- Hell Train -

The Hell Train.

It was a dangerous train that will give the regulars a short cut from thirty fifth floor until forty third floor. But that short cut was dangerous that most of the regulars failed to survive and ended up dying. Hwaryun also said that if they could made it until the end, then they will encounter the Hidden Floor.

"It must not be fun to be trapped in the train for a long time. I will get you out of there."

When Bam heard about the Hell Train, the first thing that he did was to glance at Charlotte. Wasn't she planning to go to the Hell Train to save someone named Noah? Thinking about him made Bam remember about a few words that Altaira said to him this morning.

"Actually, I'm also curious what will Charlie do. Will she admit that she isn't the real one or she will be keeping it until the end" Altaira said to Bam and the others. "After all, no one likes to be treated as a substitute right, especially for someone as carefree as her."

'If she saves that Noah guy....then would she leave me as well?'

Khun tapped his shoulder. From his eyes, he was telling Bam to calm down before glancing at Charlotte as well.

Charlotte was making the gesture of thinking. She knew that this would happen sooner or later. She was lucky that Noah was actually trapped inside the Hell Train so that she could go together with the others. But she wondered in which floor he was locked in. No matter which floor he was trapped, she wished that he wasn't trapped in a certain floor.

If Noah was here, then maybe she could have gotten an answer, she thought and then glanced at the door before she sighed. But this older brother was currently looking for his younger sister who was probably spending her time with her brother. She scratched the back of her head as she had a feeling that this trip was going to be even more troublesome.

"The thirty fifth floor is quite far, what should we do now, Khun?" Wangnan asked.

"It can't be helped" he answered. "We have to pass the test quickly. If we pass all the tests without failing, it will take around one year and half. We just might make it on time and we just hope that Horyang can hold on for that long."

Wangnan smiled happily when he heard that. He thanked Hwaryun and then left the room happily. Khun was also going to leave and Charlotte was planning to leave to tell Noah about this good news.

"Viole, you look quite happy" Hwaryun said to the brown haired young man. "It's just as what that man, Ha Jinsung, wanted. He told me to tell you that if you want to protect your happiness, then you must be stronger. Soon, you'll face a great danger. You won't survive the way you are now.

If you want to keep your happiness, you must be strong enough to protect it and one day you can return to get back at the who put you in danger.

Become stronger, Viole."

|Next Morning|

Shibisu's Team was going to leave at the morning and they bid farewell to each other. After this separation, they will meet each other again at higher places and when they had became stronger.

Endorsi knew that Bam's face was just like honey, attracting all the bees around him. So before she left, she had told Charlotte to keep an eye on her older brother and Charlotte nodded her head in agreement and obedience. Altaira teased Endorsi for it but Endorsi asked him a question that made him seal his mouth.

The question was just simple, "Then do you like it when you see Celeste attracting men around? According to Estelle, you even struck one of them just because he bumped on her."

Charlotte didn't think that her brother was that kind of person. He looked like an easy going person who will not get jealous easily. But now that she heard Endorsi saying those words, was her brother indeed someone like that?

Charlotte saw Noah among the crowd. He looked quite lonely with no one to talk with him and from his gaze, Charlotte knew that Noah was actually looking for her.

Without waiting, she left and headed inside to accompany Noah as she was the only one who could see him.

"Why are you bringing me inside?" Noah asked her.

"Aren't you the one who is looking for me?" Charlotte asked as she put both of her hands on her back.

Whenever she walked, she would always walk while jumping for a bit, making her appear like a lively girl. And to make her appear as if she wasn't talking on her own, she would always turn on her pocket in a visible mode.

"Who said so? Don't get too overconfident."

"But isn't it nice to have someone to talk with you?" Charlotte asked at him again. "In one year and few months, I'm going to get you out of there."

"One year?" He echoed. "Do I have to wait for that long?"

Charlotte nodded her head, "Didn't you hear what I say last night? It will take me at least one year and half to reach the Hell Train if I passed all the tests without failing."

