Chapter 27: The Floor of Tests (7)
"Baekya, activate."
The blade vibrated.
Normally, high-rank items or ignition weapons are restricted on lower floors.
Honestly, I was preparing myself for humiliation—
What if nothing happens when I speak the ignition phrase?
I might've needed to crawl into a rat hole.
But seeing the blade tremble, those worries vanished.
Why it activated without any restriction, I didn't know.
Maybe the weapon was simply… absurdly good.
The trembling sword became wrapped in a bright light—and then a single white beam shot out from the blade.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, countless white rays burst outward from Baekya.
Dozens—hundreds—of beams rained across the arena, like pillars of sunlight crashing down from the heavens.
And at the center, Baekya glowed like a white sun, so bright that no one could even look directly at it.
Even the Regulars who had been bravely charging froze, unable to move, staring in awe at the blinding white sun.
"…You've gotta be kidding me!"
Examiner Hummer, who had been watching the match, dashed forward in panic.
At the same instant, the sword that was releasing that mysterious, beautiful radiance—and the countless beams blanketing the arena—erupted in a torrent of light and energy.
Baekya: Ignition — Flare
And with that, the arena lost all its color and was consumed by white.
The sun that never sets.
The very definition of Baekya — the white night.
The white that swallowed the arena refused to fade,
the light refused to die.
Only after someone forcibly intervened and scattered the light did the arena slowly regain its original colors.
"...W-What the…?"
The Regulars, who regained their senses, hurriedly touched their bodies in panic.
When they realized they weren't injured, relief washed over them—right until they noticed the thick shinsu barrier surrounding them.
"Damn it… Round 4 is over. All four teams except the Crown Team—disqualified. Get out."
If Hummer hadn't rushed in and erected that barrier right before Baekya's Flare detonated, there wouldn't have even been bodies left.
It's fine if participating Regulars get hurt or die—
that's their responsibility.
But if spectators—who aren't participants—get harmed, that's entirely the examiner's fault.
Those who had been watching safely from behind the iron fence were the ones Hummer protected.
If I hadn't blocked it, the blast would've pierced the fence.
Light slips through even the smallest of gaps.
Hummer had saved not only the spectators, but the twelve participating Regulars as well.
That was the only reason those four teams still existed.
Realizing they had nearly died, the Regulars bowed deeply in gratitude—then ran straight back behind the fence.
Round 4 ended like that.
Round 5 began.
A long silence hung between me, Hwarang, and Luf.
"..."
"…Hoa—"
"Sorry. My head… later."
I managed to force the words out as I stabbed the sword back into the ground and held my forehead with one hand.
The ignition was still far beyond what my body could properly handle.
My head felt like it was splitting.
The arm that swung Baekya screamed in agony.
My whole body was exhausted—so drained I felt like I didn't even have the strength to move a finger.
Correction: I could move a finger. It just hurt like hell.
Headache.
Fatigue.
Muscle pain.
All sensations I absolutely hated.
My expression naturally hardened—already scary on a good day, now even worse.
Thanks to that, every Regular forfeited Round 5 on the spot.
Ten minutes of unbearable pain later, the alarm rang and Round 5 ended.
The bonus game was over.
Regulars stole anxious glances at us, then quickly turned away the moment I might meet their eyes.
Then they hurried out.
"Congratulations. You've won the bonus game."
Luther approached with Hummer, congratulating us.
We accepted their words lightly.
Hummer grumbled, demanding to know what kind of 2nd Floor Regular carries around a monster-tier ignition weapon like that, glaring at Baekya.
Honestly, I was curious too.
What on earth did Hon give me?
Are Arie ignition weapons all like this…?
"Don't complain so much, Hummer. Hoaquin-san said it was his first time activating it. Not knowing the output is normal. Still, your reaction earlier was excellent."
Luther defended me while praising Hummer's quick response.
The bonus game existed to get us to the 3rd Floor ASAP and stop us from slaughtering more Regulars.
If a bunch died during the bonus game too, the whole purpose would collapse.
Hummer's intervention was the only reason things didn't escalate into disaster.
Luther confirmed we had earned the right to ascend to the 3rd Floor, then asked if we wanted to go now.
My body was wrecked.
Hwarang and Luf also weren't eager to move on yet.
So we decided to stay a bit longer.
"Understood. As you know, you no longer need to participate in any further tests. You can join for fun if you want—even failing won't matter. However…"
Luther paused.
Hummer continued:
"You three are too unbalanced. If you accidentally take 1st place again, the score calculations become a nightmare. It's best if you don't participate. But if you must, then—don't kill anyone, and preferably concede before scoring is finalized."
