Bab 1723: Prelude
In anticipation of the Final Exam, most participating Regulars retired early, many understanding it would not be easy to get any sleep. Fortunately, the test wasn't scheduled until the afternoon of the following day, giving them plenty of opportunities to sleep in and make final preparations.
As one of the few people exempt from the exam, Vahn wasn't particularly worried about the coming day. His only real concern was that 'nothing' had happened over the last month. This implied there would be something going down during the final, or, depending on the circumstances, immediately after it. After all, he still had the Black March in his care after agreeing to return it to Princess Yuri, a major indicator that something 'had' to happen while he was on the 2nd Floor.
Fortunately, even if caused him a moderate amount of exasperation, a soft 'pitta-pon' interrupted his evening meditation. He could sense Hwa Ryun on the opposite side of the door, so, after a brief moment of consideration, Vahn fixed his posture before opening the door to allow entry.
Without being prompted, Hwa Ryun waited for the door to close behind her before taking a knee and deeply bowing her head. Then, in a highly reverential tone, she stated, "Thank you for allowing me entry into your room."
Appreciative of the fact that Hwa Ryun was obeying his earlier decree to not refer to him as her God, Vahn nodded in approval before commanding, "Raise your head and explain the reason for this late-night visit. I'm assuming you wish to discuss the coming exam?"
Raising her head, a smile blossomed across Hwa Ryun's face as she replied, "That is, indeed, the case. Now that things have developed this far, there are some concerns I wished to address before crossing the point of no return. I wanted to know your intentions for the boy named Baam. I have also been tasked with arranging a meeting between you and my former superiors..."
Having already assumed Hwa Ryun was part of a larger organization, Vahn wasn't too surprised by her offer to meet with members of said organization. Her inclination towards worshipping him all but guaranteed she was a member of FUG, and, based on the natural progression of events, it was safe to assume their current objective was to kidnap and conceal the existence of Baam.
Irregulars were considered a major threat by the Jahad Empire, a threat that must be eliminated at all costs. Though the methods they could employ were limited thanks to the structure of the Tower, there were countless Regulars and Rankers who would willingly act in the Jahad Empire's interest to intervene. This included several Test Directors, Administrators, and, at least in higher Floors, various members of the Ten Great Families. The only way to tide through these tribulations was if you were already very powerful, a concept far removed from the current Baam.
After sitting in silence for several seconds, Vahn met Hwa Ryun's eye, plainly stating, "You are free to continue with your current plans. However, I will not allow that boy to become the tool of others. The fall of Jahad is inevitable. If your superiors are intelligent, they will bide their time until a power vacuum is created in his absence. If they intend to intervene in my personal matters, they will suffer the same fate as the Jahad Empire. I will not remove one group of tyrants just to replace them with another..."
Having closely observed the actions of her God and his vassals, Hwa Ryun had no doubt regarding Vahn's final statement. He was the type that blazed a trail forward while empowering those behind him so they would be able to rule in his stead. He cared neither for politics nor power struggles as his goal lay, not inside of the Tower, but far beyond its confines. She could see the people following him becoming his own variation of the Ten Great Warriors, people who were bound to rule over the Tower following his 'inevitable' conquest...
With an expectant smile spreading across her face, Hwa Ryun went on to add, "My current duty has me acting as Guide for a man named Ha Jinsung, a High Ranker of the Ha Family and a member of FUG. He was sent to secure the Irregular-"
Before Hwa Ryun could explain further, Vahn silenced her by raising his hand in a stopping gesture. He had his own plans and it was too tiresome to plan around the machinations of others, especially when he didn't particularly care about their objectives. Thus, in response to Hwa Ryun's attempt at clarification, he plainly stated, "Tell your 'superiors' that I will meet with them after passing through the 20th Floor. I currently have no intention of negotiating with a group that has made a mockery of the current system, publically slaughtering countless people in the name of their 'justice'. If their ultimate objective is the death of Jahad and the absolution of the current system, they need only to bide their time. The moment they try to interfere with my plans, they will suffer the same fate as the Ten Great Families. I have no patience for hypocrites who merely seek to replace an existing system of corruption with a version that better suits their interests."
