- Three Routes; Three Trials: Part 2 -

Things were so chaotic in the Bug Room with so many items, equipment and tools flying all around the direction. Bero Bero dodged a giant fork that almost took her life. Rak was hit by a giant lipstick and Altaira was there to laugh at him.

"Wow, there is actually such an interesting place in the Hidden Floor!" Estrella spoke in amusement. Perhaps she was the only person who took genuine interest on the chaotic place, just like her chaotic personality.

"Are you stupid? This place is so messy and disorganized, just like your personality," Icarus, no, Rachel replied. Her identity has been exposed by Big Breeder Hwang before they were threatened by Urek Mazino's sworn enemy to cooperate with their plan.

The fact that they were threatened to clean up the mess created by Urek Mazino himself only made Altaira wish he could go back to Floor of Death and warn Garam not to marry with such a troublemaker.

Estrella glared at Rachel as she spoke, "My personality is my personality! What does it have to do with you?!"

Rachel ignored her words.

"They said that those who come with ill- intentions will be punished by a giant rubber duck," Raisin spoke suddenly.

And right after he said those words, a giant rubber duck appeared and hit Rachel right on her head before continuing to jump around. It was Estrella's turn to smirk to see that.

"I've never heard such a story about this Bug Room before," Noah replied to Raisin. "Is that even true?"

"I've made it up just now," Raisin replied in ease. "Don't think too much about it, as long as you don't come with ill- intentions."

When they reached the end of the Bug Room, they arrived on another strange place.

"W- what the hell is this place?!" Khun asked to see the strange place.

When Noah lowered his head, he could see the sea of shinsu. When he raised his head, he could see many buildings. But even though there were so many buildings, the place was so quiet. It made him felt like he had arrived into an isolated island.

"The 'Hidden Hidden Floor'," Big Breeder answered. "As you guys know, the Big Breeders' real bodies are here. Only Lord Zahard and the Big Breeders live here."

"No wonder it's so quiet like graveyard," Altaira blurted out.

"..........."

Big Breeder Hwang looked at him for several moments in silence. He didn't need to see his expression to tell that this yellow ball was offended, either because he interrupted his story or he commented about his home.

"What? I'm just saying what I want to say," he said. "It's what you call with 'honesty', something that most of people here lack the most."

"Are you talking about yourself?" Noah asked back in irritation. "Don't mind about him, just continue your story. Take him as a wind or something."

Big Breeder Hwang seemed to have agreed on it as he continued to speak, "Lord Zahard deleted all the previous data instead of moving them here. The buildings are empty, and only illusions float around for show."

"The place where the other Big Breeders and I live is an isolated space which we could never escape from. They're just disposable anyway, so I reset their memories at regular intervals and bring in new data if they malfunction. Even the Big Breeders who think that they were chosen and previous data have all been deceived by Lord Zahard."

"Now, you guys are really going to pass through the Bug Room into the third space and lure the scale here," said Big Breeder. "The scale will realize that something is wrong and come after you guys, then I'll open a gate leading to that space. The scale will realize that an unfamiliar space has appeared and go nuts trying to copy that place and adjust the balance. Then that space and scale will both start being sucked into the Bug Room."

"And when that thing enters the Bug Room, I'll destroy the scale," Urek Mazino spoke.

"If everything succeeds, I'll stick in this piece of the mirror at the end, which will achieve my and the sworn enemy's goal while simultaneously allowing us to escape from here with you guys," Big Breeder Hwang said. "I can't go to the place where the scale is, plus I have to open the gate, so you guys have to lure that scale for us."

"Who wants to go?" Urek Mazino asked. "Around four people should be enough."

"I'll go," Altaira volunteered, followed by Khun, Rachel and Rak.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

There game that Zahard has prepared for him and Bam was more than a simple death match. It was a game with a chance for Bam to win.

As long as he could find at least two or three orbs and destroy them, he could win the game. But the orbs were hidden, not even Zahard knew it. Zahard wouldn't cheat on this game, Edahn was certain of it because of his pride.

