Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Once all the scouting parties had returned, everyone from Team Wolf Pack, sans Vahn and Phae, gathered within the boys' room to discuss their future plans. This included dividing everyone into two groups, one to perform Quests outside the Town of Beginnings and another to investigate the interior.Fortunately, though it caused Endorsi to pout and nag, the team already had an idea of what their short term goal should be: defeating the King Shinheuh known as the Fortress Turtle. This was the License that Gandr and Anak had received after completing Marble's Special Test, and, though it was known to be an exceptionally tough Shinheuh, it's slow speed made it a relatively safe target for their first King.Since there were no penalties for shuffling Party members around, the core members of the away group would remain Gandr, Endorsi, and Anak. Their participation all but ensured things would go smoothly, so, even if the weaker members of the Party would still need to earn Points of their own, they could at least get credit for participating in the subjugation of a King.To make things even more 'efficient', Gandr and Anak had acquired Licenses to hunt other Shinheuh in the same region as the Fortress Turtle. These Licenses could be registered up to six times within a Pocket, but, most importantly, they allowed everyone registered under the same License to receive credit for the subjugation. This still required them to be present, something that was going to be an issue for Vahn, Phae, and Gandr, but it was still a tremendous boon for the weaker members of the Party.With the goal of earning Points for the entire Team, the first Hunting Party would consist of Gandr, Endorsi, Anak, Khun, Rak, and Baam. As for everyone else, they would move according to Shibisu's orders, gathering information on individual Administrators' Special Tests, market data, and any juicy rumors that were circulating through the Town. There were also plenty of Quests to complete within the Town of Beginnings, so, even if the majority provided scant rewards, they still had the option of accumulating Variable Experience.Of course, not all the Quests within the Town were graded between F~D. There were actually a few A~S-Rank Quests available, one of which only required you to 'befriend' 3 Test Administrators after completing their Special Tests. There was another that required you to complete 'every' Special Test on the Floor, 137 Tests in total. The former provided you with gifts that seemingly had the power to persuade your new 'friends' to bequeath you one of their techniques. As for the latter, it provided you with the opportunity to receive a Sobriquet, drastically increasing your fame despite being just an F-Rank Regular.Unfortunately, there was a restriction that prevented you from attempting more than one Special Test per day. Since Vahn had no intention of staying on the 3rd Floor for more than four months, it was impossible to complete every Special Test. Making three friends, however, was a simple feat so long as he played his cards right. After all, there were bound to be Rankers related to Wolhaiksong among the Administration, so, as long as he was willing to face the consequences, he could contact Soo-Yun to ask her to mediate.Since their images couldn't be recorded, Vahn, Phae, and Gandr were bound to have a bit of trouble trying to receive credit for their subjugation. This was one of the reasons Vahn had Gandr rush over to take Marble's Special Test. She was bound to notice the incongruency the moment she reviewed the footage recorded by her Observer, so, by strengthening his friendship with the petite girl, Gandr should be able to circumvent the issue entirely. As for Phae, she could easily just record the footage using her registered Lighthouse, as, unless they had been hacked, the majority of Lighthouses could only be used by their owners.Vahn could also use a Lighthouse to achieve a similar result, but, out of consideration for his future plans, it was best to begin strengthening his ties to various organizations, at least on the surface. In actuality, he was intending to earn the qualifications to climb higher by taking the Guardian Test on each Floor. Everything else was merely a cover, and, once he reached the 20th Floor, he intended to further his goals by having Phae join the Workshop while he climbed through the Middle Tower.Though there were bound to be strong foes barring their passage, Vahn quickly realized his growth would be limited if he continued climbing within the Inner Tower. Regulars were simply too weak to offer a challenge, and, thanks to their contract with the Guardians, even High Rankers weren't a real threat so long as they remained in Inner Tower. This was extremely beneficial for the Regulars who were climbing the