Chapter 2: Bloodied Hero, wild Cat and snow Swordsman I
"This…!"
Mark whirled around in panic as Ha Yuri and the others vanished from his sight, replaced by cascading colors of myriad types dripping around him. He could tell he was ascending up in a way, since he felt that inconsequential pull from his shoulders just like when he was flying.
The way his cape flapped also helped in his deductions.
'So it's something like an elevator.' Mark remarked, remembering what Ha Yuri told him when he was through with that horrifying test.
"Don't panic! That's your way to the Second Floor!"
The half-breed clicked his tongue. 'Who the hell's panicking? I'm just being cautious.'
But he knew that excuse sounded weak to even hear. Because his heart was definitely was not beating normally when that light appeared below him.
'I swear, I thought it was like that portal all over again.' He shivered. But as they say. What anyone doesn't knows won't hurt him… Or something like that.
Sighing to himself, Mark muttered. "At least I'm done with one out of… Ah~ crap."
In his impulsiveness, Mark had not asked about the full picture of what he was dealing with. Climbing to the top of the Tower. That was simple enough, but how many Floors was it. Will there only be monster fights or something different in general.
Closing his eyes, Mark said a short prayer as he soared into the depths of the unknown.
"Oh God, help me."
-II-
"This is boring! Dammit, it so, so boring!"
Arms crossed, and a finger tapping incessantly against his clothe biceps. The short statured man with dark skin and blazing red hair, dressed in a white lab coat. Quant Blitz was suffering from lethargic depression.
As a member of the Blitz family, the Ranker knew he wasn't without his idiosyncrasies. Short tempered and a dose of rashness, all and many more. But still… this was taking too long! Wasn't the time duration of preliminary elimination tests always short?
"Did Lord Headon actually bring more Regulars than usual?" He wondered.
From what he saw from Lero-Ro's testing, over twenty group had survived. It had taken Lero-Ro himself to come down to cull down more so that the number would be adequate.
And now, it is also expected that he, the great Quant Blitz, also do the same, as he saw the amount of Regulars on the field.
"That's impossible! Is what I want to say… But yep, there's no dodging this."
As a Test Administrator, it was his job and duty to crisply oversee all the test for the fresh bloods. Not to mention that Yu Han-Sung will definitely skin his hide if he messes up.
'That blonde, unassuming, insidious tyrant!'
Letting out a shout, the Ranker scuffed his head while pondering on what to do. That was until his scratching paused, his face lifted up, now set in an unreadable expression as he came upon an idea.
A crazy one…
"Well~ the aim of the test is to weed out weaklings that do not belong to the Tower anyway." He mused, before letting out a self-satisfied laugh.
"Quant Blitz you genius! I knew only that brain of yours could think of something this good."
Letting out another laugh, the Ranker bounced with a whop and headed to announcement room to change the contents of the test. Let it not be said that this Ranker is not a diligent one.
"After all. ' A thirty minutes killing spree test.' Sounds fun." He giggled.
In another timeline, the survivors, no… the slaughterers would only be numbered in three. Now, with the presence of a Hero, maybe, just maybe, such a disregarded tragedy would not come to be.
-II-
When the colors receded, and Mark came through. He found himself floating over a field of dried grass that appeared to be as tall as a medium man's size in height. Far out, the half-breed could see mountains littered in the distance giving the place an artistic point of view.
But that was not the reason for Mark's breathe to hitch.
While the overall view of the expanse was part of it. It was more specifically, the morning blue sky and meagre clouds that decorated it.
"Am I outside?" He dazedly said in wonder. From his surroundings, Mark could spot signs of people appearing in white lights that shot to the ground, sparsely populating the plain, and he could hear their confused murmured chatters.
Turning back to pay attention to the sky above. The half-breed began to notice a tangible difference. As he hadn't taken his eyes off the cloud he mutedly gazed, Mark realized that it had not moved out of its position at all.
"As if that wasn't strange at all. Not to mention that bright ball of light... That's definitely not the sun." Mark remarked.
