Chapter 15

AN (Please Read): It has come to my attention that too little is known about the tower to make a solid, in-depth, fanfic. We have seen too little of the true capabilities of Rankers as they were immediately shadowed over by Advanced and High Rankers. Too little is known as the floors in general with very little background information given on what functions where. Although the World-Building and story of ToG is mind-boggling and amazing as a reader, to create a non-mainstream fanfic…too little is known about the setting. The 10 Families, various organizations, the floors themselves, the outside world, and even Endorsi’s real name. (Yes, Endorsi is not her real name…now think, do you even know which family she is from? No. Obviously not despite being 500 chapters in)

I cannot write how Pandora becomes a ranker in detail because…we’ve never seen it before. I can only assume one passes the final test and ‘boom’, your name is on the Tower Rankings officially. I cannot write how Pandora will exit the tower because there is no way out, only vague theories. I cannot see how Pandora can pass onto the floors beyond without breaking the story.

From here on out, the story will have many many long timeskips. Covering Pandora’s journey in fragments; skipping floors and minuscule details. In a similar style to my OneShot of ‘The Biggest of Mothers’ on the last chapter of the ‘Welcome to the Charlotte family’. 

Of course, some parts will be longer while other parts stretched out like the ‘Princess of Jahad Arc’. I can see such a thing happening for a very specific train…

I would first like to apologize if this was not what you had expected but…as a not-so-talented fanfic writer who just writes to burn time, I need the fictional-world itself to be explained in full if I am going to write long first person stories.

Floor 14

It turns out FUG never liked her or Yuri much and it was understandably so. We were both too powerful to be regulars and anyone with eyes could see that we were weapons in the process of creation. Powerful weapons to be used by their father, the King of the Tower.

The easiest way to kill a Divine Fish was to kill it when it was still in the egg…and that was what FUG tried to do.

Upon completing the floor exam with her team (Yuri, Lero, and herself), they were forced to meet a FUG ranker.A Ranker who risked his very life on being annihilated by the administrator for breaking a treaty…but religious zealots were fearless.

Fearless as they deemed their mission in higher order than anything including their lives, their families, and everything they held. Their belief and faith that their god will come to their salvation.

For Unforgettable Grace…what did that mean? Who’s Grace is it referring to? Could Grace be a person? Why do they hate the Empire so much?

Regardless, her and Yuri were never given a chance to choose a side as it was chosen for them. The moment their names, Jahad, were granted they were eternal enemies of the greatest and most powerful criminal syndicate of the Tower. It was only natural that they would send a ranker to kill them before they got too strong. A Wave controller no less

A battle ensued…a battle in which her and Yuri were hopelessly outmatched and did lose but manage to hold onto their lives barely long enough for an awakening of her power. It was during this losing battle that she had once again slipped into a mind and challenged Phthonos…she who ruled Envy.

Knowing certain death awaited her on the outside, she spent years within her mind challenging the unforgiving aspect again and again. Each time she approached the slightly-less-than-perfect-in-all-aspect demon, she would find herself powerless over and over. The demon did not allow her to simply guess her power but rather she had to force herself forward with nothing.

She died and died and died. She fell at her hands over and over being seeped of her strength…taken from her. Yet in the end she managed. She managed to reach the demon as she put her blade through one of the demon’s hands.

And understanding flowed through her.

… …

Awakening after no-time in the present but years in her mind, she called upon Envy in full force before she almost lost her mind. Her eyes bled profusely as her sense of balance was knocked off completely. She fell forward barely catching herself…but it was done.

Pandora’s Curse (Phthonos): Sealing- To cut off the victim’s connection to shinsu. If shinsu is not returned before the victim’s death, envy shall take it.

The FUG wave controller shuddered before he too fell to his knees as his very essence of strength was cut off from him. The waves and rooms of shinsu which seemed all too powerful were nowhere to be seen.

On the barren land, Yuri struggled to rise before she limped over to her and helped her up. Together, facing the disoriented FUG ranker.

“Hey Mr. FUG ranker, did you know that an average regular princess is more durable than an average ranker?” Yuri coughed up blood as she smiled, finally making the connection between the dots. “In terms of physical capabilities alone, we are stronger…and now you cannot use Shinsu.”