Though she wasn't surprised by her God's words, Hwa Ryun couldn't help but feel a bit of concern for him. His current power was great, yes, but he was still far from the point of being able to defeat a High Ranker. FUG would do whatever it took to achieve their goals, so, the moment they heard he wasn't being 'cooperative', things were bound to get messy.
Noticing the concern visible in Hwa Ryun's gaze, a very subtle smile spread across Vahn's lips as he said, "You need not worry. Even if my power is currently lacking, there isn't an existence within this Tower that is capable of killing me. They will learn this the hard way if they try to interfere with my progress through the Tower. As for you, I will have you join my group once the events of this Floor have come to pass. Until then, continue performing your original duties."
Though her concerns were not completely assuaged, Hwa Ryun did feel a bit of relief in response to her God's words. He seemed absolutely certain, so, rather than question the person she had already dedicated her faith to, she ultimately brought her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, lowering her head as she answered, "I understand. I will continue following this path at your behest."
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn gestured for Hwa Ryun to rise before pulling out a tiny figure that vaguely resembled a human, tossing it to her as he explained, "Make sure you keep that with you at all times. It is a special charm that is said to bring good luck to those who possess it. Now, be on your way. It is not appropriate to visit an Emperor's room in the middle of the night."
Understanding that her God was making a joke, a smile spread across Hwa Ryun's face as she rose to her feet and said, "I look forward to being able to climb the Tower alongside you. This is the first time I am following the path set by another. My heart races in anticipation of what is to come..."
Following her words, Hwa Ryun performed a respectful bow before quickly alighting from the room, Vahn's eyes following her departure until the door inevitably closed. Then, with an exasperated sigh escaping his lips, he fell backward onto his bed, arms spread out as he muttered, "It seems I need to have Phae stick closer to me in the future..."
---
After a restless night for most and a stressful morning for all, each of the remaining Regulars had been assembled in a floating lecture hall that hovered over a massive arena surrounded by dense jungle. Unlike when they had originally gathered, there were fewer than half of the original Regulars remaining, a total of thirty if you excluded those who had already passed. This meant, of the group who had originally been 'chosen' by Headon, only 5% had made it to this stage of Testing; a value that would soon drop to a mere 2.5%.
As part of the group that had passed via Special Test, Vahn, Phae, and Gandr were seated alongside Rak and Ghost at the very front of the room. To further draw attention to themselves, they had each been given a special sash with the word Passed embossed on the front. This earned them withering stares from a few of the envious Regulars who were barely scraping by, a rather curious decision on their part considering five of them only made it this far as a direct result of the quintet qualifying in advance...
Once everyone had gathered and taken their seats, Administrator Lero-Ro, who had been standing center-stage at the room's front, cleared his throat before shouting, "Good morning Regulars! First off, let me congratulate each of you for making it this far. Though there is still one final test that will determine your fate, you should all feel proud for having made it this far. Now, without further ado, allow me to explain the conditions and objectives of the Final Exam...!"
With a quick press of a button, the display behind Lero-Ro lit up to show two separate columns of pictures and names. Immediately after that, the Administrator went on to explain, "The Final Exam is a joint test to determine the fifteen candidates who will be allowed to move on to the next Floor. As you can clearly see behind me, the thirty of you, excluding those passing vis Special Test, have been split into two teams. All the instructors have come together to ensure the teams are as balanced as possible so there will be no changes. If you are not satisfied with the team you have been assigned, you are more than welcome to pack your belongings and exit the Tower. Now, any questions thus far...?"
