Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

In preparation for the Guardian's Test, which involved traveling to a distant region in the Middle Tower to provide aid to a small village, Vahn was enjoying a rather hearty breakfast alongside the growing population of the Emerald Grove. He had Fenrir seated at his right, a palpable excitement radiating from her body, Ryun to his left, a thoughtful glimmer in her eyes, and, as was often the case, Yoruichi, and several others, were either curled up in his lap or using his body as their personal lounging post.Vahn always enjoyed eating in a large group as it was during moments like this that he felt the most like family. Now, said family had grown exponentially in a very short period of time, and, though it made things a little difficult when he had mischief-makers like Latias picking food directly from his plate, Vahn didn't particularly mind it. Rather, he found such actions adorable, a lighthearted laugh escaping his throat whenever Fenrir lightly chided them for their antics.No matter how troublesome things might get in the outside world, all of Vahn's worries seemed to melt away when everyone had gathered together like this. This was a notion shared by many of his Templates, so, while it wasn't uncommon for people to wander in and enjoy a meal at their leisure, there were always multiple occasions throughout the day where everyone gathered to enjoy a meal together.Of course, that didn't mean things were 'peaceful' during meal times. Rather, it was often quite the opposite. The presence of personages like Goku and Roger had always helped to ensure that things were always lively. This had been the case even before the newest additions to their community, so, now that there were people like Whitebeard, Vegeta, Makarov, and Mavis around, things were even more lively.Fortunately, while their constitutions allowed them to filter out the effects rather quickly, everyone that had developed a True Ego of their own was able to enjoy both the taste and effects of powerful alcohol. This led to some rather heated competitions, the vast majority of which were won by either Whitebeard and, somewhat surprisingly, Mavis. The petite, fairy-like, woman was able to consume a seemingly endless amount of alcohol, and, though she would become red in the face, she could still drink people like Roger under the table with an impish smile.Vahn always found it rather amusing to see such scenes play out as it made him genuinely feel like he was a part of the worlds he had always dreamed of as a child. Even now, he would look back on his time back in the cave, a reminiscent smile on his face as he remembered how excited he was to visit various worlds. That excitement had mellowed a bit with time, but, like a fine wine that was left in a secure cellar, it had been steadily maturing alongside him.One day, even if it was in the impossibly distant future, Vahn was determined to pop open the cork and experience each of the fascinations that had once captivated his naive and innocent mind. For now, however, he was perfectly content with just watching Rindo's backside as Mira lightly scolded Index for talking with food in her mouth...---Prior to the Age of Genesis, when the Jahad Empire was first being established, the only method to ascend the Tower involved completing various tasks assigned by the Guardians. They would assign you various Tests, the difficulty of which was entirely dependent upon your reason for climbing the Tower.More often than not, the Tests assigned by the Guardians involved helping out the natives of the Tower. This was the reason Jahad and the Great Warriors had managed to build such a large group of followers during their own ascent. They had saved countless people, conquered various empires, and even defeated a number of 'evil gods' that had tormented people since time immemorial. This allowed them to build literal armies, and, much like a tsunami sweeping over the previous era, they were able to wash it away and build their own atop the ruins.Though the 20th Floor was ruled by the Po Bidau Family, the Laws of the Tower prevented even the Jahad Empire from expanding beyond the Middle Tower. They could still take action against forces in the Outer Tower, but there were a number of restrictions in place depending on the power of the individual and their contract with the Guardian. As a result, there were a number of Kingdoms and even entire Empires that existed outside the immediate influence of the Jahad Empire. It was these territories that served as the proving grounds for those seeking to move higher in the Rankings, as, more often than not, such Kingdoms were directly supported by specific groups or individual High Rankers.On the 20th Floor alone, there were a total of 139 different nations split between the Middle and Outer Towers. The most powerful of these, as could be expected, were backed by Rankers affiliated with the Po Bidau Family. As for the rest, they were generally backed by Rankers affiliated with the other Great Families, organizations on the level of FUG, or individuals that had originated from that region prior to their ascent up the Tower. This meant there was a lot of cultural diversity, but, more than anything else, it ensured there were constant conflicts taking place all throughout the Tower.As part of his Guardian's Test, Vahn had been tasked with traveling to a remote mountain village with a