Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the displays conveniently reconnecting prior to the battle between Quant and Endorsi, Team A could only watch in stunned silence as the Princess proudly flaunted her victory. They couldn't deny she had earned the badge, especially after her rather ridiculous display of strength, but that didn't make it any easier for them to accept the fact their team had officially lost the competition.

As could be expected, those scraping the bottom line for passing immediately fell into a depressive state, their hopes and dreams crashing down around them. As for those who had already secured a passing grade for themselves, they just sat in silence amidst the rest, empathetic but not remorseful for the way things had turned out. After all, the passing of one person meant the failure of another, so, regardless of their efforts, half of them were fated to never move beyond the 2nd Floor...

Fortunately, at least for some, many of Team B's members had come away with moderate to severe injuries. In fact, more than half of their team was bound to be disqualified due to the injuries they had sustained, irrespective of whether or not they could be treated. After all, most of their injuries were the result of being deemed a 'failure' by Quant, meaning they had outright failed to perform the responsibilities expected of them.

The purpose of the Hide-and-Seek Test was never for the Regulars to 'win' against the Seeker. That was just a bonus objective that could afford the respective team's 'it' a considerable boon in points. The true purpose was to determine how the Regulars conducted themselves as both individuals in their respective Positions and allies on the same team. This evaluation was primarily handled by the Test Administrators and Directors, but, as the defacto proctor of the exam, Quant had the authority to outright 'eliminate' candidates he considered unsuited for their Positions...

Following the completion of the Final Exam, the Regulars were given a day to rest and recuperate before the results of the Position Test would be announced. Thus, after being told to reconvene at 7 PM the following day, they were ultimately dismissed after being informed of the fact that all food and beverages would be free until their departure from the 3rd Floor. The only person exempt from this boon was Gandr, who, due to his already notorious appetite, was limited to 500 points worth of food during each meal.

As could be expected, most of the Regulars were too tired to actually celebrate, so, after raiding the commissary for various types of alcohol, the vast majority split off into small groups of close friends before retreating into their rooms to drink the night away. Fortunately, as this was a very common occurrence on the 2nd Floor, the commissary staff had removed all of the expensive items from the shelves before the bi-monthly raid emptied their stock clean. This caused quite a number of people to complain, but, as was often the case within the Tower, there wasn't really anything they could do to change the situation...

Completely unaffected by the situation plaguing many of the more depressed Regulars, most of the group associated with the Imperial Trio had gathered together in Gandr's room. Vahn had provided a few choice brands of alcohol from his private stock, and, though all of the credit went to Phae, he had used the Little Garden to prepare a small banquet for them to enjoy. This was well-received by those who had participated, but, as could be expected, the atmosphere was a little melancholic due to Endorsi's betrayal of Chunhwa.

Though nobody was talking about it, the absence of Chunhwa, Nare, Hoh, and Rozeal could be felt by all. Baam and Khun were also absent due to visiting Rachel in the Medical Ward, so, at least for the first half of the party, things were understandably awkward between the previously close group of friends. Fortunately, they had plenty of good food and strong alcohol present, so, as the evening progressed, things became gradually more relaxed as inhibitions loosened.

By the end of the evening, Gandr had been unsuccessfully ambushed by both Anak and Endorsi before the two girls ultimately fell asleep using Laure's blanket-wrapped body as a pillow. Anak, in particular, had finished off a bottle of sake that was nearly 30cm tall, her green complexion giving way to a ruddy glow as she drooled all over the Phonsekal scion's most cherished treasure. As for Gandr himself, he ended covering most of the room's occupants with blankets carrying Anak and Endorsi over to his bed, tucking them in before pulling out a sleeping bag and lying on the floor...

Whilst the pseudo-celebration had still been ongoing, Phae, having been requested by both Baam and Khun, made her way over to the Medical Ward to check on Rachel. She had yet to wake up due to the side-effects of the [Effigy of the Hero], an item that had been given to her by Hwa Ryun after the latter's midnight visit to his room.

Though he only found out after the fact, Hwa Ryun had apparently misinterpreted the meaning of Vahn's words to imply that she should give the item to Rachel, as, prior to visiting his room, she had seen a vision of Hoh successfully killing the woman. It was only after she received the [Effigy of the Hero] that the path was 'corrected', Rachel living to see another day thanks to the tiny wood figure she had received from her God...

Needless to say, Hwa Ryun's belief was steadily increasing, but, as that was a problem for 'Vahn' to deal with, Phae maintained her motherly smile as she checked Rachel's pulse and, for the third time, explained, "As I stated previously, she is perfectly fine. She is just suffering from the side-effects of a powerful magical item. The effigy is a treasure that has the ability to take on the fatal wounds of the person in possession of it, drastically increasing their physical capabilities for three minutes after the effect activates. Afterward, the body enters a dormant state for around three hours to prevent any troublesome sequelae from forming. She is bound to be completely exhausted when she wakes up, but there is no danger to her life."

Despite having heard a similar explanation twice, Baam was unable to hide his concern, eyes tearing up as he squeezed Rachel's hand and muttered, "Please wake up soon...I don't think I can climb the Tower without you..."

Hearing Baam's remark, Khun, who had been standing at the side, showed a conflicted expression on his face. As for Phae, her expression softened as she gently caressed Baam's head and said, "You are such a worrywart...I keep telling you she is going to be fine..."