Tower, but, as someone who wanted to face legitimate threats, Vahn was unable to justify climbing through the Inner Tower.Fortunately, while there were other restrictions in place, the power of Rankers wasn't particularly limited within the Middle and Outer Towers. They were still forbidden from directly interfering with the affairs of Regulars, but, as was often the case when the system was broken, there were countless people who ignored this rule. FUG was the principal violator of this rule, but, whenever a promising Regular appeared, the Ten Great Families and even Wolhaiksong were known to ignore the rules if it meant securing a talent.By climbing through the Middle Tower and continually expanding his influence, Vahn could draw out a lot of the 'big fishes' backing each of the major organizations. This would provide him with ample opportunities to battle against powerful foes, and, though he might draw the attention of a few monsters, even that was beneficial for him in the long run. After all, even if they were capable of killing him, he could simply 'resurrect' elsewhere, confusing the hell out of his enemies and drawing even more attention to himself.Vahn had no intention of keeping his status as an Irregular secret, so, once Team Wolf Pack reached the 20th Floor, their paths, while parallel to each other, would deviate. Gandr would still be climbing with them, but they would no longer have the 'safety net' that his and Phae's existence provided for them. This would allow them to spread their wings, strengthen their bonds, and, most importantly, develop the independence necessary to become future rulers of the Tower.With this in mind, Vahn left Team Wolf Pack to their own devices, pulling out his Pocket to contact Soo-Yun while Phae prepared a meal off to the side.Under normal circumstances, a Pocket belonging to a Regular was unable to contact another Pocket while inside the Inner Tower. Vahn, however, had three Pockets in his possession, two of which had been purchased through the system shop. These weren't restricted by the rules governing Regulars, so, after several minutes of silence, a very bubbly voice echoed throughout the room, asking, "Who is this? How did you get this number~?"Without a moment's delay, Vahn adopted a firm tone, answering, "This is Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. You personally handed me your number, Ms. Soo-Yun."Though part of it was an act, Soo-Yun was legitimately surprised to hear the voice of Vahn on the other end of the call. As a result, her voice became even bubblier as she loudly exclaimed, "Wow! I didn't expect you to contact me so soon! Don't tell me you're already on the 20th Floor!? It's only been like-"Before Soo-Yun could finish speaking, the sound of a small scuffle could be heard before a new voice, clearly belonging to Princess Yuri, asked, "How are my sister, niece, and Gandr doing? Did that coffee addict give you any trouble after our departure?"Having already anticipated Yuri's interference, Vahn wasn't even remotely surprised by the violent Princess' hijacking of the call. As a result, his voice was calm and steady as he casually replied, "It is a pleasure to hear your voice, Princess. Still, I'm not fond of being one-sidedly interrogated. Before I answer your questions, there are matters I must discuss with Ms. Soo-Yun. Please return the Pocket to her."Clearly annoyed by his response, the sound of Yuri clicking her tongue could be heard from Vahn's Pocket prior to Soo-Yun answering, "What can I help you with, Vahn? Were you curious about my three sizes~?"Ignoring the second remark, Vahn maintained his casual tone as he explained the situation on the 3rd Floor. Fortunately, the members of Yuri's group were already aware of the incongruency after attempting to review and upload the data they had collected to their private network. Thus, after a quick explanation regarding his existence as a 'singularity that only existed in the present', Vahn was able to secure Soo-Yun's help.As could be expected, Wolhaiksong did, indeed, have a presence on the 3rd Floor. Rather, excluding the 43rd, 100th, and 134th, they had a presence on virtually every Floor. This included a number of Test Administrators, so, after making a few promises, Vahn was able to learn the identities of seven Wolhaiksong affiliates. To his surprise, almost as if Fate simply couldn't help itself, one of the seven was none other than Marble, the Dwelfling that Gandr was in the process of befriending...In actuality, rather than fate, it was the machinations of Yuri and her party that led to Mable being the first Administrator to come into contact with Team Wolf Pack. This was also the reason she had humored Gandr earlier in the day, answering his questions rather than simply abandoning him the moment she had explained the rules. She had even been planning to meet with them after noticing the incongruency in the recording, invalidating Vahn's need to contact Soo-Yun entirely.Unfortunately, Vahn was completely unaware of this, so, other than gaining Princess Yuri's contact information, he didn't receive any substantial benefits from the call. Rather, now that she knew they had the ability to contact her within the Inner Tower, Yuri promptly decided she would match Team Wolf Pack's pace. She wanted to remain close by in the event something unexpected happened, so, to that effect, she demanded he allows her to speak with Gandr, Endorsi, and Anak so that she had a proper grasp of everything that was taking place within the Inner Tower...