On the fifth day of the trial, Bubbles Up returned again.
"Bubbles Up, why are you here? Didn't you go to Silent Hill? Horseman asked him."
"I returned because Boss Hells Paradise ordered us back to the Philippines, and we have a new mission. The earnings here will surely be substantial since the mission is a direct order from the Heroes Association," explained Bubbles Up.
"When are we leaving?" Horseman asked.
"Next week, after this test." Bubbles Up said.
"It's going to take a while" Horseman sulked.
Bubbles Up noticed that Caterpillar had been staring at him intently for a while.
"Oh, do we have a problem?" She asked.
"Wow, this one is so grumpy," said Caterpillar.
"Ah, maybe you're a lesbian, right?" Bubbles Up asked.
"So what?" Caterpillar sulked.
"What's the problem with this?" Bubbles Up asked Horseman while glaring at Caterpillar.
"She didn't see your SSS class form, and she's envious of you because you've become the topic of conversation among the faculty here," Horseman explained.
"No way!" Caterpillar replied, refusing.
"Maybe, you also want to achieve metamorphosis?" said Bubbles Up.
"Okay, I admit it. I also want to transform and I don't want to remain a caterpillar. I also want to be a butterfly," said the Caterpillar.
"That's all there is to it," said Horseman.
"Why don't you just join our squad? We actually need two more members. It's a good deal for us since the Heroes Association themselves hired us now," Bubbles Up persuaded.
"Okay, I'll give it a try," replied Caterpillar.
Back at the test where the Ladder of Fortitude stands;
Many of the candidates stopped climbing the stairs after reaching the 51st step. They know they have already passed, so they no longer waste their strength climbing to a higher steps and they also know they won't be able to reach the highest rung of the ladder. There were also around 250 candidates who decided to stay there.
More people still decided to continue climbing to higher parts to achieve rankings. But many cannot handle the pressure when it comes to the 71st part. That's why many decided to just stay at the 70th level.
"From the 51st rung to the 70th, the participants felt the pressure of an S-class hero. I know that many of our candidates can withstand this kind of strength, but when it comes to the 71st to the 85th rungs, you will feel the stronger pressure of an SS-class hero. Beyond that, up to the 98th rung, you will experience the pressure of an SSS-class hero, and at the 99th and 100th rungs, the pressure is akin to that of an SSS+ class hero. The holder of the 98th rung and the one who still holds the record for the highest ascent on the ladder of fortitude is none other than our Academy Director, Director Xavier," explained the stout woman.
The final day of the test has arrived, and many more candidates have stopped at the 85th level.
"Dynamo is currently in the lead at the 96th level due to his speed, but he can no longer move and seems to have run out of strength. Following him now is Dina-might at the 95th level, and so is Damun. At the 94th level are Null, Lucky Zero, Vanessa, Stickman, Fox Slayer, Mitsu, and Potter.
In the 93rd grade, Tundra, Wallhope, Choke, Tsu, and Kurae are here.
In 92nd place are Drop, Ghostamer, Cleo, and Badidap, while Swarm remains in 91st place. They make up our top 20," narrated by Fatty Cook of Medicine.
"I can't take this pressure anymore and I might collapse if I continue. I'm sorry, master, I really can't do it anymore," Damon said regretfully.
Dina-might has surpassed him and is now at the same level as Dynamo. He activated her shield, so without any hesitation, she walked forward, unfazed by the intense pressure of that level, as if it were nothing to her, until she overtook Dynamo and reached the 97th step.
The Dean and the Superintendent, along with the faculty, couldn't hide their concern and excitement that Dina-might might reach or even break Xavier's record.
Now, as times pass, candidates of the 94rth rung had reached the 95th level so Null, Lucky Zero, Vanessa, Stickman, Fox Slayer, Mitsu, and Potter is now with Damun.
Damun just could not believe it, he was passed off because of these.
"I can't move on anymore, perhaps I have to stay in this level" said Lucky Zero who was concerned of Vanessa who was shaken terribly since she can no longer resist the pressure. Null just nodded.
"Don't you dare challenge the higher level" said Damun.
Others also choose to stay in the 95th step. While Dina-might reached the 98th rung that made emcee speechless. The Supirentendent couldn't even believe his eyes. "I am dreaming?" He asked.
There is still five hours left in the test.
Dina couldn't hold on much longer and she was lossing her strength and was not able to maintained her shield, so she activates giantification and her eyes turned red that adds her another strength.
"No way!" Cried both the Dean and Supirentendent.
"What is going on with the two of you sirs?" Ask the Fatty Cook of Medicine.
"It's a Three Gods contract. She have been contracted by three Gods." The Supirentendent explained that stunned and shocked everyone.
"What?" The Fatty can't even believe it.
But before they could recover from the shock and astonishment at Dina-might's display, they witnessed another surprising event when they saw Null rapidly shooting up the stairs as if something was pulling him.
"What's going on?"asked Bubbles Up.
"A normal person doesn't run like this," said Caterpillar.
"Why does it seems like someone is pulling him.?"said Horseman.
