Chapter 66 - Workshop Battle (11)

Two days later, Androssi and Lumen were in the training room.

Four miniature suns were floating around Lumen, and they were shooting light beams at Androssi at a rapid pace.

Around her, there were four shields in the shape of a circle, that were blocking the light beams.

Androssi had already taken the Test for a Circle User and had passed it. With her Shinsoo control, which was also enhanced by the Thorn, she had no problem passing it.

Her Shinsoo control wasn't the only thing that was improved by the Thorn. Both her Shinsoo resistance and physical strength had also been increased as well.

Androssi already had a physical strength that was even higher than Rankers, thanks to being a Princess of Zahard, but now, she was even stronger.

With the four shields defending her, she dashed towards Lumen. By strengthening herself with Shinsoo, she was able to compete with him in close quarters combat.

With each exchange between the two, she would learn and adapt to his style of fighting, which mostly relied on high-speed kicking. A few more exchanges later, she was imitating Lumen's fighting style to near perfection.

With Bam being merged with the Thorn, Androssi had inherited his special ability, Technique Replication. She can copy the opponents' techniques, regardless if it's Ranker-level or Regular-level, simply by seeing it or by being struck with the technique.

However, Androssi wasn't able to imitate Lumen's light abilities. The moment he transformed his body to light, she wasn't able to keep up with him.

Lumen kicked out with light speed, and Androssi was launched into the room's wall.

"That should be enough for today." Lumen told her.

"Just a bit more. I want to try copying your light abilities again." Androssi replied. She had already tried numerous times today, but she wanted to attempt it one more time.

Being weaker than him even with the Thorn's power didn't sit well with her. Androssi wanted to be at least as strong as Lumen. So that she could fight beside him in the future and not drag him down.

A sphere of dark red Shinsoo formed next to her, and it started shooting dark red beams towards Lumen. Androssi had managed to copy his technique, but without the light powers, it was lacking in power.

Lumen didn't even need to defend himself and allowed the beams to hit him without taking any damage from them.

"Damn it. Why can't I copy your light abilities?" Androssi cursed out. His light powers were something that she really wanted to get.

"Try copying this." Lumen said and applied his gravity powers to her. Androssi tried copying them but failed. She could do something similar, but she would have to rely on her Shinsoo to do it.

"No luck with this one as well," Androssi replied.

"Hmm. Then let's try this." Lumen shot a wave of darkness at her. He didn't want to use his black flames since they were too dangerous for testing something like this.

Androssi let the attack hit her and got blasted into the wall again. However, she was mostly uninjured from the wave of darkness.

"Yes! I finally did it!" Androssi exclaimed. "Now, you have to teach me all of your darkness techniques!"

"That's fine with me, but not now. We have to check our Shinsoo qualities and see what we can do with them." Lumen replied.

"Fine." Androssi frowned and crossed her arms. She wanted to spend more time with him, but she knew checking their Shinsoo quality is important for their progress.

Just as they were about to leave the training room, the rest of the group entered it.

"Are you guys finally done with your sparring?" Leesoo questioned. "Because we need to use the training room as well. We already had our Shinsoo qualities checked, so we have to practice manifesting them now."

"Yeah, we are done." Lumen replied. "So, what are your Shinsoo qualities?" He asked.

"Well, this is mine," Leesoo responded and gathered Shinsoo around a small device in his hand. A light-blue whip made of liquid manifested in front of him afterward.

"Gustang was pretty surprised when he saw this. Since water-based Shinsoo qualities are inherent to the Po Bidau Family." Leesoo said.

"Are you saying your family is a branch of the Po Bidau?" Androssi asked. "Because you are too weak to be a branch member of one of the 10 Great Families."

"Hey! Stop being mean. I'm weak compared to you guys, not to the rest of Regulars! But no, my family shouldn't be a branch of the Po Bidau one." Leesoo answered.

"Then why do you have a water-based Shinsoo quality?" Lumen asked him, and at that point, Gustang entered the training room as well. "Because his family comes from a direct descendant of the Ancient One."

"The Ancient One? What's that?" Androssi asked.

"The Ancient One was a giant being that was able to control all the elements. His power was unmatched in the entire Tower. At some point in time, the Ancient One had split himself into multiple beings for some reason. Each one was able to control a single element. Had I not know that you are an Irregular, I would have ȧssumed you are also a descendant of the Ancient One." Gustang explained to Lumen and Androssi.

"Those guys sound pretty strong." Lumen said.

"They are. A few of them even climbed the Tower with us. But they were later killed off by Zahard. Some managed to escape, but he placed a curse on them. I'm surprised Leesoo family had managed to bypass the curse." Gustang replied and turned towards Rak, who was in his compressed state and looked like a chibi crocodile-man.

"I was even more surprised when there was a second descendant of the Ancient One. That one has a stone shield as his Shinsoo quality, but his Shinsoo control is even worse than the weakling." Gustang said and pointed at Leesoo.

'Stupid Glasses Turtle. Just you wait, I will hunt you down in the future.' Rak thought to himself after hearing Gustang's comment.