Yuri used her left arm to pop back her dislocated right shoulder before cracking her fingers. Pandora simply summoned her sword fragments again as the sword fixed itself into perfection once more. A special function of Azurite although it seemed as if the higher she climbed, the blade cracked more and more often.

It took an hour more and another hard fought battle resulting in many broken bones and bruises but the battle was won. They had survived…won a battle against a ranker who was aiming to kill them.

“Next time…” Yuri croaked “Use that move first”

“I didn’t know I had it” She replied back, already annoyed at her best friend. From the corner of her eyes, she could see a worried Lero-Ro dashing towards where they laid. As it looked like help had arrived, she let herself fall asleep despite the loud complaints of the sandbag to her side

Floor 20

By the 20th floor, Pandora had already earned the unofficial moniker of ‘Anti-Wave Controller’ due to her wide use of her Envy skill as well as years of practice which led her to be able to use it like second nature. The fact that her opponents were much much weaker compared to the FUG ranker also helped in severing their connections to the shinsu.

For the denizens of the tower and even to the Jahad family, her powers were a mystery. Cutting off someone’s connection to shinsu was not unheard of but doing so without a massive workshop machine or as a regular? That was new…and the Jahad family (not really a family) could not be happier.

“Just one more and we can become E-Rank Regulars.” Their team leader, Lero-Ro, stated as he walked behind the two princesses, her and Yuri, on their way to take the 20th exam. So far they had passed every test on their first try; courtesy of the monstrous duo.

“Meh, I’ll be a piece of cake!” Yuri exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air while she, Pandora, just grimaced as she covered her ears. Years of being next to the sandbag with loudspeakers for a mouth didn’t help her eardrums.

“Shut it sandbag”

“Alright alright now listen up ladies” Lero cut in before Yuri bit the provocation which would, undeniably, cause another internal fight. After years of being around the monstrously powerful princesses and being elected as their team leader (as they all agreed that he was the most ‘logical’ and was the least likely to do anything extremely stupid) he gained his confidence and no longer stuttered or remained nervous in front of the princesses.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be a game of elimination until one person remains…and that final person chooses who to take up with them” Lero explained “And this happens in four different divisions and only one team makes it up.”

“So what” Yuri said “We can just beat everyone else up, no?”

“Technically yes but we’ll have to time or bribe the administrator to make sure we are on the same ‘division’. From there, either you or Pandora will take first place without fighting there and easily lead the rest of us on.” Lero was always the strategist and the brain of the team; fitting of a light bearer. “The rest of us can save our stamina which we use to butcher the other three teams and move on, any questions?”

“Yeah, I’m going to take the ‘winner’ of the division” Yuri said

“That’s not a question idiot”

“What does the albino monkey want to say now?!”

“The monkey has more brain cells than you gorilla sandbag”

“Alright enough! Yuri, stop provoking Pandora or else I’m going to delete that mobile game you’re playing!” Lero swooped in once again trying to stop yet another civil war.

“Ahh, from what I remember that was a dating simulation wasn’t it Yuri? Shame you became a princess when all you’re filled with is lust for little underage boys. Shota loving pervert.” Pandora whispered, but unfortunately Lero heard it as well.

“That’s it. We’re not having Carbonara for a week.” Lero stated, his words final.

The effect was immediate as the little color in Pandora’s face drained as her eyes began to water. Her left eye, the crystalized one, shook with such intensity as if it she was experiencing a sort of seizure as her lower lip began to tremble. She bit it down as to stop herself from crying but it too late.

Seeing this, Yuri’s rivalry and annoyance all but vanished as she hugged the shaking little white swordswoman to her heart as she pat her back in a slow rhythm.

“Shh…don’t worry, don’t cry. I’m sure Lero’s just joking about the carbonara ban, right?” She glared at the yellow haired light bearer. She rocked the Arie genius back and forth a bit as the girl finally calmed down enough to regain her composure.

Her eyes were once again replaced with cold silent eyes and her body suddenly rigid in form and movement. She squeezed Yuri’s waist to convey her thanks before separating…once again returning to the silent yet judging girl who happened to have an insatiable hunger for the specific pasta dish.

“Yeah…I’m fine now. Don’t joke about that again though Lero, please.” She mumbled.

“Uhh, fine. Looks like we’re having that again for dinner.”

