"Hello, and Welcome regulars to the second floor, the floor of tests," said the announcer over the speaker. "It is with great pleasure and honor that we would begin testing each one of you for a chance to officially become regulars and climb the tower here at Evankhell's floor", the announcer continued. It was jarring to see all the rocky terrain after spending a little less than a week trapped inside the forest on the first floor. It was even weirder to no longer feel the pressure from before. Our bodies felt so light compared to before, and our previous injury from before had all healed to the point it was as if we never got hurt. As we look to our side, we were surprised to see the egg from before but this time it was smaller and was warm to the touch but the pattern remain. The egg was also much lighter allowing Yuri to easily hold it with two hands unlike before. The announcer continue to explain that the test was gonna be a team battle game, There were 150 teams with players randomly assigned to one team. Once the number of teams was reduced to 67, then the test would end. The only way to reduce the team was to kill all the team members. Our team number was already put in our pocket with the test starting in 5 minutes.
"So, what do you think are the odds that we were on the same team", Bam ask me expressing our worry. We were worried that we had been put on a different team and were afraid to check. "Pretty low", I said honestly. With three minutes left before the test began, we decide to look at Bam first and then at mine to see if they match. "Ring, Show my team number," said Bam as he look at his ring. The ring then displays the number 137 across it. It was my turn to see my number. "Ring, Show my team number", I said as I and Bam waited for the result. Holding our breath, the number 137 appears across it. Hugging each other, we were so surprised and thankful to be on the same team. Now, all we needed to do was find our other teammate. It was gonna be a hard task as no one was around us for what seemed like miles and we could not run fast as we had to carry the egg. A few minutes later, the test had begun with our teammate nowhere to be seen. Using our pockets to monitor the number of teams left, we move in a random direction. While the number continue to dwindle, the smell of blood got stronger. After a little while, we started to come across broken weapons, body parts, and bodies all around us from the other teams. Following the trail of bodies and broken weapons, we continue to come across more and more bodies grouped together. By the time small piles started forming, the number of teams was down to 80. Only 13 more teams before the test ended.
As we continued making our way across, I saw something glimmer in the distance as multiple arrows were shot toward Yuri. It seem that they wanted to take out Yuri first as she was the one carrying the egg and as such the slowest to react. Thankfully, I was able to catch all the arrows with mere inches to spare. Looking at the direction the arrows were shot from, We saw another group of three people, one was holding a bow and getting ready to fire multiple arrows again while the others were holding a short sword or a long spear. Looking around, I found no place for us to hide. We were gonna be target practice at this rate. Given that we were on an open field, our best chance was for Yuri to stay protecting the egg while I ran towards the group. When they threw the arrow again, we were ready. As soon as the arrows left the bow, Yuri put down the egg and caught all the arrows while I ran toward the group. Using the momentary pause in between shots, I manage to reach where the bow user and his team were located before he could shoot again. With the arrows that I had caught previously as a projectile, I threw all the projectiles back toward the bow user but all were blocked by the swordsman next to him. And preventing me from getting close was the spear bearer who used the length of the spear to quickly close the distance whenever I got close and almost hit me forcing me to move back. No wonder they appear confident despite me grabbing all the arrows and throwing them all back. They were working in almost perfect union, while the bow user kept trying to hit Yuri or the egg, The others protected him from both short and long distances. They would have normally been an undefeatable team, especially in this terrain.
If I wanted to get close, I would need to get rid of the spear user first. Using a feint attack to trick the spear user into closing the distance, I use the length of the spear to my advantage by forcing all my strength into the weaker handle breaking the spear into two. In one fluid motion, before the tip of the spear could hit the ground, I quickly grabbed it, and using the broken tip and the element of confusion, I stab the spear bearer in the heart, killing him instantly. Now, It was time for the others. Taking out the broken tip piece from the heart of the spear bearer, I ready myself to fight against the swordsman as he represented the higher danger of the two. Before I could do anything, the bow user and the swordsman took off running. It seem that they had realized there was a gap in power between us that their formation could not close. Sadly, It was too late for them, grabbing the broken handle from the spear bearer's hand, I close the distance with the swordmaster and parry his attempt at a sword strike with the handle while using the tip of the spear to slash his neck. Two down, one left to go. At this point, the bow user was on the sprint, I prepare to throw the tip of the spear when a rock hit the head of the bow user smashing it to pieces. It seem that Yuri had grabbed a nearby rock and thrown it toward the moving bow user. Yuri then grabbed the egg once again and made her way toward Bam. They would need to hurry up and find their last teammates as there were only 70 teams left. Slowly, we continue to make our way across but this time with new weapons. Yuri had taken the bow while I took the shortsword, the spear being far too broken to be of any use.