Noah sighed. One year and half...since he was expecting to be free sooner, he felt that one year and half was too long.

"Being a ghost isn't fun...." he unconsciously said and was heard by Charlotte.

"Well, there aren't many things that you could do as a ghost" Charlotte agreed with it.

Aside from exchanging stories with each other, there weren't many things that they could do. Sometimes Charlotte would invite him to do some activities. But the one who would do the activity was only her and Noah was there to respond to her and to watch from aside. Whenever they did that, like cooking for example, the others worried whether Charlotte had gone mad or not as she appeared to talk on her own.

Well, she didn't care anyway. She just wanted to make the ghost felt happy even though no one else but her could see him.

"I feel kind of hungry" she said. "What about we go cooking?"

"The last time I watched you cooking, I mistook some ingredients and troubled you" Noah said.

"Ah, it's fine, it's fine" Charlotte responded. "Who doesn't make mistake in this world? Come on, let's go."

Hearing her words, Noah who at first didn't make any expression suddenly make a small smile.

"Yeah, let's go."

|One Month Later|

"Hey, what's up?"

"What, you miss me?"

"Hey, don't call me if you have nothing special to say. Do you know how many times you have called me this week?"

Khun sighed, "Shibisu, what are you talking about, it's only been a month after you leave." He paused before he closed his eyes and added, "That's right, just one month, get it? It's only been a month since the Workshop ended."

Shibisu sniffed, "But Khun.....those guys are good. And we didn't spend enough time with Bam and Charlotte even though we haven't met for so long. I heard that Bam had a hair cut."

"....Shibisu, you are-"

"Hey, Shibisu. I'm thirsty, get me some soda."

When Shibisu turned around, he was faced with the two Zahard Princesses who were lying on the white chair. Princess Endorsi who was currently thirsty asked Shibisu who was in the middle of the call with his friend to get her some drink.

"Why don't you get Vespa for it?" Shibisu asked again. "Can't you see that I'm in the middle of the call?"

"Shut up, baldy. Are you talking back to me?" Endorsi asked. "Do you want a one way ticket to hell on Bong Bong? Just shut up and move."

Shibisu sighed before he left and grabbed a drink for Endorsi.

Seeing how he can't argue with the princess made Khun wonder whether he was indeed the leader of the team.

"That woman is an exception" he said. "Anyway, did you pass the test?"

It was an obvious question. Their teamwork was getting better and better and with the two irregulars to help them, it wasn't hard for them to pass all the tests.

"The three of you are already scary enough, not to mention the others" Shibisu said through the pocket. "Keep it up, we will be waiting for you. We'll get prepared and be waiting for you guys."

"Hey, where's my drink?"

"Coming, I'm coming, argh."

Before the call was ended, Khun could hear Shibisu's voice that was filled with pain. Perhaps he was hit again by the princess.

Khun, "...."

After he ended the call, Shibisu sent him a message.

┌──── •✧• ────┐

Oh, and congratulations on the four of you getting back again

└──── •✧• ────┘

That was the message he sent for him.

He sighed, "The four of us.....that's right."

┌──── •✧• ────┐

Oh, by the way, I don't recommend the Hell Train. Well, it's up to you though.

└──── •✧• ────┘

Khun looked at the message again from Shibisu before he responded, "You worry too much."

One month had passed. Workshop Battle has ended. They were climbing the tower again.

His mind was still bothered with FUG, the people whom they sent to betray him, especially Rachel. He will get her back for what she had done, even when Bam disagreed with him.

"HEY TURTLE! MOVE ASIDE!!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Khun wondered what the crocodile was planning.

"I SAID MOVE! HEY!"

His blue eyes widened as he watched how the crocodile who was running as fast as he can hit him. As the result, the two of them fell on the ground.

Rak huffed, "Hey dude, I told you to move aside. What the hell were you daydreaming about?"

"You freaking crocodile" Khun argued with him. "You are the one who bumped into me and now you are the one who is yelling at me?"

