- Icarus -

The three of them went to distract Big Breeder.

"What are they doing?" Khun asked.

Charlotte pointed to the tower, "Finishing the grand quest. If I'm not wrong, the champion villain must be inside the tower and they're trying to bring it down before killing it."

"It's pillar" Hansung Yu corrected.

"I'm not a freaking dictionary."

"What if we reinforce the ground with shinsu so that they can't dig it out anymore?" Khun suggested and glanced at Charlotte.

"That's impossible. Big Breeder will notice" said Hansung Yu.

"What if we secretly contact our companions?" Khun asked.

"Of course we would get caught."

The two of them pondered for awhile on how to distract Big Breeder while Charlotte who was in the middle of the two of them found this situation had happened before.

No, it happened plenty of times.

'Right, when I teamed up with my old friends to solve math question, didn't I sit in the middle while waiting the two of them to get me the answer?' she thought. 'The history repeats itself and I don't hate it. I never hate it.'

Khun observed the pillar for awhile before he found himself an answer.

"Look...doesn't the top part look like...it could be removed if we turn it?"

'And here comes the answer! Yay!!'

And so, the two of them worked together to steal the champion villain which was hiding on the top of the pillar. First, Hansung Yu used shinsu quietly to turn the top to make it easier to be removed and then Khun used his lighthouse to teleport the champion villain and ran away with Hansung Yu and Charlotte.

Big Breeder Jeok, Bero Bero, Irure and the others were surprised to see that.

Estelle looked at Estrella and noticed that Estrella was looking at the pillar with a serious expression, "Isn't that lighthouse..."

"Khun is around here" said Raisin.

"Celeste" Noah called, shaking his younger sister carefully. "Wake up."

'All of us, regulars, end up in this Hidden Floor. I refuse to believe that Khun isn't aware that we are in the middle of the grand quest unless he doesn't have a clue about it which was impossible. Since he's interfering and disturbing "our" work right now...' Raisin glanced at Big Breeder sharply. 'Could it be he's the enemy here?'

At the same time as they were trying to figure what had just happened, the three others were running away to a safer place.

"We did it!!"

"Don't let your guard down, the Big Breeder will notice it right away!"

"We teleported it from very far away so it will take some time to find it. No matter what it takes, we need to buy time until the grand quest is complete."

"I hope this goes as planned."

To their surprise, there was a black shadow moving above them. The speed of the black shadow was faster than them and quickly, Big Breeder Jeok appeared right before them.

"Stealing someone's toy...? It looks like you new warriors have some bad habit" said the Big Breeder.

He had retrieved the champion villain.

"Big Breeder...!!" Hansung Yu gritted his teeth while Khun looked at Big Breeder in disbelief.

"How...!!"

"I'd like to ask the same to the three of you" said the Big Breeder. "How did you three..."

When he saw Hansung Yu there, he immediately got an answer for himself.

"It's you...from...I have a rough idea...of what's going on" he said. "You were trying something stupid with the heroes who came to this place and then I ruined your plans. You alone vanished somewhere so I couldn't find you...but I didn't think you would be up to something like this again..."

Big Breeder glared coldly at Hansung Yu, "What on earth are you doing this for? You lowly data creature...."

Khun was sharp enough to notice this Big Breeder's hostility towards Hansung Yu and immediately guessed that these two must have something in the past. And that something must not be anything good. Considering Hansung Yu's personality, he must be the one who schemed against this Big Breeder. Therefore, he asked on purpose, "Huh...? You were harassed by this guy too?"

Hansung Yu didn't seem to believe his own ears, "H...harassed?!"

"Tell me the truth. It's nothing to be ashamed of" Khun continued, ignoring Hansung Yu's expression while Charlotte was giggling on the corner. "I'll get back at him for you."

"How you would get him back?" She asked him with that playful smile.

'Whose side are the two of you in?' Hansung Yu inwardly asked while crying internally. 'Dear me at the outside, what have you done to them?'