The slightest look of life reappeared in Pandora’s eyes as the rest of the team just sighed at their youngest’s antics. 

It was obvious the team had a weird dynamic. A nigh indestructible tomboy princess (who loves shota and) who loved getting into fights, a boy from nowhere who climbed his way through the ranks through hard work and dedication who now leads a team of two princesses, and a quiet, odd, careless little princess who looked cold and lifeless yet had her rare moments of joy and camaraderie.

Floor 26

It was foolish for a hunter to give up once after failing to kill its prey…just as much as it was foolish for them to believe that FUG had given up on trying to kill them. The only thing was, they weren’t prey. They were predators who were young…and the hunters just didn’t seem to realize that even a young shark had its teeth. Even a wolf cub knew how to bare its fangs.

One should never underestimate a predator, no matter how young, small, or insignificant they may seem. Predators were called predators for a reason, and princesses were known as the ‘ultimate species’ for the same cause.

But no matter how long, some chose to remain in the delusion that the Empire of Jahad could be defeated…how foolish. She (Pandora) herself knew not the full capabilities of the 10 Family heads and Jahad but they were glorified as living gods for a reason. If what she knew about her father was anything to go by…the legends that are told, if anything, were watered down.

“ *sigh* My Lord sending me all the way down here to kill regulars. How humiliating.” The said FUG ranker was a distinctive human female. Black eyes, black hair, but every part of her body and face was covered in a black fabric wrapped around her body all around multiple times. It looked as if she was a floating black blanket instead.

“Lero, you support us from behind. She’s here for me and Yuri so she won’t be targeting you  until you become a problem” She whispered as her yellow leader followed her instructions and jumped back into the shadows.

“Alright, let’s get this over with, DREAM WORLD!” … …and the world turned dark.

… …

Waking up in a different place but a familiar feeling, she instantly knew that what she was feeling, seeing, or whatever any of her senses were telling her that this wasn’t reality.

She wasn’t standing on the familiar ocean mindscape nor an open arena she created to fight her inner demons but it was a fake reality nonetheless; a reality in which she did not create nor willingly brought herself into.

This reality gave her the sense of dread as she was tied to a wooden cross under a red sky and a black sun. The black sand underneath reflecting the blood red light onto every surface of its flat boring world…and yet all this did nothing to unnerve the Arie Princess.

Even when her warden materialized in front of her eyes, unchained or bound, did she flinch or fear what was to come…for after all this was not real. 

“ … Most would have already broke down” Her captive drawled out her words as a black hand emerged from the black fabric before scraping it down her face. A sense of pain and discomfort was conveyed to her senses but she didn’t respond. It was only a fake…and she had experienced much worse in this same realm.

“Did you know? I was recruited by FUG for this very ability, ‘Dream World’.” Like an idiot, her warden began explaining her ability as if she was proud of capturing a regular like herself. “It allows me to send any one person into this world of mine and hold them captive for three days while only a second passes in reality. During that time…I am God”

She was no god. Of that she was certain.

“During those three days, I will let you see the very worst of life. I can show you visions of agony and force you to reveal your greatest secrets. I can torture your body to your soul…so tell me princess…are you afraid?” To this, the only answer she gave back was a blank stare. For this to be a ranker’s greatest ability…she was not impressed. Despite the torture, the visions, the agony…in the end it simply wasn’t real.

Over the next hours her warden tried everything. Various methods of torture that spilled her blood that pooled on the black sand, burning her, threatening her…and yet nothing worked as her warden grew continuously frustrated.

“Why? Why won’t you break? You haven’t said a single thing this entire time!” The FUG ranker screamed in frustration as she slapped her across her cheek. It bruised and burned…but the sense of detachment from reality simply made it so that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t real after all.

“Your reality fails to convince me” At her words, the warden’s eyes narrowed as a different type of fire began to burn within her pupils. Eyes full of rage, pain, and dedication and yet none of that mattered to her; nothing done in a false reality mattered after all.

“You…you!!” Her warden shrieked “I’ll show you the very worst of humanity, of life, of existence! You’ll be crying for me to claw your eyes out! After what you’ll witness you’ll wish you were dead!!!”