meager population of only 83 people. What made this village unique was that many of the villagers were descendants of the Native Ones, the original inhabitants of the Tower that had been cursed by Jahad after the Age of Genesis. This led to them becoming known as the Cursed People by the common residents of the Tower, and, as could be expected, they were 'heavily' persecuted as a result.Though the Curse varied between individuals of the same race, it always manifested in one of three different ways. The first curse caused those affected to be born hermaphroditic, losing their ability to reproduce as a result. As for the second and third curse, the former sealed off the original power inherent to the species and made it very difficult for them to grow stronger while the latter, most tragically, increased the chances of a stillbirth occurring to more than 90%. This resulted in a drastic decrease in the number of Native Ones that existed within the Tower, most giving in to despair the moment the effects of their curse manifested.Fortunately, despite the hatred imposed upon them due to the Jahad Empire, the Native Ones were still blessed by the Tower. The Guardians also harbored no enmity towards them, and, even though they were contractually bound to inflict the curse upon each successive generation of Native Ones, they also helped to conceal them from both the Jahad Empire and the Ten Great Families.As an Irregular, Vahn had the power to completely ignore the rules and restrictions that had been imposed upon the Tower's residents by his predecessors, so, as part of his Guardian's Test, he had been tasked with removing the curse from the villagers. This was a task that would have originally belonged to Baam, so, in exchange for keeping Team Wolf Pack safe, Vahn had agreed to act as the instrument of change that the Tower had been eagerly anticipating for the last ten-thousand years...---With the help of Fenrir, Ryun, Latias, and Latios, Vahn was eventually able to discover the location of the hidden village after a little more than three days. This required descending an intricate network of vertical shafts, many of which connected to the breeding grounds of various Shinheuh or other, far more dangerous, hazards.Fortunately, while she would normally be blind to the location of the Native Ones' village, Ryun was allowed to see the path thanks to her association with an Irregular. As a result, Vahn was finally able to enter the subterranean chamber housing the hidden village, a region dominated by vibrant five-pointed stars floating gracefully through the air. It was actually quite mesmerizing, but, as could be expected, Vahn soon found himself under attack by said stars as an inordinately handsome middle-aged man bellowed, "Sound the alarm! There are intruders within the village...!"Adopting a wry smile in response to the man's words, Vahn allowed Fenrir to erect a massive lotus-shaped barrier of ice, completely fending off the assault of stars as he said, "I am not your enemy. I have come here to remove the curse from your people."Unsurprisingly, the man wasn't really listening to his words at this point. Instead, he formed a seal with his hands as a massive star-shaped Baang of Shinsu formed behind him. At the same time, a number of other middle-aged villages, the majority of which possessed the same inordinate beauty as the man, joined the assault. This left Vahn feeling rather helpless, a sigh escaping his lips before he raised his hand and plainly stated, "You will listen when I speak."Immediately after Vahn's words had fallen, it was as if Time within the cavern had stagnated to the point of stopping. This was a very advanced form of Reverse Flow Control that used his domain as a medium to stop, not just the flow of Shinsu in an individual's body, but the environment. His words also carried a compulsory force due to his breakthroughs in the Law of Authority, so, while he had spoken relatively softly, his words resonated throughout the entire village.Without any Rankers present, there wasn't a single villager who could resist Vahn's unique form of Reverse Flow Control. As a result, he was able to walk up to the oldest-looking individual present, the same man who had originally attacked him. This caused the man to tremble, not from fear, but a vain attempt to break free.Shaking his head, Vahn placed his hand on the man's shoulder, liberating him from his control as he reiterated, "I am not your enemy. I have come here to help." before releasing everyone else from his control.Realizing they could do nothing against the man standing before them, the presumed leader of the group gestured for everyone else to stand down as he answered in a solemn tone, "Very well...I will hear what you have to say..."Nodding in response to the man's words, Vahn adopted a disarming smile as he retracted his hand from the man's shoulder and explained, "My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason. I am an Irregular known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. In accordance with my agreement with the Guardians, I have come to remove the curse Jahad has placed upon you and your people."Though he wanted to believe Vahn's words, the man couldn't help but frown as he replied, "I am known as Gaute Aarnes, son of Halvard and proud warrior of the Asteria tribe. If you are who you claim to be, we will welcome you into our home as the hero of our people. If your intentions