"Congratulations regulars, You may stop fighting now. Does of you who have survived are now ready for the next test to officially start" said the announcer over the speaker. Taking a quick look at the remaining team, it seem that we had passed the goal by one. There were now only 66 teams left. We were then teleported into a giant room at a station in the sky. In there were all the other teams that had survived, many of them were missing body parts or were carrying broken weapons with them. They all seem tired and bruised except for a few individuals. We look around asking all the individuals without a team but could not find our missing team member. Given what had happened, we could only guess that he had died in the test. About half an hour later, a test administrator appear to brief us on the next test.
"Hello regulars, and welcome to the test of resistance, My name is Jemima Wright Yeon. But you can call me Jem, I would be the administrator of this test. I wish you all the best" said Jem while standing far away from everyone. She had long black hair, pinkish-red eyes, and lightly tanned skin, and wore a red dress. " To start the test, all you have to do is get past this wall and enter through that door.", as she talks a blue transparent wall appears in front of her and a door appears on the other side. "This wall is made of Shinsu, The source of most of the power in the tower. This test is made to see if you can survive this amount of shinsu", Jem said. While you could see some regulars angry at this, they were all too afraid to complain. After the number of bodies that seem to liter the last test, It would be surprising for anyone to risk it by arguing with a ranker. Hoping to get the test over with, Yuri and I moved toward the wall. We were worried about how the egg would react but once we got near the wall, We realize there was nothing to worry about. It was feint, but the same pressure that seem to radiate from the wall could be found in the forest but in much greater quantity. With ease, we pass through the wall as if it was not there. The other teams seeing our success, seem to believe that the test was made to scare them and rush to the wall thinking that they would pass right through. When they hit the wall, they were sent backward with enough force to break a few bones. Not wasting much time, me and Yuri made our way into the door and look back one last time only to see Jem looking back at us as the door closed behind us.
Inside the room was a man with long blonde hair, yellow eyes, and an androgynous face wearing a blue and yellow hanbok. His hair was in a high bun, with a traditional red hairpin sticking through the bun, which has the design of a butterfly on the end. He was drinking coffee and seem surprised to see us there. From the little we could remember, we had met this man before. While we could no remember where we had seen him before, we could remember a feeling of anger and betrayal at him as well as forgiveness. But one thing was clear, His name was Yu HanSung. "Why are you here Bam? And how are you taking the test again?" asked a surprised HanSung. "So, we do know you, how is it that we know you?", I answer back, he looked like someone who would not tell anything but the most basic of information. But he was our only chance at finding out what happen and who we were.
"Mmh, I suppose there is no harm in telling you if, and only if, you tell me who the lady next to you is and what she is carrying," said Hansung. It seems that he wanted to have the upper hand in this negotiation, well two could play that game. Answering almost immediately and without hesitation, I said "This Yuri and that is an egg, now answer our question. "Yuri, what a unique name," said Hansung, it seemed like he was trying to remember something. " Fine, a deal is a deal. Yes I do know you, you could say I am one of your benefactors and someone that can help you," said Hansung after a few seconds. Something was missing from that but it was at least something to go on. "And what is it that you help us with?" asked Yuri, she seem to trust him even less than I did if that was even possible. "Why climbing the tower of course," said Hansung as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "In fact, I am so helpful, that I will personally exclude you guys from this test, and instead, I would ask the administrator if he can give you guys another one," said Hansung as he got up and opened a door that appear to have been hidden before. While we could not trust him fully, he was our best chance at remembering more so we went through the door. Unbeknownst to us, Hansung had already begun planning on how to manipulate a missing Bam who had recently disappeared and did not seem to remember him, and on how to use his new companion to force him to return to his training under Jinsung Ha and the Guide appointed by FUG.