Even during that evening just when he had awakened his powers, he could still feel the warmth kiss of the dusk sun against his flesh.
But this one just felt fake.
Mark pressed his lips, a lump falling down to his stomach at the situation at hand.
"This isn't all just some lucid dreaming, is it?" The half-breed laughed dryly. "Dad and Mom is so gonna' to throw a fit."
He absently wondered if the others around him where in the same situation as him. Kidnapped from their world without their knowledge, while given a test to slaughter a miscellaneous collection of animal.
Suddenly heaving, Mark felt his stomach churn as he remembered the carnage he had wrought in just some few seconds, and that mysterious power he had shown back then.
"Not to mention all the sudden bout of strange memories…" Mark groaned massaging his head. All this thinking is just giving him a dizzy spell, and to just spend his precious time thinking too much isn't going to alleviate his guilt.
But first things first. The half-Viltrumite decided to go see the others, maybe even offer help if any is needed.
"Because I going to be a Hero, and there is no better place than to start here." Just as he levitated higher, the sound of a throat clearing could be held above him.
{ Welcome Regulars, to the Second Floor of the Tower.}
Pausing, Mark looked up to see what appeared to be a small cube with black opaque casing, inside it was a white ball of light pierced through the dimmed cover, blinking in intercession, and from it came out a voice that could only be likened to a child.
Mark's lips twitched at the sight. While it wasn't the most bizarre sight, he had ever seen, –rather it was quite droll- But still, to see that serving as a sort of speaker, tells Mark that at least these people at least possess an advance level in their technology.
Cutting himself off, Mark paid attention to the rest of the announcement.
{This is the floor of tests that will determine your worthiness in climbing the Tower.}
'Well, I had a feeling it wouldn't be so simple.' Mark dryly thought.
{Now without any further ado, let's begin the first test.}
Mark looked around as he felt the palpable ambience turn static. The tension was so obvious it was a shock he haven't seen anyone screaming in fear. If he wasn't reading too much into it, the half-breed was half the mind that all the participants had an idea on what was happening.
When the rules of the game came out, his body turned cold.
{ The rules are simple. For the allocated time of thirty minutes, all 300 Regulars within the regulated period will participate in a Killing Spree.}
"W-What-What in God's name, is that floating scrap saying?!" Mark eyes dilated in shock, could only fumble to say, as he stared eyes wide open at the cube.
{ Usage of any method is allowed. Also. The time remaining and number of Regulars will be displayed on your Pocket.}
"Somebody please, tell me it's just fooling around." The half-breed muttered brazenly, as the air gained a certain grim heat that could only be described as bloodlust.
Automatically the Pocket given to him by Evan appeared, and on its surface was the chilling number 300.
"This's 300 lives we're talking about here." Mark gazed incredibly, as the piece of metal nonchalantly displayed lives that were about to be lost. All because of some stupid test.
"And that piece of junk wants us to kill each other? What an awful joke!"
When he said he was prepared to climb the Tower, Mark was not talking about this. This was not an ordinary Tower… This is…
{ Now without further ado... Good luck everyone.}
"Hell…"
-II-
"What the hell was that?"
Mark stood still in the air unable to comprehend the contents the test held. Quickly, he checked his Pocket once again only for his heart to start beating furiously at what he saw.
[ 256]
'Jesus Christ! This quick?!'
From the advices from his dad, TV news, down to the gist from his friends. Mark understood that humans, when in perilous situations in most cases tends to make desperate situation.
But the half-extraterrestrial never expected this.
"What kind of people kill the other just because some stupid cube tells them too."
Teeth gritting Mark decided to round up everyone partaking in these bloodbath to sort it all out, with force if he had to. It was then with a loud bang, something smacked against his forehead.
"Flies?" Mark blinked. He had not seen any insects since his landing in this Floor, while that was strange since an area like this ought to have some of those stringent insects gallivanting around, he surmised it was due to the nature of the environment.