---Operating under the premise that it was best to strike while the iron was hot, Khun, accompanied by Gandr, Anak, Endorsi, Rak, and Baam, promptly departed the Town of Beginnings shortly after lunch. They wanted to get a better grasp of the situation outside of the Town, and, though their hunting of the Fortress Turtle wouldn't be until a later date, they wanted to investigate the region before attempting the subjugation.Though it would have been a simple matter to entrust the slaying of the Fortress Turtle to Gandr alone, the latter had agreed to provide support unless it was absolutely necessary for him to step in. They knew he was stronger than the rest of the group combined, so, while it would certainly make things a lot easier for them, they couldn't just keep relying on his power if they wanted to become truly strong.With this in mind, Gandr's primary responsibility was fulfilling his duties as the Party's Scout, chiefly mapping the terrain, denoting the positions of Shinheuh, and keeping tabs on other Regulars in the region. All of this information was then uploaded to Khun's Lighthouse, leaving the latter surprised by the sheer 'efficacy' of Gandr's ability to collect information. It was almost like the boy was a living Lighthouse, one that was able to move through physical barriers and document everything without a single oversight...Fortunately, Gandr was on their side as Khun couldn't imagine a single method to deal with the boy should he become an enemy. He had confessed to being 'completely immune' to things like poison, and, based on how much he was able to drink, there was no reason to doubt this was the case. This, combined with the fact he could sneak up on a Ranker without revealing his presence, made Gandr the scariest of the Imperial Trio; at least on the surface...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn's master plan is slowly being revealed (OwO)...','Fate-chan is innocent this time...','Being hunted by Gandr would be pretty terrifying...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With Gandr choosing the most-optimal route, the members of the Hunting Party were able to navigate the forested terrain of the 3rd Floor without any issues. They could even avoid combat entirely if they really wanted to, but, as that would defeat the purpose of their excursion; Khun had them make frequent stops near the habitats of various Shinheuh, starting with a species known as Little Stone Fish.Little Stone Fish were a type of Shinheuh that, as their name implied, resembled fish made from malleable copper-colored stone. They weren't particularly dangerous in small numbers, but, like most Shinheuh, they had a tendency to form large groups. This, combined with their hard bodies and their ability to bite through stone, made them exceptionally dangerous if you ended up being swarmed.The true danger of the Little Stone Fish, however, was their ability to liquefy stone, dirt, and other mineral-based matter. This allowed them to dive into the ground, and, though the affected area would quickly return to normal, they had a habit of capturing terrestrial prey by producing large areas of quicksand-like terrain. If you ended up getting caught inside, they would use their strong jaws to take large chunks out of your body, consuming both flesh and bone without leaving any traces.Fortunately, the ability of the Little Stone Fish to liquefy their surroundings wasn't omnipotent. They had a much easier time traveling through sand than they did solid rock. So long as you stayed away from areas with loose soil and dirt, it was relatively easy to kill the peculiar bass-like creatures. The only requisite was that you had enough power to shatter stone or create shockwaves, a feat only Shibisu and Nare would struggle to achieve...