But the first orb has been found by Zahard and destroyed by him. If he destroyed another one, it will be a game over for Bam.

Zahard who felt that everything was too quiet wondered if Bam had given already. He couldn't even find his shadow or hear a single thing from him when something was aiming from his back.

Zahard jumped to dodge the attack. In the mid- air, he realized that he was surrounded by more bangs.

'Is he able to control this much shinsu at once? From the place that I can't see?' Zahard wondered. He smiled, 'How amusing.'

However, all his attacks were still blocked by Zahard easily, until he saw a [Shinsu Black Hole Sphere].

The [Shinsu Black- Hole Sphere] shone on his hands, even though Zahard controlled massive amount of shinsu to attack and destroy the sphere, the [Shinsu Black- Hole Sphere] was still fine.

"... I see," Zahard spoke as he came to realize something. He saw the first thorn belonged to Bam has been ignited. "So are we really getting started now?"

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

[ Time- Manipulation : Acceleration ]

Large and thick green vines were released from the floor and quickly attacked the puppet.

The puppet gritted her teeth and activated her [Time- Manipulation] ability. She wanted to reverse the time, but it was disturbed by Charlotte's hourglass.

[ Time- Manipulation : Irreversible Time ]

Now, she couldn't cancel the attack. She could only create a shinsu barrier to block against that attack.

'To think that she would be able to learn that skill in such a short time...!'

Now, she was cornered by those vines. If she made one small mistake, those vines will definitely stab through her and she would be crushed into pieces.

'Her talent is truly terrifying....'

Her heart was beating fast in fear. She remembered this feeling. This was the feeling that she felt whenever she greeted her master, the one who "created" her. At this point, the puppet had no other choice but admit it, that even if Charlotte didn't steal her body or possess the rare ability to manipulate the time, her potential will always surpass her.

'This body is supposed to be stronger than the old one... I've used the body for so long... but I could never release this kind of power...... but why is that when she uses my old body, she could do all things that I could only wish to do?!'

The puppet had trained in her old body for hundreds of years, yet her strength was never as strong as Charlotte. It was only when her master gave her a new "shell" to use that she could reach the same level with Charlotte. No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't think of a reason aside from blaming Gods' injustice and unfairness.

'It's so unfair!'

She released more power to destroy all the vines in the same time with shinsu.

'If she focuses everything on her front, then her back will be more relaxed!'

As she managed to sneak behind the puppet, she put her palm on her back.

[ Ha Jinsung Style Piercing Technique : Crimson Flame ]

As the puppet fell down to the ground, Charlotte let out a sigh of relieve.

"Is it over yet..?" She asked to herself.

'If it isn't for brother's help, I wouldn't know that [ Acceleration ] could be used in that way.'

She remembered that her brother had asked her for some time to talk before they reached the golden tower created by Big Breeder Hwang and Zahard.

"You and the puppet will probably share the same power, the hourglass and shinsu- manipulation. I thought that speed is a crucial point, so maybe you can use your hourglass to increase the speed of your attacks and to lessen the cool down. After all, time doesn't just work on living beings."

Charlotte smiled remembering his words. All these years she only used [Acceleration] to increase her own physical speed, not realizing that it could also increase the speed of her attacks and lessen the cool down and the time she needed to charge a powerful skill.

'I have to finish things over here soon,' she thought as she looked at the puppet. On her right palm, there was a green vine. She directed that green vine to the puppet. 'The sooner this is over, the calmer I'll feel.'

Charlotte thought that after receiving a powerful attack like that, the puppet would at least lose her consciousness. So she wanted to destroy her vital organ, like her heart, so that she won't be able to move again. But when the vine was just going to hit her, something cut the vine off.

Her golden eyes looked at the silver thing that passed in front of her quickly.

'What?'

A piece of black chain landed on the ground.

The puppet coughed as she tried to stand again. She wiped the trace of blood on her lips.

"That's so painful," she spoke with her hoarse voice. "Charlotte, I know that you are a talented person. It's just that..."

