- Mission -
If it wasn't for Bam to ask Grand De Jah to allow Rachel to participate, there was no way for the latter to participate in this test. Even Grand De Jah who lost his sight and couldn't see anything could feel the evilness coming from Rachel.
The task that Grand De Jah gave to them wasn't really surprising. The two of them just need to defeat Hell Joe and rescue his brother, Grand De Sah. The more she heard about the task, Charlotte was strongly reminded of her games. Maybe it was because the game of Hide and Seek that Hell Joe came up with was inspired by his comics.
Even though Hell Joe had sent out two thorn fragments, all FUG gave to him was television with news channel only, gadgets, comics and sort of those. Charlotte doubted that FUG will hold on their promise and free Hell Joe from this place.
Obviously, Grand De Jah was making use of them to get revenge on Hell Joe whom he despised the most and to save his brother. It was quite cunning of him to come up with this kind of idea but in the same time, understandable. He himself wouldn't be able to defeat Hell Joe.
But they were the saviors he had been waiting. In the same time, they were irregulars, although one of them was a mistake and accident. There was a way for them to defeat Hell Joe's underlings who were immortals and so as Hell Joe himself. Of course, that one mistake and accident wouldn't be able to defeat the army of immortals.
That one mistake and accident was right now worried. After all, the enemies she had to face were immortals. Besides, there was Yuri to help Bam and Charlotte right now.
Yuri must have ignited two of Thirteen Months Series. Actually, there was a consequence in igniting two of the Thirteen Months Series. By igniting two of the Thirteen Months Series, there will be a ghost who will takeover the user's body, the ghost of the Thirteen Months Series.
The ghost was actually a woman who bear deep hatred and grudge to other princesses since she failed becoming one and was jealous of those who passed the selection. She made a deal with Zahard to be the ghost of Thirteen Months Series, driving the princesses mad and gave Zahard an excuse to eliminate them. This was how Zahard prevented the princesses from collecting all the Thirteen Months Series. One of the victims was Garam Zahard's older sister, Yuram Zahard.
But despite of knowing that, Charlotte purposely didn't warn Khun. This was the part of the story line. What was more, would he really believe in her if she said so? It would have been a joyous thing if he believed in her, but that would have mean she had ruined the story line.
Thirteen Months Series could break a spell. When a spell has been cast, you couldn't stop it. In order to break one spell, you need a stronger spell. Thirteen Months Series were extremely strong that the immortality spell that people who lived in the Floor of Death had became useless. They'll die if they receive damage from the Thirteen Months Series.
While "Yuri" was giving them shock that they could die, the others were sneaking inside. The creatures and guards inside were flustered that they could die and the palace was a total chaos.
Grand De Jah continued cheered for Yuri like a fanboy while Grand De Lee guided them to somewhere else. In a different room, he apologized to them and bowed down.
"I feel so bad for asking you a favor as soon as we meet....this is such an insult to you, saviors!" said Grand De Lee while bowing again and again. "De Jah feels desperate......!"
"N...not at all!" Bam tried to assure and stop Grand De Lee from kept bowing. "It's okay!"
"Actually, his mind has been taken over after De Sah was defeated by Hell Joe.....he never used to be like that" said Grand De Lee. He bowed once more, no, this time he even fell on his knees and knelt before them, "I'M SO SORRY!!"
"S......seriously, you don't have to apologize too much!" said Bam.
Since we are here to get the thorn by doing a mission, you also have the right to pick the mission for us" Charlotte spoke up, trying to assure Grand De Lee as well. "Neither of us take advantage of another."
That seemed to work.
"So....you three are regulars, right?" Grand De Lee asked.
The three of them were surprised to know that Grand De Lee knew their ranks.
"I knew it.....I can tell because I used to be a ranker" said the blue haired guy. "I feel that this is far too great of a test for you regulars....although De Jah believes that you have some kind of special power, of course.....even I would like to tell the location of the thorn fragment....."
He bowed down again as he added, "But since De Jah never told me the location of that thorn fragment....! I am truly sorry!!"
"......."
It didn't work at all.
"Is that......a habit....?" Bam asked, had finally given up in trying to convince Grand De Lee to stop apologizing.
"There are that kind of people in the world...." Rachel answered.
"What are you going to do, Rachel? Are you going to go and defeat that Hell Joe guy?" Bam asked her.
Unlike her who kept looking Bam in hatred and anger, Bam spoke to her as if she was an old friend without the slightest hint of malice.
"....I don't have a choice. I won't be able to find out the thorn fragment unless I defeat him....and you don't seem like you are going to give up, no matter how tough the enemy is. Isn't that right?" Rachel asked him with the look of disliking.
".....well....that's true....."
While Rachel was looking at Bam with the look of disliking and displeasure, Charlotte glared back to Rachel, as if she didn't want to lose from Rachel in glaring at each other.
"What are you looking at?" Rachel coldly asked.
"I'm looking at a vicious, wicked, the lowest of the low person who keeps stabbing people on their back without remorse and shame" Charlotte answered.