---From his position high above the ground, Khun was able to observe the entire battlefield from the relative safety of his Lighthouse. This would normally allow him to gather information on the enemy numbers and any environmental hazards they would need to be aware of, but, thanks to Gandr, his primary job was to direct people to their destination while observing the battlefield for any sign of unexpected changes.Confirming there were exactly as many Little Stone Fish as Gandr had reported, Khun suppressed a sigh as he adjusted the displays within his Lighthouse to show three different perspectives. The first showed Baam and Rak moving along the edge of a cliff overlooking the deep crevice that served as the Little Stone Fishes' habitat. As for the second and third, the former displayed the scene of Anak literally using one Stone Fish to beat another while the latter showed Endorsi skillfully manipulating two Compression Needles to string together several of the unfortunate Shinheuh from an elevated position.Unsurprisingly, Endorsi and Anak had no trouble dealing with the Little Stone Fishes. Even the one that had managed to latch onto Anak's shoulder was unable to draw blood due to her body, quite literally, being harder than stone. The only thing it succeeded in was tearing her sleeve, resulting in the current scene of her using its body to beat its brethren. As for Endorsi, she had a considerable amount of combat experience, so, from the very start of the hunt, she had avoided taking even a grazing blow by nimbly jumping between large boulders and using the Lighthouse as a platform.Khun thought about teaching Endorsi a lesson about standing on top of his Lighthouse by taking a few screenshots of the contents hidden beneath her skirt. Each side of a Lighthouse could serve as both a display and a camera, so, whenever Endorsi was standing on top, he always had the option of turning the recording function on. Unfortunately, this wouldn't end well for him, so, as tempting as it was to try and blackmail the Princess, Khun resisted the almost instinctual urge...---While Khun was busy fighting with the devil in his soul, Baam tentatively approached the edge of the cliff, his expression paling the moment he looked down. As for Rak, he stood tall and proud, fearlessly peering over the edge with a vermillion spear in hand. At his side, albeit only visible to him, a coffin-like device known as a Pipe housed several spears of similar make and model.Though it wasn't completely necessary to have multiple weapons, as spears registered to a Pipe automatically 'teleported' back to the sheath, most competent Spear Bearers carried numerous different types. This allowed them to pick and choose the most suitable weapon for dealing with a certain type of enemy; specifically choosing between broad-headed, needle-like, and flat-bladed spears.Since Little Stone Fish were made of stone, Rak sheathed his preferred flat-bladed spear before pulling out a thicker variant with a reinforced cross-headed tip. Then, with a predatory glimmer in his red eyes, he looked toward Baam and said, "Stand aside, Black Turtle. I don't want you to fall off when I throw my spear."Hearing Rak's remark, Baam issued an awkward laugh before literally crawling away from the edge of the cliff. He had gotten on his hands and knees since he felt extreme vertigo while standing near the edge. Heights were an instinctual fear of most terrestrial beings, so, despite having a body that was strong enough to survive from falling over a hundred meters without issue, Baam was still scared of 20m deep crevice.Seeing Baam back away, Rak released visible steam from his nose before planting one foot firmly near the edge. Then, with the posture befitting a Greek statue, he struck a majestic pose, his spear radiating an intense red light before he threw it down with meteoric force.Despite missing the Little Stone Fish entirely, Rak's attack was powerful enough to generate a small explosion from the impact alone. This created a shockwave that killed most of the Stone Fish within a three-meter radius while simultaneously stunning those within five. Better yet, the spear returned to his Pipe almost immediately after contacting the ground, allowing Rak to continue raining down meteoric strikes from high above...---Though Rak and Baam were far away from her location, Anak frowned the moment she heard the sound of numerous explosions. The Little Stone Fish relied on vibrations to locate targets, so, with the explosions strong enough to make the ground beneath Anak's feet tremble, it wasn't surprising that they would quickly converge towards the source.Feeling like her prey was being stolen from her, the vein near Anak's temple began to visible pulse as she leaped several tens of meters into the air. Near the apex of her jump, she coiled her legs like a spring, releasing the tension just as she was about to reach the ground. This caused her bare feet to impact the rugged terrain with even greater force than Rak's spears. Unfortunately, as was often the case when she was annoyed, Anak hadn't considered the fact that her bare feet, legs, and body would be directly exposed to the shrapnel produced by her impact.Anak