"Now, enough of this nonsense!" said Big Breeder as he raised something sort of a wand.

"I won't let it happen--"

Large green vines soar from the ground, trying to attack Big Breeder from below.

'These green vines...they didn't produce slightest sound when they were released and had a rather fast speed' Big Breeder thought.

A vine then was wrapped around his wand and when he looked at it, it was Charlotte. If before they were stealing the champion villain, right now she was trying to steal his wand.

He scoffed, "But petty little tricks like this...won't work on me!"

"A- ah!"

Like a bull, his physical strength was quite strong. It was hard for Charlotte to win against him in the game of pulling and at the end, she had to let go of her green vine.

"Your strength isn't that weak for a little girl" said Big Breeder. "Unfortunately, my physical strength is above yours."

That somehow had offended her.

Charlotte snorted and angrily said, "Heh! If it wasn't you get chosen as Big Breeder, you won't be able to beat me! Honestly, do all Big Breeders have bad tastes? One is an ugly man with mustache, all day doing nothing but bad deed and tormenting others! Now is a giant fat bull! What's next? A floating cunning golden ball?"

Khun and Hansung Yu, "........."

'She's angry just because she couldn't get that wand of his...gosh...how childish.'

Big Breeder felt that his blood was boiling after hearing her words. Red veins were popping on his head as he shouted, "You little b*tch....! Who are you calling fat bull?"

Before Charlotte could argue any further, Big Breeder raised his wand and then something appeared on the sky. Honestly, if she's given a chance to argue with him, she will never shut up until he admits defeat. Stubborn.

On the sky, there was a giant ball made of rock and had the appearance of the bull as well.

"Honestly, are you a bull fanatic? Somehow I feel like everything you summoned are related with bulls!" she said again.

Her plan was to snatch the wand and snap it into half. Without his wand, she thought that his strength would decrease at least a little. But that plan had failed. Well, she knew it was her fault for not preparing better. But then again, she wasn't born in the most cunning family, Khun Family.

"Well that's not the issue right now!" Hansung Yu said, tone sounded like he was panicking. "Let's run first!"

"But what about the grand quest?" Khun asked.

"That guy is Stone General! He's on completely different level with the soldiers that we've faced so far!" Hansung Yu explained. "If you want to live, run!"

There the orange- haired man ran away first.

Charlotte pulled his wrist, "We should also follow him!"

"Hey- don't just pull my hand like that!"

"Summon a rain of stones! Stone General!" Big Breeder ordered.

The stones were falling right before them.

Charlotte looked at the stones in a glaring way. She stopped running and used one of her techniques.

[Time Manipulation Skill- Time Pause]

To their surprises, especially for Big Breeder, the stones stopped in the air. The Stone General also stopped moving.

Big Breeder's jaw dropped when he saw that, 'How?!'

'It's Charlotte's [Time Pause]!' Khun thought. No matter how many times he saw it, the ability to manipulate the time was indeed amazing and extraordinary.

Charlotte released Khun's hand, ignoring his call to tell her to wait and jumped.

[Time Manipulation Skill- Acceleration]

She accelerated her speed on the air and within a blink of eye, she had kicked all the stones back to the Stone General.

'What a great speed!' Hansung Yu thought, amazed.

'That woman...' Big Breeder Jeok was focused right on her now.

"Damn it" said Charlotte who returned back on the ground. "Even if I kick all of them back to the general, the general is still unharmed!"

"The Stone General is tougher than you think" said Hansung Yu. "Forget about destroying it, we better run away first before Big Breeder keeps up."

At this moment, Charlotte inwardly thought that if the stones that the Stone General summoned couldn't hurt the general, then what if she used her full strength as someone with the power of B- rank regular? She doubted that Big Breeder would survive. No, if he survives, then she wouldn't mind admitting him as the strongest Big Breeder.

The Big Breeder who she countered in the Town of the Wandering Minstrel relied on the hostage who he caught to escape from her. It was nice to find an opponent who she could fight fair and square.