Unaccustomed to such tenderness, Baam's mental faculties ground to a halt the moment Phae began combing back his hair. A legitimately confused expression appeared on his face, but, rather than try to stop her, he ultimately just hung his head, squeezing Rachel's hand in silence.

Sensing Baam gradually calming down, Phae resisted the urge to give the boy a hug before turning back to meet Khun's gaze. In response, he gestured toward the door with head, seemingly wishing to discuss something out of earshot from Baam. Phae already had some idea of what he wished to discuss, so, with a knowing smile on her face, she pulled out an extra blanket, covering Baam's body before promptly following Khun from the room.

Almost immediately after the biometric lock activated behind them, securing the door, Khun wasted no time in asking, "That figurine, the [Effigy of the Hero], where did you obtain such a thing? I have never once heard of such an item existing within the Tower. I also don't understand why you would use entrust such a precious treasure to someone like Rachel. If not for Baam, I would never tolerate the presence of such a vain and shallow woman...I'm sure you've noticed it as well, right? She never even tries to improve. All she does is go through the motions...someone like that doesn't deserve to climb the Tower..."

Frowning in response to Khun's words, Phae responded by, very plainly, stating, "It isn't your place to make such determinations, Khun Aguero Agnis. You are correct in your assertion that I have seen the incongruencies in Rachel's character. However, unless she has actually done something to merit reprobation, I will give her the benefit of the doubt. You, of all people, should know that it isn't just the 'worthy' who are able to climb the Tower. There are those like you who rely on deceit, and, if it means protecting the people you care about, you will even readily betray the trusts of others...tell me, what has Rachel done to earn your ire? How are your actions more just than her inaction...?"

Though he wanted to argue against everything Phae was saying, Khun found himself frozen in place due to the terrifying aura emanating from the characteristically kind woman. Each and every one of her words seemed to carry a tremendous amount of weight, and, for a brief moment, he was briefly reminded of the one time he angered his father. With the latter being one of the leaders of the Ten Great Families, Ranked 6 in the entire Tower, this put into perspective just how terrifying Phae's aura was in the present moment...

Fortunately, having experienced something similar in the past, Khun was ultimately able to recover enough to answer, "You're right...please forgive me if I upset you. I just don't want to see my friend ruined by a woman with a completely arbitrary goal...Baam is important to me...he is something this Tower desperately needs. Whenever I imagine his kindness being tainted by that woman, it tears me up inside..."

Understanding Khun's concerns, Phae could only release a tired sigh before crossing her arms and saying, "It seems you have quite a bit in common with Baam...you both worry excessively whenever it concerns the people you care about."

Hearing Phae's remark, Khun couldn't help but furrow his brows, unable to come up with a way to refute her statement. He wanted to say he wasn't such a kind-hearted and soft person, but, based on his own words and actions, it was hard to make a case for his cruelty. He was, in fact, extremely worried about Baam, and, if it was to help someone he cared about, there were very few extremes he wouldn't resort to...

Taking advantage of Khun's silence, Phae issued an amused chuckle at the young man's expense before adopting a more serious look as she said, "You don't have to worry much longer. Once we move on to the 3rd Floor, my Lord will be taking more proactive measures to help us ascend the Tower. Rachel might become a weight that slows the group's progress, but, once you understand the true nature of my Lord, all of your concerns will seem rather trivial. For now, I suggest you just focus on supporting Baam and moving forward with your own plans. I'm certain you have already come to understand what kind of existence those two are..."

Adopting a similarly serious expression on his face, a bead of sweat ran down the side of Khun's face as he corrected, "Don't you mean...you five...?"

Rather than confirm Khun's suspicions, Phae replied with another giggle, this time concealing the lower half of her face with her gloved hand. Then, before walking past the boy, she mused, "There are some things that simply transcend conventional understanding and comprehension...just know this, scion of the Khun Family...the Tower is a very 'small' place in the grand scheme of things..."

With nothing else to say, Phae continued past Khun without sparing him a second look. She was honestly feeling a little tired at the moment, not due to any exertions on her part, but because of the chaos occurring in Gandr's room and the frustrations experienced by Vahn. The former had a drunken Princess trying to predate him, and, though everything ultimately worked out in the end, Vahn was feeling pretty incredulous after hearing Hwa Ryun praise him to the high heavens...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Spear Revolutionaries','Gandr is a good boi','Phae be like, "This is only the tutorial stage..."')

(A/N: I wanted to clarify a few things since I've noticed some trends in the comments section. Let me just say that there is nothing wrong with EPIC being second, third, or even tenth place on the Power Rankings. Rather than inflate a non-issue into some kind of petty war between two fandoms, I would rather see more positivity in the comments section. I rely on the comments of the readers to determine whether or not the pacing of the novel is appropriate so feel free to let me know how you think the story is progressing. As for Marvel's Mutant Gamer, I actually found it rather enjoyable so feel free to read it and make your own assessment. However, please don't go out of your way to cause any trouble. The thing that saddens me most is seeing promising new author's discouraged by the toxicity within the community. If you want to support EPIC, feel free to bash my head with a few Power Stones. I do enjoy being at the top of the rankings, sure, but that is tertiary compared to the support I receive from my gracious patrons, the kindness I receive from my fans, and my simple desire to write a story people enjoy. Please, be good to each other, especially during these trying times.)