With a quick hand movement, his hand swiped against his forehead only to see a crumpled piece of lead, even though before repair, its shape remained distinctively familiar. It was such that Mark actually laughed, only in disbelief.
"A bullet?" He looked from where the shot came from. It was there he saw a young fair man with a green ram horn on the left side of his head, dressed in heavy clothes looking panicked while hiding among the rocks close to a hundred meters away.
"W-What?!" The shooter squawked. Hands trembling as he aimed another shot, while cursing the fact that he was probably against a powerful scion of the Ten Great Families.
As it all transpired, to Mark he could only looked unbelievably as the man aimed his sniper rifle at him.
'That bastard… Even after that, he's still trying to kill me?'
For Mark, what followed immediately was a sudden eruption of emotions, and it all could be summed in one word … Anger.
In an instant, just like what had happened at the First Floor, a mysterious power pulsed out from him sweeping out through the fields.
All participants in the mortal kombat without prejudice paused in their rampage, as they sensed the otherworldliness within their midst. Some of the Regulars couldn't support their own weight as the force of it all made their bodies weak to the slightest resistance.
Only one thoughts synonymously rang in their minds.
[Ranker?!]
High above as Lero-Ro led his group through the grand white hallway into the residential area, he paused abruptly in alarm turning back. Eyes narrowing, he felt the shinsu turbulently stir.
'What's the meaning of this?' The blond Ranker pondered uneasily, as a bead of sweat threaded down from his forehead.
For a moment he thought Lord Evankhell was about to fight another High-Ranker, which made his heart stop for a second there.
"But that's not possible… I hope." Showing a brief assuring smile to the others. Lero-Ro briskly resumed his journey much to the confusion of the new arrivals.
"Hey blue turtle?! Why is yellow turtle looking so afraid?!" The eight ft. brown skin crocodile asked, nudging his teammate.
"Shut up, gator!" The blood of Khun replied, unminding of the crocodile's protest. "Don't ask me, I'm right here with you."
He gave an assuring smile to his bright orange eyed teammate. But in his mind, he too wondered what was happening. 'Anything that could make a Ranker's eyes dilate in fear, is a serious cause for worry.'
-II-
"You bastard, what do you think life is?"
The sniper as a result of being within proximity was paralyzed in fear. "This can't be happening! Not after everything that I've put into this!"
When Headon had chosen him for a life as a Regular, to him life had changed, going a full total upgrade.
Typically, he had heard of what it means to be a Regular from those who came back as failures. But even so, to the people in the Outside Sector of the Tower, those failures were warlords as even their short stay in the Inner Sector propelled their strengths to greater heights.
But he was different! He would not return, because he will be a winner, the winner, no matter what! He had put all his soul into this!
But why, why! Did he have to be the one to encounter such a monster at the initial second of the test!
His will was telling him to go down fighting. But his instincts, soul, and body, was frozen in fear. For what the Regular gazed upon was not a being on the same plane, but a transcendent. Letting out a terrified cry, the Regular with tears in his eyes pulled the trigger again without another resounding bang.
"Die! You monster!"
Mark this time was prepared. While the Irregular understood that he was now bulletproof, he still did not want to be hit by a bullet. -It was ticklish- Just like before the world crawled, and when the bullet reached the half-breed, he raised his left hand catching it.
Time resumed back, and the only thing the sniper saw was Mark raising a hand, opening it to reveal his bullet.
It was not over by a long shot as Mark was filed in a haze of dark emotions. Slowly, he raised a fist propelling towards the Regular prepared to end him. Like an unstoppable storm, the Irregular was prepared to destroy the lowly vermin that dares to point his arms at his Supreme better .
But then a tiny voice whispered to him.
'Daddy?'
"Terra!"
Mark's eyes widened, quickly tilted his fist away from sniper. From his fist sprang forth powerful blustery winds accompanied with a loud canon boom that resounded across the plain, and when the sniper gradually turned back, his mouth fell in shock.
For where there was once a field of yellow grass for over half a mile… was now an abysmal chasm. It was to no one's surprise that promptly the Regular pissed on himself and fainted on the spot.