'Now, how am I supposed to use this stupid rock shield? Why didn't I get a cool Shinsoo quality like the Blue Turtle's ice spear?' Rak cursed in his mind. He didn't like his Shinsoo quality, but there was nothing he could do about it, other than getting better at using it. Rak then looked towards Hatsu.

'How is the Warrior Turtle already using his Shinsoo quality?' Rak asked himself as he observed Hatsu, who had already manifested his Shinsoo quality, which was a simple black double-edge blade with no handle.

Since Hatsu had just passed the Test for becoming a Circle User, he decided to take advantage of that. He formed a Baang in the shape of a circle and applied his Shinsoo quality to it. The Baang then turned metallic and started spinning.

Hatsu then formed two more and made them circle around him. Not only could this be used as a way of attacking, but it could also act as a shield.

"That's good, but you shouldn't limit yourself to just that," Gustang commented.

"I know," Hatsu replied and formed two swords around him with ease.

"Arie Family members would be jealous of how easily you can form swords with Shinsoo," Gustang said. He was actually surprised at Hatsu's affinity with the sword. It was comparable to Arie Hon, but he was still not as good as him. Maybe in the future, Hatsu could reach his level.

Hatsu wasn't the only one who had an easy time with manifesting his Shinsoo quality, Aleksai also was doing it with ease. The big dude had a trident made of purple miasma floating in front of him. The trident split itself at the top and transformed into three spears.

Aleksai played around with it a bit and dispersed the spears afterward. He then created a circle with his Shinsoo and applied his quality to it, turning it into a gaseous state. The circle started spinning at high speed and slowly filling the training room with his toxic miasma.

"Hey, stop that!" Tiana called out to him, as a purple tulip in front of her suċkėd in all the miasma. Her Shinsoo quality was a bouquet of multicolored tulips, and each color had a different attribute.

For example, the purple one had a detoxifying effect, the white one had a healing effect, the green one could spread at a very fast pace, and the blue one had a property similar to the Reverse-Flow control technique. Those were the only ones she could currently use, but she also had yellow, orange, pink, and red as well.

Tiana's Shinsoo quality was one of the most versatile ones out there. Once she learns what her other colors could do, she could become a force to be reckoned with.

"Sorry," Aleksai said while scratching his head. "I was just testing things."

Gustang had a complicated look while seeing Tiana use her Shinsoo quality since she was obviously a descendant of the Eurasia Family. He shook his head and turned towards Laure, who is a branch member of that family.

A small tornado was in front of the green-haired man. Laure stared at it for a moment before he dispersed the tornado.

'And I'm done. I came with everyone to the training room, I manifested my Shinsoo quality, now it's time to sleep.' Laure thought and moved to the side. He found a comfortable spot, placed his blanket and pillow on the ground, and tucked himself in.

Gustang sighted at that. Eurasia Family members were the laziest people in the Tower, and despite that, their Shinsoo control is the best in the Tower.

Tiana is one of the few exceptions to that rule since she grew up in a lawless area where she couldn't afford to be lazy and sleep around. She had to be constantly vigilant and on the lookout. Tiana normally had trouble falling asleep, but that wasn't much of a problem after a night with Lumen.

Gustang then turned towards the small grey-haired girl who was running up to Lumen.

"Lumen, look! I have another octopus!" Verdi pointed behind her. A red aquatic animal with an elongated body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles, was floating behind her.

"Verdi, that's not an octopus, that's a squid." Lumen told her and ruffled her hair.

"A squid? But it looks like Bubbles. Are you sure it's not an octopus?" Verdi innocently questioned.

"Yes, Verdi. I'm sure that's a squid. An octopus has eight arms, while a squid not only has eight arms, it also has two additional tentacles." Lumen explained to her.

"Ahh. That's sad." Verdi replied and patted the octopus she was carrying in her arms. "Sorry, Bubbles. I guess you aren't getting a new sibling."

"Shoo, go away!" Verdi said to the red squid, and it dispersed.

"What a stupid Shinsoo quality." Verdi then sadly said.

"No, don't be sad. Squids and octopuses are related. They are like distant cousins." Lumen quickly said.

"Really?" Verdi asked with wide eyes.

"Yes!" Lumen confirmed.

"Yay! You hear that Bubbles? You got a new cousin!" Verdi patted the octopus in her hands and materialized the red squid again. She then threw Bubbles in the air, and it enlarged itself.

"Now, hug!" Verdi commanded it.

The two then entangled each other with their tentacles, but Bubbles squeezed it hard, and the squid dispersed. The octopus wasn't happy that there is another tentacle monster that could steal his time with his master.

"Bubbles, be more gentle! Don't fight with your new cousin!" Verdi told him with her hands on her waist and materialized the squid again.

"Now, do it again! And this time, be more gentle!" Verdi commanded.

Bubbles hesitated for a moment but hugged the red squid without popping it this time.

"Yay!" Verdi clapped when she saw this. "Good Bubbles!"

"Now, what am I supposed to call you?" Verdi asked herself as she observed the red squid that was entangled with Bubbles.