51 – Floor 2 End

"As if I'd team up with you, crazy witch!" Anak shouted, wrestling with Androssi. "Who knows if you'll suck my soul out in some ritual when I'm not looking!"

"Stop calling me that, lizard! It was just an act before!" Androssi yelled back as they rolled on the ground.

"You are a witch, with that creepy face of yours, who'd want to be teammates with you and your pet demon?!" Anak retorted.

"And who'd want to be your teammate, ungrateful little brat!"

"If you didn't want to, then why'd you ask?!"

Leesoo walked around the corner on the opposite side of the hall with a surprised look.

"Because I'm trying to be nice! Go by yourself then, see if I care when you get yourself killed!"

"I will! I'll climb the Tower and get back the Green April on my own, I don't need your help!"

"Woah, woah, why are you guys always fighting every time I see you?!" Leesoo asked.

"Ugh!" "Argh!" The two princesses tossed each other away with Anak bumping into Leesoo and sending him sprawling into the ground. "Oof!"

"…" Axion watched Androssi storming back towards him while Anak got up and stormed off in the opposite direction as Leesoo chased her and grabbed her wrist. Anak didn't slow down and just continued to drag him along.

"That idiot can do whatever she wants, I don't care, we'll just climb by ourselves," Androssi said with a huff, turning to see Anak and Leesoo leaving. Then she grabbed Axion's hand and dragged him away too. "Let's go."

"Maybe that's for the best…" Axion said. 'Doesn't seem like that team up can work without Leesoo to moderate Anak's temper. Or maybe she really was upset about our antics during the fight. That's too bad…for her, that is. Just perfect for me.'

O O O

Hwa Ryun took the remains of Ren's sheep costume and turned it over and back. "The test director is an Anima too, so you could ask him about it. Though I think this is useless now. If you take it to the Workshop you might be able to convince them to do something with the materials...though they usually prefer creating new items rather than repairing anything."

"What about this?" Axion took back the costume and then opened Manbarondenna to take out the Shinsoo cannon. "How do I use this? I can't seem to get it to respond to me."

The Guide put her hand over it and ran it through the outer surface all the way to the sharp end opposite the cannon mouth.

"I can unlock and reconfigure this for you, but I'll be busy for a long while, so you'll have to get it from me later, after you go up," she said, after her examination. "I'll send you a message when it's ready."

"That would be great, I'll leave it with you then, thanks."

O O O

At night, Hwa Ryun went to see Rachel and congratulated her on becoming the heroine of the story. Then she asked Rachel why she went to such lengths to see the stars.

"Because I'm…afraid of the 'night'," said Rachel, using the word that was the same as Baam's name.

"Well, okay. Good night," said Hwa Ryun.

Hwa Ryun left her, then spoke to herself with a smile as she walked away in the open air hall. "So now…it's time to meet Baam who lost his star."

A few minutes after she left, another visitor went into Rachel's room.

"The task assigned to me by Headon is complete, now that you've obtained the right to go up to the next Floor," said Axion. "This is the end of our partnership, for now. I assume you heard what I explained to the Regulars during the day about my plans afterward?"

"I did. I don't mind, it's like you said, it's better if I don't have to deal with those types of enemies," said Rachel, opening her eyes, but not turning.

"Well, that was only part of it, that isn't the main reason I'm not climbing with you," said Axion. "That's just the only reason those guys would understand."

"…?" Now Rachel got up and turned to him with a confused look.

"You see, Anak refused to join Androssi and I. So the biggest target is no longer with us. The Zahard Family probably aren't going to do anything to Androssi or me while I'm with her, if Anak isn't with us. In all likelihood, Anak will end up going up with Leesoo…which means she might even be on your team for a while," said Axion. "Though probably not for too long."

"What? What do you mean?" Rachel asked, now looking wary.

"Khun will figure out the truth about you soon—thanks to that annoying bug Lero Ro. Were you awake when he got that doctor to look at your legs?" Axion asked.

"So Lero Ro will tell him that my legs are fine…" said Rachel with a growl. "That's sooner than I thought. If he realizes now…"

"He's probably not going to abandon you right away. He cares too much about all of those other guys' feelings, so my guess is that he's going to pretend that nothing's wrong, then try to separate you from them at some point. To deal with you secretly."

"I see…then, I can live with that," Rachel said, seeming to be in deep thought. "I'll just have to find new teammates before he betrays me."