"Dinosaur, dinosaur~"

The two of them heard another voice which belonged to Quaetro. That crazy guy was heading towards them. To be more specific, he was heading towards Rak.

"Let's play, I'll toast you up nicely."

"Damn, that crazy dude is coming after me again" the crocodile said as he began to run away again. While running from Quaetro who was planning to burn him, he said to Khun, "Hey, come to the conference room in 5 minutes. The red turtle is going to explain about the train trip."

He ran away from Khun without even apologizing. In irritation, Khun wondered whether he should just kill those bastards or not.

He sighed. But still, this was the team that he was trying so hard to maintain and preserve, the team that he wanted to have after seven years. And the crocodile was also his teammate, perhaps he should be satisfied....for now.

Charlotte who was wondering around without knowing where her brother was saw Khun. She wondered what he was thinking and why he would sit down on the floor and approached him as she also had a question to ask.

"What are you thinking?" She asked as she squatted on the floor.

"Why is it you again?" He asked.

Before it was the crocodile, now it was her.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked. She tilted her head a bit to recall about it before she answered, "But I don't think I have offended you somewhere for this week."

For this whole week, she was trying to get back on the White Chocolate Team. She didn't remember that she had looked for Khun lately, so why did he sound as if she has been bothering him?

"Aren't you supposed to be with the White Chocolate while playing hide and seek?" He asked.

"Don't talk about it" she said in low spirits. "Sometimes I wonder whether brother put some tracking device on me. Wherever I hide, as long as he is the seeker, then I would be the first person who he catches. But speaking about him again, have you seen him?"

"Not at all" he answered.

"Ha? Where is he then?" Charlotte asked. She sighed and then told him, "I have been searching for him from this morning but I haven't even seen his shadow yet. Celeste also disappeared, leaving me alone."

"Then he is probably with Celeste and doesn't want to be disturbed with anyone" he said after he sighed. Seeing how Charlotte was holding two drinks on her hands, he asked her, "Are you planning to give that one to Altaira"

Charlotte pondered about it for awhile. She did want to give one to Altaira but Altaira disappeared without a trace. She also didn't know where Bam was. Since she can't find any of her brothers, then she would just give it for Khun.

Charlotte wanted to give the coffee to Khun. But after she thought about it, it was better to give him the milk tea that she hadn't drink yet. When she saw his surprised expression, she smiled in satisfaction.

"This isn't the coffee" Khun said to her. "Didn't I ask for the coffee?"

"You are already someone with dark and bitter soul" Charlotte answered playfully. "A little bit sweet won't harm right?"

She took a sip of the coffee with a playful smile.

"Childish" he said.

Charlotte extended her hand in order to help him but her hand was slapped away lightly by him as he stood up on his own.

"You are mad just because I don't give you the coffee one? How short-tempered" she said to him.

Even though he appeared not to enjoy the milk tea she had given to him, he still drank it.

"Anyway, since we are going to the Hell Train, can you tell me what will happen there?" He asked.

"You still want to know about it?" Charlotte asked.

Now that Khun asked her this question again, she remembered the reason why Khun looked like he was annoyed when she came earlier. It was because that she refused to tell him what will happen on the Hell Train.

There were two reasons why Charlotte refused to tell him. First, it was because she didn't want him to rely on her ability that won't last long. Her ability will only be useful until the Hidden Floor. After they passed that floor, she won't be able to predict anything for him. Second, if she told him everything, then not only things would be less surprising for him but she was afraid that it will affect his character development.

"What's wrong with telling me about it?" Khun asked. "Will it kill you to tell me some?"

She nodded her head.

In order to prevent her head from getting hit, she closed her eyes and crossed her arms. When she didn't feel any pain, she opened her eyes again and looked at him.

"I really can't tell you everything that I know" she said.

"You have repeated those words again and again" he said.

"And you have asked the same question at me again and again" she said. "But if you really want to know, then I could tell you a bit."

"What?" He looked at her, clearly expecting for something.

