"It's huge!" Wangnan exclaimed in surprise as he plastered his face onto the glass of the ship.
"Is that the Archimedes?!" He yelled.
"It is. It is one of the top 5 floating ships that the workshop has made. It's practically a miracle we get to ride on it." Khun replied with a smile.
"Will Endorsi Jahad be on there?" Prince asked with stars shining in his eyes.
"That's right. We'll be fighting against her." Khun explained.
Surprisingly, none of then objected against the idea.
I guess Winston's hellish training has done a number on them. Practically anything will be better than that.
"I have a question." Yihwa said from the side, glancing at Khun.
"Where is Master Winston?"
Khun raised an eyebrow and pretended to think for a moment.
"He's experimenting with something. He'll be with us when the battle starts."
"Will he even be allowed into the battle?" Asked Arkraptor.
"There shouldn't be a problem considering he's still a regular. By the rules of the tower, you can't stop a regular from taking a test unless you also belong to the same category. Of course, no other regular can afford to take on Winston." Khun smiled and gazed at the Archimedes.
"Though he did say he might be too busy with his experiments. If so, he might send in another helper."
"Another helper?" Wangnan suddenly turned his head, a shiver going down his spine. "It wouldn't happen to be... a crow right?"
"No? Why would it be a crow?" Khun stared at him weirdly.
"No reason... yeah. No reason." Wangnan avoided eye contact and awkwardly gawked outside to the various floating ships heading towards the Archimedes.
"I don't really have an idea of what type of helper he's talking about. But if Winston himself had vouched for them, they certainly won't be weak." Khun said with a relaxed smile.
"This time... we'll win the battle and take Bam with us."
~~~
Shinsu coalesced into a thousand shapes, appearing and disappearing, merging within themselves and dissociating therein. Innumerable droplets of shinsu rained onto the ground and soon floated upwards to join the coalition.
Faces and limbs appeared on the shinsu and rang with a silent scream.
And there, at the center of it all stood Winston. He held out his arms and his eyes were closed. The shinsu moved as if imbued with a life of it's own, gathering into hundreds upon hundreds of orbs, each having enough soo to rival a normal High Ranker's.
Winston kept his eyes closed as the shinsu continued to move. He could feel it.
Through his control, the shinsu was... evolving.
Life was an adaptable thing. Life perceives the changes around itself and changes to cope with them. Evolution forms the basis of life.
The baangs in the air came together, transforming into a mesh that constantly exchanged shinsu through their connections. Informational exchange continued every single second, getting faster, stronger; more and more and more and more; evolving with each drop of shinsu exchanged.
A brain as large as a world. That was what Winston had imagined. And the shinsu moved to fulfil his wishes.
With each progression in sequence, his ability to control and dominate the shinsu in an area only continued to get stronger.
Upon his ascension to a demigod, the ability had only gotten stronger.
By himself, he could operate with a whole 200 baangs! And when combined with each of his worms, that only worked to be a separate computing unit, that number quickly ramped up. Now, he could simply will the shinsu to do something. And so it shall happen.
Winston opened his eyes to look at the spectacle. Innumerable droplets of water hung in the air, connected with thin blue threads that flashed every time information was exchanged.
Slowly but surely... a consciousness is forming. Winston mused as he stared at the large spectacle. He had not yet been able to create life from shinsu. But he could simply emulate the processes needed for the same.
He would create a Divine sea fish for himself.
One that was tailor made for his shinsu.
Speaking of...
Winston extended his arms, and out came three baangs of shinsu. Each baaang was shaped differently.
The first resembled the shape of innumerable doors, turning inside out and merging within themselves. The space slightly distorted as the baang came into existence. The various doors had intricate patterns embossed upon them in metal and in wood. Some if the doors were open, either revealing a blend of colours that signified the spirit world or complete darkness and fog.
The second was a television static that desired to spread out uncontrollably, turning the shinsu around it into a chaotic blend of colours. It was pure chaos. Nothing could be gleamed from looking into the baang.
And the final one was a rough sphere made out of shards of broken glass. From within the glass, the reflection of a marionette could be seen, one that had constantly shifting features and from the limbs of which illusory threads spread out of the mirror and into the air.
They were his shinsu qualities. Three of them, signifying the door, error and the fool.
The discovery of such new shinsu qualities was what sparked his curiosity and his desire to experiment. And along came the curiosity about a divine sea fish made from his attributes.
Of course, such a large experiment was bound to be noticed and interrupted by a floor administrator. What Winston was attempting spanned a whole 50 kilometers in all directions. It was not something that could simply be ignored.
And so, he had created a separate space for himself, Sealing himself within. Still, he could feel the drilling gaze of the administrator at the back of his head.
Still can't hide from the administrator. Winston mused, dispelling the three baangs he had made.
