"We're leaving now, Ruka."
Ruka's eyes widened completely, no sound, no sign, suddenly Naeva was leaning against the door of his private room. Fortunately, Ruka didn't scream in surprise because he thought it was a ghost.
"Right now?" he asked.
"Do you have something to do first?" Naeva replied with another question.
Ruka moved his floating pillow closer to Naeva.
"Nothing really. And Nee-san? Do you want to leave right away?"
Naeva nodded, she understood why Ruka was asking like that. But she had no need to answer. At least, she felt Ruka could guess the answer.
"Are you sad?"
"Not really," Ruka answered honestly.
"It's not goodbye forever after all. Nee-san yourself said so back on the second floor."
"That's right. As long as we're still in the Tower, there's always the possibility of meeting again," Naeva smiled faintly.
"For now, this is goodbye."
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****OOO****
Character Information
Name: Naeva WinterNova: X PlatinumRace: Ice PrincessAge: 30 [https://img.wattpad.com/61e5f45e94a8d6060d9bf8c730037ed5bd81d11b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f714e30506e3873797877535459413d3d2d313337383035363331302e313739393466333562323930386533313839373930393437383233302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Name: Naeva Winter
Nova: X Platinum
Race: Ice Princess
Age: 30.000+
Status: Irregular
Affiliation: None
-------------------------------------------------
Name: RukaNova: II RedRace: RokkaAge: UnknownStatus: UnknownAffiliation: Unknown [https://img.wattpad.com/98011833635152f8fda018fcdab42dbd1b19b155/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f62656f6b4c477139434c6c346d773d3d2d313337383035363331302e313739393466353137323938363536643936303638353536383635302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Name: Ruka
Nova: II Red
Race: Rokka
Age: Unknown
Status: Unknown
Affiliation: Unknown
****OOO****
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The location of the Tower Elevator on the 4th Floor was not so far from where Naeva and Ruka were teleported. They only need to walk straight in the main hallway for 178 km. There are no obstacles whatsoever, just a normal leisurely walk. It's really easy, isn't it?
Moreover, the scenery to their left and right is the huge Theater stage rooms with various different stories, they will not be bored when heading to the elevator.
..... Alright, that's boring.
Since Naeva didn't like the same scenery over and over again, she grabbed Ruka by the collar and pulled him to fly together up the snow cloud she had created at maximum speed.
Well, that would make her a little conspicuous. But it wasn't just her who was doing fast movements like that, so Naeva wouldn't be that conspicuous. Although surely no one would think that a Conqueror who could move at 100 km/h in a 10 m wide hallway without hitting a single person was a beginner.
Naeva could have been faster. But if she increased her speed, she wasn't sure she could control the cloud well enough to avoid crashing into the crowds of people that sometimes filled the hallway.
"Anu... Naeva Nee-san."
"What?"
"Can you please put me down?" pleaded Ruka who was still being lifted by Naeva's collar.
Naeva, "........"
Putting Ruka down.
"T-Thank you..." said Ruka somewhat fearfully. Afraid of suddenly falling from that cloud.
"........"
"........"
"........"
"........"
"........"
"........"
"A-Awkward..." Ruka thought heavily.
The boy turned his head the other way, feeling like this calmness would be even heavier if he looked at Naeva.
"Come to think of it, the people around me are all extroverted. In this kind of situation, what should I say?"
".... On the 5th Floor..."
Ruka instantly turned his head, his experience making him realize not to fight back and upset Naeva no matter what.
"Yes?"
She glanced slightly at the boy behind her.
"What exam is on 5th Floor?" asked Naeva.
"Ah, the 5th Floor Ascension Exam?"
Ruka's face looked more relaxed.
"Take it easy, it doesn't exist."
".... What?" Naeva was confused. This information was not in the Passenger records she had read in the past.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Ruka smiled a little.
"There is no 5th Floor Ascension Exam. This floor is a bit special compared to the other floors."
"Hmm, similar to 3rd Floor?"
"You could say that. It can also be said that it's not. Like 3rd Floor, the entire 5th Floor itself can be said to be the exam."
Ruka began to explain.