'Who was that?' Mark wondered, distracted by what just happened. 'That voice. I feel like, I-I, should know who that voice belongs to.'
"Daddy?" The half-breed repeated to himself in perplexity, placing a hand against his heart as he tried to quell the lancing emotional pain in his chest.
Looking down at the fainted sniper, Mark was of mixed emotions. He knew that if it wasn't for that voice, he would have committed something he had never thought he was ever capable of doing.
Murder…
"I really need to sort myself out." He sighed, bringing out his Pocket to check over the situation, and his eyes bugged out at what he was seeing.
"Two hundred, and twenty one! But, it hasn't been three minutes yet!" He sputtered.
Wasting no time on pondering, Mark employed his full speed and vanished leaving a distortion in the air, it carried such a force that practically destroyed the nearby rocks, and the sniper flew in the air, while having one last thought.
'I am just thankful for being alive!'
-II-
"That's number~ 6!"
The brunette Zahard Princess, Endorsi Zahard cheered, as she swerved to the side and thrust a fist through the body of the unfortunate male Regular with such force it ruptured his heart.
Tilting her head, the self-proclaimed beauty shifted to dodge the coughed up blood of the now dead Regular.
"Hmmm…. There's not really enough, is there?" She commented with a smile, while surrounded by corpses. Looking back at her teammates, especially the quiet blond one with freckles hidden under a brown hood, Endorsi wondered once again why she partnered them.
'They're no fun, at all.' She pouted while taking time to observe the plains.
When the announcement concerning the contents of the test was made, she wasn't surprised at all. After all it still was nothing compared to the tournament for the position for Zahard's Princess.
Rather this test was fun. So she hunted and killed without any show of mercy, for she knew none would be shown to her. That is the way of the Tower, to not affirm means you are against it, and to be against it… Never ends well for anyone.
The one thing that concerned the Princess was the chilling presence that swept pass her just some moments ago. She surmised it was probably a Ranker, a very strong one. Why did the Ranker do that? She did not know. But Endorsi knew it was not her business, so she left it at that.
A piercing scream carried Endorsi's eyes to her peripheral, it was from there she spotted another Regular. This time, a young girl of over ten desperately running away from a cackling large man dressed in robes carrying a butcher knife.
Even as the young girl cried for help, Endorsi still looked on impassively. Candidly speaking, helping the little kid was easy, if she pushed herself hard enough, Endorsi was sure that she could reach the girl before the man could touch her.
But she wouldn't, because as the name says, this is an Elimination test. Which the princess suspects that it was probably to cull the numbers. Well at least she offered her condolences.
'Rest in peace unnamed little girl. Don't worry, cause your big sis is going to make sure the bad man is going to join you soon enough. And I'll make his death extra special just for you.'
That was all the Princess of Zahard could offer. For if it is to rise to the top, Endorsi Zahard will heartlessly step over millions of corpses if she has to.
Sure enough the girl tripped and fell, with the man catching up. The girl cried harder calling for help, as the heaving man laughed raising up his knife to finish the job. It was then, when with a sharp thwup, both man and child suddenly vanished.
"Hmmm?" Endorsi paused, raising an eyebrow at the bizarre scene. Turning back to her teammates she said.
"Hey, are you both seeing this-ahhh!"
With a girlish yelp, a forceful pull suddenly lifted the Princess of Zahard off her feet without any way for her to react, and the surroundings around her turned blur. Not a moment later, it all slowed down, and she was thrown roughly to the ground by whoever had picked her up.
"Ugh…" Groaning, Endorsi placed her hand against her temple to staunch the vertigo, groggily standing up only to realize she was not alone.
Around her where many Regulars, probably all the remaining ones as she could surmise from their numbers.
Quickly Endorsi regained her bearing, pulling up her hood more, and then began pushing pass the crowd, while keeping an ear out to see if they knew what was happening.
"Ugh, my head… I feel like vomiting."
"Where am I?"
