NOVEL WEB Chapter 2 – The Test
Just then, a female voice resounded throughout the place:
"Wait!"
-
As they heard a sound coming from behind them, both Satoru and Headon turned around. They saw a woman with long, black hair styled into a high ponytail that cascaded down her back. Her eyes are a striking red color, which stood out prominently against her fair complexion. She was staring at Satoru with a shocked expression on her face.
"What the fuck? Why is there another irregular here? We just saw one a few minutes ago!" she exclaimed, turning towards Headon.
"Miss Yuri, wait for me!" said a man of very small stature with short grey hair. He appeared a few seconds after Yuri, seemingly out of breath.
"Yuri Jahad, you of all people should have understood by now that I will not answer your questions." replied Headon, with a grin on his face.
Seeing that Headon was just going to ignore her, Yuri Jahad turned towards Satoru.
"Hey, you there! You have some explaining to do. Baam didn't know anything about the outside, but you must surely know something! I came here because I thought that he somehow returned, and was all excited about regaining Black March, but apparently, it's another irregular! You made my mood turn sour, kid. You better give me something in return. Maybe some precious knowledge about the outside? Speak now!" she exclaimed. With her red eyes and tie, she looked very bold and brash.
Satoru stood there, without understanding a single word.
He nodded at first, trying to seem polite, but soon realized he was completely lost.
"Hmm, it seems that this young lady wants to tell me something important! I got it. I shall communicate with her through sign language! Truly worthy of my genius!" he thought, as an unserious look of resolution appeared on his face.
He stood confidently in front of Yuri Jahad, his bright blue eyes sparkling with determination.
He started with what he thought was a simple greeting. Raising his hands, he confidently signed what he believed to be "Hello." In reality, his fingers awkwardly twisted and flailed, forming a completely incomprehensible gesture. Yuri’s eyebrow raised slightly, her expression remaining otherwise the same.
Unfazed, Satoru moved on, trying to convey that he didn’t understand sign language. He gestured wildly, pointing to his eyes, then his ears, and then shaking his head. To any observer, it might have looked like he was performing a bizarre dance rather than attempting sign language.
Yuri’s lips twitched, the corners lifting slightly. She was clearly trying to suppress a laugh. Determined, Gojo tried again. This time, he attempted to tell her: "I don’t understand." What came out was something closer to "My cat likes salsa dance." Yuri’s composure broke, and a soft chuckle escaped her lips.
Gojo, seeing her laugh, seemingly mistook it for encouragement. He doubled down, attempting to sign “Please help me.” His hands moved with exaggerated motions, looking more like he was playing an invisible piano. Yuri, now fully amused, burst into laughter.
Realizing that his attempts were not getting through, Gojo paused, scratching his head. He took a deep breath and tried one last time. With exaggerated care, he tried telling: "I. Can't. Understand. You." What actually came across was closer to "I. Like. Four-armed. Men."
Yuri was now laughing uncontrollably, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Gojo, finally understanding that he was not making any sense, dropped his hands and sighed. He couldn’t help but smile at the situation.
Seeing his defeated yet amused look, Yuri wiped away her tears and decided to put him out of his misery. She said something to the short man, who in return threw a black orb the size of a grown man's fist. She stepped closer and tossed it towards Satoru. After Satoru took the orb, he felt something change within his mind.
"Can you understand me now?" Yuri asked with a smile.
Gojo blinked, then shrugged casually. "Yeah, I can. That’s pretty neat." He looked at the orb floating next to him and then back at Yuri. "So, this lets me understand any language?"
"Yes. It is called a Pocket. It is esstential for you if you plan on climbing the Tower. It has many functions, but it's primary one is that it can translate every language of the Tower to "Macsethian". You can also make it turn invisible by saying: "Invisible Mode"." replied Yuri.
"Seems much more convenient than using sign language." said Satoru, and looked at Yuri with a smile, turning his Pocket invisible.
"Haha, it truly is, isn't it?" replied Yuri, laughing.
After laughing for another second, Yuri noticed that the giant fish-like monster was still inside the cage, and turned towards Headon, her previous amused expression disappearing in an instant.
"Are you going to make him take the same test?" she asked, with a domineering tone
"Of course. He is an Irregular after all. I treat everyone equally, Yuri Jahad." replied Headon, who now held his staff behind his hands.
After hearing Headon's words, Satoru immediately asked:
"I'm an Irregular? What does that mean? Miss Yuri, would you know about this?
Yuri's expression grew serious. "Irregulars are individuals who enter the Tower without being chosen by Headon, the Tower's Guardian. They force their way in, and because they aren't bound by the Tower's rules in the same way as Regulars, they often possess extraordinary powers. Almost every known regular is an influential figure and a Ranker of the Tower."
"Sounds like they can be pretty dangerous," Gojo remarked nonchalantly.
Although he didn't show many emotions on the surface, currently Gojo Satoru was very excited, thinking about the possibility of having to go all out against someone in the Tower. He remembered the exhilaration of his final battle against Sukuna at Shinjuku. The raw power, the high stakes, the sheer unpredictability of each move – it was the thrill he lived for. "Fighting Sukuna was a rush like no other. Pushing my limits, testing my skills against someone who could actually keep up with me. That’s the kind of thrill I’ve been missing."
Satoru's mind raced with images of potential battles awaiting him. "If what I’ve heard is true, this Tower is crawling with strong opponents. Irregulars... wildcards, just like me. Unpredictable, powerful, and not bound by the usual rules. This is going to be fun."
Yuri nodded. "Indeed. Irregulars are often seen as wildcards. Some of the most powerful and influential people in the Tower's history are Irregulars, like Urek Mazino and Enryu."
Satoru absorbed this information, thinking about the implications. "So, you’re saying that Irregulars can disrupt the balance of power within the Tower?"
"Exactly. That’s why they’re often both feared and revered. The Tower’s hierarchy is complex, and an Irregular can shake things up in unpredictable ways."
"Sorry for troubling you again, Miss Yuri. You mentioned Rankers. Who are Ra-"
Suddenly bright light shined throughout the dimly lit area, stopping Satoru from completing his sentence.
"Enough with the chit-chat. How about we start the test already? interrupted Headon, tapping his staff on the floor, instantly teleporting Satoru into the cave.
"What? How can you do this?" exclaimed Yuri. "He wasn't even ready yet! You're supposed to be an Administrator, Headon! What will happen to him now?
The fish-like monster saw Satoru, and instantly swam towards him in a very fast speed. But Satoru had a calm look on his face. He was "The Strongest" after all. As the fish approached, a smile appeared on his face.
"Do not worry, Miss Yuri. This fish is not even worthy enough to touch me." said Satoru, activating the neutral state of Limitless: Infinity.
Right as the fish crashed into Satoru, it stopped before him, seemingly encountering an invisible barrier.
Satoru was unfazed as he looked directly at Headon, still smiling, while saying:
"Now, where did we leave off our conversation? Oh, I remembered. Miss Yuri, you wanted tell me about the Rankers of the Tower."
Yuri's mouth was open from shock. The Irregular hadn't even made it to the second floor, and yet his shinsu manipulation technique was immaculate! He could even use it to stop a shinheuh of such a scale! Truly a talent worthy of an Irregular.
Just as she was about to speak, Headon beat her to it.
"Well done, Irregular. You have passed this test. You will now be moved to the next floor." said Headon, tapping his staff on the floor again.
Satoru looked Yuri in the eye, and smiled.
"See ya up there". he said, before teleporting to the second floor.
"..."
"I didn't even get to ask his name..."
...Chapter 2
/END