Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After his meeting with the Sailfish-like Guardian of the 21st Floor, Vahn made his way towards a sea located near the border between the Middle and Inner Towers.Unlike the 20th Floor, where the Middle and Inner Towers were overlapped like Dimensional Planes, the only thing separating the two on the 21st Floor was a unique boundary that prohibited all forms of unnatural flight. Fortunately, like most restrictions in the Tower, this had absolutely no effect on Vahn. As a result, it only took him a few hours before he reached his destination, the location of a mountain-sized Shinheuh known as Zygaena.At a glance, the Zygaena appeared to be a massive bull-like Shinheuh with tanned hide, horn-like antennae, a maw that stretched more than a hundred meters across, and two spiracles; one located on its back and the other located on its stomach.Though it had been considered a Sacred Beast by the Natives of the 21st Floor, known for its docile nature, the Zygaena had been butchered to the point only a single member of its species remained. There had been no official reason given for this, but, as was often the case when it came to such acts of cruelty, it was entirely the result of greed.At some point in the distant past, the Yeon Family Head, Yeon Hana, had been gifted an accessory created from a flower that only grew inside of the Zygaena. This flower produced a series of awe-inspiringly beautiful gemstones, so, as the 'most beautiful' woman in the Tower, it was considered to be the only suitable adornment for someone of Hana's caliber. Since then, the Zygaena's Flower had become a symbol representing the Yeon Family. It was embedded into each and every one of the unique flower hairpins worn by members of the main family, and, depending on your status in the family, the number of gems infused into your hairpin would increase.Though it would have made sense for the Yeon Family to protect the Zygaena, as it was the only source of the flower representing their family, they were actually the ones to drive it near the point of extinction. More specifically, it was the Godmother of the Yeon Family, Yeon Ilarde, who tasked a number of Rankers with their destruction. She had taken offense to the fact that the flower, despite its beauty, was rather common. Her vanity didn't allow her to tolerate this, so, in order to artificially increase its rarity, she had all but one Zygaena killed.When Hana had discovered that the Zygaena were being butchered, she immediately passed down an order to hunt down those responsible. She actually had a very kind and gentle disposition so it had pained her greatly to hear of the Zygaena's plight. Unfortunately, she placed far too much trust in Ilarde, the only 'real' family she had in the entire Tower.As the literal mother of every member of the Yeon Family, Ilarde's influence greatly exceeded that of Hana's, her niece. Because of this, she was easily able to fool Hana into believing that the family was doing everything in their power to stop the culprits. In reality, however, she ordered those hunting the Zygaena to increase their efforts, all while reporting to Hana that everything was going well.In the end, entirely as a result of her own vanity, pride, and greed, Ilarde had pushed the Zygaena to the point of extinction. As for the last Zygaena, it was cursed with a powerful form of Immortality so that the family would always have a constant supply of the now incredibly rare flower.When she had learned that only a single Zygaena remained, Hana's personality, known to be the kindest among the Ten Great Warriors, did a complete reversal. She immediately descended to the 21st Floor in a rage, slaying the Ruler who had been in charge before taking over the entire Floor in the name of the Yeon Family. It was said that her flames covered the entire sky in a crimson inferno, and, by the time her wrath had been quelled, nearly every Ranker unaffiliated with the Yeon Family had been annihilated.Unfortunately, from start to finish, Hana was skillfully manipulated by her aunt, blissfully unaware of the fact that her own family was responsible for the Zygaena's tragedy. It was only after the incident that she began to hear rumors regarding her family's involvement, but, unwilling to doubt her aunt, Ilarde's ultimately escaped all consequences. Rather, as a result of her careful machinations, she was even able to secure an additional Floor for her family to rule over...---Seeing the Zygaena up close, Vahn had to admit that it was rather massive. If he hadn't seen even larger creatures, he never would have believed such an entity was capable of growing and evolving naturally. In fact, based on how it was largely 'hollow' on the inside, allowing people to explore the interior unobstructedly, there was a very real chance that it was deliberately created to be explored.Shaking his head, Vahn waited until the Zygaena had rolled over onto its back before descending to its bulbous belly. The Test he had been assigned by the Guardian was to secure and protect at least one of the Zygaena's offspring before removing the curse keeping it alive.Though the Zygaena could easily survive for tens of thousands of years, the last remaining member had lost its will to live long ago. As for the reason why, it was due to the fact that the true origin of the Zygaena Flower was the Zygaena's offspring. The gems were actually the condensed essence of the Zygaena's life force, nourishing the offspring on which