"Hey, do you know what's happening?"
"How should I know? It all just happened suddenly, so I don't know. Probably the whims of the test Ranker."
'Useless.' Endorsi clicked her tongue in irritation while shifting her hood.
Luckily it wasn't long that she spotted her teammates. The giant stood threateningly still protecting the freckled girl, while the said girl remained aloof as ever.
The brunette let out a mental grimace but still trudged on. She still did not get why she was with this team, -while she could guess that it was probably due to the aura around the freckled girl that influenced her- Endorsi knew they were better teams around here.
Looking back she was meet with a sea of confusion. 'Or not…' Shrugging, Endorsi decided to go stick with the team, at least until she gets a better replacement.
"Hey you guys! Miss me." She cheerfully greeted with a bright smile. Endorsi was well aware of the reaction of her boisterous action garnered among the confused crowd, some looked at her with bright eyes, and others will thinly veiled envy.
But she knew it was not their fault. For her beauty was just that enchanting.
'Ah~ what a sinful woman you are, Endorsi Zahard.'
Endorsi let out a complacent sigh with her lips creased into a smile, which only tuned down when the freckled girl just bobbed in return. Eyes twitching, Endorsi decided not to pay any more attention to her unknown partner.
The whoosh of the wind, with another surprised yelp, brought all the crowd's attention to the sky. There what she saw intrigued her.
The figure above revealed to be a young man, while not too handsome was fine to look at. He was dressed in a skintight suit and cape. Endorsi couldn't tell what color the attire was as it was covered in blood, and most notably he was flying without any equipment.
While a Regular flying unaided was quite a big deal, but to Endorsi who once lived among Rankers, unaided flight wasn't that special. She surmised that it was probably due to a hidden Ignition Weapon.
If there was anything that caught her attention, it was the stranger's blue eyes that reminded her of memories long locked away.
"Now that you are all here, I want you all to listen well and listen good." The young man said heatedly, while looking down at the gathering of Regulars.
"If I see anyone try to kill anybody again. I swear by God, that I will break their bones. Do I make myself clear?!"
Endorsi naturally decided not to answer, not that she was afraid, but rather cautious. She wanted someone stupid enough to provoke the stranger to see the substantiation for his apparent dismissal to rules expressed in the test.
Surely enough, an idiot took the bait.
'Endorsi, Endorsi.' The small horned Princess tutted, folding her arms to watch the coming show. 'Things can't help but work in your favour, can't they?'
-II-
Mark threw down the last two alien looking Regulars he could find, while he took activated his Pocket to check the number of the remaining participants.
[ 199]
Clicking his tongue, Mark knew that he had missed some as he flew around or they unfortunately died before he could save them. Looking down at the number he had gathered, the half-breed took a moment to appreciate his super speed.
It was only but for some seconds, but he had already picked up a spot and rounded up the others. For as strange as it was, Mark realized that his perception also goes in hand with his speed. That is for the period of time that he flew, he saw things in like they were still frames.
Things that he honestly did not want to see.
Looking down at the crowd, Mark felt another rush of anger building up again.
' There're all savages, the whole lots of them, to be so willing to participate in this kind of test. ' Like a slithering snake, a deep voice he could not recognize whispered to him. But unfortunately Mark couldn't find it in himself to refute it.
For as he flew around, Mark had spotted dead bodies. Some already freshly dead, others decaying. Adults down to even little children! It took all he had to just seethe rather than explode in fury.
Also Mark had spotted some of the Regulars having weaponry on their persons which supported the suspicion that the participants knew of what they were doing all along.
But truly what angered Mark the most was the bloodthirsty expression, he saw the Regulars made. Even now among the crowds, he spotted some of them coated in blood, he would bet all his favorite figurines that it wasn't their own.
"Now that you are all here, I want you to listen well and listen good." Mark said in a heated tone that surprised even himself, while looking down disgusted at the gathering of Regulars.
"If I see anyone try to kill anybody again. I swear by God, that I will break their bones. Do I make myself clear?!"