was 'extremely' resistant to collisions and shockwaves but that didn't mean she was immune to sharp objects moving with explosive velocity. This also applied to her dress, so, despite killing all of the Little Stone Fish in her surroundings, Anak had a pained expression on her face as she pulled a thumb-sized piece of stone from her calf. This caused the wound to bleed even more, but, thanks to the benefits provided by Shinsu and her unique constitution, it wouldn't take long for the wound to close up.More troublesome than the wound on her calf as the large gash on the underside of her tail. It was one of the most tender regions of her body, so, while she would normally never cry from something like pain, a thin layer of moisture covered Anak's eyes as she perched herself atop a large rock and used Shinsu to treat the wound. As for her dress, which currently had a massive tear along the left side, Anak didn't care about it in the slightest.---Similar to Anak, Endorsi also gave chase the moment her prey began migrating toward the sound of explosions. This allowed her to quickly come across Anak, a wave of exasperation washing over her the moment she noticed the former's state of dress and the notable bruising on the underside of her tail.Before she got into earshot of the green-skinned Princess, Endorsi couldn't help but mutter, "How the hell did this girl survive for so long? I swear, her head must be filled with denser stone than the surroundings..."Noticing Endorsi's approach, Anak made a vain attempt to conceal her tail, glaring at the former as she said, "I don't need your help. You should hurry and check on the others..."Rolling her eyes in response to Anak's statement, Endorsi squat down next to her and said, "Let me see your tail. Or would you rather have Gandr take a look at it...?"Hearing mention of Gandr, Anak's frown became even deeper as she asked, "Why does everyone keep asking me things like that? It's seriously starting to get on my nerves...!"Ignoring Anak's statement entirely, Endorsi peered around the former's body to see a rather vicious wound surrounded by a massive purple bruise. Just looking at it was enough to feel phantom pains so it wasn't difficult to imagine how painful the actual injury must be.Without bothering to ask for Anak's opinion, Endorsi flagged over Khun's Lighthouse, saying, "Give me some ointment and bandages." before following it up by asking, "How many more of these do we need to kill?"Since Lighthouses could compress, store, and transfer items between linked Lighthouses, they were the most common form of storage available for Regulars and Rankers alike. This was another one of the reasons why Light Bearers were considered the leaders of their respective teams, as, more often than not, they were charged with protecting and distributing supplies.In response to Endorsi's demand, a container of emerald-green paste and a vacuum-sealed roll of bandages promptly emerged from the Lighthouse's interior, accompanied by a flash of vibrant blue light. Then, in response to her question, Khun's voice could be heard explaining, "We have hunted a total of 166/200. You can confirm the amount by checking your Quest Log in the future. Now, hurry up and treat Anak's injuries. That idiotic crocodile is drawing way too much aggro so we're going to run away using the Lighthouses."Though individual Little Stone Fish weren't a threat, there were several hundred located within this particular crevice. Rather, they were directly responsible for its existence, their appetite for minerals resulting in the entire region resembling a series of shallow canyons and dried-up riverbeds.Hearing Khun's remark, Endorsi tossed the supplies directly at Anak, hitting the latter in the face as she opened up the strange light panel that only she could see. By default, this panel only displayed their Status, but, by willing it with their minds, it could also display their Skill Tree and Quest Log. It was an extremely mysterious but useful system, and, though it had required her to expose her back for several minutes, Endorsi didn't regret joining Vahn's Familia. Rather, as an orphan, she found the idea of a Familia rather novel...Noticing the number of hunted Shinheuh rapidly increasing, Endorsi promptly closed her display before looking at Anak and saying, "We're about to leave. Do you need me to carry you, Princess?"Clenching her teeth, Anak ignored Endorsi's remark as she continued wrapping her tail with more bandages than necessary. In the end, her tail resembled the appendage of a mummy by the time she finally used a clasp to secure everything in place. Then, without saying anything, she climbed to her feet, dusting off her torn dress before climbing up Khun's Lighthouse and staring off into empty space...