The door opened to the residential area of the floor where the staff was located. Given that we were hungry, we follow the signs to the resting area where we discover that we needed points from tests to buy stuff. We check our pockets to see how many points we had only to see two messages both from Hansung. One was talking about our room arrangements while the other was him giving us a bunch of points to buy stuff with. Given that we had not eaten decent food in ages, we went into the cafeteria to see what was available. We also passed by the store near the cafeteria and brought a backpack that could hold the egg and a change of clothes. Our previous clothes had taken a severe beating and cuts were all over them. Bam brought a few shirts, pants, and a jacket while I brought a dress, a few blouses, and skirts. All the clothes seem to have the same symbol all over them, "E1Ǝ". In the cafeteria, we ate and ate as much as we could before we were completely full. After resting for a bit, we return to our appointed rooms. Originally we were given two rooms but we had grown a costume to sleeping together so we took Yuri's bed and move it next to mine. Putting the egg next to the bed, we fell asleep almost as soon as our heads hit the bed.
It was a dream, I knew that. Yet I could not seem to wake up. I was falling, over and over. I could not remember the face of the one that had made me fall but I could feel the force that pushed me. It was a force that would have normally not moved me yet the shock and betrayal that came from the person that did it caught me off balance and I fell and fell. Eventually, I hit the bottom and there was the devil whisper. It promises me retribution and vengeance. It promises me knowledge and understanding. I knew that it was a trick by the devil, but I did not care and followed it all the same. For as I fell, I saw those that remain, those that had given their trust in me. That person may have betrayed my trust but I will not betray the trust of others. I would get out even if I had to make a deal with the devil and I would keep my promise to my friends.
I woke up sweating, It felt like it had been a dream yet for the entire time that I had fallen asleep since I awoke in the room with the pillars, I had never dreamed. Not only that, but the dream felt too real, almost like it was a memory hidden deep inside. The only thing I could remember was the name of the person who pushed me, Rachel. The dream had felt too real to be a dream. And that name, Rachel, seem familiar yet it incurs a level of hate and betrayal I did not even know was possible from me. A sound drew my attention from my loathing thoughts, It was Yuri. It seem that she too was dreaming of something. Even more tired than before, I fell asleep again and hope that the next dream was more pleasant. As I fell asleep once more, my wish was granted as I dream of a time long ago when I spent my time with the same group of friends from before.
The next morning, both I and Bam felt much better. After having slept on the floor with fear of eels ambushing us and then waking up in the middle of a survival test, it felt great to just sleep on a normal bed without any worry. There were also the dreams that we had yesterday. I woke up first and went to get some takeout food from the cafeteria. When I return, Bam had awoken and was looking around as if he had seen a ghost. It seem that whatever Bam had dreamed had terrified him. As I comforted him, he talk to me about what both of his dreams had been about and about Rachel and an organization name FUG. I in turn talked to him about my dream. The details were fuzzy but I talk about a meeting with a monster and a woman that I call grandmother. I also talk about my first meeting with Headon and my first meeting with a man who calls himself the King.
It seem that after we awoke from our dream, some of our memories returned. While the memories that returned include important things like the names of Bam's companions from his dream, it also includes things like how to use the pockets as a contract with the floor administrator and how to use shinsu. That afternoon, we sat down and enter a contract with the floor administrator. "Are you the ones Hansung talk about?" ask the massive administrator. "Yes, I would like to make a contract for the second floor", I responded back. "Mmh, Let's see if you have what it takes," said the administrator as its giant eye look at me. After a minute of looking at me, the administrator simply said "Fine, I would give you a contract for your ease but you nor that boy need it. But you guys must fulfill my test to pass this floor, just as you have to for all the others in the future. But just for this time, I would grant you a pass if you fulfill my request" said the administrator. "Get the devil that rests at the bottom of the lake and get it out of this floor. It is unsightly and ruins the mood of this floor" said the administrator as he granted us a contract. When we open our eyes, the contract had been made yet the test had just gotten much harder. If anyone knew where the devil of the lake was Hansung, but getting him to say anything was gonna be a pain. Based on what little we could remember, getting to the top of the tower was our best chance at regaining our memories and discovering how we lost them in the first place. For now, all we could do was wait for Hansung to approach us first. We also needed to figure out what had happened to Bam's companions and how Hansung was related to it all.
It seem that Hansung had been too busy to meet us today, so we decide to practice the combat skills that we could remember in the training grounds now that we could use shinsu freely. The more we thought about it, the weirder the forest that Headon had sent us to was. If there had been enough shinsu where one single use of it was enough to completely explode a stick into a thousand splinters while making the tail of the strongest black armor eel we had seen be completely annihilated. Then what kind of shinsu concentration had Headon put on that floor? Knowing that rabbit, enough to turn it into an impossible test for anyone else and a little more than he was even allowed to. We decide to first spar without any shinsu involve until we could better control it. While Bam seem to know a few moves, the sheer difference in our strength guaranteed that he would not beat me. Despise that, the moves he knew were doing a decent job of closing that gap in physical power and if Bam could master them, he could give me a run for my money. Of course, that was only If I only use my physical strength. While my techniques were not as good as Bam, I still knew some moves making the gap even larger.