"Wait for us as well!"

When Charlotte turned her head again, she saw a group of familiar people. She smiled and forgot about the Stone General for a moment and said, "Estelle!"

"You are still alive?" Khun asked in disbelief.

"Let's not talk about this first!" Raisin said. "Where are Endorsi and Bam? Altaira and Rak?"

Then, soon enough, there was a pink light distracting their attentions. The pink light was obviously Bong Bong and Endorsi and Bam had arrived.

"Endorsi! Take all of us go right now before that mad bull attacks us again!" said Raisin.

"I know!"

"You are going nowhere!"

How could the Big Breeder possibly let a group of rebellious regulars run away from his sight? These regulars will only bring troubles and problems in this Hidden Floor, especially that Hansung Yu and the brown haired girl. He had to take them down and caught them.

But when he was about to pull out another card, there was a spear thrown and hit his wand. Because of that spear, his wand fell from his hand.

'Mad Shocker?!'

They recognized that spear. Altaira, Rak and an unfamiliar woman had arrived.

The unfamiliar woman could also be considered as beauty. The stranger had long glowing blonde hair that reached her knees, dressed in red with a pair of shining yellow eyes. Her height was even taller than Charlotte whose height around Khun's chin. She had slender and slim body.

Khun saw it clearly that Charlotte's expression had greatly darkened when she saw that woman. Her eyebrows frowned as she glared at the stranger with strong blood lust as if they were old and mortal enemies.

'Who on earth is this woman?' Khun thought.

The woman came with Altaira and Rak.

"Turtles!"

"Hurry! We have to go another stage right now!" said the woman.

Bam and Endorsi had finished their task with the help of Endorsi's sworn enemy. They've also delayed the time for Bero Bero and Irure to finish their task. Right now, they just need to open the scroll and scan it.

Bright light came form above and brought them all away. Before they completely left that stage, Charlotte could hear the Big Breeder cursing them.

"YOU BASTARDS-!!!"

And hearing him cursing them made her felt great. It meant that they managed to annoy and anger him. For Charlotte, it was fun to see her enemies and opponents frowning, cursing, hating them but couldn't do anything about it.

They returned to that same space again, the space they ended up in after finishing the hidden quest in the Town of Wandering Minstrel.

"That was an incredible timing, Rak!" said Bam to Rak who was dabbing proudly.

"Heh!"

Bero Bero, Irure and the White Chocolate members were shocked to see Rak was still alive and breathing right before them.

"...but who are you?" Khun asked the stranger.

The woman heard his question and clenched her fists.

"I...I...I'm Big Breeder's sworn enemy!" said that woman as she put her hand on her chest, declaring her identity.

"What?!"

Khun didn't believe it.

Big Breeders were worshiped in this place like Gods. They were invincible in their domains and now someone appeared right before him and declared that she was their sworn enemy?

Even Hansung Yu didn't see this coming.

"You all have sworn enemies too, right? I'm the sworn enemy created by the mirror to keep the balance with the Big Breeder! I was able to born when you opened the door!" she said.

That was obviously a lie.

The woman who was called Icarus, the said sworn enemy of Big Breeders, she was actually Rachel.

Rachel somehow ended up in the hidden area of the Hidden Floor. She met with the main body of Big Breeder Chung and made a deal with him. Even though Charlotte can't remember precisely what that deal was, but Big Breeder Chung agreed to let her meet her comrades as long as the other Big Breeders didn't know his deed. Otherwise, something bad might have happened to him.

The Big Breeders who were chosen were able to create avatars to enter the stages in the Hidden Floor, acting like Gods or something like that. But their main bodies were weaker than their avatars which was why Hansung Yu advised to open the door which was the bridge of the two areas and kill Big Breeder Chung's main body.

Charlotte didn't say a word as she watched how at the end Khun allowed her to join their team even though he felt that Icarus or Rachel was suspicious.