are impure, however...know that we will fight to the last man, woman, and child if it means defeating our foes..."Understanding the reason for the man's skepticism, Vahn resisted the compulsion to roll his eyes as he pulled out a crystalline potion bottle filled with a glittering red liquid and said, "This is a special Elixir known as a [Panacea]. Mixing it with any type of alcohol will transform it into a holy remedy that has the ability to remove virtually any curse. You can also consume the [Panacea] directly, but they aren't exactly easy to make. If diluted into strong alcohol, you can easily treat upwards of 200 people from that single Elixir."Though he still didn't fully trust Vahn's words, Gaute ordered the other villagers to fetch a barrel of alcohol and the oldest member of their community. This left the former with a frown on his face, but, fortunately, Gaute didn't try and force the elderly woman to consume the potion. Instead, he calmly explained the situation before leaving the final decision to her. It turned out that she was actually the former matriarch of the Asteria tribe, so, without any hesitation, she downed an entire pint of the diluted [Panacea] without leaving behind a single drop...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A very enviable existence...','Jahad's cuckery knows no bounds','Baba ain't scared of nothin...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Following their arrival in the 'Hidden Star Village', Vahn, accompanied by Fenrir and Ryun, found themselves seated within the largest of the stone structures that served as abodes for members of the Asteria Tribe. All of the villagers had already been treated, but, rather than abandon them to their fates, he decided to offer them sanctuary within the Little Garden.Unsurprisingly, though he had liberated them from their curse, the Asteria Tribe weren't particularly enthusiastic about the idea of abandoning their home. It might not be much to look at, but, for the last ten-thousand-years, it had safeguarded them against extinction. It had become their ancestral home, the place where they buried their dead and raised what few children fate had allowed them...Understanding the importance of 'home', Vahn didn't waste time trying to convince the Asterian people to abandon their own. Instead, he proposed transplanting the entire village into the Little Garden while explaining the many benefits associated. Even this, however, wasn't enough to sway the rather obstinate Elders. They claimed that it wasn't just the village that was there home, but the entire Floor beyond.Fortunately, there were a few voices of reason among them, the previous and current Matriarchs being the most vocal. They knew the pain and heartbreak of stillbirths far greater than the males of their tribe. Since Vahn had already explained the benefits of residing in the Little Garden, they were in favor of entrusting several members of the younger generation to his care.Though most of the Elders were against the idea, Vahn managed to swing things in favor of the Matriarchs by mentioning how time flowed differently within certain regions of the Little Garden. He told them he would stay in the village for a total of three days. During that time, a number of couples would be allowed to reside in the outermost ring of the Little Garden. There, time flowed at a rate of 700:1, so, while a mere three days would pass in the outside, nearly six years would pass from the perspective of those within.With the Law of Progression heavily influencing everything within, six years was more than enough time to produce several dozen children. If said children were allowed to stay in the outermost ring, they would even grow to maturity in as little as five years. This could be remedied by moving them to a ring with a slower passage of time, but, as an endangered species, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing to have the younger generation mature over a shorter period of time.By the end of the discussion, the Elders agreed to send a total of two men and four women into the Little Garden. This included Gaute, his three wives, a handsome young man named Magnus, and an inordinately beautiful woman named Trine.Magnus and Trine were easily the youngest members of the entire tribe, but, due to the extremely low rate of birth, the former was 191 while the latter was 116. This wasn't considered particularly old from the perspective of the long-lived tribe, but it really put into perspective how rare it was for even a single child to be born. This was in spite of the fact that more than half of the women in the tribe were pregnant, a clear indicator that there was no lack of effort on the part of the few males present.With Trine being the youngest in the entire tribe, this meant more than 116 years had passed since the last successful birth. This realization was more than enough to turn Vahn's 'indifference' towards Jahad into full-blown hatred. The man hadn't simply touched Vahn's bottom line, he had stooped to a level so low that it was difficult to even grasp. All Vahn knew for certain was that, for the first time in his life, he couldn't imagine himself giving his enemy a merciful death...