"What makes the two floors different, is that since it is not a exam from the start, there is no specific requirement to pass the 5th Floor. As long as the Conqueror can reach the 5th Floor Tower elevator, they can go directly to the 6th Floor."
"But it won't be that easy. The 5th Floor is not called the Exam Floor for no reason."
"Hmm..."
Naeva understood where this was going.
"Maybe Nee-san already knows. The 5th floor is a giant maze. The entire 5th Floor itself is a maze. As long as one can get out of the maze (as long as one knows the way) and reach the destination (Tower elevator), one can directly join the next exam."
"The problem is, the 5th Floor Maze is no ordinary Maze. Without a guide, 95% of Conquerors will get lost there and take decades to arrive. Conquerors with detection abilities or those with unique senses like Bere Nee-san might only need a few months to make it there," Ruka explained.
"That much?"
Naeva somewhat felt this was an exaggeration. But there was no reason for Ruka to lie now.
"Do children get lost that easily?"
"How long does it take with a guide?" Naeva asked again.
Ruka pointed one finger.
"A week is enough."
"That's if you walk normally. If you fly like this... it might take 2 days to arrive at the elevator. But since we want to stop by Rokka Village first, Naeva Nee-san will have to spend 3 days traveling and add a few days staying in the Village to persuade Obaa-san."
"........"
Naeva thought for a moment. Well, she wasn't in that much of a hurry.
"No problem."
"........"
"I told you this before, Naeva Nee-san."
"?"
"Don't even think about saving your money while dealing with that Kuso Baba," Ruka stared with conviction.
"She's the type who will do her best if she's paid well, that's the good side. On the bad side, if not paid handsomely, she won't even do simple things! Obaa-san is also stubborn and lazy! She was interested in strange things to the point of being ostracized by the villagers. Sometimes her mouth can be very brash. Her ethics are also very poor."
Naeva, "?"
"Naeva Nee-san do you want me to introduce her?" asked Ruka for confirmation.
"Why all of a sudden? Didn't we come to an agreement before?" puzzled the girl.
"Yeah, I need a personal informant. No matter what her nature is, I can still make her obey."
".... Okay... I warned you before about Obaa-san's nature. So..."
Ruka's eyes were still looking straight at Naeva.
"So?"
But slowly his eyes trembled slightly and glanced in the other direction.
"S-So... Please don't kill her if she's impudent later..."
"A-At least please don't let her die!"
"!"
Now it was Naeva who rounded her eyes a little. She never thought that the boy would beg for his aunt's life like that.
Naeva smiled slightly. She patted Ruka's head lightly and rubbed his hair slightly.
"Alright."
"I won't kill her."
"Unless she starts pointing a knife at me." (Betrayal)
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Meanwhile...
4th Floor Ascension Exam Zone
Health Room
"Lia!"
"Lia!!!"
"Wake up!!!"
"Ophelia Calliope!!!"
Bere continued to shake Ophelia's body to get the girl to wake up.
Slowly, Ophelia's forehead creased, she began to open her eyes. Although her sight had not fully returned, she could immediately recognize Bere.
"Bere...?"
Bere smiled with relief, "Are you alright?"
While holding her slightly dizzy head, Ophelia tried to sit up.
"I'm... okay..."
"What... happened? I fainted? Why?" Ophelia asked herself.
She tried to remember the events before she fainted. Just like Ruka, she immediately felt a stinging sensation if she tried to remember any further. Her last memory was of... Naeva did something to them that caused them to faint?
"!"
As soon as she remembered that, Ophelia immediately grabbed Bere's arm.
"Naeva!?"
"What about Naeva!!?" the girl asked frantically.
Bere was silent, she didn't know what to answer. Because as soon as she woke up, Naeva and Ruka were gone. The same goes for the Ice Princess.
"........"
"That girl... Don't tell me she want to fight the Ice Princess alone!?" asked Ophelia again.
Bere slowly released Ophelia's grip.
"Naeva... is most likely already on the 4th Floor."
"Huh?" confused Ophelia.
"She's no longer here. The Ice Princess too. The person who brought us to the Infirmary said we were found in front of the Headquarters and we didn't receive any injuries. All they found were the three of us. They immediately laid us down in the Health Room after confirming our condition and the situation on the field," Bere explained.