One of the first things I notice while I was fighting Yuri was the sheer difference in physical powers we had. I already knew it but I did not realize the size of the gap until I spar against her. The other was that while my mind could remember some basic fighting techniques, my body did not. My body felt too stiff and I was rigid with my movement compared to the feeling that I had in those memories. Once we spar a few more times, it was time to start practicing with shinsu. While it was easy for us to make one bang whenever we tried to make more it became exponentially more difficult to the point that the most we could manage were two. There was also the fact that its area of cover and its concentration of shinsu were small. While I had a much easier time than Yuri at making a second bang with equal cover and concentration, we both fail when it came to making a third one. Instead of focusing on making an inefficient third bang, we decide to spend our remaining training session on increasing the cover and concentration of our other two bangs. By the end of the day, we barely managed to increase the cover while maintaining the same concentration. We were exhausted, between sparing and training to control shinsu, we had barely enough energy to get back to our room and sleep. That night, we did not dream, It was the return of our many dreamless nights from before.
In the morning, we were greeted by a message from Hansung. It said to meet him at the training ground. When we arrive, Hansung was waiting for us, with him was a tall, slender man with brown hair and brown eyes and a one eye red hair girl with an eyepatch. "Ah, Good Morning, I was informed by the administrator you guys were given a unique test. To move the Devil at the bottom of the lake out of this floor which I would like to help with" said Hansung appearing as sincere as possible. "For that purpose, I had asked an acquaintance of mine to train you," said Hansung while motioning to the man to introduce himself. "Hi, I am here to help train you and pass the test. My name is Jinsung Ha and I would be your master from now on" said Jinsung as he look at Bam's specialty. His eyes seem to convey sadness and worry. Before we could dwell on it, the Girl introduce herself next, "Hello, I am Hwa Ryun and I would be your Guide up the tower".
Hwa Ryun, That name seem familiar as did Jinsung Ha. As I rattle my brain for information, all I could get were faint images of a golem and being in a dark cave underwater. Whenever I try to remember more or get a clearer image, my headaches return. It seem that was a memory that we were not yet allowed to remember. "So, given the fact you know what we are looking for, that saves us some time. What do you know about the devil at the bottom of the lake and where is this lake?" asked Yuri getting straight to the point. "I am afraid that even If I did tell you where the lake was located, you guys would not be strong enough to get there alive," said Hansung taking out a map. "You see, The devil is located in here, The wine glass area. An area called that for the lake hidden inside of rocky mountains shape like a wine cup and the underground lake that rests inside," said Hansung as he highlighted the area on the map. "But, the problem is not the area" continued Hansung, "The problem is the Guardians that roam the area. From Golems that are resistant to all but one technique to dangerous Shinheuh that swarm the place, all those factors can make the area prove a challenge to even C-rank regulars". If what Hansung was saying was true, we could not go there without a plan. If the Shinheuh were even half as strong as the black armor eels combined with the golems, it would prove a challenge to us in our current state to defeat without suffering some serious injury along the way. "So, what do you propose?", I ask knowing full well what Hansung had in mind. "I want you guys to train for half a year under us and then we would do everything in our power to help you," said Hansung looking directly at me. "But, Bam here must agree to become a Slayer Candidate at the organization we work at called FUG" Hansung continued nonchalantly like he had said nothing of importance. It was a risky offer, without the help of Hansung, we probably could not even get to the wine glass area much less get the devil but we had no clue what being a Slayer Candidate required. We had no choice but to agree but not without forcing their hand as well. "Fine, we would agree to your offer", I said while looking at the Jinsung. Jinsung seem to have an accepting expression on his face, looking back at Hansung, his expression was full of hubris and a smile that said he won. "But", I said while looking at Hansung as his smile vanish. "Only if you can tell us about the group of people that we met on this floor. Don't bother acting like you don't know what I am talking about. I may not remember much, but I can remember you have a connection with them". Hansung took a minute as if to consider his option and then simply nodded. He then began to talk about a crocodile with an obsession with turtles, a descendant of Khun that had learned to trust again, a normal-looking scouter, and a promising swordsman. He also talks about the two princesses that had appeared and many others. Finally, He talks about a person name Rachel and what they had done for the sake of their own dream.