---With three days passing in the blink of an eye, Vahn proved the veracity of his claims by producing, not the original six, but a total of twenty-three members of the Asteria Tribe. This included quite a number of young men and women, many of which possessed extraordinary features and perfectly sculpted physiques.Even the 'average' members of the Asteria Tribe were inordinately attractive, so, thanks to the Law of Progress, those born within the Little Garden were even more striking. Several of the males had even inherited a trait that was considered 'extremely' rare among members of their tribe, a dragon-like skull that grew naturally from their foreheads. In the ancient past, this peculiar protrusion had only manifested in their greatest warriors so it was quite jarring to see more than half of the males in possession of the unique racial characteristic.Wasting no time, Gaute immediately made his way towards his father, one of the Elders of the tribe named Halvard. Then, before the latter could say anything to recover from his shock, a massive grin spread across the face of the former as he wrapped his father in a bearhug and exclaimed, "Father! I have missed you dearly! Come, let me introduce you to your grandchildren!"With Gaute having grown much stronger during his time in the Little Garden, Halvard could do little more than grunt as the air was expelled from his lungs. Despite this, he still managed a wry smile as he returned his son's embrace, patting the former's back a few times as he groaned, "You did well..."Laughing in response to his father's words, Gaute released his hold on the man before guiding him over to the growing crowd surrounding the newest members of the Asteria Tribe. It was only at this point that he seemed to realize Vahn was present, his expression becoming somewhat solemn as he bowed his head low and said, "Thank you..." in a sincere and respectful tone.Smiling in response to the man's words, Vahn returned a curt nod before gesturing to the crowd and saying, "Go. Be with your people. We will have plenty of time to talk later."Nodding his head in understanding, Gaute guided his father towards the crowd as the remaining Elders gathered around Vahn. This included the two Matriarchs, both displaying radiant smiles that made them appear decades younger. Then, at the behest of the current Matriarch, a woman named Oleanna, each of the Elders took turns offering their apologies.Though he could have used their previous skepticism as leverage against them, Vahn just accepted the apologies of the Elders with a smile. Some of them had been pretty rude, but, considering how long they had suffered as a result of Jahad's curse, it was understandable that they would be a little jaded. If he had sired hundreds of stillborn children, his mind would have broken a long time ago, so, rather than blame the victims, he decided to shift all his enmity towards the person responsible.With this in mind, Vahn took advantage of the festive atmosphere to invite everyone into the Little Garden for a banquet. This was a little underhanded of him, as it put the Elders on the spot, but, in the end, even the most obstinate among them capitulated. There was nothing more important than the survival and prosperity of their people; so, with Vahn promising he would return them once the banquet had ended, they had little choice but to accept...---Having experienced the wonders of the Little Garden for themselves, more than half of the Asteria Tribe made the decision to become permanent residents. There was nothing the Elders could do about this as the conditions were simply too enticing for the long-suffering people. Just the night sky was enough to convince the majority, as, for reasons even they didn't understand, the Asterian people had always possessed a strong connection to the stars.Though there were a few exceptions, virtually every member of the Asteria Tribe possessed a Shinsu Quality related to the stars. As a result, vibrant stars formed from Shinsu constantly lingered around them, drastically enhancing their already extraordinary beauty. Even the men were no exception to this, the majority possessing light-blue hair, matching eyes, and pointed ears that closely resembled those of Elves.By appearance alone, the Asterian people were one of the most beautiful races Vahn had ever laid eyes upon. Their affinity with the stars also meant they were extraordinarily powerful, and, if not for the suppression of the Jahad Empire, their members would have dominated the individual Rankings for Wave Controllers. The stars around their bodies were actually a nascent form of Baang, harmless in their idle state but monstrously powerful when wielded to their full potential. They just needed a bit of training before even the most 'average' among their tribe could naturally form between three and five Baangs.Had he any use for an army, Vahn could, very easily, just leave the Asteria Tribe to their own devices in the outer rings. They had a 'very' strong desire to increase their numbers so it was only a matter of time before their original 83 members grew into a substantial force. Instead, he allowed them to reside within the Second Layer, entrusting the land to them and adjusting the flow of time to a ratio of 10:1.Though he understood their desire for revenge, Vahn's condition for allowing the Asteria Tribe to reside within the Little Garden was that they entrust the matter of dealing with Jahad to him. They might have a 'very' powerful claim against the tyrant King, but, in the grand scheme of things, they were just one group of Jahad's victims.Instead of focusing on revenge, Vahn wanted the Asteria Tribe to focus on rebuilding their culture and providing support to the other tribes he would invariably rescue during his ascent. This didn't sit well with some of their older members, but, with Gaute and Magnus serving as voices of reason, the vast majority were convinced relatively easily. As for the rest, including most of the Elders, they chose to stay within the village, not to seek revenge, but to safeguard their ancestral home so that future generations could return to pay their respects.Understanding how difficult it could be for some people to change, especially after long periods of suffering, Vahn didn't blame the Elders and their supporters for choosing to remain behind. Instead, he gave them a surplus of preserved food, a variety of edible plants, and, most importantly, a seed produced by the central island's World Tree. This would serve as a spatial waypoint, and, so long as they had his permission, people could transition between the Little Garden and the outside world thanks to the trans-dimensional properties inherent to World Trees.Though he didn't explain this function to them, as it would be extremely troublesome if someone found a way to forcibly access the World Tree's network, Vahn promised the Asterian Elders that he would personally return their people once Jahad had been defeated. By then, the World Tree would have grown into the mountain, and, though it might not compare to the Little Garden, it was bound to become a serene and pleasant place to live...---Having completed the Guardian's Test, Vahn found himself floating in front of a massive creature that resembled an Oarfish. It had a silvery body that was easily several kilometers long, and, though it had two eyes on the side of its head, the ones staring back at Vahn were the six protruding from its forehead.Similar to their first meeting, the Guardian broke the silence by plainly stating, "You always smell so delicious..."Chuckling in response to the massive creature's remark, Vahn pulled out a rainbow-hued crystal, tossing it towards the former's multi-mawed mouth as he said, "Accept this as both a parting gift and an expression of gratitude. I got to save an endangered species and even gained a stronger motivation for climbing the Tower."Without any hesitation whatsoever, the monstrous oarfish opened his mouth, devouring the tiny crystal in a single bite. This caused a contented tremble to run through its body, and, though it was incapable of showing an actual expression, its voice sounded satisfied as it replied, "You are the greatest anomaly that has ever appeared in this Tower. We look forward to seeing how far you will go. Good luck, delicious one..."Understanding he was about to be kicked out, Vahn performed a casual wave in the Guardian's direction as his body faded into particulates of bluish-white light. Immediately thereafter, he found himself on the viewing deck of a massive structure, that loosely resembled a winged chesspiece. He couldn't actually make this out from where he was standing, but, based on the structures floating in the distance, it was a pretty safe assumption.Since there was only one place where such structures were common, Vahn didn't need Ryun's help to confirm that he was currently on the 21st Floor, specifically the 'Garden of White Cichlids' that was owned and operated by the Yeon Family. This was an area in the Middle Tower that was traditionally reserved for Regulars, and, so long as you had the Points to spend, there were a number of famous restaurants and shopping centers located within the gravity-defying structures. Vahn, however, had absolutely no interest in these things, so, after briefly taking in his surroundings, he manifested his Pocket and said, "Contract with the Guardian..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Hypibolic Crying Chamber is OP...','Delicious...','Vahn embracing his inner speed-runner xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though they might be as powerful as some of his other Templates, Vahn had succeeded in all three of his experiments. This included creating a Template with functionally infinite adaptability, another with a truly game-like Class system, and, last but not least, a truly unique entity that made use of a system fabricated entirely within Vahn's mind.Representing the being with infinite adaptability, Vahn decided to use Rimuru Tempest, the same Slime that Sis had alluded to previously. He had always been rather fond of the Record ever since his time in the Xenos Village, so, while there were a few subtle changes to their character, Rimuru was the same kind and caring person they were presented as in their original Record. The only real difference was that their base human transformation resembled an individual that held considerable status and authority within the Divine Realm.Since the only way to gain access to the Divine Realm was to be 'invited' there, Vahn was hoping he could catch the interest of one of the many omniscient beings that resided there. He might not be able to succeed with just a single Template, but, once someone realized he was borrowing the form of various beings within the Divine Realm, it was only a matter of time before they investigated and discovered his anomalous properties. The only problem was, while they would normally be able to observe the past, present, and future to determine who was qualified to enter the Divine Realm, the only way they would be able to observe him is by tracking him to the 'present'.With a functionally unlimited amount of time on their hands, Vahn believed that, even if it wasn't himself, one of his Templates would inevitably reach the Divine Realm. He would become aware of this the moment it happened, so, even if they were unable to invite him themselves, Vahn would be able to forge a path of his own through various means.Luckily, one of the Floor Masters was a woman with an insatiably curious nature, and, though Vahn would unquestionably be 'forced' to explain himself, she would be more amused than upset by the fact Rimuru had borrowed her form. After that, he just needed to keep her entertained, and, much like Loki, she would be pretty easy to manage. As for the name of this curious being, she was a truly breathtaking beauty by the name of Shiroyasha, the White Night Demon Goddess.Even if Rimuru only ever came to possess a fraction of Shiroyasha's ability as a result of sharing her likeness, they would quickly become one of the most powerful beings below the Divine Realm. After all, she was a Demon Goddess who casually collected Sun Authorities in spite of the fact she was a being closely associated with Yin and Darkness. She also had complete dominion over the direction and flow of all forms of energy, including the mysterious forces that spurred causality and fate.Fortunately, alongside their [Predator], [Great Sage], and [Gluttony], Rimuru had gained an Innate known as [Intrigue of the Sun Goddess]. This implied that Shiroyasha was made aware of them the moment they were created, and, unsurprisingly, the Law of Identity had confirmed this. There was even a chance that she had already invited Rimuru to the Divine Realm, but, due to the peculiarities of Space-Time, Vahn would only know after the former vanished from the present time axis.Since he wasn't in a particular hurry to reach the Divine Realm, as he was still weak compared to beings in a much lower Realm, Vahn didn't mind if Shiroyasha took her time reaching out to him. He still had a long journey ahead of him, and, though it ultimately had very little to do with him, he had already decided to effect change in the Tower before departing. Rimuru would undoubtedly convey this to Shiroyasha herself, so, for the next could of decades, Vahn knew he would have to live with the knowledge that a mischievous Demon Goddess was keeping a close eye on him.When he first realized this, Vahn supposed he might as well make things as interesting as possible for the voyeuristic Goddess in order to curry a bit of favor prior to his ascent to the Divine Realm. He was no stranger to having his actions spied upon by others, so, rather than let it bother him, he decided to just go with the flow. This gave him a peculiar feeling of confidence, and, though it was impossible to know if it had any influence whatsoever, he liked to think that it had guaranteed the success of his second experimental Template.Though Rimuru might represent infinite adaptability, Vahn's second Template, inspired by the main character of a game known as Granblue Fantasy, had unmatched versatility. They were given a non-standard Innate in the form of a system that not only allowed them to freely change their name, it also allowed them to alternate between a male and female avatar, preload up to ten weapons into something known as a 'grid', and, most notably, swap between one of ten starting Classes.By default, Djeeta, the name chosen by the female avatar, had the option of choosing between the Fighter, Knight, Priest, Wizard, Thief, Enhancer, Grappler, Ranger, Harpist, and Lancer Classes. What made this most exciting was the fact that her Innates, as Vahn had hoped, changed in accordance with the Class she had equipped. The only constant among her Innates was the one that provided access to her System, the [Endless Granblue Fantasy System].Though she would need to train each of the Classes individually, what made the [Endless Granblue Fantasy System] remarkable was the fact that she could actually 'equip' the Skills of other Classes so long as she wasn't in active combat. She also had a Party system that allowed up to five people to benefit from the various buffs provided by her Grids, greatly enhancing their power based on the effects of the weapons and items that had been assigned to the ten available slots.The only real downside to Djeeta's system seemed to be that she could only equip items that had been obtained through the [Endless Granblue Fantasy System]. Fortunately, there were many ways in which she could obtain items, the three most notable being her in-built Gacha System, her own version of a System Shop, and the compulsory drops she got whenever she or her Party defeated an enemy.Though the Gacha and System Shop were both interesting, Vahn was far more interested in the last function. So long as Djeeta and her Party participated in the subjugation of a foe, the corpse of any enemies defeated would immediately produce a treasure chest. These could contain anything from golden coins to fully functional weapons, unique consumables, and even the Spirits of the monsters she had slain. These Spirits could then be slotted into her 'Summoning Grid', further enhancing the capabilities of her Party members and allowing her to summon them in battle.This was easily one of the most broken aspects of Djeeta's system, but, as it was ultimately derived from a game, there were plenty of downsides. Chief among them was the fact that she needed to do almost everything on her own, including enhancing weapons, summons, and even 'characters' through functions known as Uncapping and Upgrading. This was guaranteed to be an extremely time-consuming process, but, as there was a very real chance that she could 'summon' additional characters through her Gacha System, there was a lot to be excited about.Vahn had never played it himself, but he became aware of the existence of Granblue Fantasy during his attempts to locate the Record Fenrir's name was derived from. He had been a little surprised to learn that her name originated from the Record of a Video Game, but, after researching it quite a bit, Vahn had developed quite an interest in the peculiar skyfaring world. As a result, he knew that it was essentially a game that revolved around a Gacha System that allowed you to summon virtually every character, weapon, or summon that existed within the verse. There were literally thousands of each, so, while she was bound to struggle in the beginning, it was only a matter of time before the roster of Djeeta's 'Crew' expanded to include literal Gods.Unfortunately, even after completing a few basic missions, Djeeta was only able to get a single SSR weapon from her first 10-Consecutive Gacha Pull. This made it difficult to ascertain whether or not she could actually summon the 'characters' from her Record of origin, but, considering everything else functioned similarly to the game, Vahn had high hopes for her future. In fact, he almost wished he was in her shoes, as, despite disliking how game-like his own life could be at times, Vahn found the [Endless Granblue Fantasy System] rather novel.Fortunately, The Path had absolutely no limits, so, if he really wanted to, Vahn could develop his own System in a similar direction. For now, however, he was actually pretty content with the way things were. He had a clear path of progression for his own growth, and, though he found Djeeta's system very interesting, his own System Functions were inarguably more versatile. Despite this, he didn't really use them all that much, as, even without them, his power grew at a monstrous rate due to his own efforts.Vahn was already benefitting greatly just from the creation of new Templates, so, while he resolved himself to develop his own System Functions in the future, it was a secondary concern. For now, he would benefit the most from developing his Innates, his two primary focuses being the [Universal Mind] and his [Eyes of Truth]. These would invariably allow him to reach Tier 5, and, if he used them properly, Vahn knew he could even kill someone on the level of Ureko with a timely activation of his 'Oblivion' skill. He had confirmed long ago that injuries afflicted by his Oblivion could not be healed through conventional means, so, if he created a hole in someone's brain, heart, or even their Ego, it would never recover.With the goal of reaching the pinnacle of Tier 6 and stepping into the incomprehensible realm of Tier 7, Vahn knew the development of his Innates should be his highest priority. Thus, with the goal of pushing his [Universal Mind] to the next level, his last Template made use of a system that didn't exist within his memory. It was something he had come up with alongside Sis, and, though he used an existing 'character' as a point of reference for both appearance and personality, their system was something completely unique.It was no secret that Vahn had always enjoyed cooking, so much so that he still held the desire to one day obtain the most expensive cooking manual from the System Shop. For now, however, he was content with creating a System aptly titled the [Ultimate Culinary God System]. It was a unique System that allowed the user to analyze and process virtually any ingredient, and, by creating new dishes, they could qualitatively increase their parameters while simultaneously empowering their allies.Though there were diminishing returns from consuming the same dish over and over again, the fact the [Ultimate Culinary God System] allowed its user to create food capable of providing permanent buffs to their allies was truly monstrous. The only downside, if it could even be considered that, was that they needed to analyze and process every single ingredient in order to manually create recipes from scratch. As a result, they needed to be someone with an extreme passion for cooking, eating, and experimentation.When he was first considering characters to serve as inspiration for his Template, Vahn, very briefly, considered a woman named Mana Nakiri and her daughter, Erina Nakiri. They were in possession of a unique ability known as [God's Tongue], an Innate that drastically enhanced their sense of taste. It was considered the 'ultimate' ability in a Record purely focused on cooking, but, in the end, the two inheritors of the ability weren't particularly interesting characters. Fortunately, Vahn could easily just give it to someone else, so, without any hesitation, he bestowed both the [God's Tongue] and the [Ultimate Culinary God System] to a mischievous redhead named Rindo Kobayashi...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn planting flags years in advance...','Summer Zooey when?','Wow...never would have expected Vahn to choose a mischievous redhead over a troublesome blonde (OwO)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1830: Succor