Khun glanced at her, noticing that her expression wasn't as dark as before. To say that she looked angry like before, right now, she looked like she was distracted by something- possibly by her thoughts. She was distracted by whatever it was that she didn't speak even a word.

Altaira noticed that but didn't say a word. He knew what made Charlotte looked so distracted. Bam also felt that there was something bothering Charlotte and wanted to ask what it was, but they were heading to the next stage before he could ask.

Charlotte was crossing her arms and held her arms tighter and bit her lips, 'Do I really have to make that decision? But...I don't want to see him hurt....'

The next stage, the third stage was called as "Rough Island".

In the Rough Island, they quickly defeated the champion villain and earned the scroll that will allow them to move to another stage. They've divided themselves into two teams to make things faster. They could communicate using the measuring device or the pocket watch given to them once they entered the Hidden Floor so it wasn't a problem.

"Congratulations on defeating the champion villain! You can proceed to next stage once you find the exit!" said the scroll.

"Gosh...we have to find the exit right now?" Raisin asked. He wasn't interested with this at all.

"Isn't this fun? It's like playing hide- and- seek!" said Estrella lively.

Somehow that made Raisin felt even annoyed.

"Game, game, game! What is in your mind aside from games and foods? Go on! Tell me!" he shouted, poking her forehead with his index finger harshly.

Charlotte glanced at her right. She smiled when she saw Altaira was hugging Celeste tightly with relieved and happy tears while Noah was looking at him in disbelief, saying that Altaira was overreacting and warned him to not hug his sister too tight otherwise she won't be able to breath.

"Slaying a minotaur, then rescuing some little villains and escaping? These sure are strange quests" said Khun towards Charlotte.

Charlotte just shrugged.

Khun, "...."

He was even more certain that there was something wrong with Charlotte.

"Endorsi, how are things at your end?" Khun asked through his monitor.

Endorsi answered with the good and evil monitor, "We beat the villain too. I think we just have to find the exit now."

Khun let out a sigh of relieve.

'So we safely passed this stage too? I'm glad the Big Breeder hasn't shown up but we still haven't found our companions...'

He froze suddenly.

"What's this...? A sudden chill..." He shuddered.

"What?!"

"Khun, could that be...?"

"Khun."

There was another strange, unfamiliar and unknown female voice coming from a small device with purple gem. That device was an observer.

The voice calling Khun's name was rather calm. But in the same time, one could feel the coldness in that voice. The owner of the device seemed to be focused only to Khun, not caring the people around him.

"An observer?!"

"Long time no see, brother" the female voice from the observer said. "I never imagined I would see you here like this."

'That voice...?!'

How could he not be familiar with it?

"I'm so glad that you considered me as your sworn enemy. I'm waiting for you here. Come quickly. Or one of your companions might just disappear-"

"WHAT?!"

"She's a very cute girl wearing red clothes. For some strange reasons...I keep wanting...to kill something-"

"That's because you have a mental problem." The quiet Charlotte finally said a word with a clearly- annoyed tone. "If you have time threatening others, why don't you go and consult to a psychologist?"

"........"

'That really ruined the moment' Noah thought.

The cute girl that the woman who Charlotte mentioned as someone with mental problem mentioned must be Miseng. If Khun's sworn enemy wanted to kill Miseng, considering Miseng's strength, it won't be hard and would have been a piece of cake.

"...no matter what, I'll kill this girl if you don't come" said the woman again. "Come quickly, brother."

Charlotte scoffed.

"We have to go and save her!" said Bam.

"...no, Bam. I think I should go there by myself" said Khun.

"Khun...!"

"For now, you guys go and look for the exit. I'll leave you with a lighthouse. Call me if you find it" Khun said with an assuring smile. "She seems to be my sworn enemy so I'll deal with her later."

The blue- haired man put his hands on pockets and walked away, following the observer that was leading him the route.

But before he could walk too far, a pair of hands caught his arm, stopping him from walking further.