When she looked at the brown- haired girl, Charlotte was shocked beyond words to see that the puppet was smiling despite of being in a disadvantageous situation. The puppet smiled happily like a lunatic who lost her common sense and released strong blood lust.

"You are too clumsy."

As soon as she finished her words, large black chains appeared from the ground and rose to the sky.

"What the...?!"

[ Time Manipulation : Time Freeze ]

Right when she lowered her guard down, the puppet activated her skill first, preventing her from cancelling out her attacks and made her unable to move.

And now that she was unable to move, all she could do was to embrace the pain and accept it.

"Accept the pain of being stabbed by all the chains here... for you are a sinner waiting to be judged!"

6 chains pierced through her body. They pierced through her arms and legs, through her abdomen and her left shoulder before they landed on the ground, binding her.

Charlotte huffed and huffed. It was so painful. With these chains piercing through her body, how could she possibly be free? How was she going to move? And not to mention that the moment she was stabbed and bounded by these chains, she felt that there was something wrong.

'It's just like back then.'

One month ago, when she and Khun were trapped inside the Chrysanthemum Tree, Charlotte could feel that there was something restricting her power, something was countering her lotus ability. And the uncomfortable sensation she felt at that time, she now felt it again in front of this puppet.

She raised her head and glared at the puppet.

"I'm sure that you would have realized it by now," the puppet spoke. "These chains are nowhere ordinary. They were created specially to put you on your position. Aren't you touched by my efforts?"

"... you cheated, you bastard," Charlotte cursed her.

"Master never said that setting up a trap before the game starts is wrong," The puppet justified her actions with a laugh. "It's your own fault to think that it's forbidden right?"

She held on Charlotte's cheeks and pulled her closer. Charlotte hissed in pain because whenever she moved, it would make her wounds deepen and even more painful.

"Now this kind of face suits you the most," the puppet spoke in extreme happiness and delight. "I hate it before when you dare to look down at me. As talented you may be, Charlotte...."

She gently put the strands of her hair behind her ear and whispered, "You shouldn't win against me."

The puppet's left hand pressed the wound on her left shoulder, making her unable to handle the pain and screamed loudly. And the louder she screamed, the more she struggled, it made the puppet felt happier and superior.

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Zahard was amazed by Bam who now could even create an orb containing [Shinsu Black- Hole Sphere]. Now, with his current strength, he could even challenge Zahard in shinsu battle. The longer the fight happened, the more Zahard was interested and the more he was interested, the more he won't hold himself back.

"If you just curl up like that, you'll miss the next part!"

[ Zahard's Style Lethal Move - Rampage ]

Although Bam was surprised to see Zahard suddenly swinging his fist and attempted to punch him from above, he managed to use the smashed building and compressed it with the power of orb and defended against him.

Zahard was amused, "Haha! That tension is surprising! But how are you going to block me if this gets smashed?"

Indeed, it wasn't hard for him to destroy the smashed building that has been compressed. But inside it, there was an orb containing [Shinsu Black- Hole Sphere].

Bam still found himself smashed away, but Zahard felt something on his hand. It was a feeling that he has forgotten for awhile.

"Wait a minute..." He looked at Bam who huffed and huffed. "When you were being attacked, that [Shinsu Black- Hole Sphere]...?"

Zahard didn't expect it at all. He didn't expect to have a cut on his fist and that Bam could pull off such a trick in the face of danger.

"... seeing that you are still alive even after being hit by that attack, I must be right," Zahard spoke. "The moment that my attack got close, you scattered the orb in the air and created a temporary barrier between my fist and you."

It was something very impressive. Zahard really had to praise that boy for once, because even though Bam was trapped in a situation where most of people couldn't think straight, he was still capable of doing such an act that saved his life and wounded Zahard.

'This isn't just something that you could obtain from training. It's instinct.'

'I must survive,' Bam thought as he looked at Zahard, trying to distract himself from the pain he felt all over his body. 'I must survive if I want to return... and see them again.'