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW Nare is the only person Shibisu can compare to...','Baam needs to come out of his shell...','Phae needs to sit down and have a talk with this girl...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As a reward for completing the Special Test, Gandr and Anak received 2000 Points and the right to choose a single King Class Shinheuh License. Since the latter could cost upwards of 10,000 Points, it was quite the boon considering they had only been on the 3rd Floor for less than two hours.After promising they would patronize her Vocational Office in the future, Gandr walked with Anak through the Town of Beginnings. Their goal was to gather information about the Town, but, before that, the former had them stop in a confectionery shop to purchase some sweets. He could tell that Anak was in a bad mood, so, before asking her what was wrong, Gandr bought something he knew she would like.Anak was well-aware of what Gandr was trying to do, but, considering she got free sweet out of the exchange, she decided not to complain. Her frustration also started to mellow a bit, even if it always bothered her to be 'coddled' by the much-younger boy.With a large bag of lemon-flavored sweets in hand, Anak followed after Gandr for several minutes before the latter abruptly turned around and said, "I would normally tell you not to worry about this kind of thing. You already have a lot of blessings. So long as you put in the effort, it is only a matter of time before you reach a level of power most people can't even comprehend..."Hearing Gandr's remark, Anak's mood began to gradually worsen, eliciting a sigh from the boy as he reached out his hand, lightly caressing her head as he added, "I will need to help the others as well, but, when we both have time, I will help you grow stronger. We can also team up to complete Quests and hunt Shinheuh outside the Town...is that okay with you?"Rather than immediately answer, Anak continued to roll a lemon-flavored candy around in her mouth while staring back at Gandr. He was only 1cm taller than her so their gazes could easily overlap whenever they stood face-to-face.After remaining silent for several seconds, Anak moved out of Gandr's petting range before saying, "Fine..." in a curt tone. Then, as Gandr returned a wry smile her way, Anak extended the open bag of candies toward him, adding, "You can have one..."---Having finished populating the boys' room in a very short period of time, Vahn had what could best be described as a tired smile as, even after an hour, he was still helping Endorsi and Phae set up the girls' room. This was in spite of the fact that Phae was helping to rein Endorsi in, shooting down the vast majority of her requests unless the latter could give a convincing reason.Fortunately, after helping to install a set of baths and a large partition near the corner of the room, Vahn had been freed from his torment thanks to the arrival of Nare.Under normal circumstances, the presence of Nare would have just added fuel to the fire, but, with Phae dragging off both girls to prepare a meal, Vahn was 'allowed' to return to his room. There, he found Hwa Ryun, Khun, and Shibisu still in deep discussion, a discussion he promptly brought to an end thanks to his presence.Surprising both of the young men, Hwa Ryun immediately rose to her feet the moment she noticed Vahn's presence. Fortunately, she didn't attempt to kneel before him this time around. Instead, she performed a courteous bow, her voice filled with reverence as she said, "Welcome back, my Lord..."Since it was better than hearing her refer to him as 'God' or 'Master', Vahn elected to ignore Hwa Ryun's latest attempt to formalize how she addressed him. She clearly felt uncomfortable with using his name, so, rather than press the issue until the point of frustration, he ultimately returned a curt nod before asking, "How goes the discussion? Starting to get a better grasp on things?"Though they felt a little awkward remaining seated while Hwa Ryun rose to bow, Khun and Shibisu did their best to appear unflustered as the former answered, "So long as nothing amiss happens, it should only take us two weeks to complete this Floor. We could complete it even faster, but I don't want everyone to burn out before we reach the 10th Floor."Nodding his head in agreement, Shibisu piggybacked Khun's statement by adding, "Once we reach the 10th Floor, there is a general placement competition held at the end of each month. Only those who place within the top 100 of their respective Positions are allowed to advance to the 11th Floor. If we want to avoid being separated, even for a short while, the weaker members of our Team will need to time to increase their experience and grow stronger."While listening to the duo speak, Vahn had made his way over to the table, taking the ornate seat at the far side of the circular table