Seeing that everyone was waiting silently for him to continue, Lero-Ro nodded in approval before adding, "Though you will be evaluated based on your performance as a team, know that you will also be graded individually by your Instructors. This grade will have the most impact on whether or not you pass or fail, so, if you have been struggling over the last thirty days, this is your last chance to make a positive impression. Remember, it is not always strength that determines whether or not someone is worthy to climb the Tower. Now, for details regarding the Final Exam itself, I would like to direct each of your attentions to the gentleman sitting amidst your Instructors. This is none other than the 2nd Floor's Test Director, Yu Han-Sung, the person who will ultimately determine whether or not you qualify to climb the Tower."
Hearing Lero-Ro's words, the majority of Regulars present were completely gobsmacked, not by the fact that the Director would be determining their fate, but because the 'gentleman' in question was almost indistinguishable from a beautiful woman. He had an extremely fair complexion, golden hair that was neatly fasted into a bun, and delicate facial features that could rival famous idols within the Tower. In fact, many of them had seen this exact person depicted on various products, specifically a variety of different coffee brands.
Further sewing confusion, Director Yu wore a blue and gold kimono that was fastened by a black and gold obi. He didn't even seem to possess an adam's apple, but, the moment he opened his mouth to speak, a deep yet delicate voice could be heard as he said, "Greetings, Regulars. As my colleague has pointed out, my name is Yu Han-Sung, Test Director of the 2nd Floor. It is a pleasure to see each of you once again..."
Though they hadn't known the man's identity at the time, Director Yu had been the proctor of the second test most Regulars took upon arriving in the Tower: the Door Test. This was a rather simple test, merely requiring a team of regulars to open a single door before five minutes had passed. In spite of this, only 20-30% of teams ended up passing due to the presence of multiple doors and a series of intentionally vague rules. They were also told they had ten minutes to decide, so, with no clues to go off of, many teams were unable to make a decision before their time had run out. Those who failed were eliminated on the spot, their bodies dumped into a fiery inferno; names forgotten due to their indecision...
While many were still struggling with the revelation of Director Yu's gender, the man in question went on to explain, "I'll now inform you of the rules regarding the test. Simply put, each team will take turns playing a game of Hide-and-Seek. In other words, rather than being pitted against each other, both teams will compete individually against a Seeker of our choosing. The rules are simple: choose someone among your Fishermen to be it. If your team's 'it' is able to reach the exit before the Seeker tags them, the entire team will receive bonus points. Inversely, if the Seeker tags the 'it' before they are able to reach the exit, the entire team will have points deducted from their original total. There is also a 'bonus' prize should your 'it' manage to steal the badge in possession of the Seeker. Not only will it be treated as an 'instant win' for the team, but, for the 'it' capable of dealing with our specially-chosen Seeker, they will receive an additional 2000 points, more than enough to ensure a passing grade."
Hearing the Director's explanation, all six of the remaining Fishermen adopted serious expressions before four immediately backed down in response to the other two's fiery auras. Anak and Endorsi had been placed on separate teams, so, even if they wanted to be their team's 'it', there was no way they could compete for the position against the two Princesses of Jahad.
While the Fishermen were lamenting their fate for being placed into the same group of Regulars as two troublesome Princesses, Shibisu went on to ask, "Director Yu, if you don't mind my asking, who is the Seeker you have chosen?"
Smiling in response to Shibisu's question, Director Yu made a mental note to reward the boy an additional 100 points towards his final score. Though not as impressive as the other Best Seed for the Scout Position, it couldn't be denied that Shibisu was qualified for the designation. He didn't mind drawing attention to himself, and, even if it earned him the ire of others, he was willing to do whatever it took to gather as much information for his team as possible.
Unfortunately, before Director Yu could answer the young man's question, the box that had been wriggling at his side suddenly exploded as a man with brown skin and fiery red hair jumped up to shout, "Great question! I knew my students were the best...!"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Shhh...no spoilers..."','It's a trap...!','RIP Regulars')
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