The Anubis girl looked at Ophelia somewhat confused.
"This... must be Naeva's doing, right?"
Hearing Bere's explanation, it seemed like Ophelia could guess what happened. Somehow, Naeva must have managed to defeat the Ice Princess and swap back her body. She had heard the Examiner's explanation that the Conqueror who had returned to the original body, would be teleported to the 4th Floor immediately. So what Bere guessed at the beginning must be true that Naeva was already on the 4th Floor. The one who brought the three of them to the headquarters and healed them must also be Naeva. Given all the mysteries about her, it was better that she didn't try to figure out how Naeva did it.
The only thing Ophelia didn't understand...
"Where... Ruka?"
"I understand that Naeva went to the fourth floor first. But where is Ruka?" asked Ophelia.
Bere honestly didn't know the answer either, she had asked people about Ruka. But no one had seen him.
"I don't know."
"If it's Ruka, he must be with Naeva," Hamer said suddenly.
Ophelia and Bere, "!"
"Huh???"
Hamer, who had just entered the room with a tray of water, placed his glass on the table near Ophelia's bed.
"How come?" Bere was confused.
Hamer looked at her as if to say, You are really insensitive as a girl.
"Oi, you really didn't realize?"
"What the hell!? If you say it, say it right!!!" annoyed Bere.
Hamer sighed heavily.
"Haaahh... Hoi, Ophelia-chan yo... Don't tell me you also didn't realize that Ruka had already made a deal with Naeva from the beginning?"
A deal? It seemed like Ophelia knew something. Wait, she tried to remember, Naeva had said something about that before.
"Ah..."
Ophelia remembered.
"You mean about Naeva promising to send Ruka home?"
"Yoi."
"Really? Naeva promised that?" asked Bere.
"Those who don't know just listen!" cut in Hamer.
"What the hell!" annoyed Bere.
Hamer ignored Bere, he returned to the conversation.
"Rokka's village is on the 5th floor. Seeing that Ruka himself not there. Naeva must have taken Ruka to the fifth floor to fulfill their agreement."
"That makes sense," Ophelia replied.
"So... They're on the fifth floor now, huh..."
"How come they didn't wait for us! They just left!" Bere grumbled.
Ophelia and Hamer looked at each other. From the situation, they could guess two possibilities. A positive possibility and a negative one.
"No need to nag like that. I understand why Naeva did that."
Hamer pinched Bere's cheek.
"Nwaanwii woo, ojwiiiswaan 💢"
Instantly, Bere brushed him off roughly.
"Bere, Rokka Village is a big secret. Information about it includes high-level information even among the Rankers, Grand Families and Big Guilds. After all, the entire Rokka Village is equal to the Information Guild itself. I understood that Ruka couldn't show the Village to anyone who wasn't his contractor. That's probably why they left first."
Ophelia tried to explain the positive possibilities.
"Hoohh... That's it. Hmm, still I'm annoyed, Ruka hasn't said goodbye yet!" Bere grumbled.
"What can it be, once them returns to their original body, the Conqueror will be teleported immediately, so them won't be able to wait for us to wake up first," replied Hamer.
"They can wait on the fourth floor!" denied Bere.
"Y-Yeah... Well... Maybe they're waiting on the fourth floor right now to say that," Hamer couldn't deny.
"In that case, let's hurry up and finish the exam! We have to hurry up too!"
Bere was very excited. She immediately rushed out of the room.
"Wait-- Bere!!!"
Ophelia couldn't even stop her.
"Is this... okay?"
"That Bere... she hasn't heard the other possibility..."
Hamer was silent as he watched the direction Bere went with Ophelia.
".... Maybe it's better that she doesn't hear."
"I don't know what that girl will do if she finds out, it could be--"
Hamer felt heavy saying the next sentence. He had to chew on his lower lip.
"--Naeva left us on purpose."
Ophelia, "......."
This last possibility, could have been easily guessed from the beginning, when Naeva's identity was blatantly spread due to the Ice Princess' actions. Either Naeva eliminated all the witnesses... or her departure had been revealed. One of the things that they desperately wanted to prevent in the first place, had happened this time.