well aware of, no?"
Swallowing the words that had been on the tip of his tongue, Laure simply nodded in response to Vahn's statement before saying, "I'll keep that in mind. If there is anything you want to know about Shinsu, I will do my best to explain it in detail."
Surprising the man with matching dark-green hair and eyes, Vahn didn't hesitate to shake his head, his smile becoming more prominent as he stated, "We have gathered like this to share information amongst each other, not exchange it between individuals. I'm certain everyone here would benefit from your explanation, so, if you be so kind, please share with the class."
Though he got the impression he had been designated the status of a Substitute Teacher, Laure was too enticed by the promise contained within Vahn's words to perform his favorite pastime. Thus, to the benefit of everyone within the lecture hall, he began to give a thorough explanation regarding Shinsu, starting with the basics of forming a Contract with the Floor Guardian...
---
While listening attentively to everything Laure was saying, Vahn also took the opportunity to assess the rest of his classmates. Each had unique qualities that made them special, but, unfortunately, the limitation of three people passing meant they were all but guaranteed to fail. None of them could hope to compare against Laure, and, while Baam likely lacked even basic knowledge regarding the nature and use of Shinsu, it was pretty clear at this point that the boy was the protagonist.
Though he could probably make an argument to change Positions, Vahn found the idea of being a Wave Controller rather novel. This meant there was no suspense regarding who would be chosen to move on, as, even if something ended up happening to Laure and Baam, Hwa Ryun was more than capable of passing the Test.
Knowing the other candidates were destined to fail, Vahn decided he would, at the very least, make things a little easier for them once they lost their status as Regulars. They would be allowed to live in the Middle Tower alongside other Regulars who had failed the Floor of Tests, so, while they might not have the chance to climb the Tower, they would still be able to increase their strength and make their lives a little easier. This was the least Vahn could do for them, so, while Phae would bear most of the burden, he could at least facilitate the free-sharing of information while they were gathered together like this...
---
Understanding her God's intentions, Hwa Ryun was unable to prevent an appreciative smile from spreading across her face. It was exceptionally rare for the power to also be benevolent, especially within the Tower where such traits were considered a weakness. Vahn, however, seemed to be able to turn that weakness into his strength, so, while she believed there was no advantage to helping the Regulars fated to fail, she did not question her God's decision in the slightest...
Noticing the woman's gaze, Vahn briefly made eye contact with Hwa Ryun, earning a slightly more prominent smile from her in response. This compelled him to sigh internally, but, rather than show any perturbation, he just gave her a polite nod of acknowledgment. Unfortunately, this seemed to be interpreted differently by the woman in question, as, immediately after his nod, her gaze became focused as she began inspecting each of the Regulars present within the room...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sis, once again, proving why she is Best Girl','I'm fast as fuck booiiii~!','What a novel concept, a Believer misinterpreting the will of their God (UwU)...')
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