"I'm telling you this as thanks for helping me with Ren at the end," said Axion. "I told you back on the first test that whether I'd work with you would depend on whether I've found you worthy…well you are certainly worthy of being my ally. But we shouldn't climb together as permanent teammates. It is not a failing of yours…so there is no need to feel like this is a missed opportunity—because it never could have been."

"I never should have expected anything else. I'm never chosen, after all," said Rachel with a bitter tone.

"Is being chosen really better? I certainly wouldn't want to be Baam right now," said Axion.

Rachel fell silent at that.

"Like I said, I don't mind being your ally and cooperating as the need arises. We're actually very similar…out of all the Regulars, I like you the most."

"Don't comfort me with such an obvious lie," said Rachel. "I'm weak and ugly, and I'd have nothing if not for what Headon gave me. There's no reason for you to like me."

"It's not a lie. All the entitled, talented, bastards who were born with great power, background, wealth, and destiny…you hate it too, right? To be frank, it must seem strange coming from me, when I must appear so strong to you. But I would say that I've been through a lot. I think that I earned it…but I don't want to tell you some inspirational story about how I rose from nothing. Because that's not fair either. Who am I to say that I was unlucky, when I was born smarter than most, without deformities or crippling diseases, in a country at peace rather than sending children to die pointlessly in war? When I had opportunities that most others could never dream of, no matter the great cost and difficulty? So it would be hypocritical of me to consider myself one of the unlucky ones."

"Are you trying to say that things could be worse and I should just deal with it?" Rachel asked, still with a little annoyance, but not dismissing the statements outright.

"No. I'm not here to criticize your perspective either. I understand how you feel. I acknowledge this unfair reality and I can acknowledge your efforts. I see the struggles of those even less fortunate than me, and the excesses of those luckier than me. But I'm past caring about all that. All that matters is, I use everything at my disposal to reach my goals and live the way I want, so that I won't ever have to say sorry to myself, whether tomorrow, next year, or on my deathbed."

"…maybe I believe you…but you still can't be on my team?" asked Rachel

"For now, we each have different paths to follow. But I think we will certainly have a reason to team up again later. So until then…take care of yourself," said Axion.

"Wait. Can you at least tell me why? What is it that you wanted in a permanent teammate?" Rachel asked. "Why are you going with Androssi? Is it just because she's the strongest? Because she's pretty? Or because she's a princess?"

"Strength matters, of course, but that isn't the most important thing. Beauty? Good to have, because my team shouldn't look ugly, but it's hardly something I specifically look for. And despite what you may think, you don't look bad at all. As for her status, convenient, but I wouldn't have had to rely on that at all if I simply avoided the fight with Ren and didn't reveal my true power. Heck, associating with her is what made me into a target in the first place, so it obviously has its drawbacks too."

"Then…why?"

"…you know my goal isn't to reach the top of the Tower, right? I don't really care much about it. So the most important quality to me is…someone that can be convinced that she wants the same things I do, so that we can do whatever we want on the way up without worrying too much about it. Your potential isn't bad, but you just aren't suitable because you have a grand purpose that you won't be deterred from which I don't share, and that's not a failing at all, to have a great will like that is something to be proud of. There are other things I want to do though."

"So I should find people who are even more desperate than I am to get to the top…and willing to bring me up there," said Rachel.

"That's right, and I think you'll do a good job of it on your own."

"But it's not like I would stop you from doing other things either."

"Actually, I won't climb with Androssi forever either. But you shouldn't even need me for a long while. You'll have a whole team taking you up now, right? And the next tests shouldn't be nearly as difficult as the tests on these two floors we just went through. But it's easier for me to move if I don't have to deal with the rest of the team looking over my shoulder. You get what I mean, right?"

"Fine. I get it. I'll have to get them off my back as well eventually," said Rachel.

"Exactly. So it's goodbye for now, Rachel," Axion said with a wave before leaving. "Let's keep in touch. Call for me when you're ready to stand again."

"Goodbye, Axion…"

Rachel turned back into her bed, but then she noticed some things on her pillow that had been behind her. There was a note and a necklace with a hanging circle with a complex diagram carved into it, made of a multicolored crystal base. A black vertical line in the center of the diagram prominently stuck out. She could feel that it wasn't an ordinary object…there was an aura of something in it.

She read the note carefully, then smiled before putting them away and finally shutting her eyes to get some sleep.

O O O

A couple of days later, the Regulars gathered at the teleportation platform, and Yu Hansung gave them special rings to commemorate their graduation. But when the light from teleportation was over, it turned out that not everyone was sent up…

The director sat in his office with Axion, enjoying coffee as usual. Axion played with the instant coffee, practicing his new Shinsoo manipulations skills.