Confused mummers flowed from the crowds as they all looked at him warily. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed information on what was happening, he would have knocked them all out. Maybe even do worse based on what he saw as he flied around.
These people were all devils , but Mark decided to at least give them a chance to see what they will do… And to teach any unfortunate dissenter a painful lesson as deterrent.
Sure enough one came out, pushing his way forcefully out of the crowd. He was a huge tanned man with a bald head and bulging muscles, dressed in overused brown robes. On his hands was a huge knife which had dried blood on its surface.
"Oi- oi! Mr. Bigshot here, telling us chosen Regulars what to do." The man said sleazily while he raised his bloody blade pointing it at him.
"Who do you think you are to be making the rules here!" he said with a menacing smirk. "Do you really fancy yourself a Ranker? Get down from there let me chop you up!"
"You…" Mark looked at the Regular immediately recognizing him.
A whimper from behind made him threw a glance at the small cluster of kids he segregated from the others, particularly a small girl of ten trying to make herself appear smaller.
Yeah Mark remembered the bastard now, back when he was gathering the others he saw this bastard with an insane smile trying to murder the little girl with a knife.
Mark face turned beastly fierce and his fist clench so tight that it turned white, so much blood flew straight to his head that he was surprised that he had not popped a vein.
The half-breed always had anger issues in his life, but never to this point. Looking down at the sleazy man. Mark knew that when he comes down… He will kill him, conscience be dammed.
For her image intermeshed with a younger girl. She was the one who he declared to be his heart, his whole world. Naming her as a symbol of his home world, she gave him the will to fight on no matter what.
Pain nor suffering will deter him from proving his love to her.
Because he was her *-
Now he knew what to do…
Slowly Mark descended, his bloodied cape billowing as a result of the lowland winds. His blue eyes gave out a deathly glow, for what he was looking at was a piece of shit that does not deserve to live .
Just as Mark's foot touched the ground, the Regular let out a deranged laugh, and dashed with a surprising burst of speed that bothered superhuman. Knife trailing in a silver arc he stabbed at the half-breed's right eyeball with such force it made a loud clang.
But alas it was for naught…
Eyes widened in crazed shock. The man could only stay frozen as his hardened blade turned into silver fragments against this… Monster.
"Are you done?" Mark asked, looking emotionlessly at the man whose confidence was nowhere to be found.
The crowd unconsciously gave them both a wide berth, unwilling to be caught up in whatever was happening.
"W-What?" The man struggled to say unable to move.
"I said. Are. You. Done?" Mark reiterated forcefully.
Seeing that Regular had nothing to say, he ominously continued. "Now, I believe it's my turn to serve the ball."
Ingrained instincts as a killer back at the Outer Sector gave the man the warning to jump back, but he found even that as impossible. A searing pain brought shivers to his body, looking down at his chest, he found the monster's left four fingers dig deeply into his flesh, griping his ribcage.
Instantly the killer was coated in a film of sweat and letting out a harrowing scream.
"Ah!"
But that just made Mark to grip tighter, "You know I really did not want to do this."
He laughed mirthlessly. "I'm sure I will regret doing this. But if you are to be an example of what I will do, if I see anyone dare to hurt a kid. Then, I will gladly be what I hate the most."
"Kids." The monster said giving them a side glance, "Do me a favor. Close your ears and eyes for this. It's not gonna' be pretty."
Right away, the kids all did as Mark said, drawing out from him a smile. "Good…"
Turning back his eyes became cold once again, "Remember what I said before, that if anyone touches another that I will break their bones. Well I've changed my mind. This is what I will do to anyone who dares to kill in my presence."
Mark placed his free hand on one of the arms of the man and squeezed. What followed was the disgusting sound of flesh and bones being torn out from the body, and gushing blood that suffused the half-breed covering the green blood with red.
Now crying, the man could only remain helpless as the half-extraterrestrial ruthlessly ripped out his arm while he began to tear out the other.
"Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! The pain will kill me! I don't want to die!"