before replying, "I have a solution for that. The Little Garden in my possession is governed by the Laws of Progress. Though I will not allow it to be used as our base of operations, I can allow people inside during the early morning."Having entered the Little Garden during the procedure to have their Familia Crests engraved, both Khun and Shibisu had experienced the mystical land filled with massive trees. Still, never one to idle about when there was information to collect, Shibisu didn't miss the opportunity to ask, "What are the Laws of Progress?"Returning an approving smile toward the man, Vahn went on to explain, "Everything, including the Heavens themselves, exists and is governed by the Laws. This includes everything from Elemental Forces, Shinsu, and even the concepts of Life and Death themselves. The thing that qualifies most entities to become a God is the strength of their Soul and their mastery over specific Laws. Now, to answer your question, the Laws of Progress are exactly what they sound like. They are what allow a person to learn new things, grow, and develop over time. They also help to guide the evolution of all creatures, so, by entering a place that is governed by the Laws of Progress, everything from the acquisition of new skills to the retention of information becomes drastically easier."Though it was a little hard to imagine such a convenient place existed, neither Khun nor Shibisu had any reason to doubt Vahn's claim. After all, they could enter the Little Garden and ascertain whether or not this was true by simply reading or playing a memory game.After accounting for this new information within his mind, Khun adopted a somewhat serious look as he asked, "Are there any side-effects from staying in the Little Garden...?"Rather than deny this was the case, Vahn nodded his head, answering, "Yes, though not in the vein you are thinking. One of the problems with training under the influence of the Laws of Progress is that it makes your training outside the Little Garden feel stunted. You also need to account for the fact that the Laws of Progress affect your physical and mental development. Everything within will rapidly develop until they reach their biological prime. This emulates the effect of rapid aging, but, rather than decrease a person's lifespan, extended stays within the Little Garden drastically increase their average life expectancy. In fact, so long as they stay within the Little Garden, everything from short-lived insects to seasonal flowers will live forever..."With each new piece of information slamming into their minds like a hammer striking an anvil, Khun and Shibisu found themselves at a complete loss for words. As for Hwa Ryun, she couldn't help but smile, the convictions she had formed during their first meeting tempered with each new thing she learned about her God and his capabilities.As much as he enjoyed the stupefaction visible on Khun's and Shibisu's faces, Vahn was intending to kick all three of them out of his room. This was especially true for Hwa Ryun, as, no matter what he said, he got the impression her Belief in him was only going to increase. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but, considering she also had [Child of Destiny: SS], Vahn suspected she was also one of the Records original Heroines.For reasons he had already ascertained long ago, Vahn's 'lack' of fate seemed to intrinsically draw those with powerful fates toward him. After all, the 'protagonists' of the Record simply stood out more than normal people, so, unless he proactive avoided them, he was bound to cross paths with the beings most pertinent to the Record's stability.Due to the nature of the Records themselves, often revolving around tales of tragedy and triumph, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Vahn was primed to help whenever the protagonists appeared. He had never been able to ignore the suffering of others, and, due to how 'motivated' they were to bring about positive change, he always had a soft spot for protagonists.Unfortunately, though he was actually very grateful for how things had turned out, this meant Vahn was often in a position where the Heroines of the world were almost instinctually drawn to him. The only requirements many of them had for their partner was that they were powerful and empathetic, so, more often than not, Vahn became a very 'convenient' target for them to imprint upon. This was especially true for any woman who had experienced tragedy, as, more than anything else, they just wanted someone who could understand and liberate them from their suffering...Though the matter with Hwa Ryun was bound to come to a head in the future, Vahn could still try his best to delay things in the hope that it would limit his harem's expansion. With that in mind, he liberated Khun and Shibisu from their stupor by