"I wouldn't advise you to use this even if there was a way to restore it, Mr. Axion. The Shinsoo in a Bowl has to be continuously recirculated and a flow periodically refreshed to keep the Shinheuh under control. The larger the Bowl, the more difficult this is for the Anima, in addition to other regular maintenance, like feeding and waste disposal," said Yu Hansung, referring to the sheep costume between them on the table. "Not everyone has the talent to be an Anima either. If I were you I wouldn't invest a lot of time or resources into it unless I was completely sure of my talent…and even then you probably wouldn't see much real use for it for a long time, compared to your other abilities. But if you insist, you can just buy Bowls from a Workshop branch."

"I see. Well at least I know I shouldn't waste too much time with this, then. Thank you for the advice, test director," said Axion. "By the way, about the Shinheuh corpses…"

"Oh yes…I have reviewed and completed the necessary procedures…since Ren was an intruder in the test, his Shinheuh weren't considered to be the Floor's property…which means the corpses of all the ones you killed could be considered your property, and most of them aren't common on this Floor. After deducting the bill for clean up operations, transport, and other expenses to sell them, I can transfer about three million points to your account," said Yu Hansung, materializing his Pocket.

Axion materialized his own and the transaction was quickly completely. There had been no good way to store any of it and no obvious short-term use for them either besides consuming a very small amount to restore his Armoriont, so getting anything out of it was a good deal to him.

"Ro, are you nuts?! Think about this!" Quant's voice came from a distance on the other side of the door.

"Thanks," said Axion. He took out a nondescript bag from his Pocket and handed it over to the test director. "Please take this. It's a rare coffee I've encountered in my previous travels, called Kopi Luwak, naturally processed by a creature that probably can't be found in the Tower. I'm not much of a coffee drinker so I don't know how it compares to what's here, but maybe you'll like it."

"Ro! Stop!" Quant's shout reached them again, and was closer this time.

"Oh! There's no need to thank me…," said Yu Hansung but he quickly grabbed the bag and smelled it with a happy expression. "…but I'll gladly—"

The Shinsoo currents shifted, then Lero Ro opened the door forcefully and strode in while Quant charged after him.

"—accept this wonderful gift," Yu Hansung continued, his voice suddenly much louder, while putting the bag away.

"…" Lero Ro looked unimpressed at the director who smiled at him. "Taking bribes now, director?"

"The test is already over, Mr. Lero Ro. Mr. Axion is just showing his appreciation for the time we've spent together and the many lessons learned as part of our program. Isn't that right?"

"Of course. I originally wanted to thank Yuga for accepting me into his class, but unfortunately he turned out to be a different sort of character, so I decided to give my gift to the Director instead," said Axion.

"Now why are you barging in here, Mr. Lero Ro?" Yu Hansung asked.

Ro threw a badge down in front of the director. "I quit working on this Floor. Thank you for teaching me so much, Yu Hansung," he said with a cold expression, then turned abruptly and walked away.

"Ro!" Quant shouted, then turned to Yu Hansung. "Are you really going to just let him go like that? There's no Ranker like Ro! You won't find another like him!"

"Hmm…oh, that's right!" Yu Hansung said, nodding.

"Yes, go after him!" Quant demanded.

Yu Hansung reached out and grabbed Quant's own administrator badge. "Since Ro quit, shouldn't you quit too? Aren't you two partners? Like a hamburger and coke. I think it's cruel to break you two apart."

Quant blanched. "W-what?! No…you're firing me?!"

"Go on, please continue your loving relationship," said Yu Hansung with a shooing motion.

"Nooo! And what about him, why's this guy still here?! Weren't all the Regulars sent up already?" Quant asked, pointing to Axion.

"Oh, we were just about to have an early job interview, for when he becomes a Ranker. Since the attrition rate seems high lately..."

"Y-you can't be serious…! Bastard, it wasn't enough to humiliate me, you want to take my job too?!" Quant shouted. "Damn it! Wait for me Ro!" Then he rushed out the door.

"Hahaha…Quant is quite a comedic character, isn't he?" Yu Hansung asked after waving the door shut with Shinsoo.

"He sure is. So he's the only one that saw my Irregular status?" Axion asked.

The director nodded. "I think that you are as safe as can be, for now, but I expect there will be others who might have suspicions eventually."

"It can't be hidden forever, but this much is already very helpful. Thank you."