We nodded.
"Agh… my arm…"
"You've got some nerve. Swinging that monstrous weapon, and now you're whining?"
It wasn't whining.
Even while listening to Luther and Hummer, I'd been clenching my teeth on the throne, holding back the pain.
Hwarang and Luf supported me as we walked toward the medical wing—with the crown still on my head.
Technically, I was supposed to return it.
But I asked if I could keep it as a souvenir.
The examiners who had drunk my liquor gave in helplessly.
Alcohol connections really are priceless.
With difficulty, I moved my aching arm enough to store the crown in my pocket.
Then I collapsed onto the medical bed.
I asked Hwarang and Luf when they wanted to go to the 3rd Floor.
Hwarang said whenever I wanted.
Luf said he wanted to stay a bit longer.
"Um… I heard Rankers here offer bang lessons.
I'd like to learn from them."
Bang training?
He must've already learned a lot from the Tu Perie Rankers.
His purple eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
Well—that's fine.
I'll go fishing with Hwarang then.
After I get rid of this headache, muscle pain, and fatigue.
Rest should help.
I sent the two to their rooms and finally slept—making up for the sleep I'd missed at dawn.
…
The boy gained something.
Did the boy gain it?
The boy wonders.
Does the boy wonder?
Red gazes at the boy.
The boy gazes at the red.
Red gazes at red.
The boy gazes at the boy.
White gazes at white.
…
Warm sunlight streamed through the window.
Its brightness woke me.
My pain and fatigue were completely gone—but a heavy, uneasy feeling lingered.
These dreams… again.
I can't exactly ask a shaman for dream interpretation.
Trying to calm my mind, I glanced at my new sword, Baekya—and instantly screamed.
"Uwah!"
The pale, hazy something that had been floating beside Baekya looked straight at me—then scattered like smoke and vanished.
"Hoaqin! What happened?!"
Ranker Seong Seyeon—the one overseeing my treatment—burst through the door in a panic.
"A g-ghost."
"…What?"
What the hell was that?
Was that really a ghost?
Do ghosts exist in the Tower? I mean, there are spells and souls, so… it's not impossible?
No—no point explaining it.
Telling her about the white thing floating beside my sword won't solve anything.
"A-Ah, no. Sorry. I just had a nightmare when I woke up. Didn't mean to cause a fuss."
"Pfft. Even an Arie direct-born is still a kid, huh. You're fine."
Not the best way to start a morning.
I strapped Baekya to my waist and stepped out of the medical room.
No matter how you look at it, being hospitalized just because an Arie kid ignited his sword is… ridiculous.
Baekya's power is amazing, yes—but with side effects this bad, I won't be using ignition again for a while, except as a finisher.
Still, it's a matter of time.
I noticed something today—my physical abilities have increased since the Tournament.
Looks like training really is paying off.
At this rate, the day I can freely swing Baekya while igniting it will slowly come.
Slowly—but surely.
Walking further down the hallway, I reached Hwarang's room.
He was already waiting in casual clothes.
We had promised to go fishing today, at the same seaside cave as before.
"Let's go. I already got bait."
"Alright."
Sorry to leave Luf behind, but Regulars were starting position training today, and he wanted to stay for lighthouse classes.
We used the aerial island's teleportation function and arrived at the cave instantly.
We unpacked, prepared our gear, and cast our lines.
While listening to the distant crash of waves and the salty scent of the sea, we waited in peaceful silence until—
Hwarang's rod moved first.
"Oh—got something!"
"Pull it in!"
With practiced timing—tightening, loosening, lifting, lowering—Hwarang skillfully reeled in the shinheuh that had bitten the bait.
This guy's definitely done this before.
At last, with a splash, a deep-blue shinheuh emerged from the water—a Mangdol Whale, a creature resembling a mix between a seal and a dolphin.
"Hey, that thing's cute. Let's admire it a bit and release it."
"Yeah. Just a bit more~—"
Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared beneath the Mangdol.
KWAANG—!
"Huh?"
"What the—?"
The flailing Mangdol Whale vanished in an instant.
No—
it didn't vanish.
It got swallowed.
Some creature had shot up from beneath the water with lightning speed and gulped the Mangdol down whole.
The sudden appearance of this bizarre shinheuh left both of us stunned.
Luther's 2F shinheuh encyclopedia definitely didn't mention anything like that.
It had two legs like a human, the body of a reptile mixed with a fish, and a grotesque blackish-red color.
The longer I stared, the more familiar it looked.
"…Bull…?"
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