Hands that now reached out to his skull paused, "Now that's a surprise. I thought you said you wanted to chop me up. Or I did hear that wrong."
Eyes bloodshot, the now reduced to a mess killer shook his head desperately. "No sir you heard wrong! I did not say anything like that! Please sir, please don't kill me!"
Mark dug deeper into his finger deeper into the man's flesh while careful not to shatter his ribs, eliciting another agonized cry from the killer.
"Alright then let's do this! I'm about to throw you far, far away. If you survive that, then I promise I won't come after you. Do you agree or not? Not like you have much of a choice."
"I agree! Of course I agree sir!" The killer gurgled out. Anything to be away from this monster.
'Idiot.' Mark thought, looking at the sniveling mess. He raised the man a little higher above him, and then threw him.
The force took the man away like a speeding bullet, his body was unable to handle the kinetic kickback the force of the throw had caused. Just when he reached towards the clouds, the killer finally exploded into chunks of gore.
A dousing hush fell upon the crowd at the scene. That show of power, that impossible strength, even the nonchalance it took to throw the man, all told them of one thing.
This being before them was not to be trifled with. To some, they even thought he was the latest calamity to enter the Tower.
An Irregular in their midst…
"So…"
The crowd shivered as one when the monster cerulean eyes scanned the crowd again.
"Who still wants to complain?"
Naturally no one did.
"So can someone please, tell me what's going on?" Mark asked wearily.
"Wait, are you saying that you don't know?"
A girl pushed her way out of the crowd, pulling down her hood to reveal a brown haired maiden of fair countenance with yellow eyes and dress, wearing an amused smirk. The only thing that revealed her inhumanity was the small horn at the right side of her head.
"Very suspicious."
If it were before, Mark would have happily sang like a canary at the beauty of the lady before him. But for now, he was too tired to appreciate it.
"Just get to the point!"
The brunette raised her hands in surrender, "Shish, what a scary man. Let me give you a short version for both our sakes as you know… The clock is ticking."
Putting his Pocket in Visible Mode, Make looked above the number of survivors, checking the amount of time left.
"Twenty three minutes left, yeah I still got time, so spill."
The girl laughed, and began to talk.
-II-
"What the hell is that?!"
From the observation room that provided a clear view of the fields from above. Quant hollered in shock while looking at the situation at hand.
In all of the tests that he had supervised, this one actually took the cake. His Thirty Minutes Death Match was a trial he gave because of time efficiency. But he if knew that this would happen, maybe he would have done it Lero-Ro's way.
By that, he meant the source of that insane pressure.
"Seriously! Who is this super Regular?!"
Unlike most of the Regulars in the fields, Quant saw more than just a hidden Ignition Weapon. Shinsu is an Omnipresent force in the Tower. The air one breathe, the food one eat, even the source of all supernatural powers comes from the shinsu, not even the Administrators themselves were an exception.
So how in all that is holy can a Regular fly without needing one?
"He doesn't even have wings for crying out loud!"
If that were all maybe he would not have gotten this worked up, but no, that super Regular had to give him a heart attack.
"The punch… The power behind that punch. There's no doubting it. That's a Ranker's class kind of punch." A super powerful Ranker, if he had anything to say about that.
He hated to admit it, but Quant knew that he could not be able to replicate that punch. At least not without enhancing his body enough with shinsu.
Peering at the super Regular through the Lighthouse, Quant tried to determine his bloodline.
The super Regular did not have the characteristics of any of direct descendants from the Ten Great Families, and he obviously is not a Zahard Princess.
Well the Blitz Ranker could bet all his points that not even a powerful B-Regular Princess with a gallon of the King Zahard's blood could punch out a mile deep gorge with just pure physical strength.
But then it only meant one thing…
"An Irregular…" He hissed, unable to describe his present sentiment.
Fear that the stories about Irregulars were all true, or feel gratification that he was looking at someone in the same caliber as the Heads of the Ten Great Families and Vice-Captain of the Wolhaiksong.