"Now then…about the other thing you asked me…" Yu Hansung said.

"You actually looked into it?" Axion asked.

"Well, it wasn't that much trouble. I don't know how much this will help you though. It's very difficult to purchase, but money isn't the problem," said Yu Hansung. "The problem is that it's just too rare and sought after, and the Yeon family has a monopoly on it, so it isn't normally sold publicly, especially the actual flower with the jewels intact. The jewels and jewelry made from it are sold in private exhibitions, even Rankers can't get access unless they have an invitation from a Yeon family member. I couldn't find out if they ever sell the actual flower, except maybe by request from special VIPs."

"So buying it is probably not possible," said Axion.

"Your best chance of getting the flower would be to go to the source. But that would be extremely dangerous. The Zygaena Shinheuh can be found on the 21st Floor, and the flower supposedly grows somewhere in its body. But that is obviously well protected by the Yeon Family, and it would be out of the normal Regular areas, so it would be very risky for you," said Yu Hansung.

"The 21st Floor huh…" Axion murmured. "Damn, that's going to be a difficult quest."

"I was quite surprised when you asked me, Mr. Axion. Why are you interested in it?" Yu Hansung asked. "And why come to me rather than our wonderful Guide?"

"It was actually a special quest from Hwa Ryun. I got the feeling that I'm supposed to solve this without her guidance, or it would defeat the purpose."

"Is that so? In that case, good luck, Mr. Axion! A quest from our mysterious Guide must surely have a reasonable solution. She would not send you on a path you cannot walk," said Yu Hansung.

"I'm not so sure about that…this might very well be a test to see if I can do the impossible," said Axion.

"I would hardly consider it impossible. You may have to wait a very long time, perhaps even long after you become a Ranker, but if you save up money and make the right connections with a Yeon family member, there would be a path to getting it eventually," said Yu Hansung.

"No, she didn't say directly, but there's definitely a time limit to this, so I can't wait that long," said Axion, shaking his head. "But thanks for your help. I'll stop taking up more of your time, then, director. I shall meet you at the teleport platform, then?"

"Yes, I'll be with you shortly."

O O O

Just outside the teleportation platform, a figure in a hooded brown cloak was joined by another.

"So, any luck?" Androssi's voice came from the waiting cloaked figure.

A shift in the Shinsoo currents concealed their conversation.

"Yes, I've confirmed it. Baam's alive…Hwa Ryun is taking him to their base as we speak," said Axion. "The test director has everything covered."

There was a sigh of relief. "That's…good, I guess."

"Lero Ro quit and is going to seek Wolhaiksong. Quant was fired and is going after him. The director will get rid of the other two instructors eventually or otherwise recruit them into FUG. Everyone that met Baam now believes he's dead and won't be given a chance to find out otherwise…until Baam is strong enough to stand on his own and choose his own path…" said Axion.

"FUG…can they be trusted? A dangerous organization like that…will Baam really be alright with them?" Androssi asked.

"They'll keep him alive and help him grow strong at least, though their methods might be quite harsh. I wouldn't trust most of them, but there are some people in there that aren't too bad," said Axion. "If all goes well, we'll hear about him again years down the line...as the one who can make their dreams come true."

"It's terrible…someone like him shouldn't be forced to carry that burden. But maybe…this is what he needs to finally understand what kind of place the Tower is," said Androssi.

The two of them began to walk inside the dome structure that was the teleportation platform.

"What about you? Are you really alright with this, knowing the truth? This must not be easy for you."

"You mean the fact that we've become complicit in the schemes of an organization whose goal is to kill my father? Or the fact that we're just going to let them use the rest of Baam's friends as hostages to force him to climb?" Androssi.

Axion shrugged. "Everything."

In the far distance they saw Yu Hansung meandering along, approaching the open gate to the dome slowly with a smile.

Androssi withdrew the 'commemorative' tracking ring from her Pocket and slipped it onto her forefinger.

"We are all the same…except when we're not. I'm a simple girl…I like nice things and delicious meals. But lately I've become a little more greedy, so I've decided to take a taxi to the best restaurant in town, whose seats have been all reserved just for me, where I can order the biggest and most expensive lobsters, down by the seaside where I can see the little fish swim."

The Shinsoo soundproofing bubble was released, then Yu Hansung finally made his way into the dome.

"It's time to say goodbye, Mr. Axion, Mr. Androssi. I hope your journey will be full of blessings," he said with a bow.

The light engulfed the cloaked duo and sent them up.

O O O