With that, the world shifted to darkness as visions of the darkest ages of the tower began to play with the world itself as its stage. For the next hours, she witnessed genocides, betrayals, crimes so sick and low that even her own warden doubled over in some areas…and yet to Pandora it was nothing but a lullaby.

For what was a drop of acid compared to the styx? A few drops of tears against a world drowning in churning, rotting, blood.

As the darkness dispersed, the warden approached her tied form as she inspected her mind before connecting it to the world at large. Showing her very thoughts to be played to the false reality.

“How do you feel now princess? Worthless? Hopeless? Do you now realize what your Empire stands for? How much we have suffered?”

No…but I remember one thing very clearly.

“Heh…heh…hehehe…thanks for handing me the reign Miss” That was all she said before calling upon the one memory she wished to erase. The one memory she couldn’t forget despite decades of sorcery, of therapy, of family, of love, of friendship, and more pain.

She couldn’t forget the moment when it crystalized her left eye to immortalize the moment in perfect recall. The memory in which she fell to the God King’s whims and betrayed all of humanity. 

When she became a herald for all things evil, dark, and wicked. When she freed all things unholy, ungodly, and sacrilegious into the world of man. Her memory as she watched the world burn and mankind cripple itself into extinction through nothing but pain and suffering. Her last moments witnessing the disgust on the God King’s face as he sent down the heavens’ flood to erase his mistakes…

To erase her. His very own creation, his own plan, his part in the destruction of all life.

The dam broke, the walls fell, the barrier between her mind and the real world broken by her very own will…and the flood of hell was unleashed upon the world. Her demons crawled out of her every cell, spores opening, skin cracking, and from it darkness reigned free. All of it…all of it all.

The Pride

The Greed

The Lust

The Envy

The Gluttonous

The Wrath

The Sloth

As the world’s fabric churned with the infestation, the little sense of reality it had was drawn back…as her darkness was worse. Her’s didn’t just absorb the light…it emitted a darkness off it’s own.

Time was gone as mortality by age was devoured by the gluttonous one. Madness and insanity raged across as the Hybris took the reigns of the false world. The time of ending once again reenacted in full glory and horror.

All of it…all the world’s wrong played out in perfect detail with the world as its stage as the two were forced to witness it. Witness it in full…for one it was a reminder while for the other a memory to be immortalized or be forgotten only in death.

…

Such was what showed in the false world as the Warden screamed and screamed. Shrieked for mercy as in front of Pandora’s chained form, the warden clawed out her eyes until they were nothing but bleeding holes; she closed off her ears but the sounds reached her…for this was a false reality. Everything she showed…the warden had to witness.

The Warden witnessed it all as she once did. Eyeless but forced to watch. Earless but forced to hear. Hopeless but forced to bear witness to all evil, suffering, unholy and natural.

The only difference was…she was not allowed to die when she was forced to witness as mortality did not exist yet. Death did not come easy for the one blessed by the deathless. Even in death, she was unwanted.

The Warden on the other hand collapsed as her mind could take no more until she was nothing but a mumbling mess. Her mind failed her as the scenes of horror continuously assaulted all her thoughts and dug deeper than her first memories…until it shut down. Writhing uncontrollably for a few moments before falling motionless, dead.

Once Pandora knew her warden was gone for good, she too stayed silent on the cross as she waited and waited…patiently waiting for the time to pass until the dead warden’s spell shattered and she would be free.

It was shorter than she expected as the world began to shake before dispersing into nothingness with the lack of imagination and mind to continue feeding into the spell. Pandora simple leaned into the crumpling world as it led her back into the reality in which she belonged.

She blinked once, twice, and she found herself back in the position she was exactly three days ago (for her). With Yuri ready to charge in to her right and Lero with his lighthouses ready to aid them behind them.

One change was the falling form of the FUG Ranker, her former warden, who slumped down and didn’t rise again. As her team wondered what had just happened, Pandora knew that this was one story she would not be sharing for a long time.

She truly did come to love and trust her team but this was a story that cut too deep for her just yet. Maybe one day…far far into the future.

 

AN: So future chapters are going to be like that. Is this format fine? (JK: Already written them so it’s not going to change even if you don’t like the format)

AN: The acronym of FUG has not been confirmed yet; however, I cannot think it to be anything other than 'For Unforgettable Grace' or something along the lines. It just fits so well with their motives, their founder, and their connection to Baam.