Volume 23 — The Billion Club — Begins
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Volume Info:
Volume 23 has only 37 Chapters. It has only one purpose, to glorify what it means to join the Billion Club. There are incredible fights in this volume, including Kai taking on one more 12th Floor Contestant by the end.
The Volume has lots of original Images. Also, it is fully available to be read as I have already completed it a long time ago.
A FREE Post regarding the 1000 Chapters-Easter Deal Offering FLAT 50% OFF is also available on my Page [Link can be accessed through the link in my Webnovel Profile]
Enjoy!
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12th Floor,
Order's Peak
The Leader of Spiral CascadeOrganization, Blue Swirl, a 15th-floor Powerhouse, stormed into the organization's branch on the 12th Floor, carrying a chill on his shoulders.
He was old.
His Life Halt would run out in the next decade.
Even if he dared to attempt the Set Ascension Mission, he might not make it in time now.
But he cherished the people under him — the followers he had gathered over thousands of years of hardship, from the 1st to the 15th Floor. Without him, the power struggle would consume them, he knew.
So, he had been planning to hand over the reins of Spiral Cascade to a suitable Contestant.
And what Contestant could be more suitable than a Glitched One?
Blue Swirl considered his finding of Director the greatest feat of his life, on par with the successful completion of the Mission that had pushed him to the 15th Floor.
The Contestant, with one of the most broken Glitches Blue Swirl had the privilege of learning about, not only suited his ideals, but the guy was innately strong as well, holding Anti-Spiral Blessing.
It was because of this Blessing that Blue Swirl had found Director, to begin with.
Anti-Spiral Blessings could rarely be seen, only among Chaos' Contestants. However, there were no official terms and conditions regarding Blessings, only conclusions based on experiences.
For Director, an Order's Contestant, to get Anti-Spiral Blessing was rarer than him having a Glitch!
When Blue Swirl had found this much about him, he had instantly decided to make Director his successor.
So, when he learned that the future head of Spiral Cascade had returned from an Inheritance Mission in the Fate timeline… defeated, it had sent a shiver running down Blue Swirl's spine.
Director wasn't just a one-trick pony.
There was a reason the guy had enough confidence to go to the most troubling Bubble to vie for an Inheritance.
For one, Director's Glitch bestowed upon him an illogical survival rate.
If that wasn't enough, then he also carried firepower — enough to lay waste to timelines.
It was no wonder that Director had joined one of the most prestigious groups of elites of the Primordial Tower right after ascending to the 10th Floor — The Billion Club!
With a Bounty of 1.8 billion Berries on his head, Director was one of the strongest Top-level 12th-Floor existences, Chaos and Order's sides combined!
Those who joined the Billion Club before ascending the 13th Floor were elite among the elites.
It was especially so for Order's Contestants, because their Chaos counterparts found raising their Bounties much easier than they did.
Blue Swirl knew this for a fact because he had also joined the Billion Club, but only upon reaching the 12th Floor.
So, he could comprehend what kind of strength it took for one to join the club even before the 11th Floor.
If it wasn't for Director being an Order's Contestant, and because of his innate nonviolence-pro views, the man could have risen to the ranks of one of the greatest abominations if he had resurrected in Chaos' Valley.
Blue Swirl gulped as he marched through the corridors, imagining the ill scenario.
But that was the thing about imagination — once it began spiraling out of hand, even Blessings and Glitches failed to arrest it.
Blue Swirl imagined just what kind of utterly terrifying event Director must have faced in the Key Fate timeline for him to… lose.
Loss…
Defeat…
Returning with no treasures from an Inheritance Mission…
Blue Swirl hated to admit it, but his gray hair and beard screamed at him, bolstered by the salt he had tasted in the last hundreds of years, that this was no mere defeated return.
Director, a freaking Glitched Contestant, had come running back to the Primordial Tower!
Just as Blue Swirl's imagination stirred toward the fact that his successor could have truly lost his life, only his reaching the Meditation Hall saved him from cursing out loud.
Blue Swirl took a deep breath to compose himself.
No matter how he felt about all this, he was still the Leader of the Spiral Cascade and a 15th Floor Contestant.
He couldn't meet his successor carrying chaos on his face now, could he?
Pushing the door gently, Blue Swirl stepped in, and a noise instantly drowned him, the entire Meditation Hall reverberating with… giggles?
In the middle of the vast, empty hall, white-suited Director was seated casually, smiling at the recording of a woman.
The film was being played directly through the Video Camera resting next to Director, projecting the content on a movie theater-like giant screen.
Blue Swirl recognized the woman at a mere glance.
Jeanne d'Arc?! He frowned, narrowing his eyes. … Didn't he go to a Key timeline centered around the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War?!
Even if by some miraculous encounter Director met the Holy Maiden, why would he… look at her with that loving gaze?
Blue Swirl approached Director and sat down on the floor next to him.
For a while, neither of the two said anything.
"I lost…" Director sighed.
"It's alright…"
But, before Blue Swirl could finish consoling, Director added, "… to the Five-Crowned Prince."
"…"
If Order displayed a notification, telling him that he won a Glitch, even then Blue Swirl wouldn't show the expression that had appeared on his face.
Earth. Sky. In between everything.
Nothing mattered to him anymore.
The Five-Crowned Prince was a demon well known to all on the Order's side. Not one thing Blue Swirl had heard about him suggested anything but that the guy was an abomination among abominations.
Fortunately, he was only a 9th-Floor Contestant at best and had made the entire 15th Floor on Chaos' side his enemy.
It would be a miracle if he ever ascended to the 4th Set.
And if all that was true, then such an unlucky Contestant would never reveal his identity to someone else.
"… Are… Are you sure?" Blue Swirl asked, sensing the dryness in his voice.
Director smirked. "He told me."
"Told you?!" Blue Swirl blurted. "… Told you?!"
If the Five-Crowned Prince revealed his identity to Director, then… didn't it mean he wanted it to be known?!
Director let out another breath, looking at Jeanne again, and smiled.
"He…" the Glitched Contestant said, "… He is far stronger than me…"
Blue Swirl instantly tasted blood in his mouth.
The scene on the screen changed.
And, for the first time in his entire life, Blue Swirl witnessed… the Peak.
Because when he was a 9th Floor Contestant, he hadn't been worth even a toe of the evil laughing in front of him.
"Brace yourself…" Director said, two unseen yellow crystals dancing in his eyes. "… A storm is coming."
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