Speaking of which he had actually tried to look at the administrator with his spirit vision. An endeavour that resulted in severe brain damage. But it was nothing a good reset wouldn't fix at this point. It also allowed him to confirm one thing. Administrator's were at the level of angels. They weren't quite at the level of a God. If they were, even at the Demigod stage, Winston would have been turned into a pile of worms without a second to react the moment he gazed upon it's true form.
Winston looked at the shinsu network he had made that resembled the neurons in a brain.
I don't think I'll be leaving this place for a while... I suppose I should send an avatar over. I did say I would send someone to help. Winston nodded his head. But then, he had an idea.
...I guess Shibisu will be able to finally meet Charolette. He can't blame me if he gets rejected though... It would seem Winston's mischievous nature had only grown with his ascension.
~~~
A large battleship floated through the air, followed closely by hundreds of smaller ones.
The entire structure of the battleship was modified to include various housing spaces upon which hundreds of buildings were erected.
The entire battleship was covered by a large glass dome from the top while the front of the ship had a giant needle that spearheaded it's charge.
It was the Ark of Knowledge, the Battleship of the Po Bidau Family.
And in the air of the battleship, there floated a man who wore glasses. He wore a white trenchcoat that fluttered in the wind and wore a white suit underneath. With his white gloved hands, he held up a cigarette to his mouth, from which he took momentary puffs from.
Behind him stood another creature.
It was a giant silver haired creature with two long ears, horns and round glasses. It had the face not different from a deer and looked extremely wise and intelligent. It wore a long white robe and held a book beside him.
"Proust, I'll leave for a bit. Until I return, take note of what Bellerir does while I'm away." The man with the glasses spoke with a clear voice.
The creature stayed silent for a moment before he spoke.
"Forgive my question, sir. But is your sudden leave related to the happenings of a month ago?" Proust asked.
The man with the glasses glanced behind him, meeting the creature's large figure.
"Perhaps. But not necessarily. It is merely an experiment."
"Experiment?"
"That's right." The man smiled as the wind picked up, throwing the back of his trenchcoat in the air.
"Something interesting might happen this year... at the Workshop battle. I might even meet the 'Silent Leviathan' that's been on everyone's tongue for the previous month." He said.
Proust nodded with respect.
"Then, I will take care of everything in your absence." He said.
The man with the glasses nodded.
Then, his threw the cigarette he held in his hand into the air. Without falling, it silently burned away in a strange flame. Then, the man stepped before him in the air. Instantly, a blinding flash of light enveloped him, and there he was gone.
His destination was unknown.
~~~
The floating ship Archimedes was truly one of a kind. It offered the greatest luxuries to the ones that board it.
But to even get onto the ship, where the workshop battle was to be conducted, there would be a test.
A gorgeous woman walked on the streets of the temporary ship that had been called.
It was where the tickets to the Archimedes were going to be given out through the means of a game. Given the importance of the place, it was strange that there was only a single woman that walked here.
The woman had bright golden hair that shone in the light. Her eyes were tinted with the colours of the finest sapphire and her cheeks were gleaming with the shade of a morning ray. Her lips were like a blooming rose and her chin was slanting and cute.
Her nose affirms don't you dare, yet eyes that challenge why don't you?
She wore a short skirt the colour of sea blue and a bright top that exposed her gentle shoulders.
It was none other than Charolette, Winston's avatar.
"Now where are those guys?" She said, her eyes flashing with a strange glow.
Slowly, illusory threads began to spread out from her body, siphoning information from the spirit world.
"Found you." A flash of flames enveloped her body, and there she was gone.
Khun sat in his room, talking to the team about their plan. The test for the tickets had yet to be revealed. As such, he was giving them a short speech to boost their morale. Though he wasn't sure if it was even needed. After going through training, they seemed to be filled with a strange confidence.
That confidence can be fatal. It won't be strange for then to crumble the moment they meet someone much higher than them. Khun thought silently.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"What the?" Arkraptor was the first to voice his confusion.
It was strange anyone would come to their room.
The test was about to begin shortly. As such, every other regular was waiting in their own room to take a look at the criteria.
Khun stayed silent for a moment.
"Be on guard." He said and got up.
At the corner of his eye, he saw Yihwa and Wangnan get up to take their positions.
Standing right before the door, he asked.
"Who's there?"
"Winston sent me." It was the voice of a woman.
The tense air was instantly deflated.
Wangnan, Prince and Miseng were instantly ecstatic. While the others were still not convinced.
Khun signaled for them to stay quiet.
"How can we know for sure."
"Is anyone else supposed to know that Khun Ageuro Agnis is alive?" The melodious voice spoke again.
Khun thought for some time before he opened the door.
And as he did, Charolette came into view.
"Hello there." She grinned. "Ready to win?"
~~~
A/N: Bro I tell you. The family heads hosted a drip or drown contest and Gustang WON. Goddman does the man have the drip.
Anyway, throw some stones.
Also, do take the time to leave a review and chapter thoughts. It helps keep me motivated and gives me that dopamine to keep going.
Cheers~~~