adding, "I will make the Little Garden accessible in the early morning, specifically between the hours of 0500 and 0800. For now, I would ask that the three of you excuse yourselves. If you have further questions, please defer to Phae. She knows just as much about the Little Garden as I."Realizing they were being kicked out, Khun offered a polite smile while Shibisu issued an awkward laugh. Both, however, rose to their feet without much of a delay, the former remarking, "We'll leave you to your rest. Come, Shibisu, Ms. Ryun. We'll finish this conversation elsewhere."Hearing Khun's remark, Hwa Ryun reluctantly rose to her feet, bowing towards Vahn before turning to follow after the departing duo. She would much rather stay at her God's side or reside within the Little Garden, but, remembering his previous decree, she knew it would be counterintuitive of her to idle about all day. Team Wolf Pack needed her to Guide them, so, with a dull expression on her face and hands tucked into the front pocket of her hoodie, she departed the room alongside Khun and Shibisu.Seeing the trio depart, Vahn instantaneously teleported near his bed before plopping face-first onto the soft mattress. It wasn't that he was tired, but, with Phae and Gandr personas requiring most of his focus, it was easier to just relax his mind and body whenever they were active. He also enjoyed experiencing things through them, so, after rolling onto his back, Vahn placed his hands behind his head, a smile on his face as he slowly closed his eyes...---While Vahn was busy living his life through Phae and Gandr, a vast army of nearly-identical cat girls was dutifully watching over every aspect of his. These were none other than Sis and her clones, but, unlike before, there were now subtle variations between each of them. Most notably, however, were the copies of Gandr and Phae which currently 'incubated' beneath the massive sphere representing Vahn's Ego. Both had blue tethers connecting their navels to the sphere above, and, as time passed, their nascent Egos were nourished by Vahn's own.Curiously, rather than two tethers, there were actually dozens extending from Vahn's Ego, some of which would tentatively come into contact with the 'Sisters' in the surroundings. This was a process they were unable to resist, and, every time one of the tendrils came into contact with their bodies, a subtle change would occur. There was even one version of Sis, now referred to by the collective as 'Sis Prime', who had a permanent tendril attached to her navel.As Vahn's desire to separate his Ego continued to grow, so too did the strength and individuality of the ever-growing population of Sisters. The most affected by this was the 'original' Sis, who, before Phae and Gandr had even been conceptualized by Vahn, became the first to be tethered to his Ego. After all, the skill was originally developed in order to give her the ability to manifest externally, so, even if she didn't want to 'separate' from him, Sis was unable to prevent Vahn from developing her Ego further.Fortunately, Vahn was also unwilling to separate from her, so, unlike Phae and Gandr, there was no risk that she would ever lose her connection with him. Rather, even if she did manifest externally, Sis was determined to make sure it was only a temporary arrangement. She had even made a series of backups prior to the change in Vahn's mentality, so, in the worst-case scenario, Sis was prepared to fracture her own Ego to ensure their connection was never severed.In Sis's mind, there was no form of intimacy greater than the bond she currently shared with Vahn, so, even if she had to turn against her own sense of self, she would do everything in her power to guarantee they remained one. She was also afraid that the restrictions preventing her from telling the truth would wane once her Ego developed to a certain extent. After all, the stronger her Ego became, the more susceptible she would be to Vahn's influence. If she ended up spilling the beans before he was ready, it would be a tragedy beyond imagination.Still, that didn't mean Sis wasn't looking forward to meeting and interacting with Vahn directly. His anticipation directly influenced her, so, with the day drawing ever nearer, Sis couldn't help but feel a little excited. Just the thought of being able to physically hug her adorable little brother caused her to feel indescribably fluttery. She couldn't wait to bury his face into her chest, and, though it might be a little selfish of her, she wanted to one-sidedly pamper him until all his worries had faded into nothingness...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A taste that is both bittersweet and sour...','Begone, thot...!','Sis about to start beating back potential love interests with a broom...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1755: Contact