"That we will make more friends in the Hell Train" she answered.

"More friends?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah."

"How do they look like?"

"I can't tell you, you will meet them on your own."

Charlotte has been following Khun walking around without knowing where he was going. Curious, she asked him where they were going and learnt that they were going to meet Hwaryun to talk about the Hell Train.

When all the regulars had gathered in the room, Hwaryun began to tell them about their further plans.

The Hell Train wasn't like any other train where they only provided a hundred tickets for all the regulars. The number of tickets were very limited and just one ticket could start a fight among regulars. In another word, if a regular wasn't strong enough, let alone obtaining the ticket, they would die instead.

With their current abilities, Hwaryun knew that they won't survive.

"What? You are looking down on us" Prince said in irritation.

"I'm just making an objective assessment" Hwaryun responded. "Especially you, loudmouth, you will die for sure."

Akraptor was holding back Prince who was ready to fight with Hwaryun.

Charlotte lowered her head when she heard that. She tried not to show any emotions or expressions.

At first, she didn't notice it but now that she heard Hwaryun mentioned about it, Charlotte realized that Hwaryun was telling them the truth. In the Manhwa where the Sweet and Sour left to catch Casano, they encountered a strong enemy and Prince ended up dying. Of course he won't know that and thought that Hwaryun was just picking a fight with him. But the truth was that if he didn't improve or refused to board on the train, then he and Akraptor were doomed to die.

To stop them from going to the train was something impossible as they had set their minds for it. But changing the story line wasn't easy as this was something major that might cause butterfly effects. It was something that she was sure of.

Her mind told her that this was something that she shall not change so that it will preserve the story line. But her heart told her that it must to. She must change the story line even though that it will attract butterfly effect.

At this moment, Charlotte asked herself. If she didn't get herself close with those people, then perhaps she won't have to worry about their lives and deaths. She was someone simple who cares about people around her. Others who had nothing to do with her or her friends, she didn't care. She didn't care whether they were criminals or saints, or whatever they were.

Charlotte glanced at Bam. If Bam knew that their friends would die later, then it would surely break his heart. When she knew about this point, it was getting hard for her to determine whether she should save them or not. If she wanted to save them, what will be the best method for it? If she didn't try to save them, then will she be able to shoulder the guilt for the rest of her life when her wish was that if one day she should die, then she wished to not die in guilt or regret.

Hwaryun knew that they had been relying on her Gods. Therefore, she suggested them to climb the tower on their own while she would leave with Bam, Charlotte and Rak. Celeste and Altaira will be going with them as well which made Bam felt slightly annoyed for now. Khun was chosen to be the leader.

Prince was already annoyed with Hwaryun's words earlier. Now that he heard her telling him to be separated from his friends, he was getting more irritated. But Wangnan, he agreed. He wanted to be strong and to improve. He didn't want to be the failure from the twenty floor.

Once the meeting was done, everyone was dismissed. Only Khun was left to talk with Hwaryun.

Hwaryun had figured out that Khun was secretly making a team to look and eliminate Rachel when Rachel was his friend's light. The team that he formed for it wasn't weak but they had looked down on Rachel.

"You might lose to her" she said. "She has an even more dangerous card hidden on her sleeve."

"It doesn't matter" he replied. "I have more cards than you think."

"Really? I'm looking forward to it then" Hwaryun said.

"Yes as you should" Khun responded as he walked away. "And sorry to say this, but you are also my enemy, Hwaryun."

When he left the room, Bam and Rak found him behaving differently. Rak said that he behaved more obedient than usual.

"Charlotte" Bam looked at Charlotte.

"Yes?"

"Can you help me check on Khun and see what's wrong with him?" He asked with a friendly smile.

If before she found her friend's behavior a little bit different, then she found her brother's behavior was a bit unusual. Wouldn't giving Khun some time alone be the better choice?

But still, she found that there was nothing wrong with it and since her brother was genuinely worried for his friend, she decided to help him and to look for Khun.