That offended Rachel, "You!"
Even though she was offended and was angry right now, that didn't stop Charlotte from provoking her even more. In fact, Charlotte grinned even wider that it worked.
"What? Did I say it wrong? Aren't you that type of person?" Charlotte asked with a grin.
Rachel wanted to argue with Charlotte right now but considering that she had something more important to do right now, she forced herself to not argue with Charlotte and instead just coldly snorted and looked at Bam.
"Take a good care of your sister."
Charlotte stuck her tongue at Rachel who ignored her.
Bam would, of course, always side with Charlotte. But right now, they were having an important mission to do yet she was playing. He thought that she deserved a flick on her forehead and flicked her forehead lightly.
Having her forehead flicked, Charlotte looked at her brother, feeling that she had been wronged.
"Why are you flicking me?!"
"We're having mission now" he said and patted her head again. "Focus."
Even though she wasn't mad for getting flicked on the forehead and enjoyed the pat, Charlotte still looked away and pouted. Perhaps what made her felt annoyed right now was that she couldn't offend Rachel again for some time.
"Um.....so why are you two leaving it up to us to deal with Hell Joe?" Bam asked. "You both look powerful and as far as I know, you are immortals."
"Well....actually, Hell Joe....." Grand De Lee looked rather hesitant telling them the answer. "Along time ago in the hall.....he found a monster......a hideous monster that devour immortals to grow."
"A monster that devour immortals to grow....?" Charlotte echoed.
If that was the truth, no wonder Grand De Jah and Grand De Lee couldn't recklessly save Grand De Sah and conquer back the South City. It was because a hideous monster that could devour immortals like them was on the top of the chain in this Floor of Death!
He was the predator while the immortals were his preys.
"Hell Joe. The monster that he found in the holes. The Red Thryssa. That monster, known as one of the top predators on the tower with the name like Divine Sea Fish, has tremendous predatory ability which is so powerful that it can even cancel our immortality spell.
That monster's teeth can chew up our body. The moment its teeth bite us, our body is paralyzed and our power is absorbed. So once he catches us, we become completely helpless prey. He is our greatest natural enemy.
Of course, he can't kill us but it's almost impossible for us to recover our power. The ability exists equally in Hell Joe's teeth as well as his right hand. Hell Joe took advantage of that ability to take away the power of the South City residents and distribute that power to their men. In addition, Hell Joe can manipulate the hole to neutralize opponent's Shinsu attack. He's basically invincible."
"WHAT?!" Rachel was surprised to hear the abilities of Hell Joe. No wonder Grand Dee Lee said that this mission was too great and heavy for them. It was because Hell Joe himself was an invincible person! "How are we supposed to fight with a monster like that?!"
"I think that it's impossible too....but De Jah believes, if you really are the owner of the thorn fragment, you must have such a remarkable power that you could easily defeat someone like Hell Joe" Grand De Lee said again to them.
Charlotte wasn't really worried. She knew that her brother was a monster among the monsters and that Hell Joe wouldn't be a problem for him. After all, she couldn't forget that he was the protagonist of the manhwa. He wouldn't die.
And besides, there was a skill that she and her brother could use to cancel the immortality of Hell Joe's underlings.....though it won't work easily on Hell Joe, but there was a chance that it might work.
"If the three of you want to go to Hell Joe's castle, I'll lead the way" said Grand De Lee again after pausing for a moment. "If you go through the entrance behind me, you can enter Hell Joe's castle. Not even Hell Joe knows about the Shinsu path connected with this entrance."
Behind him, there was indeed a door. The door that was decorated with gold and had blue color on it as if it was made from Shinsu. Well, it was indeed made by Shinsu.
"The Shinsu path connected with this entrace is the path made by Grand De Jah and Grand De Sah. And it's not only connected to Hell Joe's castle, but several paths of the places in the South City. Right now, it's our best way to infiltrate to his castle" Grand De Lee explained again.
"How convenient" said Charlotte.
"Then we should leave immediately" said Bam firmly and without hesitation.
"What?! Without any kind of backup plan?!" Rachel disagreed.
"....our companions may be in danger if Yuri is there. I don't know why but I'm going to have to hurry, Rachel" Bam said with a solemn expression.
"....so you manage to stay alive this far with that stupid bravery of yours?"
"Not a problem" said Charlotte with a playful smile. "Both of us are monsters. Certainly we are not afraid of another monster like Hell Joe!"
"You take things too lightly!" said Rachel and that line somehow sounded familiar for Charlotte. Rachel looked at Grand De Lee and asked, "We can't just barge in there without a plan! Does this Joe guy has a weakness?"
Once again, Grand De Lee bowed to them and apologized that they had no idea what Hell Joe weakness was. Hell Joe was simply too strong for them to figure out his weakness. Neither of them dared to barge into his castle and trying to find his weakness when Hell Joe could instantly kill them. But according to Grand De Lee, if they came with Grand De Jah's eyes, Hockney, they might find the weakness of Hell Joe.
"Grand De Jah's eyes......?"