"I can't even understand what is going on, so please Sirs, can you give your opinions to the public" asked Fatty Cook of Medicine.
The Dean and the Supirentendent had given thier vote to Dina-might already so they are afraid Null will overtake her on the 98th rung now that Null had reached the 97th and still going up at fast speed he will surely overtake her so they were thinking of reasons to disqualify him.
"This is unacceptable! the way you look at it must be a cheat device he... he strung it to the gate and now he is automatically pulled." Explained the Supirentendent.
"He cheated!" Said the emcee repeating what the Supirentendent had said.
"It can't be. It's impossible!" cried Bubbles Up.
"I looks like he really cheated," said Horseman.
The faculty and staff also believes he cheated.
Null has already surpassed Dina-might on the 98th step and went straight to the 99th step until he reached the 100th step and entered the golden door. Upon entering the golden door, the Stairs expelled all the participants outside.
"He should be disqualified, the Dean said."
"What happened? Why are we outside?" Dina-might wondered.
"There was a drunk who cheated!" Damon said angrily.
"Can God be deceived?" Lucky Zero asked.
Meanwhile, Null found himself at a crossroads and had to make a choice. He was in the middle of the crossing. Each path leads to a door, and he only needs to choose one.
"Wait, where am I? What place is this? Why is the Ladder gone?" Null asked, looking utterly confused.
Even before he could make a decision, the paths and doors disappeared, and he fell into the water, but instead of sinking, he was on the surface and standing.
"Congratulations, you are the Chosen One, the one who has the ability to shape their own destiny," said the Voice.
"Tell me the truth, are you a God?" Null asked.
"I saw you act like this before, don't get mad at me, I'm not your enemy." The voice replied gently.
"Where are you? Why won't you show yourself to me?" Null asked.
And she beheld the light from above the heavens in the distance, and a man descended holding a key and a staff. She was a woman with long hair, wearing a white gown made of linen.
"Why are you carrying a key? What's it for? There's no lock here." Null wondered.
"Ah, your memory isn't erased, so you don't need this anymore," the woman replied, and the key vanished from her hand.
"Are you the one who will give me a reward? But I haven't done anything." The God of the Pathways said to him.
"You're right, you didn't do anything and you're so slow? You're just toying with my challenge. You're really stubborn. Time would probably run out before you even got here if I hadn't taken action. Do you know that? I should have taken you when you reached the 50th level." The God of the Pathways explained to him.
"Huh, what if I'm slow now?" Null asked.
"Ahh! You're so stupid too, huh?" the God of the Pathways said in annoyance.
"Of course, because you possess a unique power, this challenge of mine, I know it's nothing to you. So you just look like someone wandering in the park," said the God of the Pathways.
"You're interested in the power I possess, are you going to take it from me? You gods are really something else. You think you have no karma. You treat us humans like toys because you are powerful. The day will come when I myself will collect the debts from you, you all will pay for it!" Null exclaimed angrily.
"I understand why you are angry at the gods, but don't generalize. Not all gods treat humans the way you say they toy with you. Wait! Are you also toying with my trials to get back at them in some way?"
"I just did what I thought was right and what I should do," Null replied.
"Ah, your intentions and disposition are good even though you have no emotions or feelings, but your gaze still carries anger. You resemble the Overlord." The God of the Pathways narrated.
"Who is the Overlord?" Null asked.
The Overlord of this Universe; The God Alpha Omega." replied God of the Pathways.
"Like you, he feels nothing and has no emotions; he is like a glass with nothing inside or a body in the void. He can bring an end to everything and he is also the beginning of everything. Five hundred years ago, he chose a student, and it was unknown to the God the Author. The person he chose was a former hero who committed suicide because of what happened in the past where he killed his beloved, and the tragic part is that the monster he killed was actually..."
"That's enough, please!" Null interrupted.
"I don't want to hear it anymore! That's enough! That's enough!" Null shouted.
"You no longer feel anything, yet you are still affected by your past," the God of the Pathways said gently.
"Because I asked Sandara not to interfere with my memory, but she was stubborn at first until it reached the point where I was running out of time to return, so she was forced to comply with my request." Null explained.
Upon hearing this, Null's eyes filled with sadness.
"The names that are all-powerful for me," He said.
"Where are they now?" Null asked.
"Didn't they also take this test before? Is that where you met them? What names did they use as heroes?" He continued to ask.
"Forgive me, but their names back then were only temporary, and even if I knew, I couldn't tell you," said the God of the Pathways sadly.
Tears welled up in Null's eyes when he couldn't understand the reason why he wanted to see them and know how their lives were in their second encounter.
"Then what is the real reason why you brought me here?" Asked Null.
"Look, I can't help you about anything. I am just a tiny glimpse of consciousness from the real body. My real body is being sealed in the depths of the ocean in the east. There is a trench on that part of the ocean which is so deep and so hot. I almost reach the Earth's core I think it is. It's been guarded by demons of the deep sea and are very powerful. It's me that I need your help. Since you are the last disciple of the Overlord, I knew you can help me." Explained the God of the Pathways.