the flower grew.For the last several thousand years, the current Zygaena had been forced into a state where it was constantly producing offspring only to have them brutally slaughtered for the flowers growing on their backs. This had caused the sole surviving Zygaena to fall into a deep state of depression, so, while it was possible to save the creature by placing it within the Seventh Layer, Vahn understood it would be far more merciful to put the long-lived Shinheuh out of its misery.Unfortunately, while it was rather easy to find the Zygaena's Flower, Vahn was stumped to realize it was still in the process of gathering energy. As a result, it had yet to blossom, and, though he could see the nascent Zygaena growing in the wall, it was still a fetus.Exhaling a sigh, Vahn took a seat with his back against the warm yet rock-like walls of the Zygaena's insides before looking towards the Law of Identity, now transformed as Headon, and asking, "How long before the flower blossoms...?"With the knowledge of the Tower's Caretaker at her disposal, the Law of Identity didn't hesitate for a single moment before answering, "The usual gestation period is around five years. There should be around three years left before it fully blossoms."Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn looked towards the flower with a thoughtful gaze as he wondered why the Guardian was trying to delay his climb. With that in mind, he ultimately rose to his feet before teleporting out of the mountain-sized creature's body and shifting his attention back to the Law of Identity. Now, however, she resembled a colossal Sailfish that was even overshadowed the Zygaena.Understanding Vahn's intentions, the Law of Identity pointed her needle-like snout towards him as she answered, "The Guardian believes you are climbing the Tower too quickly. It wants you to stay here and protect the Zygaena Flower from the Rankers who will come to claim it."Though it was a little unnerving to have a skyscraper-sized needle pointed towards his face, Vahn managed a lighthearted chuckle before extending his hand towards the Law of Identity. As a result, she immediately reverted back to her original appearance, happily accepted his outstretched hand before nestling close to him. Immediately thereafter, Vahn teleported to the Zygaena's head so he could start the very long process of Taming the mountain-sized creature. This ultimately took three days; but, as a result, he was able to store the Zygaena within the Little Garden, drastically reducing the amount of time required for its offspring to gestate properly...---As could be expected, the Rankers assigned to watch over the Zygaena had been sent into a frenzy the moment their quarry spontaneously disappeared. The Yeon Family even sent two High Rankers to investigate the area, but, even after evaporating the entire sea using their flames, destroying an entire ecosystem in the process, they were unable to find a single trace of the missing Zygaena.When Vahn heard about the extremes the Yeon Family had been willing to go to in order to search for him, he couldn't help but frown in disapproval. He had chosen to remain on the 21st Floor for a few days in order to gauge their response. Needless to say, he was extremely disappointed, so, after contemplating the best course of action, he prepared a secondary vessel for the first time in a long while. Then, after storing it within the Little Garden, he made his way over to the lotus-like Floating Castles that represented the Yeon Family's power on the 21st Floor.Though he understood that not every member of the Yeon Family was corrupt, he also knew the Rankers tasked with looking after the Zygaena were well aware of how their precious gems were obtained. They had been twisted by the vanity of Ilarde, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, he ascended high above the series of Floating Castles before removing the Zygaena's corpse from the Little Garden.Vahn would ordinarily never desecrate a corpse, but, knowing how much resentment the Zygaena held towards the Yeon Family, he imagined it would be pleased with the outcome he had decided for it. As for the Yeon Family, they could only stare on in horror as the mountain-sized creature fell from the sky, crashing into their main Floating Castle with meteoric force.Somewhat surprisingly, the Floating Castle wasn't directly destroyed by the Zygaena's weight. It was protected by a 'very' powerful barrier of Shinsu, so, despite taking a direct impact, it ultimately able to avoid complete destruction. The only substantial damage was to the Suspendium Engines used to keep it suspended in the air. They had been completely overwhelmed by the massive force that had slammed into it, irreparably fracturing from the strain. As a result, the city-sized Floating Castle was forced to the ground as Rankers from the Yeon Family swarmed from the interior like a fire ant swarm.With his ability to blend into the void, Vahn could see the entire spectacle from high above. He was a little disappointed that the Floating Castle hadn't been destroyed, but, considering it was made to resist attacks from a High Ranker, he wasn't all that surprised. The average High Ranker had enough power to wipe out a small country with a serious attack so it would have been strange if a Floating Castle designed to protect against them was felled by a falling body.Shaking his head, Vahn's features began to slowly change as the sky over the Floating Castles took on a golden hue. This drew a considerable amount of attention, compelling several Rankers to rise into the sky at a speed rivaling teleportation. At the same time, Vahn's body gradually appeared from within the void as Enkidu, in all its resplendent glory, formed into a shape resembling a magic circle at his back.Seeing the spectacle before her, the leader of the group, a Ranker known as Yeon Aruna, couldn't help but pale slightly. She felt as if the Shinsu in the surroundings was being arrested from her, but, rather than turn tail and flee, she activated the recording function of her Pocket and roared, "This is the territory of the Yeon Family! Who are you to dare and offend one of the Ten Great Families!? Are you one of those cowards belonging to FUG!?"Rather than answer the woman's question, Vahn was scanning the auras of the surrounding Rankers to try and ascertain whether or not he should kill them all or spare a few. This would have been very difficult for his past self, but, after 'subordinating' Yuri and Ureko, his energy reserves had increased from around 153,000 to just over 4.3 million. More than 98% of this came from Ureko, but, in the end, the only thing that really mattered was that he had become exponentially stronger due to the two feisty women opting to join his Familia.With the average Ranker having between 10~15 million Shinsu, Vahn was confident in his ability to kill the vast majority with very little effort. They would need close to ten times his reserves in order to compete with him, so, with the strongest Ranker present only having reserves approximating 30 million, their lives were effectively in his hands. The only problem was, even if they 'deserved' to be killed, Vahn knew that Hana would take exception to the slaughter of her kin...Though their appearances were drastically different, Vahn got a similar impression from Hana as he did from Hestia. This wasn't because she was a virgin, but because she cared about her family more than anything else. There was a very real chance she would pursue him relentlessly if he went on a killing spree, so, after a brief moment of consideration, he decided he would just give them a 'light' punishment.Vahn knew he was contradicting himself, especially considering he had just dropped a mountain on them, but, as was often the case, it was a lot harder to justify killing people who were right in front of you. It was impossible for him to be completely heartless, so, with more than a dozen beauties staring at him with fear in their eyes, most of his hatred had melted away. After all, the true culprit behind the Zygaena's suffering was Ilarde, not these sheltered brats.Waiting until the woman was about to shout a second time, Vahn's aura burst outward like a large explosion. He forcibly seized control of the surrounding Shinsu, wresting it away from the group of fiery beauties and forcing them to either fall from the sky or use fiery wings formed from their own internal reserves to support themselves.Taking advantage of the interval where they were trying to stabilize themselves, Vahn activated his unique form of Reverse Flow Control, forcing the flames back into their body. This wasn't enough to inflict any substantial damage, as they 'were' flame, but that didn't prevent them from falling out of the sky like birds with their wings clipped. If he allowed them to, they would eventually recover the moment they exited his domain, but, rather than afford them the opportunity to mount a response, Vahn took things a step further by locking them in place as he descended towards the ground with even greater force than the Zygaena's fall.Though they could fall from virtually any height without suffering any damage, being slammed into the ground at relativistic speeds was enough to knock each of the women unconscious. Fortunately, their flames were an amalgamation of both the Phoenix and the Three-Legged Golden Crow. Unless their heads and hearts were both destroyed they could heal from virtually any injury so Vahn didn't have to worry about their survival. As a result, he didn't hold back in the slightest, his expression a mask of calm as he rose from his personal crater and began to manifest hundreds of resplendent golden Baangs...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vanity is never pleasant...','Three years? More like 12 hours...','O_O...')(A/N: Sorry about not posting yesterday. Starting tomorrow, I'll be releasing 3-4 chapters a day for the entire week.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though his reserves might not compare to the average High Ranker, Vahn's experiences with the Law of Identity had demonstrated just how much he was holding himself back. If he truly let himself go, there was literally 'nothing' that could defend against him, as, even if they were at the absolute pinnacle of the Record, they wouldn't even be able to sense his energy in its purest form.The only downside to using Source Energy was that it couldn't persist in a stable state after leaving his body. It was constantly trying to transition into other forms of energy, primarily shaped through his intent. This made it remarkably difficult to use against any opponent he wasn't in direct contact with, but, so long as he focused his mind and properly communicated his intent, there was nothing his Source Energy couldn't do.With this belief guiding his actions, Vahn willed the Source Energy from his body to convert into the purest form of Divine Energy he could manage. This caused his Baangs to gradually resemble small suns, but, rather than radiate heat, they inspired fear and awe in everyone that witnessed them. Not even the two High Rankers who had appeared were spared from this, their awe-inspiringly beautiful countenances marred in expressions of shock and horror as they beheld the thousands of Baangs that had formed into existence.Smiling up at the duo, Vahn took the initiative to say, "I understand that it is human nature to covet things like beauty and wealth. Prosperity breeds excess, and, in the end, invites us to view even the most heinous of acts as normal. I generally turn a blind eye to things like animal domestication for the sake of consumption. The acts your family has taken against the Zygaena, however, are far too egregious for me to overlook. I will leave you with a light punishment this time around. When this is over, I expect you to inform your Godmother that her sins will no longer go unpunished."Though they showed a substantial amount of confusion in response to his earlier words, the duo was able to recover from their stupor the moment they heard his words regarding their Godmother. Looks of conviction immediately replaced the fear and trepidation previously visible in their gazes as the stronger of the two shouted, "Who are you to pass judgment on the Yeon Family!? You will pay dearly for this transgression...!"Before her words had even finished, dozens of Baangs formed from scarlet flames had formed in the air behind the woman. At the same time, though it was only visible to Vahn himself, a pair of slit-like eyes appeared above her as the silhouette of the Three-Legged Golden Crow manifested. This caused a subtle aura of Divinity to spread through the area, but, when it came into contact with his own, the eyes widened as the ghostly silhouette visibly shuddered.While making a mental note to inquire about this strange phenomenon from the Law of Identity, a confident smile spread across Vahn's face as he made no attempt to defend himself from the pillars of flame tearing through the void. He had bathed in some of the most powerful flames in the Order of Creation, and, though he didn't exactly have immunity against them, his comprehension of the Laws of Nirvana, Fire, and Yang exceeded even the Phoenix and Three-Legged Golden Crow that had blessed the Yeon Family.With his arms spread slightly, almost as if he was enjoying a gentle breeze, Vahn allowed the fire-infused Shinsu to continually wash over him until the attack had ceased. To the horror of the duo, the only indicator he had suffered even a marginal amount of damage was the fact that parts of his clothes had become singed. Unfortunately for two beauties, his resplendent golden scales and the pale-golden hair flowing from his head were completely unaffected by the destructive flames.Seeing her most powerful attack do more damage to her own kin than the target, the stronger of the two High Rankers noticeably paled as she pulled out a vermillion Needle and said, "I'll be the Fisherman. You throw the spear..."Without attempting to argue, the weaker of the duo took to the sky like a rocket as her counterpart charged towards Vahn with horrifying momentum. Before her attack landed, however, a fiery crown appeared over his head as he ignored the Needle aiming towards his heart. As a result, the Needle impacted his left pectoral muscle with tremendous force, but, thanks to his momentary immunity, it didn't even generate a shockwave as he directed his attention towards the sky and muttered, "Allow me to show you what real flames are like..."Though she had been stunned by the fact her Needle had barely even pierced the fabric of Vahn's tunic, that didn't mean the female High Ranker was incapable of responding to sudden changes in the flow of battle. Her reaction towards Vahn's words was to attempt a second stab, this one aiming for his eye as she manifested her Pocket and shouted, "He is aiming for you! Dodge...!"Despite knowing he was immune to damage, Vahn couldn't help but flinch as the Needle impacted his eye. At the same time, however, the resplendent golden Baangs in the surroundings became an even richer crimson than the flames produced by the Yeon Family. Immediately thereafter, Laev-tan emerged from his body, surprising the High Ranker enough to send her escaping backward as each of the Baangs emanated black light from their centers.Taking advantage of the momentary breathing room, Vahn pointed Laev-tan towards the sky, and, though it was a little pretentious of him to make such a claim, he maintained a calm and confident expression on his face as he declared, "Ignite the Heavens. Fire God's Ascent...!"Though the incantation served no actual purpose, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that words, when spoken with intent, held considerable power. So long as he believed they made his flames stronger, his comprehension of the Laws would bend reality to his will. This was the truest expression of the Law of Authority, and, unless someone with an even stronger will intervened, there was no way for them to override the reality that had manifested through his intent.Demonstrating the true horror of the Law of Authority when applied to other Laws, the fiery Baangs formed by Vahn spiraled towards a singular point before converging into the figure of a mountain-sized dragon with three pairs of wings. Its entire body was wreathed in flames, and, though she had taken preemptive measures to dodge, the High Ranker above suddenly felt as if she was moving in slow motion as the massive maw of the dragon inevitably closed around her body.Despite being just as surprised as everyone else, Vahn managed to appear completely calm on the surface. He hadn't expected the 'Fire God' arbitrarily referenced in his incantation to resemble the literal manifestation of the Law of Fire, a Dragon God known as Vulcanus. Fortunately, as he never intended to actually kill the woman attempting to flee, Vulcanus promptly transformed into a cage of flames, momentarily sealing her within.Shifting his attention towards the visage of the Three-Legged Golden Crow hovering above the stronger of the two High Rankers, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face when he noticed it immediately recoil. It was a creature that was intrinsically related to the Law of Fire, so, while it had never seen Vulcanus with its own eyes, there was a potent spiritual suppression just from witnessing the latter's form. As a result, it soon disappeared from above the woman's head, effectively running away for fear of being subsumed by a far more powerful flame.Feeling her power suddenly decrease, the heiress of the Yeon Family paled even more as the flames around her body transitioned from a violent crimson to a relatively gentle gold. Her only remaining blessing was the one provided by the Phoenix, but, compared to the one she had received from the Three-Legged Golden Crow, it was almost negligible. Her disposition and mentality didn't allow her to be a proper bearer of Phoenix Flames, and, if not for Hana's desire to protect her family, most of the members would be unable to house the pure and gentle flames.Not understanding what had happened, the woman clutched at her chest as she exclaimed, "Just who are you!? Why are you doing this to us!? What did we ever do to you!?"With his expression turning somewhat solemn, Vahn plainly remarked, "This is how your kind always reacts when a situation like this occurs. You rarely even bat an eye when you suppress others, but, the moment the shoe is on the other foot, you act as if some great injustice has been inflicted upon you. Consider this your punishment for the many lives you have adversely affected over the last 925 years. When next we meet, I hope you will have become a better person. If not, expect no clemency from me..."Taking advantage of the woman's unstable mental state, Vahn used Reverse Flow Control to lock her in place as a link of Enkidu extended from his palm. Then, once it had completely coiled around her body, sealing her power, he manipulated the chain in a perfect arc before slamming her into the ground with enough force to send a visible ripple through the terrain. Immediately after this rather peculiar phenomenon, the area affected by the ripple collapsed to form a crater that was more than 700m in diameter as the woman bound by the chain immediately lost consciousness.Seeing the woman's sorry state, Vahn couldn't help but exhale a sigh as he returned Laev-tan to his body and allowed Enkidu to dissipate. He had never been particularly fond of harming women, so it was a little disheartening to have to raise his hand against so many beauties. Unfortunately, women were sometimes capable of even greater wickedness than men, so, while he couldn't help but feel a little guilty, he wasn't going to apologize. Instead, he shifted his attention toward one of the many Lighthouses and Observers monitoring the battle, his voice solemn as he stated, "The era where the sins of the Ten Great Family go unpunished is over. This is my warning to those who have deviated from the path of righteousness...repent or prepare to pay your dues..."Though he probably could have come up with something more meaningful to say, Vahn had no real desire to posture. The only thing that really mattered was that his message was conveyed through the Tower. So long as he was able to make a positive impression on the hearts and minds of those who desired vengeance against the Ten Great Families, he would have achieved his objective. His power would increase in proportion to the amount of belief that was placed in him, and, though there was no way they could compare to someone like Ureko, quantity could eclipse quality when very large numbers were involved.With his objectives complete, Vahn allowed his vessel to simply fade out of existence, removing all the hidden imprints that had been placed onto him during the battle. He could have removed each of them relatively easily, but, at least for the time being, he wanted to keep his enemies guessing at his capabilities. It would be very difficult for him to defeat a genuine powerhouse, and, if not for his affinity for Fire, the two High Rankers belonging to the Yeon Family could have given him quite a bit of trouble.Fortunately, at least from the perspective of others, his theatrics gave off the impression of an all-powerful god. After all, he hadn't even tried to evade any of his enemy's attacks from start to finish, and, though they weren't the most powerful, the fact he had defeated two High Rankers stirred the hearts of many. As a result, Vahn's reserves began to increase with each passing day, his growth directly proportional to the amount of hatred and resentment people held towards the Ten Great Families...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "It wasn't a suggestion. It was a decree."','Mastery over the Laws transcends everything else...','Will of the Emperor is OP...')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

Chapter 1832: Impact