'Maybe this was how the Test Administrators felt when they supervised, Eryuu, Urek Mazino and the Riddle.'
The headache just compounded in more. 'Ah! I give up! I will go see the Director, he's the genius here.'
Hopping off his seat, Quant headed straight for the door in a hurry to Yu Han-Sung's Office. When lo and behold, right at the door was the Director himself.
"Uwa!" Quant jumped in comedic surprise.
"Quant." The effeminate greeted.
"Ah, Director you're here." The red hair Ranker shook his head.
"No, it's great that you are here!" Quant pointed at the screen that showed the gathering of Regulars. "You will not believe what I had just seen Director! You see that particular Regular covered in blood that seems to be flying without shinsu."
Looking left and Right, he drew closer to the Advanced Ranker saying in faux whisper. "I think that… He is an Irregular."
Seeing that Yu Han-Sung wore an amused expression, Quant said indignantly. "Really I swear it's true! I even have the videos recorded so that I can prove it. I tell you, that boy is as strong as a Ranker and unless that is a Ranker on the field, then he has to be an Irregular."
"No I think you misunderstood my amusement Quant, I believe you." The blonde hair man dressed in a hanbok of yellow and blue said apologetically.
"Re-Really!" He covered his mouth, coughing trying to appear mature. "I mean really. Then what should I do? He's disrupting the whole test."
"Test?" Yu Han-Sung checked his Pocket, going through the contents of the test given to the Regulars. Sighing, he threw a weary look at the maniacal Ranker.
"Quant. Really, a Thirty Minute Killing Spree? What were you thinking?!" Yu Han-Sung criticized Quant entering lecture mode.
"Tell me this Quant Blitz. What do you think will happen if no one survives the test at the end, hmm?"
Obviously, Quant was tongue-tied. "We-Well…"
"Let me inform you of what will happen. Surely, it will first meet the higher-ups, and when they see that you used such a ridiculous screening method, it's straight to Lord Evankhell. Surely you know what happens next, Quant?"
Now the Ranker was totally frightened, with tears in his eyes he cried out. "You are right. Ah, what was I thinking?! I don't want to be turned into a fried turkey! Please great Yu Han-Sung use your genius and help me out of this mess, I beg you!" He kotowed.
With a face of contemplation, the Advanced Ranker took his time to look at the numbers, beginning slowly.
"Whether by luck or fluke, the Irregular has saved you this time Quant... One hundred and ninety nine. What a portentous number."
"You're lucky, real lucky Quant." Seeing the Ranker's relieved expression he smiled. "Alright let's do this."
"Yes anything." The Ranker replied.
As he was explaining his idea to the Blitz Ranker, Yu Han-Sung couldn't help but preen when he looked at the screen that showed the seemingly latest Irregular bathed in blood.
'Ah~ I really am a genius.'
-II-
Meanwhile farther away in the corner of the fields hidden among the rocks. Two figures stood up together looking at each other.
"He's the one we've been waiting for." The girl of an impossible beauty giggled fanatically. Her black tail swishing erratically, ever since she felt the energy pass through her earlier.
"Maybe." A young androgynous boy of alabaster skin, with silver eyes and long snow white hair, dressed in flowing robes shrugged. Tucking his sword as he stood up.
"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't."
The girl pouted at the boy, her red feline eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't be such a pessimistic. Lord Headon told us that we'll meet our chosen one at this time, that he'll fulfill our dreams for us. Or do you fancy Lord Headon as a liar?"
The boy knew that if he answered in positive, she would fight him to the death. -she had killed many for less- He was capable of winning against her obviously, but that will just be too much of a chore.
So he applied common sense.
Sighing he answered, "No, Lord Headon isn't a liar." Seeing as that got her all smiles again, he quickly continued.
"We've waited long enough. Let's go meet him."
The girl clapped in excitement. "Yes, let's go see him… Our beloved Master~"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
vtorx_0867
vtorx_0867 Question. Should I continue this or go back to my Reincarnation of a Kryptonian Hero?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone