Naruto exited the room with conflicted feelings. He felt Anak didn't share all the information on Jahad's princess with him. But could he blame her? Of course, he wasn't being entirely honest with her either. But, on the other hand, there was so much he wasn't revealing to them that he felt terrible just thinking about it.
He didn't admit it yet, but the girl had grown on him in this little amount of time he spent with her. Maybe he always had his way with girls with strong personalities. It reminded him of Sakura and some other girls he had encountered and how they used to beat him for saying stupid things.
Oh well, he needed to find a reliable source of information on the tower now. He didn't want to ask Anak that much not to seem like he was planning something. He wanted to keep her out of this part of his life; it could endanger her, Shibisu, and Hatz's lives.
Director's office
"Test Director Yu, this is Lero Ro. May I come In?"
"Yes. Come in Ro."
/
"Now that we're sitting face to face, I can see that you're also very tall." Hansung Yu commented, eliciting a laugh from the blond Admin.
"Haha...well...Because I was always around Evankhell, I must've looked much smaller; Evankell was huge..." Lero Ro replied.
"Seeing that you're not using a wheelchair, I assume you're on the mend? Your recovery is quite remarkable, Mr. Lero Ro."
"Well, not entirely. My head still aches, and the fractured bones are a lingering discomfort, but it's manageable."
"So, how did the crown game go?" Hansung Yu asked as if what happened in the last test was of no genuine concern to him. But Lero Ro did not have any of it.
"Oh, you tell me. You even took precautions to decide the winner without even waiting for me to wake up." Lero Ro spoke with a bit of annoyance by the impertinent inquiry.
"Does that.. bother you?" The Director asked without showing emotion.
"Sorry, it is just that I was a bit concerned regarding the two participants in the crown game."
"I see... but I wasn't there. I only saw a simple recording of what trespassed at the end. Tell me the details." The Director inquired as he placed a cup of coffee latte for the blond Admin.
"If I had to sum it up, it was chaos, it was utter chaos. It ended without me confirming who was the victor since I was knocked back by a mighty shockwave." He replied.
"Really? I was surprised when Quant sent me a message through his pocket that you were sent to the infirmary to be analyzed. Seeing the results is what made me decide on declaring a victor"
"Director, that is one of the matters I came to discuss."
"Oh... go ahead, I'm listening."
"First, I've decided to give the Regulars a three-day break so they have a chance to visit the infirmary to check any possible wounds and not fail the test for such an unfair test"
"Yes, that's most reasonable, and?"
"Director, have you ever seen people command shinsu without a contract with the floor Guardian?"
Hansung Yu kept a calm expression and replied. "Besides those who carry an object created by the Workshop that has predetermined permission to use shinsu, No."
"You know, Director, I've got many wounds during my history in this tower, many of which still nags me to this day. But I've just received the one that aches the most in the last test."
Lero Ro started slowly unfolding the sleeves of his arms as he spoke.
"The one who caused me these were none other than the two of the "Regulars" participating in the final round of the crown game." He started, emphasizing the pronunciation of the word Regulars as he finished unfolding the sleeves.
"They've accomplished the feat of using Shinsu not once but twice without ever going through the process of receiving a contract with the floor Guardian."
Hansung Yu maintained his stoic demeanor, concealing his true intentions. "That would go against the laws of the tower."He answered, following the usual etiquette.
"It was like the shinsu was under their will, drawn to them as if they took over the ambiance and the end result was a few bones fractured and this,"
Having completely unfolded his sleeves, Lero Ro, unveiled a festering wound scar on his arm that stretched from the top of his hand and continued up to his arm.
The impassive expression that usually adorned Hansung Yu's face vanished; his facial expression was replaced with sternness.
"However, according to the footage my lighthouse recorded, one of them managed to overcome the other and come out as the indisputable winner..."
"That dense shroud of energy formed around the two remaining contestants... I've never seen anything like it. It disrupted any shinsu that was within the area, even mine. I felt as if the shinsu was taken out of my lungs and gathered around the area of their clash."
"I've never felt so vulnerable while acting in the field during my whole time acting on this field" Lero Ro spoke as he shuddered upon remembering the moment.
"Viewed from a surface level perspective, the significance may not be immediately apparent. However, when one takes into account the exalted status of Rankers, likened to deities in comparison to ordinary Regulars, the gravity of the situation becomes profound. So my point is, Director, what monster of a Regular possesses the ability to inadvertently inflict harm upon a Ranker amid a test?"
Hansung Yu stared blankly at the blond assistant for a few seconds before breaking the silence with a chuckle. "As always, I'm forced to remind my assistants how oblivious they are to the true objective of these tests."
"What are you talking about?" Lero Ro asked, genuinely confused.
"Mr. Lero Ro, are you aware of the actual significance of these tests?"
"Well... isn't it to test the regulars and see if they are qualified to go up the tower?" Lero Ro spoke as if he was discussing a self-evident truth.
"No, it's not. We test them because... some of them may present perilous powers... "
"They come into the tower to fulfill their own desires. Money, glory, power, or whatever else they want..." The Director spoke as he removed the spoon from the cup of coffee and let the content drip into the recipient. "Buf what if they desire something dangerous that harms the tower?"
"What if there is someone who dreams of the tower's current system end? It could be disastrous..."
He continued as he whipped the dirty spoon of coffee on the cup. "That's why we test them and separate the black sheep... the ones that threaten the tower. Do you get it? The test is not to find outstanding candidates. It's to find the outcast, those who might pose a threat to the tower."
"I don't understand the intention behind your words-" Lero Ro tried to reply but was interrupted by his superior's words which suddenly raised the tone of his voice.
"Mr. Lero Ro, who do you believe poses the greatest threat among the participants taking the test at this time?"
Lero Ro's gaze held a weighty intensity, his concern deepening. "Considering the unprecedented incident I've described, the one who managed to wield Shinsu without the customary contract is none other than Naruto Uzumaki. Initially, I suspected a connection to the great Field Commander, Lobadon due to his ability to manipulate trees. I suspect he was responsible for it in the first test so I thought he was part of the Lo Po Bia Family but... "
"...my certainty has wavered, and now I'm uncertain about his true affiliations since from what I know, Lobadon can only manipulate tress thanks to his possession of a special tree bark that has been gifted to him by the Family Head so Naruto Uzumaki remains a significant enigma, displaying powers surpassing conventional norms amongst other abilities I've witnessed beforehand such as the capability to concede ability for non-contracted regulars to manipulate shinsu and space manipulation."
Upon the described abilities, Hansung Yu's eyes shone with a most alluring blend of intrigue and interest. The mystery surrounding Naruto Uzumaki's uncanny skill set had ignited a spark in the Director's discerning gaze.
It was a rare display of fascination from the typically composed Director, hinting at the depth of the mysteries that lay beneath the surface of the ongoing tests, which Lero Ro didn't fail to notice but decided to remain quiet; he had his doubts about the Director's motivations.
"His abilities manifested in the generation of myriad Shinsu loops, swirling at remarkable speeds. As we know, the external observation of a Shinsu bang is inherently impossible."
Hansung Yu continued to listen, maintaining his composed exterior, yet internally, he grappled with the myriad possibilities these implications presented.
"As the techniques collided, it resembled the clash of two opposing currents but..." the Admin elucidated, concluding the statement while casually stirring his coffee with a spoon. The liquid within the cup continued its circular motion, the gears turning within Hansung Yu's mind as he arrived at a profound realization.
"... one technique ended up being trapped into another. If I had to name what that looked like, it would be a "vortex." Lero Ro spoke as the Director finally savored the taste of the coffee latte with unprecedented satisfaction.
The blond test Administrator had his hands on his knees, clenching the fabric of his pants as he readied himself to leave. "Well, that was all, Director. I'm sorry for taking your time." He spoke as he got up and as he was about to exit through the door, he stopped. "Director, one last thing." He spoke.
"Yes?" Hansung Yu asked as he quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Have you ever witnessed anyone else with the ability to control Shinsu without a contract with the Guardian?" Lero Ro demanded, his gaze fixed ahead.
Hansung Yu felt the need to quirk a sly internal smirk. "Yes, Urek Mazino, he was an Irregular."
"I see."
It was all Lero Ro spoke as he exited the office and closed the door behind him.
/
Hansung Yu could only smile as he saw the departure of the blond Administrator.
"That Lero Ro is hard to handle like that stupid Quant... It will be hard to keep the pieces of this game on a leash like this..." He took another sip of his coffee as he spoke.
"Ahh...In times like this, a cup of coffee is the best choice to forget all problems and relieve stress. But before anything else..."
Hansung Yu summoned his pocket and hastily spoke, "Visible mode, phone call. Contact me with Lord Luslec immediately." He spoke and as he waited for the dialing to complete, he voiced a concern that lay deep within his heart, "Have we committed a mistake...?" The androgynous man muttered with concern.
Unbeknownst to Hansung Yu, he was not the only one in the room. He was heard. An enigmatic figure silently observed the exchange, hidden in the shadows. The interplay between Lero Ro and Hansung Yu hadn't escaped its keen senses.
The being none other than Zetsu II, kept listening intently to the exchange between the Director and this "Luslec".
'M'Lord will hear about this, you conspiring old fish...' The synthetic life form thought as it silently sank back into the wall it was hidden in.
High Ranker's Area ~Naruto's Room
Naruto had just more questions than answers on his mind. All the conversations he had just kept raising questions. There was one thing he needed to do now: find someone he could have an open conversation with, but it couldn't be just anyone; it had to be someone he could trust.
As he was about to take his next step, a figure suddenly emerged from the ground.
"You're back I see. So, what did you discover?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious.
"That old fish could very well be plotting something. Your name was a topic of frequent discussion, m'lord, as well as that young boy, Baam." Zetsu spoke with concern and Naruto raised a brow in curiosity.
"Oh, they did? And what exactly was the subject of their conversation?"
"Irregulars," Zetsu replied solemnly. "From what I could catch, they were discussing if the boy called Baam was the true "son of Arlene". They also discussed if you would happen to be "another case of Mazino" on this tower and seemed really worried about it."
"Uh huh... proceed," Naruto prompted, disgesting the information.
"Well, they mentioned F.U.G and from what I understood, that seems to be the organization this Luslec runs."
"I see, so that girl from before was related to this guy, too," Naruto expressed in realization.
"Yes, it seems that way, m'lord; they were trying to use you and now they are probably trying to bring you harm since you rejected their proposal."
"I'm not sure how powerful and influential this F.U.G is but, they won't get me that easily. Now that I'm aware of this, more than ever, I need to find someone from this tower that I can trust to give me information..."
"If that's the case, if you allow me, m'lord, I just happen to have omitted a conversation that happened just before the call with that Luslec and I believe that I've found the perfect pawn for you to extract information from."
"I'm not a fan of the wording "pawn" but go ahead."
"That Test Administrator, Lero Ro, had made a visit to the Director and they spoke about the results of the Crown Game. They were worried that you could harm the tower with your power as a possible Irregular. During their conversation, I could feel that Lero Ro was dissatisfied with the Director's choices and behavior; I believe, that he distrusts, to some extent, the Director so I believe, he could very well, be driven into our side."
"If that's the case, show me the full recording of the act," Naruto ordered.
"Yes, m'lord," Zetsu replied, and immediately, through its black half, the environment was transformed and shaped into Hansung' Yu's office, and there, Naruto personally witnessed the whole interaction.
/
"Hmm... you still preserve that evil mastermind from your predecessors, I see."
"It's is all to your benefit, m'lord. But if you allow me, m'lord, how would you like the conspirator, Hansung Yu, to be punished? Should I, hereby, proclaim his death sentence for planning behind your back?"
"What an exaggeration, Zetsu. I still would rather bide my time and understand the system of the tower and anything else I can get from Lero Ro so for now, a more direct approach to punish these individuals is still unnecessary."
"As you wish."
"You've served me well but now there's something else I need from you. I was hoping you could look around this floor and investigate its landscape, secret passages, and possible escape routes while I proceed with whatever they come up with for the regulars. You have your orders, now go!"
/
He knew Lero Ro got injured during the crown game thanks to the mess he caused during his fight so he felt he was partly blamed for what happened so he thought he could show a bit of honesty towards the blond admin.
He tousled through the corridors between the high ranker's area and the regulars' area until he stood before the door of Lero Ro's office.
"Alright, time to get some answers, " Naruto spoke as he knocked on the door.
"Enter." A voice that was from none other than Lero Ro, answered and as Naruto stepped into the room, he was immediately face to face with the man, sitting behind his desk with a stern expression on his face.
"Naruto Uzumaki, I was about to call you." He spoke in an urgent tone. He wanted to talk to him, and now that he had finally met him, he dug for the right words to get the answers he needed.
"Mr. Lero Ro, I've come to charge you for that pending question from the wall test."
"I..." Lero Ro started but was interrupted.
"I know, you want to understand if I'm a threat to the tower or not, right?" Naruto spoke, and the admin's eyes went wide.
"How did you...?"
"Mr. Lero Ro, I hope that the fact that I'm classified as an Irregular does not impede me from showing my side of the story."
"N-no! Of course not." Lero Ro gagged, not expecting the young man to admit his status.
"Good," Naruto spoke as he allowed himself a seat in front of the admin. "Now, I believe it's fair that you answer my question first since it was pending, right?"
"Of course. Go ahead and ask me whatever you would like."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, finding a comfortable position, knowing this would take a while. "How about you tell me about the tower, its system, and F.U.G.?" Naruto asked, releasing a smile that made Lero Ro raise a brow in curiosity.
"It's quite a long story..." The Admin replied tiredly.
"Then you can summarize it."
Lero Ro released a sigh and lent his hand to his forehead, leaning his elbow on his desk, knowing the boy would insist on it. "Fine." He spoke, finally conceding to the request.
Two hours later...
"I see. So F.U.G is considered an infamous criminal organization in the tower and directly opposes King Jahad's kingdom and the ten great families that rule through the 134th discovered floors?"
"Precisely." Lero Ro replied.
"I'll be sincere with you, Mr. Lero Ro, since I feel that I can trust you, I was actually contacted just recently by a girl who declared to be part of that organization."
Lero Ro, upon hearing that declaration, shuddered and hastily slammed his fist on the desk. "What!? So you...!" He asked, expecting the worst.
"I rejected the offer," Naruto replied calmly, not even moving from his position of comfort and Lero Ro relaxed upon hearing the news.
"It seems that Irregulars are feared on this tower but let me clarify, I'm not here to cause harm. I was actually welcomed as soon as I entered here by your first-floor Guardian, Headon, wasn't it?"
Lero Ro widened his eyes in surprise. "What!? Lord Headon welcomed you to the tower?"
"He did and also, there were other two individuals in there, expectant of an Irregular's arrival."
"Huh...? Who?" Lero Ro calmly asked, yet deeply curious.
"I think she was what you call... a Jahad princess? And the other was a guy, short, silver hair, don't know much about him but I heard the woman call him...Evan?"
Upon hearing the explanation, Lero Ro's mind rang a bell. Wanting to confirm his suspicions, he asked, "The name of this Jahad Princess, what was it...?" He prompted.
The admin was taken aback when Naruto firmly replied, "Yuri."
"Yuri Jahad was expecting Irregulars on Lord Headon's floor? That's against the rules of Jahad's Kingdom." Lero Ro replied in awe.
"Oh, you know her? She has quite the temper."
Lero Ro let out a chuckle. "Yes, we happened to be in the same class as regulars and we became the only rankers at the time."
"I see...but I hope you don't report her or anything. She seemed to be there out of pure curiosity, not to intentionally break the rules or cause harm to the system. To me, she seems to be a genuine-hearted person."
"I know, I'll pretend you didn't inform me of her presence there."
'He doesn't emit an ill-willed aura, he's speaking the truth until now out of heart... I guess I can trust him. If anything goes wrong, memory erasure is always an option..." Naruto thought analytically.
"Back on topic, Mr. Lero Ro, you told me about F.U.G. but.. you seem to look at it with a critical eye, why is that?."
"I thought I had made clear that they are a criminal organization that continuously causes stir on the tower and they don't care if civilians get caught in the line of fire."
"But what about the civilians who are aware of that and still insist on joining F.U.G.?"
"What about them? They are as delusional as their elders who believe themselves as Gods."
"You can't possibly believe that, can you?"
"What is your point?"
"You know, Mr. Lero Ro, from all the places I visited, I've grown to understand one thing..."
Lero Ro raised his brow, expectant of an answer. "What...?"
Naruto turned his swivel chair 90° to the left. He closed his mouth then curled it up into a small, yet sad smile "Pure pacifism might be just as flawed as pure violence."
Naruto's words hung in the air, waiting to be swallowed by Lero Ro. With conviction, he spoke, his message ringing true. Lero Ro winced, but Naruto knew he had struck a nerve. The power of his words had convinced even the most skeptical listener.
Lero Ro kept wary eyes as he analyzed the boy's face, Lero Ro could tell that the bitter truth had left a lasting impression. It was evident that the young man had learned a tough lesson through experience and had come to terms with it so the man could sympathize with him.
"By understanding that, I can know exactly what these people feel and want. Now let me ask you, what will you do, if your superior, Test Director Hansung Yu, answers directly to the leader of F.U.G.?"
The question hung in the air, laden with implications that sent a shockwave through Lero Ro's senses. He processed the inquiry with a furrowed brow, the weight of surprise and realization settling in.
"...the Director answers to the leader of F.U.G?" Lero Ro repeated, still dumbfounded.
Naruto immediately interjected, "I've got proof." He replied, immediately silencing the blond admin.
"What proof?"
"My subordinate, Zetsu, has recorded the whole pocket call to a man named Luslec in which their conversation and everything else that has been recorded, it can be clearly understood that he is conspiring against me and even you and someone named Quant."
"Quant is the other test Administrator that works on this floor... so, this Zetsu has recorded everything with a lighthouse?"
"Didn't I just say I'm not from this tower? I know almost nothing about it except what you told me so I don't know what a lighthouse is."
"I understand your perspective. However, it is crucial that I personally review the recordings. It is a grave accusation, and I must ensure that all possible evidence is thoroughly examined."
"Zetsu," Naruto called, and immediately, a figure emerged from the ground, catching Lero Ro by surprise.
"W-what is that!?" Lero Ro asked, backing away with his chair, gripping its arms, awed by the humanoid plant's white and black figure.
"It's alright. Zetsu is an artificial life form created through my power."
Lero Ro looked baffled. "You can do that...too?" He asked, flabbergasted.
Naruto didn't respond; he gave the order, "Zetsu, the recording." Naruto spoke, and immediately, the black half, once again, utilized its affinity with Yin release and transformed the environment into a completely other space; most precisely, Hansung Yu's office.
Lero Ro looked around in awe as if everything he was witnessing was a delusion. "Never seen a lighthouse do anything like this." He spoke, trying to sound optimistic before the absurdity he was witnessing.
"You need to stop surprising yourself by anything we do, Mr. Lero Ro otherwise, you risk losing the steadiness required in navigating these intricacies. Maintaining composure in the face of revelations is essential, for the path ahead demands clarity and resolve."
"You're right, I'll keep my composure."
"Now observe the scheme the rat thought was hidden from view is now laid bare for all to see."
Lero Ro turned his attention to the scene at hand, ever skeptical of everything he saw and listened to.
/
"I cannot believe the Director would be working with Luslec of all people, a man who is known as the God of Devils and represents the absolute darkness of the tower..." Lero Ro voiced out his sheer disappointment and disbelief after absorbing all the information he'd gotten.
"Still, who is this Arlene the Director spoke about?" Naruto asked curiously.
"I'm sorry, but the name doesn't sound familiar to me."
"I see..." Naruto replied, his lips pursed in vexation.
"Look, I'm sorry that you got injured during the crown game and I know that, deep down, you're still doubtful of my intentions. Then allow this to be a small demonstration of good faith," Naruto spoke as he extended his arm and opened his palm before the admin. A bright green light illuminated the area.
Lero Ro felt he was rejuvenating, his aching body, now felt like was a few thousand years younger and even his arm's scar disappeared.
"How...?!" Lero Ro attempted to articulate his astonishment, but the sheer unbelief of this development left him momentarily speechless. His eyes narrowed in profound surprise as he sought to grasp the implications of what just happened.
"I believe it proves beneficial to us both that everything that everything that has been seen and said here stays between the two of us."
"I understand, I'll keep my eye open."
"We don't know what the Director is planning, but it seems it involves me and Baam. Whatever it is, if it comes to choosing between saving a buddy's life or sparing the life of a turncoat, well, it goes without saying." Naruto spoke as he exited the office.
"This tower never seems to know peace. Phantaminum, Urek, Enryu, now this..."
Lero Ro released a long, tired sigh.
"It's as if the Tower itself feeds on the turbulence, and we're all just prisoners in its tempestuous narrative. Tower Jobs: Where Your Life's the Perk and the Perk's the Risk..."
"Can't a hardworking admin throw in the towel without gambling on whether they'll be the Tower's next bedtime story?" Lero Ro spoke before letting himself rest